Great Expectations

Here's your opportunity to help Great Expectations craft a civic to-do list for Philadelphia's next mayor - likely Democratic primary winner Michael Nutter - and City Council.

Imagine that Michael Nutter has shown up at your home and is sitting across the kitchen table from you. You have his undivided attention.

So, complete the following sentence: "Yo, Mike, the one thing I really need you to do is ..."

You've only got a few minutes to make your pitch, so narrow it down to the one thing that you feel most passionate about when it comes to this city or region.

Once you've decided how you'd finish that sentence, post 150 words or so to the comments section of this thread. (Please include your name and hometown or neighborhood.)

Nutter has agreed to read these citizen messages and to respond to as many of them as he can.

We've got seven months until our new leaders take office. Let's get started.

(Read the full Inquirer editorial on the Yo, Mike! project here.)

The good news: Early response to the Yo, Mike invitation (see the original Yo, Mike! post below) is strong.
The bad news: People have a lot to say to Mr. Nutter, so that comment string is approaching James Michener length.
So I'm starting a second string for more comments ... HERE.

Try to write your comment so as to complete the unfinished sentence in the prompt:

Yo, Mike! The one thing I really need you to do is ...

Thanks. - Chris Satullo

The comments keep pouring in from citizens who have something to say to Michael Nutter. Here, I'll be posting ideas that came in via email in the last few days. Add your own response in this comments area, or go to the "Yo, Mike II" thread below.

Remember, you're completing the sentence:

"Yo, Mike! The one thing I really need you to do is ..."

Look for a sampling of Yo, Mike! essays, along with a note from Michael Nutter thanking citizens their energetic input and good wishes, on Thursday's commentary page in the published Inquirer.

In July, we'll start running one essay a week in the paper, with replies from Nutter and, if he wants, Al Taubenberger as well.

-- Chris Satullo

As promised, the first sampling of responses was printed in today's Inquirer, along with a note from Michael Nutter. Check them out on the Great Expecations Web site's Yo, Mike! page.

Citizens' voices will be featured throughout the summer, so keep the comments coming. (For those of you hoping to make it into print, I'd suggest that you stick to one topic, follow the 150-word limit, and include your name and neighborhood/town. That said, I don't choose which ones make the cut. I'm just offering tips based on past experience.)

It was Wednesday night and what better thing did I have to do than to head to a potluck dinner with 2007 Philadelphia mayoral candidates Al Taubenberger (R) and Michael Nutter (D)? Pictured above are eight of the ten Philadelphians who made it out for the potluck dinner/discussion with the candidates at the center of the shot. But how did we all get to this South Philly home for the dinner? Let's back up a sec.

Great Expectations is a joint venture between the Inquirer and the UPenn Project on Civic Engagement; the full project description here. After the primaries back in May, then editorial page editor Chris Satullo ran into Democratic primary winner Nutter at a restaurant. Nutter brought up the idea of a series of get-to-know-you dinners in neighborhoods all around Philly. Great idea, but one condition, Satullo said, Taubenberger's gotta be there too. And thus the potluck dinners were born. How'd I end up in the fray? Well, you write 3,100 posts over the course of three or so years, you piss some people off, you make some people happy and maybe, just maybe, you get noticed by someone with some juice and maybe, just maybe, those someones have someone send you an email asking you to trot down to South Philly with your gear and have some free grub. Who could say no? Back to the dinner. Satullo segued into South Philly by quoting colleague and Philadelphia legend, and South Philly native, Acel Moore, that there are two kinds of people: those from South Philly and those who wish they were from South Philly. Since I don't wish I was from South Philly, I guess I'm from South Philly. Go figure, I thought I was from NY — I learn something new from the Inky almost every day.

Twenty-three people in total made it out for the inaugural potluck in South Philly. The organizers even had seating arrangements covered. I just happened to be seated next to someone I knew — former candidate for City Council Damon Roberts. He ran for Councilwoman Anna Verna's Second District seat and lost. And full disclosure: I passed out literature for him in the Second District. To my left was Satullo who pecked away on his laptop while I wrote longhand in my pad; Satullo noticed this a few minutes into the discussion and said that we should switch places behind each other's note taking devices. Why no laptop for me? Since I had my photo gear with me, I figured it would be easier to put down a pen and pad than a sensitive laptop.

Albert Yee did a great job reporting on the flow of conversation at the first Yo! Mike, Yo! Al potluck dinner dialogue in South Philly Wednesday nigthat the D’Aarreca home.

See his post right below this one; great photos and I'm thrilled that, in a real public service, he took none of me.

Thought I’d supplement with some direct quotes from the conversation that I managed to record because I, the dead-tree media dinosaur, had a laptop while Albert was wielding his camera and scribbling furiously with pen on paper. Go figure.

-- Chris Satullo

About gentrification and taxes:

Franklin Evans of South Philadelphia: I’m a gentrifier myself, though I moved in about 15 years ago. My wife and I, we can afford reasonable taxes, but I see my neighbors feeling the pinch. My biggest question is: What’s the justification for the 10-year abatement on property taxes for new construction. My house is worth $150,000, but there’s $400.000 homes going up near me, and their taxes will be a third of mine.

Friday night, the second of the Yo! Mike, Yo, Al! Potluck Dinner Dialogues was held in Mount Airy.
Michael Cunningham, a blogger who contributes to Young Philly Politics, filed this report:

Friday evening, I had the pleasure of joining a Pot Luck at Ebony Stanton and John Weidman‘s house in Mount Airy as part of the Inquirer’s Great Expectations/Citizens Voices Forum. Below I relate my interpretation of some of the highlights of the evening with a healthy dose of paraphrasing. To the extent possible, I'm letting participants thoughts speak for themselves and accept all responsibility for any errors or misinterpretations. Comments and feedback are welcome.

Once again, I’m supplementing the fine report done by our citizen blogger, Michael Cunningham, with some more-or-less direct quotes I tapped into my laptop as I tried to keep up with swift flow of conversation at the second Yo! Mike, Yo! Al Potluck Dinner Dialogue at the home of John Weidman and Ebony Staton in Mount Airy, on Friday, Aug. 24.

-- Chris Satullo

THE ENVIRONMENT

Citizen Annie Leary – My issue is the environment. I do struggle with that because I know we’re in a city. And what can one city do with global warming
It’s a huge problem but in reality a lot of cities are leading the way in doing something to address.

Citizen Rev. Adan Mareira -- When kids are getting shot, it’s hard to focus on that. I will say this about the environment. We do have beautiful community gardens, they used to be vacant lots. Getting those gardens in did organize community. We’re proud of it.

Citizen Patricia Berrian – The gardens are one way to get youth involved, so it does connect. They get down into the dirt and do something. They say: I grew this in this neighborhood; I did this. It builds hope.