• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

PhillyGAF |OT|

T

The Artful Dodger

Member
A

ACE 1991

Member
Looking to check out the open art galleries in Old City tonight for first friday, anyone have any opinion on a good (paid) place to park that would act as a good starting point for the walk? Thanks!
 
C

Cyanity

Banned
Outsider from Boston here. I'm curious what the consensus on the SEPTA strike is in here. Do they have a valid reason to strike or is this just greed?
 
A

AbortedWalrusFetus

Member
esms said:
Just realized we've been moved to community.

It's all downhill from here, friends
YykEwlh.png
Click to expand...

A sad day indeed. Every time the thread got bumped I hoped more people would join us.

ACE 1991 said:
Looking to check out the open art galleries in Old City tonight for first friday, anyone have any opinion on a good (paid) place to park that would act as a good starting point for the walk? Thanks!
Click to expand...

I usually try to park around 2nd and Callowhill cause it's free and it's usually open around there. There's also some lots at Front and Lombard I've had luck with. I don't usually drive there often anymore though, so this was 4+ years ago.

Cyanity said:
Outsider from Boston here. I'm curious what the consensus on the SEPTA strike is in here. Do they have a valid reason to strike or is this just greed?
Click to expand...

General greed. The relationship between SEPTA labor and management is one of the worst I've seen in any labor dispute. SEPTA does a great job at spreading it's far too thin budget out and making the mass transit system work. Recently the state finally, after years of neglect, allocated more funding to SEPTA (bill passed in 2013 and went into effect in 2014) so that they could undertake capital improvement programs, and maybe even expand service and add lines. I think the local TWU saw this as a sign of money they could plunder for themselves rather than have it go to actually improving service and used this contract negotiation period to undertake exactly that.

In my opinion part of the reason the state has been so hesitant to put more money toward mass transit is that they foresaw exactly this sort of thing happening. This strike isn't just an annoyance for the short term, it's going to cause the republican controlled state legislature to be even more hesitant to make wise investments into mass transit infrastructure. The effects of this propagate the difficulties the impoverished class of Philadelphia already experience. People need to remember that while unions have accomplished a lot of good for workers rights, the unions are ultimately out to solely benefit the members of the union exclusively, even when that puts the greater good of society and local economy under threat.
 
T

thecouncil

Banned
What about election day next week? People need SEPTA to get to polling places.

If Pennsylvania falls to Trump, I'm gonna blame SEPTA. Haha.
 
V

vypek

Member
thecouncil said:
What about election day next week? People need SEPTA to get to polling places.

If Pennsylvania falls to Trump, I'm gonna blame SEPTA. Haha.
Click to expand...

I was talking about this with my brother and we were wondering if people had enough polling stations they could walk to. And also which parts of PA are red and which are blue. Figuring that Philadelphia and Pittsburgh would be places that have a heavy effect on blue
 
T

thecouncil

Banned
tempest3 said:
I was talking about this with my brother and we were wondering if people had enough polling stations they could walk to. And also which parts of PA are red and which are blue. Figuring that Philadelphia and Pittsburgh would be places that have a heavy effect on blue
Click to expand...

Philadelphia is definitely where you're getting a lot of blue, yes.

Isak_Borg said:
I'm officially one of you guys now!!!
Click to expand...

Welcome. Isn't it grand?
 
A

Admodieus

Member
SEPTA filed an injunction to end the strike for good (not just for election day); that hearing is now underway

It looks like they are sick and tired of dealing with TWU 234 right now. They probably caved on healthcare and wanted to compromise on pensions, but from what I heard TWU opened up a whole new set of issues after that such as archived camera footage of incidents involving their drivers being limited to 5 minutes
 
A

AbortedWalrusFetus

Member
Captain Tuttle said:
How about that water main break?

http://6abc.com/news/48-inch-water-main-break-floods-east-falls-shopping-center-/1590218/

Infrastructure is crumbling, this is the third one on this line
Click to expand...

I saw this while I was at the gym. Absolutely insane. This is a result of this country plundering or cutting the infrastructure budgets and it's infuriating. Infrastructure creates convenience, eases things for business so it can grow, and creates tons of jobs while it's being built.
 
T

The Llama

Member
thecouncil said:
What about election day next week? People need SEPTA to get to polling places.

If Pennsylvania falls to Trump, I'm gonna blame SEPTA. Haha.
Click to expand...

I know literally no details (and couldn't share them even if I did), but needless to say the SEPTA strike's effect on election day is making some of my coworkers very busy lol. Think it's a lot of "no we can't really do anything" but I really don't know.
 
I

Isak_Borg

Member
AbortedWalrusFetus said:
I saw this while I was at the gym. Absolutely insane. This is a result of this country plundering or cutting the infrastructure budgets and it's infuriating. Infrastructure creates convenience, eases things for business so it can grow, and creates tons of jobs while it's being built.
Click to expand...

Ugh, It's sad how the infrastructure is falling apart!

I remember on Main St. in Manayunk there was a pipe burst over the summer that forced some local businesses to close for days on end.
 
D

Deku Tree

Member
Wow if TWU accepted the current agreement then the avg employee would make $76k over the life of the agreement to drive a bus around Philadelphia? A lot of people might think about switching careers for that kind of money. What's the point of getting an advanced degree to become a public school teacher when you can drive for SEPTA and make more and your legally allowed to Strike every few years.
 
C

Captain Tuttle

Member
Deku Tree said:
Wow if TWU accepted the current agreement then the avg employee would make $76k over the life of the agreement to drive a bus around Philadelphia? A lot of people might think about switching careers for that kind of money. What's the point of getting an advanced degree to become a public school teacher when you can drive for SEPTA and make more and your legally allowed to Strike every few years.
Click to expand...
I work out in Plymouth Meeting and was at a Burger King drive thru and noticed a sign that they were closed at night because of the Septa strike. Poor bastards probably making less than $20,000/year living paycheck to paycheck can't work because these overpaid Septa workers go on strike

It's a real shame
 
V

vypek

Member
Deku Tree said:
Wow if TWU accepted the current agreement then the avg employee would make $76k over the life of the agreement to drive a bus around Philadelphia? A lot of people might think about switching careers for that kind of money. What's the point of getting an advanced degree to become a public school teacher when you can drive for SEPTA and make more and your legally allowed to Strike every few years.
Click to expand...

Yeah, its seriously such a high average that they'd earn. The amount they paid for health insurance didn't seem bad either last time I checked. I was kind of jealous. Less than what I was paying until I just dropped to a lower plan for next year. Actually that average income is higher than what I make now.

Captain Tuttle said:
I work out in Plymouth Meeting and was at a Burger King drive thru and noticed a sign that they were closed at night because of the Septa strike. Poor bastards probably making less than $20,000/year living paycheck to paycheck can't work because these overpaid Septa workers go on strike

It's a real shame
Click to expand...

Yeah a lot of people are getting screwed over whenever they decide to strike. Its awful
 
E

ericexpo

Member
Septa bus, subway and el should be separated into three unions so that they can't shut down a city when one strikes. The guy driving the bus isn't going to wake up tomorrow and drive the market street line.
Same reason why a union for plumbers doesn't have sheet metal guy
 
T

The Llama

Member
jello44 said:
At least they're gonna for another hearing on Monday...

Far too many people rely on SEPTA, especially the elderly, to get to where they need to go on a daily basis.

This shit needs to end.
Click to expand...

http://billypenn.com/2016/11/06/gov-tom-wolf-joins-septa-strike-court-fight-time-for-it-to-end/

Tom Wolf has joined in, saying they should end it. And now the City has filed a motion (or just joined SEPTA's, not sure/don't feel like looking) asking for them to stop striking on election day.

So basically, a judge will decide tomorrow whether SEPTA workers will be forced to work on election day, but anything beyond that isn't happening.
 
A

Aurizen

Member
The Llama said:
http://billypenn.com/2016/11/06/gov-tom-wolf-joins-septa-strike-court-fight-time-for-it-to-end/

Tom Wolf has joined in, saying they should end it. And now the City has filed a motion (or just joined SEPTA's, not sure/don't feel like looking) asking for them to stop striking on election day.

So basically, a judge will decide tomorrow whether SEPTA workers will be forced to work on election day, but anything beyond that isn't happening.
Click to expand...

As much as a confusion and frustration it is causing people it is my opinion that forcing them to work is just a terrible idea and against worker union to force labor.

Looking at their demands, I can respect their need for fair working conditions such as a more reasonable break time. A Septa driver isn't an easy job. and 5 min break and the fact that a bathroom isn't guaranteed to be at a driver's end of route is not right.

https://www.facebook.com/newsworks/videos/1206261239416951/?pnref=story
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/in-transit/Heres-why-SEPTAs-striking-union-is-so-upset-about-pensions.html
 
A

andthebeatgoeson

Junior Member
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Two-sides-still-talking-on-SEPTA-contract.html?mobi=true#

Strike is ending? Clinton called it in.

As of 3:50 a.m. SEPTA and a spokesman from the Transportation Workers Union Local 234 said an agreement to end the strike had been brokered and awaited final signatures.


The authority planned to gradually restore the city's mass transit throughout the day Monday, with full service restored before Tuesday morning's commuters begin their treks to work - just in time for Election Day

Travelers should expect minimal service Monday morning though, said Fran Kelly, assistant general manager of government affairs for SEPTA

"Getting to work will remain a challenge," he said, recommending commuters not plan to use SEPTA in the a.m.

The settlement was catalyzed by a phone conversation Sunday night between SEPTA’s general manager Jeff Knueppel, Dwight Evans, a state Rep. and Democratic congressional candidate, and union president Willie Brown
Click to expand...
 
Soapbox Killer

Soapbox Killer

Grand Nagus
Of course the strike is over after I decide to drive to work. So now I'm stuck behind this mess here at 5th and Market. What the hell.
 
A

AbortedWalrusFetus

Member
Alright chaps, for those of you who haven't voted yet, there are two ballot questions:

Shall the Pennsylvania Constitution be amended to require that justices of the Supreme Court, judges, and magisterial district judges be retired on the last day of the calendar year in which they attain the age of 75?
Click to expand...

Please note, the mandatory retirement age for judges is already 70. If you vote YES on this you will be extending the retirement age by five years. If you vote NO for this you are voting to keep the mandatory retirement age the same, at age 70.

Personally I will be voting NO. Judges are already old enough and crotchety enough as is.

Should the City of Philadelphia borrow ONE HUNDRED EIGHT-FOUR MILLION THREE HUNDRED THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($184,303,000.00) to be spent for and toward capital purposes as follows: Transit; Streets and Sanitation; Municipal Buildings; Parks, Recreation and Museums; and Economic and Community Development?
Click to expand...

This is a pretty standard ask by the city and they always pass. The important thing to note here is that:

City Council would have authority, by ordinance, to change the intended allocation of these proceeds.
Click to expand...

So what you think sounds like great uses could actually be spent on lord knows what. It could go to the wasteful PHA. It could go to row offices. City council does whatever they want with this money and is not bound to any usage.

Given that the city budget is woefully underfunded and mismanaged I personally always vote NO on these. They still always pass.

Vote your conscience as always.
 
V

vypek

Member
I had no idea about the judge question until I saw a woman outside the polling place who told me about it. Someone at my office said it was the second time doing it because they had to throw out the results last time (because of how badly worded the question was).
 
A

AbortedWalrusFetus

Member
tempest3 said:
I had no idea about the judge question until I saw a woman outside the polling place who told me about it. Someone at my office said it was the second time doing it because they had to throw out the results last time (because of how badly worded the question was).
Click to expand...

Actually, the question was worded properly last time. Last time it stated "Would you like to extend the retirement age to 75".

This time it's implied there is no retirement age for judges. It was fought for by some prominent republican judges facing retirement. It's pretty scummy that they changed the wording of the bill to be more favorable for them.

The measure failed during the primaries, but that didn't count because it was invalidated like a two weeks before the election.
 
V

vypek

Member
AbortedWalrusFetus said:
Actually, the question was worded properly last time. Last time it stated "Would you like to extend the retirement age to 75".

This time it's implied there is no retirement age for judges. It was fought for by some prominent republican judges facing retirement. It's pretty scummy that they changed the wording of the bill to be more favorable for them.

The measure failed during the primaries, but that didn't count because it was invalidated like a two weeks before the election.
Click to expand...

Oh thanks for clarifying. Pretty crazy. If the woman hadn't been outside my polling place I'd have no idea and she didn't know of it until very recently herself. Polling place did have something from the office of the AG about it on the store window but I don't know if anyone reads those.
 
R

Ryuukan

Member
as a representive of the great state of New Jersey, I am here to revoke your east coast status

enjoy the mid-west philly
 
A

AbortedWalrusFetus

Member
Real talk, I think the SEPTA strike caused ring suburbs to go more Republican than they otherwise would have. It was such an in your face example of the dysfunction of the democratic party. Tens of thousands of people trying to get to work to earn money to help their families stymied by a public transit strike. If 100,000 people of the 4,000,000 in the city and suburbs vote differently the state flips. I'd be curious to see how much their vote differed compared to the previous election.
 
D

Deku Tree

Member
AbortedWalrusFetus said:
Real talk, I think the SEPTA strike caused ring suburbs to go more Republican than they otherwise would have. It was such an in your face example of the dysfunction of the democratic party. Tens of thousands of people trying to get to work to earn money to help their families stymied by a public transit strike. If 100,000 people of the 4,000,000 in the city and suburbs vote differently the state flips. I'd be curious to see how much their vote differed compared to the previous election.
Click to expand...

I'd believe that if it was an isolated incident. But there was no SEPTA strike in Florida or other places where there was the Trump wave. Also PA along doesn't give Hillary the win.

Horrible voter turn out across the country in this election. Hillary got 6.8m less votes than Obama. Trump got 1.9m less votes than Romney.

On the other hand when I voted in district 23 there was a long line. I don't remember any recent election when there was a line like that at my polling place.
 
A

AbortedWalrusFetus

Member
Deku Tree said:
I'd believe that if it was an isolated incident. But there was no SEPTA strike in Florida or other places where there was the Trump wave. Also PA along doesn't give Hillary the win.

Horrible voter turn out across the country in this election. Hillary got 6.8m less votes than Obama. Trump got 1.9m less votes than Romney.

On the other hand when I voted in district 23 there was a long line. I don't remember any recent election when there was a line like that at my polling place.
Click to expand...

I'm not talking nationally, just locally. There's a multitude of reasons like this in many states, but I think this could have been a factor here. Not saying she'd have won if this worked out, but the strike played into the hands of what rural pennsyltucky republicans have been saying about Philly for so long that it seems significant to me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom