Philadelphia Daily Record

Zzzzz CONGRESSMAN BOB BRADY, right, joins US Agriculture Secretary

Tom Vilsack at roundtable discussion of President Barack Obama’s State of the

Union address and its implication for cities. Discussion was hosted by Mayor

Michael Nutter.

PhiladelphiaDaily Record

Vol. III No. 16 (386) Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia January 27, 2012

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T h e P h i l a d e l p h i aP u b l i c R e c o r d

C a l e n d a rJan. 27- 8th Dist. Councilwoman

Cindy Bass and staff

will host Coffee Meet

with residents at Jim &

Rita’s Fine Cuisine,

4938 N. Broad St., 8-10

a.m.

Jan. 27- State Rep. Rosita

Youngblood holds Fish

or Chicken Fry at Lou &

Choo’s, 2101 W. Hunt-

ing Pk. Ave., 5-9 p.m.

Tickets $10.

Feb. 4- Green Night Out fea-

tures Prof. Eileen Appel-

baum to discuss “Paid

Sick Leave & Paid Sick

Days” at Singapore

Restaurant, 1006 Race

St., 7 p.m. Space is lim-

ited, so RSVP Green

Party at (215) 243-7103.

Feb. 8- Judge Angelo Foglietta

is sworn in at City Hall

Rm. 653, 4:00 p.m.

Recpetion follows at

Law Library.

Feb. 9- Steve Aldrich of IBEW

Local 269 invites all to

reception in honor of

State Rep. Tina Davis at

Bailey’s Bar & Grille,

6922 Bristol Emilie Rd.,

Levittown, Pa. Host

$1,000, Patron $500,

Friend. $250, Supporter,

$50. RSVP Seth Skver-

sky (215) 550-1186.

Feb. 10- Fundraiser for cancer

survivor Vicki Cum-

mings at SmokeEaters

Pub, 7681 Frankford

Ave., 7-10 p.m. Dona-

tion $35. If you cannot

make event, donation to

“Friends of Vicki Cum-

mings” c/o The Lucas

Family, 3128 Cottman

Ave., Phila., PA 19149.

For info Friendsofvick-

[email protected]

Feb. 10- Arthur Green presents

14th Ward Pre-Valen-

tine’s Day Cabaret at

Barber’s Ha., Broad &

Oxford Sts., 9 p.m.-???

Donation $10. For info

Arthur Green (267) 986-

7948.

Feb. 10-12- Penna. Progressive

Summit at Convention

Ctr., Broad & Arch Sts.

Variety of registration

fees, $50-$150. For info

paprogressivesummit.or

g.

Feb. 13- Fundraiser for State Rep

candidate Al Simpson at

Breen’s Pub, Hunting-

don Pk., 6-9 p.m. Ticket,

$35, sold at door.

Feb. 21- Alliance Française de

Philadelphie Mardi Gras

celebration at Restaurant

School, 4207 Walnut St.,

6:30 p.m. Roaring ’20s

theme, prize for best

costume. Tickets $60.

For info (215) 735-

5283.

THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD

2 | PHILADELPHIADAILYRECORD.COM •

• PHILADELPHIADAILYRECORD.COM | 3


Casey Bullish On Economic GrowthUS Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.),

Chairman of the US Congress

Joint Economic Committee, re-

leased the following statement

after the announcement from the

Bureau of Economic Analysis that

Gross Domestic Product grew by

2.8% in the fourth-quarter of 2011:

“Today’s GDP number shows that

the economic recovery continues.

This growth is the largest we have

seen since the second quarter of

2010 and is a much-needed im-

provement after the slow growth in

the first half of 2011. We have

seen significant increases in the

last two quarters, but economic

growth is not as strong as we

would like to see.

“It is clear that Washington must

continue to pass policies that en-

courage growth. This is why it is

crucial that we extend the payroll-

tax cut for the rest of 2012. This

will help increase spending, boost

demand, and strengthen the econ-

omy. Extending the payroll tax cut

will help millions of Americans re-

gain economic security while

boosting our recovery.

“This legislation is a critical step

towards reversing the economic

downturn felt across Pennsylvania

and the country. It will help the av-

erage American family keep an ad-

ditional $840 in 2012. As a

member of the Payroll Tax Confer-

ence Committee, I understand the

urgency of reaching an agreement

and am committed to making sure

Congress cuts payroll taxes for the

remainder of 2012.”

Mayor Rolls Out New Crime Plans;

Endorses Murphy For AGMayor Michael A. Nutter along

with District Attorney Seth

Williams and Police Commis-

sioner Charles Ramsey unveiled

the City’s new crime-fighting

measures focusing on prevention,

intervention and collaboration at

Strawberry Mansion HS. This

strategy will link police, neighbor-

hoods and our public and private

law-enforcement partners to re-

duce violence.

“Working with our local, state and

federal partners and after months

of study, we have put together a

series of tough measures to reduce

violent crime in Philadelphia.

We’re going after the criminals

who carry illegal guns and we’re

empowering citizens to help the

police identify these domestic ter-

rorists,” said the Mayor. “We’re

offering large cash rewards, using

technology in new ways in the

fight against crime and immedi-

ately putting more police on the

streets using overtime funds.”

At the announcement, city officials

outlined a series of new, specific

crime fighting measures:

1. Enforcement of Sections 6106

and 6108 of Title 18. Pennsylva-

nia’s Crime Code has strict illegal

gun regulations (6106, 6108).

Williams will work with the courts

to ensure individuals caught pos-

sessing illegal guns are prosecuted

to the full extent of the law, which

could mean a jail sentence of up to

seven years.

2. “I have been shocked and sad-

dened by the violent and truly

senseless crimes that have taken

place over the past few weeks,”

said the DA. “As a proud Philadel-

phian, I am going to make sure

that the actions of a few low-lifes

don’t create a permanent black eye

for the many hard-working, law-

abiding citizens here. Know this:

The police will find you and when

they do I will be throwing the

book at you.”

3. Use of incentives to increase ar-

rests and convictions. The Police

Dept. will use a new, systematic

approach to cash rewards as an in-

centive to build cases.

4. The City will offer up to

$20,000 for information leading to

the arrest and conviction of any-

one in a homicide case. It will pay

a $500 reward for tips leading to

the arrest and conviction of a per-

son carrying an illegal gun.

5. In order to elicit tips from the

public to assist the police, new,

technology based measures will

begin to complement existing

crime reporting methods. Modeled

after effective programs in Wash-

ington, D.C., New York City,

Boston, Baltimore and Los Ange-

les, the City is launching a pro-

gram that will allow citizens to

anonymously send text message

tips directly to the police depart-

ment using a vanity code. In addi-

tion, citizens will be able to email

tips, photos and videos directly to

the police department. This pro-

gram is currently available. Emails

should be sent to tips@phillypo-

lice.com. Soon, the faces of

Philadelphia’s most-wanted crimi-

nals will air on Channel 64, will be

tweeted and Facebooked to in-

crease tips to the police in support

of efforts to apprehend these crim-

inals.

6. Increased funding to the Vic-

tim/Witness Assistance Program.

Effective immediately, the City

will double the funding for the

Witness Assistance Program,

which works with the District At-

torney’s office to protect citizens

who come forward as witnesses to

a crime. Funding will rise from

$200,000 to $400,000.

7. Launch of a new video surveil-

lance program. The City will

launch a new program that will

provide citizens and businesses

with financial support to install ex-

terior surveillance video cameras

to observe public spaces. Specifi-

cations on this program will be re-

leased soon.

8. Ramsey and Williams will co-

chair the Gun Stat program, a col-

laborative effort to reduce gun

violence using data-based tracking

of gun violence, focusing on tar-

geted high-violence areas. Gun

Stat is an enhancement to the



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crime-analysis work the Police

Dept. is already using. It is de-

signed after the Crime Briefings

strategy from 2008. It will focus

on identifying violent offenders,

gun crimes, arrests and results

through the court system. It will

facilitate better tracking of persons

on probation or parole.

9. Relaunch of Operation Pressure

Point initiative as Pressure Point

2.0. This initiative leverages the

resources of different law-enforce-

ment and criminal-justice organi-

zations at the local, state and

federal level. It aims, through co-

ordinated intelligence efforts and

targeted deployment strategies to

reduce violent crime in high-crime

areas. Participating agencies in-

clude the Police Dept., United

States Marshals, Bureau of Alco-

hol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explo-

sives, 1st Judicial Dist. of Pennsyl-

vania Warrant Unit, Federal

Bureau of Investigation, Drug En-

forcement Administration, United

States Attorney’s Office, Eastern

District of Pennsylvania, High-In-

tensity Drug Trafficking Area Pro-

gram, Philadelphia Juvenile

Probation Department, the DA’s

Office, and the Pennsylvania

Liquor Control Board.

10. Anti-violence initiatives with

community organizations through

the Mayor’s Engaging Communi-

ties Dialogue. Community organi-

zations partner and/or fund

anti-violence initiatives across the

City. In order to improve coordina-

tion between these organizations

and the City of Philadelphia, a

meeting called the Mayor’s Engag-

ing Communities Dialogue will be

held in March 2012.

11. In order to combat rising vio-

lence, the immediate authorization

of additional overtime for police

officers has been approved by the

Mayor for use in high-crime areas.

In addition, a new cadet police

class of up to 100 will enter the

police academy in June 2012.

At 12:30 p.m. today, the Mayor

endorsed Patrick Murphy for State

Attorney General in front of the

Criminal Justice Center. Nutter

said he believes Murphy is the

partner Philadelphia needs in the

Attorney General’s office. Murphy

in turn gave resounding support to

the Mayor’s new anti-crime plan

and pledged his full cooperation.

Republican Party of Pennsylvania

Executive Director Mike Barley

released the following statement

regarding what he termed Supreme

Court Justice Max Baer’s violation

of the Pennsylvania Code of Judi-

cial Conduct and the Pennsylvania

Constitution when he made com-

ments to the press regarding a on-

going court proceeding.

“While the rest of Pennsylvania

anxiously awaits the Court’s opin-

ion on redistricting, Justice Baer

decided to provide his own com-

mentary on the matter, violating

both Judicial Canon and the Penn-

sylvania Constitution in the

process. The fact that a Pennsylva-

nia Supreme Court Judge would

make politically-motivated com-

ments to the press on a pending

court proceeding is absolutely out-

rageous, especially since the

court’s official opinion on the mat-

ter has not yet been released. Jus-

tice Baer’s comments are more

than just an abdication of his judi-

cial responsibilities; they are in di-

rect contravention of both the

Pennsylvania Code of Judicial

Conduct and the Pennsylvania

Constitution. Justice Bear should

be reprimanded for his poor judg-

ment and recuse himself from any

judicial activity related to this mat-

ter.

Justice Baer said issuing an opin-

ion regarding the Legislative

Reapportionment Commission’s

plan “will take a week or so” and

that the court majority believes the

process of fixing the legislative

maps will take time.

“I think this year’s elections are

going to go on the 2001 lines,”

Baer said in an interview with

Capitolwire. “I think that is what

the majority intended and I think

that is what a reading of the Chief

Justice’s order said.”

Baer said, “It takes a week or so to

write a majority opinion on any

big case, and it will take a week or

so here.”

Pa. GOP Slams Justice’s Comments On Redistricting



FROM LEFT, Congressman Bob Brady, State Sen. Shirley Kitchen, State Rep. Michelle Brownlee and

Steveanna Wynn, executive director of SHARE Food Program, Inc., discuss devastating impact of the

Corbett Administration’s plan to implement an asset test on SNAP recipients. Photo: Martin Regusters,

Leaping Lion Photography

State Sen. Shirley Kitchen (D-N.

Phila.), along with elected officials

including Congressman Bob

Brady, joined various organizations

in Philadelphia yesterday to dis-

cuss the devastating impact of the

Corbett administration’s plan to

implement an asset test on Supple-

mental Nutrition Assistance Pro-

gram recipients.

The officials made their comments

at Self-Help & Resource Exchange

Food Program at 2901 W. Hunting

Park Avenue, an organization that

allows individuals to exchange

volunteer time for the opportunity

to buy affordable food.

“The Corbett Administration’s ef-

forts to undermine our most vul-

nerable citizens is a disgrace,” said

Kitchen, who is the Democratic

chair of the Senate Public Health

& Welfare Committee. “His pro-

posal only demoralizes families

who are trying to survive and pun-

ishes those who are trying to save

precious dollars for a better life.”

Under the administration’s plan,

any SNAP recipient under the age

of 60 who has more than $2,000 in

savings and assets, including cash,

stocks, bonds and money in check-

ing and savings accounts, would

no longer qualify. Individuals who

are over 60 or disabled who have

$3,250 in savings and assets would

no longer qualify.

Approximately 460,000 Philadel-

phians rely on SNAP.

Leaders Decry Proposal For Asset Test on SNAP Recipients



This proposal bucks a national

trend in SNAP eligibility. Today,

35 states have abolished their asset

tests because of pervasive long-

term unemployment. Pennsylvania

at one time had asset tests but dis-

solved them in 2008.

Pennsylvania has a solid record on

accountability, with a SNAP error

rate of less than 4%, according to

the US Dept. of Agriculture.

“The Dept. of Public Welfare

claims to be rooting out fraud and

waste. I’d like to see the numbers

detailing the actual amount of so-

called fraud and waste,” Kitchen

said. “The federal government rec-

ognizes we are ensuring that folks

are receiving proper benefits. The

Corbett Administration should

focus on helping people, rather

than finding ways to keep them in

the cycle of poverty.”

State Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-W.

Phila.) said the federal government

already mandates income limits

for SNAP enrollment, so asset test

are a waste of time and adminis-

trative costs.

“This is a misguided policy that

does a disservice to the needs of

Pennsylvania citizens,” said

Hughes (D-7th dist.). “Punishing

low- and middle-income individu-

als for trying to lift themselves out

of poverty is not only cruel, but

also completely unnecessary.”

Nationally, nearly 75% of SNAP

participants are in families with

children and more than a quarter

of participants are in households

with seniors or people with dis-

abilities, according to the Center

on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Nearly one-third of SNAP recipi-

ents work, according to the

USDA.

The administration’s proposal

would not only hurt the individu-

als who rely on SNAP, but also the

industries that supply SNAP recip-

ients with their groceries, like

Pennsylvania farmers and super-

markets, according to John Weid-

man, deputy executive director of

the Food Trust, a Philadelphia-

based nonprofit working to pro-

vide access to affordable,

nutritious food.

The officials also discussed the is-

sues with DPW’s recent purge of

individuals from Medical Assis-

tance, which provides health-care

services for 2 million eligible

Pennsylvanians, the majority of

whom are elderly or disabled.

The 2011-12 State budget man-

dated that DPW make more than

$470 million in cuts.

“Again, DPW maintains that it is

working to ‘root out fraud and

waste,’ yet it has yet to produce

solid numbers on any fraud and

waste in DPW programs,” Kitchen

said. “Meanwhile, children, the

elderly and disabled individuals

and their loved ones are enduring

the agony of losing their lifeline

and scrambling to re-apply. It’s

shameful.”

Kitchen said she will call for pub-

lic hearings to investigate the

Pennsylvania Department of Wel-

fare’s process for cutting costs and

eliminating fraud and waste.

Gov. Tom Corbett yesterday en-

couraged members of the Justice

Reinvestment Initiative, a newly

formed panel of judges, lawmak-

ers, state cabinet members and

other officials, as they begin study-

ing ways to increase public safety

in Pennsylvania and reduce spend-

ing on corrections.

“The justice-reinvestment working

group is here to look at the num-

bers, the costs, the projections and

the system,”‘ Corbett told the gath-

ering at the Governor’s Residence

this morning. “We look to you to

come up with solutions to make

our system better. I expect this ini-

tiative will help reduce further our

crime rate, decrease recidivism and

manage corrections spending more

efficiently.’”

Led by Mark Zimmer, chairman of

the Pennsylvania Commission on

Crime and Delinquency, and Dept.

of Corrections Secretary John Wet-

zel, the group will meet regularly

during the next several months to

review data analysis, hear from

local government representatives,

prosecutors and public defenders,

victim advocates, treatment

providers and others, before craft-

ing policy proposals.

Corbett Calls For Bold Thinking To Rein In Justice Costs



JRI is a research-based approach

that identifies factors driving the

growth and costs in prison and jail

populations. It is designed to:

• Develop and implement policy

options to control and lower the

costs of the state’s corrections sys-

tem;

• Improve offender accountability;

• Reinvest a portion of the savings

into the justice system to further

reduce corrections spending;

• Reinvest a portion of the savings

into the community to prevent

crime;

• Measure the impact of policy

changes.

Contributing to the project is the

Council of State Governments Jus-

tice Center in partnership with the

Pew Center on the States and the

US Dept. of Justice.

Between 2000 and 2010, the num-

ber of people admitted to prison in

Pennsylvania climbed 46%, with

much of this growth driven by in-

creases in the number of people

convicted of property and drug of-

fenses serving relatively short

minimum sentences.

Over this same period, Dept. of

Corrections spending increased

76%, from $1.1 billion to $1.9 bil-

lion.

Despite significant State invest-

ments in resident programs for

people on parole supervision, a

2011 study showed recidivism has

declined but remains high: Nearly

half of people (44%) released from

prison were re-incarcerated within

three years.

“Today’s meeting identifies issues

that need to be addressed, and I

am confident this group will work

hard to use the data and other in-

formation gathered to make leg-

islative proposals which will try to

strike the delicate balance between

public safety and reducing costs

through improved efficiencies and

prison population reduction,’”

Zimmer said.

“This is an excellent example of

officials working together, across

systems, levels of government and

parties toward the common goal of

improving the safety of our

state,”‘ Corbett said.

“The Commonwealth judicial sys-

tem has been innovative in its es-

tablishment of problem-solving

courts with specialized dockets fo-

cusing on mental health, substance

abuse, veterans, and community

reentry offenders,” said Chief Jus-

tice Ronald D. Castille. “I wel-

come the opportunity for the

judiciary to play a key role in this

statewide project examining how

best to use our criminal-justice

system’s resources. We simply

have to think smarter.’”

Governor Reappoints Philadelphians

Gov. Tom Corbett nominated Gary

Tennis of Philadelphia as Secretary

of the Dept. of Drug & Alcohol

Programs, which was newly cre-

ated by General Assembly fiat.

To the Advisory Council for

Delaware Valley Veterans’ Home,

Corbett reappointed four Philadel-

phians who now serve on it:

Richard Shaner, Daniel F. Murray

Jr., William Carroll and

Margaret Chmielowski.

N.E. Leaders Hail Holy Family Bid To Redevelop Liddonfield

A bevy of Northeast Philadelphia

dignitaries gathered at Holy Fam-

ily University this morning to

cheer on that university’s plan to

develop Liddonfield Homes, a va-

cant Philadelphia Housing Author-

ity project between Torresdale and

Frankford Avenues.

City Councilman Bobby Henon,

Congressman Bob Brady (D-

Phila.), State Sen. Mike Stack (D-

Northeast) and State Rep. Michael

McGeehan (D-Northeast) turned

out in support as Sister Francesca

Onley, president of Holy Family

University; and John Parsons,

President of the Philadelphia-based

BSI Construction LLC, showcased

a mixed-use redevelopment plan

for Liddonfield Homes. The Lid-

donfield Homes opened in 1955

and have long since fallen into a

state of disrepair, becoming an

eyesore and blighting the sur-



rounding communities.

Holy Family University, a beloved

Northeast Philadelphia institution,

has put forth a redevelopment plan

that has won widespread support

from the nearby residents because

it blends so well with the commu-

nity. The plan includes ample

recreation facilities with public ac-

cess, including four new ballfields,

illuminated walkways, and out-

door seating areas. The plan also

includes an array of shops and din-

ing spots that can be enjoyed by

the community, as well as the uni-

versity staff and faculty.

In addition, the plan includes a

state-of-the-art assisted living fa-

cility with approximately 300 beds

to provide care for the growing

elderly population of this venera-

ble Philadelphia community. It is

anticipated that Holy Family Uni-

versity staff will operate the new

assisted-living facility.

Hughes Addresses Progress Of Health Care Reform

KEARLINE JONES, left, VP

of government relations and

compliance; State Sen. Vin-

cent Hughes and Bill George,

CEO of Health Partners,

pose after listening to Sena-

tor’s encouraging words on

Health Partners’ work.

State Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-W.

Phila.) discussed ongoing develop-

ments for Health Care Reform at

the state and local level during a

visit Jan. 23 with Health Partners’

employees. He informed attendees

about Gov. Corbett’s upcoming

State budget address on Feb. 7 that

potentially could have an impact

on Health Partners and Pennsylva-

nia’s health-care industry.

The Senator also reminded em-

ployees about their vital role in the

political process and encouraged

them to speak out on the impor-

tance of providing all citizens in

the Greater Philadelphia region

with quality, affordable health

care. President and CEO of Health

Partners Bill George commended

Hughes for his advocacy in assur-

ing that low-income populations

receive coverage.

Health Partners is a not-for-profit

health plan serving more than

170,000 members in the Greater

Philadelphia region.



Green’s Bill Calls To Hire City

Residents For Public Works

City Councilman-At-Large Bill

Green today introduced legislation

requiring that jobs paid for indi-

rectly with public investment by

the City go to Philadelphia resi-

dents. Under the ordinance,

Philadelphia residents must per-

form 100% of the work hours cre-

ated by certain public works and

non-professional services con-

tracts. In companion legislation in-

tended to incent private

investment resulting in the hiring

of Philadelphians, private-party

beneficiaries of public subsidies

are required to interview Philadel-

phia residents first for all new,

entry-level jobs generated by such

subsidies.

The City will maintain a “First

Source” list of qualified applicants

for this purpose. The jobs policy

further requires certification of

Philadelphia businesses before bid

awards and targeted increases in

city contracting opportunities for

local businesses.

“Philadelphia sorely needs to cre-

ate jobs,” Green explained. “The

Philadelphia Home Rule Charter,

which was written before out-

sourcing became part of our vo-

cabulary, already requires City

residency for most City employ-

ees. It now makes sense to expand

the residency requirement when

we ask contractors to perform

work on our behalf,” Green ex-

plained. Philadelphia unemploy-

ment stands at 10.9%, which is the

highest among the 11 counties that

make up the Philadelphia-Cam-

den-Wilmington Metropolitan Sta-

tistical Area.

The legislation includes the fol-

lowing components:

Requiring 100% of the hours

worked on competitively bid City-

funded contracts over $150,000 to

be performed by Philadelphia resi-

dents;

Requiring beneficiaries of certain

City subsidies to first consider

Philadelphia residents for 100% of

new, entry-level jobs created as a

result of the subsidy;

Requiring the processing of a

firm’s pending application for

Local Business Entity (LBE) sta-

tus prior to determining the lowest

responsible bidder on a contract

for which the firm submitted a bid

and may be eligible for a 5% LBE

preference; and

Setting goals for the number of

businesses to be newly certified as

LBEs each year and for the in-

creased participation of LBEs in

competitively bid and non-com-

petitively bid City contracts.



Washington To Offer

Free Tax Preparation

State Sen. LeAnna Washington (D-

Northwest) will again provide tax-

preparation services at no cost to

low-income and senior-citizen con-

stituents.

Services will be provided at the Sena-

tor’s Roslyn office on Mondays and the

Wadsworth Avenue office on Wednes-

day. Constituents will be seen by ap-

pointment only, starting Jan. 30

through Apr. 17.

“So many of my constituents have

found these programs to be a welcome

help to alleviate some of the stresses of

tax preparation,” said Washington. “I

am so pleased that we are able to offer

them again this year.”

Tax-preparation services are free of

charge, but constituents must call

Washington’s office at (215) 242-0472

to make an appointment.

Landlords Honor PHA

Execs For Public Service

The Homeowners Association of

Philadelphia Co. has chosen two

Philadelphia Housing Authority execu-

tives to receive the organization’s Pub-

lic Service Award.

PHA Administrative Receiver/Execu-

tive Director Michael P. Kelly and

Charles Lanier, general manager of

Client Services, were honored based on

their efforts to address longstanding

problems and concerns.

“The participation of private landlords

in the Housing Choice Voucher pro-

gram is critical to its success, so we are

committed to working with them in an

expedient, efficient manner,” Kelly

said. “It’s both gratifying and humbling

to receive this honor from HAPCO and

we intend to further improve our serv-

ice and relationships in the future.”

Victor Pinckney, Sr., president of

HAPCO, said Kelly has done a lot to

make it easier for landlords to resolve

issues, some of which have been going

on for years.

“We really appreciate his willingness

to listen and do something about it,”

Pinckney said. He recalled the group’s

first meeting with Kelly saying, “Be-

fore we could put our complaints out,

he was addressing ’em.”

Pinckney also had high praise for

Lanier who had asked the landlords’

group to work with him and the agency

to clear up outstanding issues including

damage caused by residents, rental

rates, and the servicing of landlords’

accounts.

“Our Landlord Data Center made

everything pretty much transparent,”

he said. “It allows them to look at the

results of their inspections and to look

at the appointments for recertification

and inspection.”

In addition, the agency has set up a

Facebook page where landlords can

ask questions and get tips, and estab-

lished a direct call center for landlords.

PHA has also contracted with a private

firm to study rental rates in the city and

make recommendations.

The Housing Choice Voucher Program

serves over 16,000 families in

Philadelphia.



Flower Show Will Bring Paradise To Town

WHAT ELSE but color “green” can bring together so many movers and shakers for a kickoff press

conference of 2012 Flower Show. Green is not just color of plants and grass and trees, but also color of

$61 million economic impact which Flower Show has each year, bringing 300,000 visitors to Philadel-

phia during that week. And “Hawai’i: Islands of Aloha”, this year’s theme, promises many exciting new

attractions. Guests at kick-off press conference enjoyed Hawaiian music and authentic dancing. Photos:

Bonnie Squires

AT LOEWS HOTEL yes-

terday, Mayor Nutter

spoke glowingly of impor-

tance of Flower Show, as

he thanked major spon-

sors, including (seen here

with Mayor Nutter) Tom

Woodward, president of

Bank of America, Pennsyl-

vania, which is exclusive

sponsor of the Flower

Show this year.



THERE WOULD BE no Phila. International Flower Show without major sponsors, so Drew Becher,

center, welcomes warmly Dean Evans, senior VP of Subaru of America (left), and Tom Woodward, Pres-

ident of Bank of America.

AHMEENAH YOUNG, of Civic

Center, which hosts spectacular

Phila. International Flower Show,

chats with Paul Steinke, of Reading

Terminal Market, which also bene-

fits greatly from show’s presence.

STEVEN L. SIVAK, MD, chairman of Einstein Healthcare Net-

work, which is a new sponsor of Flower Show, enjoys meeting Dr.

Seuss’ Lorax, who will be at show, Mar. 4-11.

Philadelphia Daily Record

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