DiCicco Floats Handbill Ban

Councilman Frank DiCicco is going to save us from the scourge of the city, ubiquitous thai menus:

Frank DiCicco, councilman for the first district, says in his South Philadelphia neighborhood handbills usually end up not inside the recipients’ homes, but as litter in the gutter:

“Pizza shops, restaurants, take-out food restaurants, car washes: small businesses who hire people to go and circulate hand bills that ultimately wind up in the street.”

So DiCicco is pushing a measure that would require those small businesses to leave hand bills only in the hands of actual homeowners, or face fines.

Geeze. Don’t these small business owners know only places that have enough money for a billboard should be able to little the city with their crap?

Photo by striatic used under a Creative Commons license

City Council Is Like The Internet

Where can you find people who treat things like the closing of a cheesesteak shop with all the intensity one might find at the Battle of Guadalcanal? Right: The Internet. But you can also apparently find them in City Council.

Yesterday, At-Large City Councilman Bill Green wrote a hilariously serious letter to the Daily News titled “cheesesteak in society.” In the letter — about the booting of Rick’s Steaks from the Reading Terminal — he wrote that “people entrusted with preserving public assets apparently abusing their positions of authority to advantage their friends and associates.” He also noted that he went to grade school with Rick Olivieri.

Councilman Frank DiCicco wasn’t having any of it, firing off a letter (and CC:ing City Council and the mayor) telling Green: “I read with interest your letter in today’s Daily News and continue to marvel at your inexperiences, your political naivete and your inability to see an issue for what it truly is.” He also accuses Green of “merely attempting to grand stand and gain public notoriety.”

And then, at the end of the whole hilariously over-the-top letter, he writes this:

In closing, I have earned a reputation of being one of the most level-headed members of Council. I am proud of my ability to build consensus because I treat each member, whether freshman or veteran, with the respect he or she deserves. Unfortunately, with you, I have reached the end of my rope and would strongly suggest that you alter your tactics and tone.

You really need to read the whole letter. As you can see, it is certainly nice and level-headed.

Cheesesteak retort comes with some hot pepper [Daily News]
Photo by kaplanbr, Creative Commons license

City Council Wasting Its Fucking Time Once Again

Yesterday, City Council took time out not to come up with some new ban or regulation for a change, but did spend time debating a bill to declare Philadelphia officially “pro-choice.”

The vote, which went 9-8 in favor of the people with nothing better to do, has no legal standing and never will, since abortion wouldn’t really become a city-by-city issue. But, hey, there’s that Planned Parenthood in the Gayborhood, so if this city’s so pro-choice even gays are getting abortions, then who knows.

The bill was sponsored by Blondell Reynolds Brown, who you may remember as the City Council member who was reelected because a bunch of people voted for Ben Ramos instead of Juan Ramos since his ballot position was better. (Philadelphia is a pro-choice city, but only the idiots actually get born.)

But, oh, Frank DiCicco almost voted against it, but his vote for it was pretty much better anyway. The Inquirer article didn’t say he rolled his eyes, but, oh, it’s more fun if he did.

The proclamation came very close to failing. As the roll was called, Councilman Frank DiCicco paused for several moments, clearly agonizing over how to vote, before finally saying “aye.”

Cardinal Rigali immediately condemned the bill, and then went to Africa to tell people if they used condoms to prevent AIDS (and, uh, abortions) they would burn for all eternity.

Now Phila. is officially ‘pro-choice’ [Inquirer]

DiCicco: It’s Irresponsible Not To Waste Money

When we last heard from City Councilman Frank DiCicco (right), he was complaining that the federal government put him in Vince Fumo’s indictment just because he accepted free work from Fumo’s people even though they were being paid by Citizens Alliance to, say, put in floors in a house he bought. Wah, wah, he said, the government is just trying to make their indictment sexier.

Well, yesterday, DiCicco was leading the charge in City Council against the casinos, hoping to thwart or delay their arrival and to make sure his constituents re-elect him come May. Casino Free Philadelphia sponsored a petition with 27,000 signatures saying we shouldn’t have casinos.

The problem is, of course, that many of these proposals — such as the one banning all casinos from the city, the one letting residents vote on the casino proposals or the one that bans all casinos that rhyme with “Box Goods” and “Booger Mouse” — won’t stand up in court.

City Solicitor Romulo L. Diaz Jr. warned that approval of anti-casino measures by City Council would only delay the arrival of the casinos, cost the city money in legal fees, and possibly sacrifice whatever zoning power the city now enjoys over the casino sites.

“The city’s powers in this regard are limited,” Diaz said at yesterday’s hearing. “We must respect the Gaming Control Board’s licensing decision, or else we will face almost certain defeat in the courts and inevitably will lose any local land use control.”

Of course, DiCicco wasn’t having any of it.

Diaz: “It is my conclusion that such a bill would be most likely struck down by the courts.”

DiCicco: “To take the position that we just basically have to roll over on this one and agree that we’re going to lose in court and, therefore, let’s not do these bills, I think is irresponsible.”

DiCicco added, “It is a long tradition of City Council — indeed, all government! — to waste money on futile projects. Why not waste money on something that not only is something many people would like us to do but could also get me re-elected? If we can’t waste money on this sensible proposal than, I ask, what can we waste money on?”

City Council was so impressed they agreed to vote on the proposals next month.

Public vote on casinos is discussed [Inquirer]
Feb. 8: DiCicco Too Sexy For This Federal Indictment

DiCicco Too Sexy For This Federal Indictment

All the names of people not being charged on federal indictments — like, say, oh I don’t know, the Vince Fumo one — are redacted due to policy. However, there are explanations of the businesses, positions, what have you, of the unidentified people. But if a politician is indicted, reporters usually figure out who the important unidentified people are. (Yesterday, for example, the Inquirer named Fumo’s girlfriends.)

The Daily News discusses two of the now-identified politicos named in the indictment today. Your lucky couple? City Councilman Frank DiCicco and state Turnpike Commission Chairman Mitchell Rubin, come on down!

Rubin won’t comment, but DiCicco will. The indictment alleges Citizens Alliance for Better Neighborhoods — Fumo’s nonprofit — employees spent two weeks installing hardwood floors at a rehab DiCicco and his son bought. It also alleges that, when it snows, Citizens Alliance would remove snow from that DiCicco house and other places before clearing its own property. (Meanwhile, the indictment says Rubin and Fumo went to Cuba.)

Talking to the DN’s Bob Warner, DiCicco says he thought employees were working on their own time, not on Citizens Alliance’s. And he denies getting any favors:

“I’m not saying, if we needed help carrying an appliance up the stairs at 2 in the afternoon, and one of those Citizens Alliance guys was around, we wouldn’t say, ‘Give us a hand,’ ” DiCicco said. “They were around all the time; their place is just a block away.”

Oh, did I say deny? I meant admit. And what better use for a nonprofit meant to improve the neighborhood than by carrying a City Councilman’s washer up the stairs?

DiCicco, of course, isn’t charged with anything. (And it wasn’t his nonprofit. What’s he going to do, turn down good help?) He says he was only mentioned in the indictment, for… well:

“I think if I did anything wrong, I’d be a target like the others,” he said, speculating that federal prosecutors had mentioned him in their indictment “to make it look more sexy.”

Yeah, adding a City Councilman to these federal indictments really sexes it up. Everyone is abuzz over Frank DiCicco being mentioned in a federal indictment. Yeah, everyone’s paying attention to it now just because of Right Said Frank!

2 friends tainted, but not charged [Daily News]

DiCicco, Kenney Aim For Crucial Swing Vote

Over at Amen, Wook — This is why I love blogging. “Wook” on first reference. — noticed a few campaign signs for Jim Kenney and Frank DiCicco at a formerly-empty building at 714 South Street.

Yes. 714 South Street. Former Home of Club Kama Sutra.

This city is a wonderful place sometimes.

BREAKING NEWS! SHOCKING REVELATION! WHAT GENER WAS TALKING ABOUT FINALLY REVEALED! [AMEN]
Archives: Club Kama Sutra

Let The Lawsuits Begin!

Now that the two casino locations in Philadelphia have been selected — that’s Foxwoods, along the Delaware in Pennsport, and Sugarhouse, on the waterfront in Fishtown — it’s time for everyone’s favorite Philadelphia tradition: Lawsuits!

City Councilman Frank DiCicco has already announced his plans for a lawsuit against both locations, based on the fact his constituents will like him for it. KYW 1060’s Mike Dunn quotes DiCicco:

“There’s total gridlock today. And [with a casino] you raise the level of vehicles by somewhere between two and four million additional vehicles a year. I don’t know how anyone’s going to get to the river.”

God bless the automobile, for giving groups a reason to file lawsuits besides “my property values might go down.”

Councilman DiCicco Will Sue [KYW 1060]

And You Thought The Ducks Were Annoying

KYW 1060 reports this morning of a new tourist attraction in Philadelphia: The Superbike.

Superbikes are run by the same people who run Super Ducks, and owner Alfred Krawitz said the Superbike is “a bicycle that holds seven passengers. One person drives it. It has a hydraulic braking system. It has a Porsche front end.”

City officials aren’t quite sure about the safety of these so-called “super” bicycles, but they’re not covered any city motor vehicle codes, so Krawitz went ahead and started selling rides on it. Councilman Frank DiCicco, naturally, wants to confiscate the bikes, perhaps so he can ride constituents around his district on them.

But, for now, Superbikes are here to stay. However, we do have a reprieve from at least one of the duck boats for a little while, as the article notes:

Meanwhile, the National Park Service has suspended Krawitz’s Superducks for seven days for aggressive solicitation.

Praise you, National Park Service.

Controversy Over New Super Bikes [KYW 1060]
Related: Stop The Duck

Barnes Foundation To Attract Face-Paint Wearing Fans, 100 Million Viewers

In the zoning article of the current issue of the Center City Weekly Press, City Councilman Frank DiCicco is quoted about — surprise! — zoning reform in the city.

He’s also quoted about “good things” going on in the city right now, including the move of the Barnes Foundation to the Parkway:

But DiCicco also said “There are an awful lot of things that are going on right.” He specifically noted the impending move of the Barnes Foundation to the city. “It’ll be like three Super Bowls in a year,” he said of the impact it will make, adding that the new museum is likely to be a huge economic generator for the city.

I can’t wait to see all the cool commercials at the Barnes Foundation.

Center City Weekly Press