Nutter's made a bunch of campaign promises

November 07, 2007|By CATHERINE LUCEY, luceyc@phillynews.com 215-854-4172

Promises, promises.

During Nutter's campaign, he released more than a dozen policy papers - papers so detailed that the footnotes have footnotes. Here are some of his key promises. Only time will tell if he can keep them.

Public safety

* On day one, will declare crime emergencies in the worst neighborhoods, where cops will be able to halt gatherings, stop traffic and set curfews.

* Within three years will hire 500 more police officers.

* Will use "stop and frisk" policing more aggressively to get illegal guns off the streets.

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Education

* In his first month, will ask the school district to cooperate with an independent financial audit.

* Will push for the state to revise funding to provide more money to Philadelphia.

Ethics

* Will require all city officials to file online financial disclosures every year and will post the data on the city Web site.

* Will require all candidates for city office to publicly disclose their tax returns for four years prior to the election year.

Housing

* Wants to change the 10-year tax abatement to five years in thriving neighborhoods and to 15 years in struggling areas.

* Will fully fund the Housing Trust Fund and ask officials to produce 1,000 units of affordable housing annually, aided by the fund, as well as property-tax and real-estate-transfer-tax revenues.

The arts

* Has promised to reopen the Office of Arts and Culture.

* Has pledged to increase city funding to the cultural fund by $1 million in his first year, with a goal of a $6 million operating budget by the end of his first term.

The environment

* Has pledged to plant 23,000 trees.

* Will provide weekly recycling for all residents.

* In his first year, will develop environmental plans for city buildings.

Transportation

* Will extend the city's network of bicycle lanes and signs.

* Will push Harrisburg to give Philadelphia greater representation on the SEPTA board. The city has only 13 percent of the votes despite representing most of the riders.

Economic development

* In his first term, promises to double the number of contracts awarded to minority-, female- and disadvantaged-owned businesses.

* Will require construction trade unions that do city work to triple their minority and female apprentices within three years.

* By the end of his first term, will fully meet the city's obligation to Community College. The city is meant to fund a third of the cost but has been funding just 20 percent.

Taxes

* Will sustain scheduled reductions to the wage tax, to a rate of 3.25 percent by 2015.

* Will establish a schedule to gradually eliminate the gross-receipts portion of the business-privilege tax. *

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