Another Dose of Philliness

From the soon-to-be defunct Daily Fishwrapper:

Posted on Fri, Dec. 02, 2005
The bill that failed would cover Milton $$

The secret, $30,000-a-month payments that Milton Street, the mayor's brother, got for three years from a firm with a lucrative city-airport contract would have been disclosed long ago if the city had a law like the one that failed, 8-8, in City Council yesterday.

The only one of five ethics bill not approved would have imposed campaign- contribution limits and lobbyist-disclosure requirements on firms seeking city work in competitive bids.

Since such contracts already go by law to the lowest responsible bidder, some reasoned, new ethics rules were unnecessary.

But the $13-million-a-year airport-maintenance contract provides an interesting example.

It was awarded via competitive bid in 2001, then renewed at the city's discretion for the next three years while the firm kept Milton Street as a $30,000-a-month consultant.

There was no requirement to disclose the payments, which were revealed in January in a civil suit. Sponsor Councilman Michael Nutter said he'll try again to get disclosure requirements approved.

Council members voting against the bill were Jannie Blackwell, Darrell Clarke, Wilson Goode Jr., Rick Mariano, Donna Miller, Juan Ramos, Blondell Reynolds Brown and Marian Tasco.

Voting in favor were Nutter, Frank DiCicco, Jack Kelley, Jim Kenney, Joan Krajewski, Brian O'Neill, Frank Rizzo and Anna Verna.

The TrekMedic muses:

Notice who voted against the bill? Yup, all of the "Department of (John) Street" buddies: the architects of Philly's downfall to third-world status.

And not to play the race card, but you can't help but notice the vote almost exclusively fell along racial lines, as well.