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REPRINTED FROM THENEXTMAYOR.COMFebruary 22, 2007 press release, (submitted via e-mail) |
New Leadership. New Direction. A New Philadelphia.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 22, 2007
CONTACT: Melanie Johnson
(215) 545-9700
(267) 984-2027 cell
melanie@nutter2007.com
Philadelphia, February 22, 2007— “Every outgoing Mayor leaves a legacy of their time in office and Mayor John Street is no different,” said Michael Nutter. “In his budget today the Mayor talked about his priorities for the next year. Glaringly absent from his speech though was any mention of improving the police department, fixing the ballooning pension fund, or furthering the after school programs.”
When his term ends next year, Mayor Street will leave the city in much worse budgetary shape than he received it. Somehow the Street administration has gone from a $300 million surplus left to him by Mayor Rendell to an $89 million deficit. Nutter pointed out, however that the financial problems do not end there.
“In 2012 we will spend $1 billion on health care and pensions out of a $4 billion budget. I heard nothing today about how the city is going to pay for these escalating costs. The city has been paying the minimum fiscal obligation but that’s like paying the minimum balance on your credit card. We will never be able to pay it off.”
Nutter insisted that part of the reason why the city’s financial situation was in decline was because there were revenue streams currently ignored by the administration. As mayor, Nutter would tap the $17 million the city would earn if we had an adequate recycling program and the potential millions that could be brought in by exploring ways to generate new revenue in Fairmount Park. “For too long Mayor Street has allowed city government to become bloated and wasteful. Every department in this government has the ability to become more efficient and to cut costs,” Nutter said.
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PO Box 58550 • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102
Phone: (215) 545-9700 • Facsimile: (215) 545-4088
www.NutterForMayor.com
Paid for by Nutter for Mayor, Kahiga A. Tiagha, Esq., Treasurer