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Tuesday, April 26, 2011

City White Collar Workers Won't Endorse For Mayor

Mayor Nutter is 0-for-4 in endorsements among the city's unions in his bid for re-election now that District Council 47, which represents white-collar workers, has decided to withhold its endorsement in the May 17 Democratic primary election. Union president Cathy Scott issued a statement this evening saying Nutter and his opponent, former state legislator and ex-con T. Milton Street, are both flawed.

Scott said many of the union members favored Street but he and Nutter did not win a majority vote for the endorsement. Street two weeks ago nailed down endorsements from District Council 33, which represents blue-collar workers and the union that represents city firefighters. The Fraternal Order of Police is also not endorsing a candidate.

After the jump, you can read Scott's statement on the endorsement decision.

DC 47 President Cathy Scott statement:

“AFSCME DC 47 made no endorsement for Mayor in the Primary election. The two principle candidates are flawed – one greatly flawed and in the wrong.

“Mayor Nutter’s proposal, included in his most recent five-year fiscal plan, penalizes union employees who work for the city.

“Mayor Nutter’s proposal of no increase in wages or any worker benefit for an eight-year period is discriminatory – it discriminates across all lines – racial – gender – neighborhood – it targets the few to carry the burden of the many.

“Public employees have shared the Nutter suffering with every other city taxpayer and citizen – the Nutter higher sales and property taxes – the reduction in services.

“They shouldn’t be expected to pay twice.

“Any endorsement of Michael Nutter was made impossible by the actions of Michael Nutter.”

“The Assembly was favorable to Mr. Street’s comments, proposals and commitment to the city and its residents and workers but reached no majority concerning endorsement.

“The Assembly voted not to endorse in the Democratic Mayoralty primary.

“We urge every member, their families and the populace at large to vote in the Primary election.

“We leave the decision of whom to vote for to our members and citizens consciences."

Posted by Chris Brennan @ 9:30 PM Permalink | 12 comments

Comments

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 10:33 PM, 04/26/2011

"Our last and only option (cough) is a republ#c*@(cough), we urge the populace to examine their conscience"

— michaelthegreat

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 10:47 PM, 04/26/2011

Forget it, Mikey! Repugs will not see the Mayor's office this time around, or anytime in the distant future. I will take Nutter over any Street any day.

— lalaw9833

Comment removed.

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 11:19 PM, 04/26/2011

This is not a suprise coming from the do-nothing leadership style of Cathy Neville Chamberlain Scott. She is a complete and utter failure as Union President and she is out of touch with her members and reality. Here you have a union-busting Democrat in City Hall and deep down she has no problem with him because she has a deal with Mayor Nutter. Who benefits from the status quo? The answer is Mayor Nutter and Cathy Scott.

Cathy Scott went through the DROP program, collected a big DROP bonus, receives an annual pension on top of her $120,000+ union salary. What has she done for that outrageously high compensation?? When has she ever demonstrated leadership or shared sacrifice with her members? She is a moral coward. Retire and count your DROP money Cathy Scott.

— Serpico

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 6:10 AM, 04/27/2011

DC 47 is the ONLY union with any class thus far. Its obvious that both candidates are incompetant, one of them a criminal. This city is going to continue to serve as an example of what is wrong with one party rule. The Democrats have driven this once great city into the ground and then some. Expect all of the corruption we had under the first Street brother x10 or expect the same level of incompetance under Nutter. Either way our taxes are going to go through the roof. One will line his own pockets, the other will redistribute the "wealth" to the bottom feeders.

— psyrus

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:44 AM, 04/27/2011

Hmmm...no union endorsements yet? Makes me think he is doing something right. And as long as the Republican party is a willing accomplice in creating a "Democratic machine", it will continue to run as is. Its the job of Republicans to put up worthy candidates....one they've willingly tanked at for as long as I can remember.

— centerfield

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:54 AM, 04/27/2011

If you are a public employee voting in the Democratic Primary in Philadelphia you should vote for Street or not vote for anybody for mayor. Nutter doesn't deserve a public worker's vote. Vote for other candidates for City Council and the various judge races.

The drop off between those races and Nutter's returns will help send a protest message.

Everybody knows Milton Street won't win the primary but why give Nutter a free ride?

The real interesting thing will be if Milton gets 25% to 30% of the vote in a low turn out primary while spending what? $50? If that happens Nutter is a lame duck even before the November election.

You can see the way Bill Green is already dumping on him. Expect that to continue through the end of Nutter's next term.

That is, of course unless the Republican's come up with a better candidate (Sam?) or John Street runs as an independent for mayor instead of City Council. Where Milton can't raise any money, John can.

Either way Nutter is weakened by the outcome of the primary and shown to be an ineffective office holder with very little post-mayor options and a City Council that can essentially ignore him.

He brought this on himself.

— union guy

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 8:08 AM, 04/27/2011

Wah, wah, wah, unions.

While unemployment went from 5% to 10%, how many city folks lost their jobs? A handful. Hey unions, how about this? We'll agree to 5% increases if you permit us to fire your most unproductive 10%? That seems like a reasonable proposal. But, nope. Unions are about protecting jobs and membership, not about public service.

— intelliman

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 8:54 AM, 04/27/2011

Intelliman, I'm with you (and I'm a city employee). Milton can promise all kinds of things to the Firefighters, but there's no backing or basis for his committments - the man can't even seem to pay his taxes properly, so how do you expect him to fulfill any other promises??? And John Street will be indicted soon in connection with PHA ... so you have two outright criminals against Mayor Nutter. The same Mayor Nutter who has overseen the revamping of the Planning Commission and Zoning Board into effective tools (not political crapshoots), increasing the number of police on the beat in the midst of budget reductions, pushing the City towards becoming the Greenest City in America, eliminating the BRT (and hopefully the Register of Will, Sheriff, and CQS soon), reducing patronage and pay-to-play by expanding ethical requirements and enforcement, ... I could go on, but the short-sightedness displayed by the two unions endorsing STreet is shared by so many voters it simply sickens me. Kudos to DC47 for at least saying 'no' to the Street criminals.

— citylumberjack

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:13 AM, 04/27/2011

I agree with citylumberjack completely. The contracts issue is the only problem I have with Nutter. It's a big deal, but he's done a lot of other things that I really like.

— T

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 12:33 PM, 04/27/2011

Unions in this city are a disgrace! It's all about THEM! Milton Street would be one of the worst things to happen to this city (2nd only to the mess his brother left) and yet the unions still endorse him because they don't like the way Nutter handled them. Nutter might just get my vote because of how he dealt with the unions and the way they're acting now! I'm an educated, long-term resident of this City.

— PotteryPete

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 4:48 PM, 04/27/2011

It is time for citylumberjack to be taught the real world of the alleged reformer nutter. here we go revamping zoning boards he just changed faces, city council still has their insane veto rights. enforcing rules and codes his L&I commissioner Fran Burns doesn't have a clue on how to run a dept. in fact she has been known to break down and cry when she doesn't get her way. he has done decreased crime it is just underrepoerted by some simple playing with statistics, does anyone really feel safer in this city?? nutter will never eliminate the register of wills he can't he and the DROP master Ron Donatucci have a deal orchestrated by Don Brady. Now for the point that should cost nutter his job, he has ruined civil service there are more highly paid deputies than in any administration EVER. just look at the mayor's large staff and look at the deputy mayor structure and managing director's office and u need to look at the big salaries. commissioners making 160 thousand, deputies making 130 thousand with no experience. ex-FBI agents all over the place collecting their federal pension and now building another pension sort of camille barnett like u remember that no-work, dog-walking disaster. nutter has brought back people from DROP , get this his integrity lawyer is one of them as is his deputy in fleet mgmt fox, but this is from the man that is allegedly for eliminating DROP and the topper is he is supporting Tasco the DROP QUEEN to be the next council president. lumberjack get a CLUE it will be ur first !!!!!!!

— the commodore

12 comments

About The Philly Clout Team

Chris Brennan, a native Philadelphian and graduate of Temple University, joined the Daily News in 1999. He has written about SEPTA, the Philadelphia School District, the legalization of casino gambling, state government, the mayor, the governor, City Council and political campaigns.

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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics – which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com

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Catherine Lucey joined the Daily News in 2002 and has written about murderous drug gangs, political protesters and Harry Potter. After covering the 2007 mayoral election, she moved over to the City Hall bureau where she has been reporting on the Nutter administration.

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Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans.

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