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06/29/2004 Firemen blast Mayor & his budget (Ed Goppelt)

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Firefighters wait for rally to start
2004/06/29 Firefighters lit into Mayor John F. Street today attacking both the man personally as well as his plans to reorganize the Dept. A crowd of 150 firefighters and their families gathered at the Northwest corner of City Hall at noon today as a series of speakers characterized the Mayor as vindictive and uncaring and his cuts as likely to increase response times and make Philadelphians less safe.

The Mayor proposes to eliminate eight fire companies--the equivalent of four firehouses--in Center City and South Philadelphia and replace them with medic units. For more info on the fire cuts read Kitty Caparella's excellent report in the Daily News.

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Thomas O'Drain: "Mayor Street & Commissioner Hairston have played fast and loose with the facts."
2004/06/29 O'Drain is President of the Philadelphia Firefighters Union, IAFF Local 22.

"These cuts are retribution because we didn't support his reelection bid. They were made behind closed doors. They were made in secret with no input from the firefighters union or the citizens. There were no public forums on how reduced service will affect the Fire Department's ability to respond to fires."

"Time is running out. Help us put the heat on Street before it's too late."

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Harold Schaitberger: "We're here because some people don't want to do their job."
2004/06/29 Schaitberger is General President of the International Association of Firefighters.

"Everytime I come to this City Mayor Street is endangering someone else's life out of pure spite, political vengance."

"You're going to be waiting a lot longer for help."

"It's time to tell this Mayor we want our children protected."

"God forbid if one of my members is killed due to reduced staffing. I'm coming back with the full power and wrath of this International Union."

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Protest sign with City Hall in background
2004/06/29

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Ladder truck commands attention
2004/06/29 Periodically various fire vehicles like this ladder truck would drive by City Hall with sirens wailing, horns blowing.

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2004/06/29 "Eight dead and burried" refers to the 8 engine companies Mayor Street wants to eliminate.

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Frank DiCicco: "I don't know how you can call yourself a neighborhood mayor when you will make the lives of people in those neighborhoods less safe."
2004/06/29 DiCicco is 1st District Councilman representing parts of Center City and South Philadelphia. Most of the cuts affect his district.

"You can tell the Mayor the Welcome America party ain't seen nothing yet. If we're advertising to this Country, to the world we're having a party how could we invite them to the most historical square mile where there won't be fire equipment if it's needed."

"It is insane to take fire equipment from the most densely populated areas and from communities which are growing."

"Mayor Street, I try to be diplomatic...there aren't cuts in your neighborhood."

"I think we're going to wind up shutting the City down for the fourth of July."

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Fire Survivor: "I was saved by their two ladders"
2004/06/29 The Fire Department companies which saved this young man's life would be closed under Mayor Street's proposed budget cuts.

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And the Band Played On
2004/06/29 While firefighters roasted the Mayor, this jazz band, part of Welcome America's July 4th celebration, entertained visitors to nearby Love Park.

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2004/06/29

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What the debate boils down to
2004/06/29 How much are we willing to spend as a City on safety? Council and the firefighters say we should spend the same as previous years; the Mayor says less. What Philadelphians want is unknown at this point because no public hearings have been held on the proposed cuts.