Perhaps the recession has overwhelmed him. Or maybe it's impossible for any one person to transform such an entrenched bureaucracy. Nutter's term began with such hope and promise. After eight years of John F. Street's prickly personality and... Full Article at Philadelphia Inquirer

In a city where change is anathema, yet filth and fat are rampant, there was an immediate outcry about hurting the poor, the third rail in local politics and an excuse to stall everything. Former Mayor John F. Street railed against the tax as punitive... Full Article at Philadelphia Inquirer

Some leaders worry that the tax would hit poor people too hard. "So a family that lives in a $15,000 house in North Philadelphia will pay $300 and a family that lives in a $5 million house in Chestnut Hill will pay $300. How's that fair?" Street... Full Article at Philadelphia Inquirer

Given its controversial new provisions, Nutter's budget will surely be attacked from many corners in coming months. Already, former Mayor John F. Street is a prominent critic of Nutter's plan. Waving an empty two-liter bottle of Coke as a prop, Street... Full Article at Philadelphia Inquirer

But it refused to back Nutter by mandating lower pension costs, and shuns anything carrying political risk. Critics blame Verna's leadership for that. She is the polar opposite of John F. Street, who as Council president used his power to block those... Full Article at Philadelphia Inquirer