Quote:
Originally Posted by GOP65
MARC and CLIP are basically nothing more then extensions of a couple of elected officials offices AKA patronage havens.  |
I won't speak for CLIP, since I don't work there. But if MARC's a patronage haven than I'm missing something. Doesn't MARC have to provide money, jobs or a service to be labeled a patronage haven? That's how the dictionary defines it anyway.
MARC has exactly one full-time employee. I work part-time and my full-time job is not in any political office. Meanwhile, the Board of Directors serves on a volunteer basis.
MARC's funding comes mostly from grants and has to be spent on specific projects with receipts for everything. And, the services we provide are for everyone.
The Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation selected the contractor for the Torresdale Avenue Project. The $100,000 in business facade improvements went to members of local business associations and the recipients were chosen by the business associations.
If a patronage haven means:
- Giving flower pots to those business willing to care for them
- Painting blighted train trestles
- Running street sweepers up and down the avenue freely
- Cleaning up and beautifying public property with the MARC Summer Youth Employment Program (those kids are seasonal employees)
- Buying the equipment for local youth sports leagues
- Sponsoring a hole for a charity golf outing
- Assisting in the art show of a community art school
- Hosting MARC's Movie Night, which is free for everyone thanks to Republic First Bank
- Providing $10,000 for last year's Tacony Summer Concert Series and another for Tacony History Day
- Raising $9,000 for the Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation and the American Cancer Society
- Organizing a fundraiser for a local mother stricken with breast cancer
In that case, MARC proudly stands guilty as charged.