PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread IX

[GarCastle]

Originally Posted by MSFHQ

Furthermore, the wage tax is a crock because we tax people who work in the city, but don't live her. They pay for this place but have no say. Probably why we've had one party rule around here.

Yeah, didn't we have a term for that back in the day? Taxation without representation?

Cheers,
G.

[Jawnadelphia]

Originally Posted by GarCastle

Yeah, didn't we have a term for that back in the day? Taxation without representation?

Cheers,
G.

Amen, worked in Center City for years now ... wage tax is robbery. Forgot to mention that in my rant. Most people I know who still aren't on the "philly renaissance" bandwagon and live/work in the burbs, the first 2 complaints: 1) wage tax, 2) 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 public schools - "I could never have a family ... and send my kids to those schools." Hear it ...like every other day.

[PhillySteaks]

Originally Posted by TallCoolOne

Funny, because lots of people living in the burbs of Wilmington, which has some very nice suburbs--North Wilmington, Hockessin, Greenville, etc etc.... commute to Philly for work, only to quickly flee to their green lawns and Delaware homes, and tax-free shopping. And they also think Jersey is nothing but god awful loudmouths, full of themselves-nothings, generally a-holes, whose Jersey Shore is a toxic dump - with stupid people; oh and Philly is scary and dangerous death trap.

Point I'm making - these lame stereotypes...? Every big city has a "metro" area. And yes, this metro area has smaller, neighboring cities, and towns, and jobs! And people! Get over it.

Yes ma'am

[bucks native]

The city recently opened its first Innovation Laboratory at the top floor of the Municipal Service Building.

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by bucks native

The city recently opened its first Innovation Laboratory at the top floor of the Municipal Service Building.

Yep.

http://technical.ly/philly/2014/08/01/city-philadelphia-innovation-lab-coworking-space/

[summersm343]

Another awesome shot of the skyline showing how University City is extending it westward



http://derekbradphoto.blogspot.com/2014/09/skyline-stage-at-mann-center-september_16.html

[slow-v6]

Drove through the city tonight and they appear to be knocking down a building between 11th and 12th and chestnut. Don't know if that has been brought up or not

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by slow-v6

Drove through the city tonight and they appear to be knocking down a building between 11th and 12th and chestnut. Don't know if that has been brought up or not

Yeah. Half the block is being redeveloped.



http://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-philly/market-east/checking-in-on-the-1100-block-of-chestnut-street

[McBane]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Another awesome shot of the skyline showing how University City is extending it westward



http://derekbradphoto.blogspot.com/2014/09/skyline-stage-at-mann-center-september_16.html

Great photo but for the life of me, can't tell where this photo is taken from. Cira's placement in relationship to Evo is really throwing me off.

[1487]

Originally Posted by McBane

Great photo but for the life of me, can't tell where this photo is taken from. Cira's placement in relationship to Evo is really throwing me off.

MAnn Music center near 52nd and parkside.

[1487]

Originally Posted by MSFHQ

I love the city, but it's anti business and the wage tax is a joke. I'm here because I work in the city and am already getting robbed. If Philly wants to energize this recovery it will halve the wage tax and get rid of the privilege tax. Simple.

The suburbs have a lot of positives for families and employers. Radnor corps center and conshy are all nice with new amenities and easy to get to the city. NYC can have a wage tax because it's NYC. Philly can't.

Furthermore, the wage tax is a crock because we tax people who work in the city, but don't live her. They pay for this place but have no say. Probably why we've had one party rule around here.

As for the Villanova comment, it's a Philly area school. No one has heard of Wayne or Radnor, it's just an easy way to describe it.

the state authorized the wage tax for Philadelphia. The logic behind the tax is probably that commuters use the streets, generate trash, use the parks, rely on philly police protection, etc. and the taxes they pay help cover those costs. Some suburban areas have the wage tax as well, but it's not as high and generally speaking most of those towns down have an appreciable # of outsiders working there so no one really cares.

[1487]

Originally Posted by PhillySteaks

Thank you for taking the time to state very obvious information

didnt seem obvious to everyone based on what was written last week.

[josef]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Yeah. Half the block is being redeveloped.



http://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-philly/market-east/checking-in-on-the-1100-block-of-chestnut-street

Retail Sign is easily in my top 5 favorite places to buy pants.

Originally Posted by 1487

the state authorized the wage tax for Philadelphia. The logic behind the tax is probably that commuters use the streets, generate trash, use the parks, rely on philly police protection, etc. and the taxes they pay help cover those costs. Some suburban areas have the wage tax as well, but it's not as high and generally speaking most of those towns down have an appreciable # of outsiders working there so no one really cares.

I thought municipalities in PA had to go to wage taxes because Harrisburg was really strict with the rates towns could set on property taxes. No?

Edit:

Excluding Philadelphia, most Pennsylvania municipalities rely on property taxes as the main source of revenue for government and school districts. Despite this, officials say the Commonwealth's property reassessment law is not user-friendly. Pennsylvania's uniformity clause mandates all properties — commercial and residential — be taxed the same rate. At least 21 states do not do this and, Gillen said, the Commonwealth's insistence on it impedes economic development.

http://crossroads.newsworks.org/index.ph...-bills-inspire-big-drama-in-pennsylvania

[1487]

Originally Posted by josef

Retail Sign is easily in my top 5 favorite places to buy pants.



I thought municipalities in PA had to go to wage taxes because Harrisburg was really strict with the rates towns could set on property taxes. No?

For years local municipalities had freedom to raise property taxes as deemed necessary by the towns and school boards. Several years ago they passed some law that restricted school boards from exceeding certain levels with proposed increases unless they could show that certain dire circumstances justified exceeding the limits. A few suburban towns were allowed to enact wage taxes to supplement their revenues but I think its capped at 1% outside of Philadelphia and maybe Pittsburgh.

[br323206]

Originally Posted by GarCastle

Yeah, didn't we have a term for that back in the day? Taxation without representation?

Cheers,
G.

Total misrepresentation of what that means. You are CHOOSING to pay the tax, no one is FORCING you to work in Philadelphia. If you choose to come into Philadelphia everyday and use the infrastructure it makes sense for you to contribute.

Also, there is a big misunderstanding of what the wage tax burden actually is.

In PA we have a flat state tax of 3.07%. If you live in Whitemarsh Twp and work in Plymouth Twp (just pulled an example out of thin air) you would pay 1.25% in local wage taxes. For a total state and local burden of 4.32%.

If you happen to live and work in Philly you pay a wage tax of 3.92%. For a total state and local tax rate of 6.99%.

So a suburbanite (in this example, but it varies depending on municipalities) pays about $4,320 annually in state and local taxes on a salary of $100,000. A city resident pays $6,990. A difference of $2,670 annually. Is that enough to make a person with a $100,000 income flee the city? I think not. You save that much (or more) by being able to walk to work instead of drive.

Throw in property tax differences and it is a bargain to live in Philadelphia.

[josef]

Originally Posted by br323206

Total misrepresentation of what that means. You are CHOOSING to pay the tax, no one is FORCING you to work in Philadelphia. If you choose to come into Philadelphia everyday and use the infrastructure it makes sense for you to contribute.

Also, there is a big misunderstanding of what the wage tax burden actually is.

In PA we have a flat state tax of 3.07%. If you live in Whitemarsh Twp and work in Plymouth Twp (just pulled an example out of thin air) you would pay 1.25% in local wage taxes. For a total state and local burden of 4.32%.

If you happen to live and work in Philly you pay a wage tax of 3.92%. For a total state and local tax rate of 6.99%.

So a suburbanite (in this example, but it varies depending on municipalities) pays about $4,320 annually in state and local taxes on a salary of $100,000. A city resident pays $6,990. A difference of $2,670 annually. Is that enough to make a person with a $100,000 income flee the city? I think not. You save that much (or more) by being able to walk to work instead of drive.

Throw in property tax differences and it is a bargain to live in Philadelphia.

Plus, if you live in NJ, then you get to take part in the reciprocal agreement where your income isn't taxed twice. So clearly the answer is to move to New Jersey.

(I'm just having fun plz don't start hating. In actuality it's a huge lie; you'd probably never make up the savings in wage tax reduction considering the huge increase in property taxes you'd incur.)

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by josef

Plus, if you live in NJ, then you get to take part in the reciprocal agreement where your income isn't taxed twice. So clearly the answer is to move to New Jersey.

(I'm just having fun plz don't start hating. In actuality it's a huge lie; you'd probably never make up the savings in wage tax reduction considering the huge increase in property taxes you'd incur.)

Buuuuttttt pretty much every South Jersey County is losing population

[1487]

Originally Posted by br323206

Total misrepresentation of what that means. You are CHOOSING to pay the tax, no one is FORCING you to work in Philadelphia. If you choose to come into Philadelphia everyday and use the infrastructure it makes sense for you to contribute.

Also, there is a big misunderstanding of what the wage tax burden actually is.

In PA we have a flat state tax of 3.07%. If you live in Whitemarsh Twp and work in Plymouth Twp (just pulled an example out of thin air) you would pay 1.25% in local wage taxes. For a total state and local burden of 4.32%.

If you happen to live and work in Philly you pay a wage tax of 3.92%. For a total state and local tax rate of 6.99%.

So a suburbanite (in this example, but it varies depending on municipalities) pays about $4,320 annually in state and local taxes on a salary of $100,000. A city resident pays $6,990. A difference of $2,670 annually. Is that enough to make a person with a $100,000 income flee the city? I think not. You save that much (or more) by being able to walk to work instead of drive.

Throw in property tax differences and it is a bargain to live in Philadelphia.

and then there are transportation costs. If you live in or commute to the city its very likely you can get to work without owning a vehicle, or you can sparingly use your vehicle, i.e. drive to the train station and hop on SEPTA. Rarely is there ever a true evaluation of the actual costs to a taxpayer/worker living in the city vs suburbs. All you hear is "city taxes are high" as if that is the only thing that comes out of your earnings. Depending on the age, fuel efficiency and cost of a car you are talking anywhere from $200 to $600 (and up) per month per vehicle owned. You dont hear people get into that when they talk about how "cheap" the suburbs are with regards to tax burden.

[josef]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Buuuuttttt pretty much every South Jersey County is losing population

Haha, the weird thing is even though it feels like that's true, it's not, at least as of 2012 population estimates. Well except for Cape May Co. And I'd be surprised if Atlantic Co doesn't after AC loses all those casinos. But yeah, I believe Gloucester County is actually one of the biggest population gainers in the entire state the past few years, so much so they're building a train line to meet up with PATCO in Camden.

[MSFHQ]

However people want to rationalize it, wage tax is 1)regressive and 2) BS. All those people who commute into Philly pay to park, pay septa, eat, drink and shop. Their companies pay taxes to the city, rent space etc.

And people and companies can choose to not work or relocate in the city and many do so. I'd rather a city support itself by having residents who buy and live in a city instead of taking people who are here 8 hours a day.

Let's just hope the wage tax continues to decline, as it should. It will make the city more enticing and help further it's revitalization.

Anyone know when that hated Wendy's it's moving down the block? I walked up chestnut yesterday and was just saddened by the quality of retail on that street.