Council's freshmen get taken to school

The 45th floor of the Comcast tower became a classroom on government and governing Thursday for the five newest members of Philadelphia City Council.

Only one member - Allan Domb - made it to class in person, but the four other freshmen dialed into a conference call with the day's professor, David L. Cohen, senior executive vice president of Comcast and chief of staff for Ed Rendell when he was mayor.

The tutorial is the brainchild of Thomas Massaro, 64, housing director under Mayor William J. Green III.

Massaro started gathering faculty from his extensive connections in 2007 for his first group of graduates: Councilwoman Maria Quiñones Sánchez and Councilmen William J. Green IV and Curtis Jones Jr.

Quiñones Sánchez credited the class for "a lot of my success in Council - my legislative success."

Massaro's class begins around the primary, when candidates are pitted against each other, and continues into January and February, when many of the same people are sitting next to one another.

"After the May election, the knives are the sharpest. You know who cut you," Massaro said. "The transformation is when the majority of the pronouns change from 'I' to 'we.' Then you've got it."

Academics, former mayors, city leaders past and present, and private-sector CEOs have spoken to the class.

"When people are elected to Council, they're spending a lot of time on the campaign trail learning issues, but they're not really learning the way government operates," Cohen said. "This is a program that gives people, new members of Council, orientation as to how to function as members of City Council."

Cohen tipped his hat to Massaro, who, despite serious health issues and frequent stays in the hospital, keeps the class going on his own stretched dime. The groups meet wherever there is space available, up to twice a week and sometimes via conference call.

On Thursday, Domb came prepared with a list of ideas he had run by Cohen, such as switching to automated online water bills. Council members Helen Gym, Cherelle L. Parker, Derek S. Green, and Al Taubenberger phoned in for Cohen's presentation, which began about 7:30 a.m.

Cohen's major message for the rookie Council members centered on the budget. He encouraged them to explain the way the process works when people come knocking for funding.

"Being honest with people can go a long way," Cohen said. "Saying, 'I hear your passion for additional funding, but I need your help. Where in the mayor's budget would you propose I cut $1 million in order to find a million to put into your program?' "

Cohen also suggested one exception to discretionary spending: buy in on Mayor Kenney's plan for universal pre-K.

"I think this is one we collectively, as a community, have to figure out," Cohen said, adding that the real question should be: "How can we afford not to pay for it?"

Cohen said this group of Council members must make education and the ailing pension fund priorities.

"I say to them, all your legacies and Jim Kenney's legacy will be shaped on whether meaningful progress is made on those two issues," Cohen said. "If it is, this will be a fantastic eight years for the city. If it's not, that's how you're all going to be remembered."

jterruso@phillynews.com

215-854-5506@juliaterruso