CITY HALL SAM: City Council Burns Nutter On Gas Sale

No. A simple two-letter word, but a word that frustrates many elected officials and policymakers. MAYOR MICHAEL NUTTER is used to dealing with the word no, as City Council, led by COUNCIL PRESIDENT DARRELL CLARKE, continues to say no to many of his initiatives.

City Council delivered a big, blistering no to Mayor Nutter on Monday. Council rejected Nutter’s attempt to sell PGW to UIL. Council cited overly optimistic revenue projections from UIL and flimsy benefits to customers. Nutter said the proceeds of the sale would help to reduce the pension’s unfunded liability, while ensuring fair gas prices, upgrades to underground pipes, and the continuation of programs to help seniors and low-income customers.

Council hired a consultant to analyze the proposed deal and its projected benefits. The consultant disputed many of these purported benefits. Their findings were credible enough to have Council reject the deal.

You’d have to be a political rocket scientist to understand what is going on in the Northeast Ward Leaders. Northeast Ward Leaders, the organization, consists of about 18 wards and over the years the question of unity has been endless. Nonetheless, after recent elections, many of the ward leaders have worked together to support the same candidates. But there are still a number of cases where unity is nothing but spoken words without corresponding action.

MIKE McALEER convened the most-recent meeting at the Ashburner Inn. McAleer is the elected chairman and is joined by three vice chairmen including TOM JOHNSON, BERNICE HILL and BILL DOLBOW. CONGRESSMAN and CHAIRMAN BOB BRADY made a special guest appearance.

What is amazing is that MARGE TARTAGLIONE appears to once again have become spry and ornery. Perhaps it was her daughter STATE SEN. TINA TARTAGLIONE’S hard-fought victory over fellow WARD LEADER DAN SAVAGE. In any event, she appears to be back. Also in the house were HARRY ENGGASSER, JANICE SULMAN, JOHN SABATINA, SR., TONYA STACK and City COUNCILMAN BOBBY HENON.

STATE REP. KEVIN BOYLE and State Rep-to-be MIKE DRISCOLL attended the meeting, as did City COUNCILMAN ED NEILSON. Attendees reported Neilson verbally sparred with Marge Tartaglione. Apparently there was some leftover hostility from Marge Tartaglione’s daughter’s reelection and Neilson’s support of her opponent.

Brady thanked the ward leaders for all their support and pointed out he was still attempting to convince TOM WOLF to invest in the City Committee organizational turnout effort. STATE SEN. MIKE STACK is reportedly also working on his running mate to support the Philadelphia Democrats.