Mariano in limbo...

[oops, this one didn't get posted!]

While Councilman Rick Mariano has been convicted of various corruptions charges and is currently in jail, his official sentencing is not until July (?!, and there appears to be some question of when he is required to resign his Council seat. It seems that most people are hoping he will resign now, but nobody other than Mayor Street (who on Friday expressed his hope that Mariano would resign)is willing to push him on it, perhaps out of respect, perhaps out of concern about his emotional state. (See also similar DN story here.) I hope that somebody starts to worry about the functioning of City Council, with one member deceased and one incarcerated, leaving the chambers a bit empty and the party balance significantly altered. With the uncertainty about timing of his resignation, it's hard to even get started on discussions about the possibility of a special election. Philadelphia Will Do also notes the irony that Mariano continues to draw a paycheck after having been convicted of taking liberties with public and private monies...