Newspapers across America are closing. Seattle Washington may not have a daily paper any longer. The Daily News and Inky are both in trouble.

Can we expect an informed electorate without daily newspapers? Is the internet, radio and tv news enough?

I don’t think so.

I believe it is time to start thinking about what the Federal, state and local governments can do to ensure that newspapers continue to publish.

Anyone else have any interest? Any thoughts on what can be done?

I’m curious what YPPers think of Verizon being given the right to offer its version of cable TV in the City. Do you have concerns about which neighborhoods will be “wired”? Do you believe competition with Comcast and the satellite companies will drive costs down? Will additional public access stations be used?

I would like to hear from folks before I write my testimony.

Lance Haver
Director of Consumer Affairs

This Thursday at 3 pm at 1234 Market Street, the SEPTA board will vote on a proposal to raise fares by 31%, cut 20% of all service, eliminate school transfers raising kids fares by over 50% and eliminating zone 1 stations for the rail lines.

There is no question that passing such a proposal will wreak havoc on our region. If passed it will burden the working poor who depend upon SEPTA to get to work and school, add another 20,000 cars to our roads, worsen the air quality, make our region less competitive for businesses, lower property values and make us more dependent on oil.

The question is who will show up at the board meeting? How many of us will make the time? How many will decide that fighting for our interests doesn’t end the day after the election?

Those who have raised concerns about process, will you also raise concerns about policy? Will you speak for the students, riders and environment?

What next?

As I look at the election returns, I am struck by just how important an ongoing organization is.

I don’t think that those people who define themselves as progressives will ever build a power base until we build an organization that we can rely upon to fight all year round, on issues we care about and for candidates who support our platform.

We will be wasting all of the hard work that went into this past election, if we don’t use the lessons learned to build for the future.

I would be interested in knowing what other think about the next step. For while the election is over, the struggle for social and economic justice continues on a daily basis.

Lance Haver

I have been reading many of the posts over the last few months and am excited by the level of interest and energy so many have for improving our lives.

I think many have talked about the cost of corruption and “pay to play”. There is no doubt in my mind that there is a real cost to tax payers. What I don’t think has been explored is the cost of poverty, not just to the low-income families but to the working poor and middle class as well. And I don’t understand why that is.

For example how much of ones gas bill is because a certain law firm was bond counsel and how much is do to people not being able to pay their bills?

Bond counsel costs are less than 1/2 of one percent of the gas rates, 1/3 of our PGW bills are the cost of people not making enough to keep up.

Similarly with social services, how much is the cost to the city for social services caused by " corruption” how much is poverty?