That's why the Campaign to Take Back Vacant Land, composed of faith-based, labor, community, and civic groups, is working with City Council members Maria Quiñones-Sánchez and Bill Green on land-banking legislation for Philadelphia.
It would ensure that communities have meaningful involvement in a land bank's decisions, prioritize long-term community and economic development over short-term revenue generation, and recognize the role that land trusts play in protecting long-term affordability in our neighborhoods.
If we're going to go through the trouble of fixing broken systems, let's make sure we get it right.
Thomas H. Earle, CEO, Liberty Resources Inc., Philadelphia,
thomasearle@libertyresources.org
Tell us who the deadbeats are
Why doesn't The Inquirer just publish the names of the individuals and businesses and the amounts they owe Philadelphia in property taxes? The information is in the public record.
The Inquirer would give us tax-paying citizens the opportunity to decide if we would like to patronize those businesses or file complaints with Licensing and Inspections over derelict properties that are ruining our neighborhoods.
The total amount owed the city is staggering, and it is outrageous that the city does not do more to collect what is owed. With that money, there would be no need to raise property taxes or find new ways to charge Philadelphians additional fees, like the new $300-a-year charge for trash pickup paid by owners of properties with two to six units.
Diane Pringle, Philadelphia
Wishing Congress had done nothing
Dick Polman's column "Time for a Truman touch" (Thursday) reflects his misguided bias. Where was Polman when the Democrats controlled both houses of Congress through the first two years of President Obama's term?
