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Monday, August 4, 2008
City's HelpMe site not so helpful?
Here's an interesting tidbit about city government accessibility:

A blogger over at YoungPhillyPolitics writes about his attempts to use helpme@phila.gov, a city website where you can submit questions about issues like parking or street cleaning or potholes and the city promises to send you a response. It sounds like something that should go hand in hand with the promised 3-1-1 non-emergency call line.

Community organizer Brady Russell, 31, says that he has submitted several questions using the site and gotten no meaningful answers. He's tried the website under both Mayor Street and Mayor Nutter without success.

So today he sent a message that read: "No one actually sees these emails, do they?" No word on whether he's gotten an answer.

UPDATE: The Mayor's press office tells us that in June staff in the Mayor's office were assigned to respond to helpme@phila.gov emails. Since then, they say responses have grown more speedy and reliable. Eventually it will be folded into the 3-1-1 operation.

Russell may have had bad experiences because he tried the website before the Mayor's office took it over, said Deputy Chief of Staff Tricia Enright.

BTW, Russell got a response to his "No one" message at 6:29 p.m. The email said the city was sorry Russell had an unsatisfactory experience, but stressed that the Nutter administration had worked hard to improve the service.

Have you tried to use helpme@phila.gov? What has your experience been like?
Posted by Catherine Lucey @ 2:45 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
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About Chris Brennan and Catherine Lucey
PhillyClout
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.

Catherine Lucey joined the Daily News in 2002. Since then she has written about murderous drug gangs, political protesters and Harry Potter. For the past two years, she covered the 2007 mayoral election. Now that the battle is over, she has moved down to the City Hall bureau where she will report on the Nutter administration.

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Catherine Lucey
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