Egan, Rendell square off on TV

The city's two major mayoral candidates fiercely debated privatizing certain city services and made ugly accusations about each other's past political lives during a local talk show Tuesday. But they made clear at the end of the show that they would not bring up each other's private lives during the campaign. Democratic candidate Edward Rendell and Republican candidate Joseph Egan squared off in a mostly friendly, though sometimes heated, appearance on WPVI's AM Philadelphia, their first joint television appearance of the fall campaign. The show alternated between an interview of Rendell and Egan and comments from people in various sections of the city. Residents identified crime and education as the two major problems facing the city -- issues which neither candidate discussed in detail while on the air. The candidates clearly intended to hit each other in issues where they were politically vulnerable. Egan bashed the legacy of Democratic rule in Philadelphia saying Rendell's plan to "bid out" certain municipal services was simply a way to "cover up the scandals and corruption of the past 20 years." Egan had earlier said if elected he would look into selling Philadelphia Gas Works, calling it a "political patronage base for the Democratic Party." After the show, Egan said selling PGW would be "a form" of privatization. Rendell also hedged when AM Philadelphia host Wally Kennedy asked for a "straight answer" about whether or not he would contract out city garbage collection. Rendell said he would contract the service to the lowest "responsible" bidder, whether or not that bidder is a municipal union. "There are tons of services citizens are not getting their money's worth for," Rendell said. Rendell also responded to an Egan radio ad -- which says Rendell represents the "same old stuff" -- by calling Egan's past work in City Hall "patronage" jobs. "I've stood for change all my political career," Rendell said. "He [Egan] has worked for four Democratic administrations as a patronage employee." Egan, who served as head of the Philadelphia Industrial Development Commission, responded by saying the PIDC was "the part that shined" in Democratic administrations while the Democratic party was "deeply rooted in corruption." Egan and Rendell also disputed the role of the next mayor in finding solutions for the city's financial crisis and its crime problem. While Egan said he would strive to be a "facilitator," Rendell said he would offer decisive leadership, adding that such leadership has been lacking in the current administration. Meanwhile, Egan and Rendell agreed their private lives would not be at issue during the campaign. Rendell called Egan "a nice guy," while Egan said there were already enough issues in the campaign without private accusations. Although the candidates spoke fiercely while on the air, they chatted amiably with each other during station breaks. Before the show started, they joked about a spring AM Philadelphia show where the late Frank Rizzo pulled an affidavit out of his pocket which allegedly proved Rizzo's accusations that Ron Castille, former district attorney and Republican candidate, drank to excess and handled guns carelessly.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.