The Year in Infamy

Our roughly chronological list of the year's skeeziest.

by Isaiah Thompson

If there's one thing the lull in between Christmas and New Year's is good for, it's hot toddies. If there's two, it's hot toddies and end-of-the-year lists! So grab the former and enjoy the latter, Man Overboard!'s roughly chronological list of the year's skeeziest.

January: The state legislature passes a massive overnight bill that legalizes table games in Pennsylvania casinos — oh, and grants them and their lobbyists a few dozen other favors, among them the power to extend credit to table games and slots players.

February: The Philadelphia School District releases a report blaming an attack on a group of Asian students at South Philly High on "gang related" violence, rather than racial targeting, as the kids claimed, based on an unsubstantiated allegation by a school official about Hao Luu, a Vietnamese student who was himself jumped the day before the infamous attack. The District has since retracted that claim; Lu now attends a private school.

Early March: Casino mogul Steve Wynn announces he's taking over the flailing Foxwoods Casino project, telling investors in a phone conference that he's really, really excited about "the proximity [of Foxwoods] to the Vietnamese neighborhood" — confirming fears of casino predation among Asian-American activists who vehemently opposed a proposed relocation to Chinatown. He later backs out.

Late March: Philadelphia government takes on the powers that be and ... gets a whooping when Mayor Michael Nutter proposes a tax on sweetened beverages. Big Beverage lobbyists storm in with dubious claims about job losses if the tax passes — which it doesn't.

May: Despite warnings from Department of Conservation and Natural Resources officials, Gov. Ed Rendell authorizes the most recent in a series of leases of state forest land for gas drilling. Later, after his proposed tax on gas production is defeated, the governor signs an executive order banning more leasing of state forest, which incoming Gov. Tom Corbett immediately pledges to overturn.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia City Council is in a jam: They've rejected the mayor's sweetened beverage tax, but can't seem to balance the budget themselves. A 12 percent hike in the property tax would do it, but ... 12 just seems so big : So they propose, in true dollar-store fashion, a 9.9 percent hike instead, leaving a $20 million hole.

July/August: Scandal! The Inquirer reveals that plans for a new family court building involve a massive conflict of interests involving Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille, who, it will later turn out, has also received thousands of dollars worth of gifts and favors from law firms that come before him, as well.

Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, meanwhile, pledges to root out police corruption after a Pulitzer Prize-winning series by the Daily News on police officers (allegedly) systematically robbing bodegas. And after a sting nabbing three officers selling heroin. And the robbery of a bar by an on-duty officer. And the federal indictment of a prominent police inspector for allegedly paying someone to extract money from a private debtor. What else? The Philadelphia Housing Authority, according to an ongoing series by the Inquirer, was riddled with sexual harassment allegations, and a culture of "fiefdom and abuse" under former PHA head Carl Greene.

November: Attorney General Tom Corbett wins in his bid for governor using vast amounts of money from the Marcellus Shale gas drilling industry. Upon winning, he appoints a gas industry magnate to the head of his transition team; maintains his firm opposition to imposing a tax on what is potentially the most lucrative new industry in Pa.; and calls Department of Environmental Protection secretary John Hanger, who demands that Corbett show his commitment to environmental regulations, a "sore loser."

December: The winter of our discontent. The media, apparently bored, or cold, or something, spends a week roasting Nutter over his decision to support changing the "Christmas Village" to a "Holiday Village." Then, a big snow storm hits and the NFL, Eagles and the city agree to postpone a game for two days, prompting barely-Gov. Ed Rendell to comment that: "The Chinese are kicking our butt in everything. If this was in China do you think the Chinese would have called off the game?"

A Happy New Year from MO! and the crew!

Isaiah Thompson would never call off a football game. He would also never call for a football game. E-mail him at isaiah.thompson@citypaper.net.