Philadelphia Daily Record

Vol. II No. 201 (361)

Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia

December 15, 2011

Philadelphia Daily Record

No Law Against Lunch

PROTHONOTARY JOE EVERS threw his annual holiday party in Bonavitacola Law Library in City Hall yesterday. Everybody who’s anybody in and about the courts showed up. More pics page 6.

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The Philadelphia Public Record Calendar

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Dec. 15Berean Institute Christmas Open House at 1901 W. Girard Ave., 5-9 p.m. For info (215) 763-4833.

Dec. 15Christmas Celebration in 6300 block Germantown Ave., 6-7 p.m.

Corporate and community donations welcome! For more info, to make a donation, A. Neal (215) 438-1768 or A. Alexander (215) 844-9345.

Dec. 15Join Stephanie Singer for an evening of political comedy at “This Is the Week that Is”, 1812 Productions’ yearly political satire.

Tickets, $20, cover cost of theater ticket, plus a donation of any size (from $1 up to the legal individual maximum of $2,600). For info John Barber (484) 469-0633.

Dec. 17Volunteers needed to help wrap gifts for Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell’s Christmas Holiday Party for Homeless. Join her in City Hall Rm. 401, 9 a.m. Call to sign up (215) 686-3418.

Dec. 17Phila. Federation of Young Republicans hosts Christmas Party at Liberties, 705 N. 2nd St., 3-7 p.m.

Tickets $20.

Dec. 17Committee to Elect Brett Mandel hosts Auld Lang Syne cocktail reception at 2303 Lombard St., 6-8 p.m. Contributions $100 to $1,000. For info www.brettmandel.com.

Dec. 17Black Professionals Christmas Party at African American Museum, 7th & Arch Sts., 8 p.m.-1 a.m. $50 includes live music, entertainment. For info Earl Harvey (267) 244-3860.

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Dec. 17N.W. Futures PAC Christmas Bash at 5547 Germantown Ave., 9 p.m.1 a.m. $20. BYOB. For info Derek S. Green, Esq., (216) 205-4988.

Dec. 20Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell hosts City’s homeless at her annual Christmas Party at Pennsylvania Convention Ctr., 3-7 p.m.

Dec. 29Friends of Council Majority Leader-Elect Curtis Jones hosts “Black Out Party” at 4130 Main St., next to Manayunk Brewery, 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Dress in black. VIP Cocktail 6-8 p.m. $1,000 host, $500 sponsor, $250 VIP, $50 general admission, guest. For info Dorian Stanley (732) 642-2163.

Dec. 30Kwanzaa Dinner & Show fundraiser to send 50 students to Africa at Imhotep Charter HS, 6201 N. 21st St.,7-11 p.m. Tickets $40; seniors and children under 12, $30. For info Maisha Sullivan (215) 385-0214.

Jan. 2Inaugural celebration for Jewell Williams, Sheriff of Phila., at Horizons Rooftop Ballrm., Sheraton Hotel, 17th & Race Sts. Attire: boots and denim, and party gear.

RSVP JewellWilliams2011@gmail.com.

Jan. 3- S. Phila. Tea Party meeting at Prudential Savings Bank, entrance from parking lot in rear, 1834 Oregon Ave., 7 p.m. Guest speaker. All invited.

Apr. 262012 Centennial Pk. Celebration honoring Joseph Manko, Ryan Howard and Vanguard at Phila.

Horticultural Ctr., Montgomery Ave. & N. Horticultural Dr., 6 p.m.

For tickets, etc. Arthur (215) 9889341.

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Casey: Keep Tax Credit To Convert Homes To Gas US Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) called on Congress to extend the Residential Efficiency Tax Credit that is helping Pennsylvanians convert to natural gas at 12:30 p.m. today during a conference call. The tax credit, which expires at the end of

the year, puts $500 in the pockets of working families when they convert their home to natural gas or install other energy efficiency measures.

report showing 3 million Pennsylvanians are already using natural gas and say more will be able to convert if Congress extends this tax credit.

Casey released a county-by-county

Corbett Praises Senate For Advancing Marcellus Shale Law Gov. Tom Corbett yesterday thanked members of the Senate for advancing HB 1950, a comprehensive Marcellus Shale bill, to the House of Representatives.

“I thank Sen. Scarnati and his colleagues for their strong leadership on this issue,” Corbett said. “This is a significant step forward toward finalizing a strong and sensible Mar-

cellus Shale legislative package.”

dependence.

In October, Corbett outlined his Marcellus Shale proposal, which followed the work of the Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission and includes a plan to help create thousands of jobs for Pennsylvania residents, to enhance protection of our natural resources, and to move the Commonwealth toward energy in-

“While productive discussions are ongoing and continue to resolve the various issues related to Marcellus Shale, today’s action reaffirms the strong commitment of the Senate to achieve our common goals of safe and responsible natural gas development in Pennsylvania,” Corbett said.

Tartaglione: Senate Action Fuels Public Outrage State Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione (D-Kensington) issued the following statement last night on the decision from the chair to suddenly close voting on a taxpayer-friendly amendment to the Marcellus Shale bill despite requests for reconsideration: “The cynical and arbitrary actions of the majority on the floor of the

Senate tonight will only serve to feed the growing public outrage over the influence of corporations on those who are elected to serve people.

“The weight of wealthy energy companies on the regulation of Marcellus Shale drilling – from the formation of the governor’s commission to the unprecedented deci-

sion from the chair tonight – led to the collapse of Senate protocol by denying members the right to cast votes as they intended.

“In the end, democracy broke. The implications will be long-lasting for our environment, our communities, our taxpayers and our faith in a thorough and fair process of government.”

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THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

Suburban Residents Rally Against Shale Bill At Senator’s Office A group of constituents gathered outside of State Sen. Edwin Erickson’s (R-Delaware) office yesterday to voice their concerns about Marcellus Shale legislation. According to the organizers, the proposed legislation could dramatically weaken Pennsylvania’s local control laws and let Marcellus Shale gas drillers off of the hook from paying an appropriate impact fee.

“It’s outrageous that our legislators are about to give gas drillers this gift during the holiday season,” said PennEnvironment Field Di-

rector Adam Garber. “Sen. Erickson should give the gift of clean drinking water to all Pennsylvanians by voting no on this legislation, rejecting the billion-dollar gas drilling industry and their wellheeled lobbyists that roam the capitol.”

“HB1950, the so-called impact-fee bill, is a direct attack on Pennsylvania’s home towns and will destroy the ability of towns to protect residents from gas drilling and fracking. This basically puts the State and gas drillers in the driver’s seat when it comes to local

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zoning and planning,” said Maya van Rossum of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network.

The groups held rallies targeting Erickson, along with other moderate Republicans in Southeastern Pennsylvania, to highlight their vote that could severely damage local environmental controls and implement a weak impact fee.

The rally was organized by a coalition of environmental and civic organizations including PennEnvironment, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Sierra Club, Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, PennFuture, Clean Water Action, the League of Women Voters and Protecting our Waters. It is part of a series of rallies this week outside of Southeastern Senator offices who are seen as swing votes on this legislation: Sens. Erickson, Stewart Greenleaf (Montgomery), Senator Chuck McIlhinney (Bucks), John Rafferty (Montgomery) and Tommy Tomlinson (Bucks).

In the end, Erickson voted to move HB 1950, as did all other targeted legislators except Tomlinson. But all suburban Republicans voted for an amendment by State Sen. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne) which would have sharply increased drilling fees. This amendment (A7675) failed on a tie vote the first time. Greenleaf cast five other votes to strengthen gas-drilling regulation, McIlhinney three, Raf-

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THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD ferty two and Tomlinson one. All were defeated, however.

But a Republican staffer predicted the struggle over many of these is-

sues will continue in 2012.

Brownlee Opposes Abortion-Clinic Crackdown State Rep. Michelle Brownlee (DN. Phila.) said legislation that heavily impedes on women’s rights and health care passed the House this week.

SB 732 would require that the same regulations that currently apply to ambulatory surgical facilities be applicable to women’s health care facilities that perform abortions.

“We need to enforce the laws that are already on the books as they provide ample safeguards for women seeking abortions,” Brownlee said. “This bill has the potential to close many legally operating women’s health clinics that provide routine gynecological care and ultimately threaten the health

and safety of women throughout the Commonwealth.

“It is clear to me that this is more about limiting access to abortion and not the health and safety of women.”

The Senate agreed to the House amendments; therefore, the measure is now awaiting the Governor’s signature.

The House also passed legislation that would prohibit health insurance plans to cover abortions. HB 1977 would limit the scenarios where abortion would be deemed legally appropriate in order for an insurance plan to cover the procedure. The law would not allow women to use their own funds to

purchase health-insurance coverage that would include coverage for abortion procedures. A woman would have to purchase a separate policy to cover abortion procedures if the reasoning for the procedure fails to fall under the scope of the legislation.

“At a time where health care costs continue to rise, this puts yet another financial burden on women,” Brownlee said. “I voted against HB 1977 because it’s clearly an attempt at rescinding a woman’s right to choose.”

The measure is awaiting consideration by the Senate Banking & Insurance Committee.

Parents Warn Cuts Will Hurt Intellectual Disabilities Members of the Pennsylvania State House Human Services Committee expressed alarm Tuesday at the impact of across-theboard cuts in State funding to organizations that provide services to people with intellectual disability, and asked the Dept. of Public Welfare to meet with the providers and families testifying within 45 days with a plan to address the issues that were raised.

“If these providers have trouble

fulfilling their mission, we’re all going to be in a lot of trouble,” said State Rep. Thomas Murt (RNortheast), chair of the House Human Services Committee’s subcommittee on Mental Health. Murt presided over a hearing at the State Capitol called to discuss the 6% “rate-adjustment factor” the State’s Office of Developmental Programs implemented in November, which cut funding to organizations that provide residential and other support services to people

with intellectual disability.

Murt and many of his colleagues on the committee were clearly moved by the plight of service providers and by the testimony of parents, including Tom & Linda Michael who brought their 22year-old daughter Sarah to the hearing. The Michaels told of their anguish in learning that funds were unavailable to provide support for Sarah once she left high school. Born with an intellectual

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THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD disability, Sarah needs constant supervision and care, they said.

“The system offers us no relief,” Tom Michael said, “no programs, no funding, no help in any way.”

Michael argued that the cuts that

have been enacted will force many families to put their adult children in State institutions, as there will be fewer community organizations able to care for them in community homes and little support for families caring for adult children with special needs.

“The State has to provide institutional care at an estimated $200,000 a year,” Michael said, “that’s eight times the cost of the funding we requested for Sarah.”

Evers Throws ‘Court Record’ Wingding

SUPREME COURT JUSTICE Seamus McCaffery was a magnet for other party-goers who yearned to be photographed with him.

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HOST PROTHONOTARY Joe Evers, right, welcomes LIBEW political guru Brian Stevenson, center, and Leonard Armstrong to his party.

GREETING throngs of jurists and staffers who lined up 50 deep to pass Prothonotary’s sumptuous holiday buffet were staffers Darrel Young, Stanley Chmielewsky, Holly Clifford and Kevin Cross.

DAN RENDINE and Judge Pat Dugan share moment of companionship in Law Library.

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THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

Mayor Kicks In Carton Recycling Mayor Michael A. Nutter, the Philadelphia Streets Dept. and the Carton Council announced yesterday food and beverage cartons are now recyclable as a part of the City’s residential curbside recycling program. With this new service, nearly all household containers used by residents are now recyclable.

bring recycling innovation to our residents. This collaboration shows what can happen when government and companies work to create successful public-private partnerships. I am proud to be the mayor of a city with individuals and organizations that are dedicated to creating clean and green neighborhoods.”

The City is bringing carton recycling to its residents in a publicprivate partnership with the Carton Council, a group of carton manufacturers united to deliver longterm collaborative solutions in order to divert valuable cartons from the landfill. Philadelphia’s recycling diversion rate, the amount of materials diverted from the waste stream, currently stands at nearly 20%, reaching rates of more than 25% in some neighborhoods of the city.

Beginning immediately, residential households can place all empty, clean and dry food and beverage cartons in their recycling bins.

Commonly used carton containers include milk and juice cartons, along with soup and broth, soy milk, eggnog and wine cartons.

Nutter said, “We are proud to partner with the Carton Council to

The addition of cartons to the curbside recycling program will enable residents to earn more Philadelphia Recycling Rewards points and properly dispose of commonly used holiday materials.

bin is a great way to earn more Recycling Rewards points, which can be redeemed during the holiday season to purchase gifts for your friends and family,” said Streets Commissioner Clarena I. W. Tolson.

The Carton Council’s collaboration with the City of Philadelphia serves as a model for how other cities can promote and implement carton recycling in their communities. “Carton recycling is a win for Philadelphia’s residents and the environment,” said Derric Brown, director of sustainability for Evergreen Packaging, a Carton Council member. The Carton Council is a group of carton manufacturer united to deliver long-term collaborative solutions in order to divert valuable cartons from the landfill.

The members of the Carton Council are Elopak, Evergreen Packaging, SIG/SIG Combibloc and Tetra Pak.

“Adding cartons to your recycling

Butkovitz Reports Library Employees Cheated City In response to a local Fox TV investigation that alleged Philadelphia Free Library maintenance employees were working on projects unrelated to their jobs during assigned work hours, City Controller Alan Butkovitz released the results of his own investigation and an expanded audit of the Library’s building-maintenance operations.

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Entitled Review of Building Maintenance Operations within the Free Library of Philadelphia, the investigative report found significant opportunities existed for maintenance employees to fraudulently report their work locations as well as their work time.

Butkovitz found these opportuni-

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ties existed because there was no oversight of the Library’s maintenance department and its employees, including no accountability over employees’ time and work assignments. He also found there were no policies in place detailing the procedure for assigning work projects, supervising employees and reporting when specific projects were completed. There were

THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD also no established time standards for how long specific tasks should take to complete.

“Library management clearly failed to design and adopt appropriate procedures to monitor the work of its employees and supervise them,” said Butkovitz. “These conditions created opportunities for Library maintenance employees to abuse and waste time at work – as well as possibly commit fraud by working privately at the same time they were getting paid by the City.”

By examining Library’s records for the selected date, the painter was logged as having worked 14.5 hours, which included 6.5 hours

overtime, at the Frankford Library for a project that required cleaning and repainting the ceiling of the men’s public restroom. On the same day the painter was logged for having worked 14.5 hours for the City from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., the Fox TV news team observed the painter at his home from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and again from 3:40 p.m. to 4:52 p.m.

At 5:17 p.m., the news team videotaped the painter returning to the Library’s Center Branch.

“While Library management assigned the job to the painter, there was no indication as to how many hours were needed to complete the repair work,” said Butkovitz. “Additionally, Library management

had no system for documenting whether the work was actually completed or not – and there was no evidence spot checks were performed by supervisors.”

“This maintenance worker was allowed to cheat the city by earning pay that he did not deserve, and it was pay that he should have never received,” said Butkovitz.

“It’s completely unacceptable for a City department to operate under its own rules and not abide by the City’s regulations,” said Butkovitz. “Library management needs to cease paying ineligible employees for stand-by duty immediately.”

Running For Health HEALTH PARTNERS held its holiday Well Party yesterday. Hundreds of people lined up for family fun, important wellness information and photos with Santa Roo, Health Partners mascot. From left are Bill George, president and CEO of Health Partners; Santa Roo; Celine Vasquez of N. Phila.; and Chi Dang, Health Partners community outreach specialist. Front, Jaliah Tomoney, Najia Colon, Charlize Colon, Amirah Tomoney, all from N. Phila.

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THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

Abington Hosp. Expands Partnership With CHOP Abington Memorial Hospital has recently expanded its partnership with CHOP, offering around-theclock surgical coverage and convenient access to CHOP’s newly expanded and relocated Specialty Care Center located on Abington Memorial Hospital’s campus.

In addition to providing pediatric surgical services, Abington physician and director of Pediatric Surgical Services, Ala Frey, MD, now also sees patients in the CHOP Specialty Care Center at Abington located at Abington Memorial Hospital. Joining Frey and the Abington medical staff is Pablo Laje, MD. Both surgeons will perform surgical procedures at Abington Memorial Hospital and CHOP, providing full coverage for pedi-

atric surgical care.

As a notable pediatric surgeon, Frey has co-authored various scientific studies presented before the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Pediatric Surgical Association. She has also been the co-author of papers published in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery and Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine, among others. Frey has re-

ceived numerous awards, among them the City of Philadelphia “Next Generation of Women Leadership Award.”

Laje is a fellowship trained pediatric surgeon from CHOP. He has contributed to multiple international articles and presentations.

The CHOP Specialty Care Center at Abington is a 4,600-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility specially designed to meet the needs of children, with eight exam rooms, two physician consult rooms and laboratory space, which opened in spring 2011. The new office consolidates pediatric specialists in cardiology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, pulmonary medicine and surgery into one location on the Abington campus.

The partnership between CHOP and Abington Health has been ongoing for more than 20 years in which pediatric hospitalists provide inpatient medical care for children in a 15-bed facility, as well as consultation to the emergency department.

Penn Vet Opens Minimally-Invasive Surgery Suite The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine recently opened its new, state-of-theart minimally invasive surgical suite at the Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital. The Buerger Family Foundation Surgery Suite is the first of its kind in any veterinary teaching hospital and is one of the only operating rooms in veterinary medicine that offers a comprehensive array of minimally invasive surgical procedures for companion animals. The Buerger Family Foundation named the suite with their generous gift to support the construction as well as the Minimally Invasive Shelter Animal Spay Program.

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dures allow for quicker recovery times, shorter hospital stays and less opportunity for post-surgery infection. Types of procedures available in the Ryan Hospital suite include: Arthroscopy Laparoscopy Thoracoscopy Interventional radiology Interventional endoscopy Minimally invasive fracture repair.

Complete with video conferencing capability, surgical images can be sent anywhere, allowing true telemedicine for real-time collaboration with referring veterinarians, sharing information with colleagues on either of Penn Vet’s campuses, or for use in the class-

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room. Images can be recorded as video or still images.

Lillian R. Aronson, VMD, chief of surgery at Ryan Hospital, said, “Not only will the tools and equipment in this amazing facility allow us to better prepare the next generation of vets with these specialized skills, we will now be capable of providing our clients an option for less-invasive, less-painful surgeries for their beloved pets.”

In addition to providing an option to clients, the School’s Shelter Animal Medicine Program will benefit from having access to these advanced tools so that minimally invasive spays and neuters of shelter animals can be provided.

THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

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