PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread IX

[Flyers2001]

Originally Posted by Londonee

http://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/201...es-whats-next-for-big-soda/#590f16d7193f

You do understand that it's also part of a larger health concern (child obesity, diabetes, etc.), right?

The health concern is such a farce. You can't have it both ways. You either want to make money off it or you want everyone to stop drinking soda.

Its a very slippery slope when specific industries are targeted.


Candy can not be good for you, lets do away with Halloween in Philadelphia.

[Knight Hospitaller]

Originally Posted by Flyers2001

The health concern is such a farce. You can't have it both ways. You either want to make money off it or you want everyone to stop drinking soda.

Its a very slippery slope when specific industries are targeted.


Candy can not be good for you, lets do away with Halloween in Philadelphia.

If police tape goes up at Lore's or Shane's, I'm getting arrested! #DefyTheNannyState #ProhibitionIsBack

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by Flyers2001

The health concern is such a farce. You can't have it both ways. You either want to make money off it or you want everyone to stop drinking soda.

Its a very slippery slope when specific industries are targeted.


Candy can not be good for you, lets do away with Halloween in Philadelphia.

Nobody is doing away with soda, candy or cigarettes. Would you at least agree that soda isn't healthy?

The logic that making money and incentivizing better behavior are mutually exclusive is a misnomer. It's difficult to do, yes, but you can like it for one reason over another. Nutter tried to sell it as a way to battle obesity and lost. Pitching it as a way to fund pre-K was the best way to get it passed. I agree that using an unknown revenue stream forecast to plan programs against is...not the best, but on the matter of health, it's a good thing.

And that slippery slope argument can go both ways. Why don't we repeal the tax on soda, booze and cigarettes? Hell, while we're at it, we should stop enforcing all drugs laws to save money on law enforcement! You can argue where the line should be drawn, but in the real world, it needs to be drawn somewhere.

[Knight Hospitaller]

Good thing we're building a wall to stop the influx of Mexican soda.

[Knight Hospitaller]

In any event, this is an example of the extra taxes and regulation that have kept me from moving my sole proprietorship into town. Life is much simpler just across the line.

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by Londonee

http://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/201...es-whats-next-for-big-soda/#590f16d7193f

You do understand that it's also part of a larger health concern (child obesity, diabetes, etc.), right?

Yes, but that's not how Kenney actually positioned this tax. He presented it as funding tool for schools and did not focus on health dimensions. I am of a libertarian bent, but as a general matter, I nonetheless don't have much issue on 'sin' taxes. But I don't think they tend to work well at the local level where there are many options to 'sin' in close proximity. These kinds of taxes tend to fail unless they are universal across the state, and even then, the business just tends to go to neighboring states as to parts of the state where residents live or work near other states.

What we really should do - on a federal level too - is stop subsidizing corn farmers and the sugar industry. Junk is artificially low because these industries have a lot of lobbying power and get breaks they shouldn't get. If we are going to interfere with the free market, let's subsidize fruits and vegetables. If not, subsidize nothing and let prices sort themselves out.

[Nova08]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Imports hit record high at Philadelphia port



http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/...it-record-high-at-philadelphia-port.html

Any growth is good, but I want to see where these numbers compare to other US ports. If Philadelphia lagged behind a general growth trend then this isn't as good as it is portrayed.

[Nightman]

Anyone have an update on this site. Jefferson Apartment Group and Haverford Properties were selected by DRWC as the developer in October of 2015. Haven't heard anything about this since.

[jjv007]

You can't say it's about health when items such as cranberry and grape juice and Gatorade are being taxed as well.

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by jjv007

You can't say it's about health when items such as cranberry and grape juice and Gatorade are being taxed as well.

Yes, you can. 'Healthy' is a loaded term and there are a lot of complexities. But the fact that there's a fruit base doesn't mean something is 'healthy.' There's tons of added sugar (and fiber is processed out) in a lot of these fruit juices. This tax has caused a drastic difference in price for different brands of Almond Milk, for example. Some are fairly unfooled around with while some add tons of sugar and other crap. The more natural ones are now a lot cheaper.

[Knight Hospitaller]

100% juice isn't taxed, but that's about it. Brown said that a few thousand beverages are affected, including Tropicana 50/50, which is basically diet orange juice (watered down). For the life of me I don't know why someone wouldn't just buy OJ and water it down themselves, but why should that be the City's decision?

[pwp]

Not sure why it needs to be a philosophical discussion. Seems fairly cut and dry to me: The city needs revenue and taxing soda produces a high economic return with fairly minimal social costs.

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by Knight Hospitaller

^ An excellent point. Even if folks disagree on whether it's good policy, one must choose one's battles. This is hardly the most significant issue facing the city. Sin taxes are also a bit incoherent. Some folks talk about the bad effects of soda on health, yet the City is banking on making this a funding source. Do they want less soda or more money? Whatever they make off of this will likely be netted out or worse by the unintended side effects.

The merits of sin tax is a broader issue. But all sin taxes anticipate reducing but not eliminating consumption. Many anticipate enough continued consumption to make more than was coming in pre-implementation. Doesn't always work out like that.

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by pwp

Not sure why it needs to be a philosophical discussion. Seems fairly cut and dry to me: The city needs revenue and taxing soda produces a high economic return with fairly minimal social costs.

These are all conclusory statements that have not yet been shown to be true and may not be true. It's not clear that the tax will produce a high economic return. If enough people can easily purchase and consume soda in neighboring locales with no such tax, and choose to do so, it won't. And disruption to local businesses like convenience stores and layoffs is a large social cost if that ends up being what happens. Looking like it may.

[summersm343]

4 awesome CDR submissions up

The View II project at Temple is up. Another high rise at 41st and Chestnut. A large mixed-use project along Germantown Ave in Olde Kensington. Final one looks to be a massive redevelopment project in Manayunk.

I will pull renderings and post them later.

[volguus zildrohar]

4125 Chestnut

17 floors

On the site of the current Wash 'N Lube.


KCA Design Associates

More tinker-toy buildings for the college set.

[christof]

Originally Posted by volguus zildrohar

4125 Chestnut

17 floors

On the site of the current Wash 'N Lube.


KCA Design Associates

More tinker-toy buildings for the college set.

University City has the highest rents in the city, right? This is on the extreme borders. Is that apartment complex on the U City High site still going?

I like the idea, but not sure if the demand is there to get this done.

[Swinefeld]

Originally Posted by christof

University City has the highest rents in the city, right? This is on the extreme borders. Is that apartment complex on the U City High site still going?

I like the idea, but not sure if the demand is there to get this done.

University City is booming like never before. There are so many projects in the works for West Philadelphia, it's just astounding.

[iamrobk]

Originally Posted by McBane

I'll throw in my two cents and it will sound very similar to what I said about the recently enacted "wage equality" law: Philadelphia simply can't afford to fight all these progressive battles. We not only need jobs and to increase our tax base, but to change the perception that Philadelphia is a place that nickles and dimes its residents and businesses. So while you might say that this or that has a nominal impact, this and that quickly add up. Any regulation that does not lower the cost to live or conduct business in the city is a step in the wrong direction.

Furthermore, these sorts of "creative taxes" are short sighted measures that divert everyone's energy from the real issues that no one wants to confront, namely the % of the city's budget that goes towards overly generous pension plans that the city cannot afford. Get rid of DROP and move all new hires to a 401k plan.

As long as the city ignores the pension issue and refuses to ever enact budget cuts, we can expect many more of these little taxes.

Also, Kenny is a jackass. His dumb quote about 7 figure bonuses is so out of touch with the reality of what's happening.



You think this guy is getting bonuses? Even Jeff Brown from ShopRite isn't making 7 figure bonuses. And all the bodega owners?

DROP is its own thing, but generally speaking, the problem with the pension fund isn't something that can easily be fixed. The older plans (people who either started working for the city 30+ years ago) aren't well funded at all, but all the newer ones are fine. Basically, we're going to keep having pension issues for the next 10-20 years, but then you'll never hear about it again.

[Daario]

Originally Posted by christof

University City has the highest rents in the city, right? This is on the extreme borders. Is that apartment complex on the U City High site still going?

I like the idea, but not sure if the demand is there to get this done.

Extreme borders? Hardly. 41st and Chestnut is well in University City.