Battle in the 10th District
is attracting plenty of heat

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

Sean McAleer is presenting a very interesting criticism of City Councilman Brian O’Neill.
McAleer, a Democrat, complains that O’Neill (R-10th dist.) sides too often with Democratic Mayor John Street.
According to McAleer, O’Neill supports the Street administration on 94 percent of votes.
If elected, McAleer vows to be more independent, even willing to oppose a mayor’s budget if it does not contain priorities for the 10th Councilmanic District.
"That’s what will make me a different and better councilman than Councilman O’Neill," he said.
O’Neill rejects McAleer’s claims, contending that so many Council bills are routine that it’s easy to agree with a mayor more than nine times out of 10.
The councilman calls the mayor a "total disaster" and said that the two haven’t spoken in four years, mostly because of a disagreement on the size of wage-tax cuts.
Street has vetoed several of O’Neill’s bills. When the mayor proposed his Neighborhood Transformation Initiative, he and Councilwoman Joan Krajewski balked, leading to the creation of the popular Community Life Improvement Program (CLIP).
"I have disagreed with Street more than anybody on Council," he said.
O’Neill and McAleer met for a three-hour interview last week in front of the Times editorial board.
The incumbent, first elected in 1979, is seeking his eighth four-year term.
The challenger, director of development and planning at Franklin Towne Charter High School, is making his first run for office. He is backed by a large number of labor unions.
Many of those labor unions are eager to get to work on the expansion of Fox Chase Cancer Center into Burholme Park.
The project is being delayed because O’Neill, though acknowledging its benefits, is worried about the impact of additional traffic.
McAleer, whose mother died of cancer a little more than a year ago, declares himself "100 percent behind" the project, but he also harbors reservations about breaking the will of Robert Ryerss, who gave the park ground to the city.
As councilman, he would call a large meeting of area residents. After the pros and cons of the expansion into the park were outlined, the neighbors would vote.
"I will do what the residents want," he said.
Fox Chase insists that its clinical, research and patient care remain at one campus, and O’Neill respects that decision. He rejects most of the concerns expressed by expansion opponents, contending they don’t represent a majority of residents.
"One of the main spokesmen against it is from Olney," he said, referring to Fred Maurer.
O’Neill’s concern is traffic. A decision is expected soon from PennDOT’s deputy secretary for administration, Rina Cutler, who is reviewing results of a seemingly interminable traffic study.
It would be very difficult to widen that stretch of Cottman Avenue, and any proposed improvements are complicated by the fact that the south side of the avenue is in Cheltenham Township.
The incumbent believes that there is no need to call a community-wide meeting, pointing out that the Fox Chase Homeowners Association and Burholme Community Town Watch and Civic Association largely back the plan.
"I have all the input I need," he said.
Both candidates support the stop-and-frisk policy outlined by Democratic mayoral candidate Michael Nutter.
O’Neill, who believes Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson is "asleep at the wheel," thinks the next mayor — he predicts Nutter will beat Republican Al Taubenberger — should look inside and outside the Philadelphia Police Department for the next commissioner. He would change residency requirements and support a military waiver to create a large pool of police applicants. He would put more police on the streets by eliminating some of the 225 special units.
McAleer wants the next police commissioner to promote proactive policing. The vice chairman of Ashton Town Watch, McAleer would try to empower other groups in the district. He also wants increased salaries and benefits to attract better police officers.
The candidates agree on one thing — they have different styles.
"I’ll be an aggressive councilman, not a passive one," said McAleer, who believes O’Neill hasn’t done enough in 28 years.
O’Neill can retire now with a full pension, but he said he still has passion and enthusiasm for the job. He is the first to say he does not have an in-your-face personality but knows how to get things done.
"I take effectiveness any way it comes," he said.
McAleer wants to open a district office that would serve constituents weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., along with Saturday and evening hours. That way, staff would learn about problems in the district and not have to wait for a call to come to City Hall.
Typically, Council members have only a City Hall office, although O’Neill holds office hours on Monday nights at three city facilities in his district.
A former aide to Councilman Jim Kenney (D-at large), McAleer will not take the city-issued car if he wins the race. He’ll use his own vehicle, which is paid in full.
"What do I need another car for?" he asks, adding that he would lobby other members to give up their cars.
O’Neill argues that his office provides the best constituent service of all Council staffs. In addition, he and the staff appear at various locations around the district once a week.
Besides differences in styles, the candidates have clashed on a couple of factual matters.
O’Neill wants a complete ban on smoking in public places and promised to introduce legislation in January that would eliminate all exemptions, while McAleer would support the current exemption for small corner bars.
McAleer, who is representing more than 100 homeowners appealing a property tax hike, has said that O’Neill voted for a measure that led to higher real estate assessments. He also claims the councilman used a tax abatement to put an addition on his home in Crestmont Farms, even though he opposed the abatement program in Council.
O’Neill said McAleer is wrong — that he never voted for a higher real estate assessment and does not have an addition on his house, adding that his opponent should stop making false statements in public.
McAleer said he’ll be a full-time councilman. He blasts O’Neill, presently the only lawyer on Council, for skipping most of the meetings of the Public Safety Committee, contending he misses out on important information about neighborhood anti-crime initiatives.
O’Neill counters that the committee is not that important and that he would rather spend his time tending to more-pressing matters in the district. It’s not easy, he said, to make the commute from Center City to the neighborhoods.
"My district is the farthest from City Hall," he said.
The end of competitive campaigns usually features strongly worded direct-mail literature. So far, the only real complaint has been McAleer taking exception to O’Neill calling himself a "full-time" councilman.
"He should resign for putting out false information," McAleer said.
O’Neill said he works countless hours as a councilman, as well as spending time at the Public Technology Institute and the League of Cities at the state and national levels.
"I’m a workaholic," he said. ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com