PhillyTablet Inquirer Daily News
Mobile
Home Delivery
philly.com
email
font size
comments
7
options
 
Friday, October 30, 2009

Nutter Not Getting Way On Pension Changes?

It looks like Mayor Nutter won’t get his way on a pension measure he hoped would help him in contract negotiations with city unions.

Tomorrow is the deadline for the city to enter a state recovery program that would require the administration to set up a lower cost pension plan for new hires.

But to enter the program, City Council must pass a resolution pledging to create a lower cost pension plan for new city hires. Council has balked at the request from the mayor to do so and no member would even introduce a resolution.

Some members felt the administration tried to strong-arm them into passing the bill with misleading information. Last week, the administration sent around a memo which said the city could face legal action from the state Public Employee Retirement Commission if the resolution wasn’t passed.

But the administration later retreated on that position. City Solicitor Shelley Smith sent testimony to Council this week, which said that the original analysis of the situation was “overly aggressive.” A new version of the memo said that legal action was unlikely if Council didn’t act.

Nutter has said that he needs to reign in benefit costs for city workers, citing the woefully underfunded pension plan as a key liability for the city.
 
Posted by Catherine Lucey @ 5:56 PM  Permalink | 7 comments
Comments   
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:48 PM, 10/30/2009
    bill, none of the Republicans on Council introduced the resolution, either.
    — PHL87
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 7:31 AM, 10/31/2009
    City council... profiles in courage!
    — Catch22
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:19 PM, 10/31/2009
    Pensions are only evil if you don't have one. The answer if you don't have one is to join a union and fight for one, not to take away or water down the pensions of those who do. Of course most Republicans, like the commenters above, love the sink or swim form of capitalism which now has millions of people who have no pensions, or jobs for that matter, drowning. Thankfully, that philosophy is not totally in charge here in Philly.
    — Stan Shapiro
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:30 AM, 11/02/2009
    Talking down to loyal Democrats who know they are far more likely to have to pay for city pensions that go beyond other major cities than they are to receive them is pretty good at conveying a sense of snootiness, a sense "we know better than you do". Not so sure about convincing them you are right, but really good at coming off as patronizing and insulting.
    — seand


7 comments
About The Philly Clout Team
PhillyClout
Chris Brennan, a native Philadelphian and graduate of Temple University, joined the Daily News in 1999. He has written about SEPTA, the Philadelphia School District, the legalization of casino gambling, state government, the mayor, the governor, City Council and political campaigns.
 Follow Chris on Twitter

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
 Follow Dave on Twitter.

Catherine Lucey joined the Daily News in 2002 and has written about murderous drug gangs, political protesters and Harry Potter. After covering the 2007 mayoral election, she moved over to the City Hall bureau where she has been reporting on the Nutter administration.
 Follow Catherine on Twitter

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.
 Follow Jan on Twitter



Share your tips

Catherine Lucey
luceyc@phillynews.com

Chris Brennan
brennac@phillynews.com

Jan Ransom
Ransomj@phillynews.com
Advertise Here