Vol. II No. 35 (195)
Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia
April 1, 2011
Philadelphia
Fire At CJC
Daily Record
THIS FIRE ALARM was no April Fool’s prank! Huge, bustling Criminal Justice Center at 13th & Filbert was emptied in a hurry at 8:30 a.m. after a fire started on an upper floor. Firefighters were on the scene within 5 minutes and the fire extinguished by 8:38.
Casey Would Give Tax Credit To Military Spouses For Professional Licenses US Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) reintroduced the Military Spouses Job Continuity Act yesterday, legislation that would help military spouses more easily reenter the workforce by offering a tax credit to any military spouse who has to renew or transfer a professional license due to a military Change of Station order. The bill is endorsed by the National Military Family Association, Blue Star Families of America, National Guard Association of the United States and the Reserve Officers Association. “In order to maintain a highly effective force, we not only have to take care of the men and women in uniform, but also their families who patriotically share the sacrifices of military service,” said the Senator. “The Military Spouses Job Continuity Act will help ease the transition of relocation for families and allow military spouses to more easily reenter the workforce.” More than 1.1 million active-duty service members in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy received Change of Station orders from 2008 to 2009. With the frequency of Change of Station orders, most military spouses are already limited to career paths that allow them to follow their spouse. This legislation decreases this barrier for military spouses after relocation and helps them more easily reenter the workforce by providing a tax credit of up to $500 when a military family moves across state lines. The tax credit would be applicable for the renewal or transfer of a professional license in a range of fields including child care, nursing and health services, all
of which are common occupations of military spouses. The National Military Family Association stated, “Military spouses are financially disadvantaged by government ordered moves and your legislation helps offset the expense to obtain a new license or credential when a military family is relocated to a new duty station. Often a military spouse must obtain a new license in the new state before they can begin to work, which puts an additional strain on the family finances. Your legislation will greatly reduce the financial burden military spouses’ face when they move from state-to-state.” The National Guard Association of the United States said it “strongly supports the Military Spouse Job Continuity Act, which will go a long way in easing the ongoing career disruptions experienced by our military spouses whose indispensable support of the military and our country must never go unrecognized. They also serve.” Blue Star Families also is pushing for this bill: “Military spouses are proud to support their service member and their country, but constant moves take an unfair toll on our careers, and our ability to help support our families. Serving the country is sometimes too expensive of a proposition – this legislation helps to mitigate that cost. We believe a strong military is based on strong military families, and family strength includes putting military spouses in a place where they can maintain their worklife.”
Fattah Premieres 2 Bills To Bring Rich And Poor Schools Together Congressman Chaka Fattah (DPhila.), a congressional champion for equity in education, yesterday introduced significant legislation to close gaps in resources and opportunity between rich and poor in the nation’s public schools. 2|
Fattah introduced the Fiscal Fairness Act and the Student Bill of Rights, both of which upgrade and close loopholes in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, which is up for reauthorization in the current Congress. THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD
Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Col.) and Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) are introducing a companion bill to the Fiscal Fairness Act in the US Senate. Fattah and Bennet, the former superintendent of Denver schools, have previously partnered on other 1 APRIL, 2011
education-reform measures. “Equity in education is not only a civil-rights issue, it is an imperative investment for our national interest and readiness as a competitor on the world stage,” Fattah said. “To compete, innovate and excel in the world economy, we must have an educated work force – a fully educated work force.” Fattah helped establish the Dept. of Education’s Equity & Excellence Commission, which brings together national education, civilrights and economics experts who will examine the current state of school-finance equity and propose new strategies. The Commission
will be visiting local communities across the country, with its first town hall scheduled for Philadelphia in April. “Resource inequity has been a serious obstacle to improved student achievement, and in many cases it has been a hidden obstacle because of ambiguities and loopholes in the well-intentioned ESEA,” Fattah said. Fattah’s Fiscal Fairness Act closes the loophole in the existing “comparability” provision and shores up the requirement that school districts spend State and local dollars equitably before adding federal “Title I” dollars in high-poverty schools. Similarly, the Student Bill
of Rights Act directs States to define “adequate” access to critical resources and measure and report the level of resources in all school districts. The Student Bill of Rights, which Fattah has introduced in similar form in previous Congresses, ensures students have access to the educational resources they need to be successful in school and to meet ambitious academic standards. Specifically the bill focuses on access to highly effective teachers, rigorous curricula, early-childhood education and instructional materials including educational technology.
DeLissio Testifies On Jobs And Growth Before Appropriations Committee State Rep. Pam DeLissio (DNorthwest) told the House Appropriations Committee yesterday a good budget “will permit the Commonwealth to efficiently and effectively deliver services to citizens.” DeLissio told the committee she believes in smart and strategic planning to create growth as growth leads to enhanced revenue. “While attending the budget hearings, I have observed the budget proposal addresses the expense side,” DeLissio said. “However,
there is little emphasis on growth.” DeLissio said the State should focus on a workforce better educated for better jobs, which would yield higher payroll taxes. But, DeLissio continued, the current proposed education cuts “compromise this goal. We need to deploy our educational resources in such a way that our citizens are job-ready. We cannot be shortsighted as we deploy these resources - early childhood education must be supported in this endeavor.
“I have a further concern that programmatic reductions in other areas of the budget will shift costs to local governments and create additional and unnecessary hardships,” DeLissio said. “Those shifts will ultimately be paid by the taxpayer. Those hardships will become a burden to those who are most vulnerable.” Yesterday’s was the last Appropriations Committee hearing. No budget legislation has yet been introduced.
Housing Alliance Urges Lawmakers To Save ‘Programs That Work’ When Alberta Rouse lost her job at PHA four years ago, she almost lost her East Mount Airy house as well. Rouse managed to save her home with a loan from Pennsylvania’s Homeowners’ Emergency Mort1 APRIL, 2011
gage Assistance Program. Like thousands of other Pennsylvanians since 1983, Rouse obtained a loan through HEMAP that enabled
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State Sen. Shirley Kitchen hosts Energy Conservation Workshop at St. William’s Ch. Parish Ha., 6238 Rising Sun Ave. Military Women Day on lawn at Independence Mall, 6th & Market Sts, 2 p.m. Honoring historical women veterans Harriet Tubman, Cathy Williams and Deborah Garnett Sampson, among others. Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell will speak. For info Cathy Santos (215) 834-4228. Democrat 39B Ward hosts Spring Fundraiser at Chickie’s & Pete’s, 1526 Packer Ave., 5:30-8:30 p.m. Tickets $50. For info Matt Myers (215) 467-4643. 12th Ward Democrats Fundraiser at Champagne, 21.Chelten Ave., 6-8 p.m. Contributors $60, Sponsors $250. For info John Connelly (215) 760-8912. Progressive Fundraiser for Joe Grace at Yards Brewing Co., 901 N. Delaware Ave., 6-8 p.m. For info info@electjoegrace.com. Birthday fundraiser for Vern Anastasio at Villa DiRoma, 936 S. 9th St., 6:30 p.m. Suggested birthday gift $100 for 1st Council District campaign. For info (215) 586-3236. 9th Ward Wine & Cheese Candidates Night at Sedgwick Theater, 7137 Germantown Ave., 6-8 p.m. $50 at the door. RSVP John O’Connell (267) 312-1925. Featuring music of Violino, one man Italian Band. Germantown/Lehigh Business & Merchants Ass’n leads Corridor Cleanup at Germantown & Lehigh Aves., 9 a.m. To volunteer and for info Cornell Brown (267) 385-1939. Al Schmidt for City Commissioner Campaign Office Grand Opening at 3545 Ryan Ave. (Cottman & Frankford), 2-4 p.m. For info (215) 624-1930. Fundraiser for judicial candidate Jonathan Irvine at Avenida Restaurant, 7402 Germantown Ave., 1-4 p.m. S.W. Concerned Citizens holds Voter Education Summit at McCreesh rec Ctr. 67th & Regent St., 4 p.m. For info Tracey
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Gordon (267) 235-0091. Congregation Beth Solomon CC and European Immigrant Benevolent Ass’n’s 25th annual gala honoring Rabbi & Rebettzin Solomon Isaacson at Hilton Hotel, 4200 City Line Ave., 5 p.m. Single $250. Featuring famous Ed Goldbertt & Odessa Klezmer Band and mentalist and illusionist David Blatt. Gov. Ed Rendell and David Cohen, Event Chairs. Randy Robinson and Malik Boyd host Candidates Forum at Ashes Cigar Lounge, 4453 Main St., 6:30-9:30 p.m. 1st Dist. City Council debate hosted by Philadelphians for Ethical Leadership at Veteran Boxers Association Hall, 2733 E. Clearfield Ave., 6:30 p.m. Space limited. RSVP Fred Druding, Jr. (215-) 2212374. Dr. Norman Finkelstein discusses Palestinian situation at Walk Auditorium, Ritter Ha., Temple Univ., 13th & Montgomery Ave., 6-9 p.m. For info Razi Fareed (215) 692-3396. Reception for judicial candidate Leon King at Fiso Lounge, 1439 South St., 6 p.m. Tickets $35, couples $50. Open bar and hors d’oeuvres. State Rep. Rosita Youngblood sponsors Career Fair at 1st Presbyterian Ch., 35 W. Chelten Ave., 10 a.m.-3 p.m. For info Dayne Cofer at 215-849-6426. Join Jerry Blavat “Geater with the Heater” at Beef & Beer for Common Pleas judicial candidate Fran Shields at Emerald Rm. of Sprinkler Fitters Union Ha., 14002 McNulty Rd., 7 p.m.-12.a.m. $45 per person, $80 per couple. For info Wayne Miller (215) 671-1692 or Tony Yanni (610) 825-1121. Send contributions to Committee to Elect Fran Shields, Constitution Place, Suite #515, 325 Chestnut St., Phila., PA 19106-2614. Democrat 42nd Ward Candidates Night at Local 6 Bakery Hall, 5416 Rising Sun Ave. (enter on Lima St. through parking lot), 7-11 p.m. Music, food, dancing. Tickets $20, $25 at door. For info Elaine Tomlin (215) 457-4024. 1 APRIL, 2011
her to continue to make her mortgage payments while obtaining a bachelor’s degree at Drexel University that eventually led to another job. “We didn’t walk out on our jobs. We lost them. We always paid our bills. Now, we just want to keep a roof over the heads of our children,” said Sharon Greene, a single mother whose West Philadelphia home is currently in danger of foreclosure. Rouse and Greene shared their experiences at City Hall yesterday along with a panel of attorneys, housing advocates, and foreclosure counselors who warned that Gov. Tom Corbett’s budget cuts have eliminated funding for HEMAP and may spell the end of Philadelphia’s Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Diversion Program. As the employment recession continues, more homeowners are in danger of losing their homes. In 2010, almost 27,000 foreclosure notices were sent to Philadelphia
households. The Diversion Program was initiated by the Court of Common Pleas to assist them by providing conciliation and counseling. About 16,000 homeowners have had a Conciliation Conference since the program was established. But without funding, this program, too, will end. “Foreclosure is still putting working-class families out on the street, as unemployment remains at nearly 9%. Unemployment and illness are forcing people out of their homes,” said Liz Hersh, Executive Director of the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania. “We have programs in place that are working to help people keep their homes. HEMAP has helped 45,000 homeowners since 1983 and has an 85% success rate. We need to urge our lawmakers to continue to fund them.” Hersh pointed HEMAP is a loan, not a grant, and the State has profited by $15 million from repayments by homeowners.
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FLANKING 1st Council Dist. Candidate Joe Grace at his fundraiser at Yards Brewery in Northern Liberties last night were Gerry Kaufman and David Sweet. 1 APRIL, 2011
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For more information, call William Hanna
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PROMINENT progressive activists turned out to back Grace, among them, from left, Mary Goldman, Sharon ward and Richard Weishaupt.
12th Ward Goes Strong For Tyner DEMOCRAT 12TH WARD’S new leader John Connelly made clear last night at Champagne in Germantown he aims to run a disciplined, dynamic ward committee. From left are Connelly, Council at-Large aspirants Sherrie Cohen and Ed Nesmith, and Connelly’s pick for 8th Dist. Council seat Verna Tyner.
EVERYBODY WHO’S ANYBODY was at Champagne, including, from left, Ward Leader pat Parkinson, judicial candidate Sean Kennedy, host Ward Leader John Connelly, Verna Tyner and 12th Ward elder statesman Rufus Holmes. 6|
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EPA Orders Asbestos Cleanup At The Arsenal The US Environmental Protection Agency issued an administrative compliance order yesterday to the owner (Arsenal Associates) and the property management company (Hankin Management, Inc.), of the Arsenal Business Center (formerly known as the Frankford Arsenal), located at 2275 Bridge Street. EPA’s order, which becomes effective on Apr. 6, addresses alleged violations of Clean Air Act regulations of demolition and renovation activities involving buildings with asbestos-containing materials. The alleged violations were discovered during a series of inspections at the facility conducted by the City’s Dept. of Public Health Air Management Services and EPA between September 2010 and March 2011. Asbestos is a hazardous air pollutant that was once heavily used in insulation and other building materials. Prolonged exposure and inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause cancer and asbestosis, a serious res-
piratory disease. Removing asbestos-containing materials during demolition requires strict adherence to removal procedures outlined in the Clean Air Act in order to avoid public-health risks. The order alleges Hankin and Arsenal violated the Clean Air Act asbestos regulations by failing to provide adequate notice to EPA of demolition/renovation projects involving asbestos; failing to adequately wet all regulated asbestos containing material which had been removed or stripped from the site and to ensure that all of these materials remained adequately wet until collected and contained in preparation for proper disposal; and failing to properly dispose of asbestoscontaining waste material as soon as practical. EPA’s order requires Arsenal Associates and Hankin Management to take several measures to address the alleged regulatory violations at the Arsenal Business Center and to protect public health.
OHCD Will Hold Preliminary Plan Hearing The City’s Office of Housing & Community Development will hold a Public Hearing to solicit comments on the Year 37 Preliminary Consolidated Plan (Jul. 1, 2011-Jun. 30, 2012) on Apr. 14, 2011, 2-6 p.m. in the OHCD Boardroom, 1234 Market Street, 17th floor. The hearing is the opportunity for the public to offer comments on the city’s plan to utilize Community Development Block Grant, HOME, Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS, Emergency Shelter Grant, State Housing and Redevelopment Assistance, Accessible Housing and New Communities funds. Those wishing to testify must register by calling (215) 686-9723 by Apr. 8. Requests for specific times will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis. OHCD asks that each organization designate one speaker to represent it, but group members are welcome to attend. Five copies of the written testimony are required. 1 APRIL, 2011
Those unable to attend may submit signed, written comments. These must be received by OHCD no later than Thursday, Apr. 21. Please forward comments to: OHCD Dept. of Communications, 1234 Market Street, 17th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107; or email paul.chrystie@phila.gov; or fax (215) 686-9801, “RE: Hearing on Year 37, Preliminary Consolidated Plan”.
A First! Prison Officials, Inmates Celebrate CCP Class Completion Tara Timberman, Reentry Support Project coordinator, Fox Rothschild Center for Law & Society at Community College of Philadelphia; Everett Gillison, deputy mayor for public safety; Louis Giorla, commissioner, Philadelphia Prison System; and inmates’ family members attended a Course Completion Ceremony for about 16 inmates who attended English 101 and Acting this morning.
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This took place at Cambria Community Center, 2815 N. 17th Street. The Prison System was proud to partner with Community College of Philadelphia and the Defender Association of Philadelphia to coordinate enrollment of qualified inmates and offer them classes at the Prison’s Cambria facility. This is the first formal enrollment of inmates in post-secondary education at PPS since the mid-1990s, and is intended as a potential gateway to educational achievement through CCP. The coursework was supplemented by workshops facilitated by the Program’s two community partners, Philadelphia FIGHT’s Institute for Community Justice and the student-led Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program Alumni Association.
Jewish Funders Confer In Philly MORE THAN 300 heads of Jewish foundations from across country, Canada and Israel, convened here to discuss ways in which foundations can improve their methods of selecting grant recipients. Philanthropist Charles Bronfman’s 80th birthday happened to fall on day he was honored in Phila. by Jewish Funders Network at international conference at Loews Hotel last weekend. Representing a group of students who had benefited from Birthright, the Bronfman-supported program of trips to Israel for young adults to strengthen personal Jewish identity and connection to Jewish people, are Penn students Elayna Zach and Adam Levinson, alumni of Birthright program.
AT CLOSING luncheon session, keynote speaker Bernie Marcus, co-founder of Home Depot and head of Marcus Foundation in Atlanta, caught up with his Phila. friends. Seen here are, from left, Mark Solomon, chairman of CMS Cos.; his wife Paula Solomon; Marcus; and Paul Silberberg of CMS Cos. Photos by Bonnie Squires
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Easy 39 Steps of Babylon?: Round-up of Local Minimal-Number-of-CastMembers Productions by Adam Taxin For the sake of potential audience members, I don’t want to give away too many details, so I’ll keep it short and sweet: Anna Deavere Smith’s Let Me Down Easy is an absolute must-see for anyone who even minimally appreciates a tremendously talented and original performer. Running for one more week (through Sunday, Apr. 10) at the Philadelphia Theatre Co., Let Me Down Easy, directed by Leonard Foglia, is Smith’s truly unique take on the subjects of health, wellness and death, among other topics. The production is based on the performer’s interviews of various individuals before interpreting their words through performance. Smith clearly was extremely thorough and insightful in conducting the interviews on which the 20 scenes/characters are based. But the reason the phrase “once in a lifetime” can be applied to her is the way she so seamlessly – amazingly! – shifts, e.g., from playing Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong to Washington Post sports columnist Sally Jenkins to The Vagina Monologues playwright Eve Ensler to Idaho bull-rider Brent Williams. And so on. I cannot emphasize enough how Smith really makes audience members feel like the actual interviewees are on stage. Again, this is a must-see. --------------------
ney, has little business doing a one-man show. I am guessing not too many readers here were planning on making the trip this weekend to the Bristol Riverside Theater in Bucks Co. for one of the four remaining performances of Babylon. Nevertheless, while Key has some interestingly bitter insights from his stint as a Marine in Iraq, my sense is a competent editor could pare the worthwhile material down to about 20 minutes of the approximately 90-minute production, and it might make for a useful speech at a large “Not In My Name” antiwar demonstration regarding undeclared, unconstitutional US involvement in Libya. (If you thought there actually was such a demonstration … April Fool’s!) Politics aside, the most striking problem with the production is Key’s (spoken-word) vocal range. Key’s vocal delivery is soporifically lacking. One need not have Anna Deavere Smith’s gifts to be successful in a one-person-performance, but one’s voice should at least be sufficiently dynamic to, say, get a person to the point of being capable of landing a final-round interview for an overnight FM DJ position in a small city. In sum, don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t bother. (And if one’s goal in considering attending this disaster is feeding a self-congratulatory sense of “tolerance,” I’d suggest instead celebrating Liza Minnelli’s yes-it’strue just-passed 65th birthday by watching 1972’s considerably-gay-themed, 1930s-Berlin classic Cabaret … one of my three all-time favorite musicals.)
Unfortunately, not all one-person productions in the area are created equal….
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Given his not-even-modest level of talent and stage presence, Jeff Key, the decloseted former-Marinenow-antiwar-activist sole performer in the Iraq War production The Eyes of Babylon: One Marine’s Jour-
The 39 Steps opened at the Walnut Street Theatre last week and runs through Sunday, May 1. There are actually four times as many performers in The 39 Steps as in each of the aforementioned two productions.
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However, versatility is taken to an entirely new level in the production as two actors, Paul Riopelle and Dan Hodge, collectively play approximately 150 characters during the course of the adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 spy comedy film. David Hess remains as protagonist Richard Hannay throughout, and his real-life wife Joan Hess plays a modest three characters (Annabella, Margaret and Pamela). It is in fact the humor driven by the frenetic changing of roles by the two other performers, in the context of purposefully modest scenery which, rather delightfully, lingers most after seeing the play.
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Productions on The Walnut Street Theatre Mainstage are basically at the Broadway level, and the directing, actors’ performances, sets and effects are as outstanding as one would expect. In terms of what the WST had to work with script-wise, it is easy to understand why the production won an Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, two Tony Awards and two Drama Desk Awards. There is no excuse for at-least-semi-regular Philadelphia-area theater patrons to miss this. Adam Taxin, a Center City attorney, can best be contacted via Facebook or at adamtaxin@gmail.com.
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SHERRI XANTHOPOULOS RUSSO will be representing Collegeville, Pa. in pageant.