XPost: phl.politics, phl.media, pa.politics   
   From: artclemons@aolSPAM.com   
      
   stan@temple.edu wrote:   
      
   > As for Art's comment about businesses leaving the city, that may be   
   > true for large businesses, but I am impressed how vibrant the down   
   > town areas such as Olde City and Rittenhouse Square are becoming with   
   > many new small businesses opening up.   
      
   Attracting and keeping small business is part of not focusing just on   
   Center City, but the absolute number of people working in the city has   
   declined, and it will get worse.  Years ago there were banks based in   
   Philadelphia, now there are service centers and many of those are in   
   the suburbs, there was industry and lots of office workers downtown.   
   Now even with an expanded number of large office blgs, the number of   
   jobs in the city has declined and focusing just on downtown won't work.   
   Philadelphia does need draws to attract people to the city but it's   
   fighting a losing battle in keeping jobs and people.   
      
   Philly doesn't even keep its college grads and it needs better services   
   and sources of revenue to improve the schools, since people with   
   children will pay a premium to live where schools are good (usually the   
   premium is less than the cost of private secular education), and few   
   people pay for example $15,000 in wage taxes in Philadelphia.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)