Tussles, shout-outs, ad libs spice up budget address
Mayor Nutter's budget address to City Council turned into a donnybrook before he ever uttered a word yesterday. A group in the balcony of Council's chambers interrupted a resolution honoring the Frankford Chargers football team for winning their Pop Warner Football division's national championship. The group shouted complaints about the death of a former team player last year.
Mayor Nutter's budget address to City Council turned into a donnybrook before he ever uttered a word yesterday.
A group in the balcony of Council's chambers interrupted a resolution honoring the Frankford Chargers football team for winning their Pop Warner Football division's national championship. The group shouted complaints about the death of a former team player last year.
Shareef Jones, 14, was shot in August by a retired police officer who said that the youth had pointed a gun at him in a robbery attempt as he delivered pizzas in Frankford.
Police officers scuffled in the balcony with members of the International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement, arresting two men. Franklin Moses, 54, and Wali Rahman, 32, were charged with aggravated assault, resisting arrest and other charges.
Harris Daniels, of Uhuru, complained about the arrest as members of his group insisted that they had not started the tussle.
"We're exercising our First Amendment rights, our democratic rights," Daniels said.
They weren't alone. Nutter's budget address was interrupted repeatedly by hecklers. One man didn't like Nutter's call for city union employees to take "furlough days" to save money.
"Why don't you take 365 of them this year," he yelled.
"Uh, because I have a lot of work to do," Nutter shot back.
A woman yelled at Nutter: "What about the trash?"
"We're going to pick it up, every week," Nutter replied with a chuckle that drew more laughs.
It wasn't all bad. There were a few calls of "Thank you" and "Good job." At one point, someone tentatively applauded.
"I'll take that," Nutter said. *
