Michael Nutter - Mayor of Philadelphia HARDtalk

Welcome to HARDtalk. My guess today is African-American Democrat Michael

Nutter. Mair of Philadelphia. He is here in London to try to attract

business and investment to Philadelphia, but how can a city

with high levels of crime be an attractive investment for visitors?

Mayor Michael Nutter, welcome. Thank tackle violence at home, rather

Mayor Michael Nutter, welcome. Thank you. Six year as Mayor of

Philadelphia, why did you believe that the national government could

be doing more to help American cities? When you look at some of the

politics in Washington, DC, primarily in our Congress, the

conflicts that many in the Republican party have with President

Barack Obama, the budget cuts, the shutdown, these activities hurt

American cities. We are coming out of the great recession and trying to

make progress. And I think the federal government, members of

Congress, can do more to help American cities fight crime, educate

children, create jobs and economic vitality.

children, create jobs and economic everybody shares your view that the

answer lies with the federal government, the Republican Mayor of

Charleston says it is always nice when you can get money, but it is

not a long-term answer. Is he right? Cities are being creative and we

have to innovate. We have to pit up trash and deal with weather events,

with snow, people have to be working. So in partnership with the

federal government and support, that is always critical. But Mayors have

to run cities every day. We cannot shut down, we have to provide

service. You basically want more money from the national government.

More money and support always helps but we are also doing innovative

things without the federal government. Let's

things without the federal infrastructure, on improving police

patrols. But in Iraq, Afghanistan, not in our own cities. Your premise

is that the US government should be doing more to tackle violent crime

at home rather than fighting terrorism abroad. Do you think the

national government has its priorities wrong? We can do both. We

are the United States of America, we can help protect other citizens in

other countries and support their efforts, but you always have to take

care of the homeland. A great Mayor in New Orleans, all of us can use

additional support. It is not an either/or or choice. But where will

the money come from? There have been budget tussles between Barack Obama

and Republicans in Congress. Budget deficit. The federal government

prints the deficit. The federal government

for instance when US operations wound up in Afghanistan in 2014, you

want some of that money? But there will be competing demands. There

always competing demands, but what is the priority of America? It

should be educating our children and building roads and bridges and

putting people to work, making sure America is safe. As much as we want

people to be safe around the world. It is about priorities. It is not an

unlimited part, we still have to reduce the deficit and deal with

those issues, but it is about the National priorities of the federal

government of the United States of America, partnering with cities to

make us all stronger. A lot of the work you have done speaking publicly

nationwide in the US and in Philadelphia where you are Mayor, it

is to say that US cities having Philadelphia where you are Mayor, it

everyone -- every 100 people. -- there are 89 guns for every 100

people. I think I have the right not to be shot. We have a violence

problem in America and it must be addressed. The shootings we see on

the news that make the national headlines RA microcosm of the things

that go one in cities across America -- or a microcosm. But there are

ways to combat that, smart policing, using technology, good old police

work and offices on port -- officers on foot patrol. Citizens engaged in

the lives of their children and those who might have other personal

challenges. Money hopes but it is not the only answer. It is the gun

culture. After every mass shooting, people say that you have to tighten

gun controls. After the Sandy Hook mass shooting,

Senate. He has to have trashy tries to have a ban on big assault weapons

but that also does not get through. Americans do respect the right to

bear arms and I do support that. But there are many individuals who

should never have a gun. There are criminals who get store pictures

guns, people with mental health challenges who should never have a

gun. Those highlighted cases, there are many issues that never make the

news every day. The level of violence in the African-American

community, like on lap crime, very serious. Illegal guns is a serial

pub -- a serious problem in America and we can protect the second

Amendment while ensuring people have the right to peacefully assemble,

guaranteed by the first Amendment. We can do both if we are smart about

how we address We can do both if we are smart about

contributions and relationships. But the American public says time and

time again, we want to be safe. So you have collected officials not

voting in the interests of their constituents for special interest.

You have brought the issue of violence in the African-American

community, the figures are dismal. Professor Patterson from Harvard

University this striking figures, African-Americans, 13% of the

American population but they commit 50% of homicides, 80% are lap men

killing other lap men. African Americans or imprisoned at eight

times the rate of wide people and one in three has a prison record,

what is going wrong? When you look at the level of education and

property and health and jobs and skills, and the opportunity for

someone to self sustain, with other people in that way.

Again, that is not an excuse but this -- but is part of an

explanation. Not all or an unemployed people resort to

violence. Of course not, lap or wide, T know

and Asian, the vast majority of Americans are law-abiding citizens.

-- T know. You have a relatively small amount of people creating

havoc in their areas and policing is a component of that but not the only

solution to violence in America. We should invest more in education and

job training programmes, we should not cut the community development

programme. We should have a transportation bill lasting more

than six months or a year, that is about jobs. When people are educated

and can about jobs. When people are educated

the small group of people responsible for the violence. In

Philadelphia, we have seen groups of young African-Americans going in

packs terrorising neighbourhoods, popular tourist neighbourhoods. You

have said when that has had and, you have said to these youngsters, you

have damaged your own race. What did you mean? That was a couple of years

ago. Flash mobs, however they might be described, they are not limited

to the African-American community. What I meant by that is, it comes

from a deep seeded training from my parents and grandparents going back

many years where you are responsible for how you present yourself out in

the community. You can hurt the image of your own race by engaging

in certain image of your own race by engaging

speaking to a particular audience and group of folks. -- a lap guy. I

am Mayor of the people but I was delivering a particular message to a

group engaged in a particular set of behaviours. -- a black guy. You say,

Paul up your trousers. Nobody wants to see your underwear. Generally

not. You say they should comb their hair and not just limit themselves

to the kind of like slang they use, they should extend their vocabulary.

You say white people get out of elevator is when black people go in

or people cross the street when they see young black males, are you not

buying into racial stereotypes yourself when you use that strong

language? Act and speaking the truth. I have a particular

perspective as a young black guy growing

perspective as a young black guy things you need to do. You have to

go to school, you need to graduate, you have to go to college or

university. Do not get statues, you have said that, do not slept in your

chair. -- tattoo is. It is already tough for black men and the

African-American community. Over time, black unemployment has

generally been higher than the national average, so there are some

things you have to do. Should you say that kind of thing? Somebody

from Colombia University has said that if this discourse had been led

by Ronald Reagan, people would call him on his racism, but now you have

a black face, it gives them legitimacy. I told the truth. People

in the African-American community will

in the African-American community efforts to move on and have a better

life. You say tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime and you

have been increasing police and community controls, you have also

increased curfews from 7pm to 9pm for youngsters and you have searched

children who repeatedly break their curfews, it is the parents who will

be fined, putting up the flying from $300 to $500. You have made speeches

at the Baptist Church in West Philadelphia, decrying absentee

fathers, talking about parents who do not know where their teenagers

are, describing them as idiots. You not punishing the parents? These are

often parents living in deprived circumstances.

That was a little over two years ago, we had some situations,

That was a little over two years people since that time. Those

weren't the only things I did. We increased hours aft recreation

centre, we provided more services for young people. It was not all

stick, there was a lot of carrot. You talk about the carrot, for

instance there are those who say you have fine ambitions to improve

education opportunities for youngster, yet you wanted to close

down 11 libraries? We were in the middle of an economic crisis, I did

not want to close the library, what I needed to do was save money. I

have said this publicly, that was one of the big mistakes I made in

how we tried to go about that. None of the libraries ever closed, we

figured out another way to save the money, that we wanted and today,

again, that was back during the recession in 2008 and 2009. Today?

Every library in the city of Philadelphia is open. Every pool is

open and we have more services and Philadelphia is open. Every pool is

am a big supporter of public education, the fact are, which the

teachers did know is that the city of Philadelphia over the last two to

three years has put in an additional $155 million annually while the

state has been making cuts over the last two years, so I think there is

a lot more clarity about what I have been doing and my support for

education versus others. You have talked about the carrot-and-stick,

let us mention another example of the stick, you have a stop and frisk

operation in the US, we call it stop and search in the United Kingdom,

look at the figures in 2005100,000 such cases, in 2009, after about a

year-and-a-half when you were mayor, that number had gone up tow 250,000

and the American Civil Liberties Union says African-Americans make up

40% Union says African-Americans make up

of the folks we arrest for murder are black men. We go where the crime

is. So here are more facts, since I have been in office, murder is down

36-37% since 2007. The year before I came. That is year before you came

in. If you look at 2028... That was down 15%. It was the same later. You

know I know the numbers right. So 331, 306, 324, 321. When down, went

slightly up and this year we are down nearly 30% as compared to last

year, and you know, as every life is precious, one homicide is too many.

I think we will see some significant reductions in 2013, even compared to

last city. Nothing. I think if you look

at the numbers and talk with people in the community, because it is not

just about numbers, you will find that there are increasingly, folks

in Philadelphia, you know, the wonderful thing about America is

that anyone can say anything they want, whether it is accurate or not.

The facts are numbers are down, communities are safer, when you look

at our rising programme and you look at the gun stat and trying to get

illegal weapons off the street. Targeting individuals who are

engaged in that behaviour, all across Philadelphia, people know

city-wide that the numbers are down and Philadelphia is a safer city

today, than it was when I... You talk about Filly Rising. The

President of black men at the Penn school of social work says the major

problem lies in young black men returning to their communities from

prison and finding limited or no resources

prison and finding limited or no release. Through the mayor's office,

working with people who are returning citizen, those who have

just returned to Philadelphia from prison, we need to get those folks

job training skills, a job, and the soft skills that go with being

employed. Chad is friend, I agree with him. Many businesses are

willing, to hire someone with a previous criminal record, we need to

find them. Where does your stand up pay up initiative work in this? In

2010 you began to ask returning people leaving prison and going into

the community, they have to pay fines for past bail that has not

been paid, or failure to turn up at court appearance, and you know, you

say look, you ought to do this but it means that these ex

bring this down, how does that fit in be your narrative about wanting

people to get a living wage job when they have debt? We need to make sure

our audience understand, those are issues the people has with the court

system. But you back it? If someone jumps bail, if they have fine, if

they haven't paid past Child Support they should do that. We need to

remove many of the barriers to employment and make sure people get

the services they need, can get an identification card, get job

training, and there are instances there were barriers in place that

prevented people, even when they wanted to do the right thing. We

have to fix the systems. I want to ask you Barack Obama, there have

been criticisms he has not done enough, Frederick Harris says he had

had little to say African-American community,

particularly violence I disagree with many of the premises laid out.

As you said about me Barack Obama is President of the US, of all

American, so the President's focus on early education programmes an

universal precare, as well as trying to get the class of the college

education down. African-Americans benefit from those, and we look at

the affordable care accuse and all the politics that goes on with that,

people forget that seven million African-Americans who never had

healthcare will get healthcare as a result. When we talk about the

transportation bill, other initiatives that the President put

forward, to deal with gun safety issue, all of those help the

African-American community as they help all America. Are those who say

it is not Barack Obama who is to blame it is Congress who are re--

it is not Barack Obama who is to tried to stop virtually every

initiative that the President has put forward. Let us think about the

affordable care about act. Approved by the Congress, signed by the

President, challenged in court, made it through the US Supreme Court,

House Republicans voted more than 40 times to try to end the affordable

care act, shut down the federal Government in their efforts to stop

it, and it still is going forward. That is the kind of insanity that

you see coming from House Republicans in their assault on

Barack Obama. Finally and briefly, Philadelphia, America's fifth and

largest city, it is where the US declaration of independence was

signed. We have talked about the poverty, the crime and son, do you

think you have done enough to say to investors and tourists and other

visitors come to Philadelphia, we are open for business? I would never

say I have done enough. There is are open for business? I would never

historic but a fairly modern world class city, that is why I am excited

to be here in the UK, promoting business and getting trade going

back-and-forth between Philadelphia and the UK. Michael Nutter, thank

you for coming on HARDtalk. Thank you.