Doooooooom

[tahnan]

There's something deeply amusing about the fact that in a few weeks, Philadelphia is about to go to its "plan C 'doomsday' budget".

Well, it would be amusing, anyway, if the "doomsday" budget didn't mean firing 900 police officers, deactivating fire engines and paramedic units, reducing garbage collection, and closing the public library. Mayor Michael Nutter calls it "devastating to the City", and the president of the city council, in an official statement, calls it "among the most distressing documents I have encountered in my entire time in Council" and says that "this revised Plan is terrible. It is cruel. It dashes the hopes for a vital, thriving City"—but of course, also recognizes it as necessary if the state government doesn't approve certain emergency funding measures.

I haven't seen much of Mayor Nutter, because I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to local politics while I was in Philadelphia, but I like what I've seen of him. He seems competent, enthusiastic, and genuinely interested in making Philadelphia a great city. (This is in sharp contrast to the mayor when I last lived in Philly, during a garbage strike and the bombing and burning of an entire city block; these admittedly may not have been his fault, but it's what I think of when I think of Philly city government.) It seems to me that not only is Nutter interested in making Philadelphia a better place, he's capable of it. I really hope that he's able to succeed, and I hope that the state government gives him the resources he needs to do it.

Comments

[lemurtanis.livejournal.com]

No wonder the Free Library is closing. It's stunning how fast a city can go down.

[bookishfellow.livejournal.com]

How, I wonder, the hell did the city get so broke it can't fund its police, fire and library services? Blah blah recession blah economic downturn blah, not even Detroit dug itself that far into the hole.

[jmjoyce.livejournal.com]

I think Nutter's just using that plan to get his budget passed, as in, 'pass this budget, because the alternative is too horrible to even consider.'

[tahnan.livejournal.com]

It's not clear to me that that's true. I think in fact the city really is that broke, because they were having all kinds of discussions about what things could be cut and what things couldn't. I mean, I'm sure he's trying to get his budget passed, but I don't think he's trying to route a few million dollars into the Nutter Fund for Eastern Pennsylvania Mayors; I think he's actually trying to manage the city. On practically no money.

[leighjen.livejournal.com]

At least we got out when we could.

[lapak.livejournal.com]

Wow. That is horrifying!

Slightly related, Mayor Nutter is one of the few mayors outside my own area I can readily identify, because his face is ALL OVER the airport in Philadelphia on 'welcomes you to the city' displays.

[spenceraloysius.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you got out of Philly. I know that I'm glad that I did.

[42itous.livejournal.com]

That's really scary.

btw, I saw you at the farmers' market a couple weeks ago, but I wasn't close enough to catch you to say hi. So, hi. It was nice to see you, even without the opportunity for direct contact.