The occasional infighting between SEPTA and the city flared up again this afternoonwhen Councilman Wilson Goode Jr. introduced legislation that would allowa committee to investigate what properties belong to the city under itslease agreement with SEPTA but are being used by the transportationagency to generate advertising dollars."We need to consider all city infrastructure for lease or sale,"Goode Jr. said Thursday. "SEPTA sold the naming rights to AT&Tstation for $3 million. That may be some of our money. SEPTA may have alot of our money.""I have already talked to SEPTA," Goode Jr. said after the meeting."They're supposed to be providing an inventory of infrastructure thatmight belong to the city."Goode Jr. said that SEPTA had nochoice but to participate, but he didn't expect the process to be easy."If SEPTA doesn't believe it's in their best interest – which they don't– they don't have to negotiate with us," he said."Essentially, at the end of the day, they don't have an option. Thecity provides them with a $50 to $60 million subsidy, which is mandated,but we don't have to give it to them all at once," he said. We"I believewe should withhold a portion of that subsidy until we have an honestconversation about the relationship between the city and SEPTA."Goode said that, though the city provides the largest amount of funding toSEPTA, as well the highest number of its fare box funds, there are only twoPhiladelphia seats on SEPTA's 15-member board."We can't allow them to exploit Philadelphia without giving it adequate representation," he said. "We have to stand our ground."
