Anyone who is up to speed should understand the constant barking by these puff groups calling for regional consolidation are ignoring history and the results of where it has already been done.
Normally I'm not too fond of negatively engaging with other blogs, but this kind of propagandist chatter has been going on long enough on several blogs without being challenged. Over the last several months while this has been going on I bit my lip in the hopes somebody else would challenge this Since they didn't....
Let's take a look at Philadelphia County
I'm not going to go into a long drawn out history of Philadelphia, but the long and short of it is... Philadelphia started out as a colony. Eventually it spread out to become a county by regionalizing (swallowing up) Fishtown (Shackamaxon as it was formly known to the Lenapes), Frankford, Germantown, Manayunk, Bridesburg and others. By 1942 Philadelphia county was composed of 9 districts, 6 boroughs and 13 townships. Today within the city of Philadelphia itself their are now 28 political subdivisions. NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL REGIONALIZATION!
If regionalization is such a panacea why is it "Philadelphia's schools chief says the district may not be able to open its schools on time this September without tens of millions in additional funding to reverse draconian cuts and major layoffs enacted earlier this year... One option would keep all 218 schools closed past September 9." The school district is coming up short by $304 million at the time of this writing.
According to this Philadelphia controller's August 2012 report the city itself is looking at over a $17 million deficit for 2013 and $26.5 million in 2014.
Philly has 15,000 to 25,000 vacant and abandoned houses throughout the city.
Exactly how has regionalization been a good thing?
Given Philadelphia's past history and currently what's taking place, it's clear that regionalization simply doesn't work. Not unless you relentlessly continue to gobble up surrounding neighboring municipalities like some sort of 'black hole'. Detroit, New York, Harrisburg and others far too numerous to mention have similar histories and where they stand financially today as well.
How regionalization actually works out
Say Allentown were to consolidate with another municipality who has their finances in order with a balanced budget. Ignoring the fact that they'd be on the hook for debts they haven't incurred, things would probably go along fine for a few years. As history clearly demonstrates, eventually this too would result in deficit spending. Thus necessitating for an even greater consolidation (regionalization).
Even if Allentown would eventually become the same size as Philly, I've shown how regionalization does not mean that bigger is better. If one thinks citizens of Allentown have little say now, imagine council having 17 members as Philly's now does or the 51 that represent New York City's 5 boroughs!
I'm trying very hard not to be too unkind with my words to these 20 some year old cheerleaders, but if it's regionalization they want may I suggest relocating to one of these fine cities where it's already been done. Live there for 10 or 20 years. Get some experience. Then try getting these cities houses in order before insisting we should follow in their footsteps. Oh, one more thing, try and find a job that doesn't depend entirely on taxpayer dollars for their existence. If that ticks some people off.. so-be-it.
What's the alternative?
I've already done a post about that. See that part of my post "So what do I propose instead?" at the bottom.
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