First, an anecdote: sometime in the early '60s, Philadelphia Mayor Richardson Dilworth gave a speech at a school supporting the implementation of a city parking tax.
Philadelphia residents responded, naturally, by throwing rocks at the mayor. Hours later, the mayor left the school, his case unmade.
The parking tax was never implemented.
The point: everyone's just throwing rocks. Nobody's listening to the issues. No, not literal ones, at least not yet, but people are throwing barbs without thinking.
Earlier this week, you may have read not one but two columns endorsing Sam Katz for mayor of Philadelphia. One was from the chairman of the College Republicans, Daily Pennsylvanian columnist Dan Gomez; the other, of course, was from the chairman who immediately preceded him, David Copley.
In the interest of fairness, I thought it'd be nice to hear from someone who has actually lived in Philadelphia for longer than, oh, a year or so.
Now, don't get me wrong: Dan Gomez and David Copley are fine writers, and they made many valid points on why you should vote for Katz.
But let's be honest: members of the College Republicans would vote the party line regardless of whether the mayoral candidate was Katz or Punxsutawney Phil.
Gomez said he was confused about why the race was close. Please: Philadelphia Democrats not only elected Frank Rizzo, they re-elected Wilson Goode after the MOVE fiasco, where C4 was dropped on a city block. Although I'm a lifelong Philadelphian, I'm not a Democrat. The thought of voting for a candidate based on his party is abhorrent to me.
In another moment of honesty, let's go with this: neither Katz nor incumbent John Street are exceptional candidates. On one hand, you have Katz, who's never held an elected public office. On the other, you have Street, who committed the sin of all sins: sending a letter to Kobe Bryant apologizing for fans booing him at the 2002 NBA All-Star Game.
I would love to spend this space telling you to vote for Socialist Workers' candidate John Staggs as a protest -- he has some interesting ideas -- but I can't logically vote for a candidate whose platform includes independence for Puerto Rico. That's not quite the type of leadership I'm looking for.
No, Street is the choice for mayor of Philadelphia for the next four years.
The majority of criticisms of Street have been based on anecdotal evidence and overgeneralization. The FBI probe? We don't know what it's about yet. The bomb materials tossed into Katz's office? I don't know what news reports you've been watching, but I haven't seen Street being indicted for it. And does anyone really care that Street said "the brothers and sisters are running the city" at an NAACP rally?
Even his dealings with the terribly named Notlim, his brother Milton's company, have revealed no legal corruption. Street's been in politics for a long time now. Either he obeys the law, or he's avoided getting caught for over 20 years. Please: Street's so bumbling in public that if he were breaking the law, he'd probably reveal that fact at an anti-crime rally.
Street's aloof manner has turned off some voters, but his programs have been productive. He's running as "the neighborhood mayor," and he's done a lot of good things to try and improve Philadelphia's neighborhoods. The former community activist made good on his campaign promises.
Operation Safe Streets has not been a complete success -- drug dealers talked to in a recent issue of The Philadelphia Independent say they've just had to switch corners -- but 74 percent of Philadelphia residents said the program was working in a recent Keystone Survey conducted by Millersville University. Among the 10 largest American cities, Philadelphia reduced property crime the most between 1999 and 2002. An analysis by The Philadelphia Inquirer concluded that crime was down in 19 of the city's 23 police districts since Street took office.
There's more: Philadelphia schools are state-run, a Street-backed plan, and are improving. While Neighborhood Transformation Initiative is starting slow, it has promise. Auto insurance rates are down. Thousands of abandoned cars are off the streets. The city has two new stadiums -- although, given the recent play of the Eagles, perhaps this is a nod to Katz.
Katz isn't a horrible man, and he's not an idiot. And if Katz becomes mayor, the city won't fall apart. I could be wrong in endorsing Street; I can admit that.
If you're a registered Philadelphia voter, please head to the polls on Tuesday. Vote for who you think is the best candidate.
Don't just throw rocks.
Daniel McQuade is a senior English major from Philadelphia, Pa. and managing editor of 34th Street magazine.
