City Council members have taken a fairly thorough drubbing in the press this year, what with reports on their salaries, their city-issued cars, their pension perks, their summer work ethic, and the tax-delinquent tendencies of some their staffers.
All this has some on Council feeling quite tetchy of late. Why, some are asking, are they coming in for so much criticism? Particularly when it comes to their use of city resources?
Part of the answer is contained in a report on the city's five-year plan issued last week by the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority.
The report includes a telling chart that graphs spending by a host of city departments and entities from 2008 through their 2010 budgeted totals. (scroll to page 33)
Most every department has made deep cuts: Commerce is down more than 35 percent, Records down 30 percent, the Mayor's Office down about 15 percent, and so on. Even most offices run by independently elected officials - such as the controller and the district attorney - are down between 8 and 10 percent.
And then there is City Council.
Despite one of the worst budget crises in recent history, despite the worst recession in decades, City Council is on track to increase spending from 2008 to 2010 by 10 percent, making it one of a handful of city spending obligations that would actually go up over that time.
Click here for Philly.com's politics page.
This should not be a blog post...it should be a featured, front page story in the Sunday paper.....but wait until early September, when everybody is back from vacation (except Council, which extends its vacation into the second half of September).— willll- I agree. Council is so superfluous, it should be mandated to have the deepest cuts. Is the only way to responsibly address this to have the state takeover for a while, like with Camden?— CleanupPhilly
- Nutter needs to CUT COUNCIL FIRST, not police and fire.— CleanupPhilly
- Cut Nutter and City Council, they both do not earn their pay!!!— Mike S.
Comment removed.- You voted for them. But, you can still correct your mistakes. Thro Bobby Brady's city democrat ballot in the trash. Vote new people in, at least we'll have a chance.— FJG JR
- Nutter can't cut Council. Only Council can cut Council's budget. Its that little thing called seperation of executive and legislative branch. If its so easy to get 20,000 signatures to do a charter change - do it yourself. The mayor has to try to get Council to pass legislation so he has to work with them on some level. We the voters are the idiots who reelected the clowns. Don't blame the mayor for the voter's stupidity.— seand
- Council, you disgusting, worthless pigs. Each and every one of them need to be voted out when up for reelection.— MCC
- Pa. Politics and Policy blogs
- Young Philly Politics
- Politics PA
- Keystone Politics
- Philly Blogs:
- Philadelphians for Ethical Leadership
- Metropolis
- Citizen Mom
- Plan Philly
- Changing Skyline
- Citizen Hunter
- American Debate
- The Illadelphia
- Phillyist
- Trash Me
- The clog
- Philadelphia Will Do
- Philly Skyline
- Phawker
- Philebrity
- Philly Blog
- Philly Future
- Addytood
- Philly Confidential
- Great Expectations
- Philly News
- Legal Intelligencer
- Philadelphia Business Journal
- Philadelphia Weekly
- City Paper
- Sunday Sun
- Public Record
- Inquirer
- Daily News
- Tribune
- Evening bulletin
- Metro
- Philly Politics and Policy Blogs
- Fight for Room 215
- A smoke Filled Room
- Hallwatch
- The Next Mayor
- Watchdogs & Movements
- Philly for Change
- PICA
- Casino Free Philadelphia
- The Field Negro
- PA Clean Sweep
- Neighborhood Networks
- Philadelphia Forward
- February
- January
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- Heard in the Hall columns from the Inquirer
- News | Sports | Business | What's Happening | Restaurants & Food | Entertainment | Living | Marketplace | Jobs
