Yo, Mike: Soup to Nuts

Sheila DiPinto
Yo, Mike the one thing I really need you to do is make Philadelphia a better place to live. I have lived in the same neighborhood for my entire life, 44 years now, and I can’t believe the change that has happened. I know everything must change and I am all for change but it hasn’t been for the better. My neighborhood used to be a clean safe place to live but in recent years I have seen it turn into a dirty run –down crime and drug ridden place to live. I know this is happening all over the city not just in my neighborhood. It seems people don’t take pride in their homes or lives anymore. The streets are covered with litter; there are prostitutes, drug dealers and drug addicts walking the streets at all times of the day and night. I am ashamed to say I live in Philadelphia these days. Something must be done and soon. I hope you are the mayor who will make a difference.

Bob Smiley
The one thing you can do make my life in the city better is outlaw the thundering motorcycles that make it difficult to live anywhere near the South Street neighborhood. Those schadenfreude-obsessed bikers intentionally tune their engines to be as loud as possible, and so they'll set off every car alarm on the block with the vibrations. Then they just ride around the neighborhood in a loop, revving their engines as often as possible. I live two blocks away on Pine, and they still keep me awake at 3am many nights.

PS: Replacing the smelly female ginkgo trees with males would also be nice. My whole neighborhood smells like dog poo half the year.

PPS: I've never understood why the city waits so long to deposit my tax checks. The Fed and State deposit my checks right away. The city sits on my NPT and BPT checks for months... wasting untold millions in potential interest on that money. It's frustrating to be reminded of such waste every time I balance my checkbook.

Yvonne Torrance
I would like to see quality of life issues addressed. Folks shouldn't be allowed to blast their car radios at all times of the day and night. Neither should they be allowed to throw their trash in the streets or dump their trash on vacant lots or other folks' sidewalks.

Also, the curfew imposed on young people should continue for their safety as well as everyone else's. Young men shouldn't be allowed to stand on corners wasting their lives. At the very least they can help keep the City clean and receive a salary for doing so.

Jobs for teens should be implemented by working with various companies in the City. I believe young people do want to work, they just can't find work.

Parents and their children should be held accountable for inappropriate behavior. Our senior citizens should not be afraid to come out of their homes.

There are a multitude of issues that need to be addressed in Philadelphia to truly make it the City of Brotherly Love.

Leslie Moses
As a city resident with no school-age children living on disability in a changing neighborhood in Mt. Airy, my concerns are services in the community-street cleaning enforcement of curfew, money for rec centers and viable, empowered staff, boutique businesses filling gaps left by larger companies forced to leave due to tax base, safety of my elderly mother living 7 blocks away and the dearth of services for the low middle income senior struggling to pay bills, eat, take medicine, and safely stay warm. I'm concerned about educational opportunities for our children and the use of the educational facilities in a more expeditious manner. I worry about the increase in abuse of woman and children who have very limited resources when needing to leave their primary residence for safety's sake. I am mortified by our lack of prevention for the infrastructures of the city a nd the foresight needed to gauge real solution for city planning to include schools where condos over tower land and congested highways cage citizens to small strips in their dwindling concrete jungles. First Things First!!! Any assistance I can provide please use me. My background is social services, drug addiction and mental health and education (special and school counseling) and my newest area- recycling. Giants must fall!!!

Michele Koskinen
Congratulation and Good Luck in bringing your visions to fruition.

Yes taxes, violence, education, and all the other BIG issues are important but,---- how about the simple everyday things that wear you down. Dirty streets, trash out too early, poor recycling responses, gas and electric meters directly on the sidewalk, a park that needs help, a riverfront plan that all citizens can enjoy, pride in the place you live, clean safe recreation areas for our citizens and their children, good planning of new construction to make a more walkable livable city, more neighborhood dialogue to help with the programs that can enhance neighborhood life, better options for children to have afterschool tutoring and activities in art, music etc.
Quality of life issues would help people get ready for the larger looming issues. Be a cheerleader and keep telling everyone how great we are and can be. Be a mayor that leads by being visible and a visionary in the next step to revitalize this city.

Valerie
Congratulations on your win. I am no longer a Philadelphia resident, however I am very active in the South Philadelphia neighborhood in which I grew up. A few years ago my church wanted to have a church picnic in Philadelphia's beautiful Fairmont Park. So I drove to every location to have a nice day Lemon Hill, The Lakes Etc. The outcome, no working bathrooms.The Parks are beautiful lets work on the bathrooms.
Also, we know about the school crisis. what has happened to the clubs after school, math club science club etc. It has been along time since I been in elementary school. (1979) These were the activities that we enjoyed. In junior high the typing club was popular at Audenreid. It was amazing how young students would get up early for this club. Our children must be engaged to the fullest.
Also, our neighborhoods are declining. Neighbors should not be allowed to have drive up car repair in front of other peoples door. Nor should people be allowed to set up the portable basketball hoops taking up parking spaces.
Again much success as you take on the challenge as Mayor. I kept up with the campaign. I told my mother that you were going to win.Im glad you did

Donna Pancari
Please remember the importance of quality of life issues here in Philadelphia. Always take seriously the need for green spaces, community centers and sustainable design with the city residents foremost in mind. Help us keep out casinos and development which forces out lower income residents. Help restaff the overburdened Philadelphia Police department so that they may be able to answer the calls of our many concerned residents when they suspect trouble before it results in another homicide. I'm excited to see the changes you bring this city.

Ted Lee
Let's talk turkey. You and I have a lot of things in common. We're both African-American men of the same age, we were both educated in Catholic school, we're both college grads, we both grew up in West Philly and we are both life-long Philly residents. Here's where our paths diverge: You are going to be the mayor, and I have been under-employed/unemployed for the past five years. Now, during my daily trolling through this city's ivory towers in search of meaningful employment, I have noticed one stark reality: it appears to be an almost complete shut-out of professional Black Men in this city. You see us sweeping the floors, answering the front doors, delivering/cooking the food or we have on security guard uniforms. However, we are not represented in the white-collar, high-paying, business suit crowd that occupies the upper floors of the ivory towers in any numbers whatsoever (certainly not in the proportions that we make up as far as this town's overall population). There is a whirlwind of construction going on in CC and in all of the fringe neighborhoods in CC. These high-paying blue-collar jobs are held almost exclusively by white men also. Other big cities like NY, Chicago, LA and Boston, specifically Chicago, which has seen a decrease in crime levels almost to what they were three decades ago, seem to have one thing in common: these are cities where Black Men have opportunity to acquire good-paying jobs. I was extremely disappointed during the Democratic campaign that this issue was simply not addressed nor discussed. However, everyone was intent on pandering to the white vote by calling for more police officers. I understand that you were advocating for "stop-and-frisk" procedures. You and I both know where that will lead, especially at a time when the face of "crime" is presumed to be a Black face.
So, my first question is: What will your administration do to end this Black shut-out of good paying, white-collar and blue-collar jobs in this city? Has anyone considered that possibly an increase in good-paying jobs and open access to the corridors of opportunity for young (and not so young) Black men may result in a decrease in crime? For example, how many of "us" work in that consulting firm that you went to when you left Council to run for mayor?

My second question is more of a recommendation. If you want to clean up crime in this city, you need to start with the police department. More police will not make a safer Black Philadelphia. The police (and other municipal services) are not here for our (The Black Community's) safety and convenience and they never were, with the possible exception of those few of us who were "in the know". If young white men were killing themselves in the shocking numbers that young Black men are, laws would have been changed, programs enacted, etc. (think Megan's Law for example...) Young white men from Philly's neighborhoods, with minimal to moderate education and skills get those jobs in the ivory towers on the upper floors. Their Black counterparts get only the option of selling drugs and incarceration. And unlike their white counterparts, incarceration for a young Black man pretty much means the end. A young Black ex-offender will always be a felon whereas his white counterpart will always be someone "who should be given second chance because he made a youthful mistake". I live in CC on a block which has seen a firestorm of construction over the past two years. This has resulted in a steep rise in property values and new/newer constructed homes in the $300K+ range. The only people looking at, getting mortgages for, purchasing these homes are young white professionals and white empty-nesters from the surrounding suburbs. Shows who's getting the jobs and the mortgages, eh? I hope you get to read this e-mail and I am personally extending an invitation to you (and your beautiful wife)to come around and we really can sit in my kitchen and exchange ideas. I have a lot more to say but I'm way over my 150-word limit...
Congratulations on your victory. Hope you can make it work for ALL of us.

Harry Massele
Three things I like to see. Push the reforms: 1. For lower taxes, 2. School Reform (small class size, and steady funding) and 3. Term-Limit for councils. These are my most importantn issues. In addition, on the personal note, I would like to see An African Immigrant Representation in the City Hall in your Administration.

Jeannine S Missaoui
Harrowgate Homeowner
I am not a native Philadelphian, but I sure do love THIS city! It's got a lot going for it, wonderful neighborhoods, savvy citizens, cutting edge music scene, affordability, museums, colleges, amazing history, the world's largest urban park, US's 5th largest city AND it has never felt devoid of any heart like NYC does to me. Yup, Philly's got lots of qualifications for being a really great city, but sadly it is not - we have too many politicians who are dropping the ball...

The average resident of Philadelphia recognizes that our quality of life has a great deal of rather negative issues. By that I mean:

1) Police shortages – in the past Unions have won out in getting overtime instead of officers. Now tell me how is it that 60 hours by one man which costs the same as 80 for two is a good deal? Our whole problem w/ murder rate is drug trafficking. This stuff starts with youngsters involved w/ petty crime - we need greater vigilance with regards to "little hustles," annoying crimes like theft and animal abuse - we wouldn't need "stop & frisk" if the police were responding to what they usually blow off - target the early signs of drug & alcohol abuse and we won't need to take draconian measures to deal w/ murderers who have long ago worked their way up the ladder. We need more officers and trust in them, not martial law, thank you.

2) Create a LOT more green space - it doesn't cost much and the pay back is manifold - even causes people to relax and care more about their street when there are plantings on it. And don't forget - we have TWO beautiful rivers, those of us who live on the East side of the city are damn tired of being treated like unwanted step-children when it comes to green space - we need the way cleared for that federal plan for a bike and pedestrian path - we don't need pay to play casino BS standing in the way. The Citizens want it, the Federal Guv wants it and probably a good number of PA St folks, too. The city council has backed the buffer zone in the past also, so please, help us fight the take over by narrow interests of what could be a much more beneficial venue, one that appeals to a broad spectrum of tourists and how could every local not love more green space? Please help our LOCAL economy by moving casinos to a more open space like the Navy Yard or airport area so that local neighborhoods do not suffer more than they already have. Take a look at the local efforts to re-draw the area.

3) Philadelphia's has the great liability of Pay to Play Politics holding so many of the good things back - this goes from local all the way up to the state in the most flagrantly obscene actions taken against the population. Granted the pay raise folks were mostly voted out, but they and their remaining cronies have left us the legacy of their lack of creativity when it comes to budgeting - a sort of Ponzi scheme where we have budget gaps in SEPTA funding, The Dept of Transportation is always under-funded, our schools are under-funded as is everything else that makes life here improvable (while a few pockets are filled) - so we get this horrible get rich quick scheme - casinos?! I can't believe after seeing the difference between AC & Cape May since both had budget problems in 1970's and where both are today (and this is so close by) that anyone in their right mind would consider a casino a solution to ANYTHING! I am dead tired of hearing about tax cuts and shell game economics - damn it, I want to hear about someone being responsible with my money! Get permanent funding for what makes Philadelphia a city, mass transit, an arts council, our schools and some cutting edge greenways - not more liabilities in the form of Pay to play!

We are the only country in the world where people want to move OUT of the city - can we please do something about that?

Anyhow, I feel that it is mostly corruption that is at the root of all of our problems and I am looking towards you for a solution – I want that you should be the fair player we get in office - finally!

Thanks for the opportunity to speak up!

Sherri Michalovic
Please visit public schools, especially the struggling ones!
In addition, do what's necessary to lower or eliminate the business privilege tax. It makes it extremely difficult for small, independent business folk to earn a decent living. Thank you.

Francis
Your first 12 month efforts as mayor of our great city should be focused on just four major directions. Focusing on all the issues would just greatly reduce your chances of tackling the truly important ones. And besides, progress on the four issues addressed below will undoubtedly make positive inroads on the many of the other important ones.
First, hit the crime issue. Your "Stop and Frick" idea is right on the money. Ignore those boneheads who are afraid of having their civil liberties encroached upon. But I do think you should raise an issue here which has received way too little attention. The parents (or parent) of all the young people being shot on our streets have to be accountable for their son's or daughter's behavior and what kind of company he or she is keeping. It's the parent's responsibility. It's not easy to do, I know. But being a parent isn't supposed to be easy. Being a parent has its responsibilities and people should be made to wake up to this simple fact.
Second, continue (and accelerate) the income tax and business tax decreases. The present mayor has lacked the needed vision on this most critical issue.
Third, give the new School Superintendent the necessary support he or she needs to continue the good work of Paul Vallas. Here again, the present mayor has dropped the ball in this regard.
Fourth, don't fall into the ill conceived trap that the present mayor fell into when he made the ridiculous statement that "the brothers and sisters are running this city". This bad statement only ensured that race would continue to be an issue when we know it shouldn’t be.

Claudia Becker
Mt. Airy
Yo, Mike! The one thing I really need you to do is … actually, the three things I need you to do are:
1. Be the mayor of all Philadelphia citizens and neighborhoods.
2. Care about the City Planning Commission and the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Put a stop to piecemeal planning by private interest groups, however well intentioned. Restore comprehensive City-wide planning and predictability in the development process by making thoughtful, appropriate appointments to these two City agencies.
3. Take a commonsense approach to the City budget. Those agencies that most interface with the public - Licenses & Inspections, Streets, Revenue, and Records - have been undermined by personnel cuts. The result is long lines, delay, less service and a frustrated citizenry. Some of us understand that City services cost money which may have to be paid for with higher taxes.
Like many City residents, I eagerly await the day you take office and wish you all the best in the days ahead.

Aaron Libson
Phila.,PA
This is my list of ideas and concerns:-
1) Choosing Nanotechnology as our area's concentration. It is the next leap forward.
2) Push the extension of subway up the Boulevard to Byberry.
3) Build community/police coalitions for quality of life issues. This will help stifle crime!
4) Work with organized blocks on shared cost projects to foster community organization. We need to go beyond block cleaning.
5) Talk to our Congressional reps. about a bill to have the Federal government pay for school busing in order to help all school districts (urban and rural).
6) All levels of government need to guarantee our transit systems. Cuts in a time of global warming are criminal.

I will stop here. I am prepared to speak on any or all points.

Jim Glatts
Drexel Hill, PA
1. Be the leader of the region, not just the mayor of Philadelphia. Market the region as its leader.

2. Downsize government. There are still some city departments that are sized for 2 million residents.

3. SEPTA. Bring down costs.

- Close the Callowhill and Comly Garages. The new Midvale bus facility can handle 25% of the SEPTA bus fleet.
- Sell SEPTA property to get it back on the tax roles. SEPTA is the 7th largest land owner in Pennsylvania, they do not need all of their property.
- There are other things SEPTA can do and I can elaborate

4. Employment for the poor. I see in the Inquirer (6/3/07) that Yosemite Park etc. can't get foreign workers to do seasonal work. Why can't those firms that need help for basic jobs come to our cities to recruit?

Good luck, we expect great things from you.

Dr. Steven J. Musuras
Philadelphia
1. I voted for you, thank-you for the smoking ban!

2. WHATEVER needs to be done to get more businesses to locate here! Educated, middle class young professionals are moving here by the hundreds but we still have to commute to the suburbs for thousands of great-paying jobs. How many huge pharmaceutical corporations have world headquarters just outside of Philadelphia? Why? Thousands of pharmaceutical jobs are computer jobs and can be done in any office, why not downtown?

3. Keep beautifying the city to increase tourism. Tourists spend and create more jobs for everyone, but also the people who have chosen to make Downtown their home talk about how great it is to live here and that just gets more people to move here.

The park around City Hall is a disgrace. Needs to be fixed yesterday! Major tourist spot not living up to any potential at all. The ice skating rink is an awesome idea, slow tourist season in winter, I would walk over there just to watch people skating. Could you imagine taking pictures there in the winter with all the beautiful architecture in the background? It would be a one-of-a-kind tourist spot in the U.S.

Katie
Yo Mike, the one thing I really want you to do is read these comments. I hope you personally read all of them and see what the people of this city have to say. Many Philadelphians have good ideas that never reach the ears of politicians, but they are all over the Internet. The three things at the top of my agenda for this city are:
1) Fix SEPTA. It is disgusting, expensive and unsafe. If SEPTA was improved (particularly the subways), more people would come out and spend their money in the city instead of partying at someone's house and drunk driving back home.
2) Implement a recycling program for the ENTIRE city. What about a bottle deposit? That might even help with panhandling.
3) Improve emergency responses. 9-11 needs to be a heck of a lot faster. We need GPS technology to be able to locate calls made from cellphones since fewer and fewer people have land lines.
Thanks!

Alexia Hudson
Proud Philadelphian
Congratulations on securing the Democratic nomination! Here is what I am waiting to see happen with your administration:

1) Reduce the "brain drain" in Philadelphia of young professionals. Why is the Greater Philadelphia region such a great place to get an education but not a great place to live if you are under 40? It's time to make organizations like Innovation Philadelphia more accountable in creating solutions rather than more paper and patronage jobs.

2) Work on the disconnect between law enforcement, the DA, and the judicary branch. My brother was the innocent victim of a murder in 2002 and although his killer confessed, the judge (Kathryn Streeter Lewis)prejudged the jury against the DA. As a result, his murderer went free. I have to believe that beyond gun control and more police on the streets, that they has to be a solution to judges who allow known criminals to go free.

3) City services are awful! Make sure that the streets are cleaned, plowed in the winter, and enforce stiff fines against people who do not keep their properties clean.

4) Stop tearing down older homes in North Philadelphia! We have lost some beautiful structures that could have been converted into condos and larger apartments. There are still some nice homes left but what a tragedy that North Philadelphia's older structures are almost all gone.

5) Reform the school district and board - enough said.

6) Continue the revitalization of Center City Philadelphia. Philly is one of the few major cities in the country where you have to go the suburbs to shop in upscale stores. It's time to make Walnut and Chestnut Streets the equivalent of Madison Avenue and 5th Avenue with Prada, Gucci, Furla, and other major retailers coming into the city.

7) Lure high tech companies to Philadelphia. Seattle did it - we can too.

8) Reform SEPTA - good grief! It may time for some of the long time 'title holders' to be shown the front door.

9) Lastly, encourage civility by modeling it. It's time for us to really embrace what it means to be the 'City of Brotherly Love.'

Jerry 
I need you to crack down on "quality of life" issues not matter how small! People getting away with the little stuff leads to big problems. Once good areas are declining because the little things are not being enforced.

People should not have garage doors half way falling off or missing! People should not be allowed to leave trash in their backyards or driveways forever! People should be required to remove trash from their property or face a fine sort of like the snow removal policy. I know it sounds extreme but to fix Philly problems you have to be extreme.

"Quality of Life" issues comes from the tax structure in Philly. Property should be taxed more and the reason is simple. Companies and people are mobile. They can run from the taxes, i.e. leave the city. Buildings, housing, parking lots, grass filled lots within the city can not just pick up and move. People in Philly don't realize how good they have it when it comes to property taxes. Philly property taxes are 1/3 of what one would pay in the burbs or any other major city.

Just raising taxes on the land that property sits on to where it's still lower than the burbs and cutting business and wage taxes so that companies and people would want to be in the city would turn the quality of life around in 5 years.

Also, land taxes should be raised for business property, surface lots and parking lots that sits blighted for long periods of time. This would force whoever owns the property to sell it.

phillyc 
Three things, all connected.

1) continue to reform the tax structure, especially the BPT and the property taxes. The wage tax is a McGuffin, it should trend down but most major cities have some income tax. It's the others that have the greater impact and are discouraging businesses from opening and encouraging the owners of blighted properties to hang onto them. Reducing the one and increasing the other will raise revenues for the city almost immediately.

2) Force the providers of city services to finally provide them. Clean the streets, and plow them in the winter. Enforce building codes. Answer the phone properly and politely. Know who does what. Provide avenues for complaint and openess about government. Lock up criminals. First priority is the murder rate. Get cops walking the beat, put them on bicycles, send them into the community. The people are ready to end 'stop snitching," but they've got to know and trust their cops. The cops have got to have the full support and backing of city hall. Get 311 ASAP. Provide services and the people will trust their government.

3. Get out in front of the public, early and often, tell them what you are doing and how it is working. Be a cheerleader for the city, and bring them the good news: the citizens are taking their city back, and Philly is the next great American city. Say it, and we will start to believe it.

God bless you and good luck. You have a lot of support and optimism behind you.

El
As I'm sure you know better than any of us, there is no one thing...so here's my take.
Obviously crime needs to be addressed, but it's my opinion that much of this comes from having the right people in charge (timoney vs. Johnson) and making the resources they need available to them. to that end, negotiations with the city's white collar "workers," I believe, is coming up six month's into your [hopeful] term as mayor. It is this portion of the city government that needs the most streamlining. It is this portion that will or won't allow the government to work more efficiently thus providing cost savings that can be used to fund schools, parks (something that is far more important than anyone gives them credit for...it's where those of use who can't afford a shore house relax), police, SEPTA, etc. It is possible that a better run city services branch of the government could lead to less costs and more revenues. For example, an easy to navigate L&I combined with a clear and concise zoning code, modernized building codes could reduce costs and increase revenues. After this is accomplished, you might even be able to get rid fo the tax abatements with the idea that you've drastically reduced the cost of building. I'd also eliminate the central air requirement which does nothing but price more people out of the housing market. People are better off in new energy efficient homes without central air than with it if they want a new home.

Tawana
Yo Mike! Why is it that PPA's Boot & Tow Dept. - is the most efficient department in the city?If my car is booted I can pay online & someone removes the boot within 2 hours. BUT, I send my property tax check & after 6 weeks it is only processed because I complained to my councilperson & congressman. We need more efficiency & accountability by our city departments & employees.

We also need to protect some of our older architecture. Philly is filled with culture but one would never know it by all of the cookie cutter new construction. Protect our architecture and demand accountability & efficiency from city employees and departments.

Dana
Yo Mike - congrats! Just a couple of simple requests:

a)to cut down on the congestion during rush hour - ask delivery trucks not to deliver from 8-10 Am and 4-6 pm or match whatever hours NYC has established so the small city roads aren't blocked.

b)perhaps make a declaration on where scooters can park legally and if possible, provide some spots. (As well as where people can plug their electic vehicles in?).

c)And well - is it possible to max the amount of markup the city food stores in philly can charge? I pay so more for EVERYTHING here than I do in the burbs and it's not right. We're stuck and they know it!

Thanks for listening.

Mark F
I am surpirsed how many people have similar wants. A cleaner, safer city. One way to get it cleaner is post cameras on all entrances and exits of the highways within the city to identify litter bugs and fine them. If we were as diligent as we are with parking tickets with fining people littering we would see a turnaround.

Meet with corporations to develop a game plan to get them to locate in Philly. We should be as agressive as our southern states are at offering incentives. Although incentives cost money upfront they bring more business and opportunities to the area as a whole. What is the point of having undeveloped space in the city not generating significant tax income, if we can offer incentives to get companies to locate here. The jobs created would offset the cost of incentives.

Revamp the schools, fire the consultants that are adding no value. Focus on hiring teachers that have a direct impact to our kids. Remove ineffective adminstrators.

Run the city like a corporation, if you don't see results you go and clean house.

All city departments should be revamped. I visited the Water Department and spoke to 4 different people who could not answer how quickly their website is updated, not did they care to find out. I say lay off the excess workers and reduce payroll in departments that are obviously overstaffed and ineffective. This will also address the heritage of patronage jobs that are so unfair to the hard working people of city.

chris 
I am extremely excited to have helped elect you to office. Though it is not official yet, we all know the writing is on the wall.

Since moving back to the city after a 6-year hiatus, it pains me to see the lack of leadership in the mayor's office to change Philly for the better. I hope you are the one to help bring about the revolution this city needs to undergo. A few ideas:

1. Bring in revenue - have more parking authority staff on the streets. Though posted signs out front of City Hall state "No Parking," there is a backfill on the street around Macy's and the hotel across the street. Additionally, why does McCormick & Scmicks valet on the street? This is ridiculous. I live in the city, pay taxes, pay to park in my designated area in Fairmount, and still cannot find a legal place to park. Why does this happen? Because out-of-towners can park for free? No other major city allows this, and it needs to stop. Additionally, ticket for jaywalking. Take a look at how Chicago runs their streets.

2. No more "Pay-to-Play" and union interference. The unions should not run the city, period. We need to do what is best, and if that means the Comcast building going Green with its plumbing, then they should do so without any interference.

3. Clean up the streets. They are horrendous. This is a dirty city.

4. Continue redevelopment without raising the wage tax, nor inviting casinos to the city. Casinos will be the downfall of Philly. Studies prove that crime and poverty will follow.

5. The public school system needs monetary help. If our children are not educated with the best possible teachers, books, computers, and vocational opportunities, there is no hope for them. We need to change this so everyone has a chance to succeed.

6. Crime - does that even need mentioning?

I wish you the best of luck to help change this city for the better!

Jamie Crawford
(1) As a need to have, I would like to see a simplification and reduction of the city tax structure in order to encourage business investment and development. I think more opportunities for jobs will fix alot of the problems in the city including reducing crime.

(2) As a nice to have, I would like to see SEPTA regional rail line hours extended on the weekends. It alway boggled my mind why my new jersey friends could come into the city and enjoy the nightlife then take the PATCO home. While my Pennsylvania suburban friends had to drive if they wanted to stay later then 10 PM. Run the regional rails until 2 AM and you will increase spending on the bars and restaurants and cut down on drunk driving.

Bob Berry
1. Congratulations
2. Get the School Board payroll. List every non-teacher who makes over $100,000 a year. Find out who they report to, what they are supposed to do, how that activity is measured, & whether they are doing it.
You'll find "consultants" kicked upstairs (relics of the Connie Clayton days), computer "assistants" who refuse to assist anyone, and many other such public servants. People who still work at the schools are afraid to rock the boat (a way of safely channeling complaints about, eg., teacher safety would pay off). You can save big $$ & improve the morale of the staff doing their jobs by eliminating the deadweight.

Good luck Mike!!

Dave 
In no particular order:

Choose a new police commissioner who isn't scared to shake things up at the department and try some new strategies to lower the crime rate.

Fund the city's parks and improve access to them (or at least to the big one) through public transit.

Get competent people on SEPTA's board and in charge of transportation planning (no more politically connected lawyers).

Tweak social services funding so that it gets spent on social services (I.e. poverty reduction) rather than city council re-election campaigns.

Anonymous 
Yo, Mike, the two things (c'mon two is do-able right?) I really need you to do is ..."

1)Attend to Public Education. I would say "fix" public education but I don't believe that's the primary job of the mayor, nor do I believe it's possible within your term. But let's make sure that city hall pays attention to the huge problems with the School District of Philadelphia. In the past the school district and the city have not gotten along. I urge you to put that aside and work to support the school district, to urge them to make good choices and to think creatively about ways to improve education. Particularly early education - our preschool and elementary school programs are the key to a successful and sustainable citizenry and the only chance we have to work on closing the racial and economic barriers to success.

2) Public Transportation. There is not much to say other than without an efficient, inexpensive public transportation system that cares about the city within which it operates Philadelphia will fall far down on the list of top cities in the U.S. and will face a rapidly declining population.

Karen H. Dolnick, PhD
Congratulations on your election win. I have followed your career in council and have been impressed with you all along for the sensible and intelligent things you did. I know you will go all the way in November!!!

The one thing that bothers me most is the fear that property taxes will go up. Now that I am retired, I am afraid that I would have to sell my house if my taxes go any higher, because I can't afford any more than I am paying. I would hate to leave the city where I grew up, raised my children and worked all my life. I love this city!!! I can't stay if taxes go up.

If I could have more than one thing on my wish list, the second would be getting the guns off the streets, the third would be making our school safer. Having been a school teacher in this city, I can tell you honestly that too many incidents are swept under the rug so that principals don't get in trouble. Much more happens in the schools than anyone knows except for the staff. I know that our kids would get a better education if class sizes were reduced, too.

Thanks for listening.

Francine M. Waters
East Mt. Airy, Philadelphia, PA
Councilman Nutter,

CONGRATULATIONS on the recent primary win as Democratic Mayor for Philadelphia.

Your views have greatly interest and impress me. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to express our concerns,the issues and positive accomplishments in Philadelphia.

I would love to see improvement in the following areas:
Quality of education in the Phila. public schools, Employment, and Safety/Security.

I am truly frustated with the excessive crime in Philadelphia and I am strongly considering relocating to Suburbia or another City due to this. Philadelphia Police Department is overwhelmed and often times don't respond to calls by Phila. residents. A number of Public Schools in the poor and working class sections of Philadelphia don't seem to offer quality education. But, my granddaughter attends the S. Decatur School in the Greater NE and it's quite an academically sound school unlike the schools in section like Southwest,West Phila.,West Oak Lane, E. Mt. Airy and North Phila.

Finally, the City is a nice one with alot of entertainment and other amenities which, I believe, keep people hanging in there and hoping for a better City.

Again, thank you for this opportunity.

s. lester
north philly
1) you need to dead that stop-and-frisk, anti-crime initiative. as an open invitation to profiling, that plan is an absolute recipe for disaster. it's lazy, it's classist -- if not racist, 'cause YOU KNOW young black males will be inordinately targetted -- and frankly, it sullies you.

2) reinstate afterschool programs IMMEDIATELY. a lot of solid rites-of-passage style mentoring was going on at some of those middle schools; our kids need it, and they're worth it.

3) and finally, you need to keep that gorgeous wife of yours by your side at all times in public. she's a great lady, and a great representation of the best of philadelphia.

good luck, sir. don't make me regret my vote.

Louis 
1) Fix SEPTA.
2} Attract employers to the city with a more business-friendly tax structure
3) Fix L&I
4) Improve the quality of a Philadelphia public school education
5) Adopt a more comprehensive curbside recycling program
6) Develop our waterfront in a way that benefits citizens

Jay 
I have two ideas. I’d like you to look into the effects our recent development and gentrification have had on crime. As Center City was revitalized, the development spread in concentric circles outward into neighborhoods directly adjacent to Center City’s new influx of money, as ripples in a pond. As that money and development spread out from center into these previously blighted and crime ridden areas, the social ills that had been embedded there were pushed into more outlying neighborhoods. Neighborhoods that have never had poverty, crime, or drug problems are now facing them in uncertainty for the first time. It seems that in tandem with the exciting development taking place throughout our city’s central regions, there have got to be strong programs of law enforcement and rehabilitation throughout the outer neighborhoods to squeeze the social problems from both sides.

Also, dismantling SEPTA and creating a transportation system from scratch as a city operated public utility, answerable to the voters, is the only way to fix the severe transit problems of this city. Installing a world class subway system is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY for the "Next Great City" with environmental aspirations, not to mention the jobs it will create. If all the money from fares went directly into city coffers, it could be used to offset the city wage tax. There is no reason we shouldn’t have subways running 24 hours a day under every major thoroughfare, complete with transit police, live transit attendants, sales kiosks, public bathrooms, and licensed vendors at every station. Look to New York, Paris, London, Washington DC, Montreal, and Munich for examples of transit systems people are happy about, then ask anyone if they’re happy about SEPTA. Excellent transportation, safe neighborhoods, and no rip-off city wage tax will draw in businesses like moths to a flame.

John Marcovitz
Yo Mike, More money for the public schools, abolish the business privilege tax.

Ellen Danish
I am SO glad you will be our next mayor!
You are charming and intelligent. Please use those characteristics to inspire us Philadelphians and those who deal with us.
Be a great role model for youth; as your wife said in an interview, make it okay to be smart. Please get out with the public as much as possible.
BUSINESSES: Zero taxes for new businesses with less than 3 employees the first year. A gradual tax increase after that.
Tax breaks for businesses which hire Philadelphia youth. Create an official mentor program to support youth in jobs- to make sure the kids succeed. Encourage businesses with a
product to locate here and stay here;promise to promote the product with all Philadelphians.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Do everything possible to prevent cutbacks. Kids need art, music, libraries,vocational training, help in finding jobs, more counselors, smaller classes, smaller schools. Encourage respect for teachers.
MAKE PHILLY MORE LIVEABLE: Create more small parks and make large parks safe at all hours. Plant trees. Encourage biking (more bike lanes and bike racks all over center city). Make SEPTA clean up stations. Make Philly a 24 hour city.
Improve the quality of life. Enforce laws and pass new ones. Create a media campaign showing why it is for the benefit of all to eliminate litter, graffiti, loud radios, spitting-and treat each other and our city with respect. Make it against the law to sit or sleep on sidewalks and property. Train specialists who can get the homeless the help they need.
HOUSING: Gradually elimate the tax abatement on new housing priced at $200,000 or more. Be creative in getting developers of high priced housing to build low and and moderate priced housing. Do everything possible to support home ownership for low and moderate income people. Demand that PHA and Section 8 residents be good neighbors or they will be dropped from those programs. Prevent real estate tax increases for those who have lived in their homes before their neighborhood became high priced. Institute rent control.
CRIME: Help create more jobs. Be creative in working for gun control. Go after the sources of the guns. More police on foot, bikes, and [back to] horses. Better role models for youth [you! jazz musicians, teachers, youth who work at minimum wage jobs should be praised to the skies, artists, honest workers of all sorts, students,etc.]
ART AND CULTURE: Promote Philly as a tourist mecca for these. Increase funding, especially programs for youth participation.
LANCE HAVER: As the Consumer Affairs person in the Street administration, Lance worked
tirelessly and got little recognition. Please keep him and publicize what he does. He works for all of us.

Sunny Payne
1)Zoning: Make the decisions of the ZBA, and agreements with community groups, enforceable.

2)Quality of life issues: Again enforcement of existing laws in regard to littering, graffiti, dumping, etc. Heavly fine those who do not maintain derelict, and other properties. I am about to buy a weed wacker and go out into my neighborhood, my daughter tells me that I am going to look like a crazy old lady, care to join me?

Marc Butakis
Nobody cares about the appearance of this great city. As citizens, we trash this place. City employees in the sanitation department do a substandard job at best. The grounds of public buildings, including schools, are a disgrace. In short, Ray Nagin was right. I don't know why everyone got so angry with him.

We need to clean this place up. Even the grass on highway medians (676 & Callowhill, Academy Road off ramps, etc etc etc) looks like fields of grains as its been so long since they were maintained.

We can attack the problem of the city's appearance using multiple methods, not just involving the public sector.

1. Emulate Chicago's Gateway Green model (see gatewaygreen.org). In short, corporations sponsor small open spaces along highways and in neighborhoods, pay for landscaping and maintenance, and get a shout out via a sign in return.

2. To clean up empty lots, adopt Boston's "Clean it or Lien it" program. Owners of vacant properties are expected to maintains the lots. If they don't, the city cleans the property and places a lien on it (with a sign announcing the property was cleaned using the Clean it or Lien it program).

3. Send properties with overdue taxes to Sheriff's Sale. There are far more people abusing the system than there are folks who honestly can't pay. And I'm not just talking about companies and commercial properties.

4. Improve the Sheriff's department so that property can actually change hands in a reasonable time frame.

5. Prisoners in jail for relatively minor crimes should be used to clean this city up. Why can Bucks County find prisoners to clean up the should of I-95 and Rt 1 on an almost weekly basis, but our city's highways are covered with litter? I've not seen a soul in 5+ years of residency cleaning our highways.

6. Add street cleaning (in most neighborhoods) and additional trash cans in commercial areas.

7. Require business owners to sweep the full street frontage daily; failure to do so would result in hefty fines.

8. Teach civics to this city's disengaged youth. They should appreciate the value of a clean city. They should know what it means to vote and to have high expectations of city government (and of us adults).

Doreen 
If you want a second term, keep making the city more beautiful and user friendly for both residents and tourists.

1. Find a way to get a casino in the Gallery. Not only would that revitalize the Gallery itself, but it would attract more tourists and keep neighborhoods from the congestion and havoc the casinos might create.

2. Make the city prettier. Have the South Street Bridge redone fantastically. Slap a coat of paint on recreation facilities and schools. I know a lot of basketball courts that would turn from uninviting to attractive with cleaner looking fences, courts and backboards. Make it mandatory for new residential construction to include small trees on their sidewalks. Improve the care of fairmount park and the zoo.

3. Fix the public transportation issues. Run later trains, buses, and subways. Get another hub in South Philly, North Philly, and West Philly. If commuters can get to work easily, and partiers can get home at night without driving drunk, everyone will be much happier.

4. Throw some ctiy money into improving the aesthetic appearance and cleanliness of certain shopping centers like the Italian Market, the shopping area west of Penn, and Passyunk Ave.

5. Place an exact replica of William Penn's hat on top of the Comcast Center.

Tierre Morse
We need more jobs and lower costs for college education for city residents.

Diane 
"Yo, Mike, the one thing I really need you to do is ..." help the city provide real opportunities for financially poorer citizens of Philadelphia. The way to do this is to provide high quality pubic education including after-school programs in every neighborhood, provide reliable and affordable public transportation, and increase job opportunities in the city.

Anonymous 
Make the city work again:
Schools
Police
Fire/Emergency Services
Streets
City Hall/L&I

It all has to work before we can believe Philadelphia is a place we're rather be in.

Terri 
Make Philly attractive

Crime: figure out what is making people shoot/kill each other or ways to prevent it.

Beautification: Everywhere you go, you see trash on the streets. Friends and family from other cities notice it immediately.

Arts: Bring more arts or other tourist attractions that Philly has had in the past.

I think people see Philly as one big city with a lot of small town-minded and unintelligent people. I know it's not true. I came here to attend the Univ of Penn and I fell in love with Philly. If you can make it more attractive, more people will want to move/visit here which brings more commerce.

Eleanor L. Glover
I would like to see the quality of life improved in each division, each ward in this city. Let the committee people have the knowledge and the ability to improve goods and services to the constituency. If a commiteeperson calls in a request to a city office or a council-person's office, I would like to see the problem promptly taken care of. Also, I would like to see more of the every-day riding public sit on the SEPTA board. Maybe we would get a better break is some of the riders from Philly had a real vote.

Naomi From "North Philly"
Congratulations Mayor Nutter.

1. Please bring music and sports (gym classes) back to our schools. Music will be a great mind motivator and help with attitudes and gym will strengthen their body and help keep their weight stable.

2. It should be mandatory to have a PTA (remember that) in every school. Meetings should be every two weeks (6 - 7:30) with parents/children required to attend.

3.We need to FINE folk for sitting (all day) and watching trash mount up. Everyone should be responsible for their section of property.
Children will know not to litter if they don't see their parents litter. The whole city should look as good as DOWNTOWN.

4. PGW should give free classes so we can learn how they reach the amount on our bills each month. One time I went to the office at 9th & Berks? (when it was still functioning) and was told we were billed according to the weather. Pleassssse.

5. I don't like the "Yo Mike" thing - I like Mayor Michael Nutter.

Mr. Mayor Sir, you prioritize the things you wish to do first. There's so much to be done. There's the school system, the utilities and the murders among the young people. Curfew should stay enforced. School should be mandatory until 17.

I'll hope things will change and our motto City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection becomes meaningful again (real soon).

Keep Smiling Mr. Mayor

Joy 
I believe education is the critical issue. Kids need to know they can make a difference and have a future as citizens.
Education is the base to so many of the problems our city is facing.

Getting the casinos out of Pennsylvania is the most timely problem we are facing. The casinos absolutely corrupt the founding principles of our city and will leave more citizens destitute, none more prosperous.

Linda Kriger
Congratulations on a principled, well run campaign.
Some of my concerns are these:

1) The Delaware River waterfront properties can be a showcase of englightened urban planning, similar to what was done in NYC. Developers want to use those lands for their own interests, but I hope that you, as our new mayor, will give renewed consideration to the excellent plans that have been put forth by Penn Praxis and other groups that want to make the waterfront a healthy, beautiful environment for all Philadelphians.

2) Have the mayor's office publicly engage the citizenry in helping with the gun situation and murder rate in Philadelphia. Tell us how we can help. My friends and I want to help and we feel helpless. Also, I think your ideas for getting petty criminals off the streets is a good one. Again, NYC did this many years ago and we can too.

3) Kids can't learn if their households are chaotic. Work with private organizations to get more social workers into schools to help families help their kids to do well in school.

4) Quality of life issues are vital. The views from Amtrak coming into the city and the road to and from the airport are abysmal. Piles of rusty cars, garbage everywhere. Work with the people who own those properties and find an ordinance to fine them if they don't clean up.

Thank you, and good luck!

Donna
Congratulations on your victory. I hope that you truly become the mayor that this city so desperately needs.

My big issue in this city is crime. I have been a victim several times in different ways. I believe that the drug problem in this ciy is responsible for the majority of crime that occurs. Desperate people do desperate things. Greedy people take advantage of desperate people. It is a vicious cycle. Addiction must be treated as a disease and the addicted need strict and disciplined treatment with consistent followup.
This leads to my next issue which is the proper management of city finances. In order to adequately solve most of the issues in this city, we need money. In order to have enough money without placing a further burden on the backs of the taxpayers, we need better accountability of where the tax dollars are being spent.

AJ Lynch
You have to disembowel the Democratic Party machine. That means selling the Parking Authority and getting rid of many NGO's like Phila Safe & Sound which waste millions. Use Parking Authority sale proceeds to create an education trust fund.

Eliminate 30% of city jobs except for cops, fire & sanitation. Downsize City Council seats by 30%.

Set up five "boroughs" or neighborhood city halls to try and enhance all areas of the city. Encourage them to compete with each other- each could have a "ceremonial mayor" chosen from City Council. Too much $$ and focus on downtown - it is not fair nor smart to spend resources only on thriving areas.

Add 1,000 cops somehow- ask George Bush (he has become a liberal spender) to pay via test program for high-crime cities. Go with stop and frisk- your primary job is to keep city safe.

Leave the SRC alone - they have made significant progress. Rendell, Street and other buttinskys just want to make sure the money and contracts go to their suckup friends. Rendell is bankrupting the state - stay away from him.

Align your self with newer council members- those not connected with corrupt Dems. Identify good candidates to run against the remaining incumbent stooges like Verna, Dicicco,etc. Your goal should be a clean sweep of every corrupt and disgusting corner of city guvmint.

Stay away from Inquirer forums- it's a conflict of interest for a newspaper to be involved in changes. Their interests are not always in the best interests of the city (too liberal).

Good luck- I will send you a bill.

Sarah 
1. Schools and job training: early bird and after school programming, smaller class sizes, more assistant teachers, cleaner facilities, less blacktop and more play equipment, ethics/leadership/civic training starting in lower school, government leadership programming, more parent/family involvement.

2. Sustainability: clean energy, long-term planning, incentives for incoming and current businesses actively addressing environmental issues, mandate universal recycling (my office building doesn't allow it!).

3. Ethics: better ethics training in the public workforce, better mechanisms for investigation and enforcement, public financing of elections, start a public discussion about the role of public and civic leaders and how their actions WILL be look upon as examples of how to act, stand up to the machine(s) and be willing to call out their evils.

4. Restructuring/update Charter: allowing more deputies per department enabling better management, pay for performance/implement incentives for good work, reexamination of civil service system and pension board system, give executive power (with advice and consent of council) to create/abolish/restructure city departments, create departments of housing and transportation, update charter to reflect modern technology/best practices.

5. CUT WAGE TAX. I have to add this. If someone stepped up and investigated how much money this city throws away (through a bloated workforce, corruption, etc.) like they did in 1947, which sparked the drafting of the current charter, I'd bet my life we'd find enough money to do a lot of the things on this list. Furthermore, a wage tax cut would draw in a significant population, which is currently hanging out in places like Wynnewood and Swarthmore.

Bottom line: we have to be willing to dig into this gnarly tangle to grasp the root causes of a lot of this City's ills. Treating the symptoms is only a short-term fix. It's clear we love this City and care about all of its citizens.

Anonymous
Congratulations. However, there are some major concerns and thats the job history out here, alot of people just got layed off from PHA in January that have 10 yrs or more and cant find any job anywhere else while Carl Greene makes 250,000 in his pocket, its not fair. Lay off the older ones. We cant afford to go back to school its too high. Septa is going up. Unemployment only last for 26 weeks. what are we supposed to do. Its hard for us to find anything and no one cares at all. Talk is cheap, action is a verb. We african americans need chances just like the other nationalities to be able to work and make a living. Some of us that layed off are now homeless. Fix all the city jobs and problems not just some of them. Its whom you know to keep working not what you know. Some of these high salaried business people need to share with others whom are trying to do better and live right and be mentors to their kids, but how can they when they cant afford to buy anything or keep up on mortgages or property taxes. The crime here is horrible and its too easy for our young folk to get weapons, what happened to fist fighting. The schools need more protection and stop hiring these jake the fake cops. Some of them are worst then the criminals, they steal, run the lights and everything else. Lets make Philly a better place to live in. Think about the low income people as well, Its too much laying off while more money goes in the managers, supervisors, general, etc, city officials pockets. ARe they homeless? Please make a change Mike. You know what they say about black people in office, make them all liars and be yourself. Put God first and the rest will fall into place.

Wadine Toliaferro, Director
Philadelphia Strengthening Families Program
wtoliaferro@comcast.net
Mr. Nutter, what an awesome responsibility you have, I wish you luck. Below, is my wish list:

1.When families are successful, communities are successful. Just as we build new buildings in Philadelphia, we need to build and enhance families. They are the cornerstone to Philadelphia's greatness.

2.It is time "Philadelphia implement social service programs that WORK instead of implementing programs favored by powerful individuals." I have been trying to place attention on the Strengthening Families Program as a way of reducing violence (including child abuse, neglect, and maltreatment), truancy, delinquency, drug and alcohol use/abuse, early sexual experience, school drop-out, and school failure in Philadelphia. Packets of material on this highly exemplary, evidence-based, family focused skills training program for parents, children, and teens were sent to the Mayor, Acting Commissioner of DHS, members of City Council, a member of the Faith-based Task Force, to no avail. Small fish sometime have the greatest passion, commitment, and experience.

3.Can we meet or communicate around how social service agencies, and faith-based initiatives all over the United States, American Islands, Native American Reservations, and some foreign countries are using this highly exemplary, evidence-based, family focused program to enhance family life? I can promise that you will leave such a meeting excited about the possibilities for Philadelphia's children and families (I come with outcomes).
Thank you for your time and interest!

Chuck Eckert
Well Mayor
forget the republican they have us in a national quagmire-and about Septa and the drivers, they are courteous to me(those riders that miss the bus and yell wait for me) they need to come to the game---please. Dedicated funding is what they need. My kids hear the guns and fear for that. Schools, jobs and safety are what count with the parks close behind not to mention city workers needing a fair contract. 

Anonymous
Yo Mike, the three things that most affect the quality of life in, and attractiveness of, Philadelphia are: 1. crime, 2. trash, and 3. education. The condition of these is what really sends families and business out of the city and it is important to address these.

1. Crime: Currently, police mostly patrol by themselves in a car unless a district has enough cops to double up (such as on group days). The issue is that for any dangerous activity (cars stops, responding to crimes in progress, investigating burglary alarms, etc,) the first officer on the scene either must wait for backup or proceed alone in a dangerous situation.

Until the city hires enough officers to have two assigned to each patrol car, police should be sent out in two types of patrol configurations: single and paired. The paired officers would respond to the dangerous situations that would call for two officers while the single officers will patrol and respond to incidents that don’t require a backup (reports of crimes and the like). The single officers would also be available to respond to more serious crimes as they do today if needed, but in general the day-to-day allocation of resources would be improved and the safety of the officers would be better provided for.

I noticed that they did this in NYC with their department but not in Philly. It should be relatively easy to implement and at not a much larger cost before you start seeing some benefit.

2. Trash: Improving trash collection (more frequent collection and recycling and trash cans at every intersection). Quick to accomplish with I think not a significant increase in cost.

3. Education: The toughest nut to crack is education – what needs to happen there is to identify what happened at Meredith and Greenfield to make them successes and ingrain that formally in policy to bring that to the other schools in the Philadelphia school district. This one won’t be easy and it may take into your second term to see the effects but I think it’s worth a try.

Sharon Mead Richter
Yo, Mike! I have high hopes for your tenure as mayor of Philadelphia. I feel that the largest proportion of things that are messed up in this city can be fixed by fixing one thing: Education. People rightfully cry about quality of life issues such as litter and blight, crime and the culture of crime, and lack of opportunity in this city. But improving education will address all of these by turning out capable, skilled young people who have learned to be good citizens, who won't get pregnant or get someone pregnant when they're 14, and who have a chance to make something of themselves rather than sell drugs and hang out. Pie in the sky, maybe, but other cities have done it. Good schools not only turn out better citizens and better workers, they also ATTRACT better citizens and better workers.

I know I'm not supposed to talk about more than one thing, but I have to. The other part of this vision is to lower the onerous business tax that taxes gross receipts regardless of whether a business makes a profit. Start-ups are doomed here. Give them a chance to employ the good workers our good educational system will someday turn out! Thanks for listening.

Julie
Yo Mike Please help me feel good about Philadelphia city government again. I feel like Philadelphia has slid backwards over the past 8 years under John Street's government.

Crime is issue number 1 - help people feel safe so that they can build a feeling of neighborhood and community. Make people feel safe, and they'll help continue the job of the police in their own communities by getting involved.

Make people take responsibility for themselves, for their own families, then for their communities. Make people responsible for themselves by helping them to get jobs or employment and get off of welfare. Change the expectation that someone else should care for them - change the attitude of entitlement. Make people get involved in their children's lives and make them accountable if they're not. Help families that are doing the right, hard thing of bringing up their own children and working hard to support them.

Education - I love that Lisa said that she'd be happy if you made intelligence cool again. Please help our city to rally behind that message. Our youth need strong, positive leaders who can show them the way - if they don't get it from you, they'll get it from somewhere else, and there's lot's of negative icons from which to choose. We need the best teachers, and we need the teachers to feel that the administration is behind them, supporting them and making them feel safe to teach in their own schools.

Please remember that one day your Mayoral term will be looked at historically - and you will be judged. Make your term a come-back story for Philadelphia, so that we can all be proud again.

rox_publius
congrats

there are three issues... details others have covered

1. taxes (esp. city wage tax, which chases out residents)

2. corruption

3. schools

all else (including violence and crime) is a symptom

good luck, my man. you're giving me hope in the city gov't for the first time in a while.

Hether Smith
go to war with Harrisburg to get the illegal guns off our streets so it's safe to walk around, not just in center city, but in north philadlephia.

Make sure that the City does a better job of getting their money's worth with City contracts - no favoritism, just good, clean competition for each contract. Enough of these insider deals.

Franklyn Rodgers
Center City
As empty nesters we moved to Center City two years ago and are passionate advocates of Philadelphia but with deep concerns:
• The streets are dirty and recycling is very ineffective. We compare poorly to New York and smaller cities here and abroad. You must develop a plan to address this within the first year.
• Crime must be confronted: implement your "stop and search" program immediately addressing the legal challenges upfront.
• Be the reformer that you were elected to be: Make clear to your administration that you mean ethical business and be brutal to the first administration member who even gives the appearance of impropriety.

Do not be reluctant to ask the public for help when you need it: You will face intense opposition to changing things. We are with you.

Marian Moseley
First of all, thank you for asking us what is important to us as citizens of Philadelphia. I am probably not adding anything that hasn't been mentioned before, but important all the same.
I work as a social worker in a very busy prenatal program and have the opportunity to hear many stories about the human experience of poverty and lack of access to what many of us take for granted. When I meet each client, I try to spend enough time with them to understand their experience. I tell them it is important for them to vote and to tell their politicians about their problems when we cannot find a solution. I hope that you are hearing from our neediest citizens, but if you aren't, I will share with you what I know:

1. Housing- out of the roughly 100 clients I see, on average in a month, about 35 request safe, affordable housing. The waiting list for subsidized housing is at least 1 to 7 years for PHA housing.

2. Domestic Violence- two situations stand out in my recent experience where 2 women called the city's Domestic Violence Hotline from my office asking for space in the DV shelter, only to be told that the shelter was full. When we called other counties, they, too, were full. Thank goodness for OESS, except that my clients complain that some of their belongings were stolen while living in the shelter.

3. Education- with very few exceptions, the only teens I have met in our prenatal program that have positive experiences to report about school were teens enrolled in Cyber High Schools or in the Charter or Magnet High Schools. The teens, some of whom attend West Philadelphia High School report not having text books they can take home, do not feel they are receiving an adequate education and they do not feel safe in school.

4. Safety- at least one or two clients per month report losing a friend, significant other or family member to street violence that is rampant in their neighborhoods. Many of my clients consider moving out of the city to escape the violence, but do not have the resources to do so.

5. Employment opportunities- another concern I hear frequently from our pregnant clients is that when they are expected to participate in welfare to work programs, the employment opportunities that are available are ones where the workers are expected to stand for long periods of time without a rest or require lifting more weight than is safe for a pregnant woman. Many employers do not want the liability or expense of hiring a pregnant woman and will not hire her. The welfare to work programs often require pregnant women to walk long distances in search of a job, unless their doctor can state in writing on a signed document that they are unemployable.

These seem to be the big issues I see in my work. There are more, but I have taken more than enough space.

Thank you for your ear and God bless you for serving our city. You have my vote in the Fall.

Gary Hines
I want to start by saying thank you for speaking up on issues that affect this city. Getting the smoking ban was so needed here.
It is sometimes embarrassing to say I am from Philly with the current crime wave. You know I was watching Commissioner Johnson last night say that most shootings and killings are over arguments. It is weird how we all joke about the Philly Attitude, but it is here, and it is real. If you can affect one change in this town, it would be to get people to be more human and friendly.

Never have I seen so much sourness, and surliness in public servants, customer service and people in general here. I was in NYC and San Diego recently and was amazed at the culture in both of those towns. They enjoy their cities and it shows. The regard for human life is also not valued much here. Again, killing over a place in line at the fast food joint is sooooooooo, way out of ocntrol. How can we change the vibe in this town and in young people in general?
We need a courtesy and civility requirement to work in the public or to serve in Government.
Last note, I remember you from West Philly days and visiting my neighbors the Burdells on Chancellor St. I also think I was at Impluse once back in '84 when you were the DJ...man how things have changed huh?

Finally, an organization that tried to foster healthy attitudes and mentor to young folk is the C&C Athletic Association of West Philly. for almost 28 years they have been supporting the communtity with sports programs, tutoring and other non-violent alternatives for young folk. We never get media attention or coverage on the positive events that go on day in and day out. I would like to make a request that you or someone from your office could make an appearance at this year's Stop the Violence event on July 14, 2007.

Please review our website. www.candc.org

Thanks

Best of luck Mike!

Anonymous
Sorry two things. And two things that the mayor of a city acting alone may have a limited ability to address.

1. Public transportation. Septa should be made into a great metropolitan transportation system. Car traffic is killing Philadelphia, choking old center city streets, eroding buildings, belching filth, and generally contributing to stress and incivility. There is no excuse for us not to all be using buses, trolleys, and trains in the compact center of town.

2. Child care. The availability of good quality child care contributes to so many other social goods: heightened educational achievement, lowered crime rates, abilities of more parents to enter the work force, mitigation of situations that contribute to abuse and neglect of children. Not to mention better socialization for all our kids. Lower income families desperately need decent day care.