Nutter promises
a progressive leadership

Campaign Bits
By Tom Waring

Michael Nutter has issued 10 policy papers during the mayoral campaign, and last week announced he how he would pay for the initiatives.
Nutter, a Democrat, is proposing to, among other things, add 500 police officers, increase the number of surveillance cameras, establish a Department of Transportation, plant 23,000 trees, boost funding for Fairmount Park and fully fund Community College of Philadelphia.
To pay for that costly plan, he wants to redesign a costly government program — the pension and health benefits for city employees, which cost $864 million a year in an annual budget of $3.6 billion.
"I promise to lead Philadelphia with a new spirit of progressive reform and open decision-making," he said.
As mayor, Nutter would create a Rainy Day Fund to deposit annual surpluses to be used when revenues fall.
In addition, he would continue to support reductions in the wage tax until it reaches 3.25 percent for residents and non-residents by 2015. He would gradually eliminate the gross-receipts portion of the business privilege tax and reduce the net income portion of the tax to equal the wage tax.
In neighborhoods where the housing market is strong, he’d reduce the tax abatement from 10 years to five years. Elsewhere, it would be increased to 15 years.
To increase revenues to pay for his proposals, he would collect back taxes, make government more efficient, expand recycling, reduce energy costs and sell Philadelphia clothing and products.

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U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah, who is also seeking the Democratic mayoral nomination, visited the Cooperative Nursery School at the Unitarian Society of Germantown to show his support for early childhood education.
Fattah praised the nursery, in business since 1967, for balancing children’s need for structure and work with the need for freedom and play.
The candidate cited a statistic that showed the percentage of children entering public school kindergarten programs dropped from 70 percent to 66 percent in a year.
"Under my administration, the numbers will rise and not fall," he said.
Meanwhile, Fattah has been endorsed by AFSCME District Council 47 and Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union.
District Council 47 consists of more than 3,500 white-collar municipal employees. Tom Cronin, the D.C. 47 president, said the union wanted to pick the best candidate for members and the entire city.
"We feel that Congressman Fattah is the best man to run Philadelphia," he said.
Wayne MacManiman, district chairman of the Local 32BJ, said Fattah has helped private security officers in city buildings gain union representation.
"Fair wages and affordable health care should be a reality for cleaners, security officers and all hard-working people in this great city," Fattah said.

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Soon after he was elected last November, City Councilman Dan Savage (D-7th dist.) visited firefighters Local 22 president Brian McBride to see how he could help the union.
"I really appreciated that," McBride said.
Last week, the union leader endorsed the councilman for re-election outside the Engine 14, Ladder 15 firehouse at Foulkrod and Darrah streets in Frankford.
Savage faces Maria Quinones-Sanchez and Marnie Aument-Loughrey in the primary.
McBride, a Burholme resident who is seeking a second two-year term as union president, said neither of the challengers approached him for support. He decided to back Savage after a poll of executive board members.
A lieutenant who has served 32 years in the department, McBride said Savage supports union efforts to secure modern equipment, obtain earmuffs to prevent damage from loud sirens, protect pensions and settle diesel emission issues. The union also favors his call for mandatory carbon monoxide detectors in all households.
"And he’ll make sure our firehouses stay open," McBride said.
Savage, who toured the firehouse with McBride, called firefighters "heroes" for the job they do.

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Councilman Bill Greenlee (D-at large) is the first at-large candidate to begin airing television commercials.
Greenlee easily won a special election last November to replace the late David Cohen. The new councilman worked for Cohen for 26 years.
The commercial highlights his tenure in Cohen’s office and his longtime service to the Democratic Party, helping to elect candidates such as Bill Clinton and Ed Rendell.
The ad is running on CNN, Fox News, A&E, Discovery Channel, Lifetime, ESPN and other cable stations. It was produced by aide Kevin Boyle and his brother Brendan, a two-time challenger to state Rep. George Kenney.
Greenlee is largely unknown citywide, but received a boost when he picked the No. 2 spot on the ballot.

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Dan Anders, who is running as a Democrat for a seat on Common Pleas Court, has been nominated to the court by Gov. Ed Rendell.
Anders was selected to replace Judge James J. Fitzgerald III, who was elevated to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. If the state Senate approves the nomination, Anders will serve until 2010. He has received a "recommended" rating by the Philadelphia Bar Association, but will drop out of the race and run for a full 10-year term when his appointment ends.
Anders is a lawyer with the Center City law firm Pepper Hamilton. He spends an average of 300 hours a year providing free legal advice and counsel to community organizations and needy individuals.
In 2005, the Philadelphia Legal Intelligencer named him a "Lawyer on the Fast Track." In 2004, the Philadelphia Business Journal chose him one of the "Forty Under 40," a list of young professionals in the city. ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com