Harrisburg Nixes Holiday Parade Over Low Cash

October 21, 2011 11:30 AM

(The state capitol in Harrisburg. File photo)

Filed under

Local, News

Check Out

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Santa Claus won’t be making his annual early visit to Pennsylvania’s capitol city.

Officials in Harrisburg have canceled the city’s annual holiday parade because organizers haven’t raised enough money.

Last year, the cash-strapped capitol started requiring special events to pay for themselves. Parks and recreation director Brenda Alton says not enough sponsors have ponied up to keep the floats afloat.

Mayor Linda Thompson says she’s hopeful the parade can be pulled off in 2012.

The parade has traditionally marked the start of the holiday season with floats, bands and balloons and the arrival of Santa Claus.

Parade organizers in the suburban Philadelphia town of Hatboro say a shortage of donations may force them to cut back their parade. Santa may have to hoof it rather than ride a float.

‘Basement Of Horror’ Coverage

READ:Wide Gag Order Issued
READ:Preliminary Hearing Set
READ:Former Neighbor Of Linda Weston Searching For “Little L”
READ: Grandparents of Rescued Kids Will Seek Custody
READ: 4th Suspect Arrested In Tacony ‘Dungeon’ Case
READ: Understanding The ‘Basement Of Horror’ Case
READ: Exclusive: Brother Of ‘Basement Of Horror’ Suspect Describes History Of Violence
READ: Police Commissioner Creating Task Force To Probe Philadelphia Captivity Case
READ: Exclusive: Victims Describe Horrific Basement Captivity
READ: Missing Florida Teen Found In Philadelphia, Linked To Basement Captive Case
PHOTOS: 4 Adults, 6 Children In Custody In Connection With ‘Basement Of Horror’ Case
READ: 3 Charged After 4 Disabled Adults Found Locked In Tacony ‘Dungeon’

Harrisburg Nixes Holiday Parade Over Low Cash

Osamas Pajamas

I’m an atheist and I still enjoy Christmas parades — auld lang syne from my days as a fuzzybrained wee one — but no tax money should go for this. Same with the right of abortion, which I support — but no tax money should go for this, either.
http://victorspost.wordpress.com/2011/10/21/cash-strapped-pa-capital-cancels-christmas-parade/ Cash-Strapped PA Capital Cancels Christmas Parade | Victors Post

[...] Officials in Harrisburg have canceled the city’s annual holiday parade because organizers haven’t raised enough money. [...]
walter12

This is what always happens to socialist governments, city, state, or national, they go bankrupt. Why are people so stupid that they cannot see this unalterable truth?
sean patriot

The government shouldn’t be flipping the bill for this anyway. Get local churches to take up collections.
sean patriot

So’ just take up a collection from local churches to pay for it. Im sure they would’n't mind, since its so important an all.

l

HAHAHAHAH exactly sean. But they wont throw a dime…. after they beg money from all of their brainwashed worshippers and then buy the priest a BMW

Kevin

Cpaitol, not capital.

ben

Funny

samzydeco

Why don’t we ask police and firemen if they would volunteer their time for a Christmas Parade…how do you think their unions would react to that request?!
Melvin

Just forget and cancel Christmas, practically no one celebrates anymore. Look at the stores. They put a few cheap cardboard and plastic decorations that are politically correct.
A person cannot even purchase Christmas decorations. JC Penny has a couple of fake plastic trees and decorated like someone really had their heart in it. and thats it.
What decorations you can buy they’re all LED, and put off as much light as a boxes of matches.
No one says Merry Christmas out of fear of being fined by the PC Police that they might offend someone.
So just put Christmas into the dustbin of history and the government can call the day off something like, “Happy Civil Service Day.”

Just Me

Christmas is the Pagan winter solstice. It’s amazing how most people don’t understand this. Had everyone really read/studied their Bibles that Jesus was actually born in the fall.
Pamela Stetor

The government servants will still want the day off WITH PAY!
Oh, I correct myself, civil servants.

Mama

So what, who cares? The holidays will still come. The parade is only viewed by a small fraction of the towns population anyway.
anonymous

What the hell is a “Holiday Parade”? Discriminating liberal bigots…
Stephen

Hey this is a great opportunity for the “JOB CREATORS” who are still getting the bush tax cuts. THey should use all that extra cash to pay for the parade at least it might give people a job for a day or two and of course Santa would have a job till the 24th of December anyway. Come on you “Job Creators” step up and show those Dems how to make this country great again!
RAZOR

WONDER WHAT % OF THE CITY GUBMENT IS DEMOCRAT?

Ken Puck

Glad you asked that question. Seven Democrats — and a Democrat city manager. Next question.

gin

sounds olike gross mismanagement to me – that’s ridiculous that you can’t have santa in a big city like that! ho-h0-ho where’d all the money go???
Jim

This shouldn’t be the actIvity of the government anyways. If you want a Christmas parade, fine. Fund it privately through your churches.
Samuel Adams

Get the truth at http://www.truthinaccounting.org

Balance the budget now before its too late!
Vivian Bennett-Cohan

I would first ask why? Who has been in charge in Harrisburg for the last 40 yrs? Republicans or democrats. I think thats a legit question. I tend to blame the democrats when cities start going bankrupt.. Go figure.
oatka

It would be a positive piece of journalism if they would provide the name of whoever caved in to the “Offended Ones” and changed the name. Roaches hate the light.
Jack Kinch(1uncle)

Too many ‘born on welfare to vote demo’ deadbeats ?
taxed_n_spent

I applaud the fact that the city is requiring special events to fund themselves. The typical government solution is just raise taxes instead of cutting costs. Obviously the parade wasn’t that important to the citizens or they would be willing to pitch in to help cover the cost of putting it on.

LukeJohn

Hmmm, if it goes private, can we go back to calling it a “Christmas Parade?”

Farmer Friend

That would make too much sense for most people.

Mkurbo

So the “green” movement (trash incinerator) has even taken down Santa Claus.

The “Green” movement is driving us into the “Red” – literally (debt and loss of jobs and now cities) and figuratively (socialism/communism).
George Anderson

Let’s pay for illegal benefits, but not something that brightens the year a little bit for the hard-pressed American.
http://www.talkdelaware.com/lounge/18053-harrisburg-kills-christmas-i-mean-holiday.html#post310838 Harrisburg kills Christmas …… I mean Holiday Parade – Talk Delaware Online

[...] [...]
Sean Delevan

But those union payments and pension benefits are still gonna be paid for sure….

mL

unions built this country and now anti union people have put all the jobs in china. dumb mofo

KickTheKenyanOutIn2012

Happy Hope & Chance Kwanza 2011!
Phil Jones

It is too bad the city government does not want to cater to 90 percent of its population.

Maybe if they called it a ‘Christmas’ parade instead of a ‘Holiday’ parade, it would be more interesting to the 90 percent of the population for whom Christmas is a big holiday, religious or not.

skoch

Right on Mr. Jones!
anon

Excellent point. I would be happy to contribute to a Christmas parade because I celebrate ‘Christmas.’ I do not and never will celebrate ‘holiday.’