23rd Annual Mayoral Luncheon - Philadelphia "The First Great City" - PhillyBlog

mattj · #1 (**permalink**) 02-07-2006, 04:16 PM

The GPCC held it's annual Mayoral Luncheon today, anyone else attend? Your thoughts?

Scoop0901 · #2 (**permalink**) 02-07-2006, 04:18 PM

You going to share any details?

bluecuracao · #3 (**permalink**) 02-07-2006, 04:18 PM

What are your thoughts, mattj?

mattj · #4 (**permalink**) 02-07-2006, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scoop0901

You going to share any details?

Nope.

Scoop0901 · #5 (**permalink**) 02-07-2006, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattj

Nope.

:tomato:

bluecuracao · #6 (**permalink**) 02-07-2006, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattj

Nope.

So, this thread is pretty much just for Matt to brag that he went to the Mayoral Luncheon. :razz:

Scoop0901 · #7 (**permalink**) 02-07-2006, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluecuracao

So, this thread is pretty much just for Matt to brag that he went to the Mayoral Luncheon. :razz:

Certainly not something I would brag about. At least not with the current mayor.

mattj · #8 (**permalink**) 02-07-2006, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluecuracao

So, this thread is pretty much just for Matt to brag that he went to the Mayoral Luncheon. :razz:

Haha. Yeah, only me and 1500 other people. And I only got to go because someone else from the office couldn't make it.

Nothing too new to really report. A lot of ass-kissing, a 20 minute "bike-tour" of the city by the Mayor in which Elfreth's Alley was lined with trees and was wide enough for two cars, NTI images from 2 or 3 years ago were shown, and the Mayor somehow rode his bike to the airport.

The main points that seemed to be made were more money for cultural endeavors, The New River City, and a $1 billion in tax cuts over the past few years. Also the Olympics. Expect to see the City devote tons of time, money and effort in order to bring them here in 2016.

MID · #9 (**permalink**) 02-07-2006, 08:45 PM

I was there, too. I thought it was a nice enough compendium of all of the things that have happened are supposed to happen or are going on in the City - NTI, Wireless Philadelphia, Live 8, housing boom, Barnes Foundation to the Parkway, Art Museum expansion, Library expansion, Convention Center expansion, new office buildings (Cira, Naval Business Center, etc. ), restaurants, tourism, new retail, new housing (both subsidized and market rate). All of the cool things that people talk about on this board. Plus, he kept pointing out that Philadelphia has had 11 straight years of wage and business tax rate reductions without any increase in real estate tax rates.

The Olympics thing was touched on by both the mayor and Steve Stienour (CEO of Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania). I think it is a great idea and something that the business/civic community is starting to really latch onto. It is my understanding that the City will not spend any/much money to win the bid - more likely a private group will put together the bid, with City to pay for infrastructure improvements, etc. if we have the winning bid.

SPM · #10 (**permalink**) 02-07-2006, 10:03 PM

I went too---an anniversary of a fun one for me in 1992.

I thought it was very positive, and the Mayor's video, while a bit corny, was better received (the message anyway) than I've seen in the past 5 years for him at this luncheon.