Ron Panepinto Jewelers
Jim Stevenson
700 Sansom St. 215-923-1980
9371 ROOSEVELT BLVD. PHILADELPHIA, PA 19114 215-698-7000 JStevenson@ChapmanAutoGroup.com
www.PanepintoJewelers.com We Buy Gold & Diamonds
Serving Citywide Political, Labor, Legal and School Communities of Philadelphia
Vol. XII. No. 8 (Issue 526)
“The good things we do must be made a part of the public record”
Value 50¢
February 25, 2010
We Are Upbeat, But Crime Still Worries Us A new poll from The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Philadelphia Research Initiative shows Philadelphians are optimistic about their city’s prospects even though many of them have suffered personally as a result of the economic downturn of the past 18 months. One factor in their generally upbeat view appears to be a somewhat-diminished worry about crime, although crime still
outranks all other concerns about the city. As part of this annual benchmark survey, Philadelphians were asked to name the “one or two things they like least” about living in the city. This year, there was a 10 percentage-point drop in the number of people mentioning crime. The same trend was apparent when people who said they would like to move out of the city were asked why. For them, there was a 12 per-
centage-point drop in the crime mentions this year. Those attitudes are consistent with crime statistics; the number of major crimes in the city declined significantly in the past year. The overall mood of the city, while more positive than negative, is not as rosy as it was last January during the weeks leading up to the inauguration of Barack Obama. But it is more upbeat than it was
last April, when the Philadelphia Research Initiative conducted a poll during the City’s budget crisis. When Philadelphians are asked whether the city is headed in the right direction or has gone off on the wrong track, they choose the former by a margin of 41% to 34%. That’s down slightly from a year ago, when the margin was 46% to 37% in (Cont. Page 2)
Butkovitz Urges SEPTA To Curb Student Passes City Controller Alan Butkovitz is urging SEPTA to restrict the free student TransPass to 4:30 p.m., to help reduce the risk of youth violence. He believes that would have reduced the number of youths who rampaged through the Gallery last week. Currently, students with the TransPass have free unlimited travel on SEPTA’s subway and bus lines until 7 p.m. An audit by Butkovitz of Subway Safety found violence spikes between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., when students are dismissed from school. In a letter sent to Joseph Casey, It may shock the conscience of our SEPTA’s general manager, and prereaders to learn this week’s Health sented at a press conference TuesCare Summit is gearing up to be little day, Butkovitz said, “My office more than a battle of buzzwords, biconducted an audit of SEPTA’s subpartisan bickering, and backroom way security system – which found brokering. To your doctor, it is a that the free distribution of Student joke. TransPasses heightened the risk of Why? Imagine a legal reform that youth violence could and would summit with no lawyers. Or, an occur – both on and off the transit armed forces hearing without a single system.” soldier. Perhaps a banker-less budget For any student who participates debate. in an after-school activity, a special While lawyers will have a plenti(Cont. Page 2) (Cont. Page 2)
Roxborough Split Asunder Over 194th
Summit Excludes Doctors In Some House Races, Three Makes A Crowd
To Independent Voters See our Editorial P. 7 and learn why you do not count in the world of politics!
ALL SMILES at record crowd of 500 who turned out for his campaign kickoff campaign for 194th Legislative seat is Bill Morris, center, flanked by Dan Pellicciotti and John Fenton.
by Joe Shaheeli Whatever the cause, Roxborough and Manayunk are going through a political upheaval. Some say Rep. Katherine Manderino sensed the political frustration of potential challengers who had decided they would no longer quietly endure her long tenure of the 194th Legislative Dist. seat, forcing her into a tough campaign. Others suggest she was nagged by the fact it was time for her to pursue another career. No matter, her decision not to seek another term has opened up a battleground for Democratic voters (Cont. Page 17)
by Tony West Philadelphia's 28 House and seven Senatorial seats in the General Assembly are projected to see the bulk of their incumbents return in November. That's the call, since "all politics is local" and the most local of all are the House and Senate seats. They are almost impervious to the coattails, or lack of same, attached to Washington and global issues. Bill O’Reilly and Keith Olbermann won’t be riling up their voters. All the same, with additional candidates popping up each week, several races will be fiercely challenged. MAYOR’S OFFICE Of Education opened PhillyGoes2College Office in Most contentious is the 194th Dist. Room 115, City Hall. This innovative office, which costs taxpayers nothin Lower Merion Township and ing, will aid young graduates and adults find out how they can go to colWest and Northwest Philadelphia, lege. Inaugurating with Mayor Michael Nutter are, from left, State Sen. where five candidates from RoxborVincent Hughes, Council Education Committee Chair Jannie Blackwell, (Cont. Page 2) State Sen. Shirley Kitchen and CCP President Dr. Stephen Curtis.
Yes, Go To College!