Who makes the best Bloody Mary in the city? Where is the best brunch?  Freindly Fire has no idea.  Thankfully, though, there are much smarter folks who know the best things in and around the nation’s fourth-largest market. For those gems, see the “Best of Philly” awards in this month’s Philadelphia Magazine.

There are, however, some other non-politically correct Best and Worst Awards that should be bestowed on very deserving winners…and losers.  Following is Freindly Fire’s List:

Best Of Philly

Best snowfall removal: Anywhere but Philadelphia. The streets were absolutely deplorable, with significant snow and ice on major city roads days after the storms, not to mention that many side streets were simply impassable. How did city residents react?  Almost 80 percent voted for Mayor Nutter in the May primary. In comparison, Chicagoans kicked out their Mayor for similar incompetence in 1979.   Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…just don’t complain when you can’t get to work. He’s your Mayor.

Best Political Comeback: IBEW 98 boss John Dougherty.  After losing a bid for the state senate and coming up short in clashes with Democratic party powerbroker Bob Brady, Doc came roaring back.  He garnered huge headlines by trying to reform the DRPA, but most significantly, orchestrated big wins in City Council races.  More than anyone, Johnny Doc has positioned himself to be kingmaker in deciding who the next Mayor of Philadelphia will be.

Best “It’s All About Me” Moment: City Council’s refusal to abolish the DROP retirement program for city employees --- you know, the one that makes elected officials rich when they “retire” for a day after being re-elected.  So while the folks who actually foot the bill are struggling just to survive, city lawmakers keep cashing in at the public trough.  Often forgotten in the criticism, though, is Council’s stellar stewardship of Philadelphia. Its leadership has produced the highest rates of taxes, murder, violence, and poverty in the nation, an education system that, by all accounts, is a colossal failure, and a city that is perpetually ranked as one of the dirtiest.  But give ‘em a break.  We’re not Detroit. Yet.

Best “I Don’t Recall” Moment: No, it wasn’t a political corruption trial, but the just-revealed grand jury testimony of Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua as he weaved his way around prosecutors’ pointed questioning regarding the ever- widening Church sex-scandal.  The Cardinal’s memory lapse was an oh-so-convenient backdoor for covering his own derriere and evading discussion about his role in the cover-up, leading the grand jury to label him as “untruthful” and “not forthright.” Church officials need to be reminded that sins of omission can be just as bad as sins of commission, and that ignoring the 8th Commandment is not a prudent way to go through life. So much for always standing behind the kids….

Best Sports Move: Bringing Cliff Lee back. The Phils have been transformed from an organization that made the playoffs only three times in 26 years (and that’s with the wild card), to being perennial contenders. But being “very good” wasn’t good enough, so they brought back pitching Lee.  With Lee rounding out one of the best rotations in baseball history, the Fightin’s are fully expected to win the World Series, and that has them hanging out in hallowed Yankees territory, at least for the present.  Like the Bronx Bombers, the Phillies are now in the elite world where a season that culminates in anything less than total victory will be viewed as a failure. Tough as it will be to swallow if the Phils aren’t World Champions again, that expectation of perfection is rarely seen in any sport, and was nonexistent in Philly. Tip of the hat to the best --- and only--- sports braintrust in the city that has shown the resolve to do whatever it takes to win.

Best Thing About Philadelphia: Its people. It’s a blue-collar town, through and through, and that makes it as real as it gets. People wear their emotions on their sleeves, and it’s rare to not know where someone stands. Politics? Rough and tumble ---- sometimes literally.  Sports fans? The most dedicated, if not always educated, in the country. Run out every play, and you’ll be a Philly Hall of Famer, but cop a ‘tude,  pout, dog it (no Vick pun intended) or just plain suck, and you’ll be run out of town on a rail.  Everyday people? Not nearly as rude as we like to think we are.
That salt-of-the-Earth, you-know-what-you’re-getting character is innately Philly, and, while maddening at times, is beyond refreshing in an increasingly shallow world. Yo Philly, don’t ever change.

Worst Of Philly

Worst Way To Earn A Living: Dealing with the dead.  Not funeral directors, coroners, and grave diggers (although all have been quite busy with skyrocketing murders). They all earn an honest living.  We’re talking about Michael Meehan, the city GOP boss and lawyer extraordinaire who gives the famous movie line “I see dead people” some real-life meaning.

Seems that a dearly-departed soul --- a year after dying --- retained Meehan as legal counsel to challenge the petitions of people running for Committee posts --- in his own Party. Meehan didn’t fare much better with the living, as many of his other “clients” signed affadavits stating that they never met or heard of Meehan, and that the signatures in Meehan’s possession were not theirs.

The Philly GOP led by Meehan may be dead, but the criminal investigation into the matter by the District Attorney isn’t. And who said lawyers couldn’t get any lower?

Worst Sports Move: Yes, it was last year’s move, but it’s been so devastating that it bears repeating. Getting rid of Donovan McNabb.  Life is now so boring without Number 5 around.  Just look at all there is to miss: throwing up in the huddle during the Super Bowl, laughing jovially when his team was losing, not knowing the rules of overtime, making racially-charged comments where they had no place, and always connecting with his favorite receiver --- the turf ---when the game was on the line. Sports in Philly just aren’t the same anymore, especially with Michael Vick being so dog-gone….normal.  Without McNabb’s drama queen theatrics over which to obsess, Philadelphia is on the verge of becoming, dare we say it, a civilized sports city.  Bring him back!

Worst Empty Promise: Philly’s pension will be OK. Anytime a politician admits that something is bad, it’s always worse. So when the Mayor says the city’s pension fund is 45 percent funded (less than 50 percent is considered somewhat catastrophic), you know there just won’t be a happy ending. With no more state or federal money to bail out the virtually insolvent pension, and no possible way Nutter can keep his promise to write an $800 million check to the pension (to make up for several years of deferred payments), look for retirees to start getting pennies on the dollar in just a few short years. Think it can’t happen in America?  Given the fact that the nation came within hours of default --- despite its magical power to print money out of thin air--- can anyone seriously believe that?

Worst Thing About Philly: Its people. Or more accurately, the people’s complacency. What can you say about residents who, despite the knowledge that things are going the wrong way, time and again reelect the very same people who created the mess? Philadelphia has the potential to be a world-class city, with not one but two major rivers (neither developed). It is ideally situated within a day’s drive of more than half the country.  As a major gateway for overseas travelers, it should unquestionably be a destination rather than a layover stop.  And with major ports, railroads, airports and interstates, it be should a no-brainer for companies to locate their operations in Philadelphia. 

Philly’s stagnant position stems from a lack of leadership. It’s time for Philadelphians to wake up and demand that their city take its rightful place as one of very best. But that mantle simply can’t be claimed until the people show the will to make a change.

Given Mayor Nutter’s virtually guaranteed re-election, though, that may have to wait another four years.  How ‘bout them Phils?

Chris Friend is an independent columnist, television commentator, and investigative reporter who operates his own news bureau, www.FreindlyFireZone.com

Readers of his column, “Freindly Fire,” hail from six continents, thirty countries
and all fifty states. His work has been referenced in numerous publications including
The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online, foreign newspapers, and in Dick
Morris' recent bestseller "Catastrophe."

Freind, whose column appears regularly in Philadelphia Magazine and nationally in
Newsmax, also serves as a frequent guest commentator on talk radio and state/national
television, most notably on FOX Philadelphia.  He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Has New Jersey Governor Chris Christie just driven his successful Administration off a bridge?

Not yet, but he’s nearing the edge.

By not taking the bull by the horns and doing the right thing about the mega-corrupt Delaware River Port Authority --- press to have CEO John Matheussen immediately fired --- his credibility has started to plummet.

Christie’s performance --- or lack thereof --- last week at the DRPA headquarters left many scratching their heads, wondering if insider back-room political deals finally got to him, or if he was operating in a seat-of-the-pants, rudderless manner.

Either way, Christie needs to right his ship quickly if he is to remain the national model for successful governors.

                                               *****

Last Thursday morning, Christie called a hastily arranged press conference to vent his frustration over the DRPA’s lack of reform.  Within minutes, media outlets on both sides of the river were reporting that Christie was en route to Camden to fire Matheussen.

With the Port Authority’s incompetence and deceit on public display like never before, and with Matheussen fully immersed in the very conflicts that need reforming, ousting the CEO would be the only move Christie could make, right?

Wrong.

Instead, the Governor inexplicably stood with Matheussen, demanding reforms with more teeth and better accountability at the Authority.

The $64,000 question is how he could have done this with a straight face.

Why would the Governor drive all the way to Camden to say…the same exact thing he’s been saying for months?  And how in the world could he renew his faith in Matheussen as the guy to clean up the DRPA cesspool?

One of two scenarios comes to mind:

1) Christie fell victim to political maneuvering, and is compromised in effectively dealing with the DRPA.

This possibility has merit, as the President of the State Senate, Democrat Steve Sweeney, whose labor-leader brother sits on the Port Authority Board, is a staunch defender of Matheussen.

The Jersey Board is stacked with union officials, so perhaps Christie has felt enough heat from his battles with organized labor that he is backing off replacing Matheussen, a union ally.

2) The Governor called the press conference to fire Matheussen but realized that, technically, he doesn’t have that power. The CEO serves at the pleasure of the DRPA board, and Christie can’t replace any News Jersey Board members until their terms expire.

So perhaps Christie switched to Plan B, and attempted to throw more fire under Matheussen’s feet.

Either way, it’s a failure on Christie’s part, with a two-fold result: his reputation as a law-and-order Governor who isn’t scared to take on the entrenched Business-As-Usual crowd takes a hit, and the cronies at the DRPA grow stronger each day they remain in power.

So what could Christie have done?  The same thing he should do now, and as quickly as possible:  use his office as a bully pulpit and demand that the Board remove Matheussen.

It’s simple, and, at least on this issue, easy.

Chris Christie is incredibly popular precisely because people think he’s fighting for them.  He’s called for cuts across the board to reign in government spending, and, despite even his supporters feeling pain, he remains an iconic figure.  Voters certainly don’t agree with him on all his positions, but they respect his leadership and his willingness to tackle the toughest issues ---and politicians --- head-on.

If tomorrow the Governor forcefully called on the Board to boot Matheussen, and implored his neighboring colleague, Ed Rendell, to do the same, it would be very tough to say no to him.

Every press outlet in both states would report his call-to-arms, as well as the laundry list of reasons why Matheussen must go.

And with so many reasons to dump Matheussen, who’s going to oppose Christie?

Gov. Rendell?  He has admitted major mistakes were committed, and numerous conflicts allowed, under Matheussen’s tenure.

The Board?  Doubtful, mainly because this is the same body that has been kept in the dark by Matheussen on so many issues, including:

* DRPA executives using pool cars while having huge car allowances, and Matheussen’s changing story about HIS pool car use;

* The existence (and use) of DRPA credit cards, a full accounting of which the Board, and the public, are still waiting;

* Conflicts involving DRPA Vice Chairman Jeff Nash, in which Matheussen himself signed three contracts to Live Nation --- the company that employs Nash’s wife;

* The changing story of a DRPA bridge manager who took toll money in clear violation of the rules. Matheussen had the individual transferred to the DRPA cruise terminal office, still making six figures a year --- despite there being no cruises. Board Commissioner John Dougherty stated that Matheussen lied to him from the start about the situation, with the CEO originally saying the story had “no basis in fact.”

* The timeline and details surrounding a suspect arrangement of large-dollar commissions paid by the DRPA to insurance companies in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

* Removing John Lawless, a Board employee, from the DRPA building under armed guard in April, and not permitting him to return to work, despite no authority to fire him. So for nearly five months, the toll payers footed the salary for a Board employee who, by Matheussen’s own accord, wasn’t relieved for disciplinary reasons.  Attempts for answers were met with silence.

Not only did Matheussen keep many of his decisions from the Board, but when they did come to light, he failed to provide adequate explanations for his actions.

Bottom line: John Matheussen’s legacy at the DRPA has been one of abject failure, as he presides over a nearly bankrupt agency that can’t even complete its most core mission --- the maintenance and safety of just four bridges and a small train line.

Additionally, he has broken new ground in his rush to make the Authority the most generous piggybank possible for politicians and insiders, while forsaking the people who pay the bills.

Never before has there been an issue where virtually 100% of the public is in agreement. Taxpayers have reached their breaking point with the DRPA, and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with non-corrupted politicians, citizen activists, and the media in calling for King John to be flushed away, wiping the slate clean for new leadership.

But each day Gov. Christie doesn’t pound this point home, his enemy becomes stronger.  That chink in his armor will expand until it becomes a gaping hole, and the successful Christie agenda will be in jeopardy of failure.

The opportunity to ram a stake through the heart of Business As Usual comes but once in a lifetime. It’s having the courage to take that action which makes legendary leaders.

Governor Christie, that time is now.

Chris Freind is an independent columnist and investigative reporter who operates his own news bureau, www.FreindlyFireZone.com
Readers of his column, “Freindly Fire,” hail from six continents, thirty countries and all fifty states. His work has been referenced in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online, foreign newspapers, and in Dick Morris' recent bestseller "Catastrophe."
Freind also serves as a weekly guest commentator on the Philadelphia-area talk radio show, Political Talk (WCHE 1520), and makes numerous other television and radio appearances, most notably on FOX 29.  He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it