Philadelphia's Downward Spiral
by Vince?Daliessio
Two items from NPR this morning on Philadelphia's intelligent, effective, honest, and freedom-loving City Council;
One councilperson, Frank DiCicco, who never met a tax he didn't like, unless he?is supposed to pay it, has decided to introduce a bill to exempt gay couples from the city's onerous real-estate transfer tax?(4% of the sale price) when they transfer or bequeath property to one another (married hetero couples enjoy a similar privilege). To receive such a grant of privilege, the couple must "show them the money", that is, disclose their "financial interdependence" to qualify.
If I were gay, I would be extremely leery of this Trojan Horse, because it is not really designed to benefit the ostensible beneficiaries, but to gain the city government entrance into their private financial lives. Don't say we didn't warn you, boys and girls.
The second item, introduced?by the esteemed councilwoman?Blondell Reynolds Brown was a declaration of Philadelphia as a "Pro-Choice City", which was passed 9-8?by the predominantly Democrat council, sparking general outrage in the chamber and some buyer's remorse on the part of some of the ever-principled councilpersons. Councilperson Brown retreated to say that Philadelphia was both a "Pro-Choice" city AND a "Pro-Life " city, a claim that is best evaluated in light the city's out-of-control murder rate.?
At 27.8 per 100,000 inhabitants, the highest of any large US city, it sort of belies any claim to being "Pro-Life", although in this regard, a large number of Philadelphia's citizens are already voting against the concept.