Vol. II No. 79 (239)
Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia
June 9, 2011
Philadelphia Daily Record
Danger To Health STATE SENS. Mike Stack and Shirley Kitchen were among Philadelphians who came to Harrisburg to warn of calamitous consequences to hospitals and to lowincome working citizens if House Republican budget passes as is. See story page 4.
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The Philadelphia Public Record Calendar Jun. 10-12Annunciation BVM Sch. Old Fashioned Family Carnival at 1150 Wharton St., rain or shine. All welcome. Jun. 11State Rep. Louise Bishop hosts Spring Fling Kids Health Fair at Universal Bluford Charter Sch., 5720 Media St., 4 p.m. Jun. 13Student Mayoral Forum for 7th- and 8th-Graders with Mayor Nutter at Laboratory Charter Sch., 800 N. Orianna, 2 p.m. Jun. 15Oxford Circle Chapter of National Active Retired Federal Employees meets at Northeast Older Adult Ctr., 8101 Bustleton Ave., 12 m. City Controller Alan Butkovitz to speak. Jun. 16-
American Diabetes Ass’n honors Michael A. Rashid, president of AmeriHealth Mercy Family of Cos., as 2011 Father of the Year honoree at 1200 Awards Dinner at Loews Hotel, cocktail reception 5:30 p.m., dinner 6:30 p.m. Jun. 17Annual Health Tech graduation at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, 3601 A St., 10 a.m. Funded by Kal & Lucille Rudman Foundation. RSVP Barbara A. Liccio (215) 4275398. Jun. 29PRO-ACT 2-hr. workshop on “How to Talk to Your Legislators & Get Them to Hear You, ” at 6 p.m. at PRO-ACT Recovery Training Ctr., 444 N. 3rd St., Suite 307. Again on Sat., Aug. 13 at 10 a.m. at the same location. Free. Call William Webb (215) 923-1661.
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9 JUNE, 2011
Toomey Pushes Boeing Contract To make Ospreys US Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) sent a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee asking the committee to consider a multi-year procurement strategy for the V-22 Osprey program starting in fiscal year 2013 rather than a single-year procurement. Military equipment is often obtained through a series of single-year procurements, but it is not uncommon for Congress to authorize multi-year procurements. Congress did just that for the V-22 Osprey aircraft for fiscal years 2008 through 2012. A multi-year procurement can be more efficient and potentially cost saving because it provides greater business certainty for manufacturers, enabling them to reduce unit prices. Additionally, the heightened business certainty may allow the manufacturer to invest in improvements to the production line, reducing costs further.
“Boeing welcomes and applauds Sen. Toomey’s support for a second multi-year contract for the V-22 Osprey. The Osprey continues to receive high praise from the US Marines and Air Force Special Operations Command for its outstanding performance in combat, ship-board and humanitarian deployments around the world. A second multi-year contract would allow our military to continue to field this critical capability at a significant savings over a single-year procurement approach,” said Jean Chamberlin, VP and general manager of Boeing’s Mobility division. “Any and all support by Sen. Toomey for the V-22 program that will bring stability to our workforce, increase the membership of UAW Local 1069 and bring more jobs to Pennsylvania is deeply appreciated,” said Christopher Owens, president of UAW Local 1069.
Casey: Job Training Must Be A Priority US Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, released the following statement calling for faster action on job training after President Obama’s speech yesterday on job training and manufacturing: “Pennsylvania has a long history of innovation and rebuilding in manufacturing. A lasting economic recovery will rely on an evolving and revitalized manufacturing sector. Workers must be able to acquire the skills necessary to advance in their jobs, find new jobs and meet the needs of employers. “The Senate should move quickly to debate and pass an extension of the Workforce Investment Act to 9 JUNE, 2011
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make job training programs more efficient across the country. Let’s get rid of the programs that don’t work or are duplicative and put our resources behind proven efforts that build skills and lead to jobs. We must train workers with the skills that are in greatest demand and concentrate on the sectors where growth prospects are strongest. “I have also called for an extension of Trade Adjustment Assistance to provide job training to workers who have lost their jobs because of foreign trade. I will continue to try to overcome the roadblocks that have prevented this bill from being passed by the Senate.”
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Senators, Hospital Advocates Warn Budget Plan Will Hurt Health Care
REPUBLICAN HOUSE budget will be “devastating to hospitals,” State Sen. Mike Stack warned at Harrisburg press conference. State Sen. Mike Stack (D-Northeast) warned of the disastrous impact of state budget cuts to health programs and services as the Senate tackles the House Republican version of the 2011-12 State budget. He, along with State Sens. Shirley Kitchen (D-N. Phila.), Andy Dinniman (D-Chester), Larry Farnese (D-S. Phila.) and Jim Brewster (DAllegheny); Ken Braithwaite, regional executive for the Delaware Valley Healthcare Council and Senior VP for The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania; and Cheri Rinehart, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers, discussed the impact of the state budget proposal (HB 1485) on the State’s health programs during a Capitol news conference yesterday. 4|
They implored the Senate to consider restoring Tobacco Settlement Fund dollars to the adultBasic health coverage plan and uncompensated care, as well as restoring funding in to hospitals, which have been decimated by the House Republican budget plan. “We can do better and we need to do better. Our health-care programs need a lifeline and prescription for sanity under the House Republican budget,” Stack said. “In this economy, when budgets are already tight and people are out of work, these cuts are appalling. They will be devastating to hospitals at a time when more and more funding is needed to help our state’s most-vulnerable individuals.” More than 41,000 individuals from across the state lost their adultBaTHE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD
sic health plan in February because funding ran out. Another half million were on the waiting list. There is no mention of reinstating this program in HB 1485 and the Governor did not mention it in his budget plan. As of May 5, only 32% of those adultBasic recipients signed up for the Blues’ Special Care program. The House Republican plan also cuts over $400 million to medical assistance programs. The vast majority of Medical Assistance recipients are the elderly, the disabled and children, Kitchen said. “The House Republican budget places a heavy burden on the programs and the people whose backs are already breaking,” Kitchen said. “They made the Dept. of Public Welfare the sacrificial lamb.” 9 JUNE, 2011
The budget bill also eliminates $31.5 million in State dollars in uncompensated care, thereby jeopardizing $38.6 million in federal matching dollars. Hospitals use uncompensated-care funds to make up costs when patients have no insurance and can’t afford to pay their medical bills.
The Hospital & Health Association of Pennsylvania says uncompensated care provided by Pennsylvania hospitals has increased an astounding 48% over the last five years. Last year alone, hospitals provided $891 million dollars in uncompensated care.
“In my home District, Temple University Health System would lose $36 million dollars in crucial state and federal funding, and North Philadelphia Health System would lose $7.5 million dollars in state
and federal funding,” Kitchen said. “These are extremely busy hospitals that help some of the city’s most disadvantaged citizens. They offer world-class care but they can’t do it on a shoestring budget.”
Stack suggested several solutions to restore funding into health-care line items, including restricting the use of the Tobacco Settlement Fund to health care programs, as it was intended to be used. That’s $350 million dollars to help ease the budget pain.
The Senator also introduced legislation that would sustain adultBasic for another year by tapping the General Assembly’s budget surplus. SB 420 would allocate the $189-million surplus to fund operating expenses for adultBasic through April 2012, assuming that expenses remain at $14 million a
month.
He also introduced SB 836, which would require individuals to pay all outstanding court fees and fines before they can have their car registration renewed. There are $1.6 billion in unpaid fines, costs, fees and restitution owed to Courts of Common Pleas throughout Pennsylvania.
The budget deadline is just three weeks away, but we can still explore real options to restore funding to these critical line items,” Stack said. “People will continue to get sick, whether they have health coverage or not. The elderly, the disabled and children will continue to need Medical Assistance. They will all need care. We must lift this budget burden off the backs of patients, hospitals and the taxpayers.”
Lowery Brown Announces Scholarship Opportunity State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown (D-W. Phila.) today urged female high-school juniors and seniors with plans for college to consider entering the National Foundation for Women Legislators scholarship essay competition. Brown said female high-school juniors or seniors in the classes of 2011 or 2012 still have time to compete in a scholarship contest sponsored by the NFWL and the National Rifle Association, and that they should move quickly to enter. Seven contest winners in the nation will each receive a $3,000 scholarship to use towards tuition at any US college or university and an all-expense-paid trip to NFWL’s 2011 Annual Conference, Aug. 11-15 at the Marriott in Downtown Des Moines, Iowa. 9 JUNE, 2011
The topic of the 400 to 600-word composition is “The Impact of the First Amendment on Women Leaders and Social Media.” “As we see in instantaneous communications today, an issue can go from totally unknown to a national or even international topic in a matter of hours,” said Brown. “We are all learning to adapt to the meteoric rise of social media and explore what it could mean to the future of democracy and how it can be adapted to increase communications between citizens and women candidates and office-holders.” Brown said the writer should consider such media as YouTube; Facebook; Twitter; blogging; mass political text messaging and how they create a direct intercon-
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nection between citizens and leaders. A more in-depth description of aspects to be considered and the required entry forms can be found at
the website of the NFWL at www.womenlegislators.org and click on “Events.”
of Programming & Operations at: Crystal_Adkisson@womenlegislators.org or by phone (202) 293-3040 ext. 1005.
Questions can be directed to Crystal Adkisson, NFWL Deputy Director
Green Party Lobbies For Voters’ Choice The Green Party of Philadelphia has begun a campaign to win support in Harrisburg for the Voters’ Choice Act, which is currently bottled up in the Pennsylvania Senate. The Act (SB 21) will change the definition of a political party to allow participation by more parties in the electoral process. At the present time, political parties other than Democrats and Republicans are frequently excluded from the ballot by onerous rules. The result is citizens are deprived of the op-
portunity to vote for third-party candidates because their names are so difficult to get on the ballot. SB 21 would mandate any political party will be allowed ballot access once it has a registered membership of at least 0.05% of all Pennsylvania voters (approximately 4,500 members). This is the same rule currently used in Delaware. This enhancement of the democratic process will lead to greater interest in elections and a larger turnout at the polls, supporters argue.
The Voters’ Choice Act is backed by the Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition (PBAC, www.paballotaccess.org), which includes the Green Party, America First Party, Constitution Party, Libertarian Party, New American Independent Party, Prohibition Party, Reform Party and Unified Independent Party. Only seven of Pennsylvania’s 53 Senators have endorsed SB 21, and none of them represent Philadelphia.
Sick-Day Lobbyists Gear Up For Next Week’s Council Vote Different groups of activists are readying a big citizen turnout for today as well as next Thursday, Jun. 16, for a City Council deliberation and vote on a measure to require earned sick days for all Philadelphia workers. Service Employees International Union will be partnering with Action United to pack Council chamber this morning. Yesterday, leaders of Philadelphia LGBT and HIV/AIDS organizations spoke about their organizations’ support of the earned-sick-day bill and called on Philadelphia City Council to pass it. Chris Bartlett, executive director of the William Way Center, called earned sick days a “key issue for the LGBT community.” Sherrie Cohen, former lesbian candidate for City Council, highlighted why paid sick leave is especially important for 6|
Philadelphia’s LGBT working families: “While most of us take paid sick days for granted, more than 200,000 workers in Philadelphia have no paid sick time. That is especially hard on LGBT families, whose incomes are 33% below the incomes of heterosexual married couples. That means LGBT parents are less likely to be able to afford to take unpaid time off from work.”
Poll Shows Nutter In Good Shape For November Mayor Michael A. Nutter enjoys very strong favorability ratings among likely general-election voters, according to a new poll released yesterday by the Nutter for Mayor campaign. The poll also showed the Mayor winning reelection by an overwhelming margin in November. He beats
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Republican candidate Karen Brown – even among Republican voters – and out-polled former Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street among both white and African American voters. The poll was conducted on May 31 and Jun. 1 by the Washington, D.C.-based Garin-Hart-Yang Research
Group. In a three-way match-up against GOP candidate Karen Brown and former Mayor John Street as an Independent candidate, Mayor Nutter receives 67% of the vote, Karen Brown receives 14% and John Street, 13%.
Pa. Bar Ass’n Names 2011-12 Chairs For Committees And Sections More than 70 lawyers will serve as 2011-12 chairs of Pennsylvania Bar Association committees and sections. Many of the association’s policies and positions prompting development of state laws and actions viewed as beneficial to the legal system, the courts and the public result from actions initiated by the leaders and members of these groups. The list of appointees includes the following lawyers from Philadelphia Co.: Marc L. Bogutz, shareholder, Christie, Pabarue, Mortensen & Young PC, was renamed chair of the PBA Professional Liability Committee, which focuses on issues concerning lawyers’ liability case law. Timothy W. Callahan II, Saul Ewing LLP, was named chair of the PBA Legal Ethics & Professional Responsibility Committee, which responds to inquiries from lawyers on the impact of the provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct. Hon. James G. Colins, Cozen O’Connor, was renamed chair of the PBA Constitutional Review Commission, which is examining specific issues related to the im9 JUNE, 2011
provement of local government, the structure of the General Assembly, taxation, public education, legislative reapportionment, and the judiciary. The commission will make recommendations to the PBA House of Delegates regarding the possible need for legislative changes and a constitutional convention. Cherylle C. Corpuz, Orlow, Kaplan & Hohenstein LLP, was named co-chair of the PBA Immigration Law Committee, which addresses issues in the area of immigration law, monitors and makes recommendations concerning legislation in this area, and promotes understanding of immigration related laws, regulations and court decisions. Jane L. Dalton, of counsel, Duane Morris LLP, was named co-chair of the PBA Women in the Profession, which looks at the status of women in the legal profession and recommends solutions to problems that prevent women from full participation in the work, responsibilities and rewards of the legal profession. Emmanuel O. Iheukwumere, Emmanuel Law Firm LLC, THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD
Philadelphia, was named co-chair of the PBA Diversity Team, which establishes resources and forums to increase communications among PBA groups with diversity initiatives by working collaboratively with PBA leadership, staff and other PBA-related entities, including the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation, the Pennsylvania Bar Insurance Fund and Trust Fund, PABAR-PAC and the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. Kim Kocher, partner, White and Williams LLP, was renamed chair of the PBA Amicus Curiae Brief Committee, which identifies legal issues that have relevance to the bar and that are appropriate subjects for amicus curiae briefs. Angus R. Love, Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project, was named chair of the PBA Corrections System Committee, which studies the current corrections system in Pennsylvania and makes recommendations for its improvement. Wesley R. Payne IV, partner, White and Williams LLP, was named co-chair of the PBA Military and Veterans Affairs Committee and co-chair of the PBA |
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Minority Bar Committee. The PBA Military and Veterans Affairs Committee provides educational programming and coordinates statewide efforts on legal matters affecting active, reserve and National Guard military service members, retirees and veterans and their families. The PBA Minority Bar Committee develops programs to promote the issues and concerns of minority lawyers. It also studies,
reviews and makes recommendations on all legislation impacting minority citizens in the commonwealth. Judge Norma L. Shapiro, US District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania, was renamed chair of the PBA Leadership Recruitment and Development Committee, which identifies future leaders of the PBA, provides information
about how to obtain leadership positions and encourages members to seek those positions. Gerald Strachan, managing attorney, Strachan & Hatzell, was renamed chair of the PBA Insurance Staff Attorney Committee, which promotes the interests of insurance staff counsel, fosters quality professional conduct and provides services to its members.
Citizens Bank Backs Abuse Victims
CITIZENS BANK FOUNDATION donated $10,000 to Women Against Abuse, Inc. in support of its emergency shelter program for women and children who are victims of domestic abuse. Jeannine Lisitski, left, executive director of WAA, accepting check from William Smith, senior VP of Community Investments for Citizens Bank.
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Teens Donate Shoes To Needy Philadelphians Philadelphians donated over 2,000 pairs of new and tributed as well by donating the site and purchasing gently used shoes to those less fortunate in the weeks numerous pairs of children’s shoes. prior to a May 14, 2011 community service project by The Temple University School of Podiatry also parlocal young women. ticipated in this charitable project by providing podiaThe shoes were collected by the more than one huntrists to do onsite foot-care evaluations. dred teen girls who are members of Philadelphia’s Teenshop organization as part of their signature Teenshop is a volunteer nonprofit organization for “girls with goals” founded in 1985. It is one of the Shoes for Life program. The donated footwear was nation’s longest running organizations dedicated exmade available to those referred through local social service organizations, and was retrieved on May 14 at clusively to the positive development of adolescent a community center that the organization temporarily girls. All Teenshop graduates go on to either college converted into a shoe store. or professional schools and while enrolled no girl drops out or becomes a teen parent. There are three Teenshop chapters located in Philadelphia. Brown’s ShopRite donated bottled water and shopping bags to the event. Laborers Local 332 con-
Odunde Announces 36th Anniversary Festival Lineup The organizers of the Odunde African and African-American Festival today announced a fourday schedule of events, beginning on Jun. 9, in celebration of its 36th anniversary. The activities will culminate on Sunday, Jun. 12, with the annual centerpiece, the Odunde Festival, itself, which will take place, as it always has, along South Street, here, from 20th to 24th Streets, and from 23rd & Lombard, to Grays Ferry Avenue & Christian Street. The free, outdoor festival, whose central theme is rooted in the traditions of the Yoruba people of Nigeria, will feature a wide variety of vendors, craftspeople, artists 9 JUNE, 2011
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and performers. As many as 500,000 persons, drawn from throughout the Greater Philadelphia area and the mid-Atlantic region, are expected to attend and participate in the events. The ODUNDE four-day-long activities will include the following: Jun. 9 Liberian Education Roundtable: Councilwoman Jannie L. Blackwell, chair, City Council Education Committee and Dr. Amy Gutman, president, University of Pennsylvania 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm University of Pennsylvania – Iron Gate Theatre – 3700 Chestnut St. Jun. 10 Liberian Business Round|
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table: Honorable Amin Modad, Assistant to the Minister of Commerce of Liberia; Honorable Matilda Parker, National Port of Liberia; Honorable Mary T. Broh, Mayor of Monrovia; J. Thomas Moore of Select Greater Philadelphia (Invited) 10:00 am – 4:00 pm University of Pennsylvania – Iron Gate Theatre – 3700 Chestnut St. V.I.P African Diplomatic and Ambassador Reception: Ambassadors from Liberia and Angola 6:00pm – 8:30pm Lincoln University Center City Building 3020 Market Street – 4th Floor Jun. 11 Free Zumba Class: Will attempt to break the Guinness World Record of 1,294 people participating in a Zumba class, at once. 9:00 am – 11:00 am Saint Joseph’s University Finnesey Field - 5400 N City Ave Jun. 12 Odunde Festival 10:00 am – 8:00 pm 23rd and South Streets Major highlights in the scheduled programs for the week will be the Liberian Business roundtable, which will feature dignitaries from Liberia and invited guest J. Thomas Moore, Jr. of Select Greater Philadelphia; the Liberian Education roundtable, which will feature presidents from local colleges and universities, including Dr. Amy Gutman of University of Pennsylvania and Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell; and the free Zumba aerobics class, which will attempt to break the Guinness world record of 1,294 individuals participating in a class, simultaneously, set by Clemson University, this year. Pre-registration and bus pick-up locations for the Zumba session will be posted on www.odundefestival.org or participants may call 1 (888) 765-9569, for more information.
event will begin with a procession from Odunde’s Grays Ferry headquarters to the Schuylkill River, at 25th & Locust Street, at noon. There, Odunde founder and president Lois Fernandez will lead participants in paying homage to the Yoruba goddess of the river, Oshun. Once offerings of fruits, money, flowers and other items have been cast into the river, the procession will make its way back down South Street for the official start of the festival. Among the entertainers scheduled to participate in Sunday’s events are neo-soul artists, hip-hop artist Slick Rick, doowop groups, African-Brazilian dance troupes and gospel-music groups. Initiated by Fernandez and Ruth Arthur in 1975, the Odunde Festival has spawned a vital organization with a yearround schedule of programs and events. In addition to the cultural benefits, this past year, the organization completed the construction of Osun Village, a state-ofthe-art, 16-unit senior housing complex, in South Philadelphia. Throughout the year, Odunde sponsors numerous activities and offers publications and other educational materials. Further information on ODUNDE’s programs publications and calendar of events may be obtained by calling the ODUNDE office at (215) 732-8510 or by visiting: www.odundefestival.org. Sponsors of this year’s activities include, Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, Greater Philadelphia Traditions Fund, Keystone Mercy Health Plan, Pennsylvania Lottery, Philadelphia Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Universal Companies, University of Pennsylvania Medicine and Wells Fargo.
As has been done throughout the 36-year history of the Odunde festival, Sunday’s 10 |
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Perrier Says ‘Bonjour !’ In Narberth GEORGES PERRIER’S new bakery and cafe, Art of Bread, had its opening day yesterday in Narberth, and people who had been checking daily for the opening were delighted with what they saw. Phyllis Snyder of Merion was among first customers. Here she is welcomed by General Mgr. Joel-Pierre Perez, whose first career years ago was as a baker. Photos by Bonnie Squires.
PUTTING welcome sign on giant chalk board is Estelle Barberet, whose husband is Bec Fin’s pastry chef. Watching her are Perez and CFO Ed Lack.
GETTING READY for tomorrow’s official opening involves putting up an awning. The opening ceremonies will take place at 4 p.m., with Perrier himself doing the honors. 9 JUNE, 2011
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