Yo, Mike! Yo, Al! Bring people like me back to the city

July 8, 2007
The Philadelphia Inquirer

Yo, Mike! Yo, Al! The one thing I really need you to do is ...

Mary Barr Mann
Maplewood, N.J.

Yo, the one thing I really need you to do is …
… bring me back to Philadelphia. I know this sounds rather self-serving, what with all the pressing crises of the city - including poverty, crime, and education. But I represent the vast Philadelphia diaspora — the many former inhabitants who long for Philadelphia, who spend hours a week on philly.com and phillyblog and read the Business Journal and City Paper on line. We miss our neighborhoods, our families and our soft pretzels. We want to come back, but something is missing: jobs.
Almost seven years ago, I married a man who lives and works in North Jersey. His technology-based firm is thriving in the New York area, with many clients ranging in geographic location from Garden City, Long Island, to Parsippany, N.J. How many clients do they have in the Philadelphia area? One. In Blue Bell.
Philadelphia needs to significantly lower its wage and business taxes and aggressively work to attract and grow new businesses. Some might argue that there is growth on the 202 corridor and in other suburbs, but without a vibrant economic engine at the center, the Philadelphia region is lagging behind metro areas like New York and Boston. Jobs will bring new residents, new income and new life to the city — both at its center and in the neighborhoods.

Al Taubenberger's Response:

Dear Mary,
Come on back to Philadelphia, Mary. We have jobs, not as many as I’d like, but the city is growing and prospering. You’ll see new growth, new construction, and a new spirit. On top of that, we’re geographically compatible. We sit in the middle of the metropolis stretching from Boston to Washington, and Philadelphia deserves to be at the forefront.
We have our problems, but either Mike or I will be working on them. In my day job as president of the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, I’ve spent years selling businesses on Northeast Philadelphia and finding ways to keep them here. Now, I want to use this passion to bring jobs throughout Philadelphia.
I couldn’t agree with you more about taxes. I served on the Tax Reform Commission, studying this issue in depth. I’m convinced we can eliminate the gross-receipts tax, which is extremely unfair; lower the business-privilege tax; and reduce the wage tax.
Other than taxes, by enhancing our port and modernizing our airport, we can drive more high-paying jobs to the city. Jobs cure a lot of ills. When people have jobs, it gives self-respect. If we can employ more people, we can keep them out of trouble. Mary, we’re heading in the right direction. Hopefully, you and your husband will be headed in this direction.

Michael Nutter's Response:

Dear Mary,
You speak to a real problem that I addressed in City Council and intend to confront as Mayor. Philadelphia should resume its role as hub of the region — where culture, commerce and community thrive.
To do this, Philadelphia needs to keep and attract residents and businesses. A critical means of making Philadelphia vital and competitive is decreasing the onerous tax burden on residents and businesses. We’re already lowering the wage tax with a guaranteed reduction for the next seven years, and we’re working hard to lower the business-privilege tax (BPT). However, we can and must do more. If elected, I will continue to push for a fair tax policy to eliminate the gross-receipts part of the BPT and to lower the net-income portion to the same level as the decreasing wage tax.
Furthermore, we need to make it easier for business to operate, grow, and flourish in Philadelphia. This means easing the regulatory burden that businesses face, shortening timetables for zoning and permit decisions, and providing certainty in the development and relocation process.
We all know that Philadelphia is a great city. I want to bring you, and many others like you, back home.
Philadelphia has to work and work for everyone.