Deja Vu All Over Again?

Jan. 21, 2016

We spend a lot of time here in Citizenville talking about onetime versus new, which seems to be the dominant theme emerging in Philly'southward nascent Kenney era. Was the mayoral entrada a mandate for progressive change, as some have maintained, or did it represent a return to a depressingly familiar politics every bit usual?

The jury is withal out, though it'southward clear that Kenney's biographical journey—Southward Philly Two-Streeter evolved into a paragon of tolerance and communitarianism—gives him an epic opportunity. After all, Kenney, if he so chooses, can play Nixon going to Communist china; who else would have more credibility getting, say, labor, the old political guard and other interest groups to think across the orbit of their own narrow talking points than the former Vince Fumo acolyte?

In that location have been some encouraging signs, like when the new mayor excoriated some foul-mouthed and offensive Mummers. And when he said he'd push marry John Dougherty towards more multifariousness in the wedlock ranks.

I remain hopeful that Mayor Kenney will be a change amanuensis. If then, information technology volition be a strenuous lift. Over the final few weeks, the country of our politics, both locally and statewide, seem to be defaulting to our insider-dominated past. There were iii stories in particular that, honestly, got me pretty downwardly, because they felt a part of our city and state's longstanding corrupt and contented narrative. And there was 1 development that gave me some promise that help is on the fashion.

Few things could build public pessimism more than than a made up task with a bacon bump for someone the voters had shown the door. Thanks, Darrell Clarke.

Kickoff, here's what sent me Googling in search of some political Prozac:

The Old Boys Social club Takes Care Of Itself . Right after the new year, Council President Darrell Clarke created a $135,000 almanac senior policy counselor position for former Councilman (and Clarke loyalist) W. Wilson Goode, effectively giving the Councilman—who had merely been voted out of office—a $6,000 raise for a job that had not previously existed.

Few things could build public pessimism more than a made up task with a bacon bump for someone the voters had shown the door. Of course, the reason nosotros didn't know such a position existed, or that a spare $135,000 was sitting around, is that Clarke'southward Council exempts itself from the transparency to which it holds other urban center departments. That's right, try figuring out how Clarke spends his $16 million upkeep. You lot tin can't.

Kenney praised Clarke's hiring of Goode in a press release: "I know he will enhance the great work already existence done by the Council president'southward office and all of Urban center Quango." There is much to exist hopeful about in Kenney's improved human relationship with Clarke and Council when compared to former Mayor Michael Nutter––perhaps the Mayor and Council tin can become stuff done similar then-Mayor Ed Rendell and and so-Council President John Street were one time able to do. But for now,  this seeming act of political welfare for Goode speaks to the downside of such improved relations: In that location will be hefty ransoms to pay for amicability between the Mayor and our legislative body.

Three words: Anthony Friggin' Clark. Not since State Senator Buddy Cianfrani—who once famously said almost one prosecutor, "if he can't get me, what kind of investigator is he?"—have we had such a toxic mix of shamelessness and chutzpah. Urban center Commissioner Clark, who doesn't often vote or show up for piece of work, had the temerity to marker the dawning of the Kenney era by filing for Drib, the early retirement program never intended for elected officials. Upon retirement, he'll pocket close to a cool one-half a million for a task he didn't often practice. That'due south on top of his  $10,000 a calendar month pension.

Simply perhaps worse than Clark was the machinations that enabled him to retain his chairmanship of the board that runs Philadelphia's elections. Republican Al Schmidt—a one-time practiced government reformer who has washed some good things as Commissioner—threw his support to Clark. Say it ain't and then, Al. For a guy who was kickoff motivated to run for by office by the object lessons provided past legendary reformer Richardson Dilworth, the deal with Clark, and Schmidt's tortured caption of needing "continuity," was particularly sad. Schmidt benefits from Clark beingness AWOL on the job (a stunning Inquirer story on Sun had photos provided past Clark of the Commissioner in Egypt while on the Philly taxpayer's dime!) considering he substantially gets to run the $9.6 million, 98-employee city ballot bureaucracy in Clark'due south absence. In 2006, Schmidt, contemplating running for the part, knew that these positions ought not to be political. He fifty-fifty told me he just might run on the platform of abolishing the very row role he'd be seeking. Needless to say, he didn't. Whither reform, Al?

To his credit, Kenney called Clark'south Drop grab "a slap in the confront to all Philadelphians" and has urged Clark to, uh, actually show up for work, saying his truancy "makes us all look bad."

Perhaps worse than Anthony Clark was fellow Commissioner Al Schmidt's support for him. Schmidt is a ane-time skillful regime reformer. Say it own't so, Al.

Statesmen?…Anyone?…Anyone? There has been a lot of handwringing about the disability of our Governor and state legislature to pass a budget. Information technology'south been particularly embarrassing, and everyone connected to the failure looks pocket-size and petulant. Fifty-fifty so, a largely unreported backside-the-scenes fact ought to lower legislative leaders in our interpretation, if that's possible. Turns out that the sticking indicate for many legislators, peculiarly Business firm Democrats, was their opposition to existence included in the proposed alimony reform. Under the reform, "new members" would bring together other new state workers in a divers contribution program. But the sticking bespeak was the definition of "new member"; it would include every member of the body later each ballot. So, all those Business firm Dems opposed to this reform? They knew that, in one case they get reelected, they'd have to outset contributing to their own retirement packages.

Let's exist articulate: This was a shining example of "do as I say, not as I practise" leadership. Legislators who widely acknowledge the looming pension crisis are, in effect, saying we desire to prescribe behavior for others…simply don't inquire us to follow information technology, too.

Puts me in mind of Steve Lopez, the legendary Inquirer columnist in the '80s and '90s. He used this line every bit a common refrain: " Pennsylvania, Land of Giants. "

So hither'southward my dilemma. Stories like these get me down, but we want the Citizen to be constructive, to focus on solutions. We accept such not bad stuff happening in this urban center and land, why is information technology that, when it comes to our politics, it so often feels that we're a backwater town in some old movie where Rod Steiger plays a decadent mayor or chief of police? Wasn't there anything to give me some hope?

Well, later my slice deconstructing Mayor Kenney's small brawl Inaugural speech , I got a phone call from a Metropolis Council insider…with more than complaints. He was calling to agree with my point of view. Just and so he told me something that sparked my interest. "You lot know, Allan Domb has said some things to his staff this week that are pretty cool."

Hmmm. When I got the Condo King-turned-freshman Councilman on the phone, Domb didn't want to go into it at offset. "I'yard actually only trying to keep my head down and study," he said.

I pressed him. He explained that he plans on working with the Mayor and his Council colleagues on a host of problems. I must have heard, he said, about five priorities he laid out for his staff that they would endeavour to achieve. He not simply told his staff to get to work on these five goals, but that, as a team, they'd formally appraise their progress on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Here they are:

one). We're going to accept 100,000 people of poverty in four years. Domb says nosotros can get at least halfway there past educating taxpayers to take advantage of the Earned Income Tax Credit and by increasing the minimum wage.

2). We're going to create 100,000 new jobs in the next four years.

three). We're going to raise the high school graduation rate from 65 percent to 75 per centum in iv years.

4). Nosotros're going to permanently fix the pension problem.

5). Nosotros're going to collect or write off the $1.8 billion in uncollected real estate taxes owed to the urban center.

My first thought: Maybe I was too hard on Kenney's spoken language. I criticized him for not inspiring by asking something of united states of america. Only maybe all that was needed was some specific goals and timetables. Possibly that would have been inspiration enough.

"Every business organisation I've ever been associated with has had goals and daily, weekly and monthly assessments of how you're doing in reaching them," Domb said. "Why should authorities be any unlike?"

This isn't an endorsement of Domb the Councilman; who knows how he'll evolve? But by simply articulating a game plan, even if merely among his staff, and by establishing a process for assessing it in an on-going way, he reminds us of what has been missing in our politics: Some clear-eyed, no-nonsense leadership. Looked at that manner, changing our culture suddenly didn't seem quite every bit daunting a claiming. I started to feel a footling bit better.

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Source: https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/deja-vu-all-over-again-jim-kenney-darrell-clarke-wilson-goode-al-schmidt-anthony-clark/

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