Frank Rizzo Pushes Anti-Nepotism Bill, Sun Explodes

Frank Rizzo — the current City Councilman, not the late mayor — is introducing a bill in City Council limiting nepotism.

Frank Rizzo, you may know, appointed his brother Joe as fire commissioner when elected mayor in 1971.

Rizzo Jr. says his new bill would place strict limits on the hiring of relatives: “They’re going to have to disclose that they are a relative of Councilman So-and-So, or Commissioner So-and-So.” He’s also going to have to change his name to “Francis Smith” just to make sure nobody thinks they’re voting for the ghost of the former mayor.

Mayor Rizzo’s Son Pushes Anti-Nepotism Bill in City Council [KYW 1060]
[Image via PhillyTalkRadio.com]

Black People Love Frank Rizzo (.com)

The Bulletin’s Mike Malowe has a column today on the, uh, 16-year anniversary of Frank Rizzo’s death. In it, he gives a nice personal anecdote about Rizzo and how people liked him and how, during his 1991 mayoral run, he did that whole forgiveness thing or whatever when he went to the black neighborhoods and blah blah blah.

Then he writes that Rizzo “polarized” the bad guys and how great that was, tiptoeing all round the racism issue. Then he writes about stalking Rizzo during the ‘91 election.

I’d seen him walking along Walnut Street many times that summer. He didn’t know I was there. He could only get a few feet during the busy lunch hours before someone came up and stopped him, with a hug, or a kiss, or a handshake. I don’t think I saw a single black person not come up and in some way embrace him.

Then he writes about how happy Ed Rendell was about Rizzo’s death, because he’s a Democrat or something.

Rizzo: A Leader Too Late [The Bulletin]

City Council Backtracks, Panders, Wastes More Time

Last week, Philadelphia City Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown helped pass a resolution declaring Philadelphia a “pro-choice city.” This was, of course, a pointless resolution that wasted more time than Mark B. Cohen does reading buying books.

Those in City Council who voted for the proposal apparently forgot a few things about this city. (1) Many citizens of this fine city are members of the Roman Catholic Church — official motto: “Complicit in the spread of AIDS in Africa since 1981″ — and (2) Philadelphians love to get really angry over things that don’t mean anything.

And, so, City Council is prepared to waste even more time with new resolutions declaring the city both pro-choice and pro-life! (Hey! What about Philadelphians who have no opinion?) I can’t wait ’til the resolution declaring the Israeli/Palestinian conflict as “sad” and one saying embryonic stem cell research is “an issue currently being debated.”

Frank Rizzo has simply planned a bill rescinding the pro-choice label, while Brian O’Neill have planned resolutions declaring Philly both pro-choice and pro-life and even Blondell Reynolds Brown is thinking about voting for O’Neill’s bill. Looks like somebody got an earful from her constituents! In fact, several people who voted for the “pro-choice” bill are suddenly backtracking, proving it’s not just national politicians who pander at every opportunity.

Councilman Darrell Clarke, who supported Brown’s resolution last week, said yesterday that he sees O’Neill’s alternative as “reasonable. It understands the diverse nature of the city and that we have diverse views on all issues, so I can probably support his resolution.” He said he was “not comfortable” with Rizzo’s language.

Councilman James Kenney, likewise, said he wants to reconsider the pro-choice resolution, which he supported last week. “I clearly support a woman’s right to choose,” said Kenney, who had not decided between the two resolutions that will be submitted today. “That’s my personal belief, but in retrospect probably we should not be forcing that belief or label on the city as a whole.”

In retrospect, City Councilpeople got a bunch of calls from angry little old ladies who go to church every day. And since those are the only people in this city who vote, it looks like it’s time to waste some more time!

Pro-life? Pro-choice? Hey - we’re both! [Daily News]
June 8: City Council Wasting Its Fucking Time Once Again

Wonkette Finds Greatest Mike Smerconish Photo Ever

Yeah, I apologize, people. I can’t believe I didn’t have this photo with my original Smerconish to take over Imus’ slot post:

Is there really any better way to introduce Michael Smerconish to the MSNBC audience than with a photo of him with Frank Rizzo? I think not.

Controversial Imus to be Replaced With Uncontroversial Republican Skinhead [Wonkette]
Earlier Today: Smerconish To Audition To Be Next Don Imus

Reason #29 To Love Philadelphia: Frank Rizzo (Either)

After Tuesday’s passing of former president Gerald Ford, the local press jumped up and interviewed anyone who may have had a connection to his short presidency.

One of those who did was City Councilman Frank Rizzo, whose dad was mayor from 1972 - 1980. Rizzo addresses his father’s relationship with both Ford and Richard Nixon:

“My father had a great relationship with the President Nixon and the Vice President Ford and they were very good to Philadelphia.”

Only in Philadelphia could you ask a politician his father’s relationship with someone, and he’d go, “Yeah, yeah, he was good buddies with him. But Nixon! Oh man, he was even closer to Nixon!” I wonder if something like this will happen when Tom Delay dies.

The Region Remembers President Gerald Ford [CBS 3]

Another Reason To Be In A Good Mood Today

Frank Rizzo might run for mayor, according to the Inquirer’s Michael Currie Schaffer:

Mayor Street was acknowledging dignitaries at an event last week to commemorate Columbus Day when he let slip a piece of political gossip: Rumor had it that Councilman Frank Rizzo was planning to leave the Republican Party and run for mayor next year as a Democrat.

A joke to butter up the largely Italian American crowd?

Maybe, said Rizzo, 63. But in recounting the story, he also said he was giving serious consideration to following just that route to the job his famous father held from 1972 to 1980.

“I think I have a lot to contribute,” he said. “I have the knowledge. I have the ability to pick good people. I want to help us get a lot of things done.”

Would he really abandon the Republicans, his home since elected to Council in 1995?

“In politics, you look at every scenario,” he said. “And one thing is you have to be realistic, and winning as a Republican isn’t very possible.”

Of the city GOP, he said: “My conviction is that we don’t really have a candidate that I could get behind.”

Even though it hasn’t even started yet — okay, except for Mike Nutter — the 2007 Philadelphia mayoral race is already awesome. Who will run next? Wilson Goode? Bob Brady? Jim Kenney? Sharif Street? Cory Kemp? Donovan McNabb? (He’d win.) Nobody knows!

Calling all Rizzocrats: Bambino’s son may run [Inquirer]

Quickies: Vito The Line And Rizzo The Rat

• A man named Vito the Line and Rizzo’s son-in-law was charged with running a gambling ring yesterday in Montgomery County. Just set up an Internet gambling business offshore. It’s much, much easier. Come on. Frank would have thought of that. [Inquirer]

• Democratic State Rep. Mike McGeehan had a polie report filed against him for cursing at a man who McGeehan said called the office and had previously used profanity. Ahh, Northeast Philly. [Daily News]

• Photoblogger Brad Maule takes a look at The Avenue — Passyunk, not Frankford — and finds that there’s, uh, not much parking. [phillyskyline]

• O-U-T! (Yeah, yeah.) An Upper Moreland girl is out of the National Spelling Bee after missing on gueridon, a French word meaning a small, round table. French word? Boy, whoever made up that word list must hate America. [Doylestown Intelligencer]

Rizzomon: Gotta catch ‘em all!

The back of the Frank Rizzo trading card, with his lifetime stats, after the jump.

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