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State Politics
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| Photo | Angelo Fichera |
Celian B. Putnam showed up at 2200 Market Street at approximately 11:45 a.m. this morning to help prevent Saturday night killers.
Im concerned about ... getting some sensible statement out there, Putnam said. Its just the idea of these uncontrolled, unlicensed [guns].
Putnam was joined in front of Sen. Robert Caseys district office by representatives of Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) Mayor Michael Nutter is a member and of CeaseFirePA, along with proponents of MAIG's national Fix Gun Checks Campaign. Her name appeared with more than 9,000 signatures from Pennsylvanians on a petition calling for a system that contains records of those prohibited from purchasing firearms and requires every gun buyer to be subjected to a background check. Currently, "occasional sellers" those who sell firearms at gun shows, via classified ads or on the Internet are not required to subject their buyers to such checks.
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| Photo | Angelo Fichera |
At noon, the group gathered around Kurk Imhof (above, right), a field representative for Casey, to hand over the petition and request Caseys support. Phil Goldsmith, board president of CeaseFirePA, outlined the proposals in the document. "Let's remember cops are the ones in the line of fire," Goldsmith said. "I'm all in favor of putting more cops on the street, but lets protect them first."
A press event for the campaign was held just a few hours before the petition at City Hall. Mayor Nutter, who's one of 184 Pennsylvania mayors who belong to MAIG, joined local survivors and families affected by gun violence to promote the message.
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| Photo | Angelo Fichera |
The campaigns two-month Fix Gun Checks Truck Tour was launched Wednesday. The mobile truck (pictured) is equipped with a digital counter on its side, tracking the number of Americans murdered by gun violence since the shootings in Tuscon, Ariz. last month. When the truck parked in front of Sen. Caseys office for the drop-off, the number rested at 1,393. By the time the 20-minute event concluded, it went up by one.
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Tomorrow, Governor-Elect Tom Corbett will be inaugurated, and the long reign of Ed Rendell â eight years the mayor of Philadelphia, and eight years the governor of Pennsylvania â comes to an end.
Friends, the time has come to eulogize the guy and his impact, for better or worse, on PA and our beloved city. Love him or hate him, Rendell's remarkable stint deserves at least 140 characters' worth of contemplation, don't you think?
And yes â that does happen to be the maximum length of a Twitter post. So we hereby announce the Ed's Dead Twitter Obituary Contest.
Tweet your responses at me (@isaiah_thomps
Got it? #edsdead
We'll try to post submissions â at least the better ones â below.
Oh, and the winner(s) will get something. Like maybe their obits published in the paper, or a chance to read it for our next podcast, or maybe one of those "nut loaves" the casinos are always sending Meal Ticket's Drew Lazor ... or something.
Recent Submissions (after the jump):
@TheRealSidLee: as a state employee who worked w/o pay during the budget impasse of '09, am just elated to finally say #edsdead
@joshpincus: Eddie, we hardly knew ye. #edsdead
@apocalypsepony: After DA, Mayor, and Governor, I think Eddie will get a job where he's truly happy: Eagles commentary on CSN. #edsdead
@SynthSircus: Bye cyclehelmets, deathwarrants signed, hi gaming, legistaltive pay-raise=undermined. Libraries too. F Corbett -we <3 u! #edsdead
@theericschuman: "Whose motorcycle is this?" "It's a chopper, baby." "Whose chopper is this?" "It's Ed's." "Who's Ed?" "Ed's dead, baby. Ed's Dead." #edsdead
FIRST 4 OK, LAST 4 ? LIKE THEY SAY EVERYONE THAT COMES HERE BRINGS SOME JOY, SOME WHEN THEY COME, AND SOME WHEN THEY GO, NEED I SAY MORE.
[...] the original here: Ed Rendell obituary Twitter contest: Ed's reign in 140 characters … Medien zum Thema Medien by [...]
[...] The bomb was tested on October 30, 1961 in Novaya Zemlya, an island in the Arctic Sea. The 57MT-bomb exploded and a mushroom cloud with a height of 64km rose to the sky… Also you can check out this related blog post: http://citypaper.net/blogs/clog/2011/01/17/ed-rendell-obituary-twitter-contest-eds-reign-in-140-char... [...]
[...] previous Ed Rendell obituary Twitter contest: Ed’s reign in 140 characters [...]
This is a really innovative way to run a Twitter contest. Congratulations! Here are some more tips if you're interested: http://blog.lookuppage.com/2011/01/improve-your-online-reputation-with-a-twitter-contest.html
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| Chumpy's |
The annual Pennsylvania Society Weekend is upon us ... well, it's upon those who are invited. It's upon them, anyway — the powerful and influential, those voted into power and those who just seem to have it: the Pennsylvania Society.
Every year, this prestigious group of businesspeople and politicians meets in New York City, far away from the greedy, insensitive public they have to deal with all the time, and allow themselves to be wined and dined by their other constituency: the powerful, who have much to give and, often, need so much from them.
It's lobbying at its absolute purest: special interests simply lavishing their target audience for hours on end.
Take, for example (and there are many examples to choose from), the Waste Management Eastern Group Cocktail Hour. Or the Holiday Reception at the 21 Club hosted by powerful casino law firm Cozen O'Conner. Or the after-dinner receiption hosted by the Marcellus Shale Coalition.
Below is the the 2010 Schedule, thanks to PoliticsPa.com. See what you can find, and post it below.
Oh, and don't worry: I haven't asked them all, but surely the myriad elected officials going can assure us that they won't be influenced by any of it. They care just as much about your humble little e-petition as they do the gas drilling industry's oysters and martinis.
Click here for the full schedule.
The Full 2010 Pennsylvania Society Schedule of Events
THE 2010 PENNSYLVANIA SOCIETY WEEKEND EVENTS
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Holiday Toasting: Christine J. Toretti
6:00pm
Club Macanudo, 26 East 63rd Street
By invitation only
This annual party has been one of the go-to events for more than a decade, and a great way to kick off the Pennsylvania Society festivities. Trouble is, this may be the weekend's most exclusive party, so don't show up without an invitation in hand.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Republican State Committee of Pennsylvania Annual Commonwealth Club Luncheon:
Special Guests: Governor-elect Tom Corbett, Lt. Governor-elect Jim Cawley,
US Senator-elect Pat Toomey
11:00am VIP Roundtables $5,000 per person
12:00pm Cocktails $1,000 per person
12:30pm Luncheon
The W Hotel, Forest Ballroom, 541 Lexington Avenue
After a wave of Republican victories all across Pennsylvania, this event is a no-brainer for those looking to rub shoulders with the incoming Governor, Lt. Governor, Senator, and others.
Government Relations Briefing
Blank Rome LLP
12:00 â 2:00pm; Lunch will be served
The Chrysler Building, 24th Floor Boardroom
405 Lexington Avenue
By Invitation only
Broadband Cable Association of Pennsylvania
2:00p.m. â 5:00p.m.
Tonic Sports Bar
727 7th Avenue
Invitation Only
The Metropolitan Caucus
2:30 â 4:30pm
The Waldorf -Astoria, Jade Room, 3rd Floor
By Invitation Only
Forum for a Better Pennsylvania, Wachovia
3:30 â 5:00pm, Reception
The Waldorf -Astoria, Conrad Suite, 4th Floor
By Invitation only
The Genevieve Society Reception
4:00 â 6:00pm
The Waldorf-Astoria, Metropolitan Suite, 18th Floor
By Invitation only
Cocktail Reception with Auditor General Jack Wagner
4:00 â 6:00pm
The Waldorf-Astoria, Cocktail Terrace, Park Avenue Lobby
By Invitation only
Gleason Family Cocktail Reception
4:00 â 6:00pm
The Mahogany Room, Harvard Club
35 W. 44th Street
By Invitation only
PA Society Reception Hosted By Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi
5:00 â 7:00 pm
Waldorf-Astoria â Louis XVI Suite
Invite Only
Celebratory Reception honoring Senator-elect Pat Toomey
Hosted by Dan DiLella and Gary Silva
5:00 â 6:30pm
Barlizon/63
140 East 63rd Street (63rd & Lexington)
By Invitation only
Waste Management Eastern Group: Cocktails
5:00 â 7:00pm
The Waldorf-Astoria, Park Avenue Suite
By Invitation only
Children's Champion Reception
Host: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
5:30 -7:30pm (6:30 awards to Governor Rendell and US Rep. Dent)
The Waldorf-Astoria, Starlight Roof, 18th Floor
By Invitation only
Michael Clark Cocktails
5:00 â 7:00pm
The Waldorf Tower, Suite 33A
By Invitation only
Fundraiser for Rep. Bill Shuster, Rep â elect Pat Meehan
5:00 â 7:00 PM
The Benjamin
125 East 50th Street
New York, NY
Shuster and the newly elected Meehan are on respective steering committees in Congress, so you can be sure that both will quietly (but quickly) gain influence down in Washington. With bright futures for both congressmen, expect a good crowd.
The McCord Committee
Rob McCord, Pennsylvania State Treasurer
5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.
Four Seasons Hotel
Salons A & B
57 East 57th Street
New York, NY 10022
A Night on Broadway honoring the new Pennsylvania Congressional delegation
Hosted by Phil English
6:00 â 8:00pm
Arent Fox LLP
1675 Broadway, 34th Floor
By Invitation only
Out are Kathy Dahlkemper, Joe Sestak, Patrick Murphy, Chris Carney, and Paul Kanjorski, in are Mike Kelly, Pat Meehan, Mike Fitzpatrick, Tom Marino, and Lou Barletta. What a difference two years can make.
Friends of Dan Onorato/Orbital Engineering
6:00-8:00
The Waldorf-Astoria, Hilton Room
By Invitation
Holiday Reception at 21 Club: Cozen O'Connor
6:00 â 9:00pm
21 West 52nd Street
By Invitation only
One big addition (see below) to the firm boosts Cozen's existing lineup of political movers and shakers.
Pennsylvania State Democratic Party Chairman Jim Burns Cocktail Reception
Co-hosts include Senator Bob Casey, Congressman Bob Brady, Mayor Michael Nutter and Mayor Luke Ravenstahl
Co-sponsored by Cohen, Placitella & Rith, Summe Development, Matt McTrish and Berger & Montague
6:30 â 8:00pm
Jade Room at the Waldorf-Astoria
Reception: BlankRome
7:00 pm
Hotel Intercontinental, Astor and Whitney Rooms (Lobby Level)
By Invitation only
With the departure of David Girard-diCarlo, this event might have fallen down a notch, but it still draws the important politicos from Philadelphia.
Stevens & Lee Cocktails and Dinner
James M. White, Host
Four Seasons Hotel, 57 E. 57th Street
7:00 Cocktails, 8:30 Dinner
By Invitation
IBEW Local Union 98, Penn-Del-Jersey Chapter, NECA
9:30 p.m.- 12:30 a.m.
The Waldorf-Astoria, Hilton Room
Johnny Doc will honor Gov-elect Tom Corbett at his yearly bash, which usually features the most fun, and always the best dancing.
PoliticsPA/Governor Mifflin Society
10:00 p.m. â 1:00 a.m.
The Waldorf-Astoria, Conrad Suite
By Invitation
Credentials Required
Sure, we're tooting our own horn, but this event gets better and more important to attend each year. If you've got a ticket, it's a sure bet to bump into the elected officials and insiders you want to see, including Sy Snyder himself.
Duane Morris, LLP and Duane Morris Government Affairs, LLC, Reception
10:00 p.m.- midnight
21 Club, 21 West 52nd Street (between Fifth and Sixth Avenues)
By Invitation
First Book Gala: 3rd Annual Book Bash
9:00 pm â 11:30 pm
Featuring Don Cunningham & The Cabinet,
Joan Allen, Melissa Fitzgerald,
Brian Wentworth, Ali Wentworth
$150.00 per person
Waldorf-Astoria, Empire Room
To purchase tickets, contact:
Saturday, December 12, 2009
PNC Breakfast Reception
James E. Rohr, Chairman and CEO, The PNC Financial Services Group
7:30 â 9:30 a.m.
The Waldorf-Astoria, Skylight Roof
By Invitation
The Penn Breakfast hosted by President Amy Gutmann
8:30 â 10:30 a.m.
The Penn Club, 30 West 44th Street
By Invitation
PMA's Annual Seminar and Luncheon
9:00 a.m. Seminar begins, lunch follows
Frederick W. Anton, President & CEO- PMA, and Hugh Long, Regional President, Pennsylvania/Delaware, Wachovia, and Dr. Terry Madonna
The Metropolitan Club, One East 60th Street
By Invitation
Particularly for journalists and scoop-seekers, the PMA luncheon is the weekend's top gossip exchange. After the bevy of events the night before, most of the people who make it to the luncheon have the latest chatter on all things Pennsylvania.
Event with Rep. Charlie Dent
Congressman Charlie Dent and co-hosts:
Sen. Dave Argall, Sen. Pat Browne, Sen. Bob Mensch, Rep. Gary Day, Rep. Marcia Hahn, Rep. Julie Harhart, Rep. Doug Reichley, Rep. Marcy Toepel, Rep. Elect Joe Emrick, & Rep. Elect Justin Simmons
Saturday, December 11, 2010
2 â 4 PM
150 E 50th St.
New York, NY 10022
(Between Lexington & 3rd Avenue)
By now, everyone has heard rumblings that Dent may be positioning himself for a Senate run in 2012, so it must be a coincidence that this event is at the exact same time as the one below, right?
Bob and Terese Casey
2:00 PM â 4:00 PM
The Irish Exit NYC
978 Second Avenue at 52nd
(two blocks from the Waldorf Astoria)
New York, NY 10022
As Pennsylvania political observers turn their heads to what promises to be a nationally watched Senate race in 2012, this event with Sen. Casey should be one of the weekend's biggest. The owners of the Bar, the Irish Exit, are from Pittsburgh, so expect the Iron City to flow freely on Saturday.
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney Cocktail Reception
4:00-6:30 p.m.
The Waldorf-Astoria, Starlight Roof, 18th floor
By Invitation Only
Thomas Hagen and Roger Richards Reception
5:00 â 6:30 p.m.
The Waldorf-Astoria Towers, Suite 37A
By Invitation Only
Reception Honoring Speaker-Elect Sam Smith
5:30-7:00 p.m.
Suite 32H
The Waldorf Towers
By Invitation
The Pennsylvania Society One Hundred Twelfth Annual Dinner
6:00 p.m. Reception â East Foyer
7:00 p.m. Dinner â Grand Ballroom
The Waldorf-Astoria
Gold Medalist: Hon. Robert P. Casey (posthumously)
By Invitation: Members $350pp; Non-members $400pp
Premier Party Hosted by the Energy Association:
In Harmony, Felicia Renae following the Society dinner
Marco Polo Room, The Waldorf-Astoria
By Invitation
After Dinner Reception
Dilworth Paxson
9:30 â 1:00am
Conrad Suite, Fourth Floor
The Waldorf-Astoria
By Invitation
Marcellus Shale Coalition
9:00 â 1:00a.m.
Chief Sponsors: Chesapeake Energy, Chief Oil & Gas, Range Resources and Talisman Energy USA
W Hotel
541 Lexington Avenue
RSVP Required
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Sunday Brunch Temple University and Wachovia
9:00—11:00 a.m.
The Waldorf-Astoria Starlight
By Invitation
[...] Which special interest lobbyists will wine and dine your elected … [...]
Open government advocates declared a small, but significant victory last week: The New Jersey Supreme Court lowered its fees for copies of records, from as high as 75 cents per page to no more than 7 cents per page, in accordance with the open-records bill Gov. Chris Christie signed last month. What's encouraging is that the ACLU pushed the court on this in September, and it gave in just a month later. According to the ACLU:
The lowering of copy costs, long-sought by open government advocates including the ACLU-NJ and New Jersey Foundation for Open Government (NJFOG), ameliorates the exorbitant fees for copies of documents, which acted as barriers to transparency for residents of New Jersey.
"The Supreme Court's changes to its fee schedule not only provide consistency in fees for public records in the State, but also enable greater access to court records and information," said Bobby Conner, staff attorney for the ACLU-NJ Open Governance Project.
In Pennsylvania, things aren't so peachy: Copies can run up to 25 cents per page for most local and state agencies; some offices, like the Recorder of Deeds, can charge even more — up to $1.50 per page. Not to mention, our state Senate recently passed a bill (that is dead for now, thank God) that would've charged people to look at — just look at! — public records.
Damn, it doesn't feel good to lose to Jersey.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Philly City Paper, Philly News Now. Philly News Now said: Win!: N.J. Supreme Court lowers court fees for copies of records: Open government advocates declared a small, but ... http://bit.ly/bQwDcu [...]
[...] Win!: NJ Supreme Court lowers court fees for copies of records by holly otterbein for The Clog, | Permalink | 1 comment | Add to del.icio.us Categories: State Politics Post tags: ACLU, Gov. Chris Christie, New Jersey Supreme Court, open government, pennsylvania legislature, public records, [...]
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| Michael T. Regan |
Remember Pia Varma, the young Tea Partier who (sorta) attempted to challenge Congressman Bob Brady this spring, but then didn't get enough signatures, and didn't show up to a court date in which the Democratic City Committee challenged her ballot petition?
Maybe she flaked out because she was busy writing her memoirs (the perfect time to write them is at the discerning age of 27, after all), titled Brotherly Love: A Cautionary Tale of Naivete, Deceit and Corruption, which just came out online. According to the press release:
This is the memoir of a twenty-seven year old woman named Pia Varma, who ran for Congress in the First District of Pennsylvania against one of the most powerful men in the state, Robert Brady. Full of intrigue, this story exposes the relationship between the two political parties that run the Philadelphia political machine.
We haven't read it, so we have no idea if it's complete schlock or a serious look into the sliminess of Michael Meehan, Brady or the Philadelphia Parking Authority. For what it's worth, HuffPo dug it (either that, or they just respected Varma's Facebook game):
Varma, who was heavily recruited to run for Congress by the PA State GOP boss Robert Gleason, ended up a patsy. She found out the hard way that Canuso and Meehan like to do things their own way and color outsides (sic) the lines of their own party. She summed it up in her book during a curt chat with then GOP City Chairman Vito Canuso at the May 11 City GOP Banquette at Philadelphia's Cannstatter Volksfest-Verein, a private German-American club:
"Vito, why don't you care about Congress? If not me, at least find someone else. We can't just let (Representative Bob) Brady go uncontested."
Canuso said, "Pia, talk to me after the Primary."
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Philly City Paper and Holly Otterbein, Philly News Now. Philly News Now said: Pia Varma writes âcautionary taleâ about running against Bob Brady: Michael T. Regan Remember Pia Varma, the youn... http://bit.ly/dkJ9PK [...]
How can you comment on a book you haven't even read/ Bias?
When you say she "didn't show up to a court date" you fail to mention that she didn't know she was served. As you will read in the book, the server posed as a producer at a news station, met her at her car (which is creepy) and had her sign what she thought was a standard release. And it wasn't the Democratic committee that challenged her, it was her own party. Republicans who don't won't Brady to be opposed. Why? You'll have to read the book.
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| Courtesy of Mother Jones |
The National Women's Law Center and the Rebecca Project for Human Rights released a report last week grading each state on its treatment of female prisoners, and it's got lots of interesting (read: depressing) stats: For instance, the number of women in prison — some 115,000 as of 2009 — has recently increased faster than that of men, largely thanks to new mandatory sentences for drug convictions. Also, most incarcerated females are nonviolent, first-time offenders; two-thirds of them have at least one child less than 18 years old. There's more:
- 43 states do not require medical examinations as a component of prenatal care
- 34 states do not require screening and treatment for women with high-risk pregnancies
- 48 states do not offer pregnant women screening for HIV
- 22 states either have no policy at all addressing when restraints can be used on pregnant women or have a policy which allows for the use of dangerous leg irons or waist chains
- 38 states received failing grades (D/F) for failing to offer prison nurseries to new mothers who are incarcerated
So where does Pennsylvania stand? Mostly thanks to a state bill that passed this year banning the shackling of women in labor, as well as programs like Philly's MOMobile, the Commonwealth got an A-. But does the state deserve it? Ann Schwartzman, the policy director of the Pennsylvania Prison Society, isn't so sure.
"Policies don't always materialize, so rating the states on written policy is limited," she told the Clog. "Many women with families need substance abuse treatment, but slots and funding are limited. More community-based alternatives to incarceration need to be established to provide opportunities for families to develop important bonds but facilities are few and far between. Expanded family visiting is an important measure but requires funds and space within the prison. Health care, including nutrition, exercise and trauma-focused treatment, would impact many of the incarcerated moms in the two state prisons."
You can read the report in its entirety here.
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CP's breaking news and analysis of the natural gas industry in Pennsylvania. Click here to join the âFrack Trackâ Google group and receive email updates.
Governor Rendell announced yesterday that the proposed (and agreed upon in the last budget session) tax on natural gas extraction is officially "dead" for this session, after Senate Republicans refused to make a counter-proposal the governor would accept.
And while the gas industry and the politicians it bankrolls light cigars and roll naked in piles of money â or whatever they do after such victories â the rest of us ought to take a good hard look at how exactly one of the largest and most lucrative industries to arrive in this state in recent history has, in the middle of a recession, managed to avoid paying taxes on the extraction of the most valuable natural resource we have left.
With money, that's how: in just a few years, the gas industry has poured millions of dollars into lobbying and campaign contributions to our elected officials â Republicans especially.
According to the website MarcellusMoney.org, a project of Common Cause Pennsylvania, the industry has spent more than $5 million lobbying Harrisburg since 2007 alone in installments of ever-increasing value (see the graph above).
Topping the list is none other than Republican Gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett ($372,270), followed by Senate President Pro Tem Joseph Scarnati ($117,575), followed by Governor Ed Rendell ($84,100), followed by Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Dan Onorato ($74,300), all followed by a sizeable chunk of the Republican wing of the State Senate â the same that just couldn't seem to propose a tax on the enormous profits the gas industry expects to make here.
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| MarcellusMoney.org, a project of Common Cause PA |
| Gas industry lobbying since 2007 |
The industry, of course, argues that taxation will hamper its growth, cost jobs, drive the industry out, etc. But there are few issues in state politics that are more cut and dry: the argument is utter nonsense.
Marcellus Shale gas, it so happens, is confined to the Marcellus Shale. The gas is here, and if there exists a tax that would actually discourage the fossil fuel industry from coming here to get it, nothing close to it has ever been proposed. Even if the tax did slow down the pace of development, it would be slowed from what is now a dangerous free-for-all that, in just a few years, has destroyed the water supply of an entire town (state regulators have ordered Cabot Oil & Gas to supply Dimock, PA's water), involved dozens of spills of toxic waste, ruined the infrastructure of municipalities hosting the industry, and begun already to deplete fresh water supplies across the state â activity which has, and continues to go, untaxed.
Tom Corbett gets the biggest cut of the proceeds of that activity while the public gets zilch â and, if elected, he's promised to keep it that way.
It's looking like a good night for Ting Wong.
[...] Philadelphia Citypaper (blog) [...]
[...] Philadelphia Citypaper (blog) [...]
[...] Philadelphia Citypaper (blog) [...]
[...] Philadelphia Citypaper (blog) [...]
One way to reduce the power of oil and their special interests is to replace oil with sustainable technologies that can and will provide jobs for years to come. According to a June 2009 report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, inaction on global warming will cause significant harm to Pennsylvania: farmers (produce $5 billion for the state) will lose ground to droughts and pests; and, rising temperatures will induce stress to dairy cows, causing $480 million in losses and affecting 5,300 jobs. For more information follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/Hirschsc.
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| Evan Lopez |
When Tom Corbett inevitably gets elected governor (unless you bum liberals actually vote during a midterm election for once), and all of Pennsylvania's forests are ravaged by an industry that doesn't pay the state one cent in extraction taxes, and unemployment benefits are vanquished because everyone collecting them is "lazy," and not a single new tax is ever created because of a man's stubborn ideology, at least there will be one good thing to come out of it, maybe:
Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett says he'll push for the privatization of liquor and wine sales in Pennsylvania's if he's elected governor.
Corbett said Tuesday that he will submit a plan to get the state out of the liquor business as one source of the revenue that will be needed to balance the state budget. He did not offer any details.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dan Onorato has said he would not propose any change in the state store system if he's elected.
Screw you, Corbett, for taking the drunk vote, too.
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| Evan Lopez |
In March, we told you about how 46 percent of Pennsylvania workers don't have paid sick time — and how there were two bills, one in the state House and another in City Council, that sought to change this. Seven months later, neither HB 1830 or Philly's "Promoting Healthy Families Workplaces" bill have been signed into law. The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy just released a related study showing that two out of five Philly workers — or 210,000 people — don't have paid sick days, including thousands who care for the elderly and children, or handle food.
The study advocates for legislation to be passed, noting that a recently enacted law in San Francisco that guarantees paid sick days for all working people did not have a negative effect on business; in fact, job growth improved compared to surrounding counties without such a law:
Since the ordinance was implemented in 2007, job growth in San Francisco (up 3.5 percent since the first half of 2006) has consistently been higher than in neighboring counties (down 3.4 percent over the same period) that do not guarantee paid sick time, despite the recession.
The number of new large and small business establishments in San Francisco has also outpaced the surrounding counties since the paid sick time ordinance was implemented.
â¦
A much larger proportion of Philadelphia's workforce is in health care and education — sectors in which a greater percentage of employers already provide paid sick time — than in San Francisco. This does not detract from the urgent need to guarantee that all 210,000 working Philadelphians without paid sick time receive it: it does indicate that if paid sick leave harmed job growth, the effects would be magnified in San Francisco. Yet even with a larger proportion of the workforce affected, San Francisco's paid sick leave ordinance was found to have no negative impact on business.
You can check out the rest of the study here.
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| Courtesy of Eric Ascalon | |
| BEFORE (left) and AFTER (right) | |
This August, we told you about the artist David Ascalon and what he called the "bastardization" of his public sculpture in Harrisburg:
In a lawsuit filed last month in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Ascalon says that the Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg commissioned him to create a Holocaust memorial on public property (which is maintained by the Parks Dept.) that did not âprettify the landscapeâ but instead was âcommitted to developing a truth-telling monument.â
In other words, the death of 6 million Jews was horrifying, so let's make sure the memorial isn't all puppies and rainbows, eh?
â¦
Fast-forward to 2007, when Ascalon says he found that his name had âbeen completely excised and grinded off of the memorialâ without his permission and replaced with this: âRestored by David Grindle 2006.â
Additionally, Ascalon claims that Grindle switched out the serpent's Cor-ten material for stainless steel, which doesn't sound like that big of a deal, until you consider that stainless steel was supposed to represent the Jews' tenacity, not the er ⦠Nazis'.
âThe modification of the sculpture has changed it so that now the same shiny stainless steel that represents the enduring Jewish people is also used to depict the Nazi regime and atrocities of the Holocaust,â reads the lawsuit. âThis alteration is abhorrent.â
Eric Ascalon, David's son, called the Clog to update us on the case. He says that while his father and the Jewish Federation are nearing a satisfactory settlement, someone is holding them up: Grindle, who Ascalon sued as well. Apparently, Grindle's attorney filed a motion for sanctions under Rule 11, which is usually reserved for frivolous cases or instances in which the attorney harasses a defendant, against Ascalon's attorney himself.
"We think he's just trying to bully and intimindate us into dropping the case against his client," says Eric. âFrom an artists' rights perspective, this is fairly important because if the judge were to grant it, it would set a precedent that would essentially intimidate artists' attorneys from filing [Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA)] claims, because it puts them on the hook. And there haven't been many VARA cases out there. ⦠We don't want money for this. We just want the sculpture to go back to the way it was."
The Clog put a call out to Grindle. We'll keep you posted as learn more.
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