Count Philadelphia Forward and the Committee of Seventy among those thrilled that Jim Kenney has shelved his attempt to weaken campaign finance rules.
Seventy suggests that an independent commission be formed to look at all campaign-finance rules. They were gracious to Kenney: “We respect Councilman Jim Kenney’s legitimate fear that a wealthy candidate in the race could conceivably buy the election,” said Zack Stalberg, Seventy’s president, “and we appreciate the fact that he withheld consideration of his bills when he recognized it was too close to the election to change the rules.”
Philadelphia Forward crowed a little: "the public outcry has been intense. Philadelphia Forward and many other groups and individuals condemned the move and Council has wisely decided to retain the current campaign-finance rules and the sanity of a mayoral race conducted under one set of rules."
They aren't nearly as happy with Mayor Street's speech we mentioned earlier today. Read more after the jump...
(From Philadelphia Forward's e-mailed update)
Today, Philadelphians re-learned that public voice can do a lot of great things and re-learned that Mayor Street says a lot of things but doesn't do so many of them.
COUNCIL HEARS US...
City Councilmembers had proposed legislation to help restore "Pay-To-Play" in Philadelphia by allowing candidates for mayor to raise huge sums from special interest groups in a race against a self-funded candidate. Since then, the public outcry has been intense. Philadelphia Forward and many other groups and individuals condemned the move and Council has wisely decided to retain the current campaign-finance rules and the sanity of a mayoral race conducted under one set of rules.
Yesterday, opposition candidates added their condemnation:
If there is such a thing as a reform movement in Philadelphia politics, it showed up yesterday on the 4th floor of City Hall, a stone's throw from City Council chambers. And throw stones the 15 Democratic candidates did, mostly at City Councilman Jim Kenney's bill to suspend the campaign contribution limits in the mayor's race if a candidate contributes $2 million to his own campaign. [snip]
At-large candidate Derek Green, a former staffer to Councilwoman Marian Tasco, said of the assembly of reformers, "I think you are starting to see a movement coming to the city. We are all focused on reform." (Full Article)
Then, the chief sponsor of the bill announced he would pull his bills:
In a surprise move late yesterday, Councilman James Kenney decided to hold back his campaign-contribution bills until after the May primary election. "I think that in the current environment there's too much entrenched confusion about the bills," he said. (Full Article)
The public voice had its say and not it had its way!
MAYOR JEERS US
Today was the day of the Mayor's speech to the city's business community. Last year, the Mayor was hosted by the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce at a luncheon and as reported by the Philadelphia Business Journal (the Chamber even has tape of the pledge) he:
committed to chamber Chairman Steven Steinour that he would revisit additional tax cuts next year. (Full Article)
Guess what? The Mayor gave his speech and had nothing to say about additional tax cuts. (Click here to read the speech...someone tell me if he paused where the speech says "pause.") Someone should call Steve Steinour and the city's other corporate muckity mucks and ask them if they feel slighted.
Whether it is a promise of a donation of a bike ride for charity, the pledge to hire additional workers at city health centers, or any of his other broken promises, our elected chief executive has demonstrated again and again that Ben Franklin was right -- well done is certainly better than well said. My five-year-old daughter would say it differently "liar, liar...pants on fire." Call them lies, call them waffles, call them "reconsiderations based on new circumstances" or whatever, the only thing certain is that Philadelphia will be done with them in less than a year.
Brett Mandel, Executive Director, Philadelphia Forward