Milton's Coup
Could the Fire Fighters' surprise endorsement help T. Milton Street's credibility in his run for mayor?
The decision of Local 22 of the International Association of Fire Fighters to endorse T. Milton Street for mayor came as a surprise to Mayor Nutter.
But then again, maybe it shouldn't have.
According to a story today by my colleagues, Jeff Shields and Marcia Gelbart, the union has been at odds with Nutter ever since he deactivated seven companies in Jan. 2009.
The fact that Street is an ex-con -- John Street's big brother just finished a 30-month sentence for failure to pay income taxes -- doesn't seem to bother the fire fighters. "What's the difference?" the union's Michael Bresnan said. "We look at it as criminal what Nutter did to the Fire Department and citizens of this city."
Who knows? Maybe the endorsement gives the long-shot candidate some added credibility. As I wrote in a recent column, Milton does have some ideas. Radical, maybe. But still, ideas.