Philadelphia Daily Record

Vol. III No. 107 (472)

Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia

June 29, 2012

Philadelphia Daily Record

On Time PENNA. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES passed a budget on time again, an accomplishment all can be proud of. Many Phila. legislators were less than happy with what was – or wasn’t – in the budget, though. Story inside.

THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

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Jul. 7- Councilman Curtis Jones’ Block Captain Boot Camp at Belmont Picnic Grove, Belmont Ave. & Belmont Mansion Dr., 12-6 p.m. Workshops, picnic, games.

Jul. 14-16Hispanic Fiesta at Penns Landing, 2-8 p.m.

Jul. 21Fundraiser for State Rep. John Taylor in N. Wildwood at Coconut Cove, 400 W. Spruce Ave., N. Wildwood, N.J., 2-6 p.m. , $25. Cash Bar. For info (215) 545-2244.

Jul. 21Olney HS Class of 1979 Bowling Party at Liberty Lanes, 6505 Market St., Upper Darby, Pa., 7 p.m.-11 p.m. Cost $20. BYOB (beer or wine only).

Jul. 28Brady Bunch Beach Party at Keenan’s in Anglesea, Wildwood, N.J., 4 p.m. Tickets available at door.

Meat & Deli Prego Pizzelle Baker Uno Panini Grill

Aug. 18Barrett Rec Ctr. Advisory Board Community Day,

$

29.99 $39.99

2024 S. 10th St Philadelphia PA 19148

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8th & Duncannon Sts., 11 a.m.-3 pm. No charge. Family fun day.

All invited. For info Sheila Bellamy (215) 457-4079.

Aug. 1847th Ward Crab & Shrimp Fest to Baltimore leaves Progress Plaza, Broad and Oxford Sts., 1 p.m. Open bar, massive menu. $150. For info George Brooks (267) 971-5703.

Aug. 19Annual Bill Meehan Clam Bake at Cannstatter Volksfest Verein, 9130 Academy Rd., 4-8 p.m. Ferko String Band entertains. For details call Republican City Committee (215) 5610650.

Aug. 22Stu Bykofsky’s Candidates Comedy Night at Finnigan’s Wake, 3rd & Spring Garden Sts. Doors open 7:30 p.m.

Tax-deductible tickets benefiting Variety Club are $75. For info and tickets Eric Perry (215) 735-0803, ext. 11.

THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

Pa. House Passes Budget; Speaker Smith Comments…

House Speaker Sam Smith issued the following statement regarding passage of the 2012-13 state budget earlier this evening by the House of Representatives:

“I am pleased that we prioritized spending and restored funding for education – kindergarten through college.

“The budget bill we passed this evening and sent to the Senate is a responsible, and more importantly, a sustainable spending plan.

“One of our greatest challenges this year was restoring $84 million to the Governor’s proposed 20% cut to human-services funding. This will help our state’s most-vulnerable citizens.

“The budget is lower than what the state could spend under the Taxpayer Bill of Rights formula, which is tied to inflation and population growth.

The $27.7 billion budget is $84 million below the maximum increase permitted under TABOR.

“Although tough decisions had to be made, I think we succeeded in making reasonable spending decisions based on limited resources. I believe we have a budget that will keep our state on fiscally stable ground for the foreseeable future.”

…As City Dems Bewail It – K. Boyle Deplores Ed Cuts State Rep. Kevin Boyle (D-Northeast) released the following statement in response to House passage of the Republican-backed state budget plan: “For the second year in a row, Gov. Corbett and Republican legislative leaders have placed Pennsylvania’s financial burden squarely on the shoulders of our working-class residents,” Boyle said.

“This budget upholds the $1 billion that Republicans cut to education last year, and again fails to adequately fund vital services that benefit seniors, women and children.

“I am particularly troubled by the impact this budget will have locally. For example, cuts to Temple University will undoubtedly translate to

tuition increases for local students. Additionally, local social service organizations such as Special People in the Northeast, or SPIN, which were severely hurt by last year’s budget will again be forced to reduce services for our most-vulnerable citizens.”

Boyle said an education funding plan developed

by Gov. Corbett and Republican legislators prevents the Philadelphia School District from receiving funding it desperately needs.

The plan includes additional funding for 16 “distressed” school districts across Pennsylvania, but (Cont. Page 5) • PHILADELPHIADAILYRECORD.COM

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THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

Daily Waffles From Joe Sbaraglia (The Waffleman) GREEN STAMPS - were obtained at many stores. They were given in predetermined ratios; so many stamps for so many dollars spent.

Sometimes, a bonus was given for buying a particular product, maybe double or triple the amount of stamps.

They were collected and

(yuck) pasted into books.

The books, once filled, were brought to the Green Stamp redemption centers to be exchanged for merchandise.

Merchandise was purchased based on a given number of filled or semi-filled stamp books.

4 BIG SALES WEEKLY

GREENWICH HOME - was at 9th & Shunk Streets. It was a refuge for Jewish orphans and children with serious health problems. It was a place of love and care. The building was torn down, relocated. Townhouses now stand on its former site. It will be a long time before the home is forgotten by those who were helped by the staff and the tender mercy they administered.

HAIR - For some guys, hair was the subject of genuine conceit. They groomed their hair constantly. Greasy kid stuff was mandatory. Some of the guy's hair styles were: birds' nest, D.A.'s (named for the part of a duck that goes over the fence last), pompadours, Chuck Berry spit curls, flat tops, brush cuts, crew cuts and a few styles that did not have names. Hair was combed every which way. You did not ever intentionally mess up a guy's hair. Unless you were bigger or tougher than they were, it could be a painful experience. Being a small guy, it seemed that I always had my hair messed up. Maybe that's why my hair is now almost all gone.

To buy a copy of this book E-Mail Dwaffleman@aol.com

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THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD (Cont. From Page 3) the School District of Philadelphia is not included in that group.

Boyle said, “This heartless plan will mean additional cuts to early learning, after-school programs, extracurricular activities and various resources for children in desperate need.”

Boyle said that under the plan, the School District of Philadelphia will receive a total of $989,750,627 in school funding, offering no increase to supplement the damage done by cuts in last year’s budget. That amounts to approximately $4,765 per student, which is far less than many distressed districts, and even some wealthy districts.

Youngblood Votes Against ‘Shortchanging’ Budget State Rep. Rosita C. Youngblood (D-Northwest) voted “no” on the final 2012-13 state budget that she believes shortchanges the people of Pennsylvania, and will be felt by local taxpayers and our state’s most-vulnerable citizens.

Youngblood said the proposal (SB 1466), which ultimately passed the House mostly on party lines, would place an undue burden squarely on the shoulders of Pennsylvania’s working families.

“One again, we have a budget that continues the cuts made last year that were felt by so many living in Philadelphia, and in communities all across the state,” Youngblood said. “The Republican leaders in the House, Senate and Governor’s office are shortchanging the people of this Commonwealth, and have instead decided to advocate for billiondollar tax breaks and tax credits for big oil and gas companies. It’s shameful.

“Many of the cuts laid out in this budget proposal could have been avoided because leaders decided to leave millions of dollars on the table,” she added. “And this budget once again ignores the public outcry to impose a severance tax on big oil and big gas companies drilling in the Marcellus Shale formation. We had an opportunity to ensure that no program would be cut, that our water would

not be threatened, and that our environment would be protected if we implemented a tax on Marcellus shale drilling. But sadly, that was not the case.”

Youngblood said she is concerned about the ripple effect this budget will have for local taxpayers, especially the Philadelphia School District.

“If we continue to kick the can down to the local level when it comes to funding our schools, the burden will continually be placed on local taxpayers,” Youngblood said. “Philadelphia is already dealing with a shortfall in the hundreds of millions of dollars, and the city has been calling for increased property taxes to help pay for our schools.

And this isn’t just a Philadelphia problem.

Statewide, 71% of the school districts in Pennsylvania have already voted to increase property taxes this year alone. Over the last 18 months, school districts have laid off more than 14,000 teachers and staff statewide.

“And Pennsylvania has received more $3 billion in property and wage tax relief from the state’s licensed casinos,” she added. “With Republican leaders continuing to underfund our schools, there is no wonder the people I talk to from all walks of this Commonwealth are not feeling the billions of dollars generated for property tax relief.”

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Washington Decries Lost Health Care For Seniors State Sen. LeAnna Washington (D-Northwest) expressed frustration over cuts to community-based programs that provide quality health care for many of Pennsylvania’s seniors.

Act 22 of 2011 gave the Dept. of Public Welfare the authority to make changes to programs as necessary to meet the restrictions of the department’s ever-decreasing budget. Chief among the victims of these cuts are Area Agencies on Aging, which provide vital home and community-based care for seniors.

“I am stunned that we continue to make shortsighted cuts through the Act 22 authorization and I am especially concerned about the cuts that impact Area Agencies on Aging,” Washington said.

Washington said that Area Agencies on Aging are able to provide the necessary health-care services to seniors at lower costs than if the State were to administer them. However, these cuts may force agencies to request funding from cash-strapped counties and from the State, which has already 6|

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slashed many human-services line items.

“Without proper funding, Area Agencies on Aging will be forced to cut services to seniors – increasing the financial burden on families as they are forced to seek alternative means of care,” Washington said.

These Agencies serve as vital community resources for information about urgent and end-oflife care. Without them, patients may be forced into nursing homes that are already experiencing staffing and funding crises of their own.

“What the Administration implements regarding the Act 22 program will cost us so much more down the line if key programs are underfunded,” Washington concluded.

“Home care allows our seniors to receive the care they need while preserving the dignity they deserve and we cannot turn our backs on the seniors that have given so much to society.”

THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

New Name For DPW? Murt Intros Measure State Rep. Thomas Murt (R-Northeast) has introduced a bill to rename the Dept. of Public Welfare.

HB 2532 would rename it the Dept. of Human Services.

“Changing the name of the Dept. of Public Welfare to the Dept. of Human Services more accurately reflects the wide range of services the department provides without the stigma attached to public assistance and welfare,” Murt said.

The mission of DPW is to promote, improve and sustain the quality of family life; to break the cycle of dependency; promote respect for employees; and protect and serve Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable citizens.

The bill has been referred to the House Human Services Committee.

Bill Would Block Local State Rep. John Myers (D-Northwest) said today he sees dangers in a bill poised for House consideration that would prevent political subdivisions from adopting ordinances to restrict gun rights that are stronger than state law.

Myers said SB 273 would also permit an organization to challenge such ordinances on behalf of its members, and further would permit the award of attorney fees, court costs and lost-income reimbursement for any person or organization that mounts a successful legal challenge.

“This one-size-fits-all approach to gun laws ignores the basic reality that large urban centers, like Philadelphia, face a far different and more-volatile environment when it comes to guns than do most other areas of the state,” said Myers. “We should not outlaw local control - and thus the implementation of local solutions – by needlessly handcuffing

local officials who know best what measures will work best for their communities.”

Myers said he plans to introduce two amendments to SB 273 crafted to curtail the misuse of guns: One would require encoding the base of bullets and the inside of cartridge casings to match a required serial number on each box of ammunition, as well as requiring owners to dispose of any ammunition that is not encoded by Jan. 1, 2014. The other amendment would prohibit gun ownership for anyone ordered to undergo involuntary mental health treatment on an outpatient basis.

“These provisions may seem excessive to some, but I assure you that on the streets of Philadelphia, we need more ways to restrict the misuse of guns, not to ignore the problem because other areas don’t have it,” said Myers.

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THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

Mercy Agencies Partner For Local Health Fairs Mercy Home Health and Mercy LIFE invited the public to a series of free health fairs and workshops that took place throughout the city every Saturday this June. In partnership with The Black Clergy of Philadelphia & Vicinity and Gateway Health Plan, Mercy provided Philadelphia community members access to health screenings, workshops and education sessions. These events were free and open to the public.

“This series of health fairs and workshops was a great way for members of the community to receive care to which they may not otherwise have access,” said Carol Quinn, president and CEO of Mercy Home Health and Mercy LIFE. “Education

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about health care is important as well, especially if you’re managing your own health or the care of a loved one.”

Mercy Home Health and Mercy LIFE, subsidiaries of Mercy Health System, both play key roles in providing the continuum of care.

The six health fairs included educational workshops and panel discussions during which experts will share their insight on topics that affect many Philadelphia communities: HIV/AIDS, diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Free health screenings included