Neighborhood issues get candidates' focus

Third in an onoing series analyzing the critical issues of the Philadelphia mayoral race. Philadelphians have a lot of questions for the next mayor and not all of them are about school vouchers or campaign spending. They want to know if graffiti will be removed, if abandoned cars will be towed and if streets will be made safer. In short, the city wants a mayor that will take care of its residential neighborhoods. And candidates Sam Katz and John Street both say they will take care of Philadelphia -- including the people who don't reside in Center City. Katz, a Republican, wants to bolster the city's economy by bringing in more businesses and jobs through regulatory reform and tax reductions. By attracting businesses, his campaign mantra goes, the quality of life for the Philadelphia neighborhoods will improve. But Street focuses much more directly on specific neighborhood issues. The former City Council president and Democratic candidate repeatedly stresses his experience working with city government and individual citizens to improve city services and safety on the streets where people live. Katz spokesperson Bob Barnett said his candidate is equally committed to the neighborhoods and derides as "speculations" the opposing camp's suggestion that Katz's focus is directed only at the business community. "Sam has been much more attentive to neighborhoods in this campaign," he said, noting that Katz hopes to promote small business growth and provide more funding for neighborhoods. Street himself says that as a Democrat, he is very committed to the working class. He said in a recent interview that he is aware that many communities feel "an alienation from Center City," which has been the focus of the city's economic boom in the 1990s. And Street insists that he plans to change that. He says he will focus on increasing safety, putting more police officers on the streets and improving the quality of life through graffiti and blight removal. "The quality of life is an idea whose time has truly come," said Democratic City Council member Jannie Blackwell, who represents West Philadelphia and supports Street. Redeeming neighborhoods and improving urban areas is a daunting task for Philadelphia, a city that has lost 150,000 residents over the past decade. This unprecedented level of urban flight has undermined the city's tax base, prompting Katz's call for a large cut in the city's 4.6 percent wage tax. And although the city's economy has flourished under Rendell, critics of his administration say the benefits have mostly been geared toward Center City, not the surrounding communities. After eight years of stabilizing the city, it may now be time to broaden the spotlight from downtown to the whole town. "Center City is thriving and there are parts of Philadelphia that are thriving," Urban Studies Professor Eric Schneider said, adding that the question now is "how to create wealth in poor and more working class neighborhoods." According to Schneider, City Hall needs to push development projects and initiatives that will create jobs for the city's blue-collar workers. "I think Katz's strength is his appeal to the business community," he explained, adding that Katz would decrease the wage tax, thereby increasing investment and job creation. But he added that Street, a 19-year City Council veteran, "is going to be more attuned to the poorer working class community." Blackwell said that communities need day-to-day maintenance like trimmed trees, paved streets and thrown-away trash. "I'm sure both [candidates] are in tune," she said. But Blackwell added that "Street has lived it.? He understands the problems I do as a City Councilman." If elected, Katz has promised to remove graffiti and urban blight in the neighborhoods, Barnett said, adding that this "really hasn't been done" during Street's tenure on City Council. Both candidates stress the importance of public safety and crime prevention, a continuing problem in Philadelphia -- and each has pledged to retain John Timoney as police commissioner. But although the candidates see eye to eye on many community issues, observers still think Street would play a greater role as mayor in the neighborhoods' revitalization. Blackwell said that Street's experience and know-how are the keys that would enable him to be a successful mayor. "You've got to have a person who knows the issues and knows the players," she said.

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