Jack Hansen's Election Results

Jack Hansen, Democratic candidate for the 24th state senate  seat, ran a write-in campaign in the May primary.  He needed 500 votes in the primary to be on the fall general election ballot.  It's a tricky seat because the district contains parts of three counties.

How did he do?  Overall he received 1,506 votes, triple what he needed.  (That number is what his campaign reported; the write-in vote totals were a few higher which leads me to believe Hansen recieved most of the write-in votes in Berks and Bucks.)  Here's the county breakdown, along with the votes received by Republican incumbent Bob Mensch:

Berks County:  It just lists the number of write-ins (89 D); Mensch received 1153 votes
Bucks County:  D write-ins (484); Mensch 1578
Montgomery:  Hansen 945; Mensch 4,586

Since Hansen is listed by name in the Montco results, and there are other D votes just listed as "write-in" (118) I'm not sure if Hansen was on the ballot in that county or not.  Since his votes were separated out from just write-ins I would think so.

For a write-in campaign he did extremely well.  Even without the Montco results he would have received enough votes to be on the ballot.  Kudos, Mr. Hansen.

Belated Bucks Co Primary Result Reflections

Always late to the party, I'm just  now taking an in-depth look at primary results.  You can play along at home at http://www.buckscountyelections.org/  A few thoughts:

* More Democrats than Republicans turned out, probably due to the contested congressional primary.  Almost twice as many Dems took the time to vote.

* However, the turnout wasn't consistent across races.  For example, if my math is correct (never a good bet, check me on this before re-posting anything) 16,988 Republicans cast a vote for governor, 18,522 for lt. gov, and 19,634 for Mike Fitzpatrick in the 8th congressional race.  That means nearly 3,000 Republican voters purposefully did not pull a lever or push a button for the governor's race.  That's harsh.

* How did other races stack up?  For govenor, Democrats cast 35,713 votes, for lt gov 32,226 votes, for 8th congressional district 33,363 votes.  So Dems were more invested in the governor's race, less so the lt gov, and congress getting the Goldilocks spot in the middle.

Like Golf or Tennis? Mark Your Calendars

Mark your calendar and register today for the 9th Annual Child Advocates Classic! Bring clients and colleagues and try your luck (and skill) at one of the top five golf courses in Pennsylvania, Huntingdon Valley Country Club. Tennis is added to this year's event. Enjoy spending time with friends and engaging in some friendly competition on Huntingdon Valley's beautiful clay tennis courts in a round robin tournament. This year the golf format is scramble. 

 

 

All proceeds from this event will support Child Advocates Project for Medically Needy Children.

Nutter and Clarke to PA House: Pass Cigarette Tax!

from the inbox:

In response to the Pennsylvania State House of Representative’s decision to not return to Harrisburg to vote on HB 1177, Mayor Michael A. Nutter and Council President Darrell Clarke released the following statement:

 “As we have stated repeatedly over the last year, the Cigarette Tax is a critically important part of a multi-pronged solution to support the children of Philadelphia and our public schools for the next school year and for years to come.  The news that the House will not return next week to pass HB 1177 is devastating to us. Superintendent Dr. William Hite has been clear that without the new revenue from the Philadelphia Cigarette Tax to fill the now $81 million budget gap, he could not open schools on time. We support Dr. Hite’s belief that ensuring schools are safe and adequately staffed is more important than opening schools as planned on September 8^th.

 "We appreciate the House’s well-intentioned idea of having the City advance money to the District to help address the District’s short-term cash flow needs. However, this only advances money already included in the District’s budget and does nothing to address the substantial budget gap that the funds generated by the Philadelphia Cigarette Tax would help close. Superintendent Hite has requested certainty on the Philadelphia Cigarette Tax by August 15 in order to know that the District has the resources it needs to operate schools safely this year.  For all of those reasons, we hope that the legislature will reconsider today’s decision and choose to come back to Harrisburg by August 15 and pass HB 1177. 

"We remain grateful to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and the State Senate for demonstrating that the education of Philadelphia’s youth is important for the future of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by passing versions of the Cigarette Tax earlier this month.  The City of Philadelphia requests that state lawmakers take action once again for the sake of our school children.”

Joe Hoeffel's New Book

Joe Hoeffel, who has held several elected offices (Congressman, Montgomery County Commissioner, State Representative) has a new item on his resume -- author.  His new book, The Iraq Lie:  How the White House Sold the War, was released yesterday.

Amazon has both print and kindle versions, with parts of the prologue, afterward, appendices, and index available online.

You can also buy it directly from Progressive Press.

Laura Olson has an initial announcement in the Morning Call on 7/25.

New SEPTA Twitter Feed

Links to press releases, news bites, videos and industry articles prepared by members of the SEPTA Media Relations Department will now be available through the @SEPTANews Twitter account. It will also share photos from press conferences, ribbon cuttings, ground breakings and community events and retweet articles and news clips featuring SEPTA.

McCarter Hosts Food Drive

State Rep. Steve McCarter, D-Montgomery/Phila., announced today that he will be collecting donations of food for a food drive he’s hosting at his district office. The drive will run until Thursday, Aug. 28. 

"Many people think about food drives during the holiday season, but the truth of the matter is that hunger doesn’t take time off," McCarter said. "There are still people struggling to recover in our communities and anytime is a good time to make a donation that will help local families put food on the table."

Donations can be made at McCarter’s district office, 215 S. Easton Road, Glenside, PA 19038, Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

WaPo: PA #1 Gov Race

The Washington Post has an article, "The top 12 governor's races of 2014" (by Aaron Blake and Sean Sullivan, 7/25).  The top race?  Pennsylvania:

Gov. Tom Corbett (R), quite simply, needs a small miracle to beat Democrat Tom Wolf.

Teletownhall with Senator Toomey [Partial]

Tuesday night the phone rang and it was a teletownhall withSen. Pat Toomey, already in progress.  I was able to listen in for awhile until another call came in that I had to take.  This was the first time that the household got a call from Toomey.  His office has not been eager to respond to the few phone calls and letters I have written him  (all very polite) so I was surprised to be on the call list.  Here are my notes from the part of the call I was able to hear.  Keep in mind that the call had already started when I came in, and that it continued after I had to hang up.  These notes are not intended as a transcript.  My apologies in advance for any errors or misconceptions.

Q: Children on the border.  [caller claims over 80% come with adults; Toomey did not address this allegation]

PT: Many are 16,17 year old boys and a security risk.  Some have gang connections.  It is a humanitarian crisis.  Send them back so parents will stop sending them up.  Administration won’t do it.

Q:  Keystone pipeline

PT:  I co-sponsored that bill.  Reid won’t let it come up for a vote.  It is a huge opportunity for Pennsylvania.

Q:  Why not raise the gas tax, make it a percentage of the purchase, not a flat rate?

PT:  A user fee so there’s no [missed this].  The problem with raising it is that we aren’t spending the money we raise now as wisely as we could.  We are spending it on scenic not essential items, like bike routes.  It should be used for bridges and roads, essential items.

Q:  EPA garnishing wages on people who put a pond in their yard?

PT:  First I’ve heard of it, let me look into it.

Q:  Extending unemployment benefits

PT:  I offered a bill, but with reforms.  These extended benefits (beyond six months), my bill gradually phased them out.

Q:  immigration, change law, did Bush sign it?

PT:  We need better immigration laws.  Yes, the law passed in 2008, but the problem didn’t start until the President [Obama] said we wouldn’t send people back if they were under 31.

Q:  Ryan budget, stop slander, should be on conservative radio and tv about it, get values out not slander

PT:  Call back and we’ll send you a summary of the Ryan budget.  Don’t live beyond means – deficits, balanced budget in 10 years.  Reform big programs to put them on a sustainable path.

Q:  40 year old single mother, unemployed since 2009, living with a relative, circle – daycare to expensive but need daycare to work

PT:  I hear this on a regular basis across PA.  My heart goes out to people.  We need more jobs.  The medical device tax is costing us thousands of jobs; we need to repeal that.  Agriculture is big in Berks Co [caller from Berks]; the EPA is putting a damper on the ag sector

At that point I had to leave the call.  During the call Toomey asked people to remotely vote (by pressing the appropriate key on their phone keypad) on whether or not schools should do background checks on all their employees.  

Saturday Night Fever -- PARTAY!!

from the inbox:

Philadelphia’s Top LGBTQ Party Promoters Unite for the First Time in His/Herstory to Celebrate the Power of Community and Raise Funds for the William Way LGBT Center.

 Hosted by: Stimulus Productions, NSFW Dance Party, Mondo Trasho, CANDELA, PhillyGayCalendar.com’s Boys of Summer, Drink or Swim, The Sleepover Party, DJ Carl Michaels, Pulse Events, Groove Philly, And Many Others! 

Saturday, July 26, 2014 from 10:00 P.M. – 3:00 A.M.Underground Arts Located at 1200 Callowhill Street 

 This Saturday night, Philly’s favorite party promoters, deejays, and entertainers are banding together to raise money for the William Way LGBT Community Center. Guests will enjoy amazing, eclectic performances, sets by 11 of Philly’s hottest deejays, male and female go-go dancers, and surprises around every twist and turn within the expansive venue. With four dance floors and spectacles all over, attendees will be dancing their way through Philly's Fiercest Funhouse. 

Two Notes on Workforce Training

Two notes this week on workforce training.

One from the White House:

In his 2014 State of the Union address, the President tasked Vice President Biden with leading a review of federal employment and training programs, with the aim of making them more job-driven. That review is complete, and now that the White House has identified what is working across the country, the aim is to multiply those shining examples. The Vice President’s report highlights successful job-driven training strategies, details executive actions that are being taken by the federal government, and new commitments by employers, non-profits, unions and innovators to help spread what’s working and to support more Americans in getting and moving up in in-demand jobs and careers. (Read the full report or fact sheet)

Last Thursday (7/17) the Wall Street Journal published an article by  Lauren Weber, called "Just whose job is it to train workers?"

Amtrak Veterans Job Fair

from the inbox:

In support of an initiative to make 25 percent of new hires veterans by the end of 2015, Amtrak is proud to play host to a Veteran Opportunity Expo at 30^th Street Station on Thursday, July 24, 2014 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  More than 60 firms, including Amtrak, will have representatives on hand to discuss career opportunities for veterans and other men and women with military backgrounds.

A dedicated team of Amtrak recruiters will be on hand to work with veteran applicants to understand how their military skills, experience and training correspond to career opportunities that best align with their capabilities. 

An Amtrak spokesperson will also be available to discuss the Veterans Hiring Initiative.  Amtrak committed itself to this aggressive goal last year and has hired more than 800 veterans since 2011.  A custom-painted locomotive (Engine #42) was dedicated in June 2013 to honor our employees who are veterans, and raise awareness of the company’s initiative.  Amtrak President & CEO Joe Boardman is himself a veteran of the Vietnam War and cares deeply about providing career opportunities for other veterans. 

The event is produced by the military-to-civilian recruitment firm RecruitMilitary and sponsored by the NorthStar Solutions Group and Disabled American Veterans (DAV). 

Center City Trolley Tunnel Closed

from the inbox:

SEPTA’s Center City trolley tunnel will be closed from 9 p.m. on Friday, August 1 through 4 a.m. on Monday, August 18 for a Trolley Tunnel Blitz.  During the 17-day closure, in-house SEPTA crews will complete numerous overhead wire, track and station improvement projects that will improve safety and service reliability of the trolleys that run through the tunnel. 

 

During the Trolley Tunnel Blitz, SEPTA trolley routes 10, 11, 13, 34 and 36 will not operate through the tunnel; service will begin and end at 40^th and Market Streets.  Passengers can use SEPTA’s Market-Frankford Line for travel to and from Center City.

Cickay Staying in State Senate Race

partial press release:

Candidate for State Senate (SD-10), Steve Cickay, has indicated he is firmly committed to continue his issue-based campaign against an incumbent career politician.  Cickay has assembled a team of grassroots volunteers who are very busy throughout District 10 spreading the word why the status quo is not acceptable and is confident that the traditional old-fashioned voter outreach will take his positive message of change successfully to the voters.

Corporate Personhood and Grammar

I was doing some proofreading this morning and a bit of grammar caught my eye.  Normally inanimate objects are referred to as "that."  For example, this is the tree that fell.  Cars that explode should be banned.  And so on.  People are referred to as "who" or "whom."  Examples:  The candidate who won the election.  The woman who helped me is moving.  Group nouns seem to go either way:  The family that prays together stays together.  The people who lived next door had a pool.  Animals can also go either way.  The dog that bit me.  The cat who came to dinner.

Companies tend to be in the "that" category.  The company that bought them out.   The legal firm that did the work.  But since we have corporate personhood now, and corporations can, via their closely held status, have religious beliefs, will that change?  Will we have to say things like "it was Hobby Lobby who had the sale?"  Will certain corporations start to refer to themselves in that fashion?  "It was our corporation who donated to the charity?"  Not just, "it was our employees who" but "it was the corporation who ...."

Interesting discussion point for the grammar nerds.

Shapiro at White House on Monday

Montgomery County Commissioner Josh Shapiro is in Washington on Monday, July 14th.  He has been invited to be part of a White House discussion on expanding and innovating apprenticeships.  Employers, labor organizations, community colleges, state and local leaders, and workforce development and training organizations are meeting to explore strategies for expanding both the number of apprenticeships and the fields and industries that use apprenticeships.

President Obama's adminstration will be making $100 million available in American Apprenticeship Grants this fall.

  

                

                

Krueger-Braneky Opens Campaign Office

Leanne Krueger-Braneky opened a campaign office in Swarthmore on July 4th.  She is the Democratic candidate for the 161st state house district, which includes Aston, Brookhaven, Nether Providence, parts of Ridley Township, Rose Valley, Rutledge, part of Springfield and Swarthmore.

Leanne has advised the White House Business Council on the needs of small businesses.  For eight years, Leanne served as the first Executive Director of the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia (SBN), creating a 500-plus member business organization working to build a just, green, and thriving economy in the Southeast Pennsylvania five-county region.  The SBN was named Regional Economic Development Program of the Year by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission in 2011.

  

Biden Unleashed on Philadelphia

from the inbox:

On Wednesday, July 9^th, the Vice President will travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to deliver remarks at the Grand Banquet of the 42nd Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

You know what that means - - - a lot of extra traffic, traffic jams, and detoured roads.  Be prepared to have a longer commute tomorrow.

Fed Money for More Medical Residents

from yesterday's inbox:

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell today announced $83.4 million in Affordable Care Act funding to support primary care residency programs in 60 Teaching Health Centers across the nation. The funding will help train more than 550 residents during the 2014-2015 academic year, increasing the number of residents trained in the previous academic year by more than 200 and helping to increase access to health care in communities across the country.

Created by the Affordable Care Act, the Teaching Health Center Program expands residency training in community-based settings. Residents will be trained in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, geriatrics, and general dentistry.

Pennsylvania institutions receiving grants:

Cornerstone Care, Inc.	Family Medicine	Greensboro	PA	$1,200,000
Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education	Internal Medicine	Scranton	PA	$5,250,000
Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education *	Geriatrics	Scranton	PA	$300,000
Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education/A.T. Still	Family Medicine	Scranton	PA	$6,300,000
Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education/Wilkes-Barre	Family Medicine	Scranton	PA	$1,950,000

Veep Here on the 4th

Traffic alert --  Vice President Joe Biden will be in town on the 4th.  You know what that means.  The roads will be busier than usual.