Two years before Cohen's death in 2005 at age 90, Council's liberal lion rammed through a wage-tax cut for the working poor.

But in the long-term spending plan that Nutter presented last week, he called for elimination of the "David Cohen tax cut" five years before it is even set to begin.

Nutter's rationale is that he is backing plenty of other tax cuts that "will substantially benefit low-income residents and employees of Philadelphia firms."

"It's a shame," said Councilman William Greenlee, Cohen's successor and longtime chief of staff. The tax cut "is really giving an advantage to people who need the help the most," he said.

At the same time, Greenlee said he was hardly surprised by Nutter's plan because former Mayor John F. Street was also an ardent opponent of the tax cut, saying it was too expensive. (As it stands now, it will cost the city $16 million in 2013, its first year, and $28 million in 2014. After that it keeps climbing.)

One difference: Nutter favored the cut, voting with his former Council colleagues to override Street's veto of it.

So will Council's support of the Cohen tax cut soften when Nutter comes knocking at their door?

Councilman W. Wilson Goode Jr., who in 2006 said he could not see himself supporting its repeal, did not return a call for comment.

Another staunch defender of the cut, Councilman Jim Kenney, said Friday he had an open mind, especially given the "substantial" tax cuts in Nutter's spending plan.

But that's not what Kenney said when Street last sought a repeal, three months after Cohen's death. "This is a personal dismantling of a colleague's legacy," he said then, "and it's smacking David Cohen in the grave."

- Marcia Gelbart

Michael Nutter seems genuinely misty about being mayor of Philadelphia.

At the start of his budget address last week, after recalling coming to City Council for the first time as an observer 26 years ago, Nutter had to pause: "I had no idea at that time that I would ever end up here as a member of Philadelphia City Council, but certainly could never have imagined - " Nutter said, choking up for 10 seconds before continuing, "that I'd be here today."

At the end of his speech, Nutter welcomed new Council members Bill Green, Curtis Jones Jr. and Maria Quiñones Sanchez "to the greatest legislative body in the free world."

Nutter laughed as he said it and pointed at Green, whose father, former Mayor Bill Green, famously labeled Council "the worst legislative body in the free world."

- Jeff Shields

Happy Kenney

Council President Anna C. Verna suggested someone take a picture.

"I've been very happy lately," Kenney said Friday. "After eight years years of guerilla warfare, it's nice to know that what you go to work on will maybe get consideration and come to fruition."

- Marcia Gelbart