The pattern of John Failure Street avoiding debate and discussion on the issues and his performance continues:

Street Cancels Yet Another Appearance at Mayoral Forum
Cancellations a pattern of neglect to community groups

PHILADELPHIA, PA – September 24, 2003 – In a display of indifference and arrogance that is becoming increasingly familiar to community groups, Mayor John Street today snubbed a group of Philadelphia seniors after canceling a promised appearance at the mayoral forum organized by the Action Alliance of Senior Citizens.

“Anyone running for office in this city should be there to at least acknowledge the concerns of senior citizens — housing, transportation, utilities,” said event organizer and seniors activist Pedro Rodriguez in today’s Daily News.

This is not the first time the Mayor has left forum organizers high and dry with cancellations or surrogates. Other instances include:
· July 29 – The Mayor skips a candidates forum sponsored by the Grays Ferry Community Council, Committee of Concerned Citizens, Forgotten Bottom Neighborhood Association, Friends of Stinger Square, Martin Luther King Village Neighborhood Association and the South Philadelphia Rainbow Committee. Sam attends.
· September 10 – The Mayor refuses to share the stage with Sam at Young Involved Philadelphians forum. Sam attends.
· September 12 – The Mayor skips the Latino Workforce Development Mayoral Forum at Julia de Burgos Elementary School, refusing to come if Sam is there, according to a report in Al Dia. Sam attends.
· September 17 – The Mayor skips the Society Hill and Washington Square West Civic Associations mayoral forum, sending a surrogate instead. Sam attends.
· September 19 – The Mayor sends a surrogate to address the Design Advocacy Group mayoral forum. Sam attends.
· September 21 – The Mayor skips the Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays mayoral forum, canceling 5 minutes before his scheduled appearance. Sam attends.
· September 25 - The Greater Philadelphia Development Corporation is forced to cancel its event when the Mayor refuses to share it with Sam. Sam agrees to attend.

Neighborhood leaders are starting to wonder if their communities are important to the Mayor:

“All the while he takes such a strange interest in the career development of drug dealers, Mayor Street chooses not to bother coming to Grays Ferry to speak with our law-abiding residents.” - James Helman, Editor, Citizens Voice, Grays Ferry newsletter, July, 2003.

“A group of community organizations, headed by “Philadelphia Workforce Development Corporation,” worked for five months to organize a forum for the mayoral candidates… John Street maintained silence until July, when he made it known that he would attend if they would guarantee that he was going to be alone since he would not share the event with Katz… Only on Thursday, the 11th of September (the day before the forum), did the Mayor inform them that he would definitely not attend.” - Alonso Heredia, Editor, Al Dia, September 21-27, 2003.

“These Philadelphians have made time in their busy lives because they care enough about this City to make an informed decision on November 4,” said Maureen Garrity, press secretary for the Katz for Mayor Campaign. “The Mayor’s complete disregard for their time and their vote sends a powerful message. If he doesn’t care about them in an election year, how responsive will he be to them over the next four years?”

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WHYY had a forum that discussed the current campaign with several of Philadelphia's media moguls. The hostess said that was not the intended format of the show.

The show send out invitations to both Sam Katz and John Street, so as to present them in two 30-minute interviews (one half hour with Katz, the other with Street) to allow viewers to compare and contrast the two candidates.

Sam Katz accepted WHYY's invitation. John Street declined, saying that the format was not of his style.

Good lord. I can't believe there are people out there who would actually vote for a turkey like this. Street has consistently declined and stood-up invitations in the past, starkly showing his lack of accessibility.

Could it be because Street is more afraid of saying something idiotic than not saying anything at all?

I feel Street's days are numbered. How many days to the election?

Street did the same thing in the last election. Between then & now I've heard of / attended more of these Street no-show events than I can even remember.

I'll add another one to the list: YIP also hosted a forum on the LOVE Park issue back in the summer. Each campaign was supposed to send a representative (not the candidate himself). The Katz guy was there bright & early; the Street rep never showed.

On Street's no-show at the DAG forum, from this week's City Paper:

Ghost Candidate
http://citypaper.net/articles/current/cityspace2.shtml

He's supposed to show up to a YIP event, I was planning on going, but he may not show up.

I think this does say a lot about him...being mayor is tiring especially when you have mayoral duties to fulfill AND you have to run a campaign, but hey that comes with the job, no one forced him.

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Right, YIP is trying to host a forum with each candidate. Already did Katz a few weeks ago, very successfully - good crowd, good discussion with him. Last I'd heard they still hadn't managed to get a commitment out of Street as to whether he'd come.

Our neighborhood association (FCA) has been trying to get the mayor to come see us since the 99 election, with no success.

I don't that's it. he missed the African leaders conference a few years ago and irked them all.

Right, that's the reasoning his people trot out when he blows off yet another gig - he's busy being mayor, he doesn't have time to "pander" (Frank Keel's word, I know, I've mentioned this before, but I find it amazing he used that term) like Katz does.

But then the Daily News reports a few days ago that, while Katz is meeting with yet another in a long list of community groups he's seen in past months, Street is - wait for it - attending the announcement about our new arena football team.

So he has time for arena football but not for "pandering" to the citizens of Philadelphia.