PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Seven of the Democratic candidates running to be the next mayor of Philadelphia participated in the first televised debate at Temple University Tuesday night.
It was a wide-ranging, 90-minute debate broadcast live on Fox 29, but an emphasis was put more on the immediate issues surrounding crime and public safety in Philadelphia.
The candidates each spoke about their proposals to tackle gun violence. Rebecca Rhynhart said there’s a need for violence intervention programs. Helen Gym wants to deploy non-police mental health crisis units. Cherelle Parker wants to add 300 officers, with a focus on community policing.
In a lightning round of “yes” or “no” questions, Derek Green, Amen Brown and Jeff Brown all said they would not bring back Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw; Allan Domb said he would. Gym, Rhynhart and Parker did not offer definitive answers.
Related
Related
When it comes to education, candidates turned their attention to the asbestos issue, which has been plaguing buildings in the School District of Philadelphia. Jeff Brown and Green want to build new schools altogether.
Amen Brown graded the school board a “C+” and said members needed to be more involved in the community. Gym defended her $10 billion education plan, which Parker called “imaginary.”
Domb said he would push for high schoolers to be in the classroom four days a week, and the fifth day would allow them to earn credit and a paycheck through workforce programs.
Jeff Brown was also asked about the recent accusation by the city Ethics Board, which said a super PAC violated campaign finance rules by coordinating with him directly. He insisted it was a “political hit job.”
When it comes to the $1.3 billion proposal to build a Sixers arena in Market East — a project opposed by many in Chinatown — Amen Brown asked Gym about rumors that she met with Sixers co-owner David Adelman. She said she did meet with him, but not to specifically discuss the arena. Gym said she does not support the current proposal. Jeff Brown, meanwhile, does.
related
Jeff Brown, whose campaign slogan is “pick up the damn trash,” caught more heat from the other candidates regarding the city’s trash removal contracts. Chester residents and activists, specifically, have complained of environmental racism, as some of Philadelphia’s garbage is sent to privately owned incinerators in the Delaware County community.
“Chester is Chester. I’m worried about Philadelphians and how their lives are,” he said. “What will come first to me is what will be best for my Philadelphians.”
“So you don’t care about Chester?” he was asked by the moderator.
“I do care,” Jeff Brown replied, “but I don’t work for them if I’m the mayor. I work for Philadelphia. And the trash has to go somewhere. And whoever gets it is gonna be unhappy with it.”
James DeLeon and Republican David Oh did not participate in the debate.
The primary election is May 16. The last day to apply for a mail-in ballot is May 9.
Related
