Michael Nutter

FOR MAYOR   Democrat: MICHAEL NUTTER   Republican: JOHN FEATHERMAN   COUNCIL AT LARGE   The Democrats:   ANDY TOY EDWARD NESMITH JIM KENNEY BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN BILL GREEN   The Republicans:   MALCOLM LAZIN JOE McCOLGAN STEPHEN ODABASHIAN DAVID OH AL TAUBENBERGER   COUNCIL DISTRICTS   1st District: JOE GRACE...

FOR MAYOR   Democrat: MICHAEL NUTTER   Republican: JOHN FEATHERMAN   COUNCIL AT LARGE   The Democrats:   ANDY TOY EDWARD NESMITH JIM KENNEY BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN BILL GREEN   The Republicans:   MALCOLM LAZIN JOE McCOLGAN STEPHEN ODABASHIAN DAVID OH AL TAUBENBERGER   COUNCIL DISTRICTS   1st District: JOE GRACE...

I WAS VERY disappointed in the news coverage of the candidates before the primary. Michael Nutter was given such positive exposure and the other candidates' accomplishments were minimized. I'm not displeased that Michael Nutter won the primary, but I feel that Tom Knox was barely mentioned - and when he was, it was mostly negative rhetoric. Bob Brady should not have been a candidate. It was obvious his whole premise for running was to take away votes from the others. His position was, "If not me, then vote for Nutter.

WHILE MAYOR Nutter was at Yale University on Monday talking about gun violence, his anticrime efforts back in Philly took a beating from the city's top prosecutor. At a City Council hearing, District Attorney Seth Williams lambasted Nutter's proposed budget for the D.A.'s office of about $32 million, similar to the current year's funding. Williams said a flatlined budget would, in effect, be a cut for him because he's taken on new responsibilities and costs in recent years. "What we do is simply not valued by the mayor," said Williams, who is asking for $2.8 million more.

WE MUST ELECT Milton Street to City Council. The entertainment value would far exceed his $100,000 yearly salary. Tom Schmidt, Philadelphia Re Milton's comments about Michael Nutter: Where is the outrage of the NAACP? An African-American mayoral candidate in Philadelphia is being bombarded with racial slurs. Where is Jesse Jackson? Where is Al Sharpton? Oh, that's right - these remarks are being made by an African-American, Milton Street. Does that make it acceptable?

Tom Knox, the millionaire businessman who finished second to Michael Nutter in the Democratic mayoral primary in 2007, will chair a task force to look at current and alternative uses for about 2,000 city-owned buildings. Nutter signed an executive order Wednesday creating the panel. Its 13 members will be appointed by the mayor, with members to be drawn from universities, the Bar Association, the Building Owners and Managers Association, the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, City Council, and commercial real estate brokers.

LAST WEEK, we asked for your thoughts on the hard-fought mayoral primary. Here they are: Everyone seemed to be concentrating totally on the Democratic candidates for mayor and writing off any Republican candidate. Now, looking toward the November election, the Democrats should not take Republican Al Taubenberger for granted. Taubenberger won the Republican primary in a landslide percentage far greater than any of Ronald Reagan's. He fought off challenges from write-in candidates Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, who are more well-liked and better well-known.

I AM TIRED of hearing legislators crying "no new taxes. " Why? What's wrong about tax increases? Would you rather have new and more efficient roads and bridges, or no new taxes? Would you rather have a new and more efficient infrastructure, or no new taxes? Would you rather have a functioning and more efficient school system, or no new taxes? I could go on and on, but these are just a few serious problems that need to be addressed now. If these can't happen unless taxes are raised, then I say raise the taxes.

Already boasting the support of two city labor unions, mayoral candidate T. Milton Street Sr. sought the backing Tuesday evening of a third, but failed. Delegates from District Council 47 of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, which represents Philadelphia's white-collar government workers, voted at their Walnut Street headquarters not to endorse either Street or Mayor Nutter in the May 17 Democratic primary. Nutter was not invited to the meeting.