Unisys Submits New Sign Request
September 2, 2008 – One week after Unisys’ request to post its company logo on Two Liberty Place was denied, the prospective tenant has submitted a new proposal to the city's Zoning Board of Adjustments: a cherry red, nine-foot-tall sign reading “You Assholes.” "We were deeply disappointed by the board's decision last Tuesday," James Kerr, spokesman for the Blue Bell-based company, said yesterday. "The new sign, however, is much, much smaller than the original. Even so, we think that its meaning should come across loud and clear to the board."
 Reaction to the software company's profane new submission was mixed. "It certainly is a bit bolder than the average building-side advertisement," said Philadelphia Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron, who wrote disparagingly about the original sign. "But if the board approves this, I can't imagine what other epithets will mar our skyline in the future." According to the zoning board's Susan Jaffe, "Of course, we want Unisys to bring its 225 employees to the city, but there are certain laws that restrict our rulings. I don't think that makes us 'assholes.' "
Kerr, however, disagreed. "All we were asking was to have our name put on the building–just as PSFS, PNB, and Aramark have in the past," he said, referring to three company names that dot the cityscape. "But we're moving forward, and hoping that [the board takes] a good, long look at these two little words." Mayor Nutter, for his part, simply hoped that Philadelphia would not lose the firm's business. "I certainly hope that this issue doesn't keep Unisys from moving here," he said. "So if this second request is denied, and they end up staying in the suburbs... well, I think that everyone involved will look like an asshole." |
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Candidates Pledge to Rebuild South St.
September 2, 2008 –
Presidential nominees Barack Obama and John McCain on Sunday both made solemn pledges to rebuild the chaotic, disfigured South St. area of Philadelphia. "In my visits to the region, I've spoken with street merchants and everyday citizens–people just like you and me–who were desperate for relief," said the Republican McCain, speaking on Fox News Sunday, of the once-vibrant commercial corridor. "As president, one of my top priorities will be transforming [South St.] from a place of ditches and broken concrete into the productive place that we all want it to become."
 Democratic hopeful Obama, appearing on CBS' Face the Nation, agreed. "[South St.] is a critical component of that battle-scarred city," he said. "Yet there were once trees and sidewalks there–and people could walk freely without worrying for their safety. Those things vanished in the face of Operation Lightpole." Philadelphia Inquirer political columnist Dick Polman praised both candidates' resolve. "For anyone brave enough to venture down there now, it's clear that [South St. is] a shell of what it once was," he said yesterday. "It must be rebuilt, but it's going to take an enormous amount of political will."
The street's long-suffering business owners, meanwhile, were made hopeful by the candidates' promises. "For months, we live in fear, dodging cars and watching our business disappear," moaned Arianna Al-Sadiq, of Readings by Madonna. "For the sake of my children, this cannot go on much longer." Obama, like his rival, seemed to understand the gravity of the situation. "The authorities rolled in there, promising to make things better, but, regrettably, have brought only hardship and misery," he said. "We must now focus our energies on rectifying the situation. The world is watching."
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