CITY HALL SAM: How A Coalition Beat Back A.V.I. – For Now

Revolt against MAYOR MICHAEL NUTTER’S AVI plan in City Council stopped the potential middle-class increase in its tracks.

COUNCILMEN BILL GREEN, BOB HENON, DENNY O’BRIEN, BRIAN O’NEILL and COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE BLACKWELL were able to capture the ear of COUNCIL PRESIDENT DARRELL CLARKE to delay implementing the policy for at least a year. Clarke showed great political skill in listening to his members’ concerns instead of blindly supporting Mayor Nutter’s agenda.

STATE SEN. Anthony H. Williams and Phila. Eagles mascot Swoop give their rendition of “Fly Eagles Fly” fight song during Eagles Playground Build, sponsored by Eagles and Eagles Youth Partnership. Players, coaches and volunteers joined the community to spend May 30 beautifying Comegys ES at 51st Street & Greenway Avenue. Williams was pleased a deserving school in his senatorial district was chosen for playground build.

In Harrisburg, several members of the Senate and House in Philadelphia had offered numerous amendments that interfered with successful passage of any enabling legislation. The chief architect of the enabling legislation is STATE SEN. ANTHONY WILLIAMS. The members who offered amendments that interfered with passage of the AVI bills were STATE SENS. LARRY FARNESE and MIKE STACK in the Senate and STATE REPS. MIKE O’BRIEN and MIKE McGEEHAN in the House.

But it appears Williams can still help the Mayor next year by brokering peace treaties among the differing sects in Harrisburg and Philadelphia. The process will play out in the weeks and months ahead.

JOHN ELLIOTT hosted CONGRESSMAN BOB BRADY for dinner at CHOPS Restaurant on City Line Avenue. Elliott has an extensive history in Philadelphia politics dating back to the Rizzo-Camiel feuds. Also attending the dinner were JIM CRUMLISH III, who is rumored to be on the short list for Common Pleas Court in Philadelphia. Also dining at the same table were FRED SANTARELLI, an Elliott law partner; former 64TH WARD LEADER MARTY BEDNAREK; and State Sen. Mike Stack, the newest member of the Elliott law firm. Also dining at CHOPS was former Supreme Court JUSTICE SANDRA SCHULTZ NEWMAN.

Brady recently received a successful result in his lawsuit against the Philadelphia Inquirer for slander and libel. He is represented by power attorney RICHARD SPRAGUE. Sprague is the attorney who was originally able to successfully sue the Inquirer decades ago, and received a multi-million-dollar verdict. The key to this type of lawsuit is to show malice on the part of the newspaper or reporter and Sprague has successfully done it once again.

State Sen. Larry Farnese wants again packed the House at the Waterfall Room. His fundraising capabilities have been noted in all of the political circles. Republican KEN POWELL and Democrat ROGER GORDON were reported successfully out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. They will both likely be confirmed as Philadelphia judges next week.

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