Ink Barely Dry, Council Proposes Zoning Code Changes

Remember that zoning code we've been working on for four years? Just finished and about to become codified? Well, city council wants to make some changes.

If you recall, our old code was a byzantine disaster area, from so many changes and caveats, from 50 years of city councils claws sinking in... Get ready to start that process again!

"This does not bode well," says Harris Steinberg, executive director of nonprofit design group PennPraxis. "Council had their fingers in the old zoning code so deep that nothing could get done, and that's one of the reasons why we had to have a new code."

Council President Darrel Clark's amendment was the most interesting, making it more difficult and making punishments more severe for working as a nonunion contractor. Punsihments now include siezing your truck and all your tools! I guess the Post Brothers are really scaring the shit out of Union City....

City Planning commision, you know, the people who study this issue, make it thier career to understand all related issues, look to other cities for working examples, and then try to guide our city forward, were, understanably, nonplussed.

Casino Royale

Bob Brady proposes the city build its own casino...

"Its a no brainer. Theres no downside, that I can think of." -Rep B Brady

I do believe this requires no brains to love and that Rep Brady cannot think of a downside. Let me help with that, this city is notorious for corruption, casinos are corruption magnets. This city has a serious problem with nepotism, (hiring your brother for a job he's barely qualified for just because he's your brother) which means you have people on the payroll who are difficult to fire, and not so great at thier job, this is a recipie for waste, which means less money for the school district (after all, these casinos are all about the school districts and lowering taxes, so efficiency and high profits should be paramount). Thank god the Mayor agrees...

But dont tell that to City Council!

Councilman Jim Kenney calls Nutter's rejection of the idea "shortsighted."

Councilman Mark Squilla asks: "If we can do it and the city can profit, why not?"

Councilman Kenyatta Johnson repeatedly said he is keeping an open mind about what he called an "interesting concept."

Brady said Council President Darrell Clarke was interested in exploring the city-owned casino concept after the two spoke on the phone Thursday morning.

Another Trip on Memory Lane

Remember back when Councilwoman Miller had that horse in her yard? no? Well read about it...
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nwgreens/message/3091
the original article from the Daily news site is no longer available...

Or how about the time she proposed the final solution to the city's gun problem...
http://blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com/willdo/tag/toy-guns/

Kenney Learns to Tweet, While Drunk

I guess Councilman Kenney has learned how to use twitter after all, and is really keeping it classy for council. No word on cancelling the 30k contract to have someone do it for him.

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/cityhall/Jim-Kenney-trades-off-color-tweets-with-city-employee.html

Councilman tweets to the tune of 29k

Worst title ever? I don't know, I leave that to you, my lone reader, to decide. As for me, I'm sadly not stunned any longer to find, although I am amused, and I am still speechless, that our council knows no low to which it doesn't seek to find a way to, nor will it cease to search for new lows to grace us with.

Philadelphia city councilman pays 29k to centercity based firm, Chatterbox to manage his twitter account. Which amounted to approx 28k more than a co-op from nearby Drexel or Penn would have cost.

As interesting was the councilman's response that , ""I, at 53 years old, do not have that facility,".

Thats what we've been saying all along...But about ALL of you.

Taking the cake though, for most interesting part of this meaningless indicator of average incompetence, are the tweets themselves, what rich and robust language, surely some piercing thought, was contained within them, you are thinking, no doubt. Lets take a peek...

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/our-money/More-on-Kenneys-Twitter-contract.html

....SIGHhhh...

Council Gets Uppity

Guess they dont like to be the center of attention.

Problem is, the facts.

And so the mayor is left to veto the advertising wall wrap bill.