Vol. II No. 7 (167)
Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia
February 22, 2011
Philadelphia Daily Record
Presidential Idols
NOT ALL KIDS got out of school for Presidents Day! State Sen. Mike Stack saluted youthful winners of his Presidential Idol contest at Franklin Towne Charter School in Frankford Arsenal.
Knox Bows Out Of Primary Challenge; Will Head Task Force Under Nutter
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Fans of stirring mayoral races were left with little to look forward to after former Deputy Mayor Tom Knox announced this morning he had decided not to take on Mayor Michael Nutter in a rematch. Instead, he joined his own former boss, Gov. Ed Rendell, in endorsing Nutter at a press conference in the Hyatt at Bellevue. In return for his backing, the Mayor announced Knox will head a newly formed Task Force on Facilities management and Disposition, to help the City pare down its building stock. “I seriously considered entering this race,” Knox admitted. “But in order to succeed at it, I would have had to run a negative campaign. And that’s not me.” Knox went on to stress Nutter has faced difficult choices during his first term in office. “It’s not easy to run a City when you have no money,” he stressed. The ex-Governor, who has long been close to Knox, hailed a string of accomplishments by Nutter. Rendell said he had succeeded in attracting and retaining business, had promoted Philadelphia’s dynamic tourism industry and had pushed the city into the forefront of green planning. And he pointedly said Nutter “has been the best cheerleader the city’s ever had in THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD
advocating for it in Harrisburg. I was only moderately good at that when I was Mayor.” Nutter said of Knox, “He loves this city and I am excited to be working with him.” The new Task Force would tap Knox’s legendary business and financial skills, he added. With Knox out, Nutter faces no potential challenger with the stature, the resources or the endorsements which would be needed to unseat an incumbent in the May 17 Primary, petitions for which must be circulated at once.
Pros, Antis Wage War Of Words Over Delaware R. Fracking Regs Both friends and foes of shale-gas drilling in the Delaware River Basin are agreed on one point: The Delaware River Basin Commission’s proposed regulations are very bad. However, they don’t agree at all on why they’re bad; what’s more, they can’t both be right. The Green Party of Philadelphia has issued a statement opposing “pollution of the Delaware watershed.” It spokesman Chris Robinson said DRBC “has issued regulations that will allow gas drillers to begin polluting our watershed before environmental studies have been completed. Without a clear analysis of the risks of drilling – and the measures that would be necessary to eliminate or 22 JANUARY, 2011
minimize them – the DRBC cannot know what to regulate.” Robinson went on, “The DRBC’s draft regulations are exceedingly weak and do not offer any incentive to drilling companies to make their operations safe.” He urged citizens to contact the DRBC prior to Mar. 16, when the public-comment period will end. Meanwhile, a spokesman for a conservative business lobby called the same regulations “fatally flawed” because they regulate too much. Matt Balazik, managing director of Pennsylvania Commercial Action Network, complained, “Although seemingly well-intentioned, the draft regulations call into question the motives and bias of the commission’s executive director whose sole discretion it is to have these draft regulations published. The process can only be viewed as fatally flawed because there is no balance between the resource-protection responsibility of the DRBC and its job to find a way to safely develop watershed resources. Balazik, who said he was once an environmental activist himself, said, “This is exactly how I would have written regulations were I motivated to shut down local drilling in the face of the facts. The DRBC’s hodgepodge of proposed barriers have been amateurishly thrown together to achieve a de facto development ban. Glaringly, there’s no consideration for the unintended consequences of any self-loathing drill owner who supposedly would try to put an application together to meet these demands … perhaps that’s because the DRBC doesn’t expect anyone to even bother. He continued, “The regulations conflate alarmism with reality, using as a pillar for their existence the volumes of water used in the natural gas extraction process known as fracking. The argument of course is a red herring more befitting the annals of astroturf than any scientific journal.” He called water use in the fracking process “minuscule,” saying, “Lifetime water use for a well equals about half the average rainfall that would hit its wellpad in a single average year, or what NYC 22 FEBRUARY, 2011
uses in a few minutes.” Balazik charged DRBC’s regulations interfere with State powers: “Why would the DRBC need to expand its reach to do a second time what the governments of Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware are accomplishing on their own if it were not to usurp their authority? “The DRBC board should see these proposed regulations for what they are, a blanket power grab by an antidevelopment individual looking expand their budget. The board should insist that the DRBC stop being activists for their pet beliefs and represent all stakeholders as they were chartered. Step one should be to rewrite these regulations to describe how the DRBC will help the States to develop their gas resources safely and ensure the law is being faithfully followed.”
Sen. Washington Will Intro Package Of Bills To Fight Domestic Abuse State Sen. LeAnna Washington (D-Northwest), a longstanding crusader against domestic violence, has announced she will reintroduce a set of measures aimed to combat that ill, along with several new ones to extend their reach. Back for another try is a bill to require service of a petition to commence a protection from abuse court proceeding to occur within 24 hours after the court orders service via Sheriff. In addition, the bill will require service of petitions and enforcement orders to be served upon the police and sheriff within 24 hours. Another bill will provide additional funding for domestic violence and rape victim services. Under this legislation persons convicted of these crimes would pay an increased fine (from $10.00 to $15.00- amending current statute). All funds will be deposited in the general fund for the purpose of financing services for victims of domestic violence and rape. New in this legislative session will be five new pieces
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Feb. 22- 5th Ward GOP hosts meeting for all Republicans at St. Michael Orthodox Ch., 335 Fairmount Ave., 6:30-8:30 p.m. RSVP Nate Shrader (267) 5192410. Feb. 22- State Sen. Shirley Kitchen hosts free blood-pressure screenings at her District office, 1701 W. Lehigh Ave., 10 a.m.-12 m. Feb. 24- State Rep. James Roebuck hosts birthday bash at Warmdaddy’s, Columbus Blvd. & Reed St., 5:30-7:30 p.m. Great jazz, good food. RSVP (215) 382-1268. Feb. 24- Willie Jordan’s 44th Ward hosts Jazz Night at VFW Post, 4812 Fairmount Ave., 6-10 p.m. For info (215) 879-6630. Feb. 25- State Sen. Shirley Kitchen hosts free blood-pressure screenings at her District office, 1701 W. Lehigh Ave., 2-4 p.m. Feb. 25-26- Free clothing and other items giveaway at Mt. Hebron Baptist Ch., 1415 Wharton St. For info Pastor Richard J. Walter, Jr. (215) 336-8163. Feb. 25- Donna Aument’s 33rd Ward Fundraiser Beef & Beer at Juniata G.C. For info Donna (215) 427-1645. Feb. 28- Tea Party PatriotsSouth Meeting at Champs, 2100 S. Columbus Blvd. (near IKEA), 7 p.m. All welcome. Joe McColgan speaker.
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of domestic-violence legislation. One would create a limited self-defense justification for domestic violence victims who use force to protect themselves. This measure would make some evidence regarding domestic violence restraining orders admissible and relevant in determining whether such force was justifiable. Under the bill, evidence that could be considered includes the existence of temporary or permanent restraining orders, the circumstances leading to those orders and conduct constituting violations of the orders. Any previous acts of domestic violence also could be considered. Another bill would bar those charged with violating domestic-violencerelated restraining orders from having the option to post 10% of their bail to gain their release. This is aimed at deterring future acts of domestic violence by imposing certain bail restrictions for anyone charged with contempt of a domestic violence restraining order. A third bill will extend protections for domestic abuse victims who have had to break leases. It would also prevent a landlord from refusing to lease to or breaking a lease of a tenant who has had to terminate a previous rental agreement based on their or a household member’s status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. Another bill will allow a victim to stay in their home if issued an eviction notice based primarily on the acts of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness for women and children, and housing discrimination only increases the numbers. A final piece of legislation will protect victims of domestic violence, their families and our communities from potential gun-related danger. The bill will allow law enforcement officers to obtain a warrant to seize firearms or deadly weapons that remain inside a house after a domestic violence or mental health incident.
Housing Alliance To Release Guide To Anti-Blight Tools Using the backdrop of a blighted property owned by an absentee landlord, the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania will announce the release of its new guidebook on the new tools to fight blight. During the past year, the Pennsylvania Legislature passed a series of laws to help municipalities stop blight, including the ability to take action against absentee landlords who fail to maintain their properties. The new THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD
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publication tells community leaders how to best use those tools. The publication, A Quick Guide: New tools for Addressing Blighted Properties, is available to both municipal officials and community members to help them utilize the new laws and reclaim blighted properties. It will be released at a press conference Wednesday in Minersville, Pa., home to State Sen. David Argall (RSchuylkill), sponsor of recently approved anti-blight legislation.
New 5k Run/Walk Is Planned For Cobbs Creek Cobbs Creek will soon have a run/walk running along the Creek. Making it happen are Darby-Cobbs Watershed partnership, the Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Dept. and the Philadelphia Water Dept. Officials will gather at 63rd & Cedar at 8 a.m. Saturday to launch the effort.
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Philly Middle School Debuts As An ArtsZone Hub Using the arts to transform school culture and improve learning, Grover Washington, Jr. MS at 201 E. Olney Avenue will host two events to mark its debut as Philadelphia’s newest ArtsRising ArtsZone Hub School: A Community-wide ‘ArtSee’ featuring an Open House with student writing, drawing, painting, puppetry and photography; merged with reading, math, and science learning. More than 50 middle-school students will perform and participate in the school’s first-ever theatrical presentation: The Musical – Once Upon an Island. Show time is 10:30 a.m. tomorrow. Cost is only $5. ArtsRising, a youth initiative organization led by the Philadelphia Education Fund, Public Citizens for Children and Youth and the Fleisher Art Memorial.
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