NYC mayor shows Nutter how its done
NEW YORK - Does Philly need to get in a New York state of mind? Michael Nutter certainly thinks we could learn a thing or two from our neighbor to the north. The Democratic mayoral candidate yesterday took a crash course on city government in the Big Apple, getting a tour of a 311 call center, a sit-down with the police commissioner and some advice from Mayor Michael Bloomberg on how to be a leader.
NEW YORK - Does Philly need to get in a New York state of mind?
Michael Nutter certainly thinks we could learn a thing or two from our neighbor to the north. The Democratic mayoral candidate yesterday took a crash course on city government in the Big Apple, getting a tour of a 311 call center, a sit-down with the police commissioner and some advice from Mayor Michael Bloomberg on how to be a leader.
"New York has its act together and there is a lot to learn up here," said Nutter at the end of the marathon day. "There are a wealth of great ideas out there. We in Philadelphia have to stop being so parochial about ideas and strategies."
Nutter - who is expected to easily win in November - is poised to inherit a city with a soaring homicide rate, under-funded schools and significant budget constraints. Since his primary victory, the former city councilman has spent much of his time studying how to best govern Philadelphia.
Yesterday's New York City trip followed similar visits to Baltimore and Chicago. Traveling with Nutter were political director Terry Gillen, policy director Wendell Pritchett and spokeswoman Melanie Johnson.
"They don't have a mayor school yet, we're kind of creating it," Nutter explained.
Nutter seemed eager to learn from New York's second-term billionaire mayor. Bloomberg is credited with overseeing an ongoing drop in crime, increasing graduation rates at public high schools and running the city more efficiently. But he also raised taxes in his first term.
Nutter and Bloomberg shared a private chat over coffee at a Manhattan diner. At a news conference afterward, Bloomberg told Nutter to be himself in office and said he shouldn't be afraid to stick to his guns.
"If you have the courage to do what you think is right . . . the public wants their communities to improve," he said.
Nutter thanked Bloomberg for letting him check out the city and praised New York's successes in economic development and crime reduction.
"We have to drive down crime in Philly," he said. "That issue for us outweighs any other issue Philadelphians are talking about."
During the day, Nutter viewed several key operations in New York City government. He got a tour of the "bullpen," a cubicle-filled room in New York's City Hall, where Bloomberg works surrounded by his top deputies
"It does seem tremendously efficient," Nutter said, although he didn't commit to recreating it in Philadelphia.
Nutter also looked around a 311 call center, which takes non-emergency calls and questions about city services. He said he wanted to establish the same service in Philadelphia.
The day concluded at police headquarters, with Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, who talked about crime technology, surveillance cameras and using "stop, question and frisk" tactics to seize illegal guns - a strategy Nutter supports and was criticized for during the primary.
"It certainly has the potential for creating friction," Kelly acknowledged. But, he added, "I think it is a useful tactic. It has been really useful in removing guns." *
