Are people AVI stupid enough to make Butkovitz mayor?

**seand** · 06-22-2012, 02:43 PM

At least four Council members — Blondell Reynolds Brown, Jim Kenney, Bill Green and W. Wilson Goode Jr. -- are being discussed as potential 2015 candidates for mayor.

They are joined by state Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams and City Controller Alan Butkovitz, two potential candidates with drastically different opinions on the move to a property-tax system based on market values, known as the Actual Value Initiative.

Think of Williams and Butkovitz as the two ends of the AVI political scale — Williams wanted AVI put in place this year while Butkovitz opposes the idea now, next year and in the future.

We spoke this week to each of the potential candidates. The role of AVI in the 2015 race is very much on their minds.

"I believe its explosive," Butkovitz said. "I think it will be polarizing as we get to the 2015 race."

Williams, who is pushing in Harrisburg for legislation needed to implement AVI, voiced frustration that some of his potential 2015 opponents are moving tactically to prepare for the mayor's race. And he knows his position could cost him votes.

"The fact that I had some responsibility in constructing a system that is fair, I'm sure some people will penalize me for that," Williams said.

City's next mayor will have to get through AVI gauntlet

Are people stupid enough to vote for the guy who does not do enough to expose waste in city government just because he says he will keep our broken arbitrary assessments forever?

**devilspocket** · 06-22-2012, 02:48 PM

Originally Posted by seand

City's next mayor will have to get through AVI gauntlet

Are people stupid enough to vote for the guy who does not do enough to expose waste in city government just because he says he will keep our broken arbitrary assessments forever?

Can we choose 'none of the above' for mayor?

**Politburo** · 06-22-2012, 03:10 PM

IIRC there's a button on the voting machine that says something like 'I choose to make no selections' (for all offices)..

**seand** · 07-05-2012, 04:06 PM

A front page article in today's Inky was basically a puff piece for Butko saying he would run for mayor proudly on "Elect me, I'll make sure your property taxes are arbitrary and unfair forever".

Its a rather amazing campaign strategy, basically he's arguing that other politicians are going to be too timid to fix the problem so therefore you should elect him mayor because he's been too timid to do it all along.
Political risk may doom property-tax reform in Philadelphia

**Naveen** · 07-06-2012, 09:29 AM

I wonder if anyone from outside of the existing government would run. I know it's a wild card, but I wonder if someone like David Cohen would join the race, considering how poor our potential field is right now.

**BarryG** · 07-06-2012, 09:31 AM

Originally Posted by Naveen

I wonder if anyone from outside of the existing government would run. I know it's a wild card, but I wonder if someone like David Cohen join the race, considering how poor our potential field is right now.

Bill Green, while not perfect, is a good candidate. His priorities are straight--encourage business to stay and move into the city--and he knows how to wheel and deal with Council effectively.

Anyone know how clean he is?

**raider.adam** · 07-06-2012, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by BarryG

Bill Green, while not perfect, is a good candidate. His priorities are straight--encourage business to stay and move into the city--and he knows how to wheel and deal with Council effectively.

Anyone know how clean he is?

So far I think he is the best of the bunch.

Matters what you mean by "clean".

**seand** · 07-06-2012, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by BarryG

Bill Green, while not perfect, is a good candidate. His priorities are straight--encourage business to stay and move into the city--and he knows how to wheel and deal with Council effectively.

Anyone know how clean he is?

He made a speech comparing his political benefactor, John Dougherty, to Abraham Lincoln I remember when Doc announced was running for State Senate. So besides the very, very obvious political affiliations on that front, I think he's as clean as any likely candidate. It helps, for one thing, that before running for Council he was in business, working as a corporate lawyer for several investment and finance-related firms, so he kind of jumped from being a wonky junior campaign aide for Rendell's first run for mayor to being outside the city working in futures trading and corporate law prior to running for City Council, or so says Wikipedia.
Bill Green (politician) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I tend to think working in corporate law in a variety of cities is a benefit because while he has obvious political affiliations, he didn't spend years as somebody's boy and he enough of a business and outsider's perspective to see the ways that Philadelphia could grow and become a more financially vibrant city.

**Tartan69** · 07-06-2012, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by BarryG

Bill Green, while not perfect, is a good candidate. His priorities are straight--encourage business to stay and move into the city--and he knows how to wheel and deal with Council effectively.

Anyone know how clean he is?

He appears to me (on the surface) to be the least incompetent person on Council. However unless we get a strong opposition party candidate, our city will continue to be dysfunctional.

**seand** · 07-06-2012, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by Naveen

I wonder if anyone from outside of the existing government would run. I know it's a wild card, but I wonder if someone like David Cohen would join the race, considering how poor our potential field is right now.

It took me a half a second to figure out whether you meant the State Rep. or the the Comcast exec (though "outside existing government" should have been a clue). I think the Comcast exec. will be behind whoever Rendell gets behind (and Green is a pretty likely candidate) and Cohen the State Rep. will be behind whoever Brady initially backs, possibly Kenney, maybe Saidel for 5 minutes before he drops out, maybe Butkovitz.

**thoth** · 07-06-2012, 01:18 PM

I feel like BRB is the Chauncey Gardener of Philadelphia's City Council. Do nothing, utter charmingly vague aphorisms and eventually you will be looked to as a messiah figure.

I'm horrified, though not surprised, she's bungled her way into the crowd of potential mayors. The only two smart guys in the pack are both union shills. Choose one.

**Dave** · 07-06-2012, 01:22 PM

Originally Posted by seand

It took me a half a second to figure out whether you meant the State Rep. or the the Comcast exec (though "outside existing government" should have been a clue). I think the Comcast exec. will be behind whoever Rendell gets behind (and Green is a pretty likely candidate) and Cohen the State Rep. will be behind whoever Brady initially backs, possibly Kenney, maybe Saidel for 5 minutes before he drops out, maybe Butkovitz.

I paused for a minute as well. However, I decided on the Comcast exec once I remembered that former councilman David Cohen is deceased (his son the State Rep is Mark).

Anyway, my decision, barring any surprises like an actual viable Republican candidate, is likely to come down to Bill Green or Jim Kenney.

**philly57** · 07-06-2012, 01:45 PM

I lost faith in Bill Green after he agreed to support Greenlee's awful sick pay bill. Bill Green may SAY he is pro-business, but his credentials aren't there. Green also voted to keep DROP.

http://articles.philly.com/2011-06-1...time-sick-days

On one hand is Bill Green's perception; and other hand is his voting record.

**Naveen** · 07-06-2012, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by Dave

Anyway, my decision, barring any surprises like an actual viable Republican candidate, is likely to come down to Bill Green or Jim Kenney.

Any rumblings on whether Al Schmidt would run? Too soon?

**nickster** · 07-06-2012, 01:55 PM

Originally Posted by thoth

I feel like BRB is the Chauncey Gardener of Philadelphia's City Council. Do nothing, utter charmingly vague aphorisms and eventually you will be looked to as a messiah figure.

I'm horrified, though not surprised, she's bungled her way into the crowd of potential mayors. The only two smart guys in the pack are both union shills. Choose one.

Oh, didn't you know, she claims to be a champion of the issues of women and children. What a crock.

**BarryG** · 07-06-2012, 02:40 PM

Originally Posted by philly57

I lost faith in Bill Green after he agreed to support Greenlee's awful sick pay bill. Bill Green may SAY he is pro-business, but his credentials aren't there. Green also voted to keep DROP.

City Council approves sick-leave bill, preserves DROP - Philly.com

On one hand is Bill Green's perception; and other hand is his voting record.

I agree with you on these votes, but this is what I meant about wheeling and dealing effectively with council. Green knew the sick leave bill didn't have a chance with Nutter, and that DROP was going to get through regardless. So he signed on to support these things and then got the votes he needed to pass tax reform.

**Kevin** · 07-06-2012, 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by nickster

Oh, didn't you know, she claims to be a champion of the issues of women and children. What a crock.

She's a woman and has children. She didn't mean all of them.

**Spicoli** · 07-06-2012, 02:47 PM

Holy hell is that an underwhelming cast of potential candidates!

The Republican party has no excuse for not putting forward a viable candidate that can compete with that group. NONE.

If the best they can do is another Al Taubenwhatever, Karen Brown, etc. Then they should look in the mirror, pack it in, and quit bitching that "the Democrats are ruining the city".

**thoth** · 07-06-2012, 03:54 PM

That's how do nothings slide for so long, like Jack Kelly's reelection campaign that centered around how much he wuvs puppies.

Originally Posted by nickster

Oh, didn't you know, she claims to be a champion of the issues of women and children. What a crock.

**ArcticSplash** · 07-09-2012, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by Dave

I paused for a minute as well. However, I decided on the Comcast exec once I remembered that former councilman David Cohen is deceased (his son the State Rep is Mark).

Anyway, my decision, barring any surprises like an actual viable Republican candidate, is likely to come down to Bill Green or Jim Kenney.

Given Kenney's tweeting escapades, I'm leaning Green.

If MQS entered the mix and Green wasn't in it, I would vote MQS.