Vol. II No. 183 (343)
Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia
November 15, 2011
Philadelphia Daily Record
Winners
HUNDREDS of World War II vets were honored on Veterans Day by Union League. They were cheered as they marched into the Great Hall. S. Phila.’s Babe Hefron (featured in TV series “Band of Brothers”) is thanked for his service by General David Rodriguez, FORCECOM Commander. Photo by Joe Stivala
THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD
The Philadelphia Public Record Calendar When You Want Your Roof To Be Done Right The First Time
Nov. 17-
FOP Auxiliary presents Ladies Night, holiday-shopping demos at 1336 Spring Garden St., 6-9 p.m. Many vendors. Snacks, beer, wine & soda. Free. For info Donna Giulian (215) 820-0865.
saxophonist John Williams & band and a special awards ceremony. Tickets $20. For info Yanina (856) 228-5040, Crystal (215) 375-6267 or Norm (215) 5887838.
Nov. 17-
Community Con- Nov. 21versation with State Rep. Rosita Youngblood at Indochinese American Council, 4934 Old York Rd., 6-8 p.m.
Phila. Tea Party Patriots invite all to meeting at Prudential Bank, 1834 W. Oregon Ave., 7 p.m. Entrance and parking in rear.
Nov. 17-
“Education Over Incarcertaion Youth Town Hall Meeting hosted by Chairman Ron Waters and the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, 5 to 7 pm at West Phialdelphia High School,49th and Chestnut. For more info call 717772-6955.
Nov. 18-
Bobbie Carter Foundation celebrates 10 years of service with Jazzin’ 4 Diabetes at Park Avenue Banquet Hall, 4942 Parkside Ave., 7 p.m.-12 a.m. Festivities include butler hors d’oeuvres, silent auction, dinner,
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THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD
Casey Brings In SEPTA Bucks US Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) today announced the US Dept. of Transportation is awarding SETPA two grants totaling $6.44 million for improvements to make the system cleaner and more reliable. “These grants will help SEPTA continue to become cleaner and more dependable,” said the Senator. “With this funding, SEPTA can provide riders with highquality transportation while reducing costs and emissions.” Casey urged approval of the grants in letters of support earlier this year. SEPTA was awarded $5 million for the replacement of diesel buses that have exceeded their useful life with hybrid buses through the DOT’s Clean Fuels Program, which helps communities control ozone and carbon-monoxide pollution while supporting emerging clean-fuel and advanced-propulsion technologies for transit buses. SEPTA was also awarded a $1.44 million grant for energystorage devices on the MarketFrankford Line through DOT’s Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas & Energy Reduction Program, which works directly with public-transportation agencies to implement new strategies for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and/or reduce energy use within transit operations. The devices will allow SEPTA to make notable reductions in energy consumption and will serve
as a model for implementation throughout the SEPTA system.
power as it relates to natural gas drilling; and
Hughes: Republican Marcellus Shale Plan Falls Short
• provided a higher distribution of funds to environmental protection programs like Growing Greener.
State Senate Democratic Appropriations chair, Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-W. Phila.), criticized the Senate Appropriations Committee’s approval of Marcellus Shale legislation yesterday. His remarks follow:
“We believe the Senate Republican shale plan is a missed opportunity that gives the gas industry a pass,” Hughes said. “The Republican plan should be discarded in favor of a proposal that protects Pennsylvania’s interests.”
“The Republican plan for Marcellus Shale falls well short of acceptable. The tax plan will rank among the five lowest effective tax rates in the country. Senate Democrats offered a reasonable and competitive alternative shale-tax plan as an amendment. “Their plan does not generate enough revenues from energy extraction and it fails to provide sufficient environmental protections. It does not respect local zoning and will create hardship in our communities as they deal with adverse impacts. “Senate Democrats offered an amendment, which would have been included with Marcellus Shale legislation (Senate Bill 1100), and would have: • provided a higher impact fee of $75,000 in the first year;
After the Democratic amendment was defeated, Hughes voted against the bill.
Governor Says Ramos Confirmed Gov. Tom Corbett yesterday announced two Philadelphia-area educational nominees have been confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate. Now sitting on the State Board of Education is Colleen A. Sheehan of Wayne, Pa. Pedro A. Ramos has been confirmed on the Philadelphia School Reform Commission.
• improved setback requirements to add 500 feet from the edge of the well pad;
Children & Youth Committee Hears Child-Welfare Testimony
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State Rep. Louise Williams Bishop
totally preserved local zoning
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THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD (D-W. Phila.), Democratic chairwoman of the House Children & Youth Committee, announced the committee held an informational hearing highlighting child-welfare services in Pennsylvania. “We are in the aftermath of devastating incidents of alleged child abuse,” Bishop said. “Some of us have a hard time dealing with these series of events because they are so horrific. The testifiers at yesterday’s hearing presented us with information valuable to the process of supporting and protecting our children.” Anne Marie Ambrose of the Philadelphia Dept. of Human Services and Judge Kevin Dougherty of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas discussed the collaborative efforts in supporting children. They explained how the court system, DHS and the School District of Philadelphia must work together to properly serve youth and their families. Others testifying included Chuck Songer, executive director of Pennsylvania Children & Youth Administrators, Inc.; Bev Mackereth, deputy director of the Office of Children, Youth & Families at the State Dept. of Public Welfare; and Bernadette Bianchi of the Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth & Family Services. The Children & Youth Committee has scheduled additional hearings on Family Group Decision Making and the recent events at the Pennsylvania State University in the wake of the allegations against former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.
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ness, Curfew Bills Mayor Michael A. Nutter signed three bills into law yesterday. One piece of City Council legislation eliminates business taxes and fees for new businesses that create jobs. A second bill establishes broad tax reduction for all businesses and a new structure for computing certain business taxes that will reward businesses located in the City of Philadelphia. “Together these path-breaking bills make Philadelphia more competitive, lessening the tax burden on firms based in Philadelphia and providing a particular benefit to new businesses and small businesses. They make doing business in Philadelphia easier,” said the Mayor. Reflecting on his first-term efforts to position the City for future economic growth, Nutter added, “Since taking office in 2008, this Administration and City Council have taken significant steps to reform each of our three largest taxes. We’ve lowered the resident wage tax below 4% for the first time in more than three decades. We’ve taken key steps in fixing our property tax system to ensure that assessments are fair, understandable and equitable, and now we have changed the structure of the business tax, creating conditions that are more attractive for businesses to start up and to grow in Philadelphia.” The Nutter administration came to agreement with the sponsors of the two bills after Administration and Council negotiators amended the
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legislation to take account of the significant budgetary impacts each bill would have on a city budget still coping with a recession weakened economy. A bill authored by Councilman James Kenney exempts new businesses from paying the businessprivilege tax during its first two years so long as the business has three employees who are not family members after the first year in business and at least six employees during part of the second year in business. In addition, the bill waives all fees for these new businesses for a variety of licenses and registrations, including the business-privilege license. A second bill sponsored by Councilwoman María Quiñones Sánchez and Councilman Bill Green has three components: a phased-in exclusion of the first $100,000 in gross receipts from the BPT and a proportionate share of the net income from BPT; and a change in the net-income portion of the BPT from being based on the amount of sales, property and payroll a company has in Philadelphia to the sales the company has in Philadelphia. This reform is commonly called the single salesfactor apportionment. Finally, there is a change in the planned reductions in the gross receipts and net income rates as had been planned in the Five Year Plan. The bill would eliminate the planned cuts in the gross receipts portion and slow down the earlier planned cuts in the net-income portion. The phase in for the exclusion of
THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD the first $100,000 in taxable receipts starts in tax year 2014 when the first $50,000 is excluded. For tax year 2015, the exclusion rises to $75,000, and the full exclusion for $100,000 in taxable receipts received by any person or business subject to the BPT begins in the 2016 tax year. Finance Director Rob Dubow said the estimated cost of the two bills during the FY2013-2017 Five Year Plan is about $53 million. In further action, the Mayor signed legislation establishing an updated curfew for all minors in the City of Philadelphia. The new ordinance creates an evening curfew if the minor is outside without a parent or legal guardian. Additionally, the legislation creates a penalty of up to $500 for the parents of youth committing curfew violations. “I would like to thank City Council for passing this legislation
quickly, which will help keep safe our citizens, especially our young people,” said Mayor Nutter. “A curfew has been in effect in Philadelphia since 1955. By adopting this legislation, we are updating and enforcing a law that was already on the books. During this past summer, our city was faced with a small percentage of our city’s youth impacting all of our citizens. This law will help our law enforcement to respond more effectively and quickly to apprehend the offenders.” Through the updated law, minors 13 and under will have a curfew of 8:00 p.m. during the school year and 9:00 p.m. during the summer. Minors ages 14 through 15 will have a 9:00 p.m. curfew during the school year and a 10:00 p.m. curfew during the summer. Minors ages 16 and 17 will have a 10:00 p.m. curfew during the school year and an 11:00 p.m. curfew during the summer.
If caught breaking curfew, minors will be transported to the PPD district station where their parents or guardians will be contacted. They will receive a notice or citation when they collect their child from the station. If a parent or guardian cannot be reached, PPD will contact DHS to initiate an investigation. Minors can be temporarily excused from the curfew if engaged in lawful employment, participating in legitimate business as directed by the minor’s parents, on active duty with the US Armed Services, or if the minor is with a parent or guardian. Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds-Brown added, “This measure gives law enforcement officials an important tool that they have requested to deter youth violence. Provided that it is used fairly and compassionately, it can be an important piece of the puzzle to building a safer city.”
Boxing Legends Descend On Town To Honor Joe
RENOWNED boxers were everywhere at funeral dinner event at Galdo’s Catering in S. Phila. for Champion Joe Frazier. Here Leon Sikes and Nat Miller pose fighter-style. • PHILADELPHIADAILYRECORD.COM
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THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD
HOSTS for over 400 who attended funeral dinner in front of memorabilia honoring Champion Joe Frazier included Dr. Nicholas DePace, Joe Venie and host Lou Galdo. With them, left, is Veteran Boxers Association’s Fred Druding. Display case included photo taken by Joe Frazier and Lou Galdo 30 years earlier at Palumbo’s.
Retailers Give New Winter Coats To Students Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug and Catherines have donated new winter coats through the “Keeping Kids Warm Program”, with the first of five schools, Anna Pratt ES students, receiving their coats tomorrow.
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This is the Keeping Kids Warm program’s 16th year of giving. To date, Charming Shoppes’ brands have donated over 150,000 winter coats to elementary students all over America in such cities as Minneapolis, Cleveland, Chicago,
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Columbus, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Syracuse, Newark and many others.