August 28-September 3, 2003

city beat

Gale Warning

Meeting of the Minds

by Daryl Gale

I sat in on a meeting last Monday evening with a group of smart, dedicated, politically savvy Philadelphians who seem to defy conventional wisdom. And no, not just because theyíre smart, dedicated and politically savvy; nearly an oxymoron in this town. They defy conventional wisdom because theyíre young, African American, upwardly mobile professionals who proudly and openly support Sam Katz for mayor.

Meet the Urban Professionals, a gathering of a half dozen or so like-minded folks who aren't necessarily anti-Street, they point out, but more pro-business, which means throwing their support behind Katz.

I was invited by Stewart Calloway, an Urban Professionals member who happens to coach youth baseball with my editor, Howard Altman. So Monday night I found myself in the swanky building at 30 S. 17 St., headed for Katz's 16th-floor headquarters.

Before the meeting started, the group insisted I fire questions at them Mike Wallace style, as opposed to my original idea of making like a fly on the wall; listening, observing and taking notes. I'm immediately suspicious when this happens and for good reason. Nine times out of 10, when people insist on having a reporter ask questions first, it's because they believe they already know what the questions will be and have well-prepared, spin-doctored, sound-bite answers. I needn't have worried. For the most part, they were candid, honest and forthcoming.

"I was nervous at first about supporting a white, Jewish Republican over an African-American incumbent," said Natalie Weathers. "It's not a popular position to take in the black community and I was concerned about people's reactions. Young black professionals don't have a model of doing things differently. If your whole family votes Democrat, you vote Democrat and never question it."

So why did she question it?

"I'm blessed in that both my parents are critical thinkers and have always encouraged me to think for myself," Weathers explained.

Dovetailing on her comment about the unpopularity of vocal Katz support in the black community, I crossed a line and asked if any in the group had been labeled a "sellout" by friends. A few have, but shrug it off.

"I got a mixed reaction," said Dwayne Lassiter. "When I told co-workers I was going to support Sam, some looked at me like I was nuts. Others commended me. What I found out though, was that while I could easily tick off the reasons I was supporting Katz, they had trouble explaining why Street was the better choice."

What they want, they say, is quite simple; the same things every other middle-class American wants: a nice home in a safe neighborhood, quality schools that give their children a first-rate education, reasonable taxes and decent city services.

"We just want what's best for the city," Calloway said. "More people getting a quality education increases the workforce and adds taxpayers to the rolls. Think about how many people are leaving the city. That slack has to be taken up by the people who stay, which is unfair. It's almost a punishment for trying to stay and make the city better."

Katz, the group says, is the better choice when it comes to creating a business-friendly environment. His promise of lowering business and wage taxes struck a chord here and they're not buying the idea that lowering the taxes is a risky venture. Not to lower the business, wage and property taxes, they say, is far riskier in that citizens will continue to leave Philadelphia in droves.

As for the incumbent: While no one here is angry with Street, there's a definite sense of disappointment.

"I'm not voting for Street because I'm tired of hearing that Philly is a city of åpotential,'" Weathers says. "When is this potential going to be realized? I just haven't seen anything from John Street that I would call vision. It's not enough to vote for someone just because they happen to share your skin color."

Playing the devil's advocate, I go down the oft-repeated list of Street's accomplishments: Thousands of abandoned cars hauled off the streets, drug dealers forced off the corners by Operation Safe Streets, unprecedented snow removal, uninsured vehicles and unlicensed drivers Live Stopped into oblivion, a concerted effort to combat blight through NTI, yada, yada and yada.

"The mayor's accomplishments shouldn't be discounted," Lassiter said dryly, "but that's what we pay taxes for. Everything you just mentioned is what you have a right to expect for your tax money. How much credit do you give to somebody just for doing what they're supposed to do?"

The group's purpose and real benefit, said M.B. Singley, is to start a dialogue about politics and political choices.

"Just by existing we create a dialogue," Singley said. "People ask why a young African American would support Sam Katz and even if they disagree, at least it gets them talking."

The group is careful to point out that they're the Urban Professionals, not the Urban Professionals for Katz. Whether or not their candidate wins, they say, they'll be talking about the same issues and taking the same positions.

"This goes beyond Sam Katz," Calloway said. "Our thing is about the issues. The city is racially divided, people and businesses are moving to the suburbs. We're trying to save Philadelphia while we still have a Philadelphia left."

Daryl Galeís weekly radio show, Dialogues, with co-hosts Rotan Lee and Bill Miller, is burning up the airwaves Fridays 7-10 a.m. on WURD (900 AM) in Philadelphia.