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Archive: March, 2010
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| Michael T. Regan |
Remember how we told you a Tea Partier was running for Congress in the 1st District against Bob Brady, but then she wasn't?
Well, Pia Varma may be back. Last night, she informed City Paper that she filed an appeal with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, challenging the Commonwealth Court decision to kick her off the ballot because she didn't acquire the requisite 1,000 signatures. She claims that she wasn't properly served. Sez the appeal:
[Dominic Demuro of the Philadelphia Writ Service] indicated he had a picture of Ms. Varma and approached her and said to her, "You've been served." Although Mr. Demuro said he served her, there was no testimony or statement by him that he actually handed any document to her, nor did he describe what he handed to her.
Ms. Varma, who was not present at the hearing, would testify she has no recollection of being served anything and only recalls walking into the news conference and being greeted by someone she thought was from Fox News.
PREVIOUSLY>> Tea Party candidate challenging Bob Brady is kicked off the ballot
[...] run for Congress in the 1st District against Bob Brady — and by “trying,” we mean she was kicked off the ballot and is now appealing, saying she was not properly served — but, the way we see it, the questions surrounding her getting on the ballot are only the [...]
Dear Ms. Varma, I have waited for someone like yourself to try to oust Congressmen Bob Brady from the first distric. We here in Tinicum Township have tried to attract this useless load of a congressmen for quite a longtime. There is an issue having to do with the Phila. International Airport to pay their 'Property Taxes'. More than 70% of the airport sits in Tinicum Township, and because we are a "Commonwealth" The state of Pennsylvania, The city of Philadelphia can buy land outside of the cities boundaries. In short: The city can but land but it's not considered Philadelphia, it is considered what it is , Delaware County.
I'm trying to contense this note, But again in the short run: The city and this township signed a contract in 1998 that would establish a payment schedule. Ten years went by and NOT A SINGLE PENNY has be paid, so it's not 12 years without any tax payments. I'm a retired person, and when the city doersn't pay their taxes it gets passsed on to myself and all 4000 resident and businesses.
I have emailed congressmens Brady six times, and every time I get a reply, "You must contact the correct repersentative in Congress." The only relief that can be optained from this reply is that Congressmen Brady hasn't the faintest I dea We out here. The son of a bitch hasn't even been in Tinicum is seven years. I also Called the Chester office and the man there(Carl Fritzgerald) sounded drunk when I called. I asked when I could talk to Mr. Brady, and he as evasive as his employer, Brady. He couldn't say when Brady would be in the office.
I Look forward to voting for you in Novenber election. Thank you for your time to listen to my current troubles.
Very truly Yours,
James T. Ward
610-521-4689In fact, more than 1,500 Temple Hospital staffers are striking today at noon.
So how does a hospital continue to run without them? According to Young Philly Politics, the hospital is hiring nurses from HealthSource Global Staffing at a cost of more than $10,000 for each RN per week. If true, that's an exorbitant amount of money.
Head over to YPP for a good summary and video and what's gone on thus far (including the rally we told you about last Friday), and keep your eye on this one, people. I have a feeling it's gonna get ugly.
RELATED: Temple nurses rally today outside of Temple Hospital
As a nurse of almost 10 years, I understand that working in an environment such as Temple's is very trying and difficult to say the least. While I cannot attest to the working conditions within Temple facilities. Through a friend that used to work at Temple however I have seen the payrates for RNs. I can say that hands down they are higher than at the other three facilities I have worked at within the city of Philadelphia. Granted a three fold increase in the cost of benefits is not appropriate. However, if the rates I saw were correct the salary Temple RNS receive should in no way doom them to living in the neighborhood behind the hospital. Given the nature of Temple(neighborhood, clientele etc) though a higher payrate seems appropriate due to the occupational risks Temple RNS are exposed to that most of the nursing world will never experience.
As a fellow RN I am embarrassed that they even qualify as professionals at TEmple. To walk out on their patients is a discgrace and they should have their licenses revoked. The pay and benefits is among teh best in teh city and yet they continue to comlaina dnbe oneof the laziest and worst nurses in teh area. I used to work there but after realizing that they brought teh profession down as low as they have I quit and worked where I reprtesented my self and did not pay someone to speak for me Temple nurses grow up
Are you kidding me? You must work in a much "posh" er place!!! You just have no idea. Either you have very little experience or you just have no clue because you haven't worked there. Our salary isn't even 1/2 of what the media is saying it is and they expect us to make 10,000 less a year and pay triple the benefits costs!!! No one can afford to work there unless they live behind the hospital and can walk to work. I just can't stand when people who aren't in a situation have to talk and don't know what they are talking about it. Let me tell you something...not one person on that picket line is selfish. It is selfish of you to comment on something like you know and you don't!!!!
suck it up temple nurses
I am a university hospital nurse and we are non-union. Our benefit pkg is fairly good but not as good as what Temple nurses are expecting. I agree that in todays hard times you should be glad to have a job. Not only do they have a job, it comes with benefits and excellent pay compared to the average joe. The fact of the matter is you can be replaced. May brings a drove of new graduate nurses that will be more than happy to take your place. You complain about poor patient care yet you strike and make matters worse. If what really matters is the patients than get back to work and quit worrying about your selfish selves.
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| Constance Merriman, Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future (PennFuture) |
Just a week ago, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a budget which relies on more than a $100 million in revenue from new leasing of state forest for drilling in the Marcellus Shale (a third of the state forest has already been leased for drilling).
That decision, as I reported in February, ran contrary to the advice of former Department of Conservation and Natural Resources secretary Michael DiBerardinis, who warned shortly before resigning that further leasing would "scar the economic, scenic, ecological, and recreational values of the forest," as well as overburden the Department's limited staff.
Among the dangers associated with Marcellus Shale drilling is the potential for spills a danger heightened by the rapid pace at which the industry has developed.
Yesterday, the Scranton Times-Tribune reported that 8,000 to 12,000 gallons of contaminated mud were spilled at Sproul state forest in Clinton County, Pa. a site operated by Anadarko E&P Co. Inc. that was part of the governor's most recent lease of forest land for drilling, in January.
While about half of the mud spilled over the boundary of the well pad, it didn't spread far enough to contaminate any surface waters, ground water or wetlands in the area, said Mr. Spandoni. A contractor began cleanup work Friday night. DEP officials have taken mud samples to determine a proper disposal method.
The mud is used as a cooling agent in drilling operations. Since the mud that spilled is synthetic-based, it doesn't contain any diesel fluids as some other agents do, said Mr. Spandoni.
Comforted yet?
This certainly isn't the first case of "errors" resulting from hydraulic fracturing operations: There were 56 "illegal discharges" in 2008 and 2009.
Nor is this the first spill affecting state forest land: City Paper has learned of two more incidents (confirmed with the Department of Environmental Protection) at a site adjacent to state forest in Clearfield County. In August 2009, a drilling pit utilized by EOG Resources Inc. leaked drilling fluids into a nearby spring; in October, there was a spill of "a water/chemical mixture used for cleaning wells" at an adjacent well, also operated by EOG.
These spills resulted in impacts to Alex Branch and Little Laurel Run streams, which are wild trout fisheries, and a freshwater spring used by local hunters.
Representative Greg Vitali, working with a coalition of environmentally-minded House representatives, has sponsored a bill calling for a moratorium on the leasing of more state land for drilling.
Despite what he says was a deal made between House "green dog" Democrats, who opposed such leasing, House leadership, and Governor Ed Rendell, the governor came out in favor of leasing additional land for this year's budget.
But, according to the Times-Tribune, he was singing a different tune yesterday:
Mr. Rendell expressed optimism Monday the state can meet next year's revenue target without leasing additional acreage of state forest land. He said more details will be forthcoming. Mr. Rendell also said for the first time he supports a moratorium bill.
If this is true, it's big news. Maybe Rendell has decided he doesn't want his legacy to have been pillaging the state forest to plug budget holes, after all.
[...] that these ponds (like the one pictured above) are mostly storing freshwater - yet I reported on a toxic mud spill resulting from a similar pond last week, and, before that, on an incident of pollution in [...]
167 MILLION ACRES of federal land open to - OFFSHORE DRILLING!!?!!! The Obama Legacy: Healthcare Reform & OFFSHORE DRILLING!!!! HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa!!!!! http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/science/earth/01energy.html?hp
I need to write it again because the reality is still setting in.... The Obama Legacy: Healthcare Reform & OFFSHORE DRILLING!!!! HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa!!!!!
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This is the one of the most fun-sounding protests we've heard of in a while:
Join Riders Against Gender Exclusion (RAGE) for a drag show style action. This public performance will show SEPTA that its transgender/genderqueer riders demand respect and attention, we will not... stay quiet while SEPTA ignores its promises for a safer transit system.
SEPTA continues to insist on the use of M/F gender stickers on its fare cards, subjecting transgender, genderqueer and other gender non-conforming riders to questioning and harassment when their sticker doesnt match their perceived gender.
SEPTA says that they dont want their riders experiencing unnecessary discrimination due to their gender. In October, SEPTA committed to taking steps to set up a way for riders to report incidents resulting from the gender sticker policy, promising that they would address these complaints to ensure more safety and respect for transgender riders. Its been five months and SEPTA has not taken a single step to follow through on what they promised.
It's also for a good cause: SEPTA's insistence on not getting rid of its M/F gender stickers seemingly to discourage people from using their opposite-sex friends' and family members' fare cards as their own, as if that's really a disincentive is insensitive and pointless.
The protest will go from 4:45 to 5:45 p.m., at the plaza across from City Hall.
[...] the Riders Against Gender Exclusion (awesome acronym, BTW) protest earlier this week, in which transgender activists dressed in drag and marched around City Hall, in order to speak out [...]
Lara Coleman here with your morning afternoon fix:
On Friday, Facebook proposed a new feature called "place," which allows users add their locations to their Facebook page. Creepy.
President Obama returns this morning from a "surprise visit" to Afghanistan to meet with President Karzai to discuss the Afghan government, as well as to greet and praise American troops.
More than 35 people are dead in Russia after two unknown female suicide bombers set off explosions during Monday's morning rush hour at two subway stations in central Moscow.
As technology threatens their livelihoods, 18,000 rickshaw drivers in India remain loyal to their jobs despite urges from police and action groups to end this mode of transportation.
Philadelphia explores the idea of implementing modular, or factory-built, houses in order to cut the high costs of housing and also to keep up with the growing demand for homes.
Put down the SunnyD. Dr. JoAnn Manson at Brigham and Women's Hospital believe that studies linking Vitamin D to good health may be incorrect, or at least very exaggerated.
The NCAA Final Four are in: Michigan State, West Virginia, Butler and Duke. Go team.
The cafeteria of West Philly's Harambee Charter School on North 66th Street doubles as a nightclub on Saturday nights. Officials are discussing the issue today.
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We need jobs, dammit.
Jobs, I say, not . . . those creamers that don't require refrigeration but taste kind of funny. Jobs not . . . public radio fundraisers! Jobs, not . . . slightly more expensive pickled green tomatoes at the Reading Terminal Market! Jobs, not another season of The Office!
Jobs, not . . . hmm . . . oh! Jobs, not the soda tax!
There. Having vaguely equated things I don't like with massive job losses, I will now go ahead and join "Save Philly Jobs. Not Taxes," the recently-formed coalition that's been a vocal opponent of the mayor's proposed sugary beverage tax.
"Philly Jobs. Not Taxes." It has a nice, caveman-ish ring to it, don't you think?
I just hope none of "Philly Jobs. Not taxes" members don't mind if nothing they say makes any sense. 'Cause I'm not sure it does.
The only remotely plausible job loss scenario Big Beverage has been able to muster in its efforts to destroy the soda tax is that Philadelphia residents working at the local Coke bottling plant could lose their livelihoods if we pass the soda tax.
Dutifully reported the Inquirer recently:
Area retailers, Teamsters, and beverage companies recently created a Web site, www.savephillyjobs.com, to press their slogan, "Philly Jobs. Not Taxes."
"If the mayor was successful in passing this new bill, I believe we will lose about 50 percent of our members in soda today, because less sales equals less volume, and less volume means loss of jobs," said Danny Grace, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 830.
About 1,500 of his members work distributing soda, he said, including those at the Coca-Cola bottling plant at 725 E. Erie Ave, the Pepsi plant on Roosevelt Boulevard, and at Canada Dry Delaware Valley in Pennsauken.
Fifty percent, huh?
Half?
Really?
No one, so far, has bothered to point out that the coke plant in question is a giant regional supplier and that you'd probably have to have a tax covering the entire northeastern United States to make much of a difference there.
(I'm not, by the way, sold on the soda tax yet myself. The science linking higher beverage prices with less consumption is sound, but the tax, as its written now, doesn't force retailers to increase the price of their sugary beverages. If they wind up distributing the cost to all of their products, it doesn't work, I think.)
But come on: if the media's going to quote such claims, let's check whether there's a shred of truth behind them.
Joe the Coke Bottler is probably a long way from having to worry about this tax. It's King Sugar (not to mention the ambitious Prince Corn Syrup) who fears it and who bellows from atop his pile of gold: "Philly Jobs! Not Taxes!"
Let us know when you finalize your opinion on the soda tax. Philadelphia cannot go on until we know.
Haha! I will, aLex, I will. Sorry to keep you waiting, Philadelphia. - I
I really don't' think the soda tax will actually help anything, it was a nice thought though ;) thanks for posting!
Check your facts....this article doesnt make sense- there will def be some impact on the people who go to work everyday. whether is a small business, restaurant or bottler.
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| Photos | Patrick Rapa |
| The ref on the left appears to be disrobing. I don't recall that happening. |
I usually catch one lacrosse game a year. Last night the Philadelphia Wings destroyed the Boston Blazers. First they outscored em, then they pounded em into the carpet. Funny thing about lacrosse fights. They're a little rarer than hockey fights, but, with no ice to slip on and refs less than eager to jump in, they go a lot longer. A couple of the battles at the Wachovia Center lasted for several minutes, and didn't so much end as exhaust themselves. There was blood, and the requisite Philly bloodlust. Good times.
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| The Wings wore pink helmets because it was Breast Health Awareness Night. |
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| Evan Lopez |
Back in November, we told you about a looming strike from Temple Hospital's nurses, and their brethren at the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP). At the time, their contracts had expired a month prior, and their complaints ranged from everything as predictable as wage issues to something a little more astonishing: the "gag clause."
Sez writer Joshua Fernandez:
According to a complaint PASNAP filed with the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board Oct. 30, the proposed clause within TUH's contract offer states that no employee will "criticize, ridicule or make any statement which disparages Temple, or any of its affiliates or any of their respective managers or medical staff members."
Many months later, Temple and its nurses haven't come to an agreement, and the March 31 negotiate-or-we'll-strike deadline is next Wednesday.
So today at noon, nearly 350 nurses, hospital staff and representatives from various Philly labor groups rallied today outside of Temple Hospital to give a taste, if you will, of the coming strike.
Emily Randle, PASNAP's communications and government relations specialist, said the event fostered a "great mood," but ulimately wasn't very successful. "We were there today to ask for negotiations this weekend," she says, "and we're not sure that's going to happen."
[...] RELATED: Temple nurses rally today outside of Temple Hospital [...]
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| Lawrence Kesterson, Philly.com online gallery |
Yes, Philly finally made the front page of the New York Times did we even get that for Phillies' WFCship? and it's for ... flash mobs.
Ah, well.
The Times covered this as a national story, using Philly's recent incidents as an example of the way the flash mob has mutated from its pillow-fighting, silent iPod dance party origins.
The article was pretty bland, consisting largely of canned quotes from various public officials and youth advocates: the former blaming kids and parents; the latter blaming the public officials.
But there was, I think, a buried lead:
The flash mobs have raised questions about race and class.
Most of the teenagers who have taken part in them are black and from poor neighborhoods. Most of the areas hit have been predominantly white business districts.
It's true: and it's a point the mainstream has stayed away from so far with the exception of the Daily News' Stu Bykofsky, who brought up the topic in his column yesterday.
"Flash mobs" was the topic on "Tell Me More," NPR's newest attempt at having a non-white-people-focused show (I think their word is "multi-cultural," but it totally replaced "News and Notes"), and it was introduced with a tag line something like "Some see racism in the response" to the flash mobs.
I think that race and class, and systemic poverty and the various Big Issues that plague our city do matter in this discussion.
A particularly uncomfortable experience is viewing Philly.com's online gallery of the South Street incident, which juxtaposes scenes of bedlam full of black faces with scenes of white business owners and one (white) bruised worker.
I'm posting this in the hope (remote it may be) that I don't inadvertently invite a slew of racist comments. A discussion about these incidents is immature if we don't admit that race and class figure in somewhere. But, obviously, it's a starting point - not a destination.
I see two lines of predictable response shaping up.
There's the hard-line answer, as expressed by Mayor Nutter and Police Chief Ramsey, which goes like this: This isn't about race, class, opportunity, government, it's about bad parenting. And if you can't keep 'em home, we'll lock 'em up:
Said Nutter to the NYT: "There is no racial component to stupid behavior, and parents should not be looking to the government to provide entertainment for their children."
Said Ramsey at a press conference: "It's not the government's responsibility to raise your child. It's your responsibility. When we get involved as police, it's too late for the tears."
It strikes me as wishfully simplistic: all bark and no bite. If there's one thing the city can't enforce, it's good parenting. Nutter and Ramsey can wipe their hands of this all they want but they'll still have to answer to residents after the next incident. And unless something drastic happens, there will be another incident.
Which brings me to the second line of response: liberal denial.
This line of rhetoric emphasizes that these are just teenagers trying to have a good time, that the response has been overblown and the allegations of violence exaggerated.You want to point fingers? Point them at reduced library and pool hours, insufficient after-school programs, cuts in anti-violence programs.
I don't buy that, either. First of all, these are teenagers - not little kids. They don't want to go to a library, they want to party and be obnoxious (like a lot of us did and were). That's fine it's the violence that changes everything.
Because, despite what I hear from a surprising number of progressive-types, these incidents have been violent disturbingly, sickeningly violent. Last May, a 54-year-old man was pulled from his bicycle and critically beaten; a cab driver was assaulted. On Market Street a month ago, youths knocked over pedestrians. At least a few people seem to have been beaten in last weekend's incident on South Street. Sorry: but victims come first.
I don't think this is just about a lack of things do to: there's something deeper and much scarier at work here. I think that you have to connect these incidents to the attack at South Philadelphia High and to Greek Picnic, and to a disturbing number of cases of kids committing violence en masse.
Frankly, I suspect something terrible is building. I don't like to say it. But, on the eve of another hot Philadelphia summer we'd better be ready for it.
How? I dunno. But here's my two cents:
Have a couple police dedicated to monitoring social networking sites to look out for this stuff.
- Do what we do for adult white drunk weekend people: We know where they gather, and we post a ton of cops. Philly teens gather at predictable locations, if not at predictable times, right? How hard can it be?
- Consider closing off South Street and 40th street for a few blocks on weekends. You can hardly get through anyway, there's no parking, and the congestion of cars only makes it harder for cops to keep track of anything (especially bike cops, who are pretty effective on South Street).
- Give a serious and un-cowardly look at City Controller Alan Butkovitz' suggestion to curb students' use of city-issued SEPTA trans-passes. His suggestions are intelligent, reasonable, and unlike yelling at parents or espousing social theories immediately practical.
- Enlist SEPTA workers (insanely busy as we all know they are not giving change) to alert police to high numbers of teens getting on the system.
- Consider posting city-employed non-police security officers (a la University City) at a few corners along South Street to alert cops to developing problems. If the city won't pay, maybe South Street businesses can chip in enough to hire a couple of guards.
Enough: What do you think?
Race is indeed the giant elephant in the room that everyone wants to dance around. But there's a reason for that: Anyone who brings it up will be called a racist and then crucified by the apologists for the rioters. These are kids for whom their parents were never there, were constantly told that people who did well in school or waited there turn in line or were nice to others were suckers, that any interests outside of jewelry and baggy pants was gay, and that it was okay to assault whoever you wanted because you would never be disciplined. And I will be called a racist even though what I just said was the truth.
The businesses on South Street have been suffering for years, and many have just wholesale shut down already. I know this seems like a minor point to make when we're worried about violence, but closing off whole city blocks during summer, when those companies make their annual sales goals, is going to crush even more small businesses. There has to be a way to get at something systemic without punishing the neighborhood being affected even more. Can we look at the culture of violence in public schools, since as a city, we obviously can't enforce better parenting? What if we instituted a public service requirement for graduation, to counterbalance some sense of aimlessness? (Would that miss all the kids who skip school anyway?) What if we had decent scared-straight speakers in high school, who connected with students on racial/class grounds and were eloquent enough to make casual violence seem like a bad choice? Aren't there smaller, more cost-effective steps to avert a serious crisis? I agree that more cops in obvious places seem like a good idea, I just think these kids need to actually learn some other priorities or they will be a problem for themselves and the city as they grow into adulthood. School is, after all, where you can learn worthwhile things.
the city.... The core problem is violence, plain and simple. Whether perpetrated by bored teens, or by drunken adults, it needs to be dealt with summarily.
Over-react? Do you think the girl who got her teeth knocked out was over-reacting? How about the people who were trampled, as these bored young people ran down South? This isn't merely a bunch of youths, enjoying the freshness of Spring. While I'm glad you felt, at 5th & Bainbridge, that everything was hunky-dory, that simply isn't the case in other parts of
Let's not over-react. There is a central phenomenon of bored jerky kids annoying adults, and then there is an epi-phenomenon of thugs who use the gatherings for cover (as they do with Hip Hop festivals and Greek Picnics, ruining it for everyone). We are SO not about to descend into a maelstrom of race riots or class conflict--I just don't see that and I didn't see that from my home at 5th and Bainbridge as streams of young people walked around on the first nice day of spring. What I do see is an unnerving anachronism in media coverage--there were upwards of 2000 kids on South Street, most of whom did nothing except tweet and gather for attention. I think the appropriate analogy is the white Irish who behave no better during Mummers parades--there is a core group of revelers and a trailing tail of nasty drunken violent thugs. And yet the media never report on an angry, disenfranchised Irish mob threatening to erupt into full-scale class war and destroy the fabric of civilized life in Philadelphia. So why do it because these kids are black? Because it sends an antebellum frisson up white journalists' spines to see an all-black gathering? I would suggest that we focus on the components of the problem instead of forcing the event into a historical trope that is hardly relevant (i.e., the angry black mob). There is the core problem of bored teenagers disrupting normal business and scaring off paying visitors. This is a problem we already contend with on South Street every summer weekend night. Then there is the epi-phenomenon of nasty violent thugs. This is also a problem we contend with all year round in all parts of the city, or anywhere else there is human habitation frankly. If the police are going to make arrests during these events, the most effective arrests would be these people--not the random jerky teenager. And as for the rest of us, let's take a deep breath and give these tired old Heart-of-Darkness tropes a rest.
Let's see, we have a president telling a huge portion of the country to "bring it on." Here's a small sampling of the hate speech by our illustrious president toward the citizens in this country: Obama has taunted and disrespected Americans with his words bring it on, go for it, that typical white people, shouting about the end of the world, get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren't like them, like the special Olympics America has this enormous, tragic history, America is no longer what it once was." I will agree that America is not what it once was. Never before has a president shown such disrespect - and we have a v.p. that's throwing the f' bomb around...with practically no one remarking about it. What kind of examples are these? The Democratic party has become a corrupt bunch of thugs...and are inciting our entire country - and infuriating us - with their ineptitude. Where can these kids find work? What hope do they have for the future? Their moms may work - or use crack - either way, they have a lack of supervision and modeling. Republicans will never give up. I love them for that. They have a strong belief that every American can have a future. Not a future that is mortgaged to the unborn. But a stable, secure future founded in a country that has some stability. America can offer nothing right now. This health care fiasco was a retarded attempt to address the Medicare/Medicaid problem. Piling trillions of dollars in this fiasco of a bill is no answer - nor is immigration reform. Your attorney general is attempting to address the over-reaching power grab by the present administration. States have the rights to checks and balances - they do it to protect our individual rights. In light of this - I ask that you call Governor and tell him that he has had his day in the sun...to accept that he is old and dying...and to shut his mouth and to fulfill the remainder of his term without interference or his own political gain. Call your Attorney General and offer full support. This is your American civic duty. Provide a model of responsibility, faith, and action to these kids. That's what they need. Bold action by ethical people. That's who we are.
Wow. I grew up on the Lower East Side when the drug trade got entrenched and it was very scary, but if you avoided where the gangs congregated you had a chance. There were safe blocks and unsafe blocks. I can't handle the possibility that a mob can just come out of nowhere and beat people up. I'm SO not visiting Philadelphia.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by LucindaLunacy, DJ Marilyn Thomas, Poliana, Yancey @YanceyG, philly news now and others. philly news now said: Phillys flash mob story goes national and everybodys talking about race but us.: Lawrence Kesterson, Philly.... http://bit.ly/9nxu4U [...]
You don't suppose that there is some mass mind control going on behind the scenes? If so by whom and for what objective.Could it be the New World Order stir up chaos so as to make martial law and a dictatorship look like a good idea.stay tuned.
3rd idea make sense...stop subsidizing their ability to congregate...I don't know much about how the student passes work, but seems like something they could roll out during next school-year...maybe having fewer teens as a human shield/smokescreen would reduce the likelihood of violent individuals acting up.
The thing that sticks out for me is the fact the teenage crowd is so uniformly African American. My impression of the last decade or so has been that racial divides were being bridged, especially among the young. The fact that this crowd, supposedly organized through twitter and facebook and thus in public, is so uniform freaks me out. Did no white or asian teenagers get the tweets? Or did they get them and not respond? It's depressing to think that this generation is just as segregated as previous ones, despite the fact that digital communications hold the promise of enabling post-racial society. As for solutions, I think closing South street to vehicles is a great idea. Especially since I live there and the noise from car stereos drives me nuts. I also suggest stepping up enforcement of nuisance crimes--loud radios, littering, etc. I think the kids have the right to assemble, they just need to be policed better to keep the disturbance to a minimum.
Limiting Transpasses to time out at 4pm is a idea whose time has come. Why hasn't the mayor put this in place? It's not my job as taxpayer to subsidize unsupervised teens after school going all over the city. They need to be close to home where people who know them will watch them.
There are more flash mobs being called for this weekend according to reports made earlier this week on WPVI's website. NYC did zero tolerance, and that city now has their lowest murder rate in their recorded history. Zero tolerance/broken window theory works. Our pols have to stop pandering to the cheap votes of parents who don't want to be part of their kids' lives. Kids committing crimes need to be shunted into the system where they can get the help they need.
Random violence is the main reason I always carry when I have to go into Philly. It's too bad these savages didn't run into someone who was willing to defend themselves. Over reaction?? How stupid can you get. There was a story in the paper about the young woman who was a victim of these ghetto sissies. She was set on by several of these animals and sustained severe injuries. The police need to do whatever is necessary to crush these riots including using deadly force!
The Inky did tackle the race issue in the Sunday issue. Surprisingly blunt piece: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/89343497.html @Allitia, "Antibellum frisson," that is amazing. Though still a liberal apology; albeit a well written one.
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- This will be the Phillies first season with opening-day starter/bona-fide ace Roy Halladay. Do you remember who the Phils' OD starter was the last three years? Yup, Brett F. Myers. Barring injury (knocks on wood), this'll be the first time since the Schilling years that the Phils have had a hands-down No. 1 starter. And he'll be followed by a guy in Cole Hamels with the potential to be a No. 1a.
- Legit contact hitter Placido Polanco will be batting second and will ostensibly add "productive outs" to the lineup's repertoire.
- Moving Shane Victorino to the bottom of the order provides something like a secondary lead-off hitter to the bottom of the lineup.
- The additions of Danys Baez and Jose Contreras to the bullpen provide depth and experience (though quality is not a given).
- The competition for the fifth spot in the rotation is between a 47-year-old who spent much of the offseason in the hospital and a 25-year-old with a high hit rate and a low strike-out rate
- The first lefty out of the bullpen until/if J.C. Romero is healthy (other than Moyer if he doesn't win the fifth starter job) is Antonio Bastardo, who is talented and has an awesome name, but is very very raw.
- Brad Lidge remains the biggest X factor on the team.
- Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins are all a 365 days further into their "peak" years than they were last spring.
- Ruben Amaro's propensity lock up with guaranteed contracts players he doesn't need to lock up and for more money than the market's calling for (Brian Schneider, Juan Castro, Ross Gload, Ibáñez, Polanco) may have cost the Phillies the opportunity to go into 2010 with Hallady, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels in the top three spots in the rotation.
- The Mets remain a mess, or, if you'd rather, the Mets remain the Mets.
- The Braves will start 20-year-old super prospect Jason Heyward in their outfield this season and have added former Phillie/Phillies punching bag Billy Wagner to close
- The Marlins young pitching is always terrifying.
- The Cardinals inked mid-season aquisition Matt Holliday and... Brad Penny
- The Yankees have bolstered their 2009 juggernaut by adding OBP machine/walking injury Nick Johnson, 20/20 threat Curtis Granderson and starting pitcher Javier Vazquez (who, it should be noted, has already flamed out as a Yankee once).
- The Red Sox have added perpetual enigma Adrian Beltre, Mike Cameron and Marco Scutaro to their lineup and Angels ace John Lackey to hold down the No. 3 spot in the rotation
- The Mariners now have what could be the best 1-2 pitching punch in baseball with Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee in addition to adding Chone Figgins, Milton Bradley and Casey Kotchman.
This just in from Brian Hickey: 94-68. They lose in the NLCS to the Cubs, in seven. D. Lee over Hamels. And the Cubs go on to get swept by the fucking Yankees.
I say 93
[...] into its crystal Rawlings ball and offers up its forecast. CPs head honcho Brian Howard also has some predictions of his own. Tags: Amy Orr, apple, Ben Woodward, Jason Hsu, Leah Mackin, mac store, space 1026 THE CURATOR: [...]
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