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ell0bo t1_j5pq9e5 wrote

He was before my time here, why not?

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Hoyarugby t1_j5psh8n wrote

His administration had many corruption scandals, though most if it was tied to Street associates, appointees, and hangers on (particularly his brother). Frankly overshadowed a lot of the good he did, a necessary corrective from the Rendell years, his admin's focus was on investing city resources at the local level in neighborhoods (vs Rendell was more focused on big name big ticket Center City revitalizations). But he was corrupt personally and created a very corrupt political culture

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oliver_babish t1_j5qlvk2 wrote

I don't know that Street was personally corrupt. I don't believe he enriched himself. But he didn't know, or didn't care that others like Ron White and Corey Kemp certainly did.

>The indictment alleges that White corrupted City Treasurer Kemp, from January 2002 through October 16, 2003, by making payments and giving other benefits to Kemp. In exchange, Kemp followed White’s direction regarding the decisions Kemp was required to make regarding the employment of financial service companies to carry out bond transactions, and other matters. Kemp’s decisions created large financial gains for White and those White favored....
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>The indictment states that, throughout 2002 and 2003, White showered Kemp with payments and other gratuities, with the intent to influence Kemp in his official actions. These gifts included at least $10,000 paid in 2002, a $10,350 deck for Kemp’s house in 2003, a trip to the Super Bowl in San Diego in January 2003 (including transportation by private jet and limousine, and a ticket to the game), tickets and limousine rides to all three days of the NBA All-Star events in Philadelphia in February 2002, and numerous other meals, parties, and choice tickets to sports and entertainment events. The indictment asserts that White also held out the promise of vast future riches, assuring Kemp secret participation in what White represented would be lucrative financial opportunities in the development of the Philadelphia International Airport and a racetrack/casino proposed at the Philadelphia Naval Yard....
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>The indictment states that in exchange for these benefits, Kemp permitted White to direct Kemp’s decision-making as Treasurer of the City. On a daily basis, White instructed Kemp regarding which providers to select for participation in City transactions, and which to exclude, and Kemp followed those instructions. Kemp successfully recommended that White himself be hired as counsel in City bond deals, more frequently than any other attorney, earning White $633,594 in fees during Kemp’s tenure. Kemp also repeatedly recommended the selection of a printing company nominally controlled by White’s paramour, defendant Janice Renee Knight, which earned $308,632 in City bond deals during the same period. On one occasion, according to the indictment, Kemp told a financial advisor to the City that White would be paid $35,000 on a deal “just for the hell of it,” even though White “didn’t really do anything.” Kemp then informed White of the same thing, saying, “you got your boy sitting in, in the Treasurer’s seat, man . . . that’s what we do, man, take care of each other.”

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NoREEEEEEtilBrooklyn t1_j5psgv0 wrote

Extraordinarily corrupt and ineffective. The only thing he did as mayor was demolish a bunch of abandoned properties that still haven’t been turned from empty lots to anything of use and begrudgingly ban smoking.

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Probability-Bot t1_j5qq6w9 wrote

Him and his brother were corrupt as they come. He did do some good for the city but overall he was corrupt was just always one step ahead of the feds...

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