Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers responds to charges that service cutbacks were made carelessly

Ouch! That was a nasty one. I hope Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter is enjoying his town hall meetings. You knew it was going to be a tough night when the mayor was 20 minutes late and the crowd began shouting in unison..what I thought was Let us Speak…but later I saw signs that said Let us Read (library sign) either way it reminded me of The Gladiator when the crowd turns against you.

So when the Mayor was finally introduced, he got it all, applause, cheers and boos. Now this was at 7:21pm. So we still had at least two-hours to go. But he knew this wasn’t going to be easy, because just to the south of Kensington is Fishtown where they are losing swimming pools, a library branch, and a fire engine company. Top it off, this is an area that has fought ground wars before i.e. Sugarhouse Casino. That war is still going on.

Mean spirited poster brought to the town hall meeting. It says HOPE You Don't Die in a Fire

Last night’s meeting was the second of eight Town Hall meetings the City of Philadelphia has scheduled to explain recently announced budget cuts. It was held at Kensington High School where its auditorium was a bit smaller than last week’s meeting at South Philadelphia High School So the approximately 300 people who turned out had to cram inside, with many people standing in the back.

The mayor rushed through his opening presentation which basically says, these budget cuts aren’t my fault. Nutter talks about the global economic crisis, failing banks, and how major cities in the U.S. are all suffering the same fate. For the record, over the next four and half years, the city is expecting it will take in one-billion dollars less in tax revenues than it originally budgeted for. That’s why we’re cutting back.

Mayor Nutter speaking at a town hall meeting in Kensington

Then with little ceremony, the mayor opened up the floor for Q&A and of the two microphones each had at least 15 people waiting in line each with a metaphorical bat or tire iron. Most of the comments were folks who genuinely felt that the library or the fire department cuts would do more harm to the community than the city realized. Sitting in the room, you do begin to wonder if they are right. For instance, a lot of people were mad as hell at the city for cutting a library branch in Fishtown where two nearby schools don’t have libraries while Center City has several branches serving a presumably much more affluent demographic. Folks who might find it more natural to be sitting in a Barnes and Noble with a book and only going to the library for one of the much celebrated author lectures. But the library director defended the Center City branches saying that the population density and demographics justified the libraries there. Also Mayor Nutter reiterated his argument that we should stop thinking of library services as something that has to go on in a building with books, and that something could be done at a nearby recreation center.

Also don’t expect any immediate relief. The mayor again stated the budget cuts he announced last month…which would create a savings of 108 million dollars….will remain in place. The only way a closing could be averted in the short run is if private money could be found. Something he said he hopes to accomplish with the swimming pools which won’t be needed until the summer months.

The mayor said suggestions made at any of the town hall meetings will be considered as the city begins drafting its budget for the next fiscal year, which runs from July 2009 to June 2010.

The third town hall meeting is scheduled for tonight at the School of the Future at 4021 Parkside Avenue. It begins at 7:00pm.

I’ll try to have a video of the Kensington Town Hall meeting on this website later today but also check the City’s Ch 64 schedule to see when they’ll be airing it.