by Nathaniel Popkin
January 7, 2008

It was a morning of voices: the PA announcer who sounded like God, Anna Verna's female Howard Cossell, Michael Nutter's Kermit the Frog, and the mezzo-soprano Tracie Luck, sounding every bit as exalting as Marian Anderson. But Nutter's rose above them, above the press of history so present (William Penn mentioned more than Ed Rendell), above the able status quo, above the gilded plaster and red velvet, above the heavy weight of loss. "We are located right between the financial capital of the world and the center of government," said the new Mayor, a pronouncement made without regret rather with the sharp eye of the strategist. Forty percent of the nation lives within driving distance to our city, the city that will be great again.

If there are any complaints about this morning's swearing-in it is for the overuse of the word renaissance. Surely all four former mayors sitting on the podium used that word too, and it is meaningless. Council President Verna put it right when she said that "Change is natural and normal," and indeed, all cities are always changing in various ways all at once.

But nothing ought to be taken away from the new Mayor, who comes to us with a firm grip on a new kind of rational politics, one that sets clear goals, that speaks without fear, in an honest voice, without artifice. He spoke first about public safety, saying in regard to homicide "I've had enough and I'm not taking it any more." For this someone sitting near to me whispered jokingly, "He sounds like Rizzo." But then Nutter said, "We are all connected," four words that define his vision for public service. Indeed, he's already established an "east-west partnership" between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, whose mayor Luke Ravenstahl was on hand, and repeated his intention of partnering with elected officials in the region, Harrisburg, and Washington.

It is convincing rhetoric, in this case bolstered by specific goals: to cut the homicide rate 30-50% (he cited New York's success); to cut the 45% school drop-out rate in half; to double the rate (currently 18%) of Philadelphians who hold a bachelor's degree. He wants the 72,000 people in the workforce who have some college education to be given incentives to finish. Verna spoke at length about Philadelphia's strength in higher education; Nutter finished her thought by saying "Education is our business," and therefore we ought to be able to educate our own citizens.

He wants Philadelphia to be the nation's greenest city, open to immigrants, with high quality of life. "We deserve it, and you're going to get it," he said and the hearts of Philadelphians opened. We haven't heard such clarity since Moses Malone pronounced, "fo', fo', fo'."

Philadelphia revealed its beauty and dignity this morning, the legacy of bi-racial accommodation, of feminism, of faith (though I was personally troubled by God's presence), of its sense of civilization. Nutter was clearly moved by the weight of it. Can he harness the power that all of us hold?

The Mayor concluded his speech by saying, "That's my vision for a new Philadelphia and I'm asking all of you to embrace it and make it happen."

Still in the spirit, and having just noticed the first daffodil in bloom outside my door, I will start. I sat next to the developer Carl Dranoff, who looked like an old Philadelphia banker with his pinstripes and gray scarf and seemed surprised to find himself in the Family Circle. He talked, of course, about his projects, the next being 777 S. Broad. "It's a green building," he said, and set back for lots of sidewalk tables.

Let's say we're moving in the right direction.

–Nathaniel Popkin
nathaniel.popkin@gmail.com

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