Parker Scraps Business DEI Targets, PA's New Budget & Ideas for Market East

It's the Friday News Roundup. Pennsylvania, we finally, finally have a budget. Mayor Cheryl Parker is getting rid of diversity requirements on city contracts. Former Philly Art Museum CEO is suing over her termination and the city wants to know your ideas for Market East. It's Friday, November 14th. I'm Trinery and here's what Philly's talking about. Joining me this week at the Filler Club is CityCast's Philly executive producer Matt Katz. Hey Matt. Hey, Cheney, congratulations. We never have to talk about the state budget again. Actually, we will have to because we got to figure out what's in the budget. Who are the winners? Who are the losers? But... After 135 days since the budget was due? It's pretty unbelievable. So we will, you're right, find out more about what's in this documents, this massive budget that they passed in the coming days. But we know some things. This finally... came through this week, behind closed doors, Democrats and Republicans made a deal. Governor Josh Shapiro signed the budget in the middle of the week. Here are some highlights, as we know them, a 4.7% increase in spending over the last fiscal year. That's about a billion dollars less than what Governor Josh Shapiro had initially proposed, but it's $2 billion more than what Republicans wanted. It includes... More than $600 million in new funding for the state's poorest public schools that was seen as a win for public school advocates. In a win for Republicans, Pennsylvania will not join what's known as Reggie, RGGI. It's a regional cap and trade program basically charges power plants for how much carbon emissions they release into the air. It's a big priority for environmentalists. Several states are part of this. Pennsylvania since 2019 has been... technically part of this, although it's kind of been held up in the courts, that is now dead. Republicans said that this program limited the state's ability to tap into its gas resources. They said it was bad for business. Democrats have long said that this was important for the environment, but this was the major concession that the Democrats made ending their involvement in this big environmental pact. And no new revenue source for public transit. So SEPTA is still basically in limbo after another year and a half. We're going to still have to figure out how they're going to get money because, again, we did not legalize and tax cannabis, which was one of the options for getting new revenue so we can fund public transit. We did not regulate and tax skill games.

fails to stop Trump's illegal power grabs and he's that's why Boyle said he was voting hell no on this budget so he's has been saying that like John Fetterman is is betraying his democratic principles here so it's it's really interesting how John Fetterman has become an enemy to so many in his own party he's really like out there in the wilderness right now but he did have a new book that came out this week as well did you know then did you hear the title what's it called unfettered Like unbothered? Like John Fetterman is unbothered. Yeah. Miriam Webster says unfetter means not controlled or restricted. Yeah, that's totally the vibe. Yes, that's what he's going for. Yes. Isn't there kind of a bit where he goes for Governor Josh Shapiro? Yeah, he spilled some tea in this book. It's kind of juicy at parts. I mean, I didn't. Full disclosure, read it, but I read the coverage of it. And there was this story he tells that back when John Fetterman was lieutenant governor, both he and Josh Shapiro, who at the time was state attorney general, they served on Pennsylvania's board of pardons. And that means that's the board where they like decide whether. to grant mercy to state detainees, to inmates. And on a hot mic, during one of these meetings, he called Josh Shapiro a fucking asshole. And because he, John Fetterman thought that Josh Shapiro was being too tough on granting leniency. And John Fetterman was being, you know, more empathetic and granting leniency to... to prisoners. So he calls Josh Shapiro a fucking asshole. Everybody hears it because it's a hot mic. And as a result of this, John Fetterman and Josh Shapiro stopped talking. They have not spoken in five years. And in this book, John Fetterman said that like, Josh Shapiro was acting tough on these, on granting leniency to these prisoners because of his own political ambition. And John Fetterman said he was also annoyed that Josh Shapiro didn't endorse his bid for lieutenant governor. And they, the bottom line is they, yeah, they no longer speak, have not spoken in five years. And that's kind of crazy, right? It just sounds like politics to me, like the drama. It's total drama and it's total like these guys who, you know, both seem to want to be president one day or kind of going after each other. But it has consequences. These are the highest elected public officials in Pennsylvania. And they don't communicate. Yeah, it seems odd because you're in the same party. And like Pennsylvania needs stuff from the federal government. So let's say there's a natural disaster. And, you know, we need.

emergency federal aid so you're saying like basically pennsylvania doesn't have an ally yeah a strong ally as it could have because of a comment made five years ago on a hot mic between yes and a feud between to you know political egos Who, chow? And then the other senator is a Republican. So obviously Josh Shapiro should have, you know, might have less sway with him. And I want to talk about him for a minute. Senator Dave McCormick, our Republican senator from Pennsylvania. He released an ad this week to try to lure New Yorkers to move to. Pennsylvania. Why? Because of Zohran Mamdani, the new mayor. This is the ad. Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani will be elected the next mayor of New York, New York. Are you worried about your future in New York? Because I have just the place for you. Pennsylvania, where America was born. We've got mountains, winning football teams, world-class universities, and no one is going to make you feel unwelcome for loving America, loving freedom, and loving your God. You know, I will often see ads to visit New York, for example, to go hiking and skiing and visit, you know, New York City and New York State, right? For the beauty of the landscape and, like, the tourism activities that I can do. Not like an ad because of my politics or my beliefs. Right. Because, like, I can do that anywhere. But he's indicating that you can't worship your own God in New York City anymore, which seems a little outrageous. Like, what was this for is my question? Right. You really luring New Yorkers or are you playing to your base? That's weird. The other weird thing is winning football teams in the image for this? He's saying come to Pennsylvania. He showed the freaking Steelers. No. The five and four Pittsburgh Steelers? Give me a break. He did show Jalen with his Super Bowl trophy also in this ad. And that made me say, get my quarterback's face off of your political ad. Come on now. But winning football teams. I just don't really quite understand the timing. And like, What's that all about? I think he's trying to get into the anti-Zohran Mamdani discourse. New Yorkers are passionate people, loving people. I don't know if that's necessarily going to move them to come to Pennsylvania. Yeah, I know. Anyway. Listen, aside from all this drama, all this politicking, people need a break.

Okay, the government reopens. Now we have a budget, but you know what we still have? We still have problems with health care. We still have problems with expensive food prices and rents are too expensive. Not to mention that you really need to work two full-time jobs or like three to five side hustles just to afford anything. So while people might be talking about coming to Pennsylvania, like let's be clear, stuff is still pricey and we still. are questioning, like, is our government serving us? And why the hell did it take 134 plus days for you guys to compromise on this and not even take us to like new heights? Yes. Yeah. Right. Just to kind of stay afloat. Agreed. And, you know, a senator's Twitter commercial and another senator's autobiography where he's, you know, Shooting barbs at political rivals does not put more food on anybody's table or help anybody get work that pays a living wage. Oh, work. That sounds like business. That sounds like something that came out of City Hall this week. Mayor Cheryl Parker is making a major shift in... Who is getting a city contract? This came out of the Inquirer yesterday on Thursday. After four decades of the city kind of moving in a direction to get more women and people of color, government contracts, right? Mayor Parker is no longer pursuing that goal. And in fact, The goal was to fulfill 35% of all contracts through what was known as the minority women or disabled-owned enterprises. But that's getting wiped away. And we were on a upward trajectory because... Prior to 2016, the goal was set at 25%. And that goes back to the 80s. So this is a decades-old city policy to get government contracts in the hands of minority women or disabled-owned businesses. Yes. And now that is gone. So the city's solicitor, Renee Garcia. said in a statement that this change comes as a new federal legal precedent prohibits the setting of contracting goals based on race and gender. But, Matt, I have not heard or seen like any indication that, like, the Trump administration is saying, hey, Philly, stop doing this. Yeah. Whereas like we saw that with like at University Penn or something like that. Yeah, there's been no threat. So why did this happen? We have not heard of any threat from the Trump administration that we're going to pull all your funding unless you stop these DEI efforts. Right. So why now? I mean.

In fairness, this issue has gotten more legal attention recently. There was a 2023 Supreme Court decision to strike down affirmative action in college admissions. Trump has threatened to withhold federal dollars from entities that like universities that have DEI initiatives. So maybe this was preemptive. The inquirer broke the story and Parker did not explain herself to the inquire. put the city solicitor out there to give a statement. As we know, Parker is a Democrat and she's the city's first black woman mayor. And in the past, she has supported economic opportunities for diverse business owners, woman led, black led, Asian led. So this seems kind of odd and a weird shift. And same to what you were saying. Like, why now? Right. Right. Fair to say you were pretty shocked when we were together when you read this story. I was speechless. Yeah. I basically was like, excuse me? And this is, as you said, the city's first black female mayor, a point that she has. She's proud of that. And she should be proud of that. And that's a major accomplishment. And on top of it being the 100th mayor, I mean, she's been touting that while in office for two years now. So it just seems like a curveball. Yeah. And we're not quite sure why. The inquirer said that we could expect pushback on this from city council, which is. majority people of color, and they will probably hear complaints about this from their constituents. I mean, these city contracts to minority firms are not insignificant. $370 million annually in contracts to historically disadvantaged firms. So this is a significant change. I just want to go back to Mayor Parker's 26 budget address earlier this year. And in that speech, she was so enthusiastic about where the city was and some of the priorities like housing and crime reduction and also the celebration of the country's 250th anniversary. And she said this. I assure you, Philadelphia, the birthplace of democracy, is ready to welcome the world in 26. We will engage every corner of Philadelphia with meaningful investments, economic opportunity, and a spirit of celebration across every neighborhood. When I hear every neighborhood, I think of from the top to the northeast to the bottom of South, Southwest, South Philly. to the west sides, to the northwest, basically everyone. And we are such a diverse city. And to me, that means everyone. Right. One city united, right? I'm not sure if this direction is going to unite the city. We've got more news after the break.

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coup that a few board members ran against her and kicked her out. Also, in that Times write-up, there was a statement, like, basically, does this, like, messy, like, legal battle now, basically, like, mess up the museum's credibility. Is that now at risk? I don't think so. I mean, maybe for like big donors who I don't know if I want to give $100,000 to a museum that doesn't have their shit together. I mean, for me, I think it's kind of like, I just enjoying the, I'm enjoying the gossip. I'm enjoying the hot mess. And I would, it wouldn't preclude me from going to the museum and dropping 30 bucks on admission. I'm still going to go if there's a cool exhibit or if it's a rainy Sunday. Or if it's a rainy Sunday. Exactly right. But. I mean, yeah, so it might be a problem, though, for, like, big donors who don't want to give money to an institution where everybody's got knives out for each other. Yeah. It seems like this board doesn't really get along. Yeah. I don't understand all of this, honestly, from Harrisburg to different boards. Totally. Just talk to people. Yeah, come on now. I mean, I don't like you, Matt. I know. I'm going to be able to work with you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

We're a model for how Democrats and Republicans get along. Hello. Despise each other. Wait, who's a Republican? Who's a Democrat right here? Hold on one. All right. Let's head over to Market East. Lots of chatter, lots of talking, lots of ideas floating around about the future of Market East. So over the past two years, businesses like Iron Hill Brewery, Wawa, remember that giant heirloom market? Yeah, that was nice. I know. Greyhound closed, but maybe returning. And then this whole two. Oh, well, it was maybe like over two-year process of a possible new arena downtown for the Sixers, but that ultimately got pulled. And a contract between Comcast and the Sixers basically took that idea to South Philly through the stadium district. Fast forward. The city is now looking for your ideas, Philadelphia, for the future of what Market East could be. Yeah, and they also created an advisory committee to help guide the future of Market East 60 people. And that seems like a lot of people on a committee. And I hope it doesn't just mean that there's going to be a lot more meetings. I hope there's going to be action. I mean, we do know one piece that is actually happening, apparently, and that's Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment and Comcast, which... together are owners of the 76ers uh at least harris blitzer sports and entertainment was supposed to be involved in building that downtown arena for the sixers and now both entities are involved in building a new arena in south philly for the sixers they're going to knock down a bunch of buildings in market east like very soon like in the coming months around the 1,000 block of market street spending about 60 million dollars on that but what they do with that cleared land is still unclear. And hopefully this committee of 60 people will make some decisions about that. So we don't have just another whole vacant lot in the middle of our city. So in order to get your ideas. to this advisory committee, there is a survey. It's literally called, I have an idea for Market East. And so some of the fields, I guess, that you can fill out is should this area be for traffic and transportation, retail and shopping, arts and entertainment, safety and quality of life, 2026 celebrations, and Philadelphia 250, beautification and streetscape, vacant property, and open space. Or you can add some of your other ideas. What's your idea?

I would say retail and shopping and parking and bike lanes. Oh, yeah, there you go. Protected bike lanes. Oh, look at you. Yeah. I know what's best for the city. Let's share our streets, baby. I want a Philly Sports Museum. In Market East. Yeah, why not? It's a tourist area. It's the main cultural currency of our city. There's plenty of, like, memorabilia. It could attract people from the region who are Philly sports fans. It could also attract tourists from way out of town. There's, like, Comcast, which runs, has many sports affiliations. And there's the 76ers ownership. They're involved in this whole project. Open to Philadelphia Sports Museum, right on Market East. I'm sold. You know why? Atlanta has one. There you go. The college football Hall of Fame Museum. Which is so cool inside. And there's a chick-fil-A inside. I know. Amazing. Well, we've got more news after the break. Before we get into our weekend plans, Matt, there are new red light cameras in these streets. So you better slow down. I know. I got a ticket on the, on 95 that came in the mail two months later. How you get a ticket from 95? I don't know. They got me in some sort of- Like speeding? Speeding. Through a work zone. I thought. I can't imagine you being like this like, like, like, like, like this like fast and furious character. And my kid was in the car. I couldn't have been going that fast, but. It's $265. $265. Is that crazy? Well, if it's $265, I want to talk to the cop. I want to actually get pulled over and have the experience. Not two months later, see a picture of my car and get it in the mail, ruin my day. What are they charging? on these new red light cameras. So first of all, they're going to have these cameras at the Aiken's Oval. So that's like, you know, near the Art Museum and Kelly Drive in 76, which, I mean, it kind of makes sense because that area is filled with tourists and pedestrians and runners and bike or baby strolls. So right now we're in this like warning period. But after in early January, the fines will go up to $100. Got it. Okay. Yep. So what are you doing this weekend? I'm hoarding pennies, Trane. I dropped a penny and like immediately scooped it up. You got to grab them because they minted the final penny in America in Philly this past week. So me and my kids were having a conversation like, what does this actually mean for like transactions? You can still use it. Yeah, no, I get that. But like eventually if something is going to cost. $199. Right. And I give two. Why am I, give me the penny back? They're not going to do that. I brought you a penny by the way. That's bad business. Thank you. So just so we can know what we're talking about while we're looking at it.

Good old penny. Back in my day, there was a thing old a penny. It's been made for 232 years. The first pennies were made in Philly, of course, in March 1793 over at 7th and Arch. The Lincoln wasn't put on the penny until 1909. But that penny also first minted in Philly. And President Trump says he's getting rid of the penny because it costs four cents for each penny to be produced. So it's a cost-saving measure. But I just figured we'd like look at the penny and honor the penny and say farewell to the penny. Thank you for your service, Penny. I'm going to need that back, though, Trinney. Oh, yeah, because times are hard. What else are you doing this weekend? I mentioned this on the show a few weeks ago. I'm doing a tiny table tour in the Italian market with a bunch of friends on Sunday. Fun. Shout out to Maddie. Yeah, Maddie who runs the tours. Yep. Hey, Maddie. Okay, so. Just in case if you are wondering what I was doing. What are you doing this weekend, you're? I'll be at the Philadelphia Citizens Ideas We Should Steel Festival at the Comcast Center. Today, I'll be mingling with the change makers and the innovators from around the country doing amazing work in their fields so we can learn about how they are solving problems in their community. Sunday, Eagles, night game. I'm going to try. I'm going to try to get tickets. Are you going to try to, like, I'm going to use all my pennies. You need a lot of pennies. I know. It should be a great game. Lions are good. Go birds. First of all, that Monday game. Yeah, what did you think? Insane. It was very low scoring. I was like, what am I watching? They didn't seem to get into a real rhythm. No. There's something going on with AJ Brown. Right? He's not getting the ball. But, rightly so. He had like four touches or like, it didn't make sense. There's some play calling, questionable play calls by the coach. But, you know, they're good. Hey, W is a W. I'll take it. A win is a win. This is not what I'm doing this weekend, but actually on Tuesday coming up, I want to shout out the Mission Story Slam next week. It's a storytelling competition for nonprofits and other sustainable businesses in our community. And a few years back, I got involved and I won. Yeah, you did. And all you do is simply tell a five-minute story. win some money for your favorite nonprofit. And this year's edition is the 13th. And the theme is braver today. So the stories that will be told are going to be based around that. This is all happening Tuesday, November 18th, at the National Mechanics Bar and Restaurant in Old City on South Third Street. Tickets are 15 bucks. Awesome. Matt, thanks so much for joining me on this episode of the Friday News Roundup. Tray, thanks for your two cents this week.

I like that. And before we sign off, if you want to support the show and get great perks, you can become a citycast-filly neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. We will shout you out. We will shout out your favorite business. So head over to membership.citycast.fm. Thanks for tuning in. Now go check between your couch cushions for historical artifacts. That's a good one. Uh-huh. That's all for us today on CityCast Philly. Our executive producer is Mad Cats. Our producers are Abby Fritz and Lars Sidhu. Our Hey, Philly newsletter editor is Siani Cologne. And our host is me, Trinay Neri. Music is by Philly's own, Interminable, with additional music from All the Camunos. If you enjoy this week of episodes, you got to share a link. with your friends. Also, rate the show, leave us a review, and subscribe to our morning newsletter, Hey, Philly. We'll be back Monday morning with more news from around the city. Have a great weekend and be safe, y'all. Bye.

Now go spend your last pennies wisely, Philadelphia. I'm looking at these sets.