Looking back at Nutter’s first four

Opinions about Mayor Michael Nutter’s past term and political future varied greatly between polling places in Center City and North Philadelphia, almost uniformly for and against the incumbent respectively.

“All he does is post his picture and say, ‘Vote for me,’” said Stephanie Hamilton as she sat outside the 12th and Cambria Recreation Center, where voters from both the 9th and the 10th divisions in the 37th ward cast their ballots. “He needs to do more stuff for the community. He’d rather build casinos and parking lots and show up for everything to get publicity.”

In exit polling of a few voters at the Eighth Ward’s 15th division in Center City just south of Market Street, three people who cast a ballot for Nutter all found his first term satisfactory.

“I’m looking for more of the same. Maybe a more active partner within the school system,” one voter said. Another woman in North Philadelphia criticized Nutter for a lack of community engagement.

“What happened to working with kids and investing in education? Nothing has changed since he has been in office. Nothing,” Carol Short said.

Still, one North Philadelphian was sympathetic.

“I think some things could improve, but I like him,” said Norman Sabu. “He did what he had to do in order to keep the city afloat given the economic crisis.”