And then there was one.
Mayor Nutter was the first to go. He was "cut out" of SEPTA contract negotiations during an acrimonious exchange in the press with TWU president Willie Brown. Nutter had criticized the union, and Brown retorted by calling the mayor "little Caesar" and saying he would no longer meet with him.
Yesterday, after making some optimistic remarks that didn't pan out, Governor Rendell threatened to cut himself out of the process, and to take $7 million in state money with him if the union didn't bring SEPTA's latest contract offer to its members for a vote. The governor's exit, should it come to pass, would be similarly unfriendly. At the press conference announcing it, Rendell said he was "entirely frustrated."
Of the three big shot pols who set out to help mediate this strike, only congressman Bob Brady has not thus far left on bad terms. And Rendell, by demanding a membership vote, has given the impression that he just doesn't want to deal with union leadership anymore. Which makes us wonder: How much of a role are personal frustration and animosity playing in the stalemate?
SEPTA management and union leadership can't just abandon negotiations -- they're the actual parties in the dispute. But no doubt they're feeling frustrated, too -- getting tired of one another's voices and, probably, annoying personal tics. How could they not? They've spent over a week in a room, under a lot of public pressure, arguing. Each side probably thinks the other is being completely unreasonable. And these folks aren't even professional politicians, who pretend to like people for a living. They're probably tempted to hold back on concessions just to not give the other guy the satisfaction.
One hopes, however, that the participants are managing to keep the larger picture in mind -- that there's a whole city of people who need them to sort this out, and soon. It's not a good sign that no negotiations are scheduled. Remember: It's not about the guy across the table.
EXCLUSIVE: UNION PRESIDENT SPEAKS OUT
FOLLOW THE (LACK OF) MONEY
State and local budget news:
- Rendell talks with Christie about economic development
- Biden puts positive spin on economy at local fundraiser
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National budget news:
- Survey finds young adults moving back home because of the economy
- CBO admits error and says House health bill will cost less than previously thought
- Kans. budget cuts mean increased class size and fewer services
Ben Waxman reports
and blogs for “It's Our Money.”
Before joining “It's Our Money,” he was a regular
contributor to the Philadelphia Daily News op-ed page and former
contributor to the blog Young Philly Politics. He studied political
science at Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA.
Doron Taussig
is the Project Manager for “It's Our
Money.” He is also a graduate student in communications at
Temple University. Previously he worked as a Staff Writer and News
Editor for the Philadelphia City Paper.
Dave Merrell is the
Web Editor for "It's Our Money." He comes to the project from
Philly.com, where he is a web producer. Originally from
upstate New York, he moved to Philadelphia after graduating from
Haverford College with a degree in math and economics.
Anthony Campisi
reports and blogs for "It's Our
Money." Originally hailing from Central Jersey, he came to
Philadelphia while a student at the University of Pennsylvania, where
he studied intellectual history. He also writes about transportation
for PlanPhilly, an
innovative urban planning website started by
PennPraxis, the consulting arm of the Penn School of Design.
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