As Nutter & Council circle each other, history offers cautionary tale

IT'S ALWAYS FUN to watch a good political fight, and Mayor Nutter has done a fair job of picking one with City Council lately, criticizing their city cars and pension benefits.

But history holds a cautionary tale for Nutter, one of another mayor who so infuriated Council that it opposed almost anything he wanted.

After Mayor Bill Green called Council "the worst legislative body in the free world" in 1982, relations became so poisoned that members bade him farewell at their last meeting of his term by overriding seven of his vetoes.

Nutter, a former councilman himself, has not launched an attack of Green proportions. But many questioned the political wisdom of Nutter calling on Council to give up their city cars - 13 of the 17 drive them - and introducing legislation that would end a lucrative retirement program in which six members are enrolled.

And he did it right before announcing a budget for which he needs Council support.

"I think that was a tactical mistake," said Phil Goldsmith, who served as a deputy mayor under Green. "That plays well for the overall public, but the day you go before City Council, that's not what you do. You don't have to stick your finger in their eyes."

Some Council members bristled. Councilwoman Joan Krajewski two weeks ago said: "I think it's unfair to keep picking on Council."

Last week Nutter tried to smooth things over, saying that he wasn't trying to humiliate Council members.

"I have no intention whatsoever to ever embarrass a member of City Council, and I have no history of doing that," Nutter said. "It was not done with that intention."

Nutter stressed his respect for Council, but said: "The public has been speaking louder and louder and clearer and clearer about the need for all of us to do just a little bit more if we're asking the public to do more."

Political insiders said that the City Hall climate is far more civil today than in 1979, when Green was elected and Council was reeling from a federal investigation that had sent several members to prison.

"Back then it meant chaos, complete distrust, fights, brawling . . . nobody wanted to talk to each other," said Mark Aronchick, who served as city solicitor under Green. "It was really, really hard."

But there are some striking parallels between Nutter's current position and Green's. Both ran as reform candidates and were confronted with a financial crisis early in their terms. Both worked with a Council lacking a strong leader to round up votes for the administration - current President Anna Verna is not viewed as a forceful leader.

"Both in [Green's] day and today there isn't strong leadership in City Council," said one former City Hall insider. "It's really hard for a mayor to drive an agenda in City Council without a leader who can deliver."

David Glancey, who served as Democratic Party chairman during Green's mayoral term, said that Council grew more independent of the mayor under Green.

"What happened in 1979 [the year Green and a number of new Council members were elected], you started to get some more independent folks," said Glancey, now director of special projects for the University of Pennsylvania Office of Government and Community Affairs. "I think the transitional period was '79 to '83."

And while Green racked up an impressive list of achievements as mayor, including fighting for more accurate budgets, cutting government waste, supporting SEPTA improvements and improving city relationships with the federal government, he was dogged by his conflict with Council.

The acrimony grew throughout his term, fueled by mistrust and poor communication. And most agree that the problems hindered the passage of legislation. For example, the city failed to issue cable-television franchises after four years of negotiation.

Green chose not to run for a second term. Attempts to reach him for comment were unsuccessful.

How does Nutter's situation compare?

After a smooth first year, Nutter's relationship with Council has grown more strained in recent months, culminating with this clash over cars and the Deferred Option Retirement Plan. Many members are privately fuming over what they perceive as rough handling. The city's fiscal crisis may serve as a further test of the relationship.

But, as Aronchick noted, both sides will have to work together on the budget.

"There is a common interest to deal with these economic problems," said Aronchick. "Yes, there's going to be lots of public stuff going on back and forth. We're in tough times and people are being asked to do tough things."

Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, who served as chief of staff for her late husband, Councilman Lucien Blackwell, during the Green term, said that things with Green "got really bad."

But Blackwell said that Nutter's relationship with Council is much better.

Still, she added: "People are saying they're not giving up cars. I'm in that group."