PhiladelphiaDaily Record

Vol. II No. 98 (258) Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia July 12, 2011

NUTTER ADMINISTRATION is working overtime to pitch city to hotel develop-

ers, now Convention Center expansion is complete. See story page 3.

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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 rJul. 14-

Michael Meehan and Republican

City Committee hosts fundraiser for

Karen Brown for Mayor at Vesper

Club, 223 S. Sydenham St., 5:30-

7:30 p.m. Tickets $250.

Jul. 15-

Councilwoman Jannie L. Blackwell

celebrates her birthday with 14th an-

nual Celebration and Health Fair for

Homeless on City Hall’s Dilworth

Plaza, 12 m.-3 p.m.

Jul. 15-

Councilman Curtis Jones celebrates

his birthday with White Linen Party

at Centennial Café, 4700 States Dr.,

Fairmount Pk., 8-11 p.m. Donation

$50. For info (267) 912-1420 or

email

SamanthaJoyWilliams@gmail.com.

Jul. 15, 16-

Arts Bank Theatre hosts Classic

Concert entertainment. $20. Hosted

by Miss Black Penna. For info (267)

281-3521,

Jul. 19-

Fundraiser for Council candidate

David Oh at McGillin’s Ale House,

1310 Drury St., 6-8. Free buffet,

open bar. Contribution $50. Cash or

money order. No Corporate checks.

Jul. 23-

Brady Bunch get-together at

Keenan’s at 113 Old New Jersey Av.,

North Wildwood, N.J., 4-8 p.m.

Tickets $35. For info Tommy (215)

423-9027 or Charlie (215) 241-7804.

Jul. 23-

State Sen. Anthony Williams hosts

seminar on Building Financial

Wealth by Improving Your Credit

Score at 10 a.m. in Bossone Bldg.

Atrium, 3200 Market St., 10 a.m.

Parking available at 31st & Ludlow.

For info Desaree K. Jones or Don

Cave (215) 492-2980.

LIVE AUCTIONS EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 5PM (Preview 3PM)

LIVE AUCTIONS EVERY SATURDAY AT 11AM (Preview 9AM)

LIVE INTERNET AUCTION EVERY SATURDAY AT 4PM AT:

www.capitalautoauctions.com To Register & To Bid

3 BIGSALES

WEEKLY

2 | THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD 13 JUNE, 2011

13 JUNE, 2011 THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD | 3

Due to extreme heat and humidity, all School District

of Philadelphia Summer Learning and More students

will be dismissed at the conclusion of the academic

session today, Jul. 12. According to the National

Weather Service, the combination of temperatures in

the upper 90s and high humidity could create a situa-

tion in which heat illness is possible.

The District is taking this excessive heat warning se-

riously. At the 1:00 p.m. dismissal time, routine trans-

portation will occur for students. The heat advisory in

effect until 8 p.m.

Summer School Out Early Due To Heat

A Push Is On To Boost Hotel DevelopmentWith the newly expanded Pennsyl-

vania Convention Center open, the

City of Philadelphia and its part-

ners in the hospitality industry are

working together to promote

Philadelphia as the smart choice

for hotel development and invest-

ment.

Excitement continues to build in

the City of Philadelphia, as the

Convention Center, showcasing

one million square feet of saleable

space, recently hosted the Interna-

tional Society of Technology in

Education. The tradeshow featured

more than 20,000 attendees, using

28,500 total hotel-room nights,

with an economic impact of $40

million.

As a sign of the region’s growing

economic development, partner-

ship and commitment to progress,

the City of Philadelphia, the

Philadelphia Convention & Visi-

tors Bureau and the Philadelphia

Industrial Development Corp.,

with input from PKF Consulting,

have once again teamed up to pro-

duce Philadelphia: Smart City.Smart Choice for Hotel Invest-ment, a resource that highlights the

opportunities for prospective hotel

developments in Philadelphia. It

includes a comprehensive market

review (expanded Convention

Center, transportation and access,

new tourism developments, lodg-

ing by market and historical per-

formance, and demand by

segment), public financing pro-

grams and other City support for

development projects, and an up-

dated hotel map.

“Philadelphia’s hospitality and

tourism industry, which supports

56,000 jobs in the city, continues

to work diligently to market

Philadelphia as a compelling desti-

nation to hotel developers,” said

Mayor Michael A. Nutter. “The

Convention Center is expanded

and visitors from around the world

are traveling here for business and

leisure.”

At the forefront of economic de-

velopment are additional hotel

rooms needed in Philadelphia. An

additional 1,500 hotel rooms are

essential to meet the needs of the

expanded Convention Center,

which has grown by 62% and has

the ability to host two conventions

simultaneously or mega-

tradeshows.

Philadelphia has already added

more than 500 hotel rooms to its

inventory in anticipation of the ex-

panded Convention Center. In Oc-

tober 2009, two new hotels joined

the Philadelphia hospitality land-

scape: Kimpton’s 230-room Hotel

Palomar Philadelphia at 17th &

Sansom Streets and the 92-room

Four Points by Sheraton right

across from the expanded Conven-

tion Center. In May 2010, Le

Méridien Philadelphia, a 201-

room hotel, opened at 1421 Arch

Street, just steps away from the

expanded Convention Center.

So impressed by Palomar’s suc-

cess, Kimpton is developing a sec-

ond property – the Lafayette

Building, along Independence

Mall, which will open as the Hotel

Monaco. The 270-room hotel is

expected to open in the third quar-

ter of 2012. Also, Homewood

Suites is constructing a 130-room

facility at 41st & Walnut Streets in

the University City section of

Philadelphia, slated for completion

in spring 2012.

In 2010, sales of Philadelphia

hotel rooms reached an all-time

high, as approximately four mil-

lion room nights were sold in the

City.

Nick Gregory, director of opera-

tions for Kimpton Hotels Philadel-

phia, said, “The city has been

incredibly welcoming of us and

the guest response to our type of

product has been extremely posi-

tive. We look forward to further

integrating into the community

Feds’ Mortgage Program Calls For Takers

4 | THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD 12 JULY, 2011

with the addition of our second

property, the Monaco, and helping

Philadelphia become a top travel

destination.”

The City and PIDC support hotel

development and renovation proj-

ects in Philadelphia through 10

public financing, tax credit, and

other programs. They include:

The Welcome Fund, which can

provide five-year financing in in-

crements of $500,000 for every 10

new direct and indirect jobs cre-

ated by a project as determined by

an economic impact statement.

HUD 108 Loan, which can pro-

vide below-market financing for

building acquisition and renova-

tion and equipment purchases in

increments of $35,000 for each

permanent full-time equivalent job

created by a project.

Green Roofs Tax Credit, where the

City offers a credit against the

Business Privilege Tax of 25% for

all costs incurred to construct a

green roof, with a maximum credit

of $100,000 per business.

Job Creation Tax Credit, where the

City provides a tax credit of up to

$3,000 per employee for new, full-

time jobs created through 2013.

Developer services, where the

City will bring together all major

operating departments and utilities

involved in the permitting and ap-

proval process to review and facil-

itate development projects.

“Philadelphia is a great business

address and primed for hotel de-

velopment,” said Jack Ferguson,

president & CEO, PCVB. “An ex-

panded Pennsylvania Convention

Center is bringing additional peo-

ple to Philadelphia, whether it be

to meet here or visit here and that

requires additional hotel rooms.”

Need help paying your mortgage?

Then call 1 (800) 522-4171. It’s

your way to begin an application

for a loan from the Pennsylvania

Housing Finance Agency.

The agency taps into a federal

foreclosure-prevention program

designed to help homeowners who

are at least three months in arrears

on their mortgage payments. Ap-

plications must be approved by

Sep. 30.

Homeowners qualify if their gross

income is at least 15% lower than

when the property went into fore-

closure.

Thomas Adds Security To Senior DevelopmentSeniors living in Casa Carmen Aponte Senior Devel-

opment at 2121 N. Howard Street have been the tar-

get of criminals in the Norris Square community over

the past few months. Drug addicts were gaining en-

trance, shooting drugs in the stairwells and robbing

several of the residents.

That ended this morning with the dedication of an

electronic surveillance system made possible through

the Philadelphia Prevention Partnership, funded

through a grant gotten by State Rep. W. Curtis

Thomas (D-N. Phila.)

Thomas reports it is the first in a series of senior de-

velopments in his 181st Safe Communities Initiative:

Senior Electronic Surveillance Program.

The system was designed and installed by Logistics

Management Consultants, Inc. (LMC) in partnership

with LinkTech, Inc., with Dr. Jamil Assaf Bautista,

CEO of LMC as project director.

Other senior developments in the 181st Legislative

District that will receive new, upgraded surveillance

systems through the program include Guild House

East, Guild House West and Yorktown Arms.

Zogby Poll Says 9 Of 10 Want Fed CutsNine in 10 voters say it is important for Congress and

President Barack Obama to reduce the nation’s long-

term debt, and a majority prefers spending cuts over

increased revenues as the means of accomplishing

that goal, a new IBOPE Zogby Interactive poll finds.

The Jul. 8-11 survey finds two-thirds favor means

12 JULY, 2011 THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD | 5

testing for Medicare based on a person’s wealth, but

similar percentages oppose reducing cost-of-living in-

creases for Social Security and reducing provider pay-

ments in Medicare and Medicaid.

There is strong agreement to reduce defense spending

(60%), end some tax loopholes and preferences (85%)

and to reduce discretionary spending outside of enti-

tlements and defense (62%).

Grant Deadline For Community College Students Extended

PHEAA is reminding first-time

and non-renewal Pennsylvania

State Grant applicants planning to

attend a community college that

the PHEAA Board of Directors has

extended the State Grant deadline

from May1 to Aug. 1. Applicants

must be attending a community

college and satisfy all eligibility

requirements, including being en-

rolled on at least a part-time basis

to qualify. The State Grant dead-

line for renewal applicants remains

May 1.

PHEAA anticipates the deadline

extension will increase community

college State Grant recipients by

35% to approximately 33,000 stu-

dents. The maximum State Grant

award in 2011-12 for community

college recipients will be $2,313,

or a 23% increase from 2010-11

levels.

In addition to the deadline exten-

sion, the PHEAA Board of Direc-

tors approved the allocation of $50

million from PHEAA’s business

earnings to supplement the 2011-

12 State Grant Program. The sup-

plement, combined with the $380

million appropriated by the Gen-

eral Assembly, will increase the

maximum award from $3,541 to

$4,348, an $807 increase over

2010-11.

“The State Grant deadline exten-

sion for community college stu-

dents, combined with the $50

million supplement funded by

PHEAA’s business earnings, is

very good news for Pennsylvania’s

students and families who are

struggling to pay for their higher

education,” said Representative

William Adolph, PHEAA Board

Chairman. “Many community col-

lege students don’t make the deci-

sion to attend school until later in

the summer and this extension pro-

vides them additional time to

apply.”

First-time and non-renewal com-

munity-college State Grant appli-

cants who had received a reject

notification because they filed

after the original May 1 deadline

will be contacted with updated eli-

gibility information. PHEAA is en-

couraging students to review their

State Grant application by logging

into PHEAA.org to ensure that

their application is complete, espe-

cially those who thought that they

missed the deadline and did not

follow through with completing

their applications.

To determine eligibility for a State

Grant, applicants must complete

and submit the Free Application

for Federal Student Aid and a State

Grant Form which collects addi-

tional data elements not requested

on the federal application. The

SGF is only required for first-time

State Grant applicants. Applicants

can access the FAFSA at either

PHEAA.org/FAFSA or fafsa.gov.

First-time applicants can access

the SGF directly from the FAFSA

on the Web, allowing them to

complete the entire process from

one site.

Students who have already submit-

ted their FAFSA but not their SGF

will need to visit Account Access

through the Secure Sign-In at

PHEAA.org to complete their

State Grant Form.

For information on the higher edu-

cation financial aid process, sched-

ules for upcoming financial aid

nights and FAFSA Completion

Sessions, reminders of financial

aid deadlines, and video clips of-

fering tips and information pertain-

ing to planning for higher

education, students can join

PHEAA on Facebook at www.face-

book.com/pheaa.aid.

State Liquor Stores

In Jeopardy Again

For some reason, even though the

Pennsylvania Liquor Stores have

proven to be a goose laying a

golden egg yearly for the State’s

General Fund, there is someone

who wants to kill the system.

This time, the axe edge is sharper

and closer to being wielded since

Republican House Majority

Leader Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny)

is again introducing legislation to

abolish the Pennsylvania Liquor

Control Board and privatize the

sale of wine and spirits in Pennsyl-

6 | THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD 12 JULY, 2011

vania.

Turzai’s legislation would close

609 State-operated stores, allow-

ing for up to 750 licenses to be

auctioned for new, privately

owned stores, create separate li-

censes for smaller and larger

stores, and impose a “gallonage”

tax on the sale of wine and spirits,

a policy already found in 33 states.

Pennsylvania is one of two states

(the other is Utah) to have State-

owned and operated stores.

States imposing the “gallonage”

tax average $4.50 to $5 per gallon,

though they range widely from

$1.80 to $12.80. Turzai also esti-

mates the initial auction of licenses

could garner up to $2 billion in

State revenue. This new tax policy

supplants the Commonwealth’s

current 18% tax on booze which

generated $271 million in State

revenue.

Gov. Corbett has commissioned a

report studying the economics of

privatizing.

Nearly identical legislation last

year was defeated. Despite a Re-

publican majority, odds are the bill

may not pass the State House.

Casey To Chair JEC

Hearing Tomorrow

On Training Manu-

facturing WorkersUS Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), chair-

man of Joint Economic Commit-

tee, will chair a hearing titled,

Manufacturing in the USA: Train-ing America’s Workforce tomorrow

in Washington. The hearing, the

second in a series of hearings on

manufacturing in the USA, will

focus on equipping workers with

the skills they will need for new

jobs critical to the nation’s long-

term economic success. Economic

activity in the manufacturing sec-

tor has increased for 23 consecu-

tive months and manufacturing

employment has rebounded from

its low, adding almost 250,000

jobs since December 2009.

Participating in the hearing will

be Sen. Jim DeMint, (R-S.C.) and

Congressman Daniel Lipinski,

(D-Ill.). Testifying will be Ron

Painter, CEO of the National As-

sociation of Workforce Boards;

Dr. Harry Holzer, professor of

public policy at Georgetown Uni-

versity; Charles Wetherington,

president, BTE Technologies, Inc.

of Hanover, Md.; and Diana

Furchtgott-Roth, director of the

Hudson Institute’s Center for Em-

ployment Policy.

229 Student Visitors

Here To Improve City

More than 23,000 students made a

decision to pay money out of their

own pockets in order to help im-

prove living conditions of people

across the United States and

Canada. At least 229 of those stu-

dents, belonging to World Chang-

ers, an initiative of the North

American Mission Board (South-

ern Baptist Convention), will be in

Philadelphia the week of Jul. 25,

working on a variety of assign-

ments that range from painting

houses to putting new roofs on

homes.

On average, participating students

pay $250 to take part in the week.

This summer, 95 World Changers

projects will take place in more

than 85 cities from Alaska to

Florida, New York to California,

and many places in between.

In its 21st summer of operation,

World Changers assists cities

across North America to alleviate

substandard housing. “Our partner-

ships are the key to the past 21

years. Relationships with cities

and churches have provided an av-

enue for students to make a differ-

ence in communities across North

America,” says John Bailey, team

leader for World Changers.

Following a six-session “how-to”

study that participants complete

prior to coming, students serving

Philadelphia will hit the ground

running. The major work begins

Tuesday of the project. The stu-

dents will be staying at New

Covenant Church of Philadelphia

for the week.