As Heard in the Hall reported last week, Deeley distributed the badges, which are powerless, to friends, sort of like the honorary awarding to famous people of college degrees. Among the recipients of the Deeley badges were former City Controller Jonathan Saidel; U.S. Rep. Bob Brady's political consultant Ken Smukler; and Ryan Boyer, business manager of the Laborers' District Council of Philadelphia and Vicinity.
Kromer hasn't said to whom he will award his badges. But bank on his desire to be the last sheriff standing. - Marcia Gelbart
Ballot challenge based on DROP?
What could unseat four City Council members and, perhaps, make Darrell Clarke the new Council president?
A successful lawsuit arguing that those members enrolled in the pension plan known as DROP are not eligible to run.
Kevin Greenberg and Abbe F. Fletman, co-chairs of the Government Relations practice at Flaster/Greenberg P.C., told political candidates and others at a recent seminar that they expect such a ballot challenge to be filed.
"We have heard of people contemplating a challenge on DROP, and it's the kind of complicated unsettled question of law that one might expect to be litigated," Greenberg said.
Former Supreme Court justice Russell M. Nigro said he was contemplating such a suit, though he won't say who his lawyer is.
A challenge would arrive after candidate petitions are due in early March. It would have to be settled before the May primaries.
DROP stands for Deferred Retirement Option Program. When city employees enroll in DROP, their future pension benefit is frozen. But in return, the city starts putting their pension payments aside for them. When they retire, employees in DROP get the amount in that account and start collecting their pensions.
The program has been immensely controversial, especially after Mayor Nutter commissioned a report from Boston College that said DROP had cost the city $258 million since 1999.
