Philadelphia Daily Record

3ol. II No. 166 (326)

Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia

October 21, 2011

Philadelphia Daily Record

Wallflower

JOINING A BEVY of illustrious Philadelphians and visitors past and present on the caricature-studded walls of Bellevue’s historic Palm Restaurant is State Sen. LeAnna Washington, who was treated to an official unveiling at lunch today.

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Oct. 21Fundraiser for Council candidate Bill Rubin at Stevenson’s Tavern, 4300 Comly St., 6-8 p.m. Contribution $35.

Oct. 2126th Ward GOP Fabulous Fall Festival at Waterfall Rm., 2015 S. Water St., 7 p.m. For info (215) 468-2300.

Oct. 2119th Ward Democrats host Meet the Candidates Beef & Beer fundraiser at New Palladium, 229 W. Allegheny Ave., 7 p.m.-12 a.m.

Sponsors $100, community businesses $25. For info Ward leader Leslie Lopez (484) 988-2422.

Oct. 22Philly Cares Day targets S. Phila.

HS at Broad & Snyder Ave., 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. For info or to volunteer call Matthew Mumber (215) 564-4544.

Oct. 22State Sen. LeAnna Washington hosts Walk To End Domestic Violence at W. River Dr. & Ben Franklin Blvd., 9 a.m. registration, Walk starts 10:30 a.m. Pre-register at http://conta.cc/Walktoenddomesticviolence or call (215) 5454715.

Oct. 22Democrat 43rd Ward Leader Emmanuel Vazquez hosts Chick & Fish Fry at Black Pearl, Old York Rd. & Erie Ave., 6-10 p.m. $10.

Oct. 23Men’s Club of Congregations of Shaare Shamayim, host Candidates Brunch at Karff Auditorium, 9768 Verree Rd., 9 a.m. Free brunch. For info and reservations Harris Popolow (215) 676-7486.

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Oct. 23Wine & Cheese Fundraiser hosted

by Louis S. Schwartz for Lewis Harris, Jr., GOP candidate for Traffic Court Judge, at 7112 N. Broad St., 6:30-9 p.m. $50 donation. For info (215) 651-4757.

Oct. 24State Rep. Michelle Brownlee hosts Older & Wiser workshop for seniors on retirement benefits at University Sq., 3901 Market St., 10 a.m.-12 p.m. For info (215) 684-3738.

Oct. 24Wanda Logan hosts Community Job Fair at Shepard Rec Ctr., 5700 Haverford Ave., 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Positions range from retail, blue-collar, secretarial and food services to management. Bring 10cc of your résumé; dress for interviews.

Oct. 24Fundraiser for Council candidate David Oh at Zarwin Baum, 1818 Market St., 13th fl. Contribution $100, $250, $500 or $1,000. For info Eunice Lee (215) 561-2000 or elee@zarwin.com.

Oct. 25Fundraiser for judicial candidate Angelo Foglietta at offices of Stephen A. Sheller, 1528 Walnut St., 3rd fl, 5-8 p.m. Supporter $150, Friend $250, Patron $500. For info Thomas P. Muldoon, Esq. (215) 545-1776, ext. 3.

Oct. 25Fundraiser for Council candidate Michael Untermeyer hosted by 5th Ward Leader Mike Cibik at his home, 334 S. Front St., starting 5:30 p.m. For info Mike@UntermeyerForCityCouncil2011.com. or call 215-923-3377.

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Tartaglione On Jobs: ‘We Are Moving Backward’ grams, reducing local school-district employment by more than 14,000 jobs, with more than 2,000 lost jobs in the Philadelphia School District alone. These deep cuts were made while ignoring a State revenue surplus that grew to nearly $800 million by the close of our last fiscal year.

In response to the unemployment figures released by the State Dept. of Labor & Industry, State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione (D-Kensington) released the following statement. Tartaglione is the Democratic Chair of the Senate Labor & Industry Committee.

“Nearly four months after Republicans pushed through a shortsighted state budget that slashed key funds for job creation and economic development, today’s news of a rising unemployment rate is a clear sign that Pennsylvania needs bold leadership in a new direction.

“The number of unemployed Pennsylvanians has jumped by more than 50,000 since the day Gov. Corbett signed the budget and the legislative majority’s focus on fringe issues and right-wing ideology offers little hope for the coming months.

“The Corbett budget cut more than $1 billion from education pro21 OCTOBER, 2011

“The result is a stunning downturn after years of weathering the recession better than most states. When that budget was making its way through the General Assembly, Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was 1.7 percentage points below the national average, the best comparison to the national average in more than 10 years. Today, that gap has been cut in half, and it’s narrowing.

“Pennsylvania ranked 12th for new job creation in 2010. Today’s announcement means we are moving backward.

“The downturn of our state economy should come as no surprise. Last February, I joined my Senate Democratic colleagues to introduce a sensible job creation plan call PA Works, most of which is still sitting in committee.

“Last week, I voiced support for PA Works Now, our plan to put more Pennsylvanians back to work. We repeated our earlier calls for new investment in infrastructure, job training, and business investments that have clear records THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

of success. The plan outlined a new set of tax credits to encourage small-business owners to make child and elder care available to their employees and to provide new training and internship opportunities for young people.

“My legislation in the package calls for Marcellus Shale drillers to directly invest in training to hire more Pennsylvania workers and create a call center for emergency services that could provide employment for the nearly 15 percent of workers with disabilities who cannot find a job.

“Lawmakers who are distracted by personal priorities and politicallymotivated policies that are part of the national Republican political agenda should set aside these hobbies and focus on jobs. Lawmakers intent on eliminating thousands of jobs in our state liquor system should be sobered by today’s announcement and understand that every family sustaining job should have our support and protection.

“It is long past time to implement a responsible tax on Marcellus Shale drilling. Also, a reasonable funding plan for transportation investment should be acted without delay. Finally, our priorities must be redirected from risky tax giveaways that reward campaign friends and shifted back to supporting our children, our environment, our schools and our neighbors.”

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Toomey Crafts Bill To Exempt Religious Bodies From Health-Care Regs US Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) cosponsored the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act of 2011 (S 1467) today to address serious concerns with a new Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act regulation that forces members of religious entities to violate their deeply-held religious beliefs or potentially pay a heavy financial penalty.

The rule requires all group and individual health plans to provide coverage for prescription contraceptives and female sterilization, exempting only those religious

employers who primarily serve and employ individuals who share their religious tenets. Catholic hospitals, universities, colleges, nursing homes and charities would find it virtually impossible to comply with this narrow exemption, given the diverse population that they serve and their workforces.

The Respect for Rights of Conscience Act grants a meaningful exemption for religious entities. In addition, the legislation ensures the right of individuals to buy a health insurance policy that does not violate one’s personal beliefs

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and protects health-care providers from being forced to perform services that would violate their religious beliefs or moral convictions.

“I am extremely concerned this new regulation would force religious employers to violate their religious beliefs in order to keep their doors open,” Toomey said.

“Many Pennsylvania hospitals, charities and schools have expressed concerns about the effect this new regulation would have on their ability to operate and provide important community services.

The Respect for Rights of Conscience Act alleviates this problem by protecting the religious and moral rights of employers, individuals and health care providers. I hope President Obama will work with Congress to grant a meaningful exemption to protect the rights of religious entities.”

Bishop David Zubick of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh praised the measure, saying, “Sen. Toomey recognized this threat to religious liberty and has worked so hard to address it.”

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THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

21 OCTOBER, 2011

Casey Cosponsors Bipartisan Bill To Fight Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria US Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) has cosponsored the Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now Act, bipartisan legislation to spur development of new antibiotics to combat the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) introduced the legislation, which was also cosponsored by three other Senators.

“Antibiotic-resistant bacteria cost the US health-care system more than $20 billion a year and lead to countless preventable deaths,” said Casey. “This bill will spur the de-

velopment of new drugs to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which disproportionately affect children and the elderly and have increasingly affected our troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.”

The GAIN Act will provide incentives to increase the commercial value of innovative antibiotic drugs and streamline the regulatory process so that pioneering infectious disease products can reach patients. Antibiotic-resistant infections are on the rise, causing tens of thousands of deaths each year – disproportionately affecting children and the elderly – and

leading to $26 billion in extra costs annually to the US healthcare system.

The issue increasingly affects troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, as many of them have been exposed to a new, highly-resistant and contagious strain of Acinetobacter bacteria – 89% of infections caused by mutant strains of Acinetobacter are resistant to at least three classes of antibiotics and 15% are resistant to all forms of treatment.

Fattah: Study Shows IQ Can Change In Teenage Brains Congressman Chaka Fattah (DPhila.), senior Democrat on House Appropriations’ Commerce, Justice, Science & Related Agencies Subcommittee and leading Congressional neuroscience-research advocate, responded to intriguing new brain research in the journal Nature.

The Congressman Fattah said of this article, Verbal and non-verbal intelligence changes in the teenage brain, “This groundbreaking research calls into question so many of our assumptions; I want to thank the authors and 21 OCTOBER, 2011

sponsors for this impressive undertaking. We are called to reexamine our preconceived notions about the permanence and reliability of IQ in measuring the intellectual ‘potential’ of individuals.”

The new research found significant changes in teenagers’ IQs, up to a 20-point swing, are substantiated by MRI scans – counter to the long-held understanding that IQ remains stable across lifespan.

“I hope policymakers will see this preliminary research as a reason to continue to support interventions THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

throughout children’s development,” Fattah said. “More importantly, this study raises new and interesting questions about the brain. The authors themselves ask whether this ‘plasticity’ is present through the life of an individual, or speaks to the unique developmental phase of adolescence. I am excited about the new discoveries future research will provide.”

As the senior Democrat on CJS, Fattah has pursued a long-standing interest in cognitive brain function, brain disease and brain injury. This study touches on all |

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these issues by raising new and interesting questions about the brain.

He expects to make an announcement relating to future research in

these areas in the coming weeks.

nal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature10514.html

This article can be read at http://www.nature.com/nature/jour

Guv Taps Houstoun For SRC Board Gov. Tom Corbett yesterday nominated Feather O’Connor Houstoun to the Philadelphia School Reform Commission.

As the governing body of the School District of Philadelphia, the SRC is responsible for setting the policy direction of the school district and responsible for the academic achievements of its students.

“Feather Houstoun’s experience and depth of knowledge in public service will be a tremendous asset to help lead Philadelphia’s educational community,’’ Corbett said. “She understands many of the needs and challenges facing the children who attend our state’s largest public school system, and her experience running large public systems will bring a special expertise to the SRC.” “Feather Houstoun is one of Philadelphia’s most dedicated and accomplished public servants, and her appointment will help the SRC move forward with its difficult and critical work,” said Mayor Michael Nutter. “While serving at the William Penn Foundation, Feather left an undeniably positive and lasting impact on the entire Philadelphia region. As a SRC member, she would be able to bring her expertise and passion to improving the lives of Philadelphia’s students.”

Houstoun, 65, of Philadelphia, has served as president of the William Penn Foundation for the past six years. The foundation dispenses grants of $64 million annually in areas of arts and culture, 6|

children and youth, environment and communities.

In addition, Houstoun served as secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, during Gov. Tom Ridge’s administration, from 1995- 2003, and as the chief financial officer for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, SEPTA, from 1990-1995. She was also Treasurer of the state of New Jersey and a senior executive in the US Dept. of Housing & Urban Development.

“I think the thing that makes this a hopeful assignment is that you have an alignment of officials committed to working together for the schools in Philadelphia,” Houstoun said. “As challenging as the times are, the fact that the mayor and the governor are working together, productively and constructively to empower a new SRC – is very exciting.’’

Corbett’s nomination of Houstoun fills the vacancy created by Denise Armbrister, who resigned Oct. 19 after serving on the commission for the last four years.

Houstoun’s nomination will need to be confirmed by the state Senate for the unpaid position.

In June, Corbett nominated Pedro Ramos, an attorney with the Philadelphia law firm of Trujillo, Rodriguez & Richards, to serve on the commission.

His confirmation is still pending.

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21 OCTOBER, 2011

Phila. Women Named State’s ‘Distinguished Daughters’ Earlier this week, Gov. Tom Corbett and First Lady Susan Corbett recognized five outstanding women from Southeastern Pennsylvania as this year’s Distinguished Daughters of Pennsylvania.

The women were among nine honored at a luncheon at the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg, where they were presented with medals and citations for their achievements.

“As a lifelong Pennsylvanian, I’m proud to see these women representing the Commonwealth with such honor,” said Susan Corbett.

“These women are an inspiration for all Pennsylvanians.”

This year’s award recipients are: Penny Balkin Bach, of Philadelphia; Lorene Cary, of Philadelphia; Mary Werner DeNadai, of West Chester; Anna T. Meadows, MD, of Philadelphia; and Shelly D. Yanoff, of Mt. Airy.

“The women honored today show great commitment and dedication to improving the world around them,” said the Governor. “The leadership shown by each of them is impressive, and they represent Pennsylvania with great distinction.”

Distinguished Daughters of Pennsylvania began in 1948 as a way to 21 OCTOBER, 2011

honor women who have shown distinguished service through a professional career and/or voluntary service. The women are nominated to receive the honor by non-profit organizations within Pennsylvania. They do not need to be a native of Pennsylvania, but must have lived in the state.

Bach is executive director of the Fairmount Park Art Association, the nation’s first private nonprofit public art organization, chartered in 1872 and dedicated to the integration of public art and urban planning. A curator, writer and educator she provides artistic direction for the organization. Bach is a recognized leader in the field of public art, regionally, nationally and internationally. She serves as executive producer of the awardwinning Museum Without Walls, A multi-platform, interactive audio guide that engages the public with Philadelphia’s preeminent collection of outdoor sculpture. The first phase of this ongoing project features 51 sculptures and nearly 100 “voices” at 35 stops along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and Kelly Drive.

Cary is a highly respected author of fiction and nonfiction, a lecturer and social activist who writes about issues affecting race, the lives of women, education and growing up. Cary is a cultural leader and in 1998 founded Art Sanctuary, which seeks to bring THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

creators of the best of AfricanAmerican arts and letters to speak, lecture and perform in venues in Philadelphia’s inner city. The Free Library of Philadelphia chose her novel, The Price of a Child, as the book the entire city read and discussed in 2003. Cary’s newest book, If Sons, Then Heirs, was released in April 2011. She was recently nominated to serve on the School Reform Commission.

While still a student, DeNadai began working with John Milner; in 1984 they became partners in a practice focused on historic preservation. Throughout her career, DeNadai’s leadership skills have benefited organizations at the local, state, and national level. She chaired the Historic Preservation Board of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. She is an active member of the boards of AIA Philadelphia and AIA-PA, which nominated her for this award. She served as chairman of Preservation Action during a critical time in the organization’s history. DeNadai is trustee emerita of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, earning the Trust’s President’s Award in 2010. She has served as principal architect on significant projects such as Hemingway’s house in Havana, Cuba; the Majestic Theater in Gettysburg; the University of Pennsylvania Quadrangle Dormitories; and the Pennsylvania State Capital. In 2008, her work at Nemours Man|

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sion received the Silver Medal of AIA-PA. She has also received the Arthur Ross Award from Classical America, the AIA Medal of Distinction, and the 2010 Palladio Award.

Dr. Meadows, a retired professor of pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania, has spent decades working toward the successful treatment of children with cancer. Her mission has been to track how cancer survivors fare over their lifetime. Dr. Meadows’ work

concerning survivors and the aftermath of their cancers has been noted statewide, nationally and internationally, through her more than 220 publications, book chapters and lectures as well as through her voluntary participation on scientific committees, projects and training programs.

Yanoff is a leading advocate for children and youth and has been working tirelessly to that end for 30 years, having joined Public Citizens for Children & Youth as ex-

ecutive director in 1986. Yanoff is known for her insights on research reports and legislative hearings, leadership in rallies, and lobbying and passionate counsel regarding the important issues facing our children and youth. Yanoff has spent her working life giving of her time and skills to making a better life for today’s children by applying her political insights and deep knowledge of issues to expand the scope and quality of services to children.

Safety Award For Captain

COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE BLACKWELL presented a City Council community-service proclamation to Police Lt. John Walker at St. Jude Baptist Church in Mantua last evening. Announcement took place during a public-safety meeting hosted by Mothers In Charge leader Phyliss Gibson.

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THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

21 OCTOBER, 2011

Brown Honors Native Americans The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has unanimously adopted a resolution introduced by State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown (D-W. Phila.), which established Oct.8, 2011, as Indigenous Peoples Day in Pennsylvania.

Brown said the resolution (HR 440) “recognizes the importance of indigenous people of Pennsylvania, not only in history, but today as well, as more than 4,000

Philadelphians claim indigenous ancestry and there are thousands more throughout Pennsylvania.”

The history of Europeans interacting with the Native Americans dates back to at least the 1630s, and the Great Law of Peace of the Iroquois Confederacy influenced our early government structure, including the United States Constitution.

Brown said the native people have left their mark all over the state with their distinctive names, such as the Susquehanna and Allegheny Rivers, and towns such as Manayunk and Wissahickon, and even mountains, such as Kittatinny and Pocono.

“It is almost impossible to go through a day and not experience a place with an indigenous name,” Brown said.

Occupy Philly Releases Its First Message Supporters of the Occupy Wall Street movement have pointedly refrained from preparing any list of demands – a policy some critics charge weakens the protests.

Now, Occupy Philly, which has been in session in Dilworth Plaza for more than two weeks now, has issued its first communiqué this morning. It reads: “We, the General Assembly of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in solidarity with all other peaceful occupations in communities around the world, offer this first official message from our General Assembly to every other General Assembly on this planet. We arrived at this message through our process

21 OCTOBER, 2011

of direct democracy.

“We hereby invite the General Assemblies of the world to join us in organizing the first Regional General Assemblies, on a date to be determined by the consensus of all participating Assemblies. We hope for this discussion to lead to National General Assemblies in our respective countries and eventually an International General Assembly, if we all so choose. We hope for Online General Assemblies as well, and we look forward to getting to know the people of this global movement.

“Most importantly, we intend for this message to establish a precedent of direct assembly-to-assem-

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bly correspondence, which we believe should be the primary means through which this movement mobilizes and communicates. We can only unite, grow, and move forward together if we proceed with complete transparency and openness, as well as a firm commitment to direct democracy. Because our process – as much as any demand – is our message, we believe that this discussion alone represents a truly historic moment for our growing movement.

“From one democratic assembly to another, we appreciate your consideration and await your reply.”

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