Philadelphia Daily Record

PhiladelphiaDaily Record

Vol. II No. 69 (229) Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia May 23, 2011

HEALTH, EDUCATION AND HOUSING agencies are predicting drastic cuts

across Pennsylvania if the its House Republican majority’s proposed budget passes

this coming Wednesday. See story page 3.

2 | THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD 23 MAY, 2011

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T h e P h i l a d e l p h i a P u b l i c R e c o r d C a l e n d a rMay 24-

Phoenix Salon & Spa hosts

Women Empowering Women ben-

efit for Project H.O.M.E., 1600

Arch St., 6-9 p.m. Tickets $60 ad-

vance, $75 at door. For info Lauren

Millner (215) 232-7272, ext. 3045.

May 27-

Free Clothing and Items Giveaway

at Mt. Hebron Baptist Ch., 1415-

19 Wharton St. Bring your own

shopping bags/carts. Items for

men, kids, babies, ladies, home.

For info (215) 336-8163. Rev. R.

Johnson Waller, Jr., Pastor, Sister

CP Love, Missionaries Director.

Jun. 3-

Fundraising Banquet to purchase

Asian Service Bldg. at Ocean City

Restaurant, 234 N. 9th St., 6:30

p.m. For info Chairman Mohan

Parmer (215) 317-8262.

Jun. 4-

Badges of Honor 5 K run in Fair-

mount Park at 9 a.m. kicked off by

Police Commissioner Ramsey, Fire

Commissioner Lloyd Ayers, Prison

Commissioner Louis Giorla and

Mayor Michael Nutter.

Jun. 16-

American Diabetes Ass’n honors

Michael A. Rashid, president of

AmeriHealth Mercy Family of

Cos., as 2011 Father of the Year

honoree at 1200 Awards Dinner at

Loews Hotel, cocktail reception

5:30 p.m., dinner 6:30 p.m.

Jul. 10-

Benefit for Women Veterans

hosted by Cathy Santos at Mom’s

Kitchen Table Garden Courtyard,

2317 Ridge Ave., 4-9 p. m. For

info Cathy Santos (215) 834-4228.

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23 MAY, 2011 THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD | 3

Pa. House Budget Would Mean Cuts, Cuts, CutsThe Pennsylvania House of Representatives will vote on a budget

on Wednesday, May 25 that cuts almost $1 billion from public

schools and almost $500 million from health care, services for

people with disabilities and vulnerable children.

As analysts have studied the budget proposal, submitted to the

House by the majority Republican caucus two weeks ago, more

details on the planned funding reductions have come to light.

They include, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, a cut of

$38.6 million from Head Start, Child Care Works and Pre-K

Counts, two Pennsylvania pre-kindergarten programs, in addition

to the elimination of full-day kindergarten programs in the budget

proposed by Gove. Tom Corbett in March. About 7,000 children

may lose their day-care services as a result of the cut, according to

Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children.

“These are not numbers on a spreadsheet,” said Michelle Figlar,

the executive director of the Pittsburgh Association for the Educa-

tion of Young Children. “These are our children.”

The budget also eliminates $6.3 million, or the total amount in

State support, for community-based family centers. Elaine Har-

ris-Fulton, chair of Community Voices, said the loss in funding

could force the centers to trim services or close their doors, and at

a time when services are in great demand due to the poor economy.

Harris-Fulton asked, “In a time when people are in need, why cut

what works?”

Meanwhile, most of the state’s school districts have announced

plans for ‘severe’ cuts, according to two surveys published last

week.

The districts plan to increase class sizes, eliminate tutoring pro-

grams, slash summer school, cut full-day kindergarten, and shed

staff, said spokesmen for business officials and school adminis-

trators.

“The impact of the budget cuts is severe and will deeply impact the

options for students throughout the state,” said Jim Buckheit, ex-

ecutive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Ad-

ministrators. “There will be fewer programs, fewer teachers, and

larger class sizes. It’s the wrong answer for Pennsylvania’s stu-

dents.”

A Philadelphia Inquirer survey of area districts last week showed

similar results, with about nine in 10 responding districts saying

they planned to eliminate jobs; all but a handful planned on tax

increases.

The state survey, taken in April, drew responses from just over

half of the state’s 500 school districts.

No school district plans are yet final and some will change if some

of Corbett’s proposed $1.1 billion in public school cuts are re-

scinded.

The survey of business and school administrators found that 71%

expected to cut instructional programs in the 2011-12 school year.

Class sizes are expected to increase in 86% of districts because of

cuts in instructional staff. Elective courses might be trimmed in

71 percent of districts that responded. And 64% plan to eliminate

or reduce tutoring, while 51% might drop summer school. Also,

31% of districts plan on ending full-day kindergarten, in most

cases shrinking it to half-day.

And three-fourths — nearly 10 times this year’s percentage —

plan to reduce or eliminate extracurricular activities, including

sports programs. More than a quarter are considering closing

schools next year to reduce costs.

A larger percentage of schools this year than last expect to have to

make cuts, Buckheit said. For example, 17% of districts increased

class size this year, but about five times that number plan to next

year.

A group of school superintendents have condemned what they call

an attack on urban schools in particular in both the Governor’s

and the Assembly’s budget plans.

They say urban school districts get hit with a disproportionate

share of state education cuts.

Scranton Superintendent William King, speaking on behalf of a

caucus of urban school leaders in the state, said the proposals cut

per-student spending more for low-income students, Black and

Hispanic students. These students are more likely to attend urban


schools.

“It’s a far cry from putting a dent in the

budget hole we have to fill,” said King at a

Capitol press conference. He is treasurer of

the Pennsylvania League of Urban

Schools, which includes 18 large-city dis-

tricts.

While House Republicans made a point,

when releasing their proposed budget two

weeks ago, of noting that they restored fund-

ing to hospitals and other health care

providers, advocates for health care for the

poor have found the proposal includes a cut

of about $86 million in State funding for sup-

plemental payments to acute-care hospitals.

Unlike the Governor’s plan, which called

for a $31.5 million increase to uncompen-

sated care through the Tobacco Settlement

Fund, the House plan will total $116 mil-

lion in reductions when federal matching

funds are taken into account. The federal

government adds about $3 to every dollar

the State spends on uncompensated care.

A report from the Hospital & Healthsystem

Association of Pennsylvania, said the

amount of uncompensated care provided

by hospitals in Pennsylvania grew 8% –

from $825 million in fiscal year 2009-10 to

$891 million in fiscal year 2010-11. Un-

compensated care is hospital care for which

no payment was received from the patient

or insurer.

Sharon Ward, executive director of the

Pennsylvania Budget & Policy Center, said

the cuts to uncompensated care could shift

costs back to individuals who have private

health care.

“[Hospitals] either absorb the costs or the

costs are allocated throughout the rest of

us,” she told Capitolwire.

James Redmond, senior vice president for

legislative services at HHAP, said the or-

ganization is “disappointed” with the

House proposal. “We are very disappointed

the hospital uncompensated care program

funded by the tobacco-settlement fund has

been eliminated,” Redmond said.

The House Republican proposal to cut

$470 million from the Dept. of Public Wel-

fare budget to restore a portion of the Gov-

ernor’s proposed cuts to basic and higher

education means including significant cuts

to the Behavioral Health Services Initia-

tive, which provides mental-health and

substance-abuse recovery services to unin-

sured people, and the Medical Assistance

Transportation Program.

BHSI was cut by $4.3 million (8.26%) in

the House budget proposal. BHSI provides

both mental-health and drug-and-alcohol

treatment for individuals with a low in-

come who do not qualify for Medicaid. If

the House proposal is implemented, the

BHSI budget will have been cut by $9.5

million since fiscal year 2007-2008, a

16.6% cut over four years.

In addition, the House proposal cuts $4.3

million from the State mental-health base

dollars. While this cut is less than 1%,

when combined with the BHSI decrease,

the overall impact on community-based

services is significant – a loss of over $8.5

million.

The House budget proposal cuts $9.6 mil-

lion (12.9%) from the Governor’s proposed

budget from MATP. Federal regulations re-

quire the Medicaid assure that transporta-

tion is available for individuals to access

needed services. Demand has continued to

grow for the county based MATP program,

which is crucial for many Pennsylvanians

who have no other options to go to medical

appointments.

Mayor Michael Nutter announced last

week a proposal containing $16.5 million

in housing-related cuts to make up for re-

ductions in federal and state aid to

Philadelphia.

Administration officials said there would

be layoffs in more than a half-dozen City

agencies that directly or indirectly receive

money from the programs being cut.

About $5.3 million of the reductions will be

made in personnel; the rest will come from

reductions in certain housing services. For in-

stance, about 700 fewer households next fis-

cal year will receive roofing, electrical, and

plumbing repairs. An additional 135 fewer

households will receive major system re-

placements, such as new furnaces or wiring.

Most of the money being cut comes from

the federal Community Development

Block Grant program. The City is slated to

receive $9.1 million less than the $55.3

million it got this year.

The City is also expected to lose $1.9 mil-

lion from another federal grant, the HOME

Program, through which it received $16.4

million this year.

In addition, the State is eliminating $5 mil-

lion of housing-related money it gives

Philadelphia, and the city will receive

$500,000 less from the Philadelphia Hous-

ing Trust Fund. That fund was the source

of $7.5 million this year.


Hughes Briefs Constituents On Budget Woes

STATE SEN. VIN-

CENT HUGHES held

an open discussion with

constituents in Univer-

sity City Science Center

Saturday to reveal

grave issues at stake in

State budget plans.

Libertarians Slam Stabile For Judge As 3rd-Party Foe

Pennsylvania Libertarian Party chair Lou Jasikoff de-

clared the GOP’s choice for Superior Court Judge as

nothing short of shameful. Victor Stabile led the charge

to get Libertarians knocked off the ballot in 2008 and

was recently quoted as being pleased by efforts to keep

the Green and Libertarian Parties from appearing on the

statewide 2010 ballot.

“Stabile cloaks himself in the American flag while

trampling on the very cornerstone of our democracy

and should not be rewarded under any circumstance

with a judgeship on Pennsylvania’s Superior Court,”

insisted Jasikoff.

Green Party representative Carl Romanelli stated, “The

last defense of democracy and the Constitution is the

judiciary. When it is corrupted or co-opted, it represents

the most significant threat to the principles that once

made America the grand protector of liberty. The shame

and disgrace of Victor Stabile should not only be re-

jected by victims of his partisan decisions, but also by

his peers.

Romanelli, the US Senate candidate in 2006 for the

Pennsylvania Green Party, www.gppa.org, has long con-

tended that his own removal from the ballot could not

have been accomplished without the aid of partisan

judges. Romanelli, a retired employee of the Luzerne

Co. Courts, added, “Stabile’s comments, and record in

ballot-access cases, prove that both old parties are

equally corrupted at the judicial level. The prevailing

attitude is that anything goes in keeping other voices

out of political debate and participation. Judges remain

in violation of the Judicial Canons with such partisan

behavior.”


Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation where

judges elected in partisan elections determine which

candidates may appear on the ballot,” said Oliver Hall

of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Competitive

Democracy. “Now that Pennsylvania courts have begun

to assess costs against candidates just for defending

nomination petitions that they are required by law to

submit, it is more important than ever that judges

demonstrate a commitment to protecting candidate and

voter rights to participate in free and equal elections –

rather than the partisan interests of the judges’ cam-

paign contributors.”

The Libertarian Party, along with the Green Party and

groups like the Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition,

Free and Equal Organization and other liberty groups in

Pennsylvania, intend to make ballot access a major

focus of conversation this election cycle.

Congrats Across The Aisle

STATE REP. JIM ROE-

BUCK, a W. Phila. Democ-

rat, congratulated his

neighbor Republican 27th

Ward Leader Matt Wolfe

for successful effort made by

Wolfe’s faction, which is al-

lied with Republican State

Committee, in last week’s

primary. The two met at

Clark Park Farmers’ Mar-

ket.


Mayor Kicks Off Huge Reentry Program

Mayor Michael A. Nutter kicked off the 2011 Philadel-

phia Citywide Career Fair bringing together the largest

gathering of resources aiding in the employment and

reentry of ex-offenders and homeless individuals in the

city’s history. With the support of the Office of the

Deputy Mayor for Public Safety, the Citywide Career

Fair was sponsored by Resources for Human Develop-

ment, a nonprofit which provides job training to mar-

ginalized and vulnerable populations.

The Citywide Career Fair brought together 67 employ-

ers and 10 service organizations, which offered re-

sources for employment, housing, clothing and

education at the Philadelphia Municipal Services Build-

ing. The Fair featured providers of resources for under-

served populations seeking employment, independence

and reentry into society.

“Providing ex-offenders with opportunities to reenter

the workforce is absolutely necessary to combat recidi-

vism and to build a brighter future for our city. Today,

more than 1,000 applicants came out, clearly demon-

strating a need for these services and opportunities,” the

Mayor said. “I would like to thank RHD for sponsoring

this job fair and helping job seekers reach their career

goals.”

“Reintegration into the workforce for ex-offenders is a

large part of the work we do at RHD, so I was so

pleased to see the number of employers, individuals and

colleagues attend to work towards a shared vision of

successful reintegration,” said Jennifer Arthur Lewis,

corporate assistant director for RHD.

Keri Salerno, director of employer engagement for Pris-

oner Reintegration Services, said, “Today’s event was a

successful example of how the collaboration between

the public, non-profit and private sectors works to assist

individuals returning from incarceration to reintegrate

into the workforce and community.”

Resources for Human Development is a comprehensive

human-services organization based in Philadelphia. Its

innovative and effective programs specialize in helping

people who have mental illnesses or developmental dis-

abilities, homeless individuals and families, people re-

joining society after incarceration, and people with

histories of substance abuse.


Mika Shows Women How To Get What They’re Worth

FROM LEFT ARE Larry Platt, editor of Phila. Daily News; Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBC’s “Morn-

ing Joe”; Claudia McBride, executive director of World Affairs Council, which hosted Mika for a book-

signing and lecture on Friday at Loews Hotel; and former Congressman Patrick Murphy, who is running

for next year’s Democratic nomination for Penna. Attorney General. Mika’s latest book, Knowing YourValue: Women, Money and Getting What You’re Worth uses her own experiences of under-valuing her con-

tributions to “Morning Joe” – until her co-host, Joe Scarborough, was honest enough to show her his own

contract. Then Mika learned to speak up for herself. Photo by Bonnie Squires


City Schools Plan A Grand SLAM For Students This Summer

The School District of Philadelphia will begin registering its students on May 23 for the 2011 edition of Summer

Learning And More. This summer initiative, which runs from Jul. 5-28 for most students, includes opportunities

at 104 school sites around the city for children in all grades. Parents wishing to register students should contact

the student’s current school.

SLAM will provide students with an additional 18 days of learning to recover credits, prepare for the SATs,

complete Senior Projects, and transition into new schools. The School District also plans to offer a number of

enrichment opportunities for SLAM students this year in the categories of “Arts in Action”, “Science in the Sum-

mer” and “Sports Camp.”

Among the SLAM Programs are:

• K-8- all students K-8 are invited to attend academic instruction in the morning, and

enrichment programs in the afternoon.

• High School- All High School students are invited to take advantage of the opportunity to re

cover credits, participate in SAT prep and Driver’s Education classes, complete Senior Projects,

and take Core Curriculum classes.

• 8th grade Summer Bridge: 8th graders making the transition into designated high schools in the

Fall of 2011 are invited to participate in 8th Grade Bridge, a program that focuses on academic

activities and orientation for students in their new schools.

Registration for SLAM will close Jun. 16. For more information about SLAM, including times and locations, par-

ents should call their child’s current school, visit www.philasd.org or call (215) 400-4000.

Philadelphia Daily Record

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