PhiladelphiaDaily Record

Vol. I No. 151 Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia January 31, 2011

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2 | THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD 1 JANUARY, 2011

Dems Strike BackOver Proposed GOPHouse Rules

Pennsylvania Democrats plan a

statewide effort to counter GOP’s

proposed rules change in the State

House the measure this weekend.

Democrats will take their case to

voters in 18 Districts across the

state in a paid media campaign to

be launched tomorrow.

According to multiple sources in

the Pennsylvania Democratic

Party, the campaign to pressure po-

tentially vulnerable Republican

State Reps over the issue has al-

ready begun in the form of a tar-

geted email campaign.

“We’re doing a program within the

next 72 hours to make sure people

in several targeted districts around

the state are aware of the question

in front of the legislature. And a

call to action to hold them account-

able to the campaign promises they

made just a few months ago,” ex-

plained a Democrat operative.

Earlier last week, Republicans pro-

posed rules changes that would

allow them to send amendments

back to committee without tabling

the associated bill. Additionally,

Democrats would lose a seat on

each House committees.

A vote on the proposed changes is

rumored to be on the agenda for

Monday, though there have already

been signs the GOP may back

down.

Democrats charge a vote for the

change would violate Republicans’

campaign promises for open and

transparent government. They plan

to challenge potentially vulnerable

Republicans around the state.

Josephs: RepublicansBlocking Reform Because Of HomophobiaState Rep. Babette Josephs (D-S.

Phila.) said she thinks she knows

why House Republican leaders

abruptly ended session this week

and set plans into motion to penal-

ize House Democrats: bigotry.

On Wednesday, House members

were on the floor, ready to vote on

several government-reform bills,

including several amendments that

would address domestic partners of

public officials and public employ-

ees under the State ethics and lob-

byist-disclosure laws, when House

Majority Leader Mike Turzai (R-

Allegheny) abruptly ended session.

He then called an impromptu meet-

ing of the Rules Committee to re-

duce the number of Democrats in

House standing committees by

10% and allow the Majority Leader

to table any amendment to legisla-

tion arbitrarily for the rest of the

2011-12 session.

Josephs said she believes the Re-

publicans are trying to keep from

having to bring up any issues that

run counter to their agenda and that

is what caused these strong-arm

tactics.

“”Upon reflection, I believe of all the amendments we

put up for consideration, only one or two really got

stuck in the Republicans’ craw,” Josephs said. “Those

had to do with extending prohibitions and disclosure

requirements to domestic partners of lobbyists and

state elected and appointed officials. Some extreme

right-wing Republicans were in a quandary. If they

voted against the amendments, they would be saying a

State Representative, for example, could use his or her

office to direct a contract toward a domestic partner

and get away with it. That is hardly reform. If they

voted for the domestic partnership amendments they

would be legitimizing intimate sexual relationships

other than marriage, and might, in words of one ex-

tremist, ‘advance the homosexual agenda.’

“In order to protect their right-wing members from

having to cast a hard vote, Republican leaders at-

tempted to shut down the entire democratic process.

“It’s incredible to think business in the House cham-

ber may have been brought to a halt by a few amend-

ments that related to domestic partners. I never knew

that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered citizens

had that much power.”

Josephs said the amendment process has been set up

in the House so that the rank-and-file members had

more input on legislation. In fact, her Republican

counterpart in the House State Government Commit-

tee, Chairman Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler), refused to

consider amendments to these reform bills when they

were reviewed in the committee, and told Josephs De-

mocrats would have the opportunity to offer them on

the floor.

“We were denied that opportunity to amend bills on

the floor Wednesday,” she said. “And now, if the

Rules change is adopted Monday, representation of

our constituents in the legislative process will be lim-

ited and our ideas and proposals will be withheld from

consideration. And we’re the ones being called ob-

structionists?”

Corbett Looks To EliminateBoards And Commissions

The State’s fiscal problems are pushing a new wave of

proposals to downsize State government. A potential

State deficit in the $4 billion to $5 billion range for

fiscal 2011-12 is the catalyst for the effort.

Gov. Tom Corbett is planning to name a task force to

review whether to continue almost 400 State boards

and commissions in operation or sunset them. The

task force will be given one year to complete its work

and issue a report. “We are going to be looking at

these boards and commissions to see what they are

doing,” Corbett said.

In New Job, Sen. Casey ReportsOn 4th Quarter GDP

US Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Chairman-designate of

the US Congress Joint Economic Committee, released

the following statement after the announcement that

GDP increased 3.2% in the fourth quarter of 2010.

“Today’s GDP number shows the recovery which

began in the third quarter of 2009 is continuing. In-

creases in net exports and consumer spending helped

to boost growth in the fourth quarter. For all of 2010,

GDP grew at 2.9%, compared to a decrease of 2.6% in

2009,” Casey stated.

“The economy has now experienced six consecutive

quarters of positive GDP growth. It’s clear we’ve

come a long way in the past 18 months and the econ-

omy is on much sounder footing than it was in mid-

2009.”

Personal consumption increased 4.4% in the fourth

quarter, up from a 2.4% increase in the third quarter.

Exports of goods and services grew 8.5% in the fourth

quarter, compared to a 6.8% increase in the third quar-

ter. Real imports of goods and services decreased by

13.6% in the quarter, after increasing by 16.8% in the

third quarter.

31 JANUARY, 2011 THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD | 3

“But even with this progress, the

labor market has been slow to re-

cover,” the Senator noted. “The na-

tional unemployment rate in

December was 9.4% and almost

14.5 million Americans, including

more than half a million in Penn-

sylvania, remain out of work.

“We need to foster job creation and

help people build new skills and

get back to work. Investments in

workers, our children and the na-

tion’s infrastructure are vital to our

future and long-term economic

health. With the fiscal challenges

facing the country, it’s imperative

these investments be cost-effective,

delivering significant returns.

“The growth in GDP can be linked

to an increase in exports of Ameri-

can-made products and an increase

in Americans buying American-

made products. As Chair of the

JEC, I will focus on examining

policies that will continue to pro-

mote American manufacturing.”

Pa. Republicans,

Democrats Join in

Bipartisan Super

Bowl Bet With

Wisconsin

Counterparts

Pennsylvania’s Democrats and Re-

publicans are putting aside partisan

differences to back the Steelers and

make a Super Bowl wager with

their bipartisan Wisconsin counter-

parts.

“As a lifelong Pittsburgh Steelers

fan, I am pleased to join my Demo-

crat counterpart Jim Burn and sup-

port Steeler Nation as we take on

the Green Bay Packers for our sev-

enth Lombardi Trophy,” republi-

canState Committee Chairman Rob

Gleason said. “Though Chairman

Burn and I differ on many issues,

we both bleed Black and Gold. I

look forward to participating in this

friendly bipartisan wager, offering

Pittsburgh’s finest to my good

friend, newly elected RNC Chair-

man Reince Priebus and his coun-

terpart from the Wisconsin

Democrat Party. Here we go, Steel-

ers! Here we go!”

“There’s one thing Pennsylvania

Democrats and Republicans can

agree on: The Pittsburgh Steelers

will be Super Bowl Champions,”

said Pennsylvania Democratic

Party Chairman Jim Burn.

“Throughout Pennsylvania, De-

mocrats and Republicans are all

looking forward to a Steelers vic-

tory, and we’ll enjoy the tastes of

Wisconsin together in our victory

celebration.”

At stake in the bipartisan bet are

food and beer favorites to the spe-

cific regions.

Roberts Makes It

Official For 2nd

South Philadelphia Community

Leader Damon K. Roberts offi-

cially announced his campaign for

Philadelphia 2nd Dist. City Council

4 | THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD 31 JANUARY, 2011

Jan. 28- Swearing-in Fundraiser for State Rep.Kenyatta Johnson at Union League,140 S. Broad St., 6-9 p.m. RSVP(215) 820-7308.Jan. 29-Councilwoman Jannie Blackwellhosts prayer breakfast for ministers in3rd Councilmanic Dist. at SharonBaptist Ch., 3955 ConshohockenAve., 8 a.m. For info (215) 686-3418.Jan. 29-Campaign Kickoff for Damon K.Roberts, 2nd Council Dist. Democratcandidate, Ch. of the Redeemer, 1440S. 24th St., 2 p.m. For info (267)334-0244.Jan. 30- Bridges To Education charitablefundraiser at Finnigan’s Wake, 3rd &Spring Garden Sts., 3-7 p.m. $30ticket includes beer, wine, soda, buf-fet and music by LeCompt. HostsAngie Dellavella, Franny Driscoll andMaureen McAllister.Jan. 31-Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz’s“Thank You For Your Support” re-ception at Finnigan’s Wake, 3rd &Spring Garden Sts., 6:30 p.m.Feb. 2- Realtors for Alan Kurtz for Sherifffundraiser at Sampan, 124 S. 13th St.,5-7 p.m. Write checks to Friends ofAlan Kurtz, 220 S. 16th St., Suite201, Phila., PA 19102.Feb. 2-3rd Dist. Appreciation Night spon-sored by Friends of Jannie Blackwellat 1st Dist. Plaza, 3801 Market St., 6-9 p.m. Free for committeepersons andward leaders of 3rd Council Dist.

31 JANUARY, 2011 THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD | 5

seat, the first candidate to do so in the race to replace

Council President Anna Verna in front of 120 family,

friends and community and civic leaders at The

Church of the Redeemer in South Philadelphia.

“We need a City Councilperson who can come to the

table and focus on the critical issues facing our city

and advocate for those who cannot speak up for them-

selves,” Roberts said. “This City Council race is going

to come down to voters selecting the candidate they

believe can best make their hopes, dreams and lives

better and the city of Philadelphia a better city. I be-

lieve I am that person.”

Roberts started campaigning for the seat in late 2010

and has been speaking to citizens, community and

civic leaders for months to find out what voters would

like to see improved in the District. The campaign has

received a very positive response.

Controller Reports

Revenue Up, Overtime Down

City Controller Alan Butkovitz today released his

monthly economic report that shows the City’s over-

time costs are down 5%, but the Fire Dept.’s overtime

costs are $1.6 million more compared to this same pe-

riod one year ago.

Halfway through the current FY2011 the Fire Dept.’s

overtime payments totaled $10.5 million, compared to

$8.9 million in the first half of FY2010. The Depart-

ment’s overtime expenses for every month this year

have exceeded costs from the same month in the prior

year.

As a means to reduce the Fire Dept.’s overtime costs

and save $3.8 million this year, Mayor Michael Nutter

implemented a “brownout” measure to temporarily

close certain fire stations on a rotating schedule. If the

second half of the fiscal year mirrors the first half’s

costs, overtime payments could reach $3.2 million

above last year’s mark.

Overall citywide overtime payments for the first half

FY11 totaled $59.8 million, compared to $62.6 mil-

lion in the first half of FY10. Some of the departments

with significant decreases include the Office of Sup-

portive Housing, Public Property, Sheriff’s Office,

Streets Dept. and Police Dept.

Along with a look at overtime costs, the Controller’s

monthly economic report also highlights the City’s

monthly tax revenues. The Wage/Earning/NPT tax

collections for the month totaled $143.4 million,

which is a 30% increase from December of last year.

It is the highest monthly collection for this revenue

stream since January 2008.