Page 12 The Public Record • June 6, 2013
fibrosis. Without a lung transplant, she is not expected to survive the summer. As lungs from child donors are rare, her doctor has asked that she be considered for an adult lung. However, current regulations preclude her from being considered for available lungs until all eligible adult recipients have seen served, even if their needs for transplants are not as immediate. Toomey is calling on Secretary Sebelius to intervene in order to save Sarah’s life. Sebelius stated on Tuesday it would be inappropriate for her to amend the rule. Interesting which Health & Human Resources rules she is willing to violate and the ones she feels she must obey. In her mind it is okay to mace private insurance companies (that she regulates) for funding to roll out her informational campaign for Obamacare. But she finds it inappropriate to expedite the amendment of an arbitrary rule to save the life of a Sarah and other children in her predicament. Toomey and the rest of the Pennsylvania delegation are back in D.C. this week. Local CONGRESSMAN JIM GERLACH (R-Montgomery), as a member of the Ways & Means Committee, has a front-row seat to an unfolding drama concerning the IRS’s targeting of conservative groups for inappropriate and apparently illegal additional scrutiny when those groups applied for 501(c)3 or 501(c)4 status. One (Cont. Page 15)
www.phillyrecord.com • 215-755-2000
US SEN. PAT TOOMEY was in Philadelphia last Friday. He appeared on a local television station talking about the need for Health & Human Resources SECRETARY KATHLEEN SEBELIUS to help 10-year-old SARAH MURNAGHAN of Delaware Co. Sarah needs new lungs owing to her severe and debilitating cystic
If you’re a regular reader of this column, you’ll know that few things get on my nerves more than watching politicos show off their abilities to be of two mouths on any issue. One of the issues that our Political Chattering Class tends to do this the most with is the issue of education. While one mouth is singing from the Whitney Houston songbook (“I believe the children are our future…”), the other is giving us straight Flava Flav (“I can’t do nuttin’ fo ya man!”) The side with nothing to offer, in case you’re wondering, is the side that’s been asked to help school districts do what they need to do better by passing off a few more shekels … something they can’t do because, hey, there’s a tax cut for fracking, building stadiums, or some other rich man’s profit center that must be provided. Never do we hear this duet of one from our Political Chattering Class more than at this time of year. Why? Because it’s School Budget Time and there seems to be something about words like “millage” that turns even the most-honest politico into someone most parents would like to hit with a sledgehammer. As school districts look at what they have to work with and find themselves singing the Peggy Lee classic “Is That All There Is?”, they find themselves hoping for some muchneeded assistance. Nowhere is that hope more evident than here in the School District of Philadelphia, a district with a budget hole so deep that those who climb through it can grab a shrimp from the barbie. In the Commonwealth’s largest district, a district that (Cont. Page 15)
Yo! Here we go again with this point of view sent to me by a reader. One day I had lunch with some friends including Bob, who was about 69 years old. All in all, a pleasant bunch. When the menus were presented, we ordered salads, sandwiches, and soups, except for Bob who said, “Ice cream, please; two scoops, chocolate. Along with heated apple pie,” Bob added, completely unabashed. I wasn’t sure my ears heard right. We tried to act quite nonchalant, as if people did this all the time. But when our orders were brought out, I didn’t enjoy mine. I couldn’t take my eyes off Bob as his pie à la mode went down. The other guys couldn’t believe it. They ate their lunches silently and grinned. The next time I went to lunch, I called and invited Bob. I had tuna; he ordered a parfait. I smiled. “You amuse and confuse me,” I said. “How come you order rich desserts, while I feel I must eat sensible food?” He laughed and said, “I am tasting all that is possible. I try to eat the food I need, and do the things I should. But life’s so short, my friend, I hate missing out on something good. “This year I realized how old I was.” He grinned, “I haven’t been this old before. So before I die, I’ve got to try those things that for years I had ignored. I haven’t smelled all the flowers yet. There are more fudge sundaes to wolf down and kites to be flown overhead. There are too many golf courses I haven’t played. I’ve not laughed at all the jokes. “I’ve missed a lot of sporting events. I want to feel ocean spray on my face. I want to sit in a country church once more and thank God for His grace. I want peanut butter every day spread on my morning toast. I want untimed long-distance calls to the folks I love the most. I haven’t cried at all the movies yet, or walked in the morning rain. I need to feel wind on my face. I want to be in love again. “So if I choose to have dessert, instead of having dinner, then should I die before nightfall, I’d say I died a winner, because I missed out on nothing. I filled my heart’s desire. I had that final chocolate mousse before my life expired.” With that, I called the waitress over. “I’ve changed my mind,” I said. “I want what he is having; only add some more whipped cream!” So be happy. Remember: While money talks, chocolate ice cream sings!
VETERANS: 150 returning WORLD WAR II vets will return from an HONOR FLIGHT to the Washington WW2 Memorial on Jun. 20. If you can, be at St. Kevin’s Church Hall in Springfield, Pa. to welcome them home!!... Congressman Bob BRADY’S RESOLUTION TO HONOR the SERVICE of Koreans who fought in Vietnam is heartwarming; 325k served there over the course of the war’ 5k were killed, 11k injured. Many still suffer effects. The ALLYSON for Governor website IS SET UP AND LOOKIN’ GOOD.... The political tricks mentioned in my last column come from the Book of NULTY (Circa 1960s). THIN SKIN: Did Mayor NUTTER show irritability over the charge some city cameras were not operational? City CONTROLLER Alan Butkovitz made the charge. Let’s see, we elected BUTKOVITZ to be our watchdog. We EXPECT him to ALERT us to any irregularities. KEEP doing your job, Alan! Thin skin is reminiscent of the “RUMPOLE” Public TV series. Rumpole spoke of his wife as “SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED.”... PEOPLE: Hal ROSENTHAL and wife SUE are still in Israel after an exciting tour that included the Rachel grave, the Nabi Moses site, and a cave where Abraham is said to be buried. The wedding in ICELAND of Dr. Mark Watkins of Philadelphia caused a flurry of internet messages. A popular and smart physician, he has many well-wishers.... The Editorial zap at State Attorney general KATHLEEN KANE over her settlement of the HERSHEY Case – the reason many fatcat CEOs whose zeal contributed to our economic downturn (Cont. Page 16)
STATE REP. ED NEILSON is leading the way on dyslexia awareness. He held a joint press conference this week with STATE SEN. SEAN WILEY “to bring attention to the ever important issue of dyslexia as a learning disability.” It’s a great issue for Neilson because several charter schools in his legislative district are focused on special-education needs. Specialeducation needs are responsible for complexities in the public-education system and additional expenses. With the current fiscal crisis looming in Philadelphia with regard to School District “finding”, new solutions for both treatment and funding are necessary. Special education is crucial in the School District’s $300 million shortfall. MAYOR MICHAEL NUTTER, SUPERINTENDANT WILLIAM HITE and CONTROLLER ALAN BUTKOVITZ spent a day in the capitol rallying support to close this deficit and generate more state and city funding. Needed is $120 million from Harrisburg. The chances of them receiving anywhere near that amount of money is slim to none, and Slim just left. However, several legislators are working on finding the funding somehow. STATE SEN. MIKE STACK and STATE REP. CHERELLE PARKER have introduced legislation to collect nearly a half-billion dollars in delinquent taxes. The City would receive the ability to attach liens, take and sell properties, and garnish wages in order to collect the taxes. The City has claimed for the last several years it does not have the weapons it needs. If this legislation passes, there will be no excuses. COUNCIL PRESIDENT DARRELL CLARKE is generally supportive of this type of legislation but is wary of using garnishment as a tool. But STATE SEN. SHIRLEY KITCHEN is working on the means test for using the garnishment tool. The intent of the legislation is not to hurt poor people but rather to collect taxes from people who clearly are in a position to pay them. In fact, businesses owe nearly $100 million in delinquent property taxes. COUNCILMAN BOB HENON has been a leader on collecting property taxes in Philadelphia and intends to have several events focusing on delinquent property owners throughout the city. Henon continues to gain kudos for his skills in Council. He has been a leader on the AVI issue and also on the delinquent-tax issue. (Cont. Page 16)