Mayor Nutter: 'We Have No Money'

PHILADELPHIA - Mayor Michael Nutter continues to turn up the heat on state lawmakers - specifically Senate Republicans - to help Philadelphia solve its budget crisis.

Thursday, for at least the fourth time in the last three weeks, the mayor described a virtual dismantling of the city if it does not get permission to raise its sales tax and delay its pension payments.

The apparent goal of these events is to pressure the state Senate into signing off on a House bill that gives Philly the help it needs, reported Fox 29's Bruce Gordon. But despite the mayor's threats and warnings, that help is still very much in doubt.

Mayor Nutter included props in this latest act of political theatre: a table loaded down with seniority and performance scores used to determine which police officers will be laid off.

In a somber voice, the mayor announced, "'Plan C' implementation has begun. The clock has started."

Nutter formally transmitted to City Council a revised 5-year plan, detailing the cuts needed to fill a massive hole in the city budget.

In the doomsday spending plan, a thousand police officers would be laid off and 200 firefighters and paramedics would lose their jobs. City pools and rec centers would close. Trash collection would come just twice a month and the city would shut off court system funding.

"This is not a game. This is not an exercise. This is not about leverage and no one is crying wolf pointing fingers or blaming anybody. We have no money,” said Nutter.

Nutter repeated a plea he made while in Harrisburg last week that the state Senate pass the so-called Philly Legislation without adding amendments that could delay final passage.

But Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Sen. Dominic Pileggi wasn't buying it then.

"Members of the Senate, on both sides of the aisle, have made very good points about the need to improve the legislation before we vote on it,” said Sen. Pileggi on August 11.

Thursday, Senator Pileggi's spokesman said it's likely one or more amendments will be offered.

A local Republican, on hand for the Nutter event, claimed the mayor's threats have gotten him nowhere.

"The city gambled and the mayor gambled and the mayor lost," believes Republican City Controller candidate Al Schmidt. "And the assumption was that they were going to ask for these things and the state Senate was going to give them everything they wanted. And there was no chance that that was going to happen."

Senator Pileggi's spokesman insists - even with amendments - the Philly legislation could gain final approval in time to avert those drastic budget cuts.

But that Senate vote apparently will not come before August 26, no matter how many dire warnings come from City Hall, reported Gordon.