Killadelphia!

Philadelphia Mayor John Street: Idiotus Extremus

It took all year, but finally the media is getting it.

CALL IT 'KILLADELPHIA'? Despite progress, the city's murder rate is No. 1 among big cities. Figures tell the story, but don't nail the solution.

AS Philadelphia approaches the new year and a new mayor, the murder rate remains an appalling blight on the city's reputation and a threat to our quality of life.

While shootings and other violent crimes are down from last year, there's only slight improvement from the 406 homicides recorded in 2006. As of last night, the city had suffered 391 murders in 2007, the highest rate per 100,000 residents among the nation's 10 largest cities.

It hasn't always been this bad. (H/T - The Philadelphia Daily News)

No, it hasn't always been this bad. When former incompetent mayor (now current incompetent governor) Ed Rendell was in office, we averaged 423 homicides a year. Hell, in one of Rendell's stellar years at the helm, the count exceeded 550! Yet, for some reason, Rendell is revered as one of this town's greatest mayors.

All of the hippies are clamoring for a gun ban here, but again, that will do little to curb the violence. Homicides in Philadelphia are not committed with legally-owned handguns! Street and Rendell can ban everything from Smith & Wesson revolvers to pea shooters: it won't make a difference. The fact of the matter is that the criminals will find ways to procure the necessary firearms, and use them in the manners they see fit.

For those of you who still don't get it, let me put it this way: illegal drugs are banned in Philadelphia. Don't we still have a drug problem?

I don't know what the final tally will be, but it will definitely be less than last year's count of 406. (The media is three deaths off, by the way - the official current tally is 394, seen at First In!) And although most people would be horrified by that number, the politicians in this city will consider it a victory.

And that, dear readers, is the problem.