The ONLY reason the powers that be are throwing tax dollars at the waterfront is so that Dranoff who is a Norcross ally and who had to repay the money he took from the drpa recently back to the feds is because Dranoff NOW wants to build million dollar condos on the Camden NJ waterfront so the powers that be in Camden are trying to gentrify the waterfront. If Norcross has been state sen for years and dana red for years before that, WHY haven’t state and federal dollars flowed into gentrifying the broken schools? As CBS TV did a story 10 years ago by Larry Mendte: where did the 175 million in state aid flow when the state took over Camden? Why was wayne Bryant the only one to fall? Why is that black politicians are bought and placed into office by the machine, yet they are the only ones to fall when the feds swoop in. they don’t get the head of the snake because ten years ago Norcross had a cozy steak dinner w then US attorney Chris CHristie. Per the NYTIMES< Christie made the charges agst Norcross get swept under rug and then Norcross hands the democratic votes to help Christie win as Governor. Read the New Republic (why chris Christie's career reeks). Under Christie's watch, Norcross' cooper hospital has been LAVISHED wikth generous state aid more than any other hospital that an INquirer 2012 investigative report uncovered. If u think Donald or George or dana or the 50 or so democratic politicians give a shit about the black folks in Camden THINK AGAIN. Norcross allegedly called Camden "HIS PLANTATION." When Norcross goes to Hell. I'll be smoking my cigar and saying "Rot in hell both u and Christie, u sob's."
Unfortunately, this has always been a game of smoke and mirrors. Their last annual meeting touted the “soon-to-be-open” redevelopment site by Lourdes Hospital, featuring a grocery store, offices, and apartments. That project is now bust. The problem with Cooper’s Ferry is that they’re a bunch of over-educated 30-something white men making 6-figure salaries under the guise of a “non-profit”. Their plans never come to fruition, and their marketing efforts are false advertising.
The city’s infrastructure is literally broken and crumbling, there are no jobs for unskilled persons, and the city’s entire redevelopment effort revolves around hospitals and schools. So, naturally, the only successful projects in Cooper’s Ferry portfolio include: a bike trail from Philadelphia to Collingswood, a baseball stadium that is facing legal action/bankruptcy, and an assortment of other projects that are unsuccessful or have no lasting impact on the city. The Cooper’s Ferry crew makes $135,000 to $200,000+ a year, and we wonder why they struggle to connect to the average resident.
The city government is not working for the people of Camden. Dana Redd and her crew work for the county power brokers. Is it any surprise that the ONLY active development in the city is being done by politically connected developers? Why is Cooper Plaza the only neighborhood that is being redeveloped at breakneck pace? Does it have anything to do with the county democrats instructing the CRA to “clear the way” for M&M Development? M&M doesn’t seem to get caught up in the same bureaucracy that every other private business and developer faces.
Here’s the reality: Camden is NOT open for business. And that is why private businesses and developers run the other way once they step foot in the city. The city itself and the government is totally unprepared for the private sector. The local zoning/redevelopment/building boards are dysfunctional, and they never have quorum. Not to mention the fact that the local boards are stuffed with unprofessional, uneducated bureaucrats who don’t know the first thing about owning a business or redeveloping a city. Every other city in America appoints real professionals to their building/redevelopment boards – city planners, attorneys, real estate professionals, engineers. Nope, not in Camden. Just a bunch of bureaucrats who never show up to work.
People should be outraged and terrified by the recent legislation at the city and state level regarding eminent domain. They PARKING AUTHORITY now has eminent domain powers?? And the Rutgers-Rowan board has expanded powers, too!?
The city is dysfunctional as ever. And no one cares to wake up, or get involved.
I am a businessman who’s trying to grow and expand my business in Camden, and I read this report with a healthy dose of skepticism.
I guess I’m working too hard to keep a busy social calendar, but I had no idea this event was even happening.
I guess I’m also working too hard to do the hours and hours of detective work to figure out how to take advantage of some of these ‘incentives,’ but I have yet to be incentivized, even once, to locate or keep my business in Camden. Lots of these tax incentives seem to only help businesses who are large enough to have huge tax liabilities.
I guess I’m also working too hard to go out and hustle my business to the larger organizations in Camden. I’m a t-shirt printer by trade, and I see a lot of t-shirts in this report that weren’t printed in Camden.
Please don’t mistake me for a curmudgeon. I’m an optimist who’s happily working in Camden. I’m all about investment and growth and opportunity, I’m just not always seeing it on the ground. Part of that’s on me, but part of that’s on the city where I work too.
Adam, in truth, people like you are the real people we should be celebrating. People who choose to invest in the city without having to be lured or something by the city or state, that’s the real treasure. I’ve never heard of your company before, but I think you’re awesome. I wish I needed T-shirts printed!
Site note: Have you seen those “I (bicycle) Camden” shirts? One of the Cooper’s Ferry partners, David Foster, I think, was wearing one in an IgnitePhilly talk he gave (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHy6vWqAzyQ). You didn’t print those, did you? If not, you should really get in touch with him. My brother and I want to buy them.
(Comment sent by Pastor Amir Kahn)
A PICTURE IS WORTH 1000 WORDS.
History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Apparently, there is a problem with the “mobile” site that will not allow folks to post comments. Please send me comments via email (stephen.danley [at] rutgers.edu) if you are having any issues. I will post what I receive here.
I wish it could be both. Camden needs both public AND private investment. A healthy city needs a mix of things working right, and this is part of it. Another part is what’s going on with schools. Another part should be an effort to brings jobs to actual residents of the city. Because jobs is the number one thing Camden needs more than anything else in the entire world. Jobs, jobs, jobs. Did they discuss how their “open for business” attitude will result in jobs for the city? Just wondering. I have yet to read anything to that effect.
Joseph: I do think that the “open for business” agenda is linked to the idea of “jobs, jobs, jobs.” The comments at the forum were, at times, vague, but there was a promise that two large companies would be coming to Camden with jobs. Key here is the philosophy: that the way to attract jobs, improve lives is through tax incentives and attracting business to key areas of the city (particularly the waterfront).
That’s great then! I really wish I could’ve heard or read more about the actual content of the meeting. People were tweeting using the hashtag for a while, but then that stopped. I was hoping to hear that, so, that makes me happy to hear. I’ll be even happier with actual follow-through!
First, I like to thank you Stephen for your perspectives on Camden. You always add insightful and informed views to the conversation about the future of the City. I tend to think the answer is somewhere in the middle. The initiatives of Coopers Ferry and others offer a real opportunity for growth, investment and improvement for the City. Nevertheless, we must always remain vigilant that these opportunities serve and don’t ignore the residents of the City. I, for one, continue to be hopeful for a brighter day.
The ONLY reason the powers that be are throwing tax dollars at the waterfront is so that Dranoff who is a Norcross ally and who had to repay the money he took from the drpa recently back to the feds is because Dranoff NOW wants to build million dollar condos on the Camden NJ waterfront so the powers that be in Camden are trying to gentrify the waterfront. If Norcross has been state sen for years and dana red for years before that, WHY haven’t state and federal dollars flowed into gentrifying the broken schools? As CBS TV did a story 10 years ago by Larry Mendte: where did the 175 million in state aid flow when the state took over Camden? Why was wayne Bryant the only one to fall? Why is that black politicians are bought and placed into office by the machine, yet they are the only ones to fall when the feds swoop in. they don’t get the head of the snake because ten years ago Norcross had a cozy steak dinner w then US attorney Chris CHristie. Per the NYTIMES< Christie made the charges agst Norcross get swept under rug and then Norcross hands the democratic votes to help Christie win as Governor. Read the New Republic (why chris Christie's career reeks). Under Christie's watch, Norcross' cooper hospital has been LAVISHED wikth generous state aid more than any other hospital that an INquirer 2012 investigative report uncovered. If u think Donald or George or dana or the 50 or so democratic politicians give a shit about the black folks in Camden THINK AGAIN. Norcross allegedly called Camden "HIS PLANTATION." When Norcross goes to Hell. I'll be smoking my cigar and saying "Rot in hell both u and Christie, u sob's."
Unfortunately, this has always been a game of smoke and mirrors. Their last annual meeting touted the “soon-to-be-open” redevelopment site by Lourdes Hospital, featuring a grocery store, offices, and apartments. That project is now bust. The problem with Cooper’s Ferry is that they’re a bunch of over-educated 30-something white men making 6-figure salaries under the guise of a “non-profit”. Their plans never come to fruition, and their marketing efforts are false advertising.
The city’s infrastructure is literally broken and crumbling, there are no jobs for unskilled persons, and the city’s entire redevelopment effort revolves around hospitals and schools. So, naturally, the only successful projects in Cooper’s Ferry portfolio include: a bike trail from Philadelphia to Collingswood, a baseball stadium that is facing legal action/bankruptcy, and an assortment of other projects that are unsuccessful or have no lasting impact on the city. The Cooper’s Ferry crew makes $135,000 to $200,000+ a year, and we wonder why they struggle to connect to the average resident.
The city government is not working for the people of Camden. Dana Redd and her crew work for the county power brokers. Is it any surprise that the ONLY active development in the city is being done by politically connected developers? Why is Cooper Plaza the only neighborhood that is being redeveloped at breakneck pace? Does it have anything to do with the county democrats instructing the CRA to “clear the way” for M&M Development? M&M doesn’t seem to get caught up in the same bureaucracy that every other private business and developer faces.
Here’s the reality: Camden is NOT open for business. And that is why private businesses and developers run the other way once they step foot in the city. The city itself and the government is totally unprepared for the private sector. The local zoning/redevelopment/building boards are dysfunctional, and they never have quorum. Not to mention the fact that the local boards are stuffed with unprofessional, uneducated bureaucrats who don’t know the first thing about owning a business or redeveloping a city. Every other city in America appoints real professionals to their building/redevelopment boards – city planners, attorneys, real estate professionals, engineers. Nope, not in Camden. Just a bunch of bureaucrats who never show up to work.
People should be outraged and terrified by the recent legislation at the city and state level regarding eminent domain. They PARKING AUTHORITY now has eminent domain powers?? And the Rutgers-Rowan board has expanded powers, too!?
The city is dysfunctional as ever. And no one cares to wake up, or get involved.
I am a businessman who’s trying to grow and expand my business in Camden, and I read this report with a healthy dose of skepticism.
I guess I’m working too hard to keep a busy social calendar, but I had no idea this event was even happening.
I guess I’m also working too hard to do the hours and hours of detective work to figure out how to take advantage of some of these ‘incentives,’ but I have yet to be incentivized, even once, to locate or keep my business in Camden. Lots of these tax incentives seem to only help businesses who are large enough to have huge tax liabilities.
I guess I’m also working too hard to go out and hustle my business to the larger organizations in Camden. I’m a t-shirt printer by trade, and I see a lot of t-shirts in this report that weren’t printed in Camden.
Please don’t mistake me for a curmudgeon. I’m an optimist who’s happily working in Camden. I’m all about investment and growth and opportunity, I’m just not always seeing it on the ground. Part of that’s on me, but part of that’s on the city where I work too.
Adam Woods
—————————————————————–
Adam Woods – @adamewoods
LIKE Camden Printworks on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Camden-Printworks/246585628706522
Adam, in truth, people like you are the real people we should be celebrating. People who choose to invest in the city without having to be lured or something by the city or state, that’s the real treasure. I’ve never heard of your company before, but I think you’re awesome. I wish I needed T-shirts printed!
Site note: Have you seen those “I (bicycle) Camden” shirts? One of the Cooper’s Ferry partners, David Foster, I think, was wearing one in an IgnitePhilly talk he gave (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHy6vWqAzyQ). You didn’t print those, did you? If not, you should really get in touch with him. My brother and I want to buy them.
(Comment sent by Pastor Amir Kahn)
A PICTURE IS WORTH 1000 WORDS.
History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Apparently, there is a problem with the “mobile” site that will not allow folks to post comments. Please send me comments via email (stephen.danley [at] rutgers.edu) if you are having any issues. I will post what I receive here.
I wish it could be both. Camden needs both public AND private investment. A healthy city needs a mix of things working right, and this is part of it. Another part is what’s going on with schools. Another part should be an effort to brings jobs to actual residents of the city. Because jobs is the number one thing Camden needs more than anything else in the entire world. Jobs, jobs, jobs. Did they discuss how their “open for business” attitude will result in jobs for the city? Just wondering. I have yet to read anything to that effect.
Joseph: I do think that the “open for business” agenda is linked to the idea of “jobs, jobs, jobs.” The comments at the forum were, at times, vague, but there was a promise that two large companies would be coming to Camden with jobs. Key here is the philosophy: that the way to attract jobs, improve lives is through tax incentives and attracting business to key areas of the city (particularly the waterfront).
That’s great then! I really wish I could’ve heard or read more about the actual content of the meeting. People were tweeting using the hashtag for a while, but then that stopped. I was hoping to hear that, so, that makes me happy to hear. I’ll be even happier with actual follow-through!
First, I like to thank you Stephen for your perspectives on Camden. You always add insightful and informed views to the conversation about the future of the City. I tend to think the answer is somewhere in the middle. The initiatives of Coopers Ferry and others offer a real opportunity for growth, investment and improvement for the City. Nevertheless, we must always remain vigilant that these opportunities serve and don’t ignore the residents of the City. I, for one, continue to be hopeful for a brighter day.