Mayor of Philadelphia Speaks Out in Support of Hillary Clinton

[bigtree]

The Hillary Clinton I Know

By MAYOR MICHAEL NUTTER

3/26/2008

AS THE DEMOCRATIC presidential primary continues to unfold across Pennsylvania, and especially here in Philadelphia, the focus has become increasingly blurred.

Race, gender, supporters' comments, domestic issues, international issues and personality are all clamoring for our attention.

In my view, the most important issue in this election is selecting the candidate who is best equipped to help us revitalize and energize our city and make Philadelphia America's number one metropolis.

With that in mind, I believe that the best candidate for Philadelphia is the one who has not only ideas but the skills to implement them, is willing to embrace change while also working in collaboration with us at the local level, is experienced and willing to extend a helping hand and possesses both good judgment and a profound sense of social justice.

Based on those criteria, I've made my decision on which candidate I support. I have endorsed Senator Hillary Clinton.

Hillary Clinton has an impressive, 35-year record of fighting on behalf of working families and children; fighting for universal health care for every American, and has a comprehensive plan to end the war in Iraq and restore our standing around the world.

But, most importantly, she has a strong commitment to revitalizing our urban centers, and I believe that under her leadership our American cities will rise again.

The Hillary Clinton agenda for revitalizing Philadelphia and other major metropolitan areas is called Leave No City Behind, and it creates a vital partnership between our efforts here in Philadelphia and the efforts of the federal government.

Consider this fact: Across the nation we have seen our infrastructure crumbling. From the horrific impact of Katrina in New Orleans, to last summer's bridge collapse in Minnesota, to last week's emergency repairs on I-95. Senator Clinton will work with our city to create a true federal-local partnership that helps repair our deteriorating infrastructure before disaster strikes.

Senator Clinton's Leave No City Behind agenda also takes on violent crime, for example, by reinstituting the COPS grant program that was so effective in the 1990s, providing resources for hiring more community police officers. It also tackles crime at its root by channeling resources toward improving re-entry programs to reduce recidivism, which in turn reduces the crime rate. Philadelphia has an effective program for re-entry, and Hillary Clinton believes the federal government should, too.

Senator Clinton includes in her urban agenda an aggressive program to improve our educational system by creating increased access to high-quality early childhood education programs and better K-12 outcomes. Perhaps most importantly, the Leave No City Behind agenda does NOT include the No Child Left Behind program, a colossal failure that turned students into test takers and issued mandates with no money to implement them.

Of course, no urban agenda would be complete without a plan to lift city residents up out of poverty and Senator Clinton's plan will help by making sure every person has access to quality, affordable health care, raising the minimum wage, taking aggressive steps to keep families in their homes, and providing job training opportunities for at risk youth.

It includes an ambitious green-collar job-training initiative that would train more than a million workers in our inner cities to rebuild and retrofit buildings to be more eco-friendly. And it promotes the creation of an urban infrastructure bank to help drive investment in our urban building projects. This is just the kind of leadership our country needs.

These issues are important to the citizens of Philadelphia but also to people across the nation. I took my time talking with the candidates and weighing my options before I chose a candidate to support, and I would expect nothing less from voters in Philadelphia. I believe that Senator Clinton shares my commitment to healing lives and broken families while, at the same time, healing a nation and fulfilling its promises to its citizens.

It's a new day in Philadelphia and Hillary Clinton is bringing new leadership to the country and to our city that I believe will make life better - for all of us. I encourage everyone to take a close look at Senator Clinton's record and her vision. The leadership that you see today is a preview of the kind of leader she will be as our president.

Philadelphia needs Hillary Clinton as a friend in the White House.


http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/

[C_U_L8R]

1. Leave No City Behind? Is this a joke ???

Mayor Nutter ?

[bigtree]

2. no. it's a reflection of what voters actually care about

. . . kind of a refreshing change from the nonsense, back-and forth over trivial things which we obsess over here.

[C_U_L8R]

17. Well I couldn't imagine a more unfortunate name

for whatever it is he thinks he's getting.
Looks like a lot of headlines and no body copy.
No City Left Behind ??? That's a hoot.

[bigtree]

23. It's backed by a credible economic plan. I'm not surprised at the snickering though.

That's the level of discourse in this forum.

[boppers]

25. It wasn't a mistake.

From the text: "the Leave No City Behind agenda does NOT include the No Child Left Behind....".

I think she's trying to use it as a competing plan, or a replacement.

[leftofcool]

3. Thank you Mayor Nutter

Finally, it's about the issues

[ProSense]

4. OMG, Hillary is trying to take credit for the cops program?

Fought For 100,000 Additional Cops on the Street. As a former prosecutor, John Kerry understands the importance of strong law enforcement. That's why he led the fight to add police on our streets through his amendment to the 1993 Crime Control bill. John Kerry's amendment provided for $150 million to hire 100,000 new police officers - a measure widely regarded as having helped to lower the crime rate across the country.

link

S.AMDT.1202
Amends: S.1607
Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. (submitted 11/16/1993) (proposed 11/16/1993)
AMENDMENT PURPOSE:
To provide an additional authorization of $150,000,000 for fiscal year 1996 for the police corps.

TEXT OF AMENDMENT AS SUBMITTED: CR S15794

[leftofcool]

6. "reinstituting the COPS"

No where does it say she is taking credit for it. She is trying to get it "re-instituted."

[ProSense]

10. That's a crock.

Community Oriented Policing Services

Nutter just became the Mayor of Philly, he's doing his job as a Hillary shill!

[zulchzulu]

19. I spotted that LIE too...

She voted for the S.Amdt.529 on S.Con.Res.21. By her vote, she "reinstituted" it although she wasn't a sponsor, a co-sponsor or had anything to do with the Biden amendment to it.

[Barack_America]

5. Sorry, but as a Philadelphian, this just isn't going to have much sway.

Nutter doesn't seem to have much clout yet with people around here (he's new).

In Philly, Chaka Fattah, SS-Phil Hughes, SS-Anthony Williams, the black ward leaders and the black clergy have all officially endorsed Obama. And they are working to get out the vote for him. These are established leaders in the city and have much greater influence, IMO.

[bigtree]

7. she does have the endorsement of the Governor of Pennsylvania

And, from the mayor of Pittsburgh.

[Barack_America]

13. Again, of questionable influence in Philadelphia.

Attitudes towards Rendell have soured a bit as of late, for various reasons.

In Philly, local politics seem to reign supreme. And a lot of the local politicians are coming out against Nutter and Rendell. Sorry, but that's just the reality of the situation here.

[bigtree]

15. the reality is that she's way ahead in polling

so, I think these have had a good influence on her support, not the negative you represent without any evidence at all.

[Barack_America]

18. I think that you are confusing Philadelphia, the city, with Pennsylvania, the state.

I have been specifically speaking of Philadelphia.

Are you saying that you can show me a poll with Hillary in the lead in Philadelphia?

Philadelphia usually votes against the rest of the state. You want to know how Kerry won PA in 2004 and how Rendell himself got elected? By the vote in Philadelphia and its surrounding counties outweighing the rest of the state. That is simply political fact.

[bigtree]

20. well, we'll see. I think Nutter expresses her value to Pennsylvania voters well.

[leftofcool]

8. Are you speaking for all Pennsylvanians?

[Barack_America]

11. No. Phil-a-del-phi-a.

Nutter is the mayor of Philadelphia. Rendell is the governor of Pennsylvania. Nutter's influence is largely limited to Philadelphia. And in Philadelphia it is limited due to the endorsements that I provided for you.

Do I presume to speak for all Philadelphians? No. But I do have a sense of the political environment in many parts of the city. Philly will go for Obama big-time. You can take that to the bank.

[JVS]

9. Since Rendell is letting PA supers know that he'll fuck over anyone who backs Obama...

I consider any PA superdelegate's endorsement to be coerced.

[BigDDem]

21. Cant wait to see your link to that!

Please provide.

[Jed Dilligan]

12. Obama's plan is similar

http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/poverty/

I prefer it because of the promise neighborhoods initiative and the inclusion of affordable housing.

[bigtree]

16. thanks for posting.

[Beacool]

14. Thank you mayor Nutter!!!!

Nice speech, thanks for your support!!!

[BumRushDaShow]

22. Obama is going to take this city by storm.

Mixmaster Mike and his minion Fast Eddie, is speaking to an empty chamber here.

[AX10]

24. K & R!