A Chamber of Commerce poll of 450 Philadelphia voters earlier this week showed the race for mayor to be a dead heat.

The poll reported 43 percent for both Democrat John F. Street and Republican Sam Katz, and 14 percent undecided.

With the Nov. 2 election now less than two weeks away, the poll showed Katz gaining slightly on Street from their positions in a Chamber poll taken last month, said Joe Mahoney, senior vice president of the Chamber. That poll had Street with 42 percent of the vote, Katz with 39, and 19 percent undecided.

The Chamber conducts the polls periodically to help its business members assess the political landscape. The latest poll was conducted Monday and Tuesday.

The poll is done for the Chamber by a private polling company. Its margin of error is plus or minus 3.9 percent, Mahoney said.

The poll is done by telephone among 450 Philadelphians planning to vote. Mahoney said those polled matched the demographic makeup of the city. Eighty percent of those polled were Democrats and 20 percent were Republicans; 55 percent were white and 45 percent were minorities.

Rizzo, who is up for re-election along with other members of Council, had introduced a bill last week stipulating that if the Eagles get a new football stadium built in part with public funds, the team would be required to permit local broadcasts of even non-sold-out games. He said he was doing it for fans such as his mother, Carmella, widow of the late mayor.

"My mom is an 83-year-old lady who loves to watch football. But she doesn't get to go to the games," Rizzo had said.

Rizzo tabled his bill last week in hopes of drumming up more support. Other members had raised a number of objections, including the National Football League's agreements with the teams on blackouts.

The bill was taken up again yesterday, only to be voted down without comment. Besides Rizzo, it was supported by members Darrell Clarke and Jannie Blackwell.

Street to women: Take the day off

The rally is 10 a.m. to noon at the Tindley Temple, at Broad and Fitzwater Streets in South Philadelphia. The Tindley Temple was also the site of local activities before and after the Million Man March in Washington, D.C.

Test-drive for voting machines