Archive: December, 2010
Chris Brennan
For Gov. Rendell, post-election is apparently also a post-partisanship period. Rendell, speaking at last week's Pennsylvania Society in New York City, told Scott Detrow of WITF in Harrisburg that state Democratic Party political attacks on Gov.-Elect Tom Corbett are going over the line. [We first saw this on the Newsworks Off Mic blog by Dave Davies]
"Let's give him some breathing space," Rendell told WITF. "To attack him at this point comes with ill grace."
Was it really just six weeks ago, while helping Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dan Onorato in the closing days of the general election, that Rendell accused Corbett of trying to get people to break the law? Here's what we reported on Oct. 30:
Onorato and Rendell yesterday accused Corbett of trying to foster voter suppression in the city. Rendell went so far as to say Corbett, the top law-enforcement officer in the state, should not be running for governor.
"He urged people to break the law," Rendell said after Onorato was endorsed by the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity. "Voter suppression is against the law. And he clearly urged them to break the law. Now does he have a plan? How would we know?"
Catherine Lucey
Councilman Frank DiCicco today said that an digital billboard will no longer be part of a controversial hotel project proposed for Old City.
DiCicco said he had originally agreed for a sign to be included in the development project at 4th and Race streets based on the belief that the sign would be obscured to residents and only visible to drivers on the nearby Ben Franklin Bridge.
But when he saw the site plans over the weekend, DiCicco said he could see that was not the case. And so, he said he has amended the enabling legislation in City Council.
“It would be seen by the residential community,” DiCicco said. “The sign is out.”
Residents have been vocal in their opposition to the development, which is expected to include a hotel and retail space. Because of the amendment, there will be no final vote on this legislation until next year.
We put a call into the developer, Arc Properties, and will update if we hear back.
Catherine Lucey
A controversial business tax proposal from two City Council members is put on hold indefinitely.
City celebrates Cliff Lee's return to the Phillies.
John Baer considers what will happen when the stimulus funds run out for the state.
Council holds a 7-hour hearing to discuss police misconduct.
Chris Brennan
A Quinnipiac University Poll released this morning shows that two out of three Pennsylvania voters (66-26 percent) support the plan by Gov.-Elect Tom Corbett to sell the state's liquor store business. Half of the voters polled (51-41 percent) were OK with laying off state workers to balance the budget. You can read the poll here.
Corbett enters office with the confidence of voters, as 59 percent said they feel optomisitic about the next four years. But voters are not so sure about his campaign pledge to not raise state taxes. Fifty-three percent said they don't think he can balance the budget that way while 65 percent oppose any tax increases.
The poll of 1,584 registered voters, conducted from Dec. 6-13, has a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percent.
Catherine Lucey
NOTE, 5:52 p.m.: This post has been updated
It sounds like a compromise is brewing on the business privilege tax debate that's been raging for weeks.
Sources tell PhillyClout that tomorrow's hearing on business tax legislation put forth by Council members Bill Green and Maria Quinones-Sanchez is expected to be postponed as the members work on a compromise deal with the Nutter administration.
Nutter's Chief of Staff Clay Armbrister today sent a letter to the Councilmembers, pledging to work together on compromise legislation that would help provide tax relief to small businesses and Philly based firms -- two of the Councilmembers key concerns. To read a PDF of the letter, click here.
The administration this afternoon said they were planning a press conference on the issue for tomorrow. But later in the evening it was no longer clear if the event was still on.
Green and Quinones-Sanchez have proposed legislation that would shift the business-tax burden from the net-income tax, which taxes profits, to the gross-receipts tax, which taxes sales. They have argued that the legislation - which would exempt a business' first $100,000 in sales - would benefit Philadelphia-based companies and small businesses.
Catherine Lucey
The Daily News explains what energy deregulation will mean to you.
Want to put your own stamp on a condom wrapper? The city health department has just the contest for you.
A new study shows that more college graduates are staying in Philly.
Catherine Lucey
Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said he thought he misheard this morning when listening to the news about pitcher Cliff Lee returning to the Philadelphia Phillies.
"We better hurry up and get our mounted unit in place because the Phillies are going to win the World Series the next three or four years," Ramsey said.
City officials joined Ramsey today in applauding Lee's decision to come back to the Phillies, despite more lucrative offers from other teams.
"I've had a feeling for a while, and I think he made it evident, that Cliff Lee did not want to leave Philadelphia," Mayor Nutter said. "I think Cliff Lee has now demonstrated why Philadelphia is such a great place. He turned down more money at some really great teams because he wanted to be in Philadelphia.
Councilman Curtis Jones Jr. also said he was thrilled by the news.
"The three coolest men on the planet earth are Sean Connery as James Bond, Denzel Washington and Cliff Lee," Jones said. "When he took us to the World Series, he had ice water in his veins."
Catherine Lucey
Hearings continue tomorrow on the business privilege tax legislation proposed by Council members Maria Quinones-Sanchez and Bill Green, which would radically change the way business taxes are levied in the city.
The two members have a piece defending the proposal in today's Daily News.
Committee of Seventy today asked the members to hold the bill for further review. Here is their letter.
Catherine Lucey
John Baer breaks down the news and gossip from the Pennsylvania Society.
A botched background check spells disaster for North Philly man.
Mayor Nutter steps in to help North Philadelphia Blackhawks -- the 2010 Pop Warner national champions -- with fundraising.
Councilman Jim Kenney and City Controller Alan Butkovitz write an opinion piece criticizing business tax legislation from Councilmembers Bill Green and Maria Quinones-Sanchez.
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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics – which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
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Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans. E-mail tips to ransomj@phillynews.com
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Sean Collins Walsh is from Bucks County and went to Northwestern University. He joined the Daily News copy desk in 2012 and now covers the Nutter administration. Before that, he interned at papers including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times. E-mail tips to walshSE@phillynews.com
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