Just in time to make cities an issue in the 2008 presidential race! House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has asked U.S. Rep. (and former mayoral candidate) Chaka Fattah to lead a Congressional coalition of the nation's largest cities.
Fattah has been named Chairman of the Congressional Urban Caucus, which will "unite House Members who represent the nation's largest metropolitan areas to formulate ideas on how best to address the challenges faced in America's urban communities," according to Fattah's press release.
It would be excellent if Pelosi, Fattah and Co., or for that matter, anyone, could force cities front and center as the presidential race heats up.
Comments (5)
I'm just afraid that Fattah's somewhat dated approach, tax and spend on programs where data is not in, is going to fall on deaf ears in both parties.
Fattah was quick to call the bug a "conservative plot" but, you'll forgive me if I point out that he didn't see the beam in his own party's eye.
Fattah (and Brady, et al) didn't see the deep flaws in their own local house. I just say that this is going to be an obstacle to credibility. It would have been better if Fattah had been more of a reformer, new idea guy than a status quo old school east coast democrat. I'm just pointing out what is playing for Dems nationally.
I think conservatives get that big cities need help, but the help they are offering is a new kind than the blank check, no questions asked of the 70s.
The democrats that take the bipartisan, conservative Democrat (read Bill Clinton) approach will gain ground. Bill Clinton, remember, passed Welfare Reform.
Can Fattah take a page from that book?
Posted by Anonymous | November 14, 2007 1:20 AM
If Fattah can call for urban renewal with a private market focus, that mandates competitive bidding for the dollars, then that will be a change from the ugly past where nobody really knows where the money went for HOPE I-VII.
Fattah would have to support the calls for better accounting of housing and redevelopment authorities, all of the Great Depression era agencies that are luffing on properties that are not funded for upkeep or new building.
That may include selling property for ready cash now, and focusing on lean strategies, such as building for greatest need, like seniors only housing, assisted living, active living for seniors and the disabled, and the like.
The age of the able bodied single parent family getting housing for life with the satellite dish on the PHA rental that pays no property taxes has to end.
Fattah seems unable to even see the flaws in the best intentioned programs with little adequate oversight.
PHA, for example, is making enemies because some of the employees who assign housing will move someone up on the list for a fee. This is something the papers don't like to write about, for fear of being seen as bashing PHA. But the harm done to PHA's request for federal funds is obvious. Only a few letters of complaint have to be written to federal reps, Fattah's peers, in order to stymie funding on city programs.
When are the liberal dems going to concede on issues like fiscal controls built in so as to guarantee funding?
PA blew off some $120 million in social services funding because it missed the welfare to work guidelines this year. Hello, folks, not too bright. I dare say the money would have come in handy, and that any "point" that the local dems wanted to prove is lost on everyone.
Posted by Anonymous | November 14, 2007 1:28 AM
Who is the presidential race heating up for. Because of many observations , I know of no intelligent voters interested in who the next president will be at this moment in history. A lot of folks in Philly and surrounding counties are glad we've completed our elections , well at least most of what was our local entitled turn.
The exceleration or math percharge here belongs to who else but the politicians , FOX news , CNN and MSNBC.
I think Pelosi , Fattah and Co., will do very well with the help of gangstas addressing the challenges facing America's urban communities.
Being part of an able witting. Fattah and Pelosi can be sure of a great gang-plank.
Posted by Jasper Zeigler Jr | November 14, 2007 1:16 PM
Empty post for a political lightweight. This is merely window dressing.
The only real representative truly capable of bringing the money Nutter needs for our city is Brady. He has real clout now and regardless of the differences in political philosophies, he will be the one bringing home the money for Nutter and the City of Philadelphia. You can bank on that.
As for Fattah.............
Posted by A New Philadelphia | November 14, 2007 7:30 PM
Great. Now we can just sit back and watch our cities whither and die.
Posted by Anonymous | November 14, 2007 11:22 PM