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A Ninth-Street-and-Snyder-Avenue native is running on the Republican ticket in Tuesday’s mayoral primary.
Karen Brown, who resides at 10th and Mifflin streets with husband Lee Buchanan, will run against Republican John Featherman with hopes of facing off against the winner of the Democratic primary between Mayor Michael Nutter and Milton Street in November.
No woman has ever been elected as the mayor of Philadelphia, but Brown hasn’t made that a critical component of her campaign.
“Whether a woman or man, someone has to stop what’s going on and bring a voice back to the people,” the 49-year-old said.
At first, she had planned to run for City Council’s 1st District and at-large seats as a Democrat, but soon switched gears.
“I’m going to use a line from one of our famous presidents — Reagan. ‘I didn’t leave the [Democratic] party; the party left me,’” she said when asked about the switch.
The Southwark Civic Association president doesn’t like the negative changes she has seen such as residents — especially the elderly like her mother, Anne Musolino, of 12th and Shunk streets — fighting to get by.
“South Philly has taken a hit in so many different ways,” she said. “We’re making the seniors down here that are lovely, lovely people struggle every day.”
But racking up debt is not the solution, Brown said.
“My father didn’t believe in credit cards,” she said noting her children do not possess them either. “If you can’t afford it, you can’t buy it. … If we [the City] can’t afford it, don’t buy it. When they start turning on our firemen, our cops and our kids, we need to find other ways to cut the budget.”
Brown, a schoolteacher for 23 years — retiring in 2007 — including stints at Southwark, 1835 S. Ninth St.; Prep Charter, 1928 Point Breeze Ave.; Calvary Temple, 3301 S. 20th St.; as well as at the now shuttered St. Casmir, 324 Wharton St.; has an allegiance to the children. She has stayed in contact with many of her former students via phone or Facebook and assisted them in any way needed including with her organization Youth Senior Outreach.
Her involvement in the students’ lives, as well as three of her own children — Adam, 28, Megan, 24, Samantha, 22 — is her proudest achievement.
“If they have problems, all they have to do is call and I will go to them,” Brown said of those she taught in the classroom. “I believe it takes a village to raise a child and I believe I’ve been fortunate to live in a good village. … I don’t ever want them to feel embarrassed if they fall on hard times, and I’m proud of that. Every kid we save is one less we have to worry about.”
If elected, Brown’s first order of business will be to do a 12-year audit of City funds.
“I want to go back 12 years when [former Mayor and Gov. Ed] Rendell was there and there was money in the coffers and see where the money went,” Brown said.
Additionally, she hopes to devote funds to fire, police and youth, as well as providing tax rebates for seniors by generating money from the sales of the City’s more than 26,000 vacant lots and buildings including the Brush Factory at 11th and Jackson streets.
“The City owns that,” she said. “That’s been there since I was a kid — empty. I used to go past that every day when I went to Epiphany School.”
Plans for South Philly include continuing to develop corridors and communities, Brown, who holds business and education degrees including a bachelor’s and master’s from Gwynedd-Mercy College.
“I’m going to give South Philly [residents] their voice back,” she said. “Rendell started to do the Avenue of the Arts. His vision for the Avenue of the Arts was not to stop at Christian. It was to go all the way to the stadiums and I want to continue that.”
Brown also wants to further develop the Navy Yard and Delaware waterfront.
“[Ex-state Sen. Vince] Fumo turned [East] Passyunk Avenue around. I want to turn Broad Street, the Navy Yard and the waterfront around,” Brown said. SPR
Contact Managing Editor Amanda L. Snyder at asnyder@southphillyreview.com or ext. 117.
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