Mariano update

Beleagured Philadelphia City Councilman Rick Mariano, now officially under federal grand jury investigation, is being closely watched by rivals and others who wonder whether he will resign and trigger a special election. An Inquirer article tracks the speculations and lists the favorites for replacing him should he leave, from former opponents to major Ward players. Meantime, Mayor John Street calls on Mariano to resign if convicted, applying a standard he advocated previously (but which amazingly carries no legal weight), but there might be reasons that he would step aside before that (not least, pension considerations).

A small note late in the DN article notes that the total city bill for legal defense in all of the last two years' corruption cases is currently over $3 million . . .