Mayor Nutter
takes the helm

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

Mayor Michael Nutter recognizes some challenges that Philadelphia faces, but otherwise thinks the city has unlimited potential.
Nutter outlined his vision during a 30-minute inaugural address Monday morning at the Academy of Music, declaring a "new day" in the city.
"The renaissance period of Philadelphia got started about a half-hour ago," he said at the end of his prepared remarks.
Nutter, a 50-year-old Wynnefield resident, was elected in November to replace fellow Democrat John Street, who was prohibited by the Home Rule Charter from seeking a third four-year term.
The new mayor represented the 4th Councilmanic District from 1992 to the summer of 2006, when he resigned to make a bid for the city’s top job. He languished in the polls until the last couple of weeks of the Democratic primary, when his debate performance, television commercials and newspaper endorsements began to win voters to his side.
Thanks in part to his call for a crackdown on crime and an end to the city’s pay-to-play culture, he finished a strong second to Tom Knox in the Northeast.
In the general election, he overwhelmed Republican Al Taubenberger, a Northeast resident, with huge advantages in voter registration and campaign dollars.
On Monday, he was sworn into office with his wife Lisa, son Christian and daughter Olivia by his side. Dignitaries on stage included religious leaders, Council President Anna Verna and other elected officials and all four living ex-mayors — Street, Ed Rendell, Wilson Goode and Bill Green.
Also sworn in were all 17 members of Council, including newcomers Maria Quinones-Sanchez, Bill Green (son of the former mayor) and Curtis Jones. Democrats elected Councilwoman Marian Tasco as majority leader and Councilman Darrell Clarke as whip, while Republicans chose Councilman Brian O’Neill as minority leader.
All other winners in 2007 city races took the oath of office, including Traffic Court Judge Mike Lowry, of Mayfair.
In his speech, Nutter asked for applause for Taubenberger and his four main Democratic rivals — Knox, U.S. Reps. Bob Brady and Chaka Fattah and state Rep. Dwight Evans.
Having essentially won the mayoralty in the May primary, he sounded eager to get to work.
"The time for talk has come to an end," he said.
The top issue facing Nutter is violent crime. He noted that the number of murders last year, 392, was down from the 406 murders in 2006, but he called the lower figure "nowhere near acceptable."
Back in 1990, New York — with a population almost six times that of Philadelphia — had more than 2,200 murders. Last year, there were just 494 killings in the Big Apple.
"There’s no reason in the world why we can’t do that. None," he said.
Nutter vowed to cut the murder rate anywhere from 30 percent to 50 percent. Right after the inauguration, he walked up the middle of South Broad Street to City Hall and signed an executive order declaring a crime emergency in Philadelphia.
"Enough is enough," he said.
Nutter will direct new Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey to increase community policing. He wants more police officers walking beats and riding bicycles. He envisions a city safe enough for kids to play outside, people to get to work and senior citizens to go to the store, the doctor’s office and church.
The new mayor will work with the business community to encourage them to hire ex-offenders. He is calling on all citizens to do their part, urging them to mentor a child, join a Town Watch, volunteer at a recreation center, visit a homeless center or simply to say hello to somebody walking down the street.
For his part, Nutter held an open house in City Hall on Tuesday. He plans to work with suburban leaders to forge a regional partnership. He’s excited about the potential for waterfront development and wants to reform Philadelphia’s zoning process to speed up construction across the city. He also would like to see a cleaner city.
One of his first challenges will be to negotiate contracts with unions at a time when health and pension costs are rising. He promised a "fair and reasonable contract" for union workers.
"Those contracts must also be fair and reasonable for the taxpayers of this city," he said.
Nutter set two ambitious goals related to education.
The new mayor noted that just 18 percent of residents hold a four-year college degree, ranking Philadelphia 92nd among the nation’s 100 biggest cities. There is no shortage of choices, with 83 colleges and universities in the region. He wants to double the number of college graduates in the next five to seven years, starting with the 73,000 people who’ve started, but not finished, a college education.
The mayor also addressed the fact that 45 percent of public school students who begin high school drop out before graduating. He wants to cut that figure in half in the next five to seven years. ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com