Archive: April, 2011
Catherine Lucey and David Gambacorta
UPDATE 5:03 PM.: Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey today annonuced that he is staying in Philadelphia, after weeks of speculation that he was considering the top cop job in Chicago.
"I would like to just stay right here," Ramsey said to thunderous applause, during a press conference in City Hall. Ramsey said he informed Nutter of his decision last night.
Mayor Nutter, who has been vocal in his desire to keep Ramsey, said he has offered the commissioner a raise that will bump his pay from $195,000 to $255,000, an amount Nutter said was appropriate for a big-city police chief.
Ramsey said three factors played into his decision to stay: the potential of the department to improve, his relationship with the families of the fallen police officers and Nutter's vision for the city going forward. "I want to be a part of it," he said.
Ramsey said he was "totally prepared" to go back to Chicago and noted the emotional pull of his hometown. He said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel was aware of his decision, although he declined to detail their conversations.
BREAKING, 4:03 PM: PhillyClout sources confirm that Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey will stay in Philadelphia.
Catherine Lucey
This just dropped into our inbox. Is Mayor Nutter going to announce something related to Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, who is rumored to be considering the top cop job in Chicago? We'll let you know.
MAYOR NUTTER TO MAKE PERSONNEL ANNOUNCEMENT
WHO: Mayor Michael A. Nutter
WHAT: Mayor Nutter will make a major announcement regarding personnel.
WHERE: City Hall, Mayor’s Reception Room, Room 202
WHEN: Wednesday, April 6, 2010 4:15 pm TODAY
Chris Brennan and Catherine Lucey
Council Candidate Danny Savage – running to recapture the 7th District from Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez – yesterday put out a press release that he had been “recommended” by the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.
The announcement piqued our interest, because we didn’t recall the Chamber getting into political races. And Savage’s press release made it sound like he was picked over Sanchez, with the following statement: “Savage has spoken out against his opponent’s proposed tax bill, which would give tax breaks to downtown businesses while increasing the burdens on neighborhood shops. The recommendation of the business community’s premier coalition is a significant endorsement of Savage’s message and candidacy.”
But it turns out this was not an endorsement at all. The Chamber tells us that they do not endorse candidates and they “recommended” both Savage and Sanchez as candidates who are friendly to business development.
Catherine Lucey
Judging from the press release we just got, it looks like Mayor Nutter is poised to endorse Cindy Bass in the race for the 8th Councilmanic District.
PhillyClout sources confirm that Nutter is going to back Bass. This will be his first endorsement in the open Council races.
Check it out:
MEDIA ADVISORY
Mayor Nutter, Rep. Evans, Sen. Hughes, and Rep. Fattah join Cindy Bass for Major Campaign Announcement
Who:
Catherine Lucey
Is the electricians union exploiting a loophole in the city campaign finance law?
Is Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey definitely heading to Chicago?
John Baer says President Obama's re-election is far from guaranteed.
And Will Bunch explains how a possible government shutdown will work.
Catherine Lucey
We don't usually write about endorsements, but one from big Eddie really means something. Here's the release:
EDWARD G. RENDELL ENDORSES BOBBY HENON, DEMOCRAT FOR CITY COUNCIL
Former Philadelphia Mayor & PA Governor Lauds Henon on Record of Job Creation
PHILADELPHIA -- Bobby Henon, Democratic candidate for the 6th Councilmanic seat in Northeast Philadelphia, today received the endorsement of former Philadelphia mayor and Pennsylvania governor, Edward G. Rendell. To date, Rendell has not endorsed any other candidate for Philadelphia City Council. Rendell cited Henon’s tireless work ethic, his strong record on job creation, and his ability to work effectively with elected officials in both political parties and at all levels of government as the primary reasons he gave the first-time candidate his endorsement.
“I have known Bobby Henon for almost 20 years and have always admired his tenacity, his ability to manage diverse personalities, and his penchant for getting things done for the benefit of his fellow union members and the citizens of Philadelphia,” said Rendell. “Bobby was an invaluable ally to me in helping to move my important growth agendas forward, both as mayor and governor. He is uniquely qualified to bring together unions and businesses to create jobs. Bobby will be an exceptional public servant for the people of Northeast Philadelphia because he will not be outworked, he knows how to create jobs, and he understands the importance of public safety, personal responsibility, and civic pride. Bobby would make a great Philadelphia City Councilman.”
For Henon, today’s endorsement of his candidacy by Rendell, who remains a respected and influential voice in political circles and the media, was a source of tremendous pride and provided further affirmation of his campaign’s momentum.
Chris Brennan
Jeff Hornstein, one of the four Democrats seeking to replace City Councilman Frank DiCicco in the 1st District, decided to draw attention to his campaign today by cracking wise on the City of Brotherly Love. Hornstein issued a news release touting his plan to "Make Philly less weird" when it comes to taxes.
The plan, dubbed "Investing in Philadelphia," is aimed at the city's tax structure, pension problems and use of vacant land. You can read the plan here.
We asked Hornstein, Brooklyn-born and raised in Matawan, NJ, about the political viability of calling Philly weird. He said we shouldn't get "hung up on the word" and said there are many weird aspects of Philadelphia -- the guy can seriously talk local theater -- that the city does and should embrace.
If you're one of those Nobody-talks-trash-about-Philly-except-us types, take it easy on Hornstein next time you run into him. He's healing a ruptured tendon in his knee after taking a tumble off a South Philly stoop while campaigning.
Catherine Lucey
Protesters blast Gov. Corbett's proposed school cuts.
A Philly-born naval officer is key player in the U.S. military operations in Libya.
How are Philly travelers dealing after a hole tore open a Southwest plane over the weekend?
Bail and house arrest are set for the wife of abortion doctor Kenneth Gosnell, who is accused of murder.
Chris Brennan
PhillyClout appeared on WHYY's Radio Times program for an hour this morning, discussing the many races for City Council seats with Dave Davies, senior reporter at Newsworks.org and Marcia Gelbart, the Philadelphia Inquirer's City Hall bureau chief.
Two Democrats running for the 1st Council District seat, Vern Anastasio and Jeff Hornstein, called in. There was also a discussion about how the controversial Deferred Retirement Option Plan is impacting the races for Council this year.
You can hear the podcast of that discussion here.
Catherine Lucey
Here's the release from the Bar Association:
PHILADELPHIA BAR ASSOCIATION RELEASES RATINGS OF JUDICIAL CANDIDATES FOR MAY 17 PRIMARY ELECTION
Rudolph Garcia, Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, today announced the first round of results of the Association’s investigation into the qualifications of candidates for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and candidates for Philadelphia Municipal Court in the May 17 primary election. The investigation was conducted by the Association’s Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention.
Garcia noted that the list of “Recommended” and “Not Recommended” candidates is still incomplete and said additional names and ratings will be announced as investigations are completed on the remaining candidates. Garcia said that the ratings announced today provide the results for candidates who are on the ballot who submitted to the Association’s evaluation process by the Bar’s announced deadline of December 8, 2010.
“We wanted to get these names and ratings out as soon as possible and invite people to learn about these candidate ratings. They can do this by visiting our website at www.philadelphiabar.org,” Garcia said. The Chancellor pointed out that the Association’s Campaign for Qualified Judges has launched a banner that appears on the homepage of the Association’s website. The banner contains a link to print the candidates’ ratings so voters can bring the list to the polls. Garcia said the Association wants voters to know “not just who to vote for but why the judicial elections are so important and why we invest so much time and energy in reviewing and rating these candidates. This is the one place for voters to find a thorough, non-partisan, objective rating of the candidates.”
The Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention is independent and non-partisan. It includes lawyers and non-lawyers. Among the members of the Commission are community leaders, officials including the District Attorney, Chief Public Defender, City Solicitor, and the President Judges of Common Pleas Court and Municipal Court, and representatives of minority legal groups and various sections of the Bar.
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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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