On Jan. 11, about 25 residents of Frankford, Mayfair and Oxford Circle gathered at Frankford Hospital, Frankford Campus, for the inaugural forum in the Citizen Voices '99 project. Moderators were Harris Sokoloff and Michelle Charles.

Participants frequently stressed the need for additional citizen involvement, and expressed the hope that the next mayor would pay closer attention to what regular citizens wanted from their government. Many said more citizens had to volunteer in their community, and some suggested that volunteers get a cut in taxes in return for doing specific work for the city.

Also frequently mentioned was educational reform of the schools, particularly by creating a new, more equitable funding system.

The idea that the city charter should be changed to limit council members to two terms, same as mayor, was met with enthusiastic applause.

In painting a picture of Philadelphia in 2010, the panelists said taxes were cut thanks to a variety of changes, including a reduction in crime that encouraged more people to move into city, thereby increasing tax base and tax revenues.

Asked what they liked about the city, the answers were generally about “friendly” neighborhoods. “If you need that cup of sugar, people would...help you.” A couple of people said by living in the city they had SEPTA and access to a near-by neighborhood center, so they “didn’t have to spend half my life in the a car,” in one person’s words.

One man who just returned from L.A. and lives in the city said “people are warm,” unlike in California where he considered people “cold.”

Others were concerned about crime. One man said he had to walk 10 minutes to the meeting place at Frankford Hospital, and described himself as “afraid.”

People were critical of news media; specifically too much violence and crime news, too much sensationalism.

Among specific goals accomplished by 2010, the panel: