Mr. Jim Kenney, who arrived to his press conference by cab and left by subway, aims to, as Mayor of Philadelphia, promote normalcy as his brand.
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On his first official day as Mayor-elect of Philadelphia, Mr. Jim Kenney, a former At-Large City Councilman, differentiated himself as much as possible from his predecessor, including but not limited to showing up to his 11:15am press conference at a South Philadelphia elementary school on time and in a cab; whereas, Mr. Michael A. Nutter, the current two-term Mayor who leaves office on January 4th, 2016, usually arrives at news events later than the time marked on media advisories and almost always chauffeured in a black SUV.
Mr. Kenney also appeared much more personable than Mr. Nutter, who usually greets me with a firm handshake and generic hello, while his successor today after the press conference greeted me with a “Wassup Flood!”
Mr. Kenney, in his answers to reporters, continued to form an image in contrast to the City’s current chief executive: “Civilians are in charge of the police,” he said, adding that the Philadelphia Police Advisory Commission needs “more resources and credibility.”
Mr. Nutter, as a councilman, was largely responsible for bringing the PAC into existence, however, as Mayor, his apparent affinity for civilian oversight was diluted due to his evident fanaticism for Mr. Charles Ramsey, the City’s police commissioner who came out of retirement when Mr. Nutter took office and who’ll retire when he leaves.
Mr. Kenney, who again today reiterated that the city’s next top cop will come from within the department, refused to release the name of his choice for police commissioner, but told the media to connect the dots: Mr. Ramsey is out, and Deputy Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel is also retiring, leaving only Deputy Commissioner Richard Ross, Mr. Ramsey’s pick, as the candidate suited for the job.
The succeeding police commissioner has already been put on notice by Mr. Kenney that his detail must feel comfortable riding the subway with him, as that’s been his major mode of transportation since he was fifteen years-old.
“Public transit is fast, dependable and relatively cheap,” Mr. Kenney told Techbook Online in an exclusive interview following his mingling moment with kindergartners.
At the press conference, the 57 year-old career politician stressed that’s he a regular guy who puts his pants on one leg at a time like everyone else.
“I don’t think I’m a celebrity,” Mr. Kenney said to me as he prepared to walk to Broad & Federal Streets to catch the subway.
Inside the first floor classroom that had “Welcome Mayor Kenney” written on the dry erase board, Mr. Kenney held up a token he pulled from his pocket, again trying to promote normalcy as his brand.
“I’m come from an area in South Philadelphia, down 2nd Street, The Mummers area, where you can’t get too big of a head. If you do, they’ll call you out,” said Mr. Kenney, who noted that he visits the area whenever he needs a dose of reality, a break from believing his own press.
To foster and maintain that connection, not just to South Philly, but to all neighborhoods, Mr. Kenney, who tomorrow will announce the individuals leading his transition team, has launched an idea crowd-sourcing platform, KenneyforPhiladelphia.com, to “turn ideas into actual policy.”
Additionally, Mr. Kenney announced an upcoming series of town hall events meant to deepen his connection with residents and allow him to hear first-hand what taxpayers think can improve Philadelphia.
“We all have to come together to create a better city for everyone.”
By Thanksgiving, the names of individuals who’ll lead key offices in the Kenney Administration will be made public.
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