CerealJello

CerealJello t1_jdzteak wrote

I also have a Model Y. Liberty Mutual tried to jack up my rate 40% this year. The whole increase was in the collision and comp portion of the premium. I contacted my agent, and he advised that if I didn't renew and started a new plan instead, I could save a bunch. My premium ended up basically staying the same. He kind of explained that they were using a new formula for new policies in PA. Regardless, it stopped my costs from going up.

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CerealJello t1_jdie0ys wrote

Not necessarily. If you shift the tax burden from land + improvement to just land, most property taxes probably won't be impacted unless it's a vacant or underutilized lot. Usually a tax policy change like that would have to be done on a revenue neutral basis to prevent the average homeowner from seeing a big spike in taxes owed.

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CerealJello t1_jdho4dc wrote

Not true. You can have a diner below an apartment building. That kind of mixed use development creates a better, more walkable neighborhood.

Edit: Ellsworth Federal is one of the best examples of terribly used land. We have a surface lot in front of a diner at Ellsworth and a Pep Boys with a surface lot at Federal. Keep the businesses, remove the lots, upzone with more housing.

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CerealJello t1_jdhn4rr wrote

Because property is underutilized along our main transit corridors both in and out of the city limits. The tax structures make it so that land owners can sit on basically empty pieces of land right on top of subway stops for minimal cost as long as they don't build. Higher taxes on the land itself would force them to shit or get off the pot. This is why you see land in center city being used as surface parking lots. LVT makes it harder to hold empty plots of land (like Broad and Washington was for so many years) in order to speculate on the future value. Land speculation raises the price for the rest of us who want to actually use the land for housing or business.

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CerealJello t1_jddvfr8 wrote

Maybe that's out of date. I just signed my block up for Glitter last week, and they said by default they come the day before pickup. They give you the option for them to come the day after pickup, but someone on the block needs to hold bags until the next trash day.

Maybe they changed it knowing that this response from the city was coming.

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CerealJello t1_jdckpdr wrote

I don't know how the trash collectors will know the bags of litter were picked up by Glitter or a private citizen. They default pick up the day before trash day, so it will be picked up the next day. You can opt to hold the bags on your own property and put them out the next week with trash pick-up though. Either way, I don't see how they're gonna know. It seems like a silly dispute when it inarguably makes the city a better place to live.

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CerealJello t1_jb9x3rn wrote

Branding, merchandising, pride in the city. People could be wearing hats and clothing and flying flags that represent the city itself rather than a sports team.

In many cities, people wear the flag of their city with pride. We don't do that here. Instead, we wear the symbols like the Liberty Bell which would be more suited for a flag than what we already have.

"We have more serious things to worry about" is a joke. This is a flag design. It doesn't require the entire city government to stop what they're doing for weeks to create a new one. It doesn't even require much money to design and roll out a new one. Just license the design to apparel companies.

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CerealJello t1_jb9ruwu wrote

Why? I doubt most residents could pick it out of a lineup with the PA flag and surrounding states' flags. It doesn't have anything iconic about the city represented. It's unrecognizable to most people who live here and probably almost everybody not living in Philly.

The article thumbnail could have had the wrong flag in it, and I probably wouldn't have even noticed.

Conversely, I can instantly recognize the flags of Chicago, Denver, and California.

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CerealJello t1_ja7r09z wrote

If you're ever walking home after a night of heavy drinking and you end up near this intersection, you can look at that neon cheesesteak to induce vomiting. You might feel a little better in the morning.

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CerealJello t1_j9ydcqr wrote

As much as I'd rather this money go toward infill lines within the city, interurban lines like this are seriously lacking in the US. Connecting a growing population hub to the city center with rail is a great move. Especially when it'll only cost $2/ride.

With the trolley modernization, SEPTA is looking to connect the 15 to 69th St. That'll expand access to KOP jobs for people living along that line as well.

Edit: it sucks we have to pick and choose which of these projects get funded. In a better world, all SEPTA's expansion and upgrade plans would be paid for.

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