Milton Street Challenges Mayor Nutter To Debate
T. Milton Street, the former state senator released from federal custody in November after serving 26 months for not paying taxes, made official this afternoon his run for mayor in the May 17 Democratic primary election. Street, standing in the bed of a pickup truck near at SEPTA station at 52nd and Market streets, challenged Mayor Nutter to a debate and then predicted he would not be taken up on the offer.
Milton Street Challenges Mayor Nutter To Debate
Chris Brennan
T. Milton Street, the former state senator released from federal custody in November after serving 26 months for not paying taxes, made official this afternoon his run for mayor in the May 17 Democratic primary election. Street, standing in the bed of a pickup truck near at SEPTA station at 52nd and Market streets, challenged Mayor Nutter to a debate and then predicted he would not be taken up on the offer.
"He will not stand up in front of the voters of Philadelphia and debate Milton Street," Street declared. "And I will tell you why: Because I am pregnant with information. And I am prepared in any debate to wax eloquently all up and down."
Nutter's campaign later declined to comment on the challenge.
Street again said he plans to mobilize the 300,000 ex-offenders in the city to help him drive a campaign on a shoe-string budget via cell phone text messages, Facebook and Twitter. His primary plan as mayor is to hire 3,000 people to patrol neighborhoods, claiming the money saved on local prison costs from prevented crimes will pay their salaries.
Street today claimed to be the victim of media attacks meant to "disrupt" his campaign.
"Let me tell you guys something: I'm taking the heat," Street said. "Oh yeah, they're coming at me, scandalizing my name, calling me all kinds of things. But I don’t care if you’re with me. Because together, our numbers are too great."
Street was joined by Malik Aziz of the Ex-Offender's Association of Pennsylvania, who implored people to sign Street's nominating petitions to get him on the primary ballot. The ex-offender group last week staged a protest as Nutter gave his annual speech to the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.
This HAS to be a joke. "I am pregnant with information". Really?— Mr.Burf2You
Comment removed.- Yea!! Loony-Toons is back.— Glider2001
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Why are there so many stories published that exploit the vulnerability of the mentally ill?
This man needs help and society needs to be protected from lunatics like him. Lock him up again - involuntarily and forever.- As bad as this City has become, it could get so much worse with Mayor Milton.— tonyS
- A quote from the Feb. 10th 2011 Inquirer editorial page "One problem: State law would bar Street from taking office due to his felony conviction on tax charges. So, please, Milton, let's not waste everyone's time." Ah Duh Milton— bobg1812
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Somebody please put a light bulb in his mouth!
This is the return of UNCLE FESTER!
I guess Gomez, Morticcia and cousin it are out getting signatures!— jimd98- Here's the campaign slogan, "Let's all cross to the disturbing side of the street." Vote Milton!— craigaa52
- wow— jayflyte
- There hasn't been an honest Street in Philadelphia, they are all criminals ... let uncle milty get his 15 minutes, then he can sue the city for not letting him run, then he can sue for lost wages they cost him by not letting him run illegal operations, then he can sue for ... well you get the idea, o Street has done an honest days work i his life, and it isn't about to start now.— FatBoy90
- Go away, please, and take your brother with you. Enough of this nonsense already. The Street's are a disgrace to Philadelphia, and now you are trying to run for Mayor, fresh out of prison.... Are you kidding me?? Nice try moron, convicted felons are not eligible for public office in this state, your brother couldn't have told you that?— mpt29
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Tell me this is an "April Fool's" joke...O, that's right, it's not April. Another Street to suck the air out of the city. Deplorable.— dogman5- Comment removed.
- Upper Darby? No, too close to my house! — ncatina
- Oh, what the hell?!— ncatina
- UNCLE MILTIE IS STARTING TO RESEMBLE UNCLE FESTER— Miss M.
"Pregnant with information?" Looks like those rumors of late night rendezvous with Vince Fumo in the KY lockup were true. I wonder who the little demon will resemble?- Milton for Mayor! We can laugh everyday til he's arrested again.— bahrvelous
As a Delawarean, I'm not all that familiar with all of Pennsylvania's laws. But I guarantee that Milton would be hard to beat in a non-televised debate. He's a natural entertainer with a sixth sense about crowds. Sooner or later, he will get a laugh from just about everybody. Now, of course, television is a very different medium. but for live audiences this guy should not be underestimated. Perhaps 19th century public speakers may have been like Milton Street. When he came to my classes at Temple, long ago, within ten minutes everybody loved him--even those white students who didn't care about politics at all. Go see Milton speak--he's a part of Philadelphia that people will ask about thirty years from now. He's been a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent, and a crook. But he's never been dull.- please let this happen. As much as I've enjoyed the constant drumbeat of ackerman, greene, rendell, john street, police corruption, corrupt unions, scumbag mafioso, daily murders, rigali, et at, it has grown a bit stale recently. I'm stuck in front of a computer all day and frankly, I need the entertainment that my job just doesn't give me and Uncle Miltie is just what the doctor ordered. As a NJ resident I hope he's a part of all our lives for the next 4, dare I say 8, years. Philadelphia, you never, ever disappoint— figgypop
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- One thing is fact, the 300,000 ex offenders on the streets of Philadelphia.
the Streets in phila are really bad..potholes needed to be filled— hardball- If this sleazeball actually gets elected, I will permanently resign from the democrat party in Philadelphia and tell everyone who voted for him exactly what I think of them. I registered republican the whole time his brother was in, and he wasn't HALF as bad as Milton. Seriously, if I could afford it, I'd leave this city in the dust. And next year, when the firemen and policemen don't have to live in the city, wait until you see THAT exodus. They were the only thing that kept the tax rolls going and the neighborhoods stable here. This is just an atrocity!— PhillygirlToo
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- I wish he Nutter would debate Street. It would be great entertainment. Put it on Pay-Per-View.— ScottYaw
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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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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. E-mail tips to ransomj@phillynews.com
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Sean Collins Walsh is from Bucks County and went to Northwestern University. He joined the Daily News copy desk in 2012 and now covers the Nutter administration. Before that, he interned at papers including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times. E-mail tips to walshSE@phillynews.com
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