Katz says Nutter should have waited on budget

Add Sam Katz to the number of folks who think Mayor Nutter acted prematurely last week in unveiling a city budget before the governor delivered his budget for the state, which happened today.

"Why conceive of and put forward a budget that is based on a set of assumptions that are seven days away?" wondered Katz, the Republican-turned-Democrat who is Gov. Corbett's appointee to the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, which monitors city spending. Katz, who briefly explored challenging Nutter in the primary, is widely expected to become PICA's new chairman.

"It is fine to say you are going to fight for the things you believe in," Katz said in a nod to Nutter's explaining that he introduced his budget to lay out his vision and goals for the city. "But you have to have a sword," he added.

Nutter's sword is blunted by the lack of Democrats in both chambers in Harrisburg, in addition to the Republican occupying the governor's office.

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