gary4council's Blog

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

August 17, 2007

 

The city of Philadelphia cancelling the lease’s of two good organizations.

           

On Wednesday August 1st the City of Philadelphia notified the Holmesburg Fish & Game Protective Association that it was terminating the lease and must vacate the premises and remove all personal property by December 31, 2007. The notice was hand-delivered to the club by several uniformed armed representatives of a city agency. HF&G is the only safe haven for responsible sportsman and shooters in the City of Philadelphia. HF&G has served many civic and charitable organizations over the years.

For nearly 80 years HF&G has been located on Pennypack Street off of State Road next to the Philadelphia Police Academy. It is a fixture in the community and one we can ill afford to lose. 
Most importantly, HF&G has demonstrated throughout it's many years that it can help guide our city's youth away from drugs, crime and violence by mentoring them in an environment where the watchwords are safety, respect, responsibility and sportsmanship. It would be horribly ironic should the HF&G mission be abolished to accommodate the very criminals it strives to prevent. Wouldn't it be far better for HF&G to thrive and serve the community while it continues accommodating the Philadelphia Prison Guards in their training efforts?
Then there's the money the club brings into Northeast Philadelphia and not just from other area’s in Phila, but also from the surrounding counties and states.

HF&G has never caused this city any embarrassment. To the contrary, HF&G has been of benefit not just to its members but to the City of Philadelphia. HF&G would continue its history of service far into the future if permitted. It would also continue to cooperate with and accommodate the Philadelphia Prison Guards in their training efforts. HF&G did no wrong and I will fight to keep them here.

 

In mid-September, the City also cancelled the lease of another positive group: the Boy Scouts.

American Scouting was founded in part by a wheelchair-bound man named James West who pioneered programs for the physically and mentally disabled. “Scoutreach” is an effort to give a boost to young men growing up in poverty.

The Philadelphia Council is the third largest local council in the country, serving 87,000 boys and men. Since 1911, the BSA has reached out to disabled youth, racial and ethnic minorities, Native Americans, the Hispanic community and rural and inner city children.

The Boy Scouts have the God-given right to establish standards for membership, and those standards have been highly respected for over 90 years. Citizens across America have the God-given obligation to see to it that the Boy Scout Oath and Law are upheld for another 90 years.

Why should the Boy Scouts lower their standards and bow down to these extremist. Besides keeping boys off the streets, the Boy Scouts Law is to be: trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, clean, brave and reverent. Things we need desperately in this city. The City should concentrate on the real issues: Education, Crime, Tax Reform, Corruption, Safer Schools, Clean and Safe Recreation Centers and Job opportunities.