It was Cherelle Parker’s first day as mayor — had you heard she was Philadelphia’s first female mayor? — and she was leading with her left foot, feeding into two unfortunate stereotypes.
Based on reporting on her first day in office, which is a traditional assignment, the Philadelphia Inquirer said Parker arrived about 90 minutes late for her first scheduled event of the day, a very serious one, too.
When reading anything in the Inquirer, remember that its publisher confessed to heading a racist institution and pledged its commitment to being “antiracist” in the future.
I disagree that the newspaper was a racist institution. So did many past staffers who felt disrespected by the publisher. I mention this because some people see any criticism of a Black person as “racist,” and must be avoided.
Here is the Inquirer’s account of the start of Mayor Parker’s first day:
“It was her first full day on the job, and Mayor Cherelle L. Parker was running behind schedule.
“Packed into a room at Girard College, dozens of people — the city’s school superintendent, a City Council member, top administration officials, and two dozen teenagers — were waiting for Philadelphia’s brand new mayor. She was supposed to appear at 10:30 a.m. to begin the city’s Madtin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
“By 11:35, they started the event without her.” Imagine a roomful of people hanging around for more than an hour, waiting for their mayor.
The stereotypes I mentioned?
Women are always late, and so are Black people, who even privately joke about what they call CPT — Colored Peoples Time. (Keep in mind I am reporting stereotypes. I am not endorsing them.)
And for a Black mayor to be late for a MLK event, that just doesn’t look good. Disrespectful, one might say.
I will note mayors often run late, but I will also note you get one chance to make a good first impression, and Parker made hers by being almost 90 minutes late, in what the Inquirer called part of the “chaos” of leading a big city.
Chaos? Is that an excuse for extreme tardiness, from a one-time school teacher?
So the lateness was one issue.
Another was blaming her staff, when asked about her schedule. She said she was following her staff’s lead.
“So, one, they didn’t tell me. I thought that after the campaign, that I would — full disclosure — have just a little bit more discretion over controlling my schedule,” she said.
Madame Mayor, learn this phrase from an old white Democrat, Harry S Truman: The buck stops here.
For someone who has been an elected official for decades, your surprise at who runs your schedule came as a surprise.
You appointed the staff, you are the boss. Don’t look for a scapegoat when something goes wrong.
That’s not leadership, that’s finger-pointing.
Your point about leadership is spot-on. I cannot STAND it when leaders throw their underlings under the bus like this. There is NEVER an excuse for that kind of crap. A true leader stands up and takes responsibility for EVERYTHING that happens under their watch. This has been one of the most egregious things about the Orange Menace since day one. He NEVER takes any responsibility for ANYTHING. I really don’t understand how anyone can watch that and support him. I really don’t.
When Trump was president the economy was great there were no wars the border was secure. We also had low inflation and low interest rates. Trump has not been president for 3 years when are you going to start bitching About Biden and what a disaster he’s been. As for Parker it’s only been a few days. But she’s not off to a good start. And I really don’t like the lowering of standards for the police department.
When Trump was President there were wars, including America in Afghanistan, hundreds of thousands of Americans were dying from Covid, he has nothing to do with interest rates. Biden has had to guide America out of the Trump disaster, interest rates are coming down, as is inflation(which was caused in part by low interest rates and Trumps disasterous response to Covid). Unemployment is at an all time low, including black unemployment, and the stock market is at an all time high. The border is a disaster, but republicans are trying to keep it that way in an attempt to hurt Biden.
BM,
I cannot believe I am responding to your post, but I feel the need to put your stats in perspective. Afghan began prior to Trump.
Hundreds of thousands of COVID deaths, number was 400,000 on Trumps last day, we have exceeded 1 million, closing out 2023 with 1.16 million deaths.
Trump had nothing to do with interest rates neither does Biden. They are a result of inflation which skyrocketed.
Inflation is coming down, of course you understand that gas and groceries are not included in those downward inflation numbers, I have certainly not seen the price of Cherrios come down.
Stock market is at an all time high, it was on an upward trajectory, with the exception of a significant drops at the onset of COVID and spike in interest rate.
Unemployment is at an all time low, it is actually around the same as it was in 2019, same with black unemployment.
Wonder where, I am headed here?.
Check your sources, do not rely on CNN, Fox or a BidenCommercial
Same for you, Daniel.
Biden energy policies made the price of a barrel of oil more than double since he’s been in office. This caused inflation since the price of oil affects everything.
Under Trump I went from paying $1.85/gal of gas to over $3. Saudi Arabia & Russia were in an oil war. Oil was $20/bbl. But Big Oil (Trump’s buddies) weren’t making big profits. They cried to hom, he brokered a deal to reduce production so the price of oil would go up. Typical Republican: only for corporations & the wealthy. BTW, Trump’s tax cuts for the rich added $7.9 TRILLION to the deficit.
The post that I replied to said their were no wars under Trump, I showed that to no be true. Grocery price are for sure coming down, I food shop every week at my local Giant and prices are coming down. Unemployment is lower than it was in 2019, that’s what all time low means. Trump handed off the country in a disaster, and it’s finally starting to rebound now.
Agreed. 100%!
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As opposed to Joe Biden, who always takes full responsibility for every one of his mistakes. 😂😂😂
Interesting observations about Mayor Parker’s poor scheduling, but still, I give her lots of leeway because we so longingly, so earnestly, with all our forgiving optimism want and need her to grab the reins intelligently, with creative, responsible and firm leadership do the job! Go Girl!!
Did someone mention racism? Didn’t the Inquirer’s publisher, E. Hughes, as soon as she landed here from outer space, declare that everything, everyone, every institution, every amoeba in Philadelphia is, was, and always will be racist? All of us!
Good Grief, Charlie Brown!
Didn’t she also run weekly diatribes in the Inquirer making up all sorts of nonsense to support her declarations?
Is she still employed at that once upon a time, occasionally respectable, newspaper?
What would Gerry Lenfest say?
Here we go again, Jim Kenney the sequel.
Maybe more akin to John Street the sequel. Anything that ain’t nailed down is going south.
Love Mr, Cadwalader’s reaction!
Daniel loves Trump, refuses to recognize that timing is often almost everything when it comes to many economic issues. The Fed is also to blame for the economic downsides of Biden’s time in office-read the Wall Street Journal.
The points made by my good friend Stu about Ms. Parker throwing her staffers under the bus and so forth are well taken. Still, I really get the feeling she is the kind of person who will bring us together instead of dividing us–something so sorely needed in today’s Philadelphia and USA.
Trump lowered the corporate tax rate from 36% to 21%. This helped a lot of companies to bring business back home to the United States. Biden is benefiting from Trumps good business decisions. Dummy Biden wants to raise the corporate tax again and chase these companies and their jobs out of the country.
Many big corporations don’t pay ANY taxes, like Boeing, for ex. Trump is all-in on corporate welfare.
Correct again! Good post!
Stude, once again you are a 🦜.
Trump lower the corporate tax rate and corporations bought back their stock in record amounts, they then laid people off, and made record profits, while blaming inflation for the higher prices. Oil prices were artificially low under Trump due to Covid. American oil fields don’t make a profit unless oil is roughly $60 a barrel, I know because I work in the oil industry.
I agree completely Stu. First it is disrespectful and arrogant to be that late, but if you will be, have someone call and alert your audience so that they can start the program without you. Second, throwing your staff under the bus like this is completely low class and disingenuous. It does not bode well for Philly.
Wanda,
Well said, Parker’s actions and excuses are a sign of her arrogance, which was on full display during her hard fought election.
Let’s face the truth, she was anointed by the party, putting that aside, I hope that she understands how far this City has sunk, how bad the City services are, the total arrogance of City staffers, the poor moral of the Police force, the lack of meaningful support for teachers and schools as well as the farce of a District Attorney.
She is the Mayor, not my choice but I will back her 100%.
You are correct about how it should have been handled. Someone asked me if I am optimistic about her. I replied, I am hopeful.
What will she do to help small business?
She said it is part of her to-do list. We will see.
I’m not sure the new mayor knows how to use the term ‘full disclosure’ correctly. Yikes.
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Def no excuse , that’s bad . So she is 1 and 1 at the moment. The good thing is that she signed off on the ppd dei director being fired
Economy is much better under Biden. Once again Dannyboy, you don’t know wtf you’re bloviating about. Best economy in the G7, unemployment still under 4%. 5 million more jobs than under Trump, Dow Jones, S&p 500, NASDAQ near record high. Wages are up. Manufacturing jobs are UP! Gas prices down and NO RECESSION! You are ignorant and uneducated. Moron!!!
Everyone knows your nuts
Agreed. Everyone but Keith and freeze. Left-wing mental patients.
The fact that we didn’t go into a recession is amazing. Trump left America in shambles, and if he gets a second chance he will do everything he can to not leave office. He doesn’t care about the rule of law or The Constitution. Now it’s coming outs his hotels profited millions from China among other places. Trump has only cared about Trump, and I will never understand how people don’t see that.
You can’t see Bidens are a mess and the msm loves to find any little dribble to diss Trump? Most of what you said is not true.
The few paltry dollars from China were to pay for hotel use. Duh. Nothing compared to someone else we know who get millions.
Quit calling people names, that is not nice or adult like.
It was almost 8 million dollars and they only looked at 4 Trump properties and only looked at the 2 years he was in office. When the republicans show some actual proof that Biden did anything wrong, please let me know, because they have shown nothing yet.
She gave way too much credit to Kenney. Apparently, she didn’t read Stu’s fine piece about Kenney’s “accomplishments” or lack thereof.
Someone should sign her up for this blog. 🥸
She may start slow, but she tapers off.
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This is a disgrace, arrogant and rude to keep people waiting. She knows better and anyone starting a “new job” should want to make a good impression. I had/have hopes for her after the last mayor who was ineffective to say the least. People want to see some humility for others, or I do, and an effort to do the good job they promised. I have little hope for Philadelphia but it would be a nice surprise if it was the crime ridden mess it is. Being the city of brotherly love, it should be a place people want to visit. I used to say the same about Washington, DC but it’s a Democrat led mess crime ridden as well. We can no longer be proud of our country. I stopped the Philadelphia Inquirer about one month after I got here. I used to read at least two newspapers a day. I worked for two newspapers that did a great job. This paper is a just a hate mess.
This is not the American where I was born and raised and I am so sad.
Agreed 100%. The late, great Joe South, who penned “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden” told us life shouldn’t be so melancholy. The one positive Ms Vicki: You are not, nor will you ever, be alone in your sentiments. On a side note, disgrace, arrogant and rude is referred to as “attitude” these days. It’s a cancer. Keep the faith!
Perhaps it was a dental issue
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Mayor Cherelle Parker, just has to clean up Kensington and have more Police foot patrols throughout the city, and that would be enough. All the other promises won’t really be needed, just do those two things and we will be fine.
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