Pr 907 p

Vol. XIII No. 24

Issue 907

June 15, 2017

“The good things we do must be made a part of the public record”

PhiladelphiaPublicRecord

ODUNDE SIZZLES

@phillyrecord

PhillyRecord

PhillyRecord.com

NEW WAY TO BALANCE THE BUDGET? SEE P. 7

“BETTER THAN EVER” was the consensus on this year’s Odunde Festival. L-R: Gov. Tom Wolf, organizer Bumi Fernandez, Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, State Representative Jordan Harris, Mayor Jim Kenney (sporting a Bob Marley “Satisfy My Soul” t-shirt) and Stanley Straughter. Photo by Leona Dixon

JU N E 15, 2017

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COUNCIL WILL START GUN VIOLENCE STUDY

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ITY COUNCIL President Darrell L. Clarke (5th), with Councilmen Kenyatta Johnson (2nd) and Curtis Jones, Jr. (4th) introduced a resolution last week to authorize a Special Committee on Gun Violence Prevention that will convene research and leaders from sectors including government, law enforcement, public health, social services, and community development.

While cities across the country, including Philadelphia, have seen dramatic reductions in violent crime over the last two decades, the proliferation of firearms via legal and illegal transactions has been largely unchecked.

In Philadelphia, shootings occur at a rate of more than three per day. Of the more than 3,000 Philadelphians killed over the last decade, 83% were killed with a gun.

Approximately 480 people have been shot in Philadelphia this year, of which more than 100 have died.

“The Special Committee will allow city government to take a comprehensive look at everything from community-level to international strategies that are seeing success, so that we can have an informed conversation about innovations that Philadelphia should adopt or expand,” said Johnson, vice chair of the Committee on Public Safety and author of the resolution.

The mission of the Special Committee on Gun Violence Prevention will include: analyzing the outcomes of existing gun-violence prevention efforts; identifying local and national strategies that have seen positive outcomes; increasing the city’s capacity for data collection and analysis of

violent incidents; developing metrics to measure progress toward strategic goals; reviewing allocation of city resources to ensure optimization of results; and improving intragovernmental and cross-sector coordination on gun-violence prevention efforts.

In addition, the Special Committee will serve as a coordinator for gun-violence prevention efforts across sectors, neighborhoods and disciplines, many of which are not currently connected to or in consistent communication with one another.

“Random violence can touch us all at any time.

We are fortunate to have Councilman David Oh here with us today. The families of Dominique Gainey and Irell Williams, shot the same night Councilman Oh was stabbed, are not so lucky,” Clarke added.

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS GET WOLF’S BOOST

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OV. TOM WOLF, Department of Human Services Secretary Ted Dallas and Department of Education Secretary Pedro A. Rivera announced an investment in Philadelphia City community schools to leverage and connect schools to the large array of health-related services that are available for Philadelphia’s children.

This strategic investment of $1.5 million will improve health, school attendance and academic achievement for children who attend community schools in the North Philadelphia Health Enterprise Zone.

“As our schools focus on teaching and learning, educators know that we cannot separate the success of schools from the needs of the community,” Wolf said “Schools can’t deliver effective instruction if students are hungry, if children are not healthy, if they have needs, if children are worrying where they are going

to sleep that night. This program, along with delivering more funding and resources to schools, will help teachers teach and students learn.”

The North Philadelphia Health Enterprise Zone encompasses an area from Spring Garden Street north to Olney and from Frankford in the east to Germantown in the west. In these ZIP codes, 31% of the people live under the federal poverty line.

Pilot projects will be conducted in four elementary schools in the HEZ: James Logan Elementary, William Cramp Elementary, Edward Gideon Elementary/Middle, and Bethune Elementary.

This HEZ seeks to create a strategic alliance led by DHS and launch a five-year project in the ZIP codes surrounding the eight-mile stretch of Broad Street from Cheltenham Avenue to City Hall: 19120-26; 30; 1913234; 19138; 19140-41; and 19144.

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DIST. 1199C GRADUATES 200 TRAINEES

With the UNIONS

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ISTRICT 1199C Training & Upgrading Fund held its Graduation and Recognition Ceremony at the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts on June 1. During the ceremony, more than 200 graduates received recognition for their successful completion

of District 1199C’s health care training, apprenticeship and other adult-education programs.

Of these graduates, more than 70 were recognized as new apprentices in non-traditional Registered Apprenticeship Programs. The apprenticeships include six new Community Health Workers, 30+ Early Childhood Education Teachers, 15+ Direct Support Professionals, 15 Nurse Aides, and 15 Advance Home Health Aides.

District 1199C also recognized the 26 students in the newly created Pre-Apprenticeship Program in Behavioral Health, which serves as a preliminary pipeline to in-demand careers for

NUUHCE President Henry Nicholas addressed a hall full of trainees in Philadelphia’s booming health care industry.

out-of-school, out-of-work young adults who qualify for employment as Direct Services Professional apprentices. All of these programs are the first of their kind in Philadelphia, and some are the first of their

kind in the entire country.

“Tonight we not only recognize the achievements of our many program graduates, but also the local employers who are actively recruiting our graduates for immediate placements

into good-paying jobs,” said Cheryl Feldman, executive director of District 1199C. “We are so proud of our graduates, and look forward to watching them grow and prosper amongst our many employer partners.”

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WATERING FARNESE’S GARDEN

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CHINATOWN RALLIES FOR SQUILLA

AT THE popular Johnnie Walker Lounge in Chinatown, Councilman Mark Squilla drew a crowd of supporters like Kenny Poon, L, and David Taing.

Photos by Wendell Douglas

JOYCE SO, L, and Adam Xu flanked the Councilman at the fashionable Asian bar.

FUNDRAISERS are one thing; fundraisers at the swanky Waterworks overlooking the Schuylkill are a treat. Many turned out for State Sen. Larry Farnese’s spring affair, including, L-R, Farnese’s predecessor in the Senate, Vince Fumo, Farnese and 39th District Ward Leader Matty Myers. Photos by Wendell Douglas

BOB HILL, L, joined Yvette & John Rocco at the Johnnie Walker Lounge.

L-R, Mun Chan shared a moment with Councilman Squilla and 2nd District Ward Leader Ed Nesmith.

L-R WERE congressional candidate Dan Muroff, Ward Leader John Sabatina, Sr., City Controller candidate Rebecca Rhynhart and political operative Kellan White.

STATE SEN. Larry Farnese cracks up at a joke by the ever-witty former City Controller Jonathan Saidel.

Philadelphia - A new report has just been released which reveals 7 costly mistakes that most homeowners make when selling their home, and a 9 Step System that can help you sell your home fast and for the most amount of money.

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As this report uncovers, most homesellers make 7 deadly mistakes that cost them literally thousands of dollars. The good news is that each and every one of these mistakes is entirely preventable. In answer to this issue, industry insiders have prepared a free special report entitled “The 9 Step System to Get Your Home Sold Fast and For Top Dollar”.

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Get your free special report NOW to find out how you can get the most money for your home.

This report is courtesy of Larry Levin, Coldwell Banker Preferred. Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract. Copyright © 2014

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7 Things You Must Know Before Putting Your Philly Home Up for Sale

JU N E 15, 2017

DROPPING by Farnese’s affair were, L-R, Anthony Gallagher, Carol Tinari and Lt. Gov. Mike Stack.

PENSION DEAL IS SWEET FOR WOLF

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POLS on the STREET

BY JOE SHAHEELI OMING to grips with an important piece of Pennsylvania’s looming pension-funding overhang was a bipartisan coup that should make most incumbents look competent and responsible. By our take, though, it is obvious Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf is the prime winner.

That’s because most Republicans in the General

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Representative JU N E 15, 2017

Vanessa Lowery Brown 190th Legislative District

Assembly hold safe seats.

Barring a national meltdown in 2018, they have little to fear; and even if a Democratic wave develops, Republican incumbents statewide can point to their pension votes as evidence of their pragmatic, bipartisan temperament.

Wolf’s seat, on the other hand, must be considered vulnerable, given the strong rightward tilt in the Keystone State last year and the tendency of Republican voters to turn out in greater numbers in off-year elections. Now it will be difficult for Republican challengers to paint him as a reckless manager. While it took many Republicans to negotiate the pension deal, the electorate tends to look to the man at the top for credit or blame.

This time, it’s credit. Pennsylvania’s pension deal has drawn widespread praise State Rep.

William Keller 184th District 1531 S. 2nd Street

1435 N. 52nd St. Phila. PA 19131 (215) 879-6615

215-271-9190

Always Hard At Work for You!

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State Senator

Anthony Hardy Williams 8th Senatorial District

2901 ISLAND AVE. STE 100 PHILADELPHIA, PA 19153 (215) 492-2980 FAX: (215) 492-2990 ---419 CHURCH LANE YEADON, PA 19050 (610) 284-7335 FAX: (610) 284-5955 6630 LINDBERGH BLVD.

2103 SNYDER AVENUE PHILADELPHIA, PA 19145 (215) 755-9185 FAX: (215) 952-3375 ---SENATE BOX 203008 HARRISBURG, PA 17120 ROOM: 11 EAST WING (717) 787-5970 FAX: (717) 772-0574

“Paid for with Pennsylvanian taxpayer dollars”

from all sectors of the commonwealth and the governor is entitled to crow about it.

“Governors in years past have tried and failed to reform our pension system, allowing politics as usual to persist in Harrisburg and our commonwealth’s fiscal problems to grow,” Wolf said in his first statement after signing SB 1. “Today, we took another step toward fixing Harrisburg and putting the financial security of Pennsylvania first.

“After working together with a bipartisan group of legislators, I signed SB 1 to reform our state pension system by reducing risk to Pennsylvania taxpayers, continuing to pay down our debt, and slashing Wall Street fees while still offering state employees fair benefits and easing the financial burden on our school districts in the long term.

“The Pew Charitable Trusts,” Wolf went on, “called it ‘one of the most – if not the most – comprehensive and impactful reforms any state has implemented,’ and

MINORITY BUSINESS OPS

A MINORITY business networking forum was organized by Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, C, at Peirce College. Partnering agencies included PGW, the Navy Yard, PIDC, Rebuild, the School District, PHDC, the Airport, SEPTA Capital Partners and the PhilaPort Southport expansion. Photo by Wendell Douglas

a group of leading business organizations in Pennsylvania joined together to call this bill ‘historic and meaningful legislation.’”

The Pennsylvania School Boards Association is also on board. Soaring pension liabilities have led to painful local tax hikes in recent years. Now this body “applauds the recent passage of Senate Bill 1, which makes significant changes to reform the state’s troubled pension system for state and school employees.

“This plan is a positive step forward in enacting mean-

State Rep. Jason

ingful reforms that will reduce employer costs over time,” said PSBA Executive Director Nathan Mains. “SB 1 ensures that our schools will have a retirement plan that provides options for future employees in a fair manner that is both competitive and sustainable.”

“PSBA has been leading the call for pension reform for more than a decade. In 2006, the association created a pension study commission with statewide representation that reviewed the topic and issued a report with recommendations, many of which City Commissioner

Dawkins

Lisa M.

District Office: 4667 Paul St. Philadelphia, PA 19124 (215) 744-7901 M. – Th.: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

F.: 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Room 132 City Hall

Deeley Philadelphia PA 19107

215-686-3460

State Rep.

Councilman

Mark

Joanna E.

Squilla

McClinton 191st Leg. Dist.

6027 Ludlow St. Unit A Phila., PA 19139

1st District City Hall Room 332

T: (215) 748-6712 F: (215) 748-1687

215-686-3458/59

Room 506 City Hall P. 215-686-3446/7 F. 215-686-1927

Represintative

Angel Cruz

District Office 3503 ‘B’ St. 215-291-5643 Ready to Serve you

Boyle

198th District

310 W. Chelten Ave.

172nd Dist.

7420 Frankford Ave. Phila., PA 19136

Phila PA 19148

P: 215-849-6426

215-331-2600 State Rep.

John

Donna

(R) 177th Dist.

4725 Richmond St. Phila., PA 19137

195th Leg. Dist.

2835 W. Girard Ave Phila, PA 19130

215-744-2600

D-185th District 2901 S. 19th St. Phila PA 19145 P: 215-468-1515 F: 215-952-1164

Greenlee

Kevin J.

Youngblood

Taylor

Donatucci

Councilman Wm.

State Rep.

Rep. Rosita

State Rep.

Rep.Maria P.

are similar to those in SB 1, such as a hybrid system for future employees,” Mains continued.

“SB 1 successfully focuses on the long-term advantages by gradually shifting the investment, inflation and longevity risks away from the state and school districts, thus providing the protection and relief school employers have been asking for.”

Even the rightwing Commonwealth Foundation found itself in the rare position of having to compliment the governor (Cont. Next Page)

Bullock T: (215) 684-3738 F: (215) 235-4629

City Councilwoman Cherelle L. Parker 9th District City Hall, Room 577, Philadelphia, PA 19107

215-686-3454 or 3455

www.phlcouncil.com/CherelleParker

Facebook: CouncilwomanCherelleLParker Twitter: @CherelleParker9

WAGNER STILL A HOLDOUT

Only one Republican senator, out of 34, voted against SB 1. That was Wolf’s fellow York County businessman, State Sen. Scott Wagner, who is running for the governor’s seat. He called the measure “watered down,” noting, “The House and Senate passed pension reform in June of 2015 that would have placed all employees into a full 401-k style program, and the governor vetoed it on July 9, 2015,” said the senator. “Everyone in Harrisburg knows that was the real solution to the pension plan design problem, not the legislation that Gov. Wolf is signing.”

Wagner also criticized a provision in the legislation that allows current lawmakers to stay in the old pension system.

“Gov. Wolf is allowing lawmakers to keep their premium pension plans (Cont. Page 6)

BASS: REBUILD TO BE DIVERSE

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N CITY COUNCIL’S Committee of the Whole hearing on legislation to authorize Rebuild, the City’s $500 million initiative to upgrade neighborhood parks, recreation centers, playgrounds, and libraries, Councilwoman Cindy Bass (8th) ardently argued for councilmanic input into the program – especially to ensure diversity.

“At the beginning of this process, the administration proposed virtually no role for district council members or the community,” stated the councilwoman.

“I’m pleased to see that in response to my concerns and those raised by my colleagues that we’ve moved towards a much more-enhanced role for Council and an understanding that input from the community will be critical to Rebuild’s success.

I have held over 20 Rebuild briefings in my district and the common theme was this: that Rebuild reflects community needs, priorities and, most importantly, diversity.”

Bass raised concerns about the proposed Memorandum of Understanding with the building trades, which is aimed at enhancing racial and gender workforce diversity on Rebuild projects. Bass questioned Rebuild staff on provisions in the MOU, including a proposed pre-apprenticeship program. She asked,

A SENIOR Fair was staged by State Rep. Stephen Kinsey at Vernon Park in Germantown. Photos by Wendell Douglas

“What are the program requirements? What’s the data-collection plan so we know who’s actually been hired? Frankly, it’s a little frustrating that we’re a year into this and so few detail have been provided by the administration.”

CRUZ TARGETS ‘AIR BRIDGE’

The State House of Representatives passed a bill, HB 119, that includes an amendment by State Rep. Angel Cruz (D-Kensington) designed to address the Puerto Rican “Air Bridge” issue.

Cruz’s amendment would ban the owners, administrators and employees of recovery houses from requiring residents to sign over their public-assistance benefits.

It would also ensure that all drug- and alcohol-recovery houses throughout Pennsylvania not in compliance with federal, state or local law be referred to the appropriate agency for further investigation.

“My amendment to the welfare code is important in making sure that the ‘Air Bridge”’ issue is resolved,” Cruz said. “Families sent their relatives from Puerto Rico to Philadelphia to get treatment for drug addiction, but quality treatment options were not provided.

Instead, they were prisoners of unregulated recovery

homes that stole their money, food stamps and other government assistance in return for their stay. This is a big step to resolving the issue, but we can do more.”

Air Bridge is a network that promised Puerto Rican drug addicts treatment in lavish recovery houses in cities like Philadelphia.

However, once individuals arrive to receive treatment, they can be taken to live in rundown homes, share beds with several other people, and are forced to relinquish their food stamps and other public-assistance benefits.

Cruz also commended amendments added to the bill by State Reps. Jason Dawkins (D-Kensington) and Tina Davis (D-Bucks).

SABATINA FOR REBATE BREAK

The deadline to apply for Pennsylvania’s Property Tax/Rent Rebate program has been extended from June 30 to Dec. 31, reports State Sen. John Sabatina (D-Northeast).

“The Property Tax/Rent Rebate program is providing much-deserved relief to seniors, so I encourage individuals to see if they qualify,” said Sabatina. “My staff is ready to assist individuals who are interested in learning more and signing up.”

The rebate program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians age 65 and older;

T HE P UB L I C R E CO R D

PUBLIC SERVANTS at WORK AT THE FAIR, L-R, Ward Leader Bill Dolbow, who works for the Pennsylvania Auditor General, chatted with State Sen. Art Haywood and Haywood’s Chief of Staff Dwight Lewis.

widows and widowers age 50 and older; and people with disabilities age 18 and older. The income limit is $35,000 a year for homeowners and $15,000 annually for renters, and half of Social Security income is excluded.

The maximum standard rebate is $650, but supplemental rebates for certain qualifying homeowners can boost rebates to $975.

The Pennsylvania Revenue Department automatically calculates supplemental rebates for qualifying homeowners.

For assistance filling out a Property Tax/Rent Rebate claim form (PA-1000) and related information, contact or visit Sabatina’s offices at 12361 Academy Road (215) 281-2539 or 8016 Bustleton Avenue (215) 695-1020.

BROWN HONORS PARKS & REC

State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown (D-W. Phila.) introduced HR 379, designating June 12 as “Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Day” in Pennsylvania.

“This resolution would honor Philadelphia’s Parks & Recreational services that have made many contributions to the city for over 100 years and continues to enrich the lives of residents and visitors,” Brown said.

Philadelphia initiated

its parks and recreation offerings in 1867 under the Fairmount Park System.

For several years, Philadelphia’s Parks & Recreation opportunities and resources were managed by two distinct entities, first the Fairmount Parks System and then, beginning in 1951, the Philadelphia Department of Recreation. The two organizations operated independently of each other until their eventual merger in 2008.

Today, Philadelphia’s Parks and Recreation department offers residents an extensive list of activities and educational programs through its community centers and access to outdoor spaces that total more than 10,000 acres.

“Our communities rely on the programs provided by their local parks and recreation, especially during the summer when kids need a safe haven after the close of the school year,” Brown said. “As a fundamental part of the health and vitality of our neighborhoods, we must continue to support its very existence and help it thrive.”

Lowery Brown has worked to secure grants and support legislation that would improve local recreation. She currently serves on both the Tourism & Recreational Development and Urban Affairs committees.

JU N E 15, 2017

(Cont. From Prev. Page) Nathan Benefield, its VP and COO, released the following statement at the hour of signing: “Today, Pennsylvania takes the first step down a new path toward fiscal responsibility. Three years ago, Gov. Wolf denied a pension crisis existed, and less than two years ago, he vetoed reform.

But voters facing skyrocketing property taxes wanted meaningful pension reform, and lawmakers made it a priority. As a result, the transformative reform set to become law today – with Gov. Wolf’s signature – begins the critical task of fixing our state’s broken pension system while laying the groundwork for additional improvements that will benefit future generations of Pennsylvanians.”

That’s like a hearing a Democratic think tank commend President Donald Trump for the way he’s handled Russia.

KINSEY HOSTS SENIOR FAIR

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POLS on the STREET

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RACES START TO SHOW SOME

POLS on the STREET

(Cont. From Page 5) while working-class Pennsylvanians are struggling,” continued Wagner.

“This is just more evi-

dence of how out of touch this Governor is – he is once again failing to do what is right by Pennsylvanians so that he can protect his special interest donors.”

If elected governor, Wagner said, he will make a mandatory 401(k) plan for

all state workers a top priority of his administration, in addition to other benefit reforms that are “vital to reigning in state spending.”

While this position may play well with the conservative Republican primary base, it will irk all his col-

leagues who voted for SB 1.

As Wagner is none too popular with his colleagues already, look for them to strew nails on the road in front of his campaign bus.

Rooting around in Wagner’s online campaign email, one of Wagner’s hometown

newspapers, the York Dispatch, came up with a link in which Wagner “seemed to take credit for helping to get pension reform over the goal line.”

In it, Wagner stated he’d “worked with conservative leaders in the Senate to pass historic pension reform, paycheck protection and budgets that didn’t raise taxes.”

Conservative leaders in the Senate are likely to disagree with the claim that Wagner had been working with them.

JU N E 15, 2017

BEVERAGE TAX MAY FUND FOES

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney has enjoyed an 18-month honeymoon with the voters remarkable in recent history. Now, perhaps, the first signs of tangible dissatisfaction among some voters is emerging.

It’s the sweetened drinks tax. Corner grocery stores and caterers swear their costs have soared and their revenues are down as a result of this tax, and many are swearing vengeance.

By themselves, they are not well organized or well funded. But the beverage industry is both wealthy and motivated. If it chooses to invest in an opponent to Kenney in the 2019 primary, all they need is a candidate.

One possibility is State Sen. Anthony Williams (DW. Phila.) Williams has a background in the beverage industry and is sympathetic to business concerns. While he lost soundly to Kenney in the 2015 mayoral primary, he earned citywide name recognition in the process.

Another name to play with is Controller Alan Butkovitz. He will be out of office starting January 2018 and looking for something to do. The Mayor’s Office has always interested him.

And he has the next six months in office to amass evidence that the Sweetened Drinks Tax is hurting

people.

At the moment, the controller’s reports on this subject are a bit of a wash.

Wage Tax receipts are up in most industries that are impacted by it. But his analysis shows that revenue from the Sweetened Drinks Tax is facing a shortfall from its advocates’ predictions.

According to Butkovitz, while the city lowered its initial budget projections for the first two months and then reported better-than-expected revenues, the fact is the city’s initial budget projections indicated that the Beverage Tax needed to generate $7.7 million every month. Instead, the monthly average is $6.4 million.

“Lowering the projections for the first two months and not reflecting those revised figures in the annual projection ultimately created a deficit that the city now has to realize,” said Butkovitz. “The city needs to collect $10 million in each of the next two months to meet its goal – a figure that appears to be significantly out of reach.”

“These shortfalls are potentially creating a multimillion-dollar burden on the city in order to pay for programs and initiatives like Pre-K and Rebuild,” said Butkovitz.

The School District of Philadelphia encountered a similar problem when it implemented the Cigarette Tax. Initially, the School District budgeted $80 million in the first year of the tax. It never reached that figure and has been on a steady decline since, generating less than $50 million for the current year.

The controller requested the finance director provide the latest revenue projections that would demonstrate the city’s ability to meet future Beverage Tax revenue projections.

If this tax, and the Rebuild program it is intended to fund, are in trouble as 2018 begins, a challenger to Kenney will have at least a leg to stand on.

WHAT’S THE RUSH?

T HE P UB L I C R E CO R D

BALANCING THE STATE’S

BY PETER J. WIRS ENNSYLVANIA has had a balanced budget for two years now. The problem: our governor and legislators don’t know it.

As one of three legislative mediators requested by a Senate GOP leader to bridge the gap, not only can I say that the budget is balanced, by enacting remedial legislation, but once we get past the heuristics, Gov. Tom Wolf and his GOP counterparts can reach agreement within two hours.

Everyone knows the two reasons behind our fiscal woes: the approximately $3 billion Structural Budget Deficit and the $45 billion Unfunded Pension Liabilities. We solve the former by collecting taxes already on the books, the latter by restoring the common-law authority to escheat (liquidate) abandoned property into proceeds to replenish state and local pension funds.

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Harrisburg forfeits approximately $1 billion in personal income taxes from nonresidents because it can’t read US Supreme Court decisions. In 1967, the Supreme Court held that states cannot collect sales and use taxes from nonresidents unless those residents have a physical presence in the state. Harrisburg incorrectly applies this “physical presence” rule to all taxes, making Pennsylvania an outlier among all states that routinely collect income taxes from nonresidents.

This lack of logic persists even after the Supreme Court reiterated not once, but twice in Quill v. North Dakota (1992), the “physical presence” rule never applied to personal income taxes. Thus, collecting personal income taxes from nonresidents – the law has been on the books for 46 years – solves the structural budget deficit.

The $45 billion Unfunded Pension Liability crisis is solved by restoring the commonwealth’s ancient police powers to escheat real property. We kill two birds with one stone by rehabilitating seizable abandoned property (last estimated by the US Census at $84 billion in market value), which burdens state and municipal services (at an annual cost of $6.5 billion), so that new owners can contribute property- and income-tax revenue.

Why aren’t we collecting taxes already due? One strategic and one institutional barrier prevent Pennsylvania from balancing its budget.

The debate should not be how to slice up a dwindling pie of government revenue, but how to steer investment into expanding the pie.

The strategic barrier is the “gatekeepers.” While both officeholders and their assistants want to serve the (Cont. Page 11)

MARK your CALENDAR Jun. 15- State Rep. Emilio Vázquez hosts Senior Fair at Mann Older Adult Ctr. & Rivera Rec. Ctr., 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Lunch 12:30 p.m. Assistance in English and Spanish. Registration required for lunch. For info: (215) 457-5281.

Jun. 15- State Sen. Art Haywood partners with Phila.

CeaseFire on “Peace in the Northwest” at Simons Rec Ctr., 7200 Woolston Ave., 5-7 p.m.

Jun. 15- State Rep. Pam DeLissio hosts Town

Hall Mtg. at Abbotsford Comm. Ctr., 3226 McMichael St., 7 p.m. Subject is state budget. For info: Jim Strine (717) 787-7895.

Jun. 15-18- Pa. Federation of Dem. Women holds Convention at Hilton Scranton, 100 Adams Ave., Scranton, Pa. Jun. 17- Neighborhood Gardens Trusts kicks off citywide Community Gardens Day at Las Parcelas, 2248 N. Palethorpe St., starts 10 a.m. Live music, food. Councilwoman Maria Quiñones Sánchez to speak. For info: Alan Jaffe (215) 988-8833.

Jun. 18- Reunion Committee hosts Father’s Day Trip to Nat’l Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, D.C., lv. Progress Plaza 8:15 a.m. Video bus, MLK Memorial, complimentary museum passes, stop at Baltimore Harbor, gift for all fathers. Tickets $50. Payable to “Crisis

Intervention Network, Inc.,” P.O. Box 9449, Phila., PA 19139. For info: Mike Reed (215) 7965499.

Jun. 21- Republican Women of Phila. meet at James, 1835 Arch St., 7 p.m. Keynote speaker is Jen Stefano, VP of Commonwealth Fdn. For info: Barbara Coxe barbcoxe@ gmail.com.

Jun. 22- Tribute to Commissioner Lisa Deeley is held at Field House, 1150 Filbert St., 5:307:30 p.m. Tickets $250 up. RSVP deeleyforphilly. com.

Jul. 9- Councilman Derek Green hosts an Evening of Jazz at the Trolley Car Café, 3269 S. Ferry Rd, 5-7 p.m. Tickets $50, Friends $100, Supporters $250. Donations online at www.dereksgreen. com/contribute or payable to “The Green Fund,” P.O. Box 4984, Phila., PA (Cont. Page 11)

JU N E 15, 2017

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E KNOW it’s coming up on the end of session for both the General Assembly and City Council, and attention may drift as the siren calls of mountains, beaches and various other summer vacation destinations grow louder as the mercury rises.

Proposals that would have been subject to deliberation and scrutiny earlier in the year are rushed along, presented with a sense of urgency acting as a fig leaf for lack of due diligence.

This scenario is playing out both in the Capitol and

the plan.

Each of these proposals may be in the best interests of Philadelphia and its citizens. However, when presented at the last minute, it’s the drawbacks that stand out in sharper relief than the benefits. The senators’ plan sounds an awful lot like an updated way to provide for Walking Around Money; Councilman Squilla’s proposal appears to favor developers over public use and input. We aren’t alone in this view, as evidenced by pushback in the press and in public fora.

If Farnese and Squilla believe in the validity and viability of their respective proposals, what’s wrong with waiting until they can be debated and vetted on their merits?

We look forward to revisiting both of these issues in September.

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OPINION

in City Hall, as evidenced by questionable initiatives arising from each body. As an adjunct to the ramrodded Pennsylvania House bill on gambling expansion, a group of Philadelphia senators, led by State Sen. Larry Farnese, is seeking to peel off $2 million from the estimated $10 million in casino revenue for the city to be used for “economic development and revitalization projects” – instead of having that money go into either public education or the city’s General Fund.

And City Councilman Mark Squilla has proposed changing the Central Delaware Overlay – the master plan for the city’s Delaware River waterfront that was years in the making – in order to allow certain developers to build even higher than the current agreement provide for in

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the WAFFLE MAN

Y

O! HERE we go again with things from 62 years ago (1955). This trip down Memory Lane will open an eye or two! A little nostalgia goes a long way.

These prices were real – I wonder what will be the cost of life 50 years from now?

Here are some comments made in the year 1955.

I’ll tell you one thing, if things keep going the way they are, it’s going to be impossible to buy a week’s groceries for $10. Have you seen the new cars coming out next year? It won’t be long before $2,000 will only buy a used one.

If cigarettes keep going up in price, I’m going to quit; 20 cents a pack is ridiculous. Did you hear the

writers now. It’s too bad things are so tough nowadays. I see where a few married women have to work to make ends meet. It won’t be long before young couples are going to have to hire someone to watch their kids so they can both work.

I’m afraid the Volkswagen car is going to open the door to a whole lot of foreign business. Thank goodness I won’t live to see the day when the government takes half our income in taxes. I sometimes wonder if we are electing the best people to government. The fast-food restaurant is convenient for a quick meal, but I seriously doubt they will ever catch on. There is no sense going on short trips anymore for a weekend. It costs nearly $2 a night to stay in a hotel.

No one can afford to be sick anymore. At $15 a day in the hospital, it’s too rich for my blood. If they think I’ll pay 30 cents for a haircut, forget it.

Oh those good ole days.

Do you know any friends who would get a kick out of these, pass this on! Be sure and send it to your kids and grandkids, too!

doing the same thing over and over while anticipating a different result. Balancing the budget is not only constitutionally mandated, but

MARK your CALENDAR

can be readily accomplished 11 – today.

Peter J. Wirs is trustee of the Lincoln Charitable Trust at trustee.LincolnCharitable.org.

(Cont. From Page 7) 19119. RSVP: Kelly Bauer kbauerr1122@gmail. com.

Jul. 10- Jobs with Justice hosts Solidarity Awards Dinner at NUHHCE Dist.

1199C, 1319 Locust St., 5:30 p.m. Honorees: Congressman Brendan Boyle, Chris Woods, Nijmie Dzurinko, Laura Wentz and Pa. ACLU. Open bar. For info: (2315) 670-5855.

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post office is thinking about charging 7 cents just to mail a letter? If they raise the minimum wage to $1.00 an hour, nobody will be able to hire outside help at the store. When I first started driving, who would have thought gas would someday cost 25 cents a gallon. Guess we’d be better off leaving the car in the garage. I’m afraid to send my kids to the movies any more. Ever since they let Clark Gable get by with saying, “damn” in the movie Gone with the Wind it seems every new movie has either “hell” or “damn” in it. I read the other day where some scientist thinks it’s possible to put a man on the moon by the end of the century. They even have some fellows they call astronauts preparing for it down in Texas.

Did you see where some baseball player just signed a contract for $50,000 a year just to play ball? It wouldn’t surprise me if someday they’ll be making more than the president. I never thought I’d see the day all our kitchen appliances would be electric. They’re even making electric type-

was withdrawn with assurances of reform.

With time running out, the mediators need your support to empower the Democratic governor and the Republican-led General Assembly to override their gatekeepers and prioritize serious structural reform.

If the budget can be readily balanced without raising a single tax percentage, then all taxpayers must move our leaders to overcome the strategic and institutional barriers before June 30.

It’s time for elected officeholders to acknowledge the maxim: You can’t keep

JU N E 15, 2017

(Cont. From Page 7) public’s best interest, they each have different incentives. The former wants to be re-elected. But a shrewd senior staff member or attorney wants to corral backroom influence to exert control over work for both the Democratic governor and the GOP leaders. Gatekeepers like these tend to hoard policy initiatives for pos-

contend with ever-increasing ministerial demands and dwindling time to actually legislate. They’re so busy swatting away the alligators that they have no time to drain the swamp.

The charitable trust that funded the mediation team working on the issue sought to resolve both barriers through court intervention.

But the Supreme Court demurred out of respect to separation of powers, and a Commonwealth Court suit

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BUDGET

sible future use; they only have clout enough to lead a couple of legislative charges a year (especially when they are Democrats in opposition).

The institutional barrier is “pressure of the immediate.” Legislators spend inordinate time traveling to the Capitol, attending endless meetings, plowing through phone calls, emails and snail mail, interrupted by daily requirements to eat and sleep. Public servants

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ELEPHANT CORNER

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A

TEACHER and possibly the student yearbook staff at New Jersey’s Wall Township High School thought conservative students did not have the same First Amendment rights to free speech as liberal students. A senior and a junior had their respective yearbook pictures taken with the name “Trump” on their shirts. One fellow’s shirt said “Trump make America great again.”

The other young man’s shirt just had the word “Trump.”

What was comical was that the photos were pro-

EVERYDAY PEOPLE

BY DENISE CLAY Y THE TIME you read this, there will most likely be a verdict in Bill Cosby’s sexual-assault trial in Norristown.

As I write this, I’m among the reporters hanging around the Montgomery County Courthouse like expectant parents. Granted, we’re waiting for Rosemary’s Baby, but hey…

My intention was to not write one more word on this case because, quite frankly, this mess disgusts me. But something Cosby’s publicist

B

duced for parent approval with the Trump verbiage – but were subsequently airbrushed out of the actual yearbook.

The most outrageous censoring of the conservative students was of the president of the freshman class.

This young lady was wellliked enough to be elected to lead her class’s student government but could not express her opinion. She liked Trump’s comment, “I like thinking big. If you’re going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big.”

Trump sometimes says things that push the envelope; however, encouraging people, especially young people, to think big is more than acceptable.

The student asked this quote be included in the yearbook below her picture.

She was informed the quote was acceptable, but it disappeared from the published version of the book.

Wall Township’s school administration suspended

the teacher advisor to the yearbook. I guess the teacher and/or the students assumed their liberal bias would be ignored, if not praised, in blue New Jersey. Fortunately, Wall is in New Jersey’s 4th US Congressional District, represented by Republican CONGRESSMAN CHRIS SMITH. Also, Trump won the district with 56% of the vote.

An adminstrator noted the school has no regulations limiting political speech.

School policy does not matter. School policy is trumped (no pun intended) by the fact Wall is a public school and it cannot clamp down on free speech as a private school may. It is one thing when the left tries to shut down the voice of conservatives, but it is distasteful when it does so to minors.

The Pennsylvania US Senate race now has another Republican candidate.

The other announced candidates are two state legislators (Cont. Page 13)

Andrew Wyatt said on Monday got stuck in my head.

During one of the many press scrums that have become synonymous with this case, Wyatt talked to the media about his client’s level of confidence in his innocence, the fact that Camille Cosby accompanied her husband to court, and how his attorney Brian McMonagle wowed the jury.

(The defense case was six minutes long. He had energy.)

I was only halfway paying attention while taking notes of his talk when he talked about the fear all prominent Black men should have if the jury finds Cosby guilty.

“I feel sorry for men like LeBron James, Colin Powell or Barack Obama if this happens,” Wyatt said. “Because they’ve found a tried and true formula. They’re trying to tear down [Cosby’s] legacy!”

Okay, let’s talk about this.

One, neither Powell, Obama, nor James has

the distinction of having a deposition in which he opines on the wonders of Quaalude-aided sex. So there’s that.

Two, I don’t think any of these men would make their wives Alma, Michelle and Savannah sit through a court trial where she is forced to hear your attorney talk about his having a “romantic relationship” with another woman that involved such things as digital penetration.

And three – and most importantly – none of the men I just mentioned has ever tried to wrap themselves up in the Black Community to save his own rear end.

Let’s keep it real. When he trots his spokesman out to say something like this and says on national talk shows that racism is playing a part in his charges, that’s exactly what Bill Cosby is doing.

The man who gave us the “pound cake” speech and (Cont. Page 14)

WALKING the BEAT

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RUMP OR COMEY – who you gonna believe? Trump says Comey lied to Congress?

No doubt Comey’s years of law enforcement work helped in his testimony, to where he appeared a boy scout in what was polite KISS-UP questioning.

Comey is NO POLITICAL NOVICE. TRUMP IS – as well as a REPOSITORY OF RIPOSTE. Trump speaks as a businessman would.

Obstruction of justice talk is BLOATED BLARNEY. Was the Comey LEAK to

CITY HALL SAM

S

TATE SEN. LARRY FARNESE hosted a packed fundraiser at the Waterworks restaurant at the Art Museum. The overflow crowd included a number of ward leaders, including MATT MYERS and TOM JOHNSON. Former STATE REP. BABETTE JOSEPHS hung out with CAROL TINARI, labor leader ANTHONY GALLAGHER and power lobbyist MICHAEL ACKER. Longtime friend ELEANOR DEZZI hung out with proud mom MADGE FARNESE

the press part of FBI policy?

Look at the leak by an FBI agent in the FATTAH matter. Suit has been filed by Chip Fattah for the leak; so, too, should Comey be sued.

Trump is an employer who fired an employee; he is ALLOWED to do that. Comey is allowed to ramp up interest in a future book on his “suffering” for the national good. In the Vietnam era, the CIA came to the fore as an all-powerful shadow government (after the Hoover FBI era). Comey injected the FBI into the final weeks of the presidential campaign, which had to hurt HILLARY’S campaign. He makes life miserable now for Trump. America cannot have a law-enforcement agency HOVERING 24/7 over a political party or government. This is a second government as found in some Third-World nations, which limits an ELECTED national leader. It is government ON THE CHEAP (without public consent).

With either a GOP or DEM President, “The government shall be upon his (her) shoulder.” ALONE. There are new Ward Leaders in the 9th and 42nd Wards. With maybe more changes brewing. Lovely Sharon VAUGHN has taken the helm of the 42nd. A personable woman with good political and Philly people perspective. I wish her well!!

When you drive north on Interstate 95 between Girard and Allegheny Avenue exits, did you notice a parallel Interstate 95 a-building to your right? WHY IS THAT? Millions for a second 95? Below 95, the Girard Avenue trolley tracks were installed in the new Richmond Street, only to END ABRUPTLY at Ann Street. No poles to carry the overhead trolley wire were installed with the tracks. The media are strangely SILENT on these costly projects (?).

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to Pat & Roselli PARKINSON. Pat, a young and (Cont. Page 15)

and several Farnese relatives. Prominent attorney MARK SHEPPARD also attended.

Also on hand were JUSTIN WHITMORE and LT. GOV. MIKE STACK, who has been relentlessly traveling around the state. Stack never forgets his home base of Philadelphia but recently visited Potter and Tioga Counties.

Pension reform passed both the Senate and House in Harrisburg. GOV. TOM WOLF held a bipartisan bill-signing at the Capitol rotunda. In the Senate, 33 Republicans voted for the pension reform alongside seven Democrats. Two of the big public-employee unions, AFSCME and PSEA, agreed to keep quiet during the legislative runoff and passage. It remains to be seen what they will get for their silence.

Although the pension legislation is essentially perceived as a Band-Aid, it

is an achievement. The public wanted something done and now they’ve got something.

Now the question is what will happen with the projected budget deficit ranging anywhere from $ to $3 billion. Will the governor and the majority caucus of Republicans be able to make any headway on actually passing the genuinely balanced budget? Word on the street is that there may be an opportunity for a modest personal income-tax increase. This would’ve sounded crazy last year, but the majority may owe the governor consideration.

It really would be a good deal for the Republicans, because Wolf is going into a reelection year potentially asking for a tax increase.

They can help him get it by giving him only a handful Republican votes while making Democrats vote in hordes for it. Then they can (Cont. Page 15)

understanding BANKRUPTCY

BY MICHAEL A. CIBIK AMERICAN BANKRUPTCY BOARD CERTIFIED

Q

UESTION: How to recognize when and where you are exposed financially – mistake No. 1.

Answer: After 35+ years of representing bankruptcy filers, I can point to a number of poor financial decisions that have led my clients into bankruptcy.

Avoid mistakes like these and your bankruptcy will become a distant memory.

Mistake 1: Running a monthly balance on your credit cards. Cred-

it-card companies charge between 15% and 28% interest on monthly balances. By contrast, mortgage-loan rates are around 4% and car loans are around 2% to 6%.

Banks pay depositors just over 1%. Interest rates at 15% plus will cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars. 14% or higher is loan-shark territory.

Look at a credit-card interest calculator and plug in whatever numbers you wish. I plugged in $25,000 at 14% interest and a minimum payment of 2% of the balance each month. In this scenario, it would take over 31 years to pay off the $25,000.

Credit-card debt is a major component of most

bankruptcies. If you can’t pay off your balance each month, you are spending more than you can afford and this problem will not magically disappear. It will lead you back into bankruptcy. As a practical matter, once your running balance reaches $8,000 to $10,000, you will most likely never pay it off.

Instead of using a credit card, use a debit card that withdraws funds from your checking account immediately. Debit cards have a way of minimizing impulse purchases.

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old son of a very popular former governor with the same name.

Casey is seaking a third six-year term in next year.

While voter registration is in his favor with a 4-3 ratio of Democrats over Republicans, I believe Casey could be vulnerable.

Remember, Trump won this state. Casey does not have the most inspiring personality. Also, when it comes to social issues, Casey toes the party line to a point. He is and always has been pro-life, which could cause a number of suburban women not to make an effort to show up to vote in a non-presidential election year.

But we need to bring our A-team. And in my opinion, none of the announced candidates fit that bill.

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(Cont. From Page 12) and a suburban real-estate developer.

The newest addition to a relatively weak official GOP lineup is PAUL ADDIS, of suburban Philadelphia. He made his bid official last week after publically considering a run for a while. The other announced candidates are STATE REPS. JIM CHRISTIANA and RICK SACCONE, as well as suburban Philadelphia real-estate investor JEFF BARTOS. Addis, 63, spent much of his career in the energy sector, including as a senior executive at American Electric Power and Louis Dreyfus Highbridge Energy. AEP is the largest private-sector electric-utility holding com-

pany in the US. Addis is not a native Pennsylvanian but was raised in New York and has adopted the Philadelphia area as home. While Addis considers himself conservative and has primarily voted Republican, he has voiced some independent and novel views. He is not a fan of PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, which could hurt in some areas and help him in others. Addis said that he wrote in Arizona SEN. JOHN McCAIN’S name for president last November.

Two Republican Congressmen, Lou Barletta (Luzerne) and Mike Kelly (Allegheny) are also considering running – both of whom would be better candidates to face off against incumbent Democrat SEN. BOB CASEY, the 56-year-

Next Week’s Question: How to recognize when and where you are exposed financially – mistake no. 2.

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EVERYDAY PEOPLE (Cont. From Page 12)

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who went on a hypocritical “call out” tour that told young Black men to pull up their pants as he was allegedly pulling his down, is

now banking on the Black Community to defend him.

And if you listen to Black talk radio or are in the barbershops, it’s working.

Blacks, particularly Black men, have been going to the mattresses for Cosby, echoing the “they’re trying to bring down a good Black man!” trope that was at the heart of this when the first Cosby accusers came to light.

The Public Record won’t let me put this the way I’d like to, so I’ll just say bull pucky.

I’ve got issues with people trying to hide their misdeeds behind their Blackness. It makes me nuts. The only use that Cosby had for Black folks before he found himself in court was as a group to chastise.

So forgive me if I listen and observe his latest attempts to win in the court of public opinion by using the Black community and give it the side eye it deserves.

City of Philadelphia Public Hearing Notice The Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development and The Homeless of the Council of the City of Philadelphia will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, June 20, 2017, at 1:00 PM, in Room 400, City Hall, to hear testimony on the following items: 170048

170252

Resolution authorizing the Council of the City of Philadelphia to investigate the recent sale of tax delinquent properties approved for acquisition by the Philadelphia Land Bank for workforce housing, side yards, and community gardens, to assess Land Bank strategies to better support balanced and equitable neighborhood growth, and to explore a moratorium on all lien and sheriff sales of tax delinquent properties.

Resolution calling for a hearing on Philadelphia’s “middle neighborhoods,” which are neighborhoods where housing is typically affordable and where quality of life - measured by access to high quality public amenities and advantageous employment, crime rates, and school performance - is sufficiently good that new home buyers are willing to play the odds and choose these neighborhoods over others in hopes they will improve rather than decline, and to explore potential intergovernmental policy solutions to stabilize and support these neighborhoods.

Immediately following the public hearing, a meeting of the Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development and The Homeless, open to the public, will be held to consider the action to be taken on the above listed items.

Copies of the foregoing items are available in the Office of the Chief Clerk of the Council, Room 402, City Hall.

Michael Decker Chief Clerk

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CITY HALL SAM (Cont. From Page 12) go back and hammer the governor on the head for raising taxes and pick off even more Sen-

reached a graduation.

All these Philly grads have GOOD GENES! Happy BORN DAY to 21st Ward Leader and labor organizer Lou AGRE, a modern man with solid old values. Dr. Mary Ellen BALCHUNIS had her day this week. The Poli-Sci professor is one of many who want to change the odd shape of the 7th

ate and House Democratic seats by beating up those members who also voted for a tax increase. Politics seems so simple sometimes; it almost makes one nauseous.

Congressional District.

Pittsburgh loveliness is seen in Donna DeROSE on her day!

Hats off to Lynn GIAMALIS of Woodland Township, N.J., who organized a Memorial Day service there, when she heard there would be NO ceremony. Commissioner William DE GROFF read the list of residents who paid the

ultimate price for our freedoms.

Anti-Obamacare New Jersey Congressman Tom MacARTHUR says he wants to “save health care.”

Bull.

AARP published a list of lawmakers voting for the Health Care Bill to replace Obamacare at HIGHER COSTS! Remember them!

THE ECONOMIST

briefing on prisons notes that worldwide population growth is 18%, while prison growth is 20%. The Kentucky Secretary of Justice says that “state prisons are full of people that we are mad at, not afraid of.” Incarcerating a FEDERAL prisoner costs EIGHT TIMES as much as probation. And it mixes

MINOR OFFENDERS with more-hardened ones who will teach bad habits.

BIG SCORE at Democratic State Committee for Bob Brady’s 34th Ward. Kathy HUGGINS is now Secretary of State Committee and Lisa ROSA is Black Caucus Chair (Lisa was elected while in hospital). GET WELL, LISA!

FIREFIGHTERS PASS THE BOOT

COUNCILMAN Mark Squilla, L, congratulates Local 22 President Andrew Thomas as Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel beams behind them.

L-R, PRESIDENT Andrew Thomas, Firefighter Tony Bompadse and Commissioner Adam Thiel display the fire-safety artwork of young Jeremiah Perez.

FIREFIGHTERS Local 22 kicked off its “Fill the Boot” campaign to combat muscular dystrophy in Old City last month.

Photos by Wendell Douglas

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(Cont. From Page 12) energetic ward leader, is part of a new era in the evolving DEM party.

Pat was appointed

to the DEM Executive Committee as well.

How about LABOR RADIO host Joe DOUGHERTY, Jr. and ELAINE celebrating their anniversary! Let’s have Elaine as guest radio host.

The children of Robert DELLAVELLA are shown off by their parents who, along with many Philly kids,

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WALKING the BEAT

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