After all, last fall’s show about making the Gallery the sworn choice for a Center City slots joint was a tough act to follow. No plan, no design, no studies, no financing, but Council was able to ram through rezoning a 16-square block area before they could blink.

A city planning commission vote was such a rubber stamp at least two Planning Commission members voted not to oppose the project by shrugging their shoulders. After 1,000 people marched in the streets and 60 citizens gave five hours worth of testimony at a packed Saturday Council hearing, Council committee members unanimously voted to move a motion forward and left the room before we had picked up all the signs and banners from the seats. Council acted similarly in waiving requirements to speed up the final casino zoning vote. Except for a brief comment by Councilman Curt Jones Jr. and a classic reprimand by Council President Verna – “nothing you say can change this vote” – nothing referenced the concerns that a distraught community had raised for weeks. The same held true for the Mayor when he came in on a Sunday morning to sign the legislation for the Gallery zoning into law, less than 24 hours after meeting with community members.

So how can City leaders possibly top that?

Let’s review the huddle conversation.

NUTTER: All right boys, we got seven months to open this thing. How do we make that happen?

DICCICO: (perplexed) What would Vinnie do . . .? (brightens) How about we remove ourselves entirely from this process? (begins laughing) Because then it won’t matter what we do or what happens! (laughs again) And then we can push it off onto whatever random flunky. . . .

NUTTER: Planning Commission.

DICCICO: whatever unelected body is going to rubber stamp this anyway (laughing) and we won’t have to deal with it anymore because (laughing) I. Can’t. Take. It. Anymore. Make. It. Stop. Please. (hysterical)

NUTTER: And then people won’t ask what we’ve been doing for 18 months of our administration and we can go back to reminding them that this crisis is the worst thing in the world and that’s why we’re utterly paralyzed. To do anything. At all. Ever.

You, yeah you, random Foxwoods replacement for that nut Michael Thomas. I said Philly supported ex-cons, got it? Not people involved with current ones. You’re up.