Contribute or Shut Up Already!

Besides the devil lurking in the details, apparently so does the ignorance.

Regarding Chris Comisac’s recent Letter to the Editor published in our local daily newspaper, we wish Comisac had first looked into Harrisburg Young Professional’s (HYP) track record before criticizing the group’s efforts at revitalizing the City of Harrisburg. Although facts may confuse Comisac, they speak for themselves.

Last year, HYP succeeded in attracting 102 residents to the city by orchestrating a successful program known as 99 in ’99. The "new residents" figure built upon the original 20 city residents attracted here by HYP during the previous year. For 2000, they’ve already added 30 new city residents for a total of 153 new arrivals in fewer than three years, an accomplishment which surpasses any achievement of any more organized, budgeted and staffed economic development unit whose full-time job is revitalizing a stale and unimaginative regional economy.

Capital Heights is another tough project mounted by HYP. The deal calls for about 130 people to move into a four-square block area, an area that was formerly, a disaster. After stripping away abandoned housing and parcels raped by unscrupulous landlords — of which we have an infestation in the city — the new neighborhood will anchor a welcomed stability and re-establish a popular enclave.

All these new arrivals could support new business ventures in the city such as a Starbucks, unlike David Via, who also wrote to the daily rag that he was happy he could find what he wanted in the city concerning java. We have a question for Mr. Via: If you know of any service oriented coffee places in the city with good product open as early as 7 a.m. and as late as 10 p.m., please call MODE at 703-5000 — I’ve been looking for a long time and still come up with an empty cup. Could it be that some residents have preferences for times and types of service and coffee products that are different than what you need or like? Just because you’re satisfied, don’t wrongly conclude that everyone is so happy they could, well … you know the rest. In other words, don’t be so Central Pennsylvania about it all. There is more than one way to be satisfied and those who are different from you are not all pointy-headed aliens. They’re just different and want a little change and variety — a request that brings out as rash in so many around here.

We could wait for folks who live in surrounding municipalities to make the brave move and actually hang out in the city, but we don’t expect that to happen too soon. A culture of fear, second only to the culture of crankiness that has evolved around any individual or group attempting change, is too, shall we say, deep seated. Plans for an overhead pedestrian walkway across Second Street as part of a downtown convention center, described as "dramatic," only reinforce the region’s fear that city visitors may actually run into someone on our streets — someone different and unlike themselves. The Catholic Shop is moving because customers have to search for parking garages. Will someone please let them know we now have five parking garages within an easy walk of the shop? There is a sixth parking facility on the way — right across the street from the existing shop.

Besides, walking a little is good for your health.

Each new resident contributes to a growing economic base within a city perplexed by an enormously high rate of poverty. If we accept economic reality that at least two-thirds of the city’s residents live in poverty, then each remaining resident must, for example, buy three tickets to the soon-to-open Midtown Cinema. We need as many people as we can attract to move into city limits. We must also work hard to provide opportunities for those now living in poverty. We want people from all city sectors to enjoy Midtown Cinema or Whitaker Center or whatever their heart desires.

As far as fighting for deep-rooted and prolonged improvements to the city’s economic infrastructure, HYP hasn’t backed away from the tough appearances. President Greg Rothman and member Alex Hartzler stood in the Capitol with Governor Tom Ridge, Senator Jeff Piccola, and Mayor Stephen Reed to support rescuing the local school district. Embroiled in legal controversy, the school district has been a moocher’s fiefdom for decades.

HYP has talked to anyone who will listen about "payments in lieu of taxes" by state government, a step that could potentially lower city taxes, or at least stifle the rate at which they might increase over time.

We asked Rothman about Comisac’s comment that "markets decide where businesses locate, not a handful of frustrated major metropolitan resident wannabes." He disagrees. "Businesses decide where to locate. Entrepreneurs decide where to locate. Every major law firm in Pennsylvania has an office in Harrisburg. No less than six new restaurants and a major hotel have opened downtown this year. Three major apartment complexes received significant renovations in the last two years," Rothman answers.

He also notes that HYP is not a group of "frustrated … wannabes" as referred to in Comisac’s letter. "Most of us, arguably all of us, could live and work in New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Boston, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., or San Francisco." In fact, many have lived elsewhere and chose Harrisburg.