Philadelphia’s Mayor Nutter: Financial Genius
By Wyatt Earp | January 15, 2009
Canned bread for everyone!
This brain surgeon just realized that the budget deficit in not $1 billion - with a “B” - but $2 billion - with a “B.” How the frak do you miss one billion dollars???
Mayor Nutter just announced that the deficit in the city’s five-year financial plan, which stood at $1 billion in November, is now “grave and worsening.” After closing that gap, Nutter said, the city finds itself with a new $1 billion deficit. That is the result of what the mayor called the “global recession,” which has reduced the amount of money the city takes in for real estate transfer taxes and wage taxes and has created losses in the city’s pension fund.
Nutter spoke of balancing brag-worthy city services with a “unwavering commitment to sound fiscal practices, starting with living within our means.” He also called on the city, including the four municipal unions to work together and accept the “shared pain” of the financial crisis.
Oh yeah, slash the police, firefighter, and city worker’s salaries, but don’t dare touch your $90,000 or your appointees exorbitant salaries, right, Mayor Squidward?
This, however, is the single greatest paragraph in the story:
Nutter also has a warning for city residents who call for employee lay-offs on a grand scale. “Everyone wants quality service and no employees,” he said. That’s absurd.” And he pointed out that the city doesn’t have the luxury of some critics with a “myopic” focus on single issues, which sounded like a pointed observation about critics who have decried attempts to close library branches. (The Philadelphia Daily News)
Quality service and no employees would be bad, right Mr. Mayor? Is that your position?
On a completely unrelated note, Mayor Nutter CLOSED 7 Philadelphia fire stations at the beginning of 2009!
Topics: Philly |
January 15th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
The city has over 18,000 vacant or abandoned lots and buildings owned by one of 5 housing related agencies (PDPP, RDA, OHCD, PHDC, PHA). I love how consolodating some of those agencies, selling some of the property-reducing maintenance costs and increasing the number of permits applications that will come through in the process- was never considered.
For example, on a three block stretch on Chrisitan St. in South West Center City, there are3 PHA lots and 1 3-story RDA shell. The shell could sell for at least $75k, but they won’t get rid of it for anything less than $100. It’s been a blight in a still booming area for over 3 years.
The lots would sell for at least $30,000, despite the fact that the land has been city owned for 40 years and requires them to remove invasive trees every few years.
Then, you have the thousands of properties that have hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars worth of back taxes on them, many of which still have people living in them.
There’s plenty of fat to trim in the budget, but they wouldn’t be able to buy the votes they need to stay in office if there were to cut these things.
January 15th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Population declined by 30% since 1960. Can they get rid of 30% of city council members? That would chop 5 big salaries and the drones the five employ in their offices? I bet I just found $10Million (over five years) in savings.
In fact, have a gladiator style event to wean the 15 down to ten and charge admission. I bet they could fill Lincoln Financual Field to watch that. Joe DiCicco getting his ass whipped by Janie Blackwell is worth paying for.
and their layabout staff members?
January 15th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
You know, I have nothing but sympathy for you guys who live in Philadelphia. Bad enough from what I’ve read that you had to have Ed Rendell as your mayor, but to live under Michael Nutter and his antics; it’s just nutty!
January 15th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Is Philly turning into Camden?
January 16th, 2009 at 5:41 am
Just curious but do the words “nut” & “nutter” have the same meaning as over here?
nutter: British slang, a crazy or eccentric person
nut: (apart from the obvious which I think applies both sides of the Pond)
nut: slang, butt with the head (Glasgow kiss)
do one’s nut: British slang be extremely agitated or angry
for nuts: even tolerably well (as in can’t sing for nuts)
January 16th, 2009 at 6:37 am
Get the deadbeats to cough up their real estate taxes.
Problem solved.