Brett Mandel for Controller
When I’m not bitching about the economy, the government, and libraries, I actually do a little volunteering for political candidates I believe in. One of those is Brett Mandel, who is running for City Controller. After doing some research on Mandel, speaking personally with him, and seeking the guidance of Philadelphians more informed than me about local politics, I am happy to give him my support. The Inquirer has a good article today on Mandel’s endorsements, and why he’s a better choice than Alan Butkovitz, who currently holds the office:
Upstart candidate Brett Mandel announced yesterday that he has the backing of four local elected officials in his uphill campaign to unseat Philadelphia City Controller Alan Butkovitz.
State Sen. Larry Farnese, State Reps. Tony Payton and Kathy Manderino, and City Councilman Frank DiCicco, Mandel said, are backing him in the May 19 Democratic primary.
The endorsements from the four Democrats are significant in that Mandel’s candidacy is tantamount to taking on the political establishment.
Butkovitz, elected controller in 2005, is a ward leader who as an incumbent is virtually guaranteed the backing of the Democratic City Committee.
He’s also an ally of Local 98 of the electricians union, which has access to a wealth of political funds and election-day foot soldiers.
“I don’t know if Alan can run the political risk of leaving the pack,” DiCicco said during a City Hall news conference in which Mandel announced his backers. He said Butkovitz was part of the city’s “Democratic machine.”
You’ll notice Butkovitz slaps back that Mandel’s endorsers are part of the “Fumo machine”, but given Fumo’s long reign and massive power, that could be slung at almost ANY Democrat in Philadelphia whether it’s true or not.
But the truth is that Butkovitz IS part of the Democratic machine: he’s a ward leader, and as such, he’s part of the very culture the controller’s supposed to be looking into to eliminate waste and fraud. One of the reasons Mandel wants the job is because, according to Mandel, Butkovitz hasn’t kept up with the annual audits he’s supposed to be doing, including audting the oppressive and bloated Parking Authority:
In what appears to be an obvious violation of the City Charter, the City Controller is not auditing the agencies of the government on an annual basis. On February 19, the current Controller issued an audit of the Fairmont Park Commission. The audit covered Fiscal Year 2005. The information provided by that audit is over four years old. It doesn’t help us know how our tax dollars are spent and it certainly does not help us make the tough choices that now confront us.
The current Controller left it to the FBI to investigate charges of fraud at Philadelphia Safe and Sound. The currrent Controller left it to the President Judge to investigate mismanagement by the Clerk of Quarter Sessions that has cost the City tens of million of dollars. And despite the pleas of Governor Rendell, the current Controller has abstained from auditing the Philadelphia Parking Authority, an entity that currently sits on millions of dollars when our schools are struggling to find funding.
The problem with the Parking Authority is ongoing: here’s Young Philly Politics from 2007, railing against the agency: the word used to describe Butkovitz’s audit? “lame”.
And Butkovitz essentially admits he’s not doing his job or following the city charter:
At issue for Butkovitz? Mandel’s entire platform.
From his pledge to audit each city agency annually, to his allegations of waste and fraud mismanagement to his position on reassessing property taxes to his promise of making the city’s budget transparent by posting it on the internet—Butkovitz systematically refuted each of Mandel’s proposed policies while simultaneously providing examples of how he has already improved the city’s budget during his term.
Referring to Mandel’s plan to audit each city agency annually as, “penny ante,” Butkovitz explained that his office conducts departmental audits on a two-year cycle instead.
Mandel’s plan?? Try “YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION AS DETAILED BY THE CITY CHARTER”:
Committee of 70:
The City Controller is the chief auditor of Philadelphia’s financial affairs. Philadelphia’s Home Rule Charter requires the Controller to conduct annual audits of every city office and agency, and it authorizes him or her to offer recommendations for improving the efficiency and economy of City government. Since the Controller is not elected at the same time as the Mayor and City Council, he or she can be an effective independent watchdog over the City’s finances.
City Charter, Chapter 4, section 6-400:
The Department shall audit at least annually the affairs of every officer, department, board, including the accounts of any board of directors of City trusts, and commission of the City and, as far as may be necessary, the accounts of any other agency receiving an appropriation from the City. Audits shall include all collections made on behalf of the City by an officer, department, board, commission or other agency. The accounts of police and firemen’s pension funds receiving appropriations from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania shall be audited annually. An audit report shall be made on every audit. Special audits of the affairs of any officer, department, board, commission or agency may be made whenever in the judgment of the City Controller they appear necessary, and shall be made whenever the Mayor shall call upon the City Controller to make them.
“At least annually”. Not “bi-annually”, not “when I feel like it”, but “at least annually”.
So that’s why I’m supporting Brett Mandel in the primary: he’s going to actually do his job, he’ll thoroughly audit the Parking Authority, as well as other city agencies to root out waste; he’ll help make government more transparent by making sure all City payments are available online; and he’s even said he’s going to stop City payments to the Deadbeats Iggles until they settle their $8 million dollar debt.
That sounds damn good to me.
