Philadelphia mayor inflated city contract?? - PhillyBlog

SteveJohnston · #1 (**permalink**) 12-14-2003, 08:47 PM

Former official says aide to Philadelphia mayor inflated city contract
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...658EST0637.DTL

Quote:

PHILADELPHIA (AP) --

A top aide to Mayor John Street increased a consulting contract by $100,000 so a politically connected firm could be added, according to a former administration official who claims the firm did little or no work.

A $200,000 contract intended to help the city reduce municipal workers' health care costs in 2001 already had been awarded when the aide, George Burrell, ordered that West Insurance Group be added for another $100,000, said Linda Berkowitz, who supervised the contract.

Berkowitz told The Philadelphia Inquirer for Sunday's editions that Burrell also ordered that West Insurance be kept in the deal the next year despite her complaint that it had done little or no work.

"In 25 years, it's the only thing I ever did that I'm embarrassed about," said Berkowitz, who now works for the city school district.

The total bill paid for the health care contract came to $450,000, of which $150,000 went to West Insurance, The Inquirer reported.

West Insurance President Kobie West declined to answer questions about the contract.

Burrell, Street's secretary of external affairs, acknowledged that money was added for West Insurance, but said he didn't remember hearing that it had done little or no work.

"This was not intended to be a bone to West," he said. "We expected that the Wests would provide real services."

Burrell said he was trying to fulfill the administration's goal of hiring more minority-owned firms.

The city's Minority Business Enterprise Council, which helps businesses owned by women and minorities get city contracts, has become a focal point of an ongoing FBI investigation into city government contracts. The FBI bugged Street's office, but the mayor's role in the probe has never been made clear and he has denied wrongdoing.

Berkowitz said she had not been contacted by the FBI.

mjzogby · #2 (**permalink**) 12-17-2003, 12:42 PM

Surprise, surprise. Corruption in City hall. Where's Philly Tim on this one?

Whether or not West Insurance actually did any work, why should we promote women and minority owned businesses? They should have to compete the same as businesses owned by white men. But of course, not when we have a mayor who claims the brothers and sisters are running this city.

E_MYK · #3 (**permalink**) 12-17-2003, 02:30 PM

Patience. The feds are here for a reason and this is one of them. People are going to lose their over paid city jobs and some will go to jail. I have confidence in the FBI's determination to bring justice to Philadelphia. My money is on indictments in spring or summer, I'd also bet that Mayor Street will be one of the recipients.

phillyTIM · #4 (**permalink**) 12-19-2003, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjzogby

Surprise, surprise. Corruption in City hall. Where's Philly Tim on this one?

Whether or not West Insurance actually did any work, why should we promote women and minority owned businesses? They should have to compete the same as businesses owned by white men. But of course, not when we have a mayor who claims the brothers and sisters are running this city.

Hey mj! Sorry, I've been away from the blog alot because of christmas shopping and activities! It will be nice to get past this and my trip home to be able to blog away with you and the others to fight to save our City from all the corruption and patronage infesting it.

I'm just happy that someone like Linda Berkowitz is coming out to highlight the continuing moves of failure the Street Regime embelishes itself with. I'm suprised she came out so bluntly, but I can look at her in a whole new light, with fondness now.

It just goes to show - secrets can only be held for so long, and Street's Regime is full of them - expect to see much more when they are under the coming Federal indictments!

eldondre · #5 (**permalink**) 12-19-2003, 10:44 AM

there are sotries almost every day coming from this probe. I hate to admit when street is right but that campaign finance bill isa joke. the onl one that made sense, kenney's, got voted down. it attempted to delin kcontracts form contributions.

lesliecheek · #6 (**permalink**) 12-21-2003, 05:44 AM

As far as this current tactic to smear what is undeniably a less-than-savy media administration, this has got to be one of the most one-sided reports coming out of the whole fiasco. There has been no mention as to the whistle blowers role in the contract realization, nor has there been any mention to the timing of the exporation of her loyalty to the administration she worked so "diligently" for. It is stated that she was "embarrased" by this action, yet it has taken her roughly 3 years to come out with this information. So she was part of the hypocracy, working and collecting one of those big paychecks some of you have decided aren't worthy for the people who run your city.
It is my opinion this story has materialized by the proding of an over-zealous local media, a disgruntled administration insider - who by the way still works in the public domain for one of the most bitterly embroiled city organizations- and by the career strategist of the republican machine.
We all owe it to ourselves and democracy to question our government, and the process by which our government is run, but it is also our responsibility as governors of our own minds and bodies to make decisions based on valid information, from credible sources. We can not afford to let disgust snowball our fears, anger and frustration into an insatiable thirst for political heads via the media.
Please be careful philadelphia!

zogby blob · #7 (**permalink**) 12-22-2003, 10:38 AM

What timing? It's a little too late if you ask me. Some people are just too blind to the truth. You just put a crook back in city hall.

Hooray for Democracy! :roll:

phillyTIM · #8 (**permalink**) 12-22-2003, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zogby blob

What timing? It's a little too late if you ask me. Some people are just too blind to the truth. You just put a crook back in city hall.

Hooray for Democracy! :roll:

I'm totally in agreement with your analysis - zog.

An interesting note tho: I had lunch with a close friend on Friday, and we talked briefly about the election. She was black, so my main emphasis was about Center City business needs succumbing to taking care of our welfare areas, while refraining about mentioning how much Street using his race card pissed me off.

Her response was that she looked to it as a vote for the Democrats against the Bush/Republican war machine. And not letting them take away Philadelphia, and Pennsylvania to a larger extent.

Sadly, it's just really becoming more clear to me that a big chunk of people vote emotionally rather than what really is in their best interests. So those people vote, and get, exactly what they deserve.

Thankfully people such as you and I are more able to divest in areas we are unyhappy with. The power of the dollar is definately stronger than that of an emotional vote, in the long run. As the people of this City are finding out after '99, and moreso will now that its happened again in '03.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Philadelphia losing the immigration race	wanderer34	General Discussion	138	04-01-2005 08:16 AM
Philadelphia Gas Commission	talkradiobug	General Discussion	5	02-15-2005 01:22 PM
May events clipped from	Hal	Events	1	04-30-2004 09:20 PM
Long Time Street Ally Departs	rlc	Politics	6	04-12-2004 01:38 AM
Irish organized Crime and gangs in PHilly	Eyrish5	History and Tradition	1	03-26-2004 02:54 PM