I think some people are misrepresenting Councilman Goode's position on this project. In no way is he trying to "kill" this development, he's just very skeptical that the tax abatement is necessary to build it and is understandably concerned about funding the city's schools (and it would be more lucrative for him, and his campaign, to side with the wealthy developers than the poor community groups).
Developers are always going to whine that they absolutely need tax breaks, less regulation, and just can't afford union labor, no matter how rich they are or how much money they are making from this city. I think the Councilman has a legitimate point to question whether these abatements are
really necessary to build these developments.
I think the argument that the Center City boom wouldn't have occurred without the tax abatement is as short-sighted (and as anti-urban) as it comes, since it completely ignores the city's many advantages, such as culture, walkable shopping and restaurants, nightlife, entertainment, mass transit, easy access to jobs, manicured parks, abundant public art, beautiful architecture, important events, constant festivals, trendy neighborhoods, art galleries, progressive environment, and diversity (which some rich people consider to be a good thing), as well as the national trend towards living in dense cities
. Their argument is the usual argument that giving rich people more money is the only way for the city to prosper, and that tax breaks are soooo necessary to attract rich people to the city (cause why would they want to live in Philadelphia otherwise
), and that these rich people will provide enough tax revenue to fund the schools, even though many of them find all sorts of tricks to avoid paying other, and sometimes any, taxes to the city.
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