Mister Tredyffrin and Friends

With the election of a new, Ivy-league educated Mayor in Philadelphia recently, there is a great deal of hope and optimism about the future of the city. All the attention is well-deserved. Mayor Michael Nutter is a thoughtful and respected man who truly cares about Philadelphia and has a vision for the future of the city.

One of the issues he has mentioned repeatedly is the need to work toward a stronger connection between the city and the surrounding suburbs. He has stated that the challenges facing the city must be addressed at the regional level, because ultimately we are all interdependent.

Anyone who takes the R5 into the city knows how direct the connection between our neighborhoods and those in the city really is.

I think he’s right, by the way. Occasionally I talk with someone in Tredyffrin who says “I hope I never have to go to the city again. It is dirty and filled with criminals.” I always wonder about people who say that, because as I watch the trains at 30th street station disgorge every morning I’m struck by the fact that most of the people I see are the same people I see at SuperFresh in the evenings. Granted, if you stand at the Olney station on Broad Street at midnight you are foolish, but to paint everyone with one brush is too simplistic for me.

Follow up:

I think the future of our region is ultimately tied to the future of Philadelphia and it is in our best interest to see the city do well. Besides the cultural institutions, the sports teams and the jobs that so many of us have, there are many reasons that the city should be a thriving hub that we all can enjoy.

So, I have great hope for Mayor Nutter. I believe he will make decisions and set out priorities that will be good for the city and the surrounding suburbs.

And lately, I have been thinking back to some of the comments made by the Republican leadership in Tredyffrin during the last campaign. It seemed to me that they were somehow running against Philadelphia. Here are a couple of examples:

“Tredyffrin is the polar opposite of the Democratic-run, inherently corrupt Philadelphia.” – John C.T. Alexander, Chair, Tredyffrin Township Republican Committee, “Tredyffrin GOP doing the job, 9/26/07 Main Line Life

“While we read about scandals endlessly in Democratic-controlled Philadelphia every day, our local governments are top notch.” – Edward C. Sweeney, Republican Committeeman, M-3, Letters from Readers, 10/11/07, The Suburban

This, ironically, comes from two people who in the very same pieces argue that their leadership features “low taxes,” something they reversed just weeks later. How funny that Nutter is lowering taxes while ours get raised.

I don’t think beating up on Philadelphia is any way to garner votes in Tredyffrin. Sure we are better off than the city is. Our schools are better, our neighborhoods are safer, and our standard of living is higher. But I think most people who live here want the city to do well. Sure, the city has problems, but there are far more politicians down there who care about the city than those who would use it for their own purposes.

It also makes me wonder: what does the Republican leadership think about Mayor Nutter? Surely they must applaud someone who was on the City Council for a decade or more, and who led the successful battle for ethics reform? Surely they will embrace his idea to lower the city wage tax and the business tax, put more cops on the street and increase graduation rates and college degrees? The guy even led the fight to ban smoking in bars and restaurants, for which I thank him.

I hope that the local Republican leadership wasn’t just trying to score political points by beating up on the city. I don’t think the people who live here in Tredyffrin and work in the city want local party leadership that can’t see past it’s own parochial interests. I think thoughtful people here want Tredyffrin to be strong, and see the city improve as well.

I would like to hear what our Republican leadership thinks about Michael Nutter. I bet he will reach out to Tredyffrin and other municipalities in the coming months on issues such as transportation, green businesses, emergency response and other issues. I hope they will give him a chance.