Just Think. We Could Have Had A Real Mayor.
Mayor Lukie was one of the dignitaries who attended the inauguration of Philadelphia’s new mayor, Michael Nutter. Luke was there to hear Nutter’s inaugural speech. Who knows if he listened. Probably not. As ususal, Luke probably thought long and hard about clever sound bites he might dish out to the press who hovered nearby. Or where he’d like to kick off his partying after all the boring stuff ended.
But if he did listen, he might have realized there were untold opportunities here! Gobs of great ideas floating about just itching to have a ‘Ravenstahl’ sticker slapped on them.
Mayor Nutter’s speech just rubs in the sad fact that every other city seems to have a real mayor while we are stuck with Ravenstahl. Nutter says:
- Nutter is challenging the citizens of Philly to join him in taking their city back from the criminals.
- Police need to walk beats again. Have an active part in the community they police. People need to respect, protect and help the police in a shared effort to make the city safe.
- Government must lead by example. And that means ethics and transparency.
- Crime rate can be reduced by providing jobs for ex-offenders. Government can help businesses create those much needed jobs by making it easier for companies to function. Philly’s zoning code needs to be reformed, taxes must be reduced and the tax code must be simplified.
- A thriving business environment requires an educated workforce. Soaring high-school drop-out rates and a lack of college degrees are negative indicators which must be turned around.
- Philly must control their costs, stabilize their pension fund and come to grips with health care cost increases. Wages for public employees must be fair and reasonable, but also fair and reasonable to the taxpayer who picks up the tab.
Mayor Lukie was one of the dignitaries who attended the inauguration of Philadelphia’s new mayor, Michael Nutter. Luke was there to hear Nutter’s inaugural speech. Who knows if he listened. Probably not. As ususal, Luke probably thought long and hard about clever sound bites he might dish out to the press who hovered nearby. Or where he’d like to kick off his partying after all the boring stuff ended.
But if he did listen, he might have realized there were untold opportunities here! Gobs of great ideas floating about just itching to have a ‘Ravenstahl’ sticker slapped on them.
Mayor Nutter’s speech just rubs in the sad fact that every other city seems to have a real mayor while we are stuck with Ravenstahl. Nutter says:
- Nutter is challenging the citizens of Philly to join him in taking their city back from the criminals.
- Police need to walk beats again. Have an active part in the community they police. People need to respect, protect and help the police in a shared effort to make the city safe.
- Government must lead by example. And that means ethics and transparency.
- Crime rate can be reduced by providing jobs for ex-offenders. Government can help businesses create those much needed jobs by making it easier for companies to function. Philly’s zoning code needs to be reformed, taxes must be reduced and the tax code must be simplified.
- A thriving business environment requires an educated workforce. Soaring high-school drop-out rates and a lack of college degrees are negative indicators which must be turned around.
- Philly must control their costs, stabilize their pension fund and come to grips with health care cost increases. Wages for public employees must be fair and reasonable, but also fair and reasonable to the taxpayer who picks up the tab.
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