Michael Nutter was an idealist...a man of the people, He had great ideas about how to reform city government.... I watched him win a seat on city council with pride....Someone my age was on city council, I thought!!!!
I watched him be a thorn in the side of Mayors Rendell and Mayor Street....I watched him as he became an activist for the common man......Then a funny and strange thing happened..
Mikey as I called him back then became the Mayor of Philadelphia....Mikey found out that he didn't have the money or the support from Harrisburg to do all of the things he talked about doing back in the day...and worse...somewhere along the way...Mikey got Compromised....
Today...those same citizens who supported him in his rise to the top shut down city government....They feel betrayed by this one time "Man of the people"... I haven't talked to Mikey in about ten years...I don't know where his head is at.
The unions promised to give Mayor Nutter a hard way to go today during his budget address to City Council and they did just that.
As soon as Mayor Nutter as I'll here to for refer to him as stood behind the podium, union members began booing and heckling him. Nutter attempted to read his speech, but was drowned out.
Council president Darrell Clarke also tried to calm the crowd, but to no avail. After 10 to 15 minutes Darrell Clarke, Council leadership and Mayor Nutter left Council chambers before the completion of the address.
Mayor Nutter is expected to resume his budget address on the second floor of City Hall.
Update: Mayor Nutter presented his budget before his administration and reporters after union groups drowned out his address.Council voted to recess the hearing.Mayor Nutter said he would have otherwise continued his speech...
My, how things change...a few years ago...that would have been him ,leading some protesters against the current administration...Somewhere, former mayor ,John Street is smiling.
4 comments:
Bout time the Unions stand up to that closet Republican. Get him and Corbett out! Maybe this city can be something again instead of a yuppie cesspool of scabs!
Some cities laid off employees during the 2008 recession. Philadelphia did not. Nutter deserves some credit for that. That said, Nutter needs to meet with the unions and get some common ground. Current situation not productive for either the unions or the City.
Democracy in action. God forbid the peasants speak out against King Nutter. The arrogance of the Nutter Administration always shines through.
Whoever is the mayor, he will be between a rock and hard place now:
the pensions that city cannot afford anymore and the citizens that do not want to pay more taxes!
Post a Comment