Check out this press release from the Philadelphia Bar Association. Council members Bill Green, Brian O'Neill, Blondell Reynolds-Brown and Marion Tasco are scheduled to appear at their annual convention -- at Harrah's Atlantic City.

Think they'll squeeze in a little gambling while they're out there? Here's the release:

Philadelphia City Council Members to Engage in Open-Ended Question-and-Answer Session at Philadelphia Bar Association’s Bench Bar and Annual Conference On Friday, October 23

PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia City Council members Bill Green, Brian O’Neill, Blondell Reynolds Brown and Marian Tasco will discuss the future of Philadelphia as a “Great City” and answer questions from audience members at the opening session of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Bench Bar and Annual Conference, held Oct. 23 and 24 at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City. The forum, moderated by KYW Newsradio 1060’s Wally Kennedy, will take place on Friday, Oct. 23 from 12-2 p.m. during the Bar Association’s October Quarterly Meeting.

“In the midst of these tough economic times, we need to hear from those on the inside about where our great city stands and where it is headed,” Chancellor Sayde J. Ladov said. “An audience of savvy, politically-astute attorneys and judges will undoubtedly have much to ask these City Council members.”

The discussion will cover many hot button issues, including the recent state and city budget crisis, forecasted regional growth, issues involving the Board of Revision of Taxes, and much more. Kennedy will ask direct questions for 20 minutes before taking questions from the audience for 40 minutes.

»  More City Council to Talk Government, Play Slots?

Did you miss Ned Lamont's endorsment of U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak for Senate on Monday? The duo appeared on Hardball to talk about the race. Check out the video below.

As you may recall, PhillyClout first reported Lamont's plans last week.

Our favorite show, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," has just inked a deal to sell reruns of the FX comedy. The Los Angeles Times reports that Comedy Central bought the reruns for roughly $400,000 an episode.

PhillyClout says congrats! Check out the full LA Times report here.

The DN looks back to the 1991 fire at the One Meridian office tower in Center City where three firefighters perished.

An associate of former state Sen. Vince Fumo pleads guilty to a no-show contract with the state Senate.

Police say they're ready if the Phillies clinch the National League Championship Series at home tonight and fans take to the streets.
 

Local investors up their bid for the Daily News and Inquirer.

A day after the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that City Council did not plan to act on Mayor Nutter's legislation to create a cheaper pension plan for new hires, the mayor made a new request of the legislators.

Nutter's Finance Director Rob Dubow today sent a letter to Council President Anna Verna asking that Council instead pass a resolution that the city would set up a lower cost plan for new hires -- but would not contain the exact details of the plan.

Nutter's original legislation, introduced by Councilman Darrell Clarke in June, would have set up a plan for new hires that combined some pension benefits with a 401K. Nutter has now pulled back some of those details. In the communication to Council, the administration asks for a resolution stating that retirement plans for new hires would cost less, but says that the resolution need not contain details of the plan. Any plan would be negotiated with the unions, a fact sheet says.

The fact sheet provided to Council noted that because the city's pension plan has been declared "severely distressed" by the State Public Retirement Commission, under state law the city must implement a cheaper plan.

Contracts for the city's four municipal unions expired June 30, but no new agreements have been made. The contract for police, which is decided by an arbitration panel, is expected to be decided first, perhaps within the next month. Arbitration for firefighters will continue into January. Talks have been limited with the two non-uniform unions.

Uri Monson, executive director of the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, endured some gentle ribbing at the agency's board meeting today over the "Best of Philly" award he received this summer from Philadelphia Magazine.

Monson was named "Best Wonk."

The board members placed the laminated certificate Monson received from the magazine in the center of their table throughout the meeting. And in his opening remarks, Board Chairman Jim Eisenhower teased Monson about the honor.

"I'd like to note that Uri has won a very prestigious award," Eisenhower said, adding that Monson was picked over city Finance Chairman Rob Dubow, who formerly directed PICA.

Both Monson and Dubow, who was at the meeting, took the jokes in stride.

The city's elected row offices were the hot topic today at the monthly meeting of the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority.

The state agency, which provides oversight for the city budget, is readying an analysis of the city’s elected row offices. Today’s discussion provided some insight into the report, which is expected to be released within several weeks.

One thing the report looks at is the cost of elections in Philadelphia, compared with the 14 other biggest counties in the state. According to PICA, in Philly, where elections are run by three elected commissioners, elections cost $9 per every registered voter, compared with an average of $4.60 per voter in the other counties.

More detail on all the city row offices – and the savings on consolidating some of them – will be provided when the full report comes out, said PICA Executive Director Uri Monson.

There are six row offices in Philadelphia. In a report released in the spring, the watchdog group Committee of Seventy recommended that sheriff, register of wills, clerk of quarter sessions and the city commissioners — which are run by six elected officials — be eliminated.

In 2005, voters in Allegheny County — which includes Pittsburgh — approved a plan to get rid of the clerk of courts, coroner, jury commissioners, prothonotary, recorder of deeds and register of wills. The offices were consolidated and elected officials replaced with three appointed posts, for a savings of over $1 million and reduced political influence in city government.
 

Newsweek has a great piece on their website by Howard Fineman about Sen. Arlen Specter's re-election campaign. An excerpt.

Barack Obama and Ed Rendell were delighted when they convinced Sen. Arlen Specter to switch parties earlier this year. But now that coup falls into the category of "be careful what you wish for," because the president and the governor of Pennyslvania have a problem on their hands: Arlen Specter. Here's the problem: Specter is up for re-election next year, and he was promised the full campaign backing of Obama and Rendell--not just in the general election but in the primary next May, if there was one. Well, there is one, and it is shaping up as a fierce one, against Rep. Joe Sestak, who represents the Philly suburbs.

For the rest of the story, click here.

Of course we all know that the big news today is the Phillies' ninth-inning win last night. But here's what else we have:

A woman injured in the aerial lift accident in Center City last week has filed a lawsuit.

Experts say that it benefits the city if you cooperate with the census bureau.

Nutter meets with Council members to talk 3-1-1.