The City of Philadelphia’s initial contract proposal for its blue collar workers was dismissed yesterday as “Totally Ridiculous.” Marcia Gelbart of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports this morning that the city is offering zero wage increases and reductions in benefits for new hires. DC 33 union leader Pete Matthews says the economic crisis is temporary and [...]

The Philadelphia Wage Tax cannot be raised to help solve next year’s huge budget gap. The City Council was hinting that it might raise the tax as a way to generate extra money. But the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Heard in the Hall blog reports that the City’s Finance Director Rob Dubow informed Council that the city [...]

The City of Philadelphia has just enacted one of the most expansive cell phone bans in the nation. The bill signed into law by Mayor Michael Nutter this afternoon makes it illegal to use a hand-held phone while driving a car, riding a bike, and even coasting on a skateboard.
Hands-free cell phone use will still [...]

A Town Hall meeting titled “Tight Times, Tough Choices” will be taped tonight at WHYY that is designed to give Pennsylvania residents a better understanding of the State’s fiscal health.  Citizens will gather at WHYY to learn what options the Commonwealth is considering to reduce next year’s budget by $2.6 billion.  On February 4, Governor [...]

Philadelphia’s “Green Guru” Mark Alan Hughes says it’s little steps like getting city departments to know how much their electricity bill is that can make the Greenworks plan work.  Yesterday, the City released an ambitious plan to make Philadelphia the most environmentally-friendly city in the nation by 2015. Hughes appeared on WHYY’s Radio Times this [...]

The Philadelphia City Solicitor says elected officials can participate in the controversial Deferred Retirement Option Program. Shelly Smith says the DROP does not distinguish between city workers and elected officials.  This means there is nothing legally wrong with Philadelphia City Council members enrolling in the retirement program.
Elected officials who are in DROP benefit more than [...]

In an effort to reach a compromise with Mayor Michael Nutter, the Philadelphia City Council has proposed an alternative tax plan that would eliminate the need for a property tax hike. City Council leaders issued a statement today explaining how their plan could work.
“We understand that the double-digit property tax increase proposed by the Administration [...]

In a statement released today, Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Arlen Specter says it was his controversial vote in support of President Obama’s Stimulus Plan that proved to be too much for his fellow Republicans to handle.
It has become clear to me that the stimulus vote caused a schism which makes our differences irreconcilable. On this [...]

Tomorrow Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter will release his plan aimed at making his city the most environmentally-friendly city in the United States. The event is scheduled for Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. at the Franklin Institute. The plan comes from his Office of Sustainability headed by Mark Alan Hughes who also holds the title of Senior [...]

One of the best things to see at the IMAX Theater in Philadelphia was not the main film but this seven-minute film shown as the opening-act. As part of my routine, I troll through various websites plugging in the word Philadelphia to see what’s being written and show about us. Some times I catch an [...]