The Town That John Fetterman Governed for 12 Years as Mayor Is Still a Hell Hole

Until he became lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, John Fetterman’s only political experience was as mayor of Braddock for a dozen years. Elected after receiving 148 votes — one more than his nearest competitor — Fetterman tried to give the people hope of a better future as he promised a better economy,  more jobs, and a renewed spirit.

Braddock was in pretty bad shape when Fetterman became mayor. It was in even worse shape when he left, as Spectator World‘s Teresa Mull described it.

I drove around gawking at piles of rubble, decaying brick mansions with vegetation consuming them, and streets and sidewalks filled with trash. At one point, I avoided a raccoon out and about in broad daylight as I searched for and never found the “nice part of town.” I ended up at a country club restaurant where I stopped for a cup of tea. The view from the Grand View Golf Club was indeed grand, and surprised by the sudden change, I asked my waitress if I was still in Braddock.

“No, this would be North Braddock,” she informed me.

Ah. My waitress was born and raised in Braddock proper and recalled when it had all sorts of shops and “you used to be able to walk up and down the streets.” Though, she added, shaking her head, “it’s a wreck now.”

“I have truly never seen a more miserable place than Braddock, Pennsylvania,” writes Mull. “Google Images gives you the general idea, but until you see street after street of utter neglect, garbage, and decrepitude, you can’t get a sense of how bad it really is.”- READ MORE