Taubenberger: I will be
the ‘most engaged mayor’

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

If Philadelphians elect Al Taubenberger as mayor on Nov. 6, they’ll see plenty of him in their communities.
Taubenberger said he’ll be a hands-on leader in the mold of former Mayors Frank L. Rizzo of Philadelphia and Rudy Giuliani of New York and Gen. George Patton. He won’t be like former Mayor Wilson Goode, who did not appear at the 1985 fire at the MOVE compound on Osage Avenue that left 11 people dead and an entire city block destroyed.
"I’m going to be the most engaged mayor this town has ever seen," he said. "I’ll rarely be in my second-floor office of City Hall."
Taubenberger, who visited with the Times editorial board last week, is running as a Republican. He lives in Fox Chase and serves as president of the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.
While making his first bid for mayor, he has run for office twice before, losing GOP primaries in the 13th Congressional District in 2002 and ’04. He’s worked in several government jobs, including stints as chief of staff to Republican City Councilman Jack Kelly and aide to Democratic Councilwoman Joan Krajewski.
Unopposed in the mayoral primary, he faces Democrat Michael Nutter and the Socialist Workers Party’s John Staggs.
The Republican doesn’t have the money that Nutter does and is relying on an all-volunteer campaign staff. His coffers will grow on Saturday when U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter hosts a fund-raiser. Still, Democrats own a 5-to-1 voter-registration edge.
While acknowledging that he is "absolutely a long shot," Taubenberger said he has been received favorably by voters whom he meets. He wants to become the first mayor from the Northeast and the first Republican to win City Hall in 60 years.
"I’m a competitive son-of-a-gun," he said, "especially when the odds are against me."
Taubenberger, 54, is talking about several issues on the campaign trail but stresses job creation the most.
As mayor, he would try to convince existing businesses to stay in Philadelphia and potential companies to open or relocate here.
As head of the local Chamber of Commerce, he said he’s worked effectively with small and large businesses. He likes to point to Agusta Aerospace Corporation, a helicopter manufacturer on Red Lion Road that was able to expand in Philadelphia after Taubenberger put company officials in touch with government entities.
By creating jobs and bringing tax dollars to the city, he wants the budget to grow so much that citizens will ask, "What are we going to do with the additional revenue coming in?"
In his view, more money should be spent on parks, schools and crime-fighting efforts.
He contends that the city shortchanges the Fairmount Park Commission, calling the lack of maintenance in parks "an abomination."
As for public schools, he’d like to decrease class size and get parents more involved in their children’s education. He wants to be part of a discussion with urban and rural state lawmakers to increase school spending.
"The state needs to step up," he said.
To convince state legislators to invest in Philadelphia, he’d invite them to spend some time looking at the progress being made in areas such as education.
"Invite the toughest Philadelphia critics to Philadelphia," he said.
On crime issues, Taubenberger — president of the Burholme Community Town Watch and Civic Association — believes Philadelphia needs more police officers to respond to service calls. Borrowing a famous campaign line from Rizzo, he likened calling 911 to Dial-a-Prayer.
Taubenberger strongly backs a bill introduced by state Rep. John Perzel that would lead to the hiring of 10,000 police officers across Pennsylvania. About 1,300 would be ticketed for Philadelphia. Under the bill, the state would pay for half of an officer’s salary.
Also, the candidate favors greater penalties for anyone who removes the serial number from a gun.
Though he’s hesitant to embrace Nutter’s stop-and-frisk proposal, he enthusiastically supports a bill in the state legislature that would require parolees to sign a waiver subjecting them to searches for illegal guns.
The new mayor will also get to replace retiring Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson. Taubenberger would like to hire someone who works for the Philadelphia Police Department, not an outsider. The new commissioner, he said, must inspire officers and believe in the concept of community policing.
"A police commissioner will be my most important choice," he said.
Even if he is elected, Taubenberger promised to continue patrolling for the Burholme Town Watch. He’ll also sign up as a volunteer at the city’s new curfew centers.
A Taubenberger administration would oppose any effort by the Board of Revision of Taxes to adopt a full-value assessment of properties. He believes such a change would result in skyrocketing taxes for many homeowners.
If elected, he would face a Council that would probably have a 14-3 Democratic majority. That wouldn’t faze him, since he already knows the members.
Unlike the Democratic primary, the general election has been free of strife between the major-party candidates. Taubenberger said he wouldn’t attack Nutter, even if he had the money to run constant television advertisements.
"I’m a civil person," he said. "That is my nature." ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com