City Council President Anna Verna may have waived the right to approve Mayor Nutter's doomsday budget, but the move does not have unanimous support. Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell protested the decision, saying that City Council should not give up the right to review the plan. In a letter obtained by “It's Our Money”, Blackwell argued that Council would “appear to be complicit in a Plan that would do severe damage to the city and its citizens.”
“I believe it is the responsibility of City Council to carefully consider and vote on matters referred to it under the law” Blackwell wrote to Verna. “Council should never avoid this responsibility, but embrace it as it strikes at the heart of government in this country and how it was created with three branches of government, i.e. executive, legislative, and judicial.”
Blackwell was the only one to publicly criticize the action, but several other members of City Council expressed concerns privately. As a result, the letter to Mayor Nutter waiving Council's right to approve the plan was only signed by Council President Verna and did not include the entire Council.
According to Verna's spokesman Anthony Radwanski, the decision to waive the right to approve the plan was based on time. The Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority has set a deadline of August 31st to start implementing the doomsday plan if the state fails to approve enabling legislation to help balance the Philadelphia budget. The full State Senate could take action on the proposals as soon as tomorrow.
Council has got to decide what they can cut, and may I make a few suggestions? They need to cut the programs that affect the fewest voters. That means NOT police, NOT fire, NOT EMS, NOT trash. That means city employees who are not critical will face layoffs, and the city can't be a free YMCA to the city anymore. The city can't be a free nursing home and free health clinic to the whole city anymore. The city has to collect from those who are required to pay -- that should first -- collect the $425 million in overdue property taxes without any exceptions, without payment plans for those who can pay just fine. Income and assets should be disqualifiers for the property tax delinquent payment plan. The city has to sell the forfeit bail and let private bail bonders write bail now. Or the city has to hire a proper collection firm to collect the $1 billion in forfeit bail, no exceptions for the cuzzin/uncle/friend of the gal who got you elected, because everyone seems to have several of those in politics. There will have to be less spending on human services and housing by the city -- first cut duplicate programs of state and federal programs. We can't do everything in the city two or three times. You don't have to cut libraries, the state will have to take the courts, as it was so ordered by a court. Sheriff sales of overdue property taxes have to happen at the rate that supplies the city with money. It can't be because some legal aid lawyer wants to slow the rate. Why are they getting city money, even? Let's get real now. You guys have played around long enough.— CleanupPhilly- Blackwell had all year to advance this process, and did little but be an obstacle or a thorn to Nutter and Verna. She has her own agenda, and that is to reward her supporters with legal or illegal favors, and to punish her critics. It's not really three branches of government she respects so much as a perfect machine of quid pro quo.— CleanupPhilly
- UPenn and Drexel would do well to help get rid of Blackwell. She's a relic.— CleanupPhilly
- Blackwell knows Plan C is a go.— CleanupPhilly
- AVI and the millage change is a must.— CleanupPhilly
- Blackwell wants to avoid property tax collection to offset "historic under privilege." A.K.A. cheap votes for not collecting property taxes. The paper has to call her on this. You can't have random, politically influenced property tax collection.— CleanupPhilly
- I agree with Blackwell on this one...there is a reason we have seperate branches of government— phillysmart
- I would be more sympathetic to Blackwell, if I thought that City Council had any positive impact in the City, since this Council was sworn in 20 months ago. All we hear from them is DON'T raise taxes, and DON'T cut programs. That might work if this was the ferderal government, but as the City can't print money, it doesn't work.— willll
- Council is already 100% "complicit". They passed the plan that set us on this course. If they had passed a budget that didn't require state action we would not be in this boat. Way to take responsibility for your job, Jannie.— seand
- Such a doomsday scenario with 1515 Arch under renovations, MSB under office renovations in the concourse, no real hiring freeze and promotion freeze...people are still getting hired and promoted in upper level positions. Many many city cars still traveling around and to employees homes at night, DROP, city employees and residents still not paying taxes or property taxes, not collecting bail forfeits...doomsday, this will be fun.— uandwhosearmy
MONEY AND JUSTICE DON'T MIX
WILL THE NEW COUNCIL GIVE YOU A SAY?
Tips? Comments? Questions?
Contact:
Doron Taussig:
215-854-5307
doron.taussig@gmail.com
@dorontaussig
Holly Otterbein:
215-854-5809
hm.otterbein@gmail.com
@hollyotterbein
Juliana Reyes:
215-854-5855
juliana.f.reyes@gmail.com
@juliana_f_reyes
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