As a city councilman, Nutter was one of the bright lights in a group of mostly dim bulbs. He understood the city's problems and had displayed the guts to tackle them. Even better, he didn't appear beholden to the Democratic machine or politics of pay-to-play.
But after two years on the job, Nutter is shaping up to be an ordinary mayor.
Granted, these are extraordinary times, and the recession dealt Nutter a bad hand. But rather than using the economic crisis as an opportunity to overhaul City Hall, his administration seems discombobulated by it.
What is Nutter's ultimate vision? Running an honest government? That's great. But is the bar so low in Philadelphia that simply not being corrupt passes for success?
For better or worse, mayors are often defined by one or two major events or themes. Wilson Goode is forever linked to the bombing of the MOVE compound. Ed Rendell brought the city back from the brink of bankruptcy and spruced up Center City. Street towed abandoned cars and survived the feds' bugging of his office. (And was almost first in line for an iPhone.)
Nutter, unless his administration changes course dramatically and soon, will be known as a very nice mayor who preserved the City Hall bureaucracy.
True, the city's budget woes have left Nutter with mostly bad options. But his response to this challenge has been mostly pedestrian.
Rather than find innovative ways to cut costs and increase efficiency, Nutter has mainly looked to raise taxes. This isn't just a Nutter flaw; most government leaders find it impossible to reduce spending.
But the problem is that raising taxes is especially harmful in Philadelphia. The city already has the highest tax burden in the country, and its tax base is shrinking as the cost of the bureaucracy is exploding. Tax increases will only exacerbate this disparity and put the city on the road to becoming the next Detroit.
