Voters Visit Tartaglione, Demanding She DROP Out
A group of 10 voters calling themselves the Citizens of Philadelphia Collection Agency just visited City Commission Chairwoman Marge Tartaglione's City Hall office, demanding that she pay back the $288,000 in Deferred Retirement Option Plan money she collected in 2008 or drop her bid for re-election. Tartaglione did not appear to be in her office. Her staff asked if the protesters had an appointment and then declined to comment on whether she was at work.
A group of 10 voters calling themselves the Citizens of Philadelphia Collection Agency just visited City Commission Chairwoman Marge Tartaglione's City Hall office, demanding that she pay back the $288,000 in Deferred Retirement Option Plan money she collected in 2008 or drop her bid for re-election. Tartaglione did not appear to be in her office. Her staff asked if the protesters had an appointment and then declined to comment on whether she was at work.
One of the protesters, Ellen Chapman, said she was there to demand a refund, accusing Tartaglione of setting the legal precedent of signing up for DROP, running for re-election, retiring for one day and then returning to the city payroll.
"She doesn't care about the city of Philadelphia," Chapman said. "I want her to resign. I want my money back."
Attorney Joseph Doherty filed a lawsuit yesterday, seeking to boot Tartaglione from the May 17 Democratic Primary Election ballot. He said the protesters were a grass-roots group with no leader. Stephanie Singer, a Democratic ward leader challenging Tartaglione in the primary, joined the group but said she did not play a role in starting it.
Update 10:50 a.m. -- Tartaglione declined to comment on the protesters outside her office.