Vol. II No. 131 (291)
Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia
August 31, 2011
Philadelphia Daily Record
Take Out The SRC
ELECTED BUT NONPARTISAN school boards are the answer, especially in Phila., says State Sen. Andrew Dinniman. He was joined by Phila. colleagues Michael Stack, LeAnna Washington and Larry Farnese in front of School District HQ on N. Broad Street this morning to press for abolition of School reform Commission and institution of a School Board responsible to city’s voters. Story page 3. Photo by Rory McGlasson
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The Philadelphia Public Record Calendar Sep. 2Friends of Quibila Divine hold Fish Fry at Lou & Choo’s, 21st & Hunting Pk. Ave., 5-10 p.m. Platters $10. For tickets (215) 225-7241. Sep. 3State Sen. Anthony Williams’ Neighbor to Neighbor Summer of Peace 2011 Cookout at Eastwick Park, 74th & Lindbergh Blvd., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free food. Family fun. Adults’ and children’s activities. For info (215) 492-2980. Sep. 5Tri State Labor Committee and Philadelphia AFLCIO annual Labor Day Parade & Family Fun Day, starting at Sheet Metal Workers, Columbus Blvd. & Washington Ave., 9 a.m. Sep. 101st Nat’l Organizational Policy Summit at School District Bldg. Main Audit., 440 N. Broad St. to fight for additional
federal and State funding, 10 a.m.1 p.m. For info Dr. Churchville (215) 848-8511 or Mr. Adams (215) 397-2734. Sep. 10Billy Meehan Clambake at Cannstatter Volksfest Verein, 9130 Academy Rd., 4-8 p.m. $100 per person. For info Carmella (215) 561-0650. Sep. 10Jobs with Justice and DC 47 President Emeritus Gary Kapanowski hold Sustainer Soiree in Sir Francis Rm. at The Drake, 1512 Spruce St., 7 p.m.-12 a.m. Sep. 11Phila. Firefighters Union Local 22 and Penn Treaty Special Services Dist. invite all to attend unveiling of “All the Heroes of 9/11” Memorial at Local 22 Union Headquarters, 5th & Willow, 1 p.m.
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THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD
31 AUGUST, 2011
Stack Seeks To Replace SRC With Elected School Board State Sen. Mike Stack (D-Northeast) has introduced legislation that would eliminate the Philadelphia School Reform Commission and replace it with an unpaid elected school board.
taxes. It’s time to put the power of the School District of Philadelphia into the hands of the citizens whose taxes go to our public schools, and that’s what my legislation accomplishes.”
“The SRC has completely let down our city’s public school students, their families and the taxpayers,” said Stack. “The last several months have showed the SRC’s dysfunctional governance because they were not prepared to deal with severe, yet anticipated cuts to public-school funding.
Under SB 1210, the school board would be comprised of nine nonpartisan members elected by Philadelphia citizens to four-year terms.
“When this happened, who could parents and students turn to? Who could they hold accountable for the poor planning? The answer is no one, because under the current system the SRC isn’t accountable to anyone,” he said. “This unelected board is unaccountable to the taxpayers. Yet taxpayers will have to foot the bill through increased property
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The board would be responsible for drafting annual fiveyear budget plans that would be submitted to the Philadelphia Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority for its review and approval. The board would also have the authority to approve labor, service and other contracts. The board would not have taxing authority or the ability to incur debt. The City Controller and State Auditor General would have pre-audit,
THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD
post-audit, and performance audit powers over the School District of Philadelphia. The Mayor would appoint the Superintendent. The school board would have the power to pass a resolution of no confidence on the superintendent, which would be forwarded to the Mayor to decide whether to keep or fire the superintendent. The Mayor would also have the power to fire the superintendent at any time for any reason that does not violate the law. Stack has strong support from State Sens. LeAnna Washington (D-Northwest), Larry Farnese (D-S. Phila.), Andy Dinniman and Rep. Angel Cruz. The SRC was created in 2001 when the State took over the city’s public schools. The governor appoints three members and the mayor, two.
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Crowe Named Head of
Saint-Gobain Operations Saint-Gobain, a company with strong historic ties to the greater Philadelphia area, has announced the appointment of John Crowe as president and CEO of both SaintGobain Corp. (the holding company for all of Saint-Gobain’s North American operations) and CertainTeed Corp., the largest North American subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, which is also headquartered on the Valley Forge campus. Saint-Gobain has been headquartered in Greater Philadelphia for
nearly 45 years; CertainTeed has been headquartered here since 1948. There are more than 800 employees in the Philadelphia region, and more than 1,300 in Pennsylvania. Crowe, a Saint-Gobain veteran with more than 30 years of service in a variety of global roles, is charged with continuing to develop the company’s business throughout the United States and Canada, where it already employs over 19,000 people in 265 locations.
PennDOT Labor Day Closing The Pennsylvania Dept. of Transportation announced all driver license and photo centers, including its fullservice center in Harrisburg, will be closed Saturday,
Sep. 3 through Monday, Sep. 5 in observance of Labor Day.
IBOPE Zogby Poll More Bad Numbers for Obama Majorities of likely voters continue to disapprove of President Barack Obama’s job performance (60%) and say it is “time for someone new” (55%) in the White House.
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Among those who do approve of Obama’s performance, 34% say they are disappointed by the President, but don’t want to undermine him by saying they disapprove.
results in the Aug. 25-29 IBOPE Zogby interactive poll are little changed from the last similar survey conducted Aug. 2-4.
The job approval and re-election
THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD
31 AUGUST, 2011
Summit Draws Penna., National Leaders To Examine Issues Ex-Offenders Face Challenges facing offenders who are re-entering their communities after incarceration will be the focus of an event presented Tuesday, Sep. 13 by the Law & Government Institute on the Harrisburg campus of Widener Law.
reduce recidivism and enhance public safety. They also will save tax dollars by decreasing incarceration costs, and, perhaps most importantly, they will help give offenders the best chance at becoming productive citizens,” Smith-Ribner said.
The event, organized by Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Judge Emeritus Doris A. Smith-Ribner, will feature four panels of distinguished criminal justice experts who will explore these challenges and offer solutions for change. The event, titled the “Pennsylvania Re-entry Summit: Exploring and Examining Innovative Reentry Strategies for the 21st Century,” runs from 1 to 6 p.m. in room A180 of the school’s administration building at 3800 Vartan Way, Harrisburg.
Among those in the speaker lineup are:
More than 700,000 people are released annually from State and federal prisons, with more than two-thirds rearrested within three years. Nationally, the United States spends nearly $70 billion on corrections while the current Pennsylvania corrections budget is almost $2 billion. The summit will look at barriers that hinder successful reentry to the community, such as laws that impose collateral consequences upon people with convictions, and offer new and innovative ideas for improving the reentry process. “Effective reentry strategies will 31 AUGUST, 2011
Pennsylvania Secretary of Corrections John Wetzel and Amy L. Solomon, senior advisor to the assistant attorney general in the US Justice Dept., speaking on a panel that will examine remedies to reduce recidivism. Christopher Gowen, senior staff attorney to the American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section, speaking on a panel about the collateral consequences of a conviction. Mark Boyd, president and chief executive officer of Goodwill Industries of Southern New Jersey and Pennsylvania, speaking on a panel about best reentry practices and policies. Joseph A. McMillan, past national president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, speaking on a panel about the law enforcement and exoffenders’ re-entry initiative. Pennsylvania Sen. Stewart J. Greenleaf and Rep. Ronald G. Waters also will take part in the day. THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD
Both legislators have taken an active and vigorous role in criminaljustice reform in the Commonwealth. “Reentry challenges affect everyone, whether it is the offenders who are returning to society or their neighbors, who are in every community. This summit will explore a lot of important issues and new ideas. Widener’s Law & Government Institute is proud to join with Judge Smith-Ribner in presenting a program that has so much to contribute to the public discourse on this important topic,” said Professor John L. Gedid, director of the institute.
Orie Facing New Charges State Sen. Jane Orie (R-Allegheny) was reportedly arraigned last evening on charges of perjury, forgery and tampering with evidence before being released on her own recognizance. The charges were filed yesterday in connection with evidence submitted during Orie’s corruption trial earlier this year, which ended in mistrial over the question of whether documents presented by the defense had been altered. The charges against Orie include five felony perjury counts and six tamperingwith-evidence charges as well as obstruction of law and forgery counts.
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Peace Was A Winner At This Tournament
STATE REP. KENYATTA JOHNSON co-hosted, along with Kenyatta Bey, the 5th Annual Peace Not Guns Memorial Basketball Tournament, which took place Friday, August 26, 2011, at the Chew Playground and Recreation Center.
This basketball tournament was aimed at building positive relationships between youth and the Philadelphia Police Department, and also promoted safety and peace throughout the entire community. “Each year these two
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groups come together for a friendly game of basketball.” Rep. Johnson states. “We want the entire community to see these positive relationships and use it to motivate them to continue building positive community relations.”
THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD
Although a close game, youth from the Point Breeze Youth Development Basketball Team were victorious over police officers, with a final score 65-68.
31 AUGUST, 2011