Monday, July 19, 2010

National Park Service Concessions - Independence National Historical Park



The above video outlines the main challenges The Constitutional encounters at Independence National Historical Park due to the unfair regulatory practices in place there. The Constitutional is seeking equitable treatment from the National Park Service and Independence Visitor Center in Philadelphia, in terms of visibility and accessibility for the operations of its guided historical tour business, as compared with other tour operators.

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The exhibits below illustrate the landscape and floor plan of the Independence Visitor Center in Philadelphia, both inside and outside, and how the Independence Visitor Center Corporation and National Park Service have forced The Constitutional Walking Tour to be completely marginalized both and inside and outside of this 50,000+ square foot complex.

EXTERIOR:

INTERIOR:

Ride the Ducks Photo Concessions on National Park Service Property



The above video clearly shows concession sales occurring on sidewalks around the Independence Visitor Center, on National Park Service property. Despite awareness by involved parties, despite the fact that the opportunity to sell concessions has been denied to The Constitutional, Ride the Ducks regularly violates their Commercial Use Authorizations and engages in these prohibited activities with no consequences. This demonstrates the inconsistent, random and arbitrary standards in place at Independence National Historical Park.

What is Mayor Michael Nutter Hiding?


Mayor Nutter serves on the Board of Directors of the Independence Visitor Center Corporation, a private company, which runs the visitor centers at Independence Park, City Hall and Fairmount Park.

Under the Pennsylvania Right to Know Law, The Constitutional Walking Tour requested records regarding Mayor Nutter's role on the Board of Directors of the Independence Visitor Center.

The City of Philadelphia denied the release of the records.

The Constitutional appealed, and the PA Office of Open Records issued a legally binding Final Determination for the City to release the records stating, "If a public official [Mayor Nutter] serves on a private board in an official capacity, the public has a right to know the extent of that service and see records associated with it."

The City refused to release any records! Instead, the City is spending taxpayer dollars to sue The Constitutional to block the release of public documents despite the City hemorrhaging cash, raising taxes and cutting services.

The City is requiring my small business to allocate our scarce resources to fight the appeal. Mayor Nutter promised that transparency and accountability would govern his Administration. Now it looks like Mayor Nutter has something to hide.

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Exhibit:
PA Office of Open Records, Final Determination, Jonathan Bari and The Constitutional Walking Tour vs. City of Philadelphia, Docket No.: AP 2010-0157, 4/7/10;
"Minutes of a non profit organization on which the mayor sits in his official capacity as the mayor, record of the agency"

Rendell's Pork-Laden Politics at the Independence Visitor Center

In response to the Harrisburg Patriot-News July 13, 2010, editorial titled, "Pork barrel rolls right to Philadelphia":

Governor Rendell's new Pennsylvania State budget is packed with so much pork for Rendell's pet appropriations under the guise of the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. For example, when Pennsylvania is hemorrhaging cash, raising taxes and cutting services, Rendell has appropriated $5 million for the Independence Visitor Center in Philadelphia. This appropriation seems particularly bizarre given that this building, which is federally owned and funded, just opened in 2001.

Cronyism is commonplace with the Independence Visitor Center Corporation (IVCC), which operates the Independence Visitor Center in a clandestine manner better suited to the CIA than to a visitor center. In addition to the IVCC Board being chaired by Rendell’s former chief of staff, Rendell appoints a “Governor’s Representative” to the IVCC Board. However, the Governor’s office has denied Right to Know Law requests for further information on Rendell's role with the IVCC's Board. Additionally, Philadelphia’s Mayor Nutter himself serves on the IVCC’s Board. The City of Philadelphia has denied similar record requests for Mayor Nutter's involvement with the IVCC Board, and now both the City and IVCC have actually sued to block the release of information as ordered in a legally binding Final Determination by the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records.

Governor Rendell must insist that in exchange for $5 million to the Independence Visitor Center, the IVCC's Board must change to abide by both the Sunshine Act and the Right to Know Law. Alternatively, Rendell should compel his representative's resignation from the IVCC Board and yank the $5 million in funding.