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Candidates trade barbs in Northeast City Council debate
Republican incumbent Brian O'Neill and Democrat Bill Rubin faced off last night with plenty of fireworks over DROP, pensions and city cars.
Candidates trade barbs in Northeast City Council debate
When Republican 10th District Councilman Brian O'Neill met Democratic challenger Bill Rubin for a debate at the auditorium of the Raymond and Miriam Klein Jewish Community Center last night, only a few dozen voters from the Northeast Philly district showed up. But those who did attend for the verbal brawl weren't disappointed.
The two talked about the city's new zoning code: O'Neill said, "I've seen pieces of the preliminary [zoning] code that [would be] devastating for the neighborhoods in Northeast Philly that I represent." They talked about the controversial Deferred Retirement Option Plan: Rubin griped, "DROP was never meant for elected officials," accusing O'Neill of having signed up for the program briefly. They debated over whether Council should have city cars: O'Neill boasted, "The mayor said to me, 'I'd like you to turn in your car keys.' I said, 'Sure, as soon as you drop off your keys for me.' ... But if the city got rid of cars, I'd be at the front of the line to turn in my keys." And they talked about whether Council members should hold second jobs, each accusing the other of double- or triple-dipping.
O'Neill also called out Rubin for his former role at the City Commissioners Office, where he worked for City Commissioner Marge Tartaglione, another outgoing official caught up in the DROP firestorm. Rubin was also vice chairman of Philly's Pension Board, another point that O'Neill highlighted. "We have just about the most underfunded pension in any large city in the country.... I'm no pension expert, but apparently my opponent isn't either."
Finally, they took on the issue of Councilmanic prerogative, which Rubin called an "intimidation factor" and O'Neill took a step even further. "We're seeing more councilmembers doing something and ttheir communities are asking us to oppose it," complained O'Neill. "These are people who are doing things on their way out of office, in places like Fishtown and Germantown." Whoever could he be referring to?
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