After 100 days in office, Street sees mixed results

On a cold January morning last winter, Philadelphia Mayor John Street was sworn into office. And the next day, the new mayor sat down and wrote a promise to Philadelphians. He pledged to use his first hundred days in office to address 20 pressing issues -- focusing largely on education and neighborhood blight. Yesterday marked the official end of those first hundred days, beginning a detailed evaluation of Street's performance by local officials, citizens and scholars alike. While Street has done much to fulfill nearly all of the 20 goals set in his broad-stroked, aggressive 100-day plan, some outsiders argue that the new mayor's leadership style isn't well suited for the city of Philadelphia. 100 Day Plan The new mayor had tough shoes to fill, following the overwhelmingly popular two-term mayor Ed Rendell. While Rendell is credited with revitalizing the downtown area, Street's first 100 days in office have instead been characterized by a strict allegiance to the needs of neighborhoods. "He's certainly shown a greater friendliness to the neighborhoods than was seen in the Rendell administration," City Councilman David Cohen said. And Ira Harkavy, director of Penn's Center for Community Partnerships, added that he has seen "the sense of hope and possibility" Street has instilled in area neighborhoods. As part of his hundred-day promise, Street kicked off a plan over a week ago to tow 40,000 abandoned cars in Philadelphia in a 40-day period. Continuing with his neighborhood efforts, Street also unveiled a comprehensive set of initiatives this week to reduce crime -- including a lawsuit against the top handgun makers. "His effort to make this kind of difference throughout the city should be lauded," Harkavy said. After proclaiming the year 2000 to be the Year of the Child, Street has been developing a plan to address the fiscal instability of the school district -- but it is not finished. And, as promised, the mayor has held and attended town and education cluster meetings in all of the 10 City Council districts. "The work that he's done sends the message that he cares about the entire city," Penn Public Policy and History Professor Theodore Hershberg said. In all, Street has made progress on most of his 20 pledges, although one task is still glaringly undone -- filling all the currently empty posts in his administration. Managing Philadelphia But filling these positions, some say, will present Street's greatest challenge. Already Street has very publically dismissed two people, firing his former Communications Director Ken Snyder and ousting Alred Testa, former airport director. On these controversial administrative actions, Cohen said Street has shown he can be a tough, decisive mayor who is "used to making decisions all by himself." "The mayor's got to learn that government is a cooperative activity," he continued, stressing the importance of Street's dealings with City Council. Street generated the reputation of being difficult and highly inflammatory during his time on City Council, noted Cohen, who worked on council with Street for all 19 of those years. But the mayor's deputy communications director, Ray Jones, emphasized that Street has simply done what he deemed necessary to run the government. "The mayor is a hands-on mayor," Jones said. "He's done what he needed to do to get the job done." With three significant positions --the commerce commissioner, the streets department commissioner and the public property commissioner -- left open in his administration, the mayor continues to face the task of building a complete administration. Looking forward With the first hundred days past, Street must continue to move forward to achieve his goals. Cohen said he thinks the mayor needs to do more in the area of education, adding that he is worried that Street is going to be unable to resolve the school district's impending fiscal crisis. "He's got to deal with the schools," Cohen explained. Jones said education remains a top priority for Street, adding that the mayor will do his part in fixing the schools. "The mayor will do all he can do, and then it's up to Harrisburg," he added. Hershberg said that the mayor also faces the challenge of "evening the fiscal playing field" -- referring to the problem of taxes. But overall, Hershberg said he felt Street has proven his ability to lead the city. "I would not underestimate his ability," he said. "He's got the combination of intelligence and guts -- that's important."