Staff Editorial: No time for posturing

John Street has never been particularly well known for his gracious political demeanor.

The Philadelphia mayor's notoriously edgy negotiating style, in fact, goes all the way back to his days on City Council, when fellow Democrats and political opponents alike often grew frustrated with his antagonistic and often combative approach to solving problems.

The edginess followed Street to the mayor's office with his election in 1999, but thanks to his unique ability to force agreements, it hasn't backfired in any meaningful way.

That is, it hasn't backfired yet.

Should the mayor continue to employ the tough-nosed and politically narrowminded tactics that have seen him ascend through the ranks of municipal government, though, he may soon victimize a constituency that has no place as a pawn in petty political games: the children of Philadelphia.

In this case, the mayor's aggressive moves were precipitated by the state's attempt to force through a partial privatization of Philadelphia's failing public schools, a proposal that he adamantly opposes.

Street's reported refusal to even speak with Gov. Mark Schweiker -- as well as his recent move to open an office in the headquarters of the Philadelphia school system -- speak volumes about his stubbornness and unwillingness to operate in a political environment outside his own.

That kind of strategy may work in City Council, where vote-gathering is a give-and-take process. It may even work in the mayor's office, where decisions ultimately have to go to his desk before going into action. But it will almost certainly not prove effective in a larger political environment, especially one in which a state takeover of the Philadelphia schools -- and perhaps even a full-scale privatization -- appears imminent.

Considering the mayor's general lack of support in Harrisburg, it would seem obvious that Street could only benefit from taking a more thoughtful and deliberate approach to those who differ with his viewpoint. Instead, he once again has chosen to name enemies.

That, put simply, just won't cut it for Philadelphia taxpayers and Philadelphia schoolchildren -- both of whom need a quick and reasonable solution to address the enormous problems facing them.

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