Heard in the Hall

For about 15 years now, The Inquirer's City Hall staff has been cobbling together a weekly column called Heard in the Hall out of the odds and ends left in our notebooks. It's the place where we stick absurd quotes, chronicle City Council buffoonery, tell tales of small-time political treachery, that sort of thing. Given that this is Philadelphia, we're rarely short of material.

We've decided to take that act online. The Inquirer's electronic edition of Heard in Hall will include the same yarns and quips it always has, but here you'll also find breaking political news and comprehensive roundups of the day's City Hall coverage from local media outlets. We'll have news aplenty on the mayor's race, quick updates from council sessions, audio clips from newsworthy interviews and more.

You'll want to check back often. After a long and slow summer, City Hall is bustling again. Council is back in session on Thursday. Michael Nutter is stockpiling endorsements (and cash) ahead of his Nov. 6 contest with Al "1,000 to one" Taubenberger. And Mayor Street is ... well, contemplating retirement.

We want to hear from you. Our e-mail addresses are up there in the upper-right hand section of the page. Please don't hesitate to send us tips, suggestions, or withering criticism.

- The Inquirer's City Hall Bureau

The big news in all the papers this morning is indicted State Sen. Vince Fumo's decision to ask uber-attorney Richard A. Sprague to withdraw from his case. It seems Fumo felt Sprague simply had too many potential conflicts to represent him; which is precisely the point prosecutors tried to make this summer when they asked the court to remove Sprague from Fumo's defense team. Fumo and Sprague vigorously fought that motion and prevailed, so yesterday's news was a shock to most observers, and it's likely to create a significant delay in the case as a new defense team is brought up to speed. The Inquirer's John Shiffman has a comprehensive account here. The Daily News account is here.

GOP Mayoral candidate Al Taubenberger has aired his first t.v. ad., You can watch it here. It's not the most inclusive political ad ever devised. All the speakers are white, and they're saying things like: "The Northeast has never had a mayor." The ad calls Taubenberger "America's Favorite Underdog."

Taubenberger's overdog opponent, Michael Nutter, will speak before the influential Building Industry Association today, and we'll bring you a report from that event this afternoon. Also on tap, City Controller Alan Butkovitz has two reports being released today on "Internal Control and Compliance" in the city and school district, and Mayor Street is slated to announce "positive new developments" in the city's lagging efforts to improve its public access television offerings.

Ever wonder what happens to campaign staff when the campaign ends? Here's one answer.
Tim Spreitzer, the ever-responsive and mild-mannered spokesman for former mayoral candidate Dwight Evans, is now making a living as the policy and communications director of the Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board.
Spreitzer moved from Chicago to Philly a few years ago, making the trip along with his then-boss, former School District CEO Paul Vallas.
Vallas, of course, has moved onto New Orleans. But perhaps Spreitzer is here for the long haul.

A nearly 25-year campaign came to an end today with Mayor Street's announcement this afternoon that public access TV is coming to Philadelphia.
By early next year, area Comcast viewers will be able to watch community-produced programming with channels for youth, interfaith matters, public forums and arts and culture.
"Public access in this city took too long to come, but it's here," Street said during a press conference about a recent agreement reached. To become final and formalized, City Council must approve two ordinances when it returns Thursday from its summer break.
The channels and their programming will be overseen by a 19-member board that will compose the newly-formed Philadelphia Public Access Corp.
The programs will be taped in a studio to be created at the former site of the Widener Library, at 25th and Lehigh streets, which is now vacant. The city will lease the library site to Comcast.
Also as part of the deal, Comcast will make an initial grant of $1.8 million, and another for $900,000, city Managing Director Lori Jones said.
Philadelphia is the last big city to have public access channels. A coalition of more than 80 groups has been pushing for the channels in an effort that began in the early 1980s with former Mayor W. Wilson Goode.
"It's not about who is watching, but about community involvement," said coalition member Gretjen Clausing.

Mayor Street may be a short-timer, but he still needs a functioning press office. That became harder with the summer exit of Andrea Swan, who is now working at Temple University.
The departure left spokesman Joe Grace with just one office companion, communications aide Mike Amato.
No more.
Here's a hearty welcome to Nadine Bonner, who has joined Street's press team fresh from the Philadelphia Housing Authority, where she and 259 of her colleagues lost their jobs last January.
It might only be a three-to-four month stay, but welcome aboard.

Pauline Abernathy, a member of the city's Board of Ethics and an expert on health and human services policy at the Pew Charitable Trusts was just announced as Michael Nutter's new director of research and planning. She's got a bunch of D.C. experience as well. From the campaign's release:

"Pauline Abernathy will join the Nutter for Mayor Campaign staff on Wednesday, September 19th to serve as director of research and planning. While working for the campaign, Pauline will be on an unpaid leave of absence from The Pew Charitable Trusts, where she is the Deputy Director of Health and Human Services Policy.

Pauline brings a wealth of expertise to the Nutter for Mayor Campaign. At Pew, she is responsible for shaping the strategic direction of the national health and human services policy division and overseeing grants and projects. She has initiated, designed and managed national initiatives related to child welfare policy, underage drinking prevention, retirement savings and student debt policy. Prior to joining Pew, Pauline was a senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Education.

She previously served in The White House, first at the National Economic Council and later with the Domestic Policy Council, where she worked on a wide range of economic and domestic policy issues. Pauline also worked in the U.S. Senate and at a non-profit think tank in Washington, D.C."

From Philly.com.

City Controller Alan Butkovitz today accused School District officials of following bad accounting practices yesterday in an attempt to "make their financial position look better than it was."

Butkovitz said the district inappropriately shifted $2 million in teachers' salaries to the capital budget and incorrectly counted $7.6 million in fiscal year 2007 revenue as 2006 income in an attempt to shrink its budget deficit.

Still, Butkovitz found no evidence of missing money, or "material weaknesses" in the school district's financial statements.

Butkovitz also reviewed the city's financial statements and found myriad shortcomings. While Butkovitz warned that such "negligence" and lack of "best practices" could lead to more serious problems in the future, he noted that none of the errors were particularly unusual.

City Council members Frank DiCicco and Jim Kenney will introduce a bill on Thursday to ban non-biodegradable plastic bags, as detailed in today's Daily News. It didn't take the Bag People long to strike back, as "The Progressive Bag Alliance" --- yes, you guessed right, they're a group of plastic bag manufacturers -- issued a press release on the dangers of not using their product. Bag Battle updates in the coming days.....

Last week's entry about former Gaming Control Board chief Tad Decker co-chairing a fund-raiser for Michael Nutter sent the blogs haywire with concern over Nutter's status as a reformer, and set the anti-casinoistas on Nutter himself. Not all entries were as nasty or incorrect (the event is not at Decker's house) as today's Philebrity.com, but Nutter was stung by the letters and blog attacks.

Now it looks like Decker is not only NOT chairing the event, he's probably not even showing up.

Nutter's campaign said they didn't even know Decker was a co-chair until alerted by Heard in the Hall, and promptly warned him and partner Pat O'Connor that their law firm, Cozen O'Connor, could blow its $20,000 campaign contribution limit in one night if they stayed on as chairmen of the event (there were five co-chairs). New campaign laws could attribute all of the contributions from the $500- and $1,000-a-plate dinner to the chairs, forcing Cozen to drop its contracts with the city. Ouch. Decker and O'Connor were happy to withdraw.

Two of those co-chairs, businessmen Tony Hayden, Sr. and Jim Maguire, were the ones who organized the event and recruited Decker, Nutter and Decker said this week.

Decker said he needed no other reason -- and was given no other reason by the Nutter camp -- for dropping the event. But on Monday Nutter said he wouldn't have asked Decker to chair Thursday's event, held at the Philadelphia Country Club in Gladwyne, because of Decker's Gaming Board role.

Decker has been demonized by anti-casino opponents -- consisting of a very vocal group of neighbors and progressive activists -- for his role in approving two casinos on the riverfront in Fishtown and Pennsport, then returning as CEO to his old law firm Cozen, which also represents one of those casinos, SugarHouse.

"There are some very public concerns about his recent service at the Gaming Board and his return to the firm," Nutter said.

Decker said yesterday he'd probably stay away from the event. "If it's inconvenient for him to have my support because of certain parts of the city, I can understand that," Decker shrugged.

Nutter may have to get used to this. Casino Free Philadelphia will try to delay the city's approval of SugarHouse and Foxwoods plans until Nutter gets in office, in the meantime trying to push Nutter to take up their cause in an active way. They have promised to lay down in front of bulldozers to stop casino construction -- will they ask the new mayor to do the same?

Try not to fall asleep. This stuff matters. Full story in tomorrow's paper...

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Democratic mayoral nominee Michael Nutter offered a comprehensive critique of the city’s approach to development yesterday, and said that, if elected, he would make zoning and planning a priority of his administration.

Speaking before an audience of developers and builders, Nutter said that Philadelphia — once among the national leaders in urban planning — had become a city where projects were approved or rejected on a haphazard basis and where knowing “the right people” was paramount.

“It’s all about the deal, it’s all about being connected in a way that allows you to get done what you need to get done,” said Nutter, who is heavily favored over GOP challenger Al Taubenberger.

Fixing that will be complicated, Nutter said. But at the top of his list is elevating the role of the city’s Planning Commission.

“Planning will be valued, it will be utilized, it will be a very robust and respected organization with the right people on it,” Nutter said.

Public Access Television is finally coming to Philadelphia, which no doubt means we can look forward to plenty of culturally rewarding programming.

Our own Jeff Shields has a piece on 225 police promotions now being considered by the Street Administration. The promotions seem routine enough to some observers, especially since they're concentrated in the lower ranks. But Michael Nutter questions the need to do them now, given that Street & Johnson are both on their way out.

Speaking of Nutter, he sounded off on the city's erratic approach to urban planning yesterday. It's a pet issue of Nutter's, and one that figures to loom large in a Nutter administration.

Also, the Inky's Editorial Board cautions against a proposal to reform the city's Inspector General office, which City Council is expected to take up tomorrow.

The Daily News wonders if Taubenberger is too busy making nice with Nutter to run an even modestly effective campaign. The piece quotes Sam Katz: "Sometimes when you're a first-time candidate on a stage of this magnitude, which Al is, it's a little heady. It might cause you to take your eye off the ball." Taubenberger brushed off the criticism.

They were just a few paragraphs in a mammoth document, but when PICA warned in its July analsysis of the city's five year plan that the casinos would certainly create some additional costs for the city, some saw it as a sign that the powerful agency was putting its weight behind the anti-gaming movement. Not so, the PICA staff said in a just-released statement:

"Many of the reports about the PICA staff’s analysis of gaming have been misleading. Not only do the reports fail to mention that PICA staff said that gaming would produce immediate tangible benefits for Philadelphia, including $70 million in gaming fees, $12 million in payments in lieu of taxes and further reductions in wage tax rates, but they also make it appear that the staff report said that gaming will create a multi-hundred million dollar deficit in the City’s budget. The report was not intended to say that. If PICA staff believed that gaming would create deficits of that size, staff could not have recommended approval of the five-year plan to the PICA Board. Instead, the report was highlighting that the inclusion of the benefits of gaming in the five-year plan, without any of the costs, creates a financial risk for the City."

Read the full statement here.

Rob DuBow, PICA's executive director, tells us that there was zero outside pressure to clarify PICA's position and that the release was solely the idea of the PICA staff.

Long before he was a mayoral candidate, Michael Nutter was a source. There wasn't a political reporter in town who didn't have his cell number, and they felt free to call it. Frequently. Nutter opined on the record, happily talked on background, and just generally gave reporters all the time they asked for -- and then some.

Of course, it would never do for a Mayor Nutter to be quite so accessible, and already his spokeswoman, Melanie Johnson, is trying to curtail calls to Nutter's cell and funnel requests through her or other campaign operatives. It isn't easy getting the voluble Nutter to put some distance between himself and the press, Johnson admits, but it looks like she's making at least a little progress. Nutter's voicemail now exhorts callers to call his campaign office instead of leaving a message, and on at least one recent occasion, a message left on his cell was returned by Johnson. That sort of thing just didn't happen in March. The office now even has an electronic form to fill out for media requests, according to one staffer.

Think City Council is going to be enough for Bill Green, son of the former Mayor? He's already put ou a 13-page position paper for an at-large election he practically can't lose. He promises to save the city up to $340 million by doing away with paper and establishing a 311 call system that would link all city departments in one call center and increase accountability. (Councilman Jim Kenney is waiting to spring this one himself once Mayor Street is out of his way). And Green in promising more. Nutter vs.Green in 2011?

What's he gonna do? What's he gonna do?
Mayor Street still isn't saying what his plans are after leaving City Hall in early January, after nearly 30 years here as either mayor or a City Councilman.
At the Liacouras Center earlier today, the mayor tried hard to persuade us that, for now, his plans are indeed few. And he likes it that way.
Noting he's fortunate enough to have a sweet pension after all these working years, Street said: "I'm going to take some time off. I'm not going to rush into anything on Jan. 7th... A little ME time."
We pressed him for more.
"I have not made a committment to a paying job," he said. "I am foot-loose and fancy free."

City Council is back in session today, and didn't you just miss those little scamps over the summer? They've got a ton of business to get through in the next few meetings: charter changes, an hot-button immidgration proposal, eradicating the perils posed by plastic shopping bags, the Convention Center expansion, casinos and so on. In January, three new members will replace Councilmembers Carol Campbell, Daniel Savage and Juan Ramos, and there's bound to be jockeying for leadership positions as well. The Inquirer tells you what to expect here. The Daily News weighs in with a preview as well, leading with Mayor Street's diminishing influence in council.

Remember Sylvester Johnson's big announcement that state troopers would start helping city police get guns off the street? He wouldn't say at the time just how many troopers would be helping out, but the Inquirer has the answer today: five. Interestingly, the guy who let the small number slip was Mayor Street. At the time Street was at a city-sponsored job fair, and he was complaining that the media ignore events like it while giving big play to the state trooper announcement. "It says something about the priorities of the [news] industry," the mayor said.

It's like a dream come true.
One of Michael Nutter's favorite magazines is doing a piece on... him. Governing Magazine - full of wonky policy stories for state and municipal government types, and at least one uberGeek journalist - is getting ready to publish a story on Philadelphia's reform-minded mayor-in-waiting. Last spring, Nutter listed the monthly mag - along with the New York Times Magazine, as among his top reads.

Just two months after implementing a new City Hall security plan, the Street Administration has scrapped it in favor of still-more stringent measures. For the last two months, visitors to City Hall with business on the building's upper floors have been required to sign in with security, but they didn't have to pass through metal detectors. That's about to change, due to recommendations from security experts. All visitors going above the first floor will have to pass through metal detectors. There will be four security stations, one at each corner of the building.

Room 215 might not be his yet, but Michael Nutter is starting to quietly flex his muscle in City Council affairs. As our City Council reporter Jeff Shields puts it: "He wasn't in Council chambers, but his influence was palpable in the postponement of two referendums and the introduction of a Nutter-conceived bill to help ex-offenders get jobs." Get the full story here.

Speaking of muscle-flexing, Gov. Rendell seems intent on making sure Philadelphians don't forget about him. In a strongly-worded letter to Convention Center Authority chairman Buck Riley, Rendell proclaimed that the state wanted much more influence over the center's operations. This on the heels of Rendell's endorsement of his budget secretary Michael Masch for the job of managing director of the School District of Philadelphia. Read all about it here. Perhaps the tart tone of the letter is due to Rendell's irritation over all those reports that include his name, and the phrases "private investigator" and (at least in Daily News accounts) "stunning blonde."

In other news, City Hall security is being beefed up. Again. A new report by Inspector General Seth Williams has led to a leadership shakeup at the city's health department. And Clout ponders Mayor Street's feature and alerts us to the elevation of former State Supreme Court Justice Russell Nigro to the head of the BRT.

*Terms and conditions apply. There is that November election, after all.

If this is your first time visiting us online, welcome. We've been up and running in stealth mode for about a week now. You can find our inaugural post here.

Even Al "1,000 to one" Taubenberger has taken to calling himself a "super underdog." So why is Michael Nutter is raising cash like his fall foe was Bill Clinton? Nutter's campaign says that a mayor needs a big warchest to govern effectively, and there's certainly something to that. Nonetheless, some find it odd that a campaign finance reformer like Nutter is stockpiling so much money. Marcia Gelbart has the full story.

A major report released today by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance on the role of the arts in the region's economy. It's big: $1.3 billion a year. The study was prompted by the 2004 shutdown of the city's office of Arts & Culture. Michael Nutter says re-opening that office would be a good first step.

Things just aren't getting any easier for indicted State Sen. Vince Fumo, who went splistville with super attorney Richard Sprague last week. Fumo got court approval to seek a new attorney on Friday. Fumo and Sprague weren't exactly slapping each other on the back, it seems.

Political lesson #1,762: When announcing a crackdown on tax deadbeats, make sure you're not on the list first. The Daily News found that Mayor Street - who announced a major campaign to collect on delinquent property taxes - was past due to the tune of $4,800. Street paid up as soon as it was brought to his attention.

It's not just the mayor who's had problems keeping up with all the responsibilities of property ownership. The Inquirer's Nancy Phillips found that Philadelphia judge Rayford A. Means is running illegal rooming houses in the city's troubled Southwest section. This after another Philadelphia judge, Willis W. Berry Jr., was exposed in the Inquirer as the owner of bunch of abandoned and rundown properties in North Philadelphia.

Elsewhere: Newark Mayor Corey Booker has advice for Nutter. Philadelphia Forward is calling on all Philadelphians to challenge their tax assessments (via KYW 1060). The Inquirer's editorial board thinks Gov. Rendell should ease up on his push to get budget director Michael Masch installed as the School District's managing director. It looks like Rendell will name Former City Solicitor Ken Trujillo to an empty seat on the School Reform Commission. Demoted Health Commissioner Carmen Paris will be replaced by one of her predecessors today: John F. Domzalski, who retired in 2005, is back on the job today.

Lastly, if you haven't already taken a look, check out the new Philly.com and Inquirer homepages. They're vastly improved.

You know it's lame-duck season when even the newbies are fleeing.

That would be the case with communications aide Mike Amato, who has worked with Mayor Street spokesman Joe Grace since last February. "I had just graduated from college, and I walked in the door. I told Joe I would work for free for a month. If he liked me, I would stick around."

And so he did - until Friday.

As of today, the 26-year-old Mike begins a new job as a legislative aide to City Councilman Juan Ramos.

But it'll be a short stay; Ramos lost his re-election campaign and will be out of office in January.
That's OK with Mike. "I want to get some experience on the legislative side of government, and meet new people."

There was a time when Michael Nutter worked for Angel Ortiz, then a City Councilman.
There may soon be a time when Ortiz works for Nutter, likely to be mayor.
"I was one of the few that believed that he could actually get elected," Ortiz said of his early support for his former chief of staff. So would he go work for the Democratic nominee if he takes over City Hall? "It depends on what he needs," Ortiz said.
For now, Ortiz is showing his support by throwing a fundraiser for his old employee. A pig roast.
Oct. 19th. A hundred-plus people.

"One of the things that needs to be done is for people to get to know Mike on a more personal level," he says. “I’m making sure that a lot of people know what he is and who he is — a wry, warm, huggable individual."

Can you imagine a Philadelphia where citizens are so engaged in the city's future that 340,000 of them would show up for an urban planning exhibit? Neither can we.

But apparently that's exactly what happened over two astonishing months in 1947 when the Better Philadelphia Exhibit was on display in Gimbel's Department Store. The exhibit - anchored by a massive model of Center City's present and proposed future - captivated Philadelphians and got residents thinking about the look and feel of the city in a way they never had before.

The Delaware Valley Regional Plannning Commission is hosting a timely retrospective on the exhibit Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m., in the American College of Physician's Building on the corner of 6th and Arch. Why timely? Because a new city commission has just begun the giant task of overhauling Philadelphia's zoning code, a job that will require massive public involvement to be done right.

So what if Democratic Ward Leader Carlos Matos fessed up in court to giving $12,000 in bribes to two councilmen from Atlantic City? In Philadelphia, he remains something of a hero -- evident by the pack of letters that poured in this sumer to a federal judge who will determine for how long Matos will go to prison.

It was the only time since Street's 1999 election as mayor that he has written such a letter, says Street spokesman Joe Grace.

Several other of our elected officials also made their thoughts on Matos known to the judge, and also on official city letterhead. They included Councilmembers Darrell Clarke, Jannie Blackwell, William Greenlee and Frank DiCicco. Even the ususally not seen and not heard Clerk of Quarter Sessions Vivian Miller piped up, as did Sheriff John Green. It was hardly a surprise to hear from Margaret M. Tartaglione, chairwoman of the City Commissioners Office; she is Matos's mother-in-law. But it's tough to recall the last time City Commissioner Joseph Duda was noted for putting pen to paper. Heck, even City Council Sergeant-At-Arms David Rosario weighed in.

And so did Philip Fierstein.

Who's that? "I am the Piermaster of the Ventnor City fishing pier, where I met Carlos," the 79-year-old Fierstein told the judge. "He is a kind and decent man, always willing to help poor children with fishing tackle, bait and even food. I found that this is his normal generous nature."
In the end, of course, the judge will be the judge of Matos's normal nature.

Yesterday was pretty quiet in the Hall, and the papers reflect that. A report's come to light that questions just how competitive the Convention Center will be even if the planned expansion goes forward. It looks like two key neighborhood groups are refusing to talk to SugarHouse about a community benefits agreement that would pave the way for zoning approval for the slots parlor. The Daily News editorial board has praise for Michael Nutter's legislation (introduced in council on Nutter's behalf by councilman Wilson Goode Jr.) that offers tax breaks to those businesses who hire ex-offenders, while the Inquirer's editorial page has some tough questions for "slumlord" Judge Rayford A. Means.

Today, City Controller Alan Butkovitz will release a report on the city's troubled Health Department. Mayoral nominee Al Taubenberger and GOP City Councilman Brian O'Neill have a joint appearance at noon at the Frankford-Northeast Rotary Club. Mayor Street is addressing a group of Eisenhower fellows. Eighth District Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller and her minor party challengers will face off in a candidate's forum at 6 p.m. this evening at the Germantown Community Presbyterian Church. No word yet on Michael Nutter's plans for the day.

GOP at-large City Council candidate David Oh has just sent out some invitations to his latest fundraisers. One features Santalina, a local musician. Oh helpfully included Santalina's photo in the invite. Below, the text of Oh's invitation, which really speaks for itself.

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2 Fun Fundraisers!

If you are like most men…you are in the doghouse for one reason or another. Ladies, this pertains to you.

Well, here’s your chance to score some points, have a good time (drinking beer with your buddy’s) and still have money left over for the next time you are in the doghouse!

Friday, Sept. 28 – 6pm-9pm at Finnigan’s Wake, 3rd and Spring Garden Streets (Northern Liberties). “Rock the VOTE!” in the “Quietman Pub” with Plasma Prophets and friends (classic rock, progressive and folk). Fun, relaxed fundraiser…$25. Free food/cash bar. Great way to start the weekend!

Sunday, Sept. 30 – 6pm-8pm at Cebu, 123 Chestnut Street (Olde City). “Shake!” with Santalina…Philly’s own HipHop/R&B sensation and rising superstar! Cool, upbeat fundraiser…$40. Free food/cash bar. Great way to end the weekend!

The "out of control" Philadelphia Health Department lost a $67,000 mammogram machine, does not keep track of its prescription drug deliveries, and fails to remove expired drugs from its prescription stocks, City Controller Alan Butkovitz said Tuesday morning in releasing an audit of the beleaguered agency. Read the report here.

It seems like we have a management problem, based on the events that led to a shakeup of the department last week and the naming of new commissioner, who is also the old commissioner.

Philly's former top cop continues to have a rough ride in Miami, where he was criticized recently for driving a Lexus SUV, free of charge, for about a year. Now comes this headline from the Miami New Times, an alternative weekly.
"John Timoney, America's Worst Cop."
The story says that while Timoney gets paid $214,000 a year, he's not much around.
"During four years and nine months in office, Timoney has been out of town for at least 138 days — not counting vacation. During his 30 jaunts to places like Belfast and Los Angeles, he has stayed in the Wilshire Grand and the Mandarin Oriental. Cost to taxpayers: more than $28,000."
All the info was culled from 200 pages of reimbursement forms, hotel bills, and other receipts, the story says.
We say: Thank goodness for Florida's fantastic open records law.
To read the story, go here:
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2007-09-20/news/john-timoney-america-s-worst-cop/

In order to avoid widespread panic, we inform you that the $67,000 Sophie Classic mammogram machine is NOT missing from the city Health Department.

Acting Health Commissioner John F. Domzalski, appointed on Friday after a department shakeup, said that the machine, reported missing this morning by Controller Alan Butkovitz, is accounted for and operating at Health Center #4.

Domzalski did say that the Controller's other findings appear to be true.

Meet new Philly Mag columnist: By Sam Katz
Philadelphia Magazine must have liked the blog Sam Katz penned for them during the mayoral primary because… he's back. Only this time the former mayoral candidate won't be blogging. His name will actually appear in print each month for a new column. And it's not about politics, but business. "This will be a Q&A with me and a business person with an interesting story," emails Katz. "First up, Tasty CEO Charlie Pizzi. Lunch at Pat’s. Pies for dessert."

The tentative column title: Lunch with Katz.

Most Philadelphians may have last seen Saul Ravitch on the TV news or the front-cover of the Daily News. He was the guy who, despite his job as a PR specialist for Philadelphia International Airport, dispatched emails suggesting the airport be re-named the "Ron White International Airport," after the infamous Street-fundraiser at the center of the "bug" investigation.
He also wrote newspaper op-eds, calling airport director Charlie Isdell incompetent.
Soon enough, Ravitch found himself cut off from the city's email system, and later suspended for 20 days without pay.
These days, Ravitch is hoping to climb up in the ranks - those within his union. Ravitch is running to become president of AFSCME District Council 47, succeeding Tom Cronin, who is retiring.
"A proven fighter with a proven record of standing up to management," says his web site, www.saulravitch.com.
The election takes place Thursday, and three people are said to be vying for the job. The others are Cathy Scott, head of Local 2187, and Fred Wright, head of Local 1739.

Thomas Paine Cronin, who has led the city's white collar municipal union for 27 years, is stepping down. The Inquirer's Gail Shister has a fascinating look back on his eventful tenure, in which Cronin observes: "I've pissed a lot of people off. I have no regrets." Indeed he did. Cronin has antagonized no fewer than six mayors (Street dubbed him Thomas Pain), usually while seeking the best deal possible for his members at the bargaining table. Given the city's persistently precarious financial condition, his interests and the city's were rarely aligned. Cronin won some and lost some (most famously capitulating to Ed Rendell), but he was always a force to be reckoned with. District Council 47's 6,500 members will pick a new leader Thursday night, meaning the next mayor will be grappling with someone other than Cronin during contract negotiations begin next year.

In other news, Philadelphia Forward may soon escalate its campaign against the Bureau of Revision of Taxes property assesment regime. There's more scrutiny of the city' health department, which looks to be in disarray (though at least the mammogram machine was found). Mayor Street declined to explain how his property taxes went unpaid. Philly chefs are not amused by Councilman Jack Kelly's anti foie-gras campaign.

Mayor Street will attend a noon event in Love Park sponsored by Campus Philly. GOP mayoral nominee Al Taubenberger is all over town today, making at least three campaign stops. No word yet on Michael Nutter's schedule.

Update: We overlooked an interesting column from Phil Goldsmith. Citing the weakness of Philadelphia's Republican Party, he calls for non-partisan mayoral elections (like those in Chicago, Boston, LA and other cities).

Democratic City Council nominees (and near certain winners in the Nov. election) Curtis Jones Jr. and Bill Green were at a briefing this morning on the city's zoning code presented by the Planning Commission as part of the new effort to comprehensively overhaul the city's zoning map. Their presence was noteworthy if only because most council members (excepting Brian O'Neill and Frank DiCicco) have paid little attention to the effort.

Heard in the Hall had to split before finding out what had piqued their curiosity, but we'll find out soon.

Meanwhile, it's becoming clear that the whole zoning reform job will take years, not months. The enabling legislation included a June deadline, but those associated with the commission that's doing the work talk about getting the job done within three to five years. Mayor Street, meanwhile, still has not made his five appointments to the commission.

In a front page story in the Philadelphia Tribune Tuesday, City Councilwoman Carol Ann Campbell, who replaced Michael Nutter in the fourth district, questions whether the "loner" Democratic Mayoral candidate has the political skills or support to be an effective mayor. Among the best quotes: "Michael doesn’t have that kind of base in Council, nor does he have it in the [state] House, so he is going to need all the support he can get because it has to be believed especially among African Americans that he caters to Caucasians and not to African Americans.”

Say what you want about Campbell, the secretary of the city's Democratic Party: Woman doesn't mince words. Nutter endorsed a rival, Matt McClure, in the May primary that Campbell and McClure ended up losing to Curtis Jones Jr.

Nothing like a little get-back.

Puerto Rican heritage week continues Thursday when City Councilman Juan Ramos will introduce a resolution urging Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig to retire Roberto Clemente's #21 from all of baseball. Clemente, born in Puerto Rico, was the first Latin American player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Jackie Robinson #42 is the only other player in baseball history to have his number retired across the board. Some have proposed retiring Babe Ruth's #3 or Larry Doby's #1