Vol. II No. 202 (362)
Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia
December 16, 2011
Philadelphia Daily Record
Miracle Dog?
RESCUED FROM a gas chamber in Ala., Daniel the beagle has become a cause cÊlèbre among animal-rights activists who call this form of euthanasia inhumane. State Sen. Andrew Dinniman hopes to put an end to this practice in Penna. Story page 5.
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The Philadelphia Public Record Calendar
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Dec.15City’s Christmas Crèche dedication at NEC of Love Pk., 16th & Arch, adjacent to Christmas Village, 3 p.m. Carols by St. Francis Xavier School students. All invited. 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.
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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. 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. 20State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown hosts Winter Wonderland Open House at Sayre HS, 58th & Walnut Sts., 5 p.m. Clowns, face-painting, magic show, child-safety, constituent services. Santa will come with gifts for children. Free but must RSVP for ticket (215) 879-6615. Dec. 22State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown hosts Winter Wonderland Open House at HS for Future, 4021 Parkside Ave., 5 p.m. Clowns, face-painting, magic show, child-safety, constituent services. Santa will come with gifts for children. Free but must RSVP for ticket (215) 879-6615. Dec. 29Friends of Council Majority LeaderElect 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.
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Casey Wants SEC Probe Of China Scams To Tap US Capital Markets US Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) released a letter to Mary Schapiro, chairwoman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, calling on the agency to investigate how some Chinese solar companies are accessing US capital markets, a practice that is putting America’s solar industry at risk and exposing investors to potentially untold dangers.
“New reports indicate Chinese companies are using offshore holding companies to circumvent American legal barriers and gain access to American capital markets. Further, once these investments have been made, investors have limited shareholder protections and non-existent recourse against fraud.”
“Over and over again China has refused to play by the rules. It’s time for the SEC to get to the bottom of this and force them to do so,” the Senator said. “The demand for solar energy across the country is going up, and that increased demand should benefit US companies rather than Chinese companies who refuse to play by the rules.
Recent activity in the solar-energy industry illuminates the issues at hand. In recent years, a number of Chinese solar-panel producers set up shell companies in the Cayman Islands to sell shares on the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ. American investors responded, investing heavily in these companies. These investments quickly proved unwise as China
began to heavily subsidize its domestic solar industry and drive worldwide prices down, hurting the stock prices of the shell companies. Investors have no recourse to confront these situations. First, US investors cannot properly vet their investments. Under Chinese law, accounting data is confidential, which means investors cannot verify accounting data from Chinese firms. Without this verification, Chinese firms should not be allowed on US stock exchanges under any circumstances. Furthermore, even in cases of fraud, US investors are not able to regain their money, because China will never allow any US legal decision to be enforced.
Fattah Rolls Out Bill To Spur Coops Congressman Chaka Fattah (DPhila.), Congressional leader for the national cooperative movement, especially urban coops, introduced the National Cooperative Development Act yesterday. “It’s high time for cooperatives – a great idea that has emerged from and gained success in our urban neighborhoods as well as rural communities – to move onto the national radar,” said Fattah, whose Philadelphia district includes numerous thriving coops. “This leg-
islation brings federal resources and a policy priority to the effort.
tional Cooperative Development Center.
“Cooperatives are a special kind of economic stimulus. Cooperatives benefit the communities they serve while building opportunities for shared wealth. Cooperatives are truly vehicles for protecting the middle class and creating economic growth,” Fattah said.
Cooperatives are owned and controlled by the people who use the coop’s services or buy its goods. They range in size from the local corner store to Fortune 500 companies, and can include insurance, healthcare, housing, recreation materials and equipment as well as more traditional uses such as rural electricity. Overall, US cooperatives account for more than $3 trillion in assets, over $500 billion in
The Fattah bill, HR 3677, authorizes $25 million a year through 2016 to create and fund the Na-
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THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD total revenue, $25 billion in wages and benefits, and nearly 1 million jobs. “We have food deserts in low-income urban areas where food cooperatives are often the only enterprises willing to bring food security and nutrition while anchoring the buy-local campaigns we see happening everywhere,” Fattah said. “Every new or expanded cooperative, regardless of the goods or services it provides, will be a job creator and an economic engine where it’s most needed.” Fattah pointed out cooperatives still face many problems, including difficulty in gaining access to capital, which can stunt the growth of even the most successful enter-
prises. In addition, Fattah noted, “the unique nature of the cooperative ownership model requires that cooperative operators receive specialized training and assistance in setting up the governance, operations, and financial structures that are required to run a successful cooperative. “Co-ops need help the federal government will now be in a position to provide,” Fattah said. The National Cooperative Development Center will: Award grants to nonprofit organizations, colleges, and universities so that they can provide technical assistance to operating cooperatives or groups that are attempting
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to form cooperatives; Provide guidance, information on best practices and technical assistance to communities seeking to establish cooperatives; Create a revolving loan fund to provide loans and seed capital to groups who are attempting to form cooperatives; Provide funding for training of providers of technical assistance and supporting existing professional development training for organizations engaged in cooperative development; Establish cooperative development centers in areas that currently do not have them.
State Police Urge ‘Blue Light’ To Honor Fallen Officers Pennsylvania residents are asked to display a blue light in their home or office windows during the holiday season to remember fallen law enforcement officers and their survivors, State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan said yesterday. “Project Blue Light” was developed by COPS, or Concerns of Police Survivors, a nonprofit organization based in Missouri that represents more than 15,000 families of officers killed in the line of duty. In 1988, Dolly Craig wrote to COPS she would be putting blue candles in her livingroom window that holiday season to honor her
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THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD son-in-law, Daniel Gleason, who was killed in the line of duty while serving with the Philadelphia Police Dept. “The color blue is symbolic of peace,” Noonan said. “By display-
ing blue lights, you will show you support America’s law-enforcement officers. Any police officer passing by it on some dark, cold winter’s night will be warmed by the kindness it implies.”
Noonan said 93 members of the Pennsylvania State Police have been killed in the line of duty since the department’s founding in 1905.
Leach Hails Study Of State’s Death Penalty State Sen. Daylin Leach (DDelaware) was pleased the State Senate on Wednesday adopted SR 6, a measure that would create a bipartisan task force and advisory committee to study the capital punishment system in Pennsylvania. Leach, who previously drafted legislation that would repeal the death penalty, expressed satisfaction with the Senate resolution’s adoption. “It’s important to remember that the death penalty is a State program which, like all other programs, we must continually reevaluate,” Leach said. “Is it costeffective? Is it reliable? Does it ac-
complish its intended goals? These are all things that we need to examine, and I’m glad that my colleague Sen. Greenleaf offered a resolution to do so.” The task force will be comprised of four appointed senators and the advisory committee will consist of 30 members who have expertise in the state’s criminal justice system. To complete the study, the task force and advisory committee will receive assistance from the Justice Center for Research at Penn State, the Pennsylvania Interbranch Commission on Gender, Racial and Ethnic Fairness and the Pennsylvania Joint State Government Commission.
The study will address issues that could impact the effectiveness of the capital punishment system including cost, bias and unfairness, proportionality of crime to sentence, impact on and services for family members, mental illness and mental retardation, fairness of juries, the quality of counsel provided to capital defendants, alternatives, public opinion and other concerns. Leach noted that in 2007, the American Bar Association of Pennsylvania reported that Pennsylvania’s capital punishment system is racially and economically biased and runs the risk of executing innocent people.
Law Would Outlaw Painful Gas Chambers For Pets Through the efforts of State Senator Andy Dinniman and the passionate voices of animal advocates throughout the state, Daniel’s Law advanced in the Pennsylvania Senate, unanimously passing the Senate Ag and Rural Affairs Committee this week. The law will make it a crime for animals to be euthanized in a carbon dioxide gas chamber. Daniel’s Law was named after Daniel the beagle (http://www.danielthebeagle.com),
who survived an Alabama carbon monoxide gas chamber this fall. Since surviving the experience, Daniel has been adopted by New Jersey dog trainer Joseph Dwyer, and has embarked on a trail of animal advocacy that has taken him from the Statehouse to animal rights rallies to the Anderson Cooper television program. “Today is an important victory for thousands of animals in Pennsylvania, yet there are more than 30 other states that still permit the gas
chamber and other inhumane forms of animal euthanasia. These animals need someone to advocate for them,” said Dwyer. A listing of states that have banned this form of animal euthanasia, as well as those who allow carbon dioxide gas chambers, is available at http://www.danielthebeagle.com. Named after the Biblical figure who survived the lion’s den, Daniel is on a state-by-state mission to outlaw inhumane forms of animal euthanasia and promote an-
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THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD imal adoption. “Daniel’s story reflects that even the most perilous circumstances can ultimately lead to a positive outcome. We are tremendously
grateful for the leadership efforts of Sen. Dinniman in advancing Daniel’s law through the Statehouse. He is an example of how our state’s leaders protect not only
the interest of our human citizens, but those that can’t speak with a voice – our animal population,” said Dwyer.
Boyle Bros. Rejoice At Temple/Fox Chase Pact State Reps. Brendan and Kevin Boyle (both D-Northeast) released the following statements in response to the announcement Temple University Health System and Fox Chase Cancer Center have signed an affiliation agreement: “Fox Chase Cancer Center is a world-renowned facility that has
been an asset to the Fox Chase community,” said Brendan Boyle. “I hope this affiliation marks a new and innovative direction in cancer research and treatment in Philadelphia.” “Fox Chase Cancer Center has been a cornerstone of the community for decades. Its existence not
only helps fight cancer but serves as an engine of economic growth and jobs in the Fox Chase/Rockledge area,” said Kevin Boyle. “When I was elected to office last year, I pledged to do all I can to keep this facility operating in our community. This announcement demonstrates Fox Chase Cancer Center is here to stay.”
Friends Of Wissahickon Receives $10,000 Grant Friends of the Wissahickon has been awarded a grant of $10,000 from REI to support the Sustainable Trails Initiative, FOW’s multi-year project to make the 50 miles of National Recreation Trails in Wissahickon Valley Park a physically and socially sustainable system that works for all park users. “REI Conshohocken is thrilled to help support stewardship of the Wissahickon’s trails,” says Charles Kline, REI outreach coordinator. For 13 years, REI Conshohocken has joined FOW on workdays in the Wissahickon, part of Fairmount Park, supporting projects such as clearing trails and removing invasive plants. Community volunteers from FOW and REI will have the opportunity to help restore 3.3 miles of natural surface (dirt) trails within Wissahickon Valley Park between Bell’s Mill Road and Northwestern Avenue. These trails are widely used by the public for outdoor recreation and also serve 6|
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as the outdoor classroom for the Wissahickon Environmental Center environmental education programming. REI was founded in 1938 as a consumer cooperative to purchase high-quality outdoor equipment for its members. During the past six decades, REI has grown into a renowned supplier of specialty outdoor gear and clothing. The Friends of the Wissahickon, founded in 1924, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the Wissahickon Valley. FOW works in partnership with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation to restore historical structures throughout the park, eliminate invasive plant species, monitor watershed management issues, and restore trails throughout the Wissahickon Valley Park with its Sustainable Trails Initiative. For more information or to become a member, visit www.fow.org.
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Nudelman, Commercial Litigator, Joins Archer & Greiner Attorney Oleg V. Nudelman has joined Archer & Greiner PC as an Associate in the firm’s Commercial Litigation Group in Philadelphia. Prior to joining the firm, Nudelman was an associate in the Philadelphia office of Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads, LLP. His experience spans a broad range of complex commercial litigation, including patent matters, pharmaceutical litigation and corporate bankruptcy. Nudelman graduated from Haverford College in June 2005 with a BA in economics and growth and
structure of cities. He served as cochair of the Honor Council. Nudelman obtained his law degree, summa cum laude, in May 2009 from Washington & Lee University School of Law. While in law school, Nudelman served as a member of the Virginia Capital Case Clearinghouse and as a staff writer on the Washington & Lee Law Review. He is fluent in Russian. Born in Kiev, Ukraine, and raised in Cherry Hill, N.J., Nudelman currently resides in Philadelphia with his wife.
Archer & Greiner PC is a full-service regional law firm with more than 200 lawyers and eight offices in Haddonfield, Hackensack, Princeton and Flemington, N.J.; Philadelphia; New York, N.Y.; and Wilmington and Georgetown, Del. The Firm has been serving Fortune 100 clients, small to medium-sized businesses and individuals for more than 80 years. Each office provides full-service litigation and transactional capabilities in nearly every area of law including corporate, estate & trust, family & matrimonial, labor & employment, litigation, medical & personal injury and real-estate services.
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