Nutter in verbal sidewalk smackdown
Philadelphia City Hall and political coverage from the Philadelphia Inquirer City Hall bureau.
Nutter in verbal sidewalk smackdown
Jeff Shields
Was that just another sidewalk altercation this afternoon on South Broad Street -- or was it Mayor Nutter throwing verbal bombs at an alleged tax deadbeat?
Attorney Robert Gamburg, one of three lawyers at 121 South Broad Street who owe the city a total of $350,000 in business privilege taxes, didn't like the fact that Nutter chose to shame him with a press conference outside his building.
Nutter called the press conference at 2 p.m. Wednesday to show what would happen to tax deadbeats, and Sheriff's deputies proceeded to very publicly deliver notices that the loffices of Gamburg, his father Jerome Gamburg, and Joseph Santaguida. Nutter said their belongings would be confiscated and auctioned off if they failed to pay their bills.
Gamburg confronted Nutter after the press conference, as Nutter chatted with reporters, asking whether Nutter was aware that he was in the process of arranging to pay his taxes.
"I'd also like to know if we are the only three people in the entire city that owe back taxes," Gamburg said, and asked why Nutter chose his building to hold the press conference.
"I'm not going to argue with you on the sidewalk -- you owe the city money, pay your taxes," Nutter said.
When Gamburg questioned why Nutter was getting "upset," Nutter raised the bar.
"Oh, you've never seen me upset," Nutter said, almost in warning. "So I'm not upset. Just pay your taxes and everything will be fine."
Nutter declared the conversation over, the men shook hands, and Nutter went back to City Hall and Gamburg back into his building.
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Comments (66)
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Nutter is learning from Obama. By going after the 3 deadbeats publicly he is hoping nobody notices all the deadbeats in North and West Philly who don't pay their property taxes! Not only is he going to allow them to continue their deadbeat ways but he is going to raise taxes on everyone else. Kind of like what Obama is going to do when he taxes everyone making over 50 grand to pay for his agenda. He says how he is going to tax the wealthy hoping nobody else will notice his energy policy is going to drive up the cost of living for everyone except the poor who will receive subsidies, and his free healthcare plan that won't lower the cost for anyone who pays for health insurance.— ResponsibleAmerican- Did you people read the adress of this location? Or are all of you too stupid to realize this was right next to city hall. He went here to prove a point and have a news conference because ti was a few feet away. Why would he waste time setting an event like this up in North Philly? People are pursuing Jeffrey Lurie and the eagles, you folks just conveniently forgot about that information.— Capsulef
- $350,000 in business privilege taxes? What is that something the city made up? How about a 'breathing air' tax next?— mijou6
- how about going after the Eagles...they owe millions!— majrladyr
- Nutter is a moron? Because he pays his taxes? Or because he stands up against lawyers that haven't paid their taxes? He's a hero in my eyes. God bless Mayor Nutter for standing up against all the folks that don't pay their taxes... because too many old, poor and working folks in this city do pay their taxes!— NickEeee
- Should we expect the Mayor Nutter show to pay a visit to Jeff Laurie at the Linc soon? Doesn't the football team still owe money to the City?— daddyimscared
- Mayor Nutter is awesome!— Bill Penn
- impree me by going to jeff lurie house and collecting the 8 million from him instead of grandstanding...oops $350,000 is worth more than 8 million any day— jorge
- I like Mike. He don't play games.— gfish134
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- Sam Pileggi's right. At this point, anything is better than nothing. How many other Gamburgs must there be in this town? Nutter should start appearing in front of a new office every weekday at 2:00 until all of the past due BPT payments are collected. Next stop Joe Lurie!— Draco
- Just wait and see what'll happen when and if he gets his 17% increase in everyone's property taxes passed through City Council. There will be a mass exodus out of the City the like of which has NEVER BEEN SEEN in the history of the City. Mark my words. Just wait and see.— Stanley Levin
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- The city is late in getting tough on tax bills. They should have been tough when people had money.— Manny-Mann
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- Good for Mayor Nutter. I struggle to pay me RE taxes every year but I do it and I'm never late. These deadbeats can afford to pay but if no one is insisting on timely payments the deadbeats keep the money in interest bearing accounts. When they eventually pay up they are still ahead of the game. And how about that Jeffrey Laurie making the billionaires list, doesn't he owe the city of Philadelphia money? Go get him too Mayor Nutter.— Hop
- Good work Mayor Nutter. Please embarrass more of these deadbeats publicly. I'm a small (very small) business person and I have no problem paying my taxes on time. I don't like paying the BPT but that's not the point. Infact, this will probably be the last year I do business in Philadelphia because of the BPT, NPT, State Income Tax, Federal Income Tax ..... etc. etc.. It just make any sense to continue working for the amount that is left over for me.— mindstorms
- I would have been more impressed he if held the press conference in North Philly in front of a whole city block that owes taxes.— jn3
- obama robots are you 14 or something? Have you been to North Philly? You can't collect property taxes from abandoned buildings. Plus the property taxes in that area are almost nothing. New construction there has a 10 yr tax abatement. So what point were you trying to make? I smell a highschooler trying to post soft racist comments— cornelleast
- What a publicity stunt by Nutter... What about the thousands of others who owe the city taxes? What about the Eagles owing $8 million? For shame, Nutter.— jnixon05
- All of this work to "shame" them into paying taxes is pointless unless the city actually goes through the process to collect/foreclose on the properties ASAP.— Taxpaying Voter
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- Funny, when I correct one of my 14 year old, eighth grade students for disrupting class, the stock answer is "Am I the only one in class talking?"...Have the Eagles paid up yet?— ptahan
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- I guess this is a message to anyone wanting to open a business in the city: pay up or leave. If businesses leave, what then will this city be? Who will employ people? Who will patronage other businesses? Seems that the mayor just wants to chase business people out of the City of Philadelphia. Wow, what DUMB message to send to businesses during this time of crisis. What an idiot this NUTter is!— JSmith222
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- I like it! Go Mayor Nutter, go! Jeff Laurie -- you're next.— maude
- I like it! Go Mayor Nutter, go! Jeff Laurie -- you're next.— maude
- April Fool!— FJG JR
- Foreclosing in North Philly will not bring in money, that's why he is focusing on the big boys.— Dave666
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- The mayor decided to hold a news conference without ALL of the facts before naming names. The city's ailing economy as well as our nations economy is of grave concern, but it is not because of people not paying the BPT. How about city agency's that are not properly managed and have workers that work when the feel like(if you've ever been to City Hall, you know what I'm talking about). To grandstand and try to embarrass Attorneys thinking that they'll run right to city hall and pay, LOL Boy did you get some bad advice!!! Way to go Mikey, another city employee wasting taxpayers money.— sanroc
The real question is who was Gamburg billing when he was fighting his own tax battles on the sidewalk?— Earl J- Comment removed.
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- Privlige tax - gimmie a break - The Mayor s/b paying the lawyer for setting up shop in this city...— phillyflava
- This lawyer didn't pay his taxes? Obama will probably want to talk to him about a cabinet position.— Mr. Bigglesworth
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- Murray1 is a moron.— CommonSense in Philly
- Fire Latrice Bryant!— PinkGargoyle
- We would've had enough for the mummers parade this year if this guy would have paid his taxes!— ryphilly8507
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- What about the thousands of people in North Philly who've never paid their taxes and have no intention of paying their taxes? I don't feel for this guy either.— Obama Robots
murray1 is a double moron.- Comment removed.
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- What do all of you want? Do you want to fix the city's ailing economy by getting those who should pay taxes to pay up? Or do you just want to sit around and second guess everyone.— Sam Pileggi
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- Do whatever it takes to get the money Mayor. If you have to publically shame them, then do so!— chasing history
- I say "Sheriff sale." And also a good PR move.— tonyS
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showboating— thelupe24- Lawyers are an easy target. It was an easy pr move.— Ramon
In the process of paying their taxes?? I'm always in the process, doesn't mean I paid 'em... sheriff sale any deadbeat business owner over 1 year arrearage.
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