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The great DROP conundrum and other tales of last night's 6th Council District debate
Of the various issues discussed, DROP was one of the most prominent ... and baffling.
The great DROP conundrum and other tales of last night's 6th Council District debate
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Last night, 6th Council District hopefuls Bob Henon and Martin Bednarek debated in another deabte sponsored by the Committee of Seventy, the League of Women Voters, Philly.com, and WHYY.
The 6th District is currently occupied by Councilwoman Joan Krajewski, who is retiring (and collecting a DROP payment), and it encompasses parts of the Northeast.
Henon is an IBEW Local 98 man — that would be John Dougherty's powerful chapter of the International Brotherhood of Eletrical Workers, yes — and had a strong showing of support from that union, which has contributed generously to his campaign.
Indeed, it was hard to miss the giant white step van adorned with a "Bobby Henon" advertisement outside the Torresdale library, in which the event was held (see below).
Bednarek is a former School Reform Commission board member and a former ward leader.
Of the various issues discussed, DROP was one of the most prominent ... and baffling.
Asked whether he'd favor abolishing the program, Bednarek said yes — because it costs too much money — and Henon said no, because it's a good and proper benefit for city workers like police and firefighters (who are numerous in the 6th District).
On the other hand, asked if he'd support a DROP-enrolled president of city council, Bednarek declined to say anything about who he'd support, while Henon said he would refuse to vote for a president of Council who'd enrolled in DROP.
Translation: Bednarek, whom Mayor Nutter and Councilwoman Krajewski have endorsed, would probably support Councilwoman Marian Tasco, who is enrolled in DROP and whom Nutter favors as the next president of Council; Henon would not.
Other heated issues included the leadership of Schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman. Henon attacked Bednarek's record on the School Reform Commission, accusing the latter of failing to restrain Ackerman's spending programs in light of the School District's current budget deficit.
"I did not allow Arlene Ackerman to run wild," said Bednarek. "Every school budget in Pennsylvania is in the red right now."
He added that her performance had "disappointed" him.
Bednarek, on the other hand, criticized Henon's IBEW support, characterizing him as being beholden to his financial supporters. "My opponent's campaign has been run by a political boss," summed up Bednarek. "I'm not owned by anybody."
The point resonated, perhaps, with a question asked by moderator Wendy Warren of Philly.com about Henon's receiving more than $30,000 in contributions from PACs connected to Local 98 — which, as Warren put it, "In total exceeded the city's campaign finance limits." — just before Mayor Nutter signed a law closing a loophole that failed to stop such contributions.
To these challenges, Henon maintained that his campaign had broken no law (nor violated, as Warren put it, the "spirit" of the finance limits already in place) and said that his financial relationships would play no role in his leadership if elected. "Once elected as Councilperson, I will listen to all the people I'll represent," said Henon.
