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Thursday, September 17, 2009

Nutter: "Plan C is Terminated"

Mayor Nutter just officially terminated the Plan C “doomsday” budget via conference call with Managing Director Camille Barnett and top city officials. That means no layoff notices, no library closures or reduced trash collection.

""Everyone should stop eveything they were doing related to Plan C," Nutter said. "That is over and done with."

After the state Senate passed the city’s budget relief legislation, Nutter headed straight to state Rep. Dwight Evans office to call his staff. Chris Brennan, reports Nutter got choked up during the call.

"This really is a new day in Philadelphia," Nutter said, referring to his campaign motto.

By phone from Philadelphia, Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey offered thanks.

"I don't even want to think about what would have happened," Ramsey said. "You saved the day."

"Plan C" was Nutter's fallback budget if the state did not pass budget relief. The included layoffs of 3,000 city workers, closing all libraries and recreation centers and reducing trash collection. Those cuts were to be finalized Oct. 2 without state action.

Nutter told reporters that he had a meeting with his staff on Monday to update them on the bill's progress, and considered at the meeting that some of the staffers would be laid off.

“The magnitude of it is astounding," Nutter said. "These are not just names on a piece of paper. These are not just numbers of a docket.”

Posted by Catherine Lucey @ 4:17 PM Permalink | 25 comments

Comments

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 4:34 PM, 09/17/2009

Folks, this is great theater, but layoffs will still have to happen. The sales tax hike is mandated to go to pension relief. Philly doesn't the money it needs to keep spending like it is. We've been allowed to delay pension payments, but then we must make them. To pretend that we now have a fully funded budget is misleading. I hate to say "don't be happy," but look at where we still are.

— CleanupPhilly

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 4:35 PM, 09/17/2009

Ben Waxman called Plan C a fake, and I think he was right. There is a budget that we haven't dealt with yet.

— CleanupPhilly

Comment removed.

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 4:56 PM, 09/17/2009

Let's all celebrate. Sales tax is now 8% and difficult decisions about what to do about pension obligations have been deferred for another "new day".

— phillyccgwm

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:02 PM, 09/17/2009

CleanupPhilly, again (that's twice today, if you are keeping score ;)) that I must agree with you 100%. Not so much about all the layoffs-sure, there's plenty of places the city can cut jobs. But your earlier rants about collecting back taxes are right on. Let's get on the stick with getting the money the city is owed by the deadbeats! And remember to vote the bums out come next election!

— Genghis

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:10 PM, 09/17/2009

An 8% sales tax means that your dollar is worth 2cents less in Philly than in the rest of Pennsylvania and 8 cents less than in Delaware. Guess where people are going to do their shopping! This is, those who have a choice. The poor are stuck.

— DonQ

Comment removed.

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:18 PM, 09/17/2009

The emporer has no clothes

— cdm48

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:18 PM, 09/17/2009

Thanks, unions.

— Echo

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:20 PM, 09/17/2009

I agree the city should collect its owed back taxes. However, the problem with collecting from "deadbeats" is that they don't have the money to pay it. They didn't have the money to pay their taxes in the first place. That's how they became "deadbeats". How do you collect money from people that don't have it? The city needs to keep an eye on and collect its owed taxes more timley efficeintly and effectively. Not wait until the city is broke and the people who owe the taxes are further in debt to say, "I'll take that money you owe me now.".

— JohnnyJack

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:20 PM, 09/17/2009

Let's just have A PLAN to route out the burden that led us on the path of destruction.

— Dadair1

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:24 PM, 09/17/2009

This City Council will deal with the new debt that now faces them in the form of mandated debt service of $90 million starting in 2013 the way this City Council has always dealt with a crisis. They won't. That is how we get these management by brush fire responses like mass layoffs. Council won't collect back taxes. They won't touch their machine. When they realize they are writing checks but no money is in the account, we'll have our next Doomsday layoff party.

— CleanupPhilly

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:26 PM, 09/17/2009

Property taxes are paid when the property is sold. The city forecloses at sheriff sale to collect back taxes. Johnny should know that the city is owed $425 million in overdue property taxes, and every dime is paid in full when the property is sold at sheriff sale. The city has an optional property tax payment system because it doesn't foreclose adequately on this debt. They can pay because their properties can be sold. Many of these properties are simply empty or vacant lots in high demand high value neighborhoods.

— CleanupPhilly

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:27 PM, 09/17/2009

JohnnyJack, if you don't pay your property taxes in one year in any other place in the country, sheriff sale proceedings start to sell the property at auction. Not in Philly.

— CleanupPhilly

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:55 PM, 09/17/2009

To me he's still and always will be one of the sorrest Mayors this city has ever had. And it sickens me that i voted for him. The first things to come out of his mouth was layoffs and closings of libraries, playgounds and places that this city actually needs more of. How could he even think about laying off fire and police officers and closing things that are meant to keep our already troubled youth out of prisons and graves? Nutter "AND" that sorry a-- police commisioner need to pack up and get the hell out of town.......

— getwiththis

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About The Philly Clout Team

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.

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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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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.

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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.

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