The Next Mayor

If you saw the cover of today's Daily News, you saw the words "Bob Brady" and "Sexy Singles" dangerously close to each other. If I can just modify the Jenice Armstrong's call out for the sexy singles a little bit:

How do you like 'em, ladies? Educated and intellectual? Or brawny and a little rough around the edges? Or do you do you just want your man candidate to be fiiiiiiine?

Robert Brady

Age: A gentleman never tells

Clothing provided by: Torre, Big and Tall.

As you can tell, my photo editing skills are limited to Microsoft Paint. Your comments on Brady as a candidate and as a mayor are welcome.

UPDATE: For serious, thoughtful discussion about Brady as a candidate/mayor, I recommend the good folks over at Young Philly Politics , which has posts on the subject here, here and here. As you can see, some folks actually want to know what a candidate stands for and what kind of policies he would try to enact, rather than just go on other people's word that he's a "leader."

The race has barely begun, but boy, are the voters ready for someone to fix their city.

The first poll of the 2007 Mayor's race is out. And the obvious theme is voter anger: At the violence in our city, at politicians, and at the "way things are going right now."

Of particular interest:

Not only is crime by far the issue most voters want to hear discussed in the race (with 70 percent of voters citing it as an issue candidates should talk about), it dwarfs the other issues, such as education (35%) and unemployment (15%). Voters could choose more than one answer.

Voters want candidates with experience in goverment or business, which is interesting given the general unhappiness with the city's direction.

And corruption is still on voters' minds. Almost all of them said they would be likely to support a candidate with a plan to reduce it. As Dan pointed out, it's hard to imagine anyone saying they wouldn't support a plan to reduce corruption. But it's interesting that that issue is at the top of the voters' list.

Let's discuss...

So I'm standing there on a grassy lot at 10th and Cecil B. Moore, listening so some very well-intentioned people from the City Wide Youth Leadership Agency talk about the work they've been doing to engage young people in positive change when I spy, off in the distance, as-yet-undeclared candidate for mayor, Tom Knox approaching. The event had been billed as a candidate forum, and actually came through much better than several of the candidate forums that I remembered in 2003 (ie. more than one candidate showed up).

In addition to Knox, Chaka Fattah was present and John Dougherty sent a guy named Ed McBride, whose card indicates that he's the Public Relations and Marketing Coordinator for Local 98. Two and a half candidates show up at a vacant lot in North Philly for a handful of young people (some of whom were probably not even old enough to vote) in 123 degree heat, not too shabby. I think it's going to be a long campaign.

Anyway, accompanying Knox was none other than former Eagles fullback Cecil Martin. I actually got a chance to interview him and ask him a few questions about why he decided to jump onboard the Knox campaign. I'll post his answers soon. Apparently, he's a deputy campaign manager and he travels around the city, accompanying Knox to many of his events. I saw their schtick in action when Cecil was introduced to a young girl - Taneesha - and after chatting with her for a while, turned and introduced her to Knox. Brilliant!

I can hear Merrill Reese now. "The give is to Knox. He follows Martin through the hole. OOOH MARTIN LEVELS THE LINEBACKER and Knox dances in for the touchdown."

Or the classic bait-and-switch of an old-timey carnival barker:
"Come! Meet former Eagle Cecil Martin!" (and this old guy next to him who may run for mayor soon).

It seems that Knox has already started on his promise to create jobs in the city... by employing everyone on his campaign staff.

I just wanted to point out a new feature on each candidate page on The Next Mayor website. Over the next several months, the six (or seven or eight) candidates for mayor will be traveling to countless events throughout the whole city. Clearly, the voters of this city can't go to all of them and hear what these guys have to say. So we're going to try and make it a little easier.

Called "In Their Own Words," this will be a page that includes audio, video or firsthand accounts from candidate appearances and events. We've already built a few for Dwight Evans, Michael Nutter and Tom Knox. Chaka Fattah will follow soon.

If any of our readers have a story to share about a sighting of potential candidate, please email me. Even better, if you have audio or video of the candidate, email me and I'll try to include it on the website. Blanket coverage from citizen journalists will get more info out than ever before.

For now, check out this flyer that made it's way to the Committee of Seventy's Fatima Nelson from a Tom Knox event. Maybe it's time for Tom to update the glamor shot so he doesn't look like an 80's gameshow host.

He may not be a candidate yet, but Bob Brady is getting an endorsement, from the Philadelphia Gay News. Check it out here; also includes how the other Would-be Mayors have done on gay and lesbian issues. Note that the endorsement calls Tom Knox the "Marty Weinberg of 2007." Comments?

In case you didn't check it out yet, the ultimate material guy, Dr. Terry Madonna, director of the Keystone Poll chatted with me for a little bit about the results of last week's poll.

Just because I relish conflict, I invite all in the blogosphere to check out his answer to question 5.

Great. Now I've got Material Girl stuck in my head.

Today's Philadelphia Weekly, has an update to a story they covered weeks ago about the sale of an old school building at 16th and Lombard to a developer who wanted to convert it into luxury condos. The School District sold to the developer instead of a group who wanted to convert the school into... ironically... a school, specifically the Independence Charter School.

According to the story, the developer is now selling the building to the charter school for the price he paid the school district. Apparently, his heart grew three sizes over the past few weeks:

Some area residents speculate that the developer Miles & Generalis realized neighborhood opposition to additional luxury condos would致e created a major headache for the firm.

But Alex Generalis insists his company 塗as a social conscience,� and simply embraced the residents� wish for a new school. 展hat the community wants is so diametrically opposed to our plans,� he says. 展e池e happy to help make the school happen.�

Not to sound the pessism bell too early, but could it be that he decided that the market had gotten a little too soft to be able to handle more luxury condos? Could this be the beginning of the end of the condo boom? I hope the next mayor will know how to provide a soft landing.

Hey, at least the Independence Charter School got a new building.

There's an interesting discussion about the poll results over at Phillyblog.

One contributor made the a point that it seems like some candidates may jump on to the crime bandwagon in order to be in line with the issue that is currently number one on the minds of Philly residents:

...it comes off like Nutter suddenly started talking about crime because he is running for Mayor and because this is the number one issue. For instance, if you are a candidate trying to win support, you should tout your track record in addition to your proposals (i.e., talk about what you have ALREADY accomplished, rather than simply what you HOPE to accomplish).

Though his point is specifically directed to Nutter, the same can be said about all of the current candidates who may come across as "Johnny-come-latelies" on the crime issue. In fact, another contributor makes that point farther down in the thread:

What has Fattah done for crime in Philadelphia? Brady?

So let's just say that at this point, none of the candidates stands out as someone who has devoted their entire career to the crime fighting. Terry Madonna (director of the Keystone poll) made this point very well here.

As far as I'm concerned, since none of them have the great crime fighting credentials I'm willing to put more weight behind what they say they will do as mayor and just take any of their blathering about what they have done as less important.

In an attempt to be first on the news of another candidate joining the race, the City Paper's political notebook says that Frank Rizzo, Jr. may be considering a run.

City Councilman at-large Frank Rizzo Jr. said he is talking to advisors and will make a decision shortly. Rizzo, the son of the popular mayor, was first elected in 1995 after garnering more votes than incumbent GOP Councilwoman Joan Specter. His office is known for its constituent services.

I'm willing to go out on a limb here and say that there's a better chance that Frank Rizzo, Sr. will run for mayor than there is for his progeny to jump in.

Equally unlikely is this quote from Republican Committee General Counsel, Michael Meehan, from the story just above the Rizzo story:

"The Republican Party is not going to gain power overnight. It takes time — and that time will come."

My suggestion for the Philly GOP: recruit John Timoney, Pat Croce, or Paul Vallas to run for mayor.

Bob Brady got some love as a "Hero" in Philadelphia Weekly's Winners and Weasels Heroes and Goats column. But really, wouldn't you rather see the other heroes (Bono, Mary Louise-Parker or Chase Utley) as a candidate for mayor?

The timing of Stu Bykofsky's annual candidate comedy night is a little unfortunate since next year at this time, only one of the Dirty Half Dozen (plus one) will be left standing and the GOP candidate will most likely be the cardboard cutout that Bob Casey, Jr. had on stage with him.

According to folks that I've talked to, the only potentital mayoral candidates who spoke were Bob Brady and Chaka Fattah, both in their roles as essentially unchallenged congressional candidates. Brady received his share of courtesy laughs (something I'm very used to) and Fattah was apparently quite unfunny, relying instead to play the video of his appearance on the Colbert Report.

Unless Byko changes the date of this event so that it comes before the May primary, or changes the rules so that the losing candidates can participate, we the people of Philadelphia will not be able to base our choice of next mayor on perhaps the most important criterion: who can bring the funny? (Though I can imagine what the losing candidates will bring to the table without the restrictions of having to... well... worry about getting elected).

So it's up to us, the 17 or 18 readers of this blog to decide, who is the funniest candidate?

Prompted by a New York Times story on a truly alarming development -- new recommendations by an influential federal panel to loosen the rules against testing pharmaceuticals on inmates -- Michael Nutter has come out against exposing prisoners to drugs in the latter stages of testing.

From his press release (which can be found on the NEW Next Mayor PR archive):

"This is about one thing, taking advantage of a vulnerable population – mostly black men," stated Nutter. "The City should refuse to allow drug companies to use its citizens for this purpose. It is completely immoral." Nutter suggested that "If drug companies really want to help prisoners, as they claim, they should provide funding for job training and medical services that the prisoners truly need."

While swinging at this softball, we wish Nutter had more directly gone after this statement by Ernest D. Prentice, who is, the Times says, "a University of Nebraska genetics professor and chairman of a Health and Human Services Department committee that requested the study":

"Prisoners are being arbitrarily excluded from research that can help them.”

Oh, that's what this is all about.

BTW, the story is datelined Philadelphia and, of course, refers to the history of drug testing at Holmesburg prison -- now re-opened to house some of Philly's swelling prison population.

Is he or isn't he?

At a mayoral forum hosted by Neighborhood Networks at Irish Pub last night, likely candidate and former city controller Jonathan Saidel was careful to answer every question with the caveat "if I choose to run."

But towards the end of the evening, during which he and declared candidate Michael Nutter fielded questions about the future of Philadelphia, he slipped.
Asked about cleaning up the city, Saidel said "I am running for this office of mayor because it's an opportunity for me to give back."

Nutter cried out "Ding, Ding, Ding!" and added "You almost made it!" amid laughter.

Saidel laughed and told his questioner in an aside "I am am running, but don't tell that lady behind you."

But that was no lady, it was Daily News political writer Catherine Lucey!

What do you think? Is he in?

We have another entry in the Saidel-says-he's-running sweepstakes: Knocking on doors in the Northeast, the former city controller found himself in this exchange:

Voter (who remembered him from previous campaigns): "You going to do the mayor thing?"

Saidel (smiling): "I'm with a reporter here, but the answer is 'yes.' "

So there you go. Of course, as Dave Davies points out in Friday's Daily News, that all depends on what Bob Brady does.

Daily News education reporter Mensah Dean reports a brief sighting of one of the Would-Be Mayors today at the School Reform Commission: Chaka Fattah showed up to watch the vote on CEO Paul Vallas’ new contract. (Vallas’ deal was approved – through after sharp rebukes by two SRC members who oppose Vallas, James Gallagher and Daniel Whelan. The vote was 3-2.)

SRC Chairman Jim Nevels introduced Fattah from the stage and called him the “education congressman.”

This afternoon’s forecast, by the way: Sunny, but a high chance of an afternoon press release from Fattah congratulating the SRC on its vote.

I miss the beach. Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to pitch my umbrella in the sand, slap on the SPF 50, crack open a cold Sam Adams and listen to the waves as I read some escapist fiction on the beach in North Carolina. Using my laptop and limited internet connectivity exclusively for keeping up with the Phillies scores (3 out of 4 from the Mets! Not too shabby!), I was able to leave behind the bustle of the big city and the general tumult of a soon-to-be crowded race for mayor.

Candidates and pretend candidates have been safe from my snarkiness.

I missed my opportunity to thank Tom Knox on behalf of local television stations for his generous $270,000 contribution to their bottom lines. If he's not prepared to run ads from now until May, this current one has the staying power of peeing "Knox for Mayor" in the snow except that if he did that, at least he'd be using the word mayor.

I wasn't around when Michael Nutter used some of his trademark people skills to piss off at least one potential voter. Although I disagree that promising to ride SEPTA everyday will cause the next mayor to be any more committed to fixing what ills our fair transit system. If anything, that will only make it less likely that he or she gets things done since they'll be late for work three days a week. I'll have more on my favorite acronym later.

Philly Phantom beat me to making a comparison between Jon Saidel and Jon Lovitz nor could I comment on a campaign strategy that so far has a 16-year citywide office holder sitting pretty at 8 percent in poll that essentially is based on name recognition. Saidel: "Me? Running for mayor? Sure?" (shifts eyes) "Yeah, that's the ticket."

And, according to the Inquirer, the other candidates have also been busily working on their "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" essays.

Bob Soprano Brady is working on putting together a sitdown with the other candidates to establish some rules of decorum for the campaign (rule number 1, none of youse can run against me).

John Dougherty is raising money including "at a Phillies game, in Wildwood, and on the golf course at FDR Park in South Philadelphia." Anyone who paid more than 10 bucks to play FDR should probably ask for their "contribution" back.

Chaka Fattah, meanwhile, is showing them the federal government's money, and (excuse me while I channel Dennis Miller) doing more "exploring" than Fernando Pizarro when he was searching for the lost city of El Dorado.

And finally, Dwight Evans, well, I got nothin'. You get off easy this time, State Representative.

Good to be back. Time to get serious.

If you haven't seen it, check out this fantastic debate going on over at Young Philly Politics.

YPP contributor Ben Waxman wrote a critique of Nutter's proposal to eliminate the Business Privilege Tax (N-U-T-T-E-R) in the City Paper to which Nutter responded a week later.

If you read the comments following Ben's YPP post, you get a great overview of at least one of the ways that Nutter supporters and opponents are attempting to define the so-far-only-declared candidate for mayor. You can also see both sides of the BPT debate. I'm no expert, but it seems a safe bet that Nutter's opponents will use many of the same rhetorical points that Sam Katz's opponents used.

Expect Nutter to be painted as a one-trick pony (that trick being tax cutting) and then for his opponents to say that his plans to cut taxes will lead to harmful cuts in city services. They'll mute Nutter's attempts to say that reductions in taxes will cause new business to come to Philadelphia to provide jobs for the unemployed by saying that the cuts in city services will make the city less attractive to such businesses. Therefore low-income families will get the double whammy of having supportive services pulled out from under them AND be left with even fewer job prospects. If left unchecked, Nutter's opponents will extend this further and say that his idea will lead to massive layoffs, privitization, wage cuts, trash being left to rot, human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together - mass hysteria.

If his opponents are successful, Nutter, while he may retain the support of the business community, will lose the support of liberals and most lower income people. Without them, his support among the business community and many good government types - good government being an issue that, while it may move the masses for a ballot question, isn't quite sexy enough to attract them to a candidate - will not be enough to overcome the geographical, union, and party machine support enjoyed by some of the other candidates.

Nutter's supporters will point out that the gross receipts portion of the BPT taxes businesses even if they lose money, forces them to double pay in the first year and is especially harmful to the kind of small and start up businesses that employ so many people outside of Center City. They'll trot out his 12 years of experience on City Council, tell you he's a really smart and thoughtful guy, that he has a great sense of humor, cured cancer and can time travel.

Can someone clear something up for me? Does the state requirements of tax uniformity prohibit the city from taxing businesses of different sizes (with different revenue or net income levels) at different rates?

Question 2. If the BPT were totally eliminated, what city taxes would businesses pay besides property tax (not counting wage tax)? The reason for my question, it seems reasonable that the net income of a business, its profits, should be taxed or am I missing something?

Signs of life from the Philly GOP.

Here's a quote about one our likely candidates:

Back at the clambake, Republicans dished on Democrats. Some intend to secretly help Local 98 business manager John Dougherty raise money for his possible mayoral run next year.

With enemies like that, who needs friends?

Quick quiz, hotshot. Name the all six of the city's public golf courses.

Give up?

Cobbs Creek Golf Club (Olde)
Cobbs Creek Golf Club (Karakung)
Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) Golf Club
Juniata Golf Club
John F. Byrne Golf Club
Walnut Lane Golf Club

Anyway, the reason I bring it up is because of a couple sentences from this article in the News Gleaner:

For over twenty years, all of the city courses were run through a concession agreement with Meadowbrook Golf Inc., which paid the city for the privilege of running the courses. But the company pulled out of the agreement in 2004. Since April 2005, the courses have been managed by Liberty Golf Group, who charges the city for its services.

So for 20+ years the city government was able to get a company to pay to run the courses but now the city is paying? I don't know the background but couldn't the city have held out a little longer so that at the very least, they could get someone to run the courses for free?

EDITED TO ADD: The Inquirer picked up on the sad plight of the Juniata course in a column on Sunday. I'm not saying that golf courses should be a major issue in the mayor's race, just that this story is emblematic of a lot of issues, Fairmount Park and otherwise, that have festered due to a lack of vision by our elected leaders:

Although he [Fairmount Park Commission Chief of Staff] won't come right out and say it, the truth is that until politicians and top managers stop dragging their feet and decide on the long-term fate of the courses, nothing much is going to change. Until then, he's got to make sure the fairways get cut and the golfers keep coming back.

Problem is, it's become a catch-22: The only money the city is willing to sink into maintaining the courses is what comes in from greens fees. But with rounds inching downward, in part because of conditions, there's less to spend.

Two upcoming chances to see the Would-bes on the stump (or what would be the stump, if either of them were declared candidates):

Dwight Evans will tour parts of Kensington and North Philadelphia TUESDAY to talk to local residents about crime. He did this in South Philadelphia earlier in August.

And Jonathan Saidel will join an interesting group -- Sen. Christine Tartaglione, Councilman Frank DiCicco, Councilman James Kenney and Vice Consul of Italy Raffaele Brigli -- in presenting a Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of the Italian American Community to Vince Papale. Are we sure all those people are allowed to be in the same room together?

There are a lot (A LOT) of really smart people in this city. A lot of them have blogs and many do not. A lot of them are interested in city politics but unfortunately many more are not. Ruby Legs at Phillyville is smart, has a blog and is very interested.

I'm filing all 7 suggestions away for when we get a chance to confront the candidates, although I'd be a little careful about suggesting that the good folks in South Philly give up their right to park in the middle of Broad Street. Mayor Dilworth almost got himself killed when he tried to reform parking down there.

This isn't the first time I've stolen an Aaron Sorking-penned line and it won't be the last. "Decisions are made by those who show up." Anyone reading this blog and anyone who knows anyone who is reading this blog should feel free, compelled even, to show up and tell us what policy ideas you want the mayoral candidates to consider. If they won't answer you, maybe they'll answer me. If they won't answer me, maybe they'll answer the Daily News. If they won't answer the Daily News, maybe when we ask them on live television... they'll answer.

A brief blurb in today's Inquirer reveals a little about the style of the current mayor:

Mayor Street is trimming his staff, but not through layoffs.

Those interested in the breast-cancer walk can go to www.the3day.org for more information.

I actually want to take a break from my usual snarkiness to give Mayor Street some MAJOR PROPS for participating in the Breast Cancer 3-Day walk. Nice job, Mr. Mayor!

YPP contributor Caietanus makes a good comparison of between the method used to choose replacement city councilmembers and the installation of bishops in the Middle Ages.

Here's my comment to his post:

Sometimes we get what we deserve. While in practice, you are 100% correct, that these seats will be chosen by an unelected few. In theory, Philadelphians do have a choice even in this situation. Registered voters choose committee people. Committee people choose ward leaders. Ward leaders from the two major parties choose nominees to fill vacant Council seats. The problem, of course, is that the committee person elections occur during off-year, non-mayoral primaries which are lucky to get 15% turnout. The other problem is that there is far too little civic engagement so that qualified people aren't even running for committee person. What we end up with most of the time are committee people recruited by ward leaders who are then elected by voters that the ward leaders have asked to come out and vote. Of course, there are exceptions, as in my home ward and division.

Unless the electorate becomes much more active, takes the time to educate themselves and shows up to vote for every position, from mayor down to committee person, we'll continue to get the kinds of office holders we deserve. In fact, you hit the nail exactly on the head when you expressed your doubts about an open election. Even an open election, a primary, whether a special date or held on the same day as the May 2007 primary, would most likely produce the same end result with the way the party is able to influence the outcome of low profile races like District Council. And yes, those are low profile races to your average Philadelphian. In fact, when I walked around the Seventh District for a day trying to get reaction to Rick Mariano's resignation, I got more people saying "who's that?" than any other response (second was "he's a good guy, he does good for the district").

So this quote I found the other day for one of my own blog posts continues to ring true:

"Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber."

As I'm preaching to the choir, I'll just say pass that along next time someone who complains about the trash on the ground also claims not to be interested in politics.

It's time, once again, for another edition of our occasional series in which we take a look at how the other half lives. This time on Meet the Mayors, we have a quick roundup of innovative policies being pursued in other large cities throughout the country.

Click on "Continue Reading" and decide for yourself if the grass really is greener on the other side.

Describes my reaction to this headline:

Study: 270,000 in city were abused as kids

It appears the next mayor has an even harder job on his or her hands than we already thought. And if you don't think the office of the mayor can or should do anything about this, well, then I'm horrified and disappointed.

The worst part about the epidemic of abused kids in the city: Fewer resources to help them.

Contained in PICA's most recent report on the city budget is this item:

"The largest estimated decrease in obligations is for the Department of Human
Services. Because of cuts in federal funding, the City was forced to reduced [sic] estimated DHS obligations by over $41M."

That's right. $41 million less for the agency that takes care of kids who are abused, sexually or otherwise.

This while the city has a surplus or fund balance or whatever you call it.

And yes, I realize those are two different pots of money, but c'mon.

Crime isn't your issue? Or your ONLY issue?

Frustrated by the failure of other important issues to be raised in this race?

Think you want the Would-be Mayors to know -- even at this early stage -- what you really care about?

This is your chance.

Comment here with the issues that you really want to see raised in this race. We will watch these closely. And when we see issues that have real consensus behind them (or that we think are essential to the race) we will add them to the list of issues that we are tracking for the duration of the campaign.

And we will make sure that the candidates address these issues during the race.

You'll note that we are careful about what we're promising there. We aren't doing every issue. Just the ones with real support.

But that should also encourage you to stuff the ballot box. So forward this post, and let us know what you want to hear in the race!

The Daily News editorial board weighed in on the special elections for City Council that will take place in November. Not unexpectedly, they join others who are opposed to the idea of leaving the nomination of candidates up to ward leaders.

Towards the end of the piece, they put forward an idea that I really hadn't considered:

Democratic Chairman Bob Brady could suggest both parties opt out of the process and let candidates file independently, to be listed on November's ballot.

Of course, they then go on to describe that idea as "laughable," which is probably why no one else has written it. But it kind of makes you wonder, aside from the fact that it totally would not be in the interests of the ward leaders and the party leaders to give up this power, why not?

Ok, so there'd be logistical problems. But considering that our next mayor will most likely be chosen by far less than 50% of the voters, why not just let any candidate who can gather the requisite number of signatures get themselves on the ballot as whatever party they want. Whoever gets the most votes overall, Republican, Democrat, Green, Independent, Socialist, whatever, is the winner.

Sure, the process might still be slanted towards the candidates who would have gotten the party's nomination anyway, but at least people would have a choice.

In this Daily News piece about the still-not-officially-in-effect smoking ban, former Councilman Nutter demonstrates how liberating it is to have the word "former" in his title:

Nutter said Street should sign the bill before him and urge the addition of an amendment banning smoking at sidewalk cafes to the DiCicco bill.

"If he can't get an itsy-bitsy amendment about sidewalk cafes, then that's pretty pathetic for someone who considers himself a leader," Nutter said.

'dems fightin' words.

I love stories like this one from the Holmesburg section of the city. Apparently, an Atlanta-based firm is having a hard time convincing the neighbors that their idea for a 20-acre tract of land, that at one time was a raging, 10-alarm tire fire, would be good for the neighborhood:

I didn't get a chance to comment on this Tom Ferrick column yesterday, but I did find another answer to one of the overall questions of The Next Mayor Project. What is your definition of leadership? What do we want from our elected leaders, especially the mayor and what have we come to expect from them?

Ferrick, ably playing the role of Congressman Brady, says:

When you get right down to it, leadership is simply a matter of how you slice the pie.

Man, I hope that's not it. Does anyone else have a better one?

From ninth grade until I moved into Center City two years ago, I depended on the Market Frankford Line to transport me into and out of the city. I remember the old El cars, the ones without air conditioning and which required that you sit on top of the heat vent in the winter in order to stay warm.

I also remember when SEPTA, in its infinite wisdom, replaced them with the shiny new, air-conditioned, El cars, complete with beautifully upholstered seats. As this letter to the Inquirer indicates, it's not only the train drivers who fall asleep at the switch over at your region's transportation authority:

In all the articles about SEPTA, its needs and its efficiencies, I have yet to see a reference to the debacle of the upholstered seats on the subway cars. These seats quickly became soiled, ripped and unsightly. Having had the misfortune to sit in a seat that turned out to be wet, I now choose to stand.
...
Some SEPTA employee, lacking any common sense, made the decision to buy the upholstered seats.

The writer points out that SEPTA has been replacing these seats with the more solid, common-sense types of seats that are generally found on the buses.

There's been a lot of news about mass transportation in general and SEPTA in particular over the last several days. Many of the other blogs have also mentioned transit and transit funding as major issues that need to be addressed by the next mayor. Ray Murphy, a contributor to Young Philly Politics, even mentioned it in one of our early Counter Intelligence missions.

I hope to explore the issue in a little more depth in the coming days and weeks and write about the real big picture stuff as well as bring to light a lot of really cool ideas that are already floating around out there in the blogosphere. For now, though, I just want Joe Baker, El rider, to know that I agree with him 100 percent.