Rendell seeks second term

America's Mayor wants four more years. And to kick it all off, Mayor Ed Rendell returned to the the same red-brick rowhouse in the Brewerytown section of Philadelphia to formally announce his campaign for re-election Saturday. "Four years ago I said we can do it and we have," Rendell said. "No one believed we could turn [this city] around. The experts said Philadelphia was dead." Echoing many statements he made last week during his annual budget address, Rendell stressed he had revitalized a city that was on the brink of insolvency three years ago. "I don't want all this good news to lead anybody?to think that the job is done," the mayor said to rousing applause. "If the job was done I'd be going elsewhere. Problems, serious problems, still remain. "And I promise you today if you help me get re-elected I will be here every day for the next five years and when I walk out of that office on the first Monday of the year 2000?I hope we can say we've made a great city what it should be." Rendell said that he had eradicated a $200 million deficit in 18 months, and balanced two consecutive budgets for the first time in a decade. And he stressed this was done without raising taxes or cutting services. As the mayor spoke, hundreds of loyal Rendell supporters packed the narrow street, despite the blustery weather. In addition, Rendell's opponents from the 1991 Democratic primary, George Burrell, Peter Hearn and Lucien Blackwell, attended the event to support the mayor. Before he spoke, Rendell visited Peggy Greenelee before addressing the crowd gathered in front of her house. When the mayor emerged, he was greeted to applause as the Polish American String Band played "Happy Days are Here Again." "Three years ago I introduced a private citizen by the name of Ed Rendell to kick off his campaign for mayor," Greenelee said. "At that time I thought he was our best hope to turn this city around. "I am back here today because I feel he did just that. He has made great strides in revitalizing the city and restoring Philadelphia to its former prominence." Some of the main topics of Rendell's speech included improving the Police Department, the Recreation Department, the Free Library, the Streets Department and the Health Department. "We are making progress in every single area of what we do," Rendell said. Throughout the speech, Rendell stressed the importance of City Council, businesses and volunteers in contributing to the cities comeback. "I didn't do it alone, however," he said. "I did it with great people who work for us in the city government. I did it with cooperation of the dedicated city council who also bit the bullet in tough and difficult times." I did it with ordinary Philadelphians, with volunteers who?didn't sit back and wait for the government to do it by themselves. They did it." But what Rendell stressed most was the need of the city to create economic incentives so the city can produce more jobs. "We've got to most of all get our people back to work," he said passionately. "Everywhere in this city people ask me for jobs." Rendell also discussed what he considers the greatest achievements during his term such as mayor. He mentioned the new Pennsylvania Convention Center, the Marriott Hotel at Market East, which opened last week, and new endeavors such as Spectrum Two, the Avenue of the Arts, and the new Shriner's Hospital. College sophomore David Ginsberg, a campaign worker for the Rendell Campaign, said he was excited about the mayor's speech and about his prospects for re-election. "The energy and enthusiasm he showed in kicking off his election campaign really shows the kind of energy he's been bringing and will continue to bring to the city," Ginsberg said. "It would be a tough race to go up against Mayor Rendell this time. College senior and campaign worker Eugene Wong said he thinks the University and the Rendell have a good relationship, especially with the Rodin administration. "It could be the beginning of a very fortuitous relationship between both of them," Wong said, adding that Rendell "is most arguably Penn's number one basketball fan."