It's Our Money/City Howl

It's Our Money/City Howl Are we getting the most bang for our tax buck in Philadelphia? “It's Our Money” is a joint proje Where does all that money come from, and where does it go?

Four billion dollars -- that's about how much city government spends every year. "It's Our Money" seeks answers to these questions. Visit our site to learn about and discuss Philadelphia city government. You can also check out our podcast every Monday at Newsworks.org, and read our "Help Desk" column about city services Wednesdays in the Daily News. If you want to tell us about a recent experience

with city services, go to www.thecityhowl.com, call 215-854-5855 or email [email protected]. Follow us on Twitter: for budget news, for city service news.

03/07/2012
City Howl Help Desk: It's the squeaky-clean street that gets the grease in NoLibs

In this week's City Howl Help Desk, we clean up a greasy street in Northern Liberties. Have people been dumping cooking oil or leaving 5-gallon containers of oil in your neighborhood?

http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/city_howl/20120307_City_Howl_Help_Desk__IT_S_THE_SQUEAKY-CLEAN_STREET_THAT_GETS_THE_GREASE_IN_NOLIBS.html

IT TAKES only a day to turn a well-kept side street into a big, greasy pit. It's happened twice in the last month on Orianna Street in Northern Liberties, a local business owner named Christina tells us. One day Orianna looked fine. The next, there was a huge, sticky wet spot on the sidewalk.

03/07/2012
Debt cases court reform

Last month, Holly Otterbein wrote about legal advocates who say that as many as thousands of the debts allegedly owed to the Philadelphia court system are inaccurate. Now, the court system is planning to enact reforms that will make it easier for people to challenge debts they believe are wrong: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20120307_Debt_cases_court_reform.html

For her first piece on how thousands of court debts could be wrong: http://articles.philly.com/2012-02-13/news/31054956_1_court-administrator-debt-first-judicial-district

PHILADELPHIA's court system, the First Judicial District, is enacting reforms to make it easier for people to challenge court debts they believe are inaccurate.

03/07/2012

Sorry we've been neglecting our page, everyone -- we'll get back on it!

10/26/2011
City Howl Help Desk: Fight for streetlights casts shadows of doubt | Philadelphia Daily News | 10/26

Could you go a month without power? Help Desk checks in on two Philly neighborhoods that complained to 3-1-1 in September and just got their streetlights turned back on:

EVERY KID knows that he's not supposed to walk down a dark street. But that old rule is tough to follow if the dark street is your own block. Unfortunately, the residents of two Philly streets recently had to deal with this dilemma for nearly two months after their streetlights went out - and their ...

10/05/2011
City Howl Help Desk: Copping a free parking space | Philadelphia Daily News | 10/05/2011

Comments on Philly.com say readers see "Official Police Business" placards everywhere, which allows some officers to get away with the amount of time they can park places. Have you seen any placards around? Where?

PARKING ain't easy down in South Philly. On rough nights, you might have to circle a dozen times and smoke a coupla ci******es before you find a spot three blocks from your house.

09/26/2011
Why is Callowhill debating a proposed tax for services you'd expect the city to provide? | Philly |.

Looking into the city services side of the Callowhill Reading Viaduct Neighborhood Improvement District debate. Do you think an extra tax will improve the neighborhood? Is this the right way to go about it?

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/our-money/Why-is-Callowhill-debating-a-proposed-tax-for-services-youd-expect-the-city-to-provide.html

News blogs, sports blogs, entertainment blogs, and more from Philly.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News.

09/14/2011
Very alarming: Fire alarm blares for 11 days | Philly | 09/14/2011

The Cocktail Lounge on South Street is closed, but there was quite a ruckus inside for 11 days: an alarm. How Help Desk got through to someone to shut it off:

News blogs, sports blogs, entertainment blogs, and more from Philly.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News.

09/13/2011
Philly's tech fail | Philly | 09/13/2011

Would it be hard to work with systems as slow as dial-up Internet? Patrick Kerkstra of Philly Mag says parts of city government are still dealing with outdated systems. (We've also noticed A LOT of dead ends on phila.gov.)

News blogs, sports blogs, entertainment blogs, and more from Philly.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News.

09/07/2011
City Howl Help Desk: How to get a sinkhole repaired in Philadelphia | Philadelphia Daily News | 09/0

Are there any sinkholes in your neighborhood? If they've been reported to the city, the holes should be secured that day, even if it's not filled for more than a month:

TARIQ ALI acted as soon as he saw the hole in the street. It was February, and the opening was small. But it was right next to a playground, so he figured he shouldn't wait another day. He called 3-1-1, and was told that the Streets Department would take care of it in about six weeks.

09/01/2011
Phila. tax assessors not up to state standards | Philly | 09/01/2011

The Philly exception: Philadelphia tax assessors don't need a certificate, unlike the rest of Pennsylvania. At least 30 Philly inspectors don't have one. Anywhere else in the state, they could be charged with a third-degree misdemeanor:

News blogs, sports blogs, entertainment blogs, and more from Philly.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News.

08/31/2011
Raccoons vs. Council | Philly | 08/31/2011

So, if Council passes a bill, the city doesn't necessarily have to enforce it? That's what we've discovered in this week's Help Desk, which deals with a familiar foe: raccoons:

News blogs, sports blogs, entertainment blogs, and more from Philly.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News.

08/24/2011
Live chat: City services and 311 | Philly | 08/24/2011

Join City Howl reporter Juliana Reyes for another live chat today at 12. If you have any tips for 3-1-1 users, share them with us!

News blogs, sports blogs, entertainment blogs, and more from Philly.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News.

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Hey Philly,
Have you noticed the newly constructed Green Infrastructure systems throughout town? These are rain-gardens, tree trenches, stormwater planters, infiltration basins, and porous pavers. Which ones are your favorite and how much of your money do you think they are worth? Follow this link to a quick survey: ‘Willingness to pay for Green Infrastructure.’

https://GoGreen.sawtoothsoftware.com/login.html
*Please complete the survey once begun as unfinished entries cannot be used. Thank you for your participation.
#}