Beevis and Butthead

On Friday, June 14, 2013 Stu Bykofsky wrote his latest anti-bicycle screed and I would have responded sooner but every time I tried to reread the column I kept breaking out in a fit of giggles. Stu Bykofsky has finally found the Beevis to his Butthead; former Philadelphia Mayor and current Professor at Temple University John F. Street. Stu was invited as a guest lecturer for one Street's classes on local government and community advocacy because Professor Street “invites speakers who he thinks can be of some value to students”.

As usual there were unsubstantiated comments about bicyclists and bicycle lanes. But it got really funny when Professor Street not only backed up these claims with his own anecdotal evidence. Such as as his assertion that "When you take a person and you put him on a bike, something happens to your brain," Street says. "You get real aggressive, you're like a cabdriver on a bike. It's all about getting there. A stop sign doesn't mean anything." So Professor Street can add Psychologist to his resume.

If students at Temple University want to learn just how corrupt urban government can be then all they need to do is take Professor John F. Street class. He is a case study in ego and failure. When Street graduated Temple Law School he got a clerkship with the U. S. Department of Justice and was quickly terminated for poor performance. After becoming Mayor 18 members of his staff were convicted for corruption during an FBI investigation. When Street was head of the Philadelphia Housing Authority, from 2004 to 2011, Street hired the law firm his son worked at to handle PHA legal matters. Street claimed he had a non-existent waiver and his son billed over 1000 hours on PHA business. Street's brother, Milton Street former State Senator, was convicted for tax fraud on 2 million dollars he received as a consultant by getting companies lucrative city contracts while his brother was in office.

Stu really seems to be grasping at straws these days, he'll do anything to get attention. After his lecture he and Professor Street had lunch afterwards. Which again gave me a fit of giggles as the entire conversation must have gone like this.