April 27–May 4, 2000

on media

Buzz to Buzz Off?

Buzz’s words: Bissinger’s column in the May issue of Philly Mag will detail his disappointment with the Street administration. photo: Robert Clark/Random House

That author and Philadelphia magazine columnist Buzz Bissinger is no fan of Mayor John Street should come as a surprise to no one, least of all Street. In his book on the Rendell administration, A Prayer for the City, Bissinger described then-Council President Street as a hard-working but unpredictable prima donna who "might blow like Vesuvius because of some perceived show of disrespect… "

What is surprising, however, is how passionately Bissinger seems to believe that Philadelphia elected the wrong man.

Bissinger first publicly aired his grievances at a Philly Mag event at the Barnes & Noble on Rittenhouse Square earlier this month. Reached by phone for further comment, Bissinger said that his disappointment with Street — so profound that he’s considering leaving the city — is the subject of his column in the May issue.

"I see no enthusiasm" from Street, says Bissinger in an interview conducted before the magazine had been released. "I see no excitement, I see no vision.… People say I’m a Rendell apologist, and maybe I am… but I see no real innovation, I see no boldness."

When asked if perhaps he’s being a little harsh, what with Street only recently marking 100 days in office, Bissinger counters that not only Rendell, but former mayors Wilson Goode and Bill Green accomplished more in their first few months.

"The first 100 days sets the tone," he says. "But when you look at what [Street’s] done, he’s fighting with every politician.… He was elected on the basis that we wouldn’t have to go through [a learning curve]. What are we on, John Street time? Well, I’m not on John Street time, I’m on city resident time."

Bissinger admits that he’s glad to see a commitment to addressing urban blight, as evidenced by Street’s vow to remove 40,000 abandoned cars from the streets. He also concedes that Street inherited some unfinished business, like the now apparently dead DisneyQuest project and the still-unresolved matter of building new stadiums for the Phillies and Eagles.

He’s worried, however, that Street lacks the skills to keep the city moving forward, economically or — and perhaps more important — psychologically. Referring to his book, he notes that Rendell once observed that he spent a great deal of his time as mayor "sucking people off."

Is he suggesting then that there’s only one way to run this city — Rendell’s way?

"That’s how things get done," he says. "If you stay in the city, psychology is crucially important, and I feel no psychology of vision, of excitement."

Asked by City Paper for a response to Bissinger’s comments, Street spokesperson Barbara Grant rattles off a list of administration accomplishments: more than 30 town meetings across city, attended by more than 22,000 residents; a complete and unprecedented revamping of the school board; appointment of Police Commissioner John Timoney to a new post, Secretary of Public Safety; a lawsuit against gun manufacturers; moving forward with the stadium issue; and, of course, the abandoned car removal program, which became a national story.

"Buzz is a very creative writer who always tells a good story," Grant adds. "Unfortunately, this time I think his creativity is in conflict with the facts about the first 100 days of the Street administration."

"If I’m wrong [about Street], I will be happy to admit it," Bissinger says. "He doesn’t like me, and no one has to agree with what I say. I’m just little Buzz Bissinger, city resident.… But no matter how you look at it, it’s scary."

—Frank Lewis