Philadelphia Daily Record

Vol. II No. 210 (370)

Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia

December 30, 2011

Philadelphia Daily Record

A New Year Without Guns

MOTHERS IN CHARGE, an organization of mothers whose children were murdered, worked with Commissioner Charles Ramsey and Phila. Police Dept., a dozen civic groups and eight funeral directors to organize a grisly motorcade all around city yesterday afternoon, protesting against 2011’s death toll of 323. Before procession, packed with loaner hearses, departed Broad & Master Streets, MIC members took turns reading, in choked voices, names of every one of this year’s victims. Related story page 3.

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Dec. 30Kwanzaa Dinner & Show fundraiser to send 50 students to Africa at Imhotep Charter HS, 6201 N. 21st St.,7-11 p.m. Tickets $40; seniors and children under 12, $30. For info Maisha Sullivan (215) 385-0214.

Jan. 2Inaugural celebration for Jewell Williams, Sheriff of Phila., at Horizons Rooftop Ballrm., Sheraton Hotel, 17th & Race Sts. Attire: boots and denim, and party gear. RSVP JewellWilliams2011@gmail.com Jan. 3S. Phila. Tea Party meeting at Prudential Savings Bank, entrance from parking lot in rear, 1834 Oregon Ave., 7 p.m. Guest speaker. All invited.

Jan. 11State Sen. Anthony Williams hosts Small Business Forum for businesses (under 100 employees), 11 a.m.-1 p.m., at Univ. of Pennsylvania. Call (215) 4922980 to RSVP. For info www.senatoranthonyhwilliams.c om.

Apr. 262012 Centennial Pk. Celebration honoring Joseph Manko, Ryan Howard and Vanguard at Phila.

Horticultural Ctr., Montgomery Ave. & N. Horticultural Dr., 6 p.m. For tickets, etc. Arthur (215) 988-9341.

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DA: Party Hearty On New Year’s – But No Shooting!

The beginning of the New Year is often celebrated with champagne, fireworks and confetti, and unfortunately in some communities those festivities may also include gunfire. District Attorney Seth Williams, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey and shooting victim Joe Jaskolka want to remind people firing guns into the air on New Year’s Eve is not only dangerous, it is illegal.

“There is zero tolerance for people shooting firearms into the air to ‘celebrate’ the holiday,” said Williams, “It’s a stupid act that can have deadly consequences, and there is nothing festive about it.”

On Dec. 31, 1998 Joe Jaskolka was struck in the head by a socalled “celebratory” bullet while walking along Fernon Street near 2nd Street in South Philadelphia.

Joe was only 11 years old at the time. The bullet is still lodged in his head and his assailant has never been caught. As a result of that bullet, Joe is paralyzed on the right side of his body and face, and he can’t use the left-side of his vocal chords. He is now 24 years old and has undergone 33 surgeries to his brain and 21 surgeries to his eyes. The Jaskolka family estimates insurers have paid more than $15 million to cover the cost of all of his surgeries, and even after all of those procedures Joe still suffers from double vision and

the shaking of his eyes every time he speaks. Joe and his father Gregory Jaskolka join the District Attorney’s Office and the Police Dept. every year to show the lifechanging damage that can happen when guns are fired into the air on New Year’s Eve. “This is very simple,” said Joe Jaskolka, “what goes up must come down.”

“We went from having an annual New Year’s Eve party to having an annual press conference,” Gregory Jaskolka said.

“This is a senseless act, firing a gun into the air and not thinking about where it’s going to land,” adds Williams. “We want people to have a good time, but we don’t want them to be idiots while doing that.”

“Please, enjoy yourself responsibly, “said Ramsey. “Ring in the New Year in a good way, but don’t put somebody else’s life in jeopardy because you will go to jail.”

Anyone caught shooting a firearm into the air could be charged with Recklessly Endangering Another

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THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD Person, which could result in several years in prison if you are convicted. If a bullet hits someone the shooter could be charged with Aggravated Assault, Attempted Murder or even Murder.

Philadelphia police received 117 reports of gunshots fired between 11 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2010 and 3 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2011. On an average night the police might receive a maximum of 10 reports of gunshots fired. The number of legal guns purchased across the country went up dramatically this month alone. According the FBI, the number of guns purchased in December topped the previous onmonth record which was set in November. Since then there have been 1,534,414 inquiries by gun dealers to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System also known as NICS, and almost half a million checks were done the last six days before Christmas.

The amount of guns on Philadelphia streets continues to be a problem and the District Attorney along with Raymond Jones of Philadelphia Safety Net believes this also is a good time to remind people about the importance of gun safety. Philadelphia Safety Net provides hand-gun safety educational information and is also active to trying to reduce the number of available guns on Philadelphia streets through citywide gun turnins. Most recently, their Goods for Guns effort allowed Philadelphia residents to obtain redeemable vouchers for groceries and clothing items in exchange for handguns turned in under the 4|

supervision and direction of the Philadelphia Police Dept. “Our goal is to save Philadelphia one block at a time,” said Raymond Jones.

Philadelphian Wins Sen. Williams’ ‘There Oughta Be A Law Contest’ Philadelphian Nicole Crawford was named winner of a statewide “There Oughta Be a Law!”contest inspired by State Sen. Anthony H. Williams (D-W. Phila.). She was among 80 from across the state who submitted ideas for legislation “that would make Pennsylvania a better place.”

She proposed a bill intended to protect against false claims of nonpayment on child support by allowing non-custodial parents the right to have their child-support payments documented with the State.

At present, this can only happen by order of the Domestic Relations Court at the request of the custodial parent. “There are non-custodial parents, mostly fathers, who are trying to do the right thing but are still being accused of not paying child support,” said Crawford, a former career coach in a welfareto-work readiness program who was excited to win this contest.

“They are trying to do the right thing but they are being abused by the system.”

Crawford’s plan would allow noncustodial parents the right to initiate a child support case in

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Domestic Relations Court. By allowing a non-custodial parent to file with Domestic Relations, he or she would have the right to a formal support order based on income and circumstance, documented payments, and the right to petition for modification.

“This idea is a common-sense solution that would bring accountability to the system and fairness to the custodial process,” Williams said. “I’m thrilled that Nicole brought this idea to my attention and I’m honored to introduce it as a bill in the state legislature on her behalf.”

Williams received applications from every corner of the state, including a dozen from the 8th Senatorial Dist.

“There were many worthy ideas that came from concerned citizens across the state, and even a few out-of-state entries,” Williams said. “I was so impressed with the enthusiastic response and the wide range of ideas. Clearly, people care about Pennsylvania and want to see laws in place that will improve our quality of life.”

The Senator also selected two entries for honorable mentions. Velda Hanson Kanney, also from Philadelphia, has suggested an amendment to SB 1039, a bill the Senator introduced in May of this year. SB 1039 would reduce the number of individuals not hired due to false information on a criminal background check by requiring that these checks be conducted by the Commonwealth, rather than by private companies. “At Velda’s suggestion, I intend to offer an

THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD amendment to the bill that would prohibit disclosure of misdemeanor offenses committed when the applicant was under 21 years of age, as well as misdemeanor offenses by an applicant who has been free of arrest or prosecution for seven years or more,” Williams said.

The other honorable mention goes to Bill Batt from Albany, N.Y., who proposed a program to establish a property tax deferral to provide relief to older Pennsylvania homeowners — without requiring an increase in taxes for other Pennsylvanians.

Crawford, Kanney and Batt will join the Senator for a visit to the State Capitol and may be asked to testify on behalf of their bill at a formal Senate hearing.

Williams will hold another contest in 2012. Individuals may enter online at www.senatoranthonyhwilliams.com or call (215) 492-2980 for more information.

If Councilman Green Has His Way....

If Councilman Bill Green gets his legislative agenda for 2012 through City Council and the Mayor signs it all into law, the City’s pension system would be fixed, as would the tax foreclosure process, with its government operating in a “streamlined” fashion. It will also address local unemployment.

“It’s time to move past the easy stuff and think bigger,” the Councilman remarked.

Green’s legislation, which he will introduce over the next two months, is grouped around four themes – economic growth, strategic use of city assets, fiscal responsibility, and streamlining government.

online in searchable, downloadable, malleable formats and implement a multi-year IT strategic plan specifying performance goals.

One of his bills will require 50% of man-hours on City-funded construction projects be performed by local workers as well as insuring city residents are first for jobs in City-supported projects.

Another will streamline the local business-entity certification process to better position local businesses to compete for Cityfunded projects, while another will modify the business-privilege tax.

He will also seek to eliminate the job-killing net-income tax.

The chronically underfunded City Pension Fund will have money directed to it from the sale of City assets.

A unique move for City Council would be his bill to require fiscalimpact analysis of all new legislation prior to passage and mandate cost-benefit analysis for all capital-budget projects.

He hopes to move enough legislation to insure an open government.

This will require technology implementation. The city has already earmarked $120 million for that purposes.

His legislation would require an electronic option for all City transactions, both internal and citizenfacing (including, for example, online appeals of parking tickets), mandate all City data be available • PHILADELPHIADAILYRECORD.COM

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