Philadelphia Inquirer, The (PA)
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October 19, 2006
Street picks 5 for
Ethics Board
Minutes before critics were set to assail him for ignoring a deadline that passed 45 days ago, Mayor Street yesterday announced his five nominees to the soon-to-be-launched Philadelphia Board of Ethics.
The announcement of the nominees - City Council now has 90 days to confirm them - triggers the formation of the board, which city voters approved overwhelmingly in May after three years of political corruption scandals. |
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In 2004, in his first action to strengthen public confidence in government amid the scandals, Street issued an executive order to reconstitute what for decades had been a largely dormant city ethics board.
The new one does not report to the administration, has a guaranteed budget next year of $1 million, can impose financial penalties, will oversee campaign-finance reporting by city candidates, and has the authority to hold hearings. The board also has jurisdiction over Council and offices, such as the Sheriff's Office, with independently elected leaders.
Among the nominees, who will serve staggered terms, are lawyers Richard Glazer, a "dollar-a-year" city assistant managing director who helped found the Cozen O'Connor law firm and sits on the board of the Committee of Seventy political watchdog group; Richard Negrin, vice president and associate general counsel for the Aramark Corp.; and Stella Tsai, of Christie, Pabarue, Mortensen & Young, who previously worked in the city Law Department.
Street's other two nominees are Pauline Abernathy, a deputy director for policy initiatives at the Pew Charitable Trusts, and the Rev. Alyn Waller, senior pastor at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church.
More than 12 people were considered, Street spokesman Joe Grace said, and Street interviewed at least six.
"We went through a process to come up with the best names in terms of diversity and experience," Grace said. Of the five, two are white, one is Asian, one is black, and one is Latino.
Street's nominations followed weeks of criticism that he was ignoring legislation that required them within 90 days after the election's certification. The deadline was Sept. 3.
But day after day, no names were put forth, with Street at one point explaining that more "political work" had to be done.
"It's been a real slap in the face to citizens of the city to play these types of games," said Democratic mayoral candidate Michael A. Nutter, a former councilman.
Nutter had appeared on a City Hall sidewalk yesterday expecting to participate in a 2:30 p.m. news conference - joined by Zack Stalberg of the Committee of Seventy, Brett Mandel of tax-cut-advocacy group Philadelphia Forward, and Mark Stier of the activist group Neighborhood Networks - criticizing Street for being so tardy in naming his appointees.
Then, at 2:23 p.m., came the news release from the Mayor's Office.
"There's not much I can really say," Stalberg said. "I'm glad he finally did it."
Contact staff writer Marcia Gelbart at 215-854-2338 or mgelbart@phillynews.com. |