DiCicco Defending DROP Decision

The Democratic primary race for the second district Philadelphia council seat is heating up, as Frank DiCicco and challenger Joe Grace are fighting over DiCicco's role in the DROP controversy.

DROP is the city program that lets some employees collect retirement pay and a salary at the same time.

DiCicco now says signing up for DROP was the biggest mistake of his legislative life, especially since he's decided to break his retirement decision and decided to run for re-election.

Grace is the former communications director for ex-Mayor John Street.

"It's unwise policy and there's a simple solution to this: the council members who made an irrevocable promise to retire, including councilman DiCicco, should honor their word and they should retire," said Grace.

"I don't know, at the end of the day, whether my bill will hold up to legal muster or not. But at least I'm trying- and I have been for two years, asking these same questions," said DiCicco.

"You know, it's an election year and Joe is going to get as much mileage out of it as he can. Probably a little bit more mileage than it takes for him to get from where he lives in Chestnut Hill, down to City Hall."