Mayor's Race 2007: Candidate Milton Street sees tale of two weeks

Last week, he was announcing his candidacy for mayor.

This week, he was behind bars.

Milton Street, older brother of Mayor John Street and Democratic mayoral candidate, spent several hours in jail yesterday after he was arrested for unpaid traffic fines in Moorestown, N.J.

According to a statement released by the Moorestown Police Department, Street, 67, was arrested at about 10:00 a.m., when Officer Jason Burk saw him exiting an area 7-Eleven.

He was arrested in connection with two outstanding arrest warrants for moving violations and was released at about 3 p.m. after posting bail fixed at $3,250.

Street was initially unable to post bail, and police transferred the former hot-dog vendor and duck-boat tour operator to the Burlington County Jail until he was able to come up with the money necessary for his release.

In an interview yesterday, Street called into question the motivation behind the arrest.

He said he thought he had paid the fines years ago and added that he believes unnamed political opponents are out to get him.

"I think it was a political move," he said. "There no doubt about it."

As evidence, Street cited the fact that the warrants outstanding against him were over four years old, and he had never been brought in to face them before.

Moorestown police officials confirmed that the traffic tickets from his town go back to 1997.

Police in Pennsauken, N.J., where the other warrant was issued, were unable to tell when the traffic violations were first issued.

Street said that he was considering hiring a civil-rights lawyer to look into the arrest.

The incident may have further clouded the mystery surrounding where Street actually lives, which could become an issue in the mayoral race due to Philadelphia residency requirements.

According to the Moorestown Police Department's press release, Street lives on the 100 block of New Albany Road in Moorestown, the address he used when attempting to file for bankruptcy in 2005. Street, however, told police that he lives on the 1700 block of Anchor Street in Northeast Philadelphia.

Street is also scheduled to go to trial on federal corruption and tax-evasion charges May 14, the day before the mayoral primary.

Mayoral candidate and former City Councilman Michael Nutter said in a press release that he will make a statement today criticizing the legitimacy of Street's candidacy.

But although Street has long been a contentious force in city politics, the other mayoral candidates are being careful to avoid getting sucked into a shouting match with him.

Tim Spreitzer, spokesman for state Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Phila.), declined to comment yesterday on Street's allegations that Evans was hurting Philadelphians by running for mayor rather than focusing on his duties in Harrisburg.

Spokespeople for U.S. Rep. Bob Brady (D-Pa.) and businessman Tom Knox also declined to comment, while U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.) did not return calls for comment.

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