Mayor Jim Kenney (D-Philadelphia) really doesn’t like Donald Trump. From Wikipedia:

Before and after Donald Trump’s election as United States President in 2016, Kenney has taken a vocal stand against Trump and his policies. Kenney has maintained that Philadelphia will continue to act as a sanctuary city despite threats that cities would stop receiving federal funding. Trump said, “Here in Philadelphia, murder has been steady — I mean — just terribly increasing.”

Kenney, along with Democratic colleagues Representative Dwight Evans, Senator Bob Casey Jr., Councilwoman Helen Gym, and Governor Tom Wolf, joined protesters at Philadelphia International Airport after Trump signed Executive Order 13769 to ban travel from seven majority-Muslim countries.

On October 23, 2019, Kenney endorsed Elizabeth Warren for President in 2020.

But now it seems that Mr Kenney wants the hand he’s bitten to start feeding him. From The Philadelphia Inquirer:

Philly Mayor Jim Kenney urges President Donald Trump to provide funding for cities due to economic fallout from coronavirus

by Chris Palmer and Pranshu Verma | Updated: April 19, 2020 | 7:36 PM

As federal lawmakers continue to discuss stimulus packages to help the country cope with the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney has urged President Donald Trump to include emergency aid for cities — warning that a failure to do so could force municipal governments to cut vital services and lay off scores of employees.

In a letter sent to the White House on Friday, Kenney said that cities were incurring “extraordinary expenditures” to respond to the health crisis while also experiencing a sharp decline in tax revenues, with most businesses closed and consumers slowing their spending.

The mayor did not offer specifics about the city’s financial situation, but did say that the consequences would be dire if the federal government did not offer financial help.

“Without this assistance, cities like Philadelphia will be forced to take drastic steps to balance their budgets, including massive layoffs and drastic cuts to vital services, which will deprive residents of the services they need, exacerbate the damage being done to local economies, and lessen the possibility of a speedy economic recovery,” Kenney wrote.

There’s more at the original, but there is an obvious question to be asked: why can’t the city do with fewer workers? With so many people not going to work, and the public under stay-at-home orders — not that the criminals are obeying those — why wouldn’t the city need fewer employees? Does the city need as many SEPTA trains and buses with fewer people working? With fewer people out-and-about, why would the City of Brotherly Love need as many people to clean the streets and parks?

Kenney, a Democrat who has frequently criticized Trump, a Republican — even over the coronavirus outbreak — did not reference their differences in asking the president for the government’s assistance.

Well, no, he wouldn’t, not when he’s going with his hand out.

Philadelphia is hardly alone in worrying about its financial health during the pandemic. Last month, Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration laid off about 2,500 part-time and seasonal employees amid a decline in state tax revenues.

Wait, what? “(P)art-time and seasonal employees”? The Governor saw all full-time state workers as essential, despite the fact that state parks are closed, traffic is greatly reduced, and many construction projects are on hold?

What we have here is the typical attitude among government: no matter how bad things get for the private sector, government is sacrosanct.

Well, I have a better idea: lay off those public sector employees and we’ll see just how essential they really are. Maybe close down those supervised injection centers, where junkies can shoot up ‘safely,’ or the Mayor’s ‘green’ advisory board.
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