Safe Streets program to face cuts - PhillyBlog

IMPAQ · #1 (**permalink**) 11-07-2003, 08:50 AM

Street's safe; Safe Streets might not be
Cuts in anti-drug program eyed
By JIM NOLAN & CATHERINE LUCEY
nolanj@phillynews.com

Quote:

THE DAY after Mayor Street's landslide re-election, police district supervisors were told to cut back spending on the costly anti-drug initiative Operation Safe Streets, sources said.

But city officials insisted that any reductions for this month are limited and had been planned for some time. They denied the timing was politically motivated.

At a press conference yesterday, Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson said Safe Streets was still in operation and all necessary corners would be covered.

"The same amount of corners being covered last week are being covered this week," he said.

Sources said that memos, which began filtering down to supervisors in districts with Safe Streets on Wednesday, said the overtime budget had been scaled back - meaning that cops likely would have to cover more corners at a time and get less overtime.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/7203812.htm

niksiz · #2 (**permalink**) 11-07-2003, 09:35 AM

The stupid and ignorant people who voted for Street were surely suckered.

This is what happens when you don't vote based on the issues and performance of the candidate, but instead fall for lies, excuses, and spin.

zogby blob · #3 (**permalink**) 11-07-2003, 09:50 AM

You know what cheaper than overtime? Hiring more cops. The insanity of the way this program is set up astounds me.

niel · #4 (**permalink**) 11-07-2003, 09:58 AM

Gee. Fancy that.

Stay tuned, girls & boys. More changes ahead.

phillyTIM · #5 (**permalink**) 11-07-2003, 10:17 AM

Yeah, well wait until the Housing-type authorities start sending out all those notices for tax hikes and lot condemnations, now that election is over.

they've got a huge accumulated pile of them ready to go now.

perhaps there's a chance philadelphians will declare mutiny on the bounty before inaugaration day! lol

plus now with the safe streets thing, we've practically been baited-and-switched.

story of the street regime's tenure.

wilreynolds · #6 (**permalink**) 11-07-2003, 11:17 AM

Asmuch as I don't like to say this...street played people and that is dishonest, but smart politics.

One of the pillars of his campaign was safe streets, man we got 4 more years of this, well we're used to it now right?

cc · #7 (**permalink**) 11-07-2003, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by niksiz

The stupid and ignorant people who voted for Street were surely suckered.

This is what happens when you don't vote based on the issues and performance of the candidate, but instead fall for lies, excuses, and spin.

I think those people would have voted for him anyway. Even if Street had gone up there and said "I'm cutting Safe Streets - the only program launched in this city to my credit" he would still have been re-elected. In fact, he didn't even have to reach into how there's supposedly a Bush-Ashcroft conspiracy out to get him. This is Philadelphia. All he has to do is say "I'm a Democrat" and all those union goons will force everyone in this city to vote for him. That's how the Union (ahem, Democrat) party has managed to control this city with an iron fist for 50 years despite a track record of chasing out businesses, population loss, job losses, crime, corruption, etc.

niksiz · #8 (**permalink**) 11-07-2003, 11:40 AM

So why did 13 unions endorse Sam Katz for Mayor?

IMPAQ · #9 (**permalink**) 11-07-2003, 01:45 PM

"All but 13 unions" Is that better?

Anyways, if this passes, it would be obvious that the majority of those Philadelphians who voted for Street were fooled (more than usual). Safe Streets was/is his trademark and now he might just pull the plug on it (at least pull 60% of it). It's truly a shame. They know they are in a budget crisis, but City Coucil is raising their pay. I bet the Katz economic plan sounds a lot better now. At this rate, I wonder if this time next year we'll be paying a 5%-6% wage tax. lol

phillyTIM · #10 (**permalink**) 11-07-2003, 01:51 PM

I hate saying this, but if Safe Streets IS cut to that extent, and the wage tax (or some other related tax) is raised, then the only people Philadelphians have to blame is THEMSELVES.

The writing has been on the wall for the past year on these issues. If people don't get it by now, then they're gonna have a very rude awakening at some point. The sad part is they STILL probably won't get it. They've made their beds and can die, er um i meant 'LIE', in them! ;-)~

Oh well. I'm glad that I have the luxury of not having significant investments in this town.

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