ANONYMOUS: Leave Ori Feibush Alone!

PHILLY POST: [Ori] Feibush might be a hero, because he did something that needs to happen more often in Philadelphia: He saw a mess. And he cleaned up the mess. This being Philadelphia, of course he’s in trouble. The mess, you see, wasn’t Feibush’s to clean up. The debris-filled lot at 20th and Annin streets is owned by the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority: Feibush owns the coffee shop next door. By his own estimation, he spent $20,000 to have 40 tons of debris removed from the site, and created what’s essentially a pocket park in its spot. In a better world, city officials would swallow their pride–and their rule book, for that matter–and either A) stay silent or B) publicly thank Feibush for his service to the community. Instead, they’ve let it be known they’re cranky and publicly branded Feibush a trespasser. “Like any property owner, [the authority] does not permit unauthorized access to or alteration of its property,” one official harumphed to the Daily News. “This is both on principle (no property owner knowingly allows trespassing) and to limit taxpayer liability.” That makes a certain kind of narrowly legal sense. But it’s difficult not to return to the bottom line here: Feibush saw a mess. And he cleaned up the mess. On his own dime. That should count for something good, right? It doesn’t, though. MORE