Registration Open for GORE-TEX Philadelphia Marathon

from the inbox:

On Wednesday, April 1 at 12 a.m. (midnight EDT) registration for the 2015 GORE-TEX® Philadelphia Marathon, Half Marathon, Rothman Institute 8K, and Kids Fun Run will open. Evolving from a small, local race more than 20 years ago into what Competitor.com named the best marathon in the Mid-Atlantic Region in 2014, GORE-TEX® Philadelphia Marathon Race Weekend offers race participants, volunteers, and fans a dynamic experience. Interested race participants can register for the three main races, along with the Kids Fun Run athttp://www.philadelphiamarathon.com.

“Our goal is to make the 2015 GORE-TEX® Philadelphia Marathon the best one yet,” said Desiree Peterkin-Bell, Race Director of the GORE-TEX® Philadelphia Marathon. “We are excited to have GORE-TEX® footwear sponsoring the Marathon for the third year in a row, and we look forward to giving runners the best Race Weekend experience possible.”

Race Weekend 2015 opens Friday, November 20 and ends Sunday, November 22. Events include a free two-day Health & Fitness Expo located at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Center City, carb-loaded dining options from participating restaurants throughout Philadelphia, and the Kids Fun Run, a short distance non-competitive event for kids ages 6-12 years old.

The GORE-TEX® Philadelphia Marathon takes runners through 26.2 miles of different neighborhoods in Philadelphia and is a Boston qualifier. The course displays a unique mix of historic landmarks, gorgeous scenery, and vibrant neighborhoods — starting and finishing along the iconic Benjamin Franklin Parkway. This year’s GORE-TEX®Philadelphia Full Marathon and Half Marathon will both take place on Sunday, November 22. The Rothman Institute 8K will occur Saturday, November 21. All three races are USA Track & Field-sanctioned.

Last year, 29 year-old Dan Vassallo of Peabody, Massachusetts, captured the men’s marathon crown for the second time with a time of 2:17:28. In 2010, Vasallo took first place in the men’s marathon with a time of 2:21:36. Competing in her first full marathon, Leonara Patrina of Bayport, New York, came in first place in the women’s marathon with a time of 2:40:00.

The two champions were among more than 30,000 registered runners to participate in the GORE-TEX® Philadelphia Race Weekend. The races attracted participants from every state and 53 countries.

 “GORE-TEX® footwear is excited to serve as the title sponsor for the Philadelphia Marathon for the third consecutive year,” said Kirk Christensen, GORE-TEX® Running Footwear Global Leader. “With many runners training in cold or wet weather, the connection between our brand and a race like the Philadelphia Marathon is clear. Having waterproof, breathable GORE-TEX® product technology in your running shoes during your training allows you to focus on your run and not the weather. We're proud to help these runners have the best training and racing experience possible, rain or shine.”  

Pricing and Fees

The first 500 participants to register for the Full Marathon on April 1 will pay a registration fee of $80. After the first 500 are registered, the price from April 1 to April 15 will be $100. April 16-30, the cost will be $110. For the month of May, the registration price will be $120.

Registration for the GORE-TEX® Philadelphia Half Marathon will start at $60 for the first 500 registrants. After the first 500 participants are registered, the price of registration from April 1 to April 15 will be $80. From April 16 to April 30 the registration fee increases to $90, and for the month of May the price will be $100.

From April 1 to May 31, the registration price for the Rothman Institute 8K will be $25. The price of registration for the Kids Fun Run will be $15 from April 1 to November 21.

*Additional pricing information and promotions will be available on the GORE-TEX® Philadelphia Marathon website,www.philadelphiamarathon.com, at a later date.

GORE-TEX® Philadelphia Marathon Race Weekend attracts more than 30,000 runners, 60,000 spectators, and 3,000 volunteers.  Race Weekend features the GORE-TEX® Philadelphia Marathon and Half Marathon on Sunday, November 22; the Rothman Institute 8K and Kids Fun Run on Saturday, November 21; and a free two-day Health & Fitness Expo on Friday, November 20 and Saturday, November 21. Race participants pass many of Philadelphia's famous attractions on the swift and scenic USATF-certified course, which is a Boston qualifier. Take the first step to experiencing 26.2 miles of fun, beauty, history and excitement by visiting www.philadelphiamarathon.com. Be sure to connect with us on Facebook (facebook.com/philadelphiamarathon), Twitter (@philly_marathon) and Instagram (@philly_marathon) to stay up to date with the latest GORE-TEX® Philadelphia Marathon news.

Pennsylvania: Not Really Better Than Indiana

Before we get too angry about the new "religious freedom" law in Indiana, let's remember that in Pennsylvania gays and lesbians are not protected groups under Pennsylvania's discrimination laws.  Gays and lesbians can now legally marry in Pennsylvania but it is still legal to fire someone just for being gay or lesbian.  Given that, we can't feel very superior to our neighbors to the west (not directly to the west but in a westerly direction).

Some Thoughts on The Gallery

On average three days a week for the past 20 years I have walked through the Gallery, as one of the estimated 13,000 commuters who use Market East / Jefferson Station.  It’s a quick and easy way to get from the train station to the next point of my journey.  I have been reading the articles in the paper about the future of the Gallery, which has been slowly closing stores and clearing out the kiosks.  Without the ambient lighting from the stores and kiosks the walkways are fairly dark and dreary now.

I’ve gone through several stages of thought since the news broke that the Gallery would be closing.  At first I was concerned about public safety – after all, you can’t move 13,000 people from the underground walkway to the city streets unless you widen the sidewalks.  There just wouldn’t be room.  But then the number of people in the Gallery started to decrease.  These days the former streams of people walking through has slowed to a trickle.  There is room enough now for people to charge up their cell phones at the outlets along the wall.  In busier times there wouldn’t have been space for them to do that.  Either there are more high school students loitering around or they are easier to see now that there are fewer commuters there.  The train people I know well enough to ask tell me they have found other ways to get from Jefferson Station to wherever they go next.  They are unlikely to return.

Just the loss of the stores has taken a toll.  For me personally, the Gallery was the second most frequent place I shopped.  I bought something there once or twice a week.  The grocery store is the only place I spend money more frequently.  Granted some of my Gallery purchases were just snacks or cards but others were expensive (clothes, shoes, books, gifts, etc.).  I remember when there was a CVS along the way.  It often opened up early enough to catch the morning commuting crowd and I took advantage of that.   Several of the merchants saved me from disaster – a fruit tray for a work party when I left the one I intended to bring at home, flowers for a new colleague, gifts for the holiday toy drive, safety pins when a wardrobe disaster happened, and so on.  I will miss this quick fix to daily problems, and the convenience of being able to shop going to and from work. 

Mostly I will miss the camaraderie of my fellow commuters.  People were busy and in a hurry so there wasn’t a lot of conversation but if you dropped something someone would tell you or pick it up for you.  On a regular basis a group of deaf people met in the food court and watching their sign language conversations which, for all their silence, could get loud (at least judging by the large and adamant gestures), reminded me that the deaf have a vibrant community of their own.  For awhile a sharply dressed older man would sit facing the foot traffic and insist on making eye contact with the ladies.  I think he just wanted some attention.  One day I was going slower than usual because a toddler was wandering around and I wanted to make sure an adult was with him.  A man behind me was so close he nearly stepped on my heels.  I apologized and said I was just making sure the little boy was okay.  The man stared at me intently and asked “Well, is he?”  My interpretation of this is that he had noticed the boy, too, but did not feel comfortable pausing himself.  He had zeroed in on me as a “safe” women who was also concerned.  One day recently a group of high school kids was loitering in the area and two of the boys started circling each other, fists up.  I used the lowest voice register possible and yelled for them to cut it out.  They mocked me but scattered and I went off in search of a guard.  I helped police my corner of the universe and I saw others doing the same. A few years ago a middle aged man would hang around and try to chat up the teenage girls in school uniforms.  I was not the only woman walking by who told him to buzz off (or some similar to that).

Daily courtesies like friendly smiles, doors held, and so on, gave me a sense of community.  This is pretty much gone now, leaving with most of my fellow commuters.  If the renovation plans were public or if there were a published timeline I would view this as more of a temporary blip.  But all we have heard is that the real estate company that owns the Gallery seems to be in pursuit of the corporate retail unicorn – wealthy shoppers who will stop by every day and spend large sums of money.  There is talk of “upscale” stores and restaurants.  That excludes me and most of my fellow commuters as customers.  We can only provide regular reliable sales of a middling nature.  I do not think upscale stores (whatever that means) will find the location appealing enough, no matter how spruced up the walls and floors are.  Certainly they would not view my level of shopper as sufficient to move in. 

Personally I don’t see how you can do much better than having 13,000 people walk past your store front every day but I’m not a retail specialist.  I do mourn the loss of this pleasant way to begin and end my regular work routine.  Most of the commuters are gone.  I’ll stick around until the rest of the lights go out, but at some point I’ll have to find another way from point A to point B, probably up on the sidewalks or using another train station altogether.  Like the other train people I’ve talked to, I probably won’t return either.  For me, this is a shame.  I’ve enjoyed my walks through the Gallery.  They’ve been an important part of my life for two decades.

So, farewell to a much-loved place and to my fellow travelers, and to the merchants who sold us what we wanted or needed.  The walls and ceiling kept me safe and warm regardless of the weather.  I’m really going to miss this daily ritual.

Statistic on the number of commuters is from “Gallery Mall stores close for planned renovations,” by Valerie Russ, Philadelphia Inquirer 1/22/2105

Another Rumor Proven Wrong, Ted Cruz Edition

Senator Ted Cruz threw his hat into the ring, the first declared presidential candidate in the 2016 election.  Cruz was born in Canada and I've seen a lot of blog posts and online comments regarding his citizenship.  Cruz's birth certificate lists his mother's birthplace as Delaware.  People seem to be questioning this.  They should stop.

Anyone with an Ancestry.com membership can check on this.  There is a girl in the 1940 Delaware census (the most recent federal census available to the public), with the right name and the right approximate age to be Cruz's mother.  She is listed as having been born in Delaware, as are her parents.  Names tend to run in families and I see some evidence of that here.  It is possible that this is another person entirely but the simplest answer is often the correct one.  This is most likely Ted's mom.

This information is not terribly difficult to find.  People are just being willfully ignorant.

SEPTA Statement on Controversial Ads

from the inbox:

A federal court judge presiding over a dispute between SEPTA and a group seeking to purchase advertising space on SEPTA vehicles has ruled that SEPTA must accept the ads, even if they contain messages that may be disparaging to riders and SEPTA employees. After careful consideration, SEPTA has decided not to appeal this ruling. Our policy was revised in October 2014 to allow the Authority to reject these types of ads without violating the First Amendment. However, this policy change was made after the American Freedom Defense Initiative’s (AFDI) initial request to purchase advertising space and is not applicable in the matter. 

Consequently, AFDI has executed a contact with SEPTA’s advertising management agency, Titan, to purchase advertising space on the side panel of 84 SEPTA buses. The ads will contain what some may view as anti-Muslim messages. These vehicles will be placed in normal inventory rotation throughout the SEPTA service area. The ads will begin appearing on vehicles during the first week of April for a four-week period. “We understand that our decision to not file an appeal will be disappointing to those who will be forced to view the disparaging ads,” said SEPTA General Manager Joseph M. Casey. 

“We are aware that the presence of the ads could anger the public, but caution that attempts to vandalize the ads or deface SEPTA vehicles will not be tolerated.” 

Abby Stamelman Hocky, Executive Director of the Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia said, “Ads like these violate our values, even if the judge ruled they do not violate the law. We applaud SEPTA for its efforts to restrict the placement of the controversial ads." The Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia has chosen SEPTA as a co-recipient of its annual "Dare to Understand" award, to be presented April 29, at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. 

SEPTA regrets any discomfort that may be caused from viewing these controversial messages during the weeks they will be displayed. Those who wish to comment or voice their concerns may do so by completing a SEPTA Customer Service comment form at www3.septa.org/customerservice/. 

Upcoming State Supreme Court Candidate Forum

A broad coalition of organizations are organizing a public forum for state Supreme Court candidates from both parties.  It will be held on Wednesday, April 8th from 6 pm to 8:30 pm at the Philadelphia Free Library, 1901 Vine St.

Reggie Shuford, executive directory of the Pennsylvania ACRL and Holly Otterbein, associate editor of Philadelphia Magazine will be the moderators.

RSVP on Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/events/311524612390758/

Marriage Rates by State

Slate ran an article on which states have a higher multiple marriage rate ("The states where second (and third and fourth marriages) are most common," by Jordan Weissman 3/13/2015).  According to the map accompanying the article 20% of Pennsylvanians over the age of 15 have been married more than once.  That is below the national average.

The article is based on a US Census Bureau report, which also provides statistics on marriage rates by educational level, age, and income ("Remarriage in the United States," by Jamie M. Lewis and Rose M. Kreider, March 2015).  It supports articles I've read showing that marriage, and long lasting marriage, is becoming a perk / privilege of the wealthy and well-educated.  This should be of serious concern.

Interesting stuff.

2015 International Operator Appreciation Day

Tomorrow, Wednesday, is International Operator Appreciation Day, and our friends at SEPTA would like us to thank our favorite SEPTA driver or operator.  In addition feel free to post notes about your favorite drivers or operators in social media.  On Twitter please copy @septa_social

Play nice, now, this is not a time to rant about a few bad apples.  There are some wonderful SEPTA employees out there.  Let's give them a shout out.

The Death of a Role Model

When I was in first grade my father was stationed at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky and we lived in neighboring Clarksville, Tennessee.  The family all talked about a tv show they really liked but my parents thought it might be too scary for me so I wasn’t allowed to watch.  Eventually, though, they changed their minds and one Friday I was allowed to stay up and watch with the rest of the family.  I remember the excitement and anticipation. 

It was “Star Trek.”  The first episode I saw was called “The Arena” and featured a reptilian race called the Gorn.  Capt. Kirk and the Gorn captain are transported onto an uninhabited planet and told that only one can leave and the loser’s ship will be destroyed.  Capt. Kirk wins by making a primitive projectile weapon.  As he walks around the area of the fight he finds all the materials he would need.  As I watched, captivated by the plot, I was sure that my older siblings and parents would have been smart enough to do just what Kirk did, and equally convinced that I would not. Clearly, I needed to pay close attention in school and read more books.   

Even more fascinating was the tall, slender dark haired man in the blue shirt.  His name was Spock.  He quickly became my favorite character; he was surely the smartest guy on the ship.  I wanted to be that smart and that probably provided additional incentive to study.  As a teenager I had a large poster of Spock in my room.  He was a role model and inspiration, at least as much as a fictional character can be. 

As an adult I read both of Leonard Nimoy’s autobiographies to learn more about the man who fleshed out the character.  I read the autobiographies of other cast members from the original Star Trek series and one thing that stuck with me are the positive things they had to say about Nimoy.  He stood up for the supporting actors / actresses in salary and other disputes.  I have remembered that and tried to emulate it.

Leonard Nimoy died today.  Mine was one of the millions of lives he touched.  My sympathies are with his family.

SEPTA Asks Regular Riders to Play Nice for Flower Show

from the inbox:

 Each year, the Philadelphia Flower Show (February 28 – March 8) attracts thousands of horticultural fans to the Pennsylvania Convention Center and SEPTA Regional Rail service. In anticipation of the increased ridership during the week of the Flower Show, SEPTA is asking its regular commuters to help welcome the new and infrequent riders.

“We want to remind our customers that there will be many new faces on regional rail trains,” Kim Heinle, SEPTA’s Assistant General Manager of Customer Service and Advocacy said. “Many of the show’s visitors are infrequent riders who may only take the train once a year or are taking it for the first time.”

Regular SEPTA commuters can welcome the new and infrequent riders by:
• Using overhead racks for large carry-on items
• Accommodating other customers that wish to use the middle seats
• Yielding priority seats to riders with disabilities and seniors
• Being courteous and patient with unfamiliar riders

The Quiet Ride Program will be temporarily suspended for the duration of the 2015 Flower Show beginning Saturday, February 28 and continuing through Sunday, March 8. Crews will be focused on safety, fare collection and announcements and will do their best to keep things from getting too noisy. SEPTA is asking regular riders to anticipate some conversation and commotion inside of the QuietRide Car during this heavy travel period.

SEPTA Ambassadors will also be out at Jefferson Station to greet and assist Flower Show visitors.

The 2015 ‘Celebrate the Movies –Lights, Camera, Bloom’ show will attract thousands of visitors. Held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, the annual Philadelphia Flower Show is the oldest and largest event of its kind. SEPTA’s Independence and Family Independence passes offer a convenient, economical way to travel into Center City for the show. Visitors can also purchase discounted admission tickets to the Flower Show at SEPTA sales offices, Regional Rail ticket offices and online at shop.septa.org.

Wal-Mart Phone Survey

A few days ago I got a phone call, one of those automated surveys.  This one was odd because it was focused on my views of Wal-Mart's corporate citizenship.  Did I think they were good corporate citizens?  Did they pay their employees enough?  And so on.  Very strange.  It could have been related to their recent announcement of salary increases but the announcement was just a few days after the call.  They must have had the plan in place already.

Acosta Honors Aulston

modified press release:

State Rep. Leslie Acosta, D-Phila., today announced the Pennsylvania House of Representatives unanimously adopted her H.R. 90, honoring the work and leadership of Frances P. Aulston of Philadelphia, during Black History Month. 

Aulston is a former research librarian for the Free Library of Philadelphia who founded the West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance (WPCA) in 1984. Since its founding, the WPCA has worked with more than 80 organizations to promote the region’s cultural resources and support the professional development of local artists. Acosta also noted Aulston’s commitment to designating the home of civil rights scholar and activist Paul Leroy Robeson a historical place.

 “I know one of Fran’s most proud accomplishments is helping to preserve Robeson’s last residence on Walnut Street for generations to come,” Acosta said. “Not only did the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission declare the Paul Robeson House a historical landmark, but the house has also been designated a National Historical Site in the National Register of Historic Places. None of this could have occurred without Fran’s tireless dedication to educating the public about this significant participant in the Civil Rights movement.”

What is Jared Solomon Up To?

From the inbox, a mass email note from Jared Solomon, who ran for the state house in the May primary:

I am treating my campaign as a pact with my community. We talked about improving the security in our region during my campaign. So we are partnering with a security firm that will work with local law enforcement to increase patrols in our neighborhood. In addition, we talked about increasing after school programming. So we are collaborating with a corporate sponsor and 'Legacy Tennis' to provide summer enrichment programs for kids. We talked about failing infrastructure. So we are creating a public-private partnership to revitalize our local recreation center. These are just some of the initiatives that I am working on.

Campaign Donations and Charter Schools

PennLive has a great article and charter on the connection between campaign donations and votes on charter school issues.

Take a look:  http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2015/02/following_the_money_that_has_a.html

Medtronic and Inversion

Some things are just infuriating.  For example, reading "Medtronic Avoids U.S. Taxes While Saddling Shareholders With a Hefty Tax Bill," by Rakesh Sharma on Philly.com on 1/28/15.  The article starts with this:

Medtronic's $49.9 billion acquisition of Dublin-based Covidien -- the largest tax inversion deal ever -- will leave shareholders with a big tax bill, while allowing the Minnesota-based company to pay little or no U.S. taxes.

To make pour salt in the wound, note this:

The Medtronic acquisition saddles shareholders with a capital gains tax accrued as part of the transaction. Under IRS rules, this is typical for inversion deals in which the acquiring company holds 50% or more of the shares of the acquired company. Medtronic reimbursed $63 million to senior executives last year to offset their tax liability as a result of the merger. However, individual shareholders did not receive the same courtesy.

Just truly annoying.

PCOM Goes Smoke Free

The Philadelphia College of Osteophathic Medicine has gone smoke free:

In Philadelphia, PCOM will be only the second college or university to implement such a policy. A tobacco-free policy is more comprehensive than a smoke-free policy in that it prohibits the use of all tobacco-related products. Those include cigarettes, cigars, pipes and smokeless tobacco products such as chewing tobacco, dip, snuff and electronic smoking devices.

Feb. 1 was chosen as the launch date for the policy as it coincides with the start of National Heart Month. Smoking significantly increases the risk of coronary heart disease, atherosclerosis and peripheral arterial disease.

 I think this is an excellent idea.  Should you need incentive to stop smoking, take a look at this photo of the father of the man who founded osteopathy.  This is a scary looking guy.  If he (or his son or a college based on a medical practice started by his son) tells you to do something you should probably do it or, coincidentally, something unfortunate might happen.

Montco Dems Recommended Slate of Candidates

from the inbox:

The Montgomery County Democratic Party Executive Committee, led by Chairman Marcel L. Groen, selected a distinguished slate of candidates Thursday night to present for endorsement by the entire party committee on February 17.

The historic Democratic successes in Montgomery County in recent years have been fueled by the party's strong and unified leadership, its ability to attract the best possible candidates, and its tremendous fund-raising and field work in election campaigns.

"The quality of the candidates we get to run for office increases with every election," Groen said. He praised the diversity and strength of the slate, and said of Montgomery County Democrats: "We are the standard that the rest of the state would someday like to emulate."

Groen said he expected County Commissioners Josh Shapiro and Valerie Arkoosh, the party's standard-bearers, to retain a Democratic majority on the Board of Commissioners in this year's election. He said he also expected the party to sweep the nine county "row offices" that are on the ballot, five of which are currently held by Democrats, and to elect four additional Democrats to available seats as judges of the county's Court of Common Pleas.

Selection panels appointed by Groen spent "three weeks of nights and weekends," as he termed it, looking in depth at the qualifications and personal qualities of numerous individuals who sought endorsement. Their recommendations were approved unanimously Thursday by the Executive Committee, which packed a large room at the AFSCME District Council 88 offices in Plymouth Meeting.

The Executive Committee recommended the following candidates for full party endorsement:

COMMISSIONER

* Josh Shapiro. As chairman of the Board of Commissioners, Shapiro has led in reforming county government, boosting services, and balancing the budget -- all while holding the line on taxes and restoring the rainy day fund. Shapiro and Leslie Richards in 2011 became the first Democrats to win control of the courthouse in 150 years.

* Valerie Arkoosh. A medical doctor with a nationally-recognized name in healthcare and also a strong record of organizational leadership, Arkoosh was recently unanimously chosen by the Common Pleas court to become a commissioner in place of Richards, who resigned to take on the job of PennDot secretary.

ROW OFFICERS

* Incumbent D. Bruce Hanes for REGISTER OF WILLS. An attorney, he has served two terms as Register of Wills and also currently teaches part-time at Philadelphia University. As the issuer of marriage licenses in the county, he has led the fight for marriage equality.

* Incumbent Dr. Walter I. Hofman for COUNTY CORONER. Dr. Hofman is the only forensic pathologist to ever serve as Coroner in the county and one of few in the state to ever do so. This unique qualification has enabled him to personally perform more than 11,000 autopsies and to certify the death of over 18,000 people.

* Incumbent Mark Levy for PROTHONOTARY. In his two terms of experience as Prothonotary, Levy has offered exceptional public service and introduced innovative technologies, especially with electronic court records. A former platoon sergeant in the U.S. Army and Army Reserves, he earned his college degree at Temple University.

* Incumbent Jason Salus for county TREASURER. A former businessman with a degree in finance, Salus has brought private-sector financial acumen to the office of Treasurer, identifying new sources of revenue to help balance the county budget, making smart investments and reducing his own department's budget.

* Incumbent Ann Thornburg Weiss for CLERK OF COURTS. An attorney by training and practice, she has twice been elected Clerk of Courts. She has introduced numerous innovations to the courts, including more user-friendly services and streamlined work processes.

* Sean P. Kilkenny for SHERIFF. An attorney and expert in municipal law, Kilkenny serves as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve's Judge Advocate General's Corps. He has served as Council president in Jenkintown and as a trustee of Montgomery County Community College.

* Karen Geld Sanchez for CONTROLLER. A partner in a large law firm, she holds both a law degree and an MBA. She has been recognized as a "Pennsylvania Super Lawyer Rising Star" by Philadelphia Magazine and as a "Lawyer on the Fast Track" by The Legal Intelligencer.

* Jeanne Sorg for RECORDER OF DEEDS. Currently the Mayor of Ambler, Sorg has pushed for smart development and economic growth initiatives while working with homeowners to solve decades-old issues. Her performance in office helped the Democratic Party gain a majority on the Ambler Council.

* Kevin R. Steele for DISTRICT ATTORNEY. As the current first assistant district attorney of Montgomery County, Steele oversees a staff of 145 prosecutors, detectives and administrative personnel that handles 10,000 criminal cases per year. He personally leads the Homicide Unit in all of its investigations.

JUDGE OF THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS

* Todd Eisenberg. A trial lawyer, he is lead claims counsel for Peco Energy Company. He formerly handled legal matters for several local townships and boroughs. He works in a voluntary capacity for children's advocacy, support of the homeless and Legal Aid of Montgomery County.

* Wendy G. Rothstein. A partner at the Fox Rothschild LLP law firm, she has achieved numerous "firsts" in her career as a leader at law firms and other legal organizations. She has been secretary and a board member of the Norristown Zoological Society and an advocate for women in business.  

* Natasha Taylor-Smith. As assistant solicitor in the Montgomery County Office of the Solicitor, she is responsible for providing legal counsel to several county human services departments, including those serving older people and people with behavioral health issues or developmental disabilities. She formerly was a public defender for financially-indigent clients and also operated her own law firm. She manages a girls' softball team and is a ministry leader at Salem Baptist Church of Jenkintown.

* Daniel J. Clifford. A partner at the Weber Gallagher law firm, he has served as chair of the Family Law Section of both the Montgomery County and Pennsylvania bar associations. He has served on the board Adoptions From the Heart agency and on the board of the Equality Forum.

Angie's List on Electricians

The Jane household is an Angie's List household.  We don't hire anyone for a home repair project without checking their recommendations on Angie's List and frequently use that website to find craftsmen to hire.  The company sends out a short magazine to subscribers.  This month's issue had an article on a predicted shortage of electricians.  The same or a similar article was published on their website a few months ago.  ("Shortage of electricians may cause homeowners to wait for service," by Paul F. P. Pogue).  Home repair is something that can't be outsourced -- you can't mail  your electrical system overseas to be fixed.

Inky Article on School Libraries

Kristen A. Graham wrote an excellent article in today's Inquirer on school libraries and librarians (and the lack thereof) called Shelved.  For a few years when my kids were in elementary school I would volunteer in the school library for an hour a week.  The support staff person in the library didn't start work until an hour after school started.  Most other days of the week a parent would come in and volunteer for that hour.  I was impressed with the work the librarians did, not having given much thought about school libraries since I had been in school myself.  They read to the younger kids, taught the older ones about plagiarism and copyright issues, research skills, evaluating sources, and things like Power Point.  Students of all ages learned how to find books and how to evaluate them.  I wasn't introduced to most of those items until college.

The parent volunteer worked the circulation desk, checking books in and out and shelving returned books.  I got to know a lot of students that way.  Once or twice a  year a stack of bookmarks would appear and the kids would get very excited about them.  I took a cue from this and would look for opportunities to make bookmarks for a kid's classroom.  (One year one of the kids was in room 314 -- I made them special bookmarks for Pi Day).  The teachers were always receptive to this.

School libraries can make a real difference in the life of the students.  Look at any school or school system that is considered a "good school" and see if it has a school library with a certified librarian.  I think any school you would want to send you child to is likely to have both.  

New Firearms Legislation Introduced

The Pennsylvania State Senate introduced five new firearms bills in the past few days.  I'm including just a few words on each, but this is my impression after skimming each bill.  Interested readers are encouraged to review each bill for themselves to get a fuller understanding.

Senate Bill 98 focuses on penalties for carrying firearms on Philadelphia streets without a license.  Introduced by FARNESE, HAYWOOD, TARTAGLIONE, HUGHES, LEACH AND KITCHEN,

Senate Bill 309 seems to be another pathway to thwarting straw purchases.  Introduced by HUGHES, HAYWOOD AND FARNESE

Senate Bill 310 does something but I'm not sure what -- it refers to other sections of the law.  Introduced by HUGHES, HAYWOOD AND FARNESE

Senate Bill 311 calls for people applying for a gun license to have completed a firearm safety course.  Introduced by HUGHES, FARNESE, HAYWOOD AND WILLIAMS

Senate Bill 312 adds in several things.  I couldn't follow all of them.  Introduced by HUGHES, HAYWOOD, FONTANA AND FARNESE

Cillizza's Best State Reporters List

Chris Cillizza, of the Washington Post's The Fix blog has issued his 2015 list of best state political reporters.  Pennsylvania is well-represented.  If you want to follow the state's political stories, the folks on that list and the ones to follow.

Three Media Notes

An assortment of media / literature notes:

Betsy Fisher Martin is joining More Magazine.  I used to subscribe because there was usually at least one politically related article in each issue and then at some point it seemed to fall back into the standard fashion / makeup / relationship black hole that so many publications aimed at women inhabit.  I let my subscription lapse.  Martin, former "Meet the Press" executive producer is joining the magazine as the Washington editor.  Her addition means More magazine is worth another look.

Patrick Murphy, who represented Pennsylvania's 8th district (primarily Bucks County) for two terms, has a regular show on veterans issues on MSNBC.  On Sunday's show he had a strongly worded response to Michael Moore's comments on the "American Sniper" movie.  (video via PoliticsPA)

Spider Robinson, one of my favorite science fiction writers, has been having a tough time lately.  Every now and then I check his website for updates.  He hasn't published a book in some years and has had health problems.  His latest entry spells out some of the issues he's been dealing with later.  Read this next time you think you are having a bad day.

Some WSJ Notes

I caught up on reading the Wall Street Journal over the snow days.  Here are some interesting tidbits:

Several Pennsylvania companies are mentioned in “Companies tiptoe back toward ‘made in the USA,” by James R. Hagerty and Mark Magnier (1/14/15), among them are Thorley Industries LLC of Pittsburgh, K’Nex Brands LP of Hatfield, and Lasko Products Inc of West Chester.

“Strong dollar forces factories to lose flab,” by James R. Hagerty (1/21/15) mentions Oberg Industries of Freeport

“Comcast’s lobbying machine faces test in Washington,” by Shalini Ramachandram, Gautham Nagesh, and Brody Mullins (1/23/15) discusses the Philadelphia-based firm and David Cohen, “head of Comcast’s lobbying.”

Two articles in this past weekend’s edition (1/24-25/15) seemed a real case of compare and contrast.  “Morgan Stanley joins rivals with raise,” by Justin Baer reported that James Gorman of Morgan Stanley has “a pay package that will exceed the $18 million took home a year earlier, ….” Some other Wall Street CEOs and their compensation.   “Beekeepers sour onprofession” by Tennille Tracy notes that the number of beekeepers had dropped by half in the last 20 years.  Honey bees “pollinate more than $15 billion of crops each year” including “one-third of the American diet.”  With the puzzling continued collapse of bee colonies it is growing more expensive to keep colonies.  I don’t understand how one man’s annual pay can be such a large percentage of an industry that supports one third of country’s diet.

SEPTA Updates for Tuesday Storm

from our friends at SEPTA:

 The winter storm moving into the region tonight is expected to bring snowy conditions that could impact SEPTA services on all modes of travel throughout the transit system. If the forecasts prove true, service disruptions are possible Tuesday morning. SEPTA is urging customers to plan ahead, and if possible, delay their morning commutes.

Below is a summary of some of the issues SEPTA may face, and steps being taken to maintain service and keep customers informed of possible disruptions:

• Proactive Measures & Additional Staffing: SEPTA will have additional personnel on-hand as of 8 p.m. Monday at the SEPTA Headquarters Command Center, and also in the field to monitor conditions. Personnel at bus depots and rail yards will take measures to address vehicle equipment concerns that come with this kind of weather. Track inspectors and maintenance crews, as well as signal maintainers and power crews, will be staged at various locations throughout the system to be available to address issues quickly. By deploying extra staff, SEPTA will be in the best possible position to quickly identify problems and take corrective action to minimize the impact to our riders. Crews will also run pilot vehicles on all trolley routes and the Norristown High Speed Line (NHSL) over night to keep the lines clear and ready for morning service.

• Twenty-Four Hour Market-Frankford Line and Broad Street Line Service: Due to the storm, there will be no OWL Bus service on the Market Frankford and Broad Street Lines — SEPTA’s two busiest routes. Trains will operate every 20 minutes, all-night. This will keep additional buses off potentially hazardous roads, and help with efforts to continue service on these vital transit arteries. Also, trains that are not being used for this overnight service will be stored in subway tunnels –out of the elements, and prepped for Tuesday morning’s commute.

• Regional Rail to Operate on a Severe Storm Schedule: Regional Rail trains will operate on a Saturday schedule. Wilmington/Newark Line service will be enhanced with service to Newark and Churchmans Crossing Stations. The Cynwyd Line will not operate. Complete Regional Rail storm service is available at www.septa.org/service/rail/midday-schedule.html.

 • Historically Affected Bus Routes to be Detoured: In case of heavy snow levels, SEPTA made need to cut back and possibly suspend bus service along routes that are historically impacted by storms, such as hilly areas or on tight streets. Bus detours will be posted online at www.septa.org/realtime/status/systemstatus.shtml. Look for the storm cloud icon for weather-affected routes.

o Beginning at 8 p.m. on January 26, Bus Routes 7, 9, 18, 19, 27, 32 38,48,65,92,94,95,97,99,103,124,107,117,119,120,126,G,H,XH, J, K, and L will be on detour

o Beginning at 12 a.m. on January 27, Bus Routes 14,20,22,23,24, 26,28,29,31,44,46,47,50,52,53,55,57,58,70,73,84,88,108,112,114 will be on detour

• Drifting Snow Could Impact NHSL: On Tuesday, January 27, the NHSL will operate with two-car trains every 20 minutes; however, potentially high winds can cause snow drifts, along the line. NHSL passengers should monitor SEPTA’s website and Twitter alerts for possible service delays.

• Customized Community Transportation (CCT) to Operate Limited Schedule: CCT is planning for limited service” Tuesday, January, 27, 2015, and will only provide eligible customer trips for dialysis, medical and work. Customers should anticipate delays due accumulated snow and icy conditions on streets and sidewalks. Additional service reductions or a suspension in service may become necessary should conditions deteriorate. Impassable streets and/or sidewalks not cleared of accumulated snow and ice may prevent safe boarding and transport. Customers should contact the Control Center at (215) 580-7720 to cancel trips if they don't plan to ride or to inquire about the status of any pending “Same Day” trips. Customers should call CCT Customer Service at (215) 580- 7145 for all other inquiries.

John Oliver at the Tower Theater

John Oliver gave a great performance at the Tower Theater this evening.  He had a lot of local humor, Eagles jokes, riffing on the Mummers.  On being told that traffic problems meant the audience was being seated late he asked what was causing the problems.   Theater staff said “it’s Upper Darby.”   This led to some Upper Darby jokes. 

Oliver’s show was, in essence, a love letter to America.  He talked about his travels around the US and the idiosyncracies of the country.  He sang new lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner, with the audience joining in when prompted. 

As with all good comedians he told self-deprecating stories about himself, including his childhood dream of being an athlete, jokes about celebrity, and a story about his new puppy.

It was a great show.  Oliver was in top form.

PA State Senators Propose "Let Women Rot and Die" Bill

A bill was proposed in the Pennsylvania Senate today, bill #292.  It was introduced by twelve Republican men, and is formally known as the Conscientious Objection Act.  What, you say, is this a throwback to conscientious objectors in the Vietnam War, people who did community service instead of military service?  No, absolutely not.

The bill's purpose is listed as "It is the public policy of the Commonwealth to respect and protect the fundamental right of conscience of individuals who and institutions which provide health care services."  Personally I was unaware that institutions had a conscience.  People have a conscience, but an institution?  That's tricky.

This is problematic for a number of reasons, what is a health care provider doesn't believe in blood transfusions or psychiatric medication?  No problem, because that isn't what this bill is about.  It has a very narrow definition of what health care services are.  This is what the bill is about -- health care services is defined as:

Any phase of patient medical care, treatment or procedure relating to abortion, artificial birth control, artificial insemination, assisted reproduction, emergency contraception, human cloning, human embryonic stem-cell research, fetal experimentation and sterilization and including, but not limited to, patient referral, counseling, therapy, testing, diagnosis, prognosis, research, instruction, prescribing, dispensing or administering a device, drug, or medication, surgery, or any other care or treatment rendered by health care providers or health care institutions.

So this is a bill about sex, or at least about sex that can lead to pregnancy.  It also means a clerk at any store that sells condoms can refuse to sell them.  Health care provider is defined as:

An individual who may be asked or assigned to participate in any way in a health care service, including, but not limited to, a physician, physician assistant, nurse, nurses' aide, medical assistant, hospital employee, clinic employee, nursing home employee, pharmacist, pharmacy employee, researcher, medical or nursing school faculty, student or employee, counselor, social worker or any professional or paraprofessional, or any other person who furnishes or assists in the furnishing of health care services.

That's a very broad definition.  Nor is there anything in the law saying these conscientious beliefs have to be uniformly applied.  If the pharmacy clerk doesn't think unmarried people should have sex can he or she refuse to sell condoms to people who don't have a marriage license?  Erectile dysfunction medication?  That's not on the list, unless it falls under assisted reproduction, so if you don't think unmarried people should have sex can you refuse to sell them condoms but have to sell then ED meds?  If the pharmacy clerk thinks that the birth rate among some people is too high and others too low could they refuse to sell birth control to one group but happily do so to another?

Also note that the bill makes it clear that this does not affect the health care provider's disagreement with "informed consent" laws (think the "you have to watch the ultrasound" rules):  "Nothing in this act shall be construed to exempt a health care provider or health care institution from complying with informed consent requirements mandated by statute regarding the provision of a health care service."

The bill specifically states that a health care provider or institution with objections to abortion, artificial birth control, etc. are free from liability and cannot be fired, disciplined or transferred based on those beliefs.

Participation in abortion, birth control, etc. is defined to include referral or transfer.  So if a couple show up in an emergency room and the woman is pregnant with a complication that will cause her immediate death the staff can sit on their hands, twiddle their thumbs, whistle a happy tune, whatever they please, with no obligation to transfer them to an institution or doctor that will treat them or even tell them where they can get treatment.  They can watch her die with no repercussions whatsoever.

The twelve Republican male state senators who introduced this bill are:

John Eichelberger
Elder A. Vogel
Scott Hutchinson
Patrick Browne
Randy Vulakovich
Richard Alloway
Ryan Aument
John Rafferty
Patrick Stefano
Mike Folmer
Joseph Scarnati
Donald White

SOTU Text

The text of the President's State of the Union address, as prepared for delivery, is available online at:  https://medium.com/@WhiteHouse/president-obamas-state-of-the-union-address-remarks-as-prepared-for-delivery-55f9825449b2

US Department of Arts & Culture Hosts People's State of the Union Events

The US Department of Arts & Culture, an artists' collective and not a government agency, is sponsoring a number of public and private events over the next few days.  Called the "People's State of the Union," the group describes it this way:

At story circles convened in over 150 communities between January 23-30, participants will gather to share stories reflecting on the state of the union as experienced in their own lives and communities. As a way to augment the President’s annual speech, these stories will be collected and shared through an online portal, supplemented by commentary from the USDAC National Cabinet. Inspired by these stories, a group of award-winning poets will create and deliver a Poetic Address to the Nation, broadcast live from New York City’s Bowery Poetry Club on February 1, 2015. Contributing poets include: Margaret Randall, Patricia Smith, Bob Holman, Luis Rodriguez, E. Ethelbert Miller, Claudia Rankine, Joy Harjo, Eileen Myles, and many others.

On the USDAC page for this program there is one event listed for the Philadelphia area, in the city.  

New SEPTA Emergency Snow Measures

from our friends at SEPTA; check their website for a list of Early Exit trains.

 Following last year’s harsh, cold weather conditions, SEPTA has released a new Winter Storm Service Plan to better accommodate customers trying to depart Center City during midday hours, improve service coverage and maintain service in the event of a winter storm. 

SEPTA Customer Connection Team members will distribute 2015 Regional Rail Winter Service Plan pamphlets to riders at Jefferson, Suburban, 30th Street, and University City Stations on Wednesday January 21, 2015 from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. 

Under the new Winter service plan, SEPTA has identified two possible weather related situations, Severe Storm and Early Exit, that will alter normal weekday Regional Rail schedules. 

SEVERE STORM: A Severe Storm schedule will go into effect when the weather forecast calls for high snow accumulations, high winds and icy conditions.  

During a Severe Storm Schedule the following service modifications will go into effect:

• Regional Rail trains will operate on a Saturday schedule.

• Wilmington/Newark Line service will be enhanced with service to Newark and Churchmans Crossing Stations (see link below for details).
http://www.septa.org/schedules/rail/special/pdf/WIL_1.html

• Cynwyd Line service will not operate.

SEPTA will notify customers by 4:00 p.m. the day before the storm if a Saturday schedule will be in effect. Once a Saturday schedule is announced, it will not be reversed.

EARLY EXIT: The Early Exit service option will go into effect when the City of Philadelphia calls for an early closure of the Central Business District. In this scenario, SEPTA will shift resources and reschedule nine trains that normally operate during the peak evening rush. These nine trains which normally operate between the hours of 4:50 p.m. – 6:03 p.m. will instead operate between the hours of 12:00 p.m. and 12:40 p.m. Customers should note that when this special operating schedule goes into effect and the nine designated trains do not operate at their regularly scheduled PM Peak times, passengers who normally ride those trains during the evening peak period will have to take other available trains to complete their trips home. SEPTA will notify customers by 10:00 a.m. on the day of the storm if the Early Exit Schedule will be in effect. 

An Update to "A Tale of Two Marriages"

In August of 2013 I wrote a post called "A Tale of Two Marriages," in response to a column in the Phladelphia Gay News.  Abington Township Commissioner (Montco) Lori Schreiber had written about the fact that she and her partner could not legally marry.  I wrote about what the legality of marriage means, referencing points in my own marriage, privileges available to me and my male spouse but not to Schreiber and female partner.

Times change.  The Sunday Inquirer regularly spotlights a recent marriage.  This Sunday the marriage in the "Love" column is on Schreiber's October marriage.  Now she and her beloved will have the same rights, privileges, and responsibilities that my beloved and I do.

Congrats to the happy couple, and to all those who can now marry.

Santarsiero Files for Congressional Run

from the inbox, a note about the 2016 congressional election in the 8th district (Bucks County)

PA State Representative, Steve Santarsiero (D-31), filed his statement of candidacy this week in preparation for a run for Congress in 2016 in the 8^thCongressional district seat being vacated by Congressman Mike Fitpzatrick.  Santarsiero is a dedicated public servant committed to the community who has demonstrated his ability to win seats previously held by Republicans.   A more formal announcement will come later in the year. 

After watching the Twin Towers collapse in 2001 from his office window, Santarsiero left his job at a prominent law firm to become a high school teacher in the Bensalem Township School District.  He inspired his students to get involved in their community and led by example through organizing residents to stop the Matrix development, a proposed big-box shopping center in his home town of Lower Makefield.  That experience led him to run for Township Supervisor in 2003.  He won with 55% of the vote, beating a long-time incumbent and becoming the first Democrat to serve on the Lower Makefield Board in 18 years and only the second in recent memory.  He later helped secure the first ever Democratic majority on the Board and became its chairman. 

In 2008, Steve Santarsiero won an open seat in the Pennsylvania state house that had been held by a Republican since it was created in 1992.  As a state legislator, Steve earned a reputation as a reformer when he repeatedly turned down legislative perks, including per diems, state cars and free health care; pushed for campaign finance reform; wrote what became the House’s new ethics rules on political activity; and became a leader on a variety of critical issues from gun safety to protecting our water and the environment to giving PA residents priority for state contracts. 

I’m excited to start preparing a campaign to represent the people of Bucks and Montgomery Counties in Congress,” Santarsiero said.  “It’s time we make Washington accountable to our citizens.  I will make it a priority to focus on keeping the middle class families of the 8^th District secure while helping to grow our economy, create jobs and bring real reform to Washington.”

State Representative Santarsiero and his wife, Ronni, have lived in Bucks County for 19 years.  They have three children, Nancy (17), Billy (15), and Johnny (11). 

Former Congresswoman, Allyson Schwartz, who like Santarsiero served in the state legislature before running for Congress said, “Steve Santarsiero’s entry into the race is great news for the 8th District and for our Democratic Party.  His broad support among Republicans, Democrats, and independent voters will make him a formidable candidate." 

John Cordisco, Chairman of the Bucks County Democratic Committee, and another former state legislator, echoed Rep. Schwartz's optimism.
 

"Steve can win this seat.  He just won re-election to the state house by a landslide in a swing district in what turned out to be a very bad year for Democrats,” Cordisco explained.  “He has a clear track record of winning in a tough district, and that's what we will need to prevail in the 2016 congressional race.”
 

George Matysik, Turkey Bowler

People in public office or in public service organizations do all kinds of things for the greater public good.  Ed Rendell, as mayor of Philadelphia, used to open city swimming pools by suiting up and jumping in.   Mayor Nutter rappels down city skyscrapers.  Many a school principal has sat in the dunking booth at the school fair.

Following this tradition George Matysik, candidate for an at large city council seat, recently left his job at Philabundance.  In that role he did whatever it took to bring in money and supplies.  In 2011 that included turkey bowling,  He was competing for 100 cases of frozen turkeys in the 3rd annual  ShopRite Partners in Caring Turking Bowling Invitational.  Harlem Globetrotters were involved.

Matysik's priority was feeding hungry people, and if he had to throw frozen turkeys at stacks of paper towels to do it, well, then that's what he did.  Photo available online.  

Acosta Sworn In

State Rep. (D-197) was sworn in today, starting her first term representing Feltonville, Fairhill, Hunting Park, Lower Kensington, Allegheny West, and North Central Philadelphia.  The former social worker and child advocate made history as the first woman of Hispanic descent to be elected to the state legislature. She is also the first woman to represent the 197^th District.  

Acosta said in the upcoming session, she plans to focus on finding ways to boost economic development in the region and secure sufficient public education funding.  Her district office is located at 511 W. Courtland St., Suite 197 in Philadelpha, and can assist constituents in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.  

Dean on Extraction Tax

A number of people have written op-eds for and against an extraction tax.  The latest is State Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-153), whose article, "State has an obligation to tax gas extraction," was in the Inquirer on January 1.  The full text is available online at:  http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/inquirer/20150101_State_has_an_obligation_to_tax_gas_extraction.html

Watching "The Interview"

Over the holidays I watched the controversial movie, "The Interview."  Here are some thoughts:

It's funny.

It's often crass and juvenile.

The story could easily have been about a fictitious country.  Using a real head of state did not alter the plot.  Whether this was done to court controversy or was simply due to naivete is a matter of opinion.  If another country had made such a movie about a living leader of our country we would be pretty upset about it.

Much to my surprise I enjoyed it, or at least large parts of it.

If you have access to the film and a couple of hours to spare it might be worth your while to watch, if only to see what the fuss is about.  

When Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses came out I bought a copy to support Rushdie, but never read the book.  It was for similar reasons that I watched this movie.

Allyson Schwartz's Farewell Message

from the inbox:

Happy New Year to you and your family. My wishes for a healthy, productive year for all.

As I conclude my decade of service as a Member of Congress, I want to thank you for your support and involvement in my campaigns, not only for Congress, but for my earlier races for the State Senate, and most recently for Governor. Your confidence and trust, your advice, and your active engagement enabled my success not only as a candidate but as an elected representative.

I am proud of what we accomplished together - promoting new ideas and working to address our nation’s most significant challenges. I stood up for the values we share, influenced major legislation, and helped elect others to office on the local, state, and national levels. As the only woman in the Pennsylvania delegation, I know our work made a difference for the women and families in our state and in the nation.

As a Member of Congress, I sought to use innovative ideas that work to find common ground, as well as turn these ideas into action. This included successfully extending tax credits for energy efficient buildings, incentives that have changed the way physicians write prescriptions to reduce errors and save lives, tax credits and grants to start-up biotech companies to sustain this important industry locally and nationally, and changes to improve access to primary care for America's seniors.

As the daughter of a Korean War veteran, I am particularly proud that the first piece of legislation I initiated helped veterans coming back from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to find meaningful work through employer incentives.

Ensuring all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care has been a priority for me throughout my professional life – and I am proud of the role I played in the achievement of health coverage for all Americans, protecting Medicare, and enhancing access to care for women and children. Today, many more Americans – millions, in fact – now have access to quality, affordable health coverage.

Here in the Congressional district, I am honored to have had the opportunity to work with local community and civic leaders to make Philadelphia and Montgomery County better places to work and to live through projects like making the North Delaware Greenway a reality – creating new parks and bike paths along the beautiful Delaware River, and Main Street revitalization projects throughout Montgomery County.

I have been proud to stand up for women's rights, equal pay, and for the opportunity for women to be leaders. Quite simply, we all succeed when women succeed.

Thank you for your involvement and encouragement throughout my time in elected office. Your support made it possible for me to have had this remarkable opportunity to serve the people of the Philadelphia and Montgomery County, as State Senator for 14 years and as a Member of Congress for 10 years.

I am both proud and humbled by my service. It is my hope that it will encourage others to value public service and consider the challenges and opportunities that come with running for office. And, I look forward to our working together again in the future.

I conclude on a personal note. As many of you know, my Mother came to this country alone at the age of 16, a refugee of the Holocaust. America offered her safety, freedom, and opportunity.  Her experience of resilience and hope inspired my love of our country and my commitment to public service.

While my Mother did not live to see me elected to office, I know she would have been thrilled.

May we, each in our own way, in the public or private sector, work to ensure security, health, opportunity, and justice in our great nation.

With gratitude and best wishes to you and your family.

Allyson

Allyson Y. Schwartz
US Representative

Recent WSJ Notes

While the Wall Street Journal is generally perceived as a conservative publication I continue to be surprised by the evenhanded writing in the news pages.  (The editorial section is a different matter entirely but as I never read the editorials and op-eds, regardless of who writes them, it is immaterial.)

Here are few quotes from recent issues, as examples.

"With Congress poised to extend a raft of tax breaks, consider this:  One such break has helped AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. slash their recent tax bills by billions of dollars without leading to the intended increase in investment ad jobs."  ("A tax break fails to produce jobs," by Thomas Gryta, 12/12/2014)

"U.S. families' debt burdens have settled at their lowest level in more than a decade, putting the economy on a stronger footing relative to global rivals going into 2015," ("Family finances looking up," by Neil Shah, 12/12/2014

I regularly read about how effective the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) is, and how worrisome increased income inequality is.

Draft DVRPC Document: 2015 Money and Planning Version

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission is inviting comments on the Draft Fiscal Year 2016 Planning Work Program.  This outlines all of the federally funded planning projects for the nine county region from July1, 2015 to June 30, 2016, and includes projects planned by government and transit agencies, as well as DVRPC projects. This plan is prepared annually.   

While this plan is released for public comments (due by January 12, 2015 -- details on submitting comments at:  http://www.dvrpc.org/WorkProgram/ ), if I were still in the community activist / volunteer grant writer mode I would be reading this over carefully as a possible source of funding.  I'm not sure what any of the monies involved can be used for but it would certainly be worth reading it over to see what how these project plans are funded, where the money will be going, and what the time frame might be for the actual projects as opposed to simply planning.  The document is long, over 300 pages, and most of that is program descriptions and funding information.

Campaign Finance: More of the Same

Two recent news notes on campaign finance and funding.

First from Mike Allen's Political Playbook, Dec. 8th,:

BEHIND THE CURTAIN - New Koch: big enough to elect a president? Piece by piece, the magnates build the machinery - Mike Allen and Ken Vogel: "The Koch brothers and their allies are pumping tens of millions of dollars into a data company that has built state-of-the-art profiles of 250 million Americans ... The Koch network also has developed in-house expertise in polling, message-testing, fact-checking, advertising, media buying, dial groups and donor maintenance. ... 'The Koch operations are the most important non-party political players in the U.S. today, and no one else is even close,' said a top Republican who was involved in the last eight presidential campaigns.

"The least-known vehicle for the Kochs is a for-profit company, i360, that has spent more than $50 million on building data bases and tools over the past four years. 'Right now, we're talking about and btouilding things that you won't see in 2016, because it's not going to be ready until 2018,' [said i360 President Michael] Palmer. ... i360 links voter information ... with any interaction the voter may have had with affiliated campaigns and advocacy groups. Then comes estimated income, recent addresses, how often a person has voted, and even the brand of car ...

Second, also from Politico, "Tea party fumes over campaign finance plan," by Tarini Parti and Anna Palmer, 12/11/2014.  There is a provision tucked into the spending bill that passed the House today:

The provision would increase the amount of money a single donor could give to national party committees each year from $97,200 to as much as $777,600 by allowing them to set up different funds for certain expenses. The change would be a huge boost for party committees that have faced steep challenges in recent years from well-funded outside groups.

None of this is good news.

What is Prez O Doing Tomorrow?

President Obama's public schedule tomorrow includes two interesting items.  He is meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan.  (Vice President Biden will also attend that meeting.)  Later in the day the president is meeting with some newly elected governors, including Pennsylvania's Tom Wolf.

Birth Center Welcomes 10,000th Baby

Yesterday, December 3rd, The Birth Center in Bryn Mawr, welcomed their 10,000th baby!  The Birth Center is the first licensed birth center in Pennsylvania and one of the oldest  continually operating birth centers in the United States. TBC’s team of certified nurse-midwives (CNMs), nurse-practitioners (NPs) and registered nurses (RNs) have been delivering this model of care to our clients and families for 36 years. Demand for their service is growing;  Ten years ago TBC assisted in the birth of 350 babies; in 2014 that has increased to 550 babies.

They plan to expand their services in the future:

While TBC is well-known and regarded for its maternity and breastfeeding care and services, many people do not realize that our services expand well beyond that, into well-woman care throughout the lifecycle.  Over the next decade, TBC seeks to expand greater access to our model of care, including more grants to those who are uninsured or underinsured, expanding breast-feeding services and support groups to all new mothers and families, and building a stronger voice - in government and in the community - on behalf of the healthcare needs of all women and families.

Vitali to Receive Bob Edgar Public Service Award

Tomorrow (Friday) evening the Delaware County Democrats will host their annual holiday cocktail party.  At this event they will present the Bob Edgar Public Service Award to State Rep. Greg Vitali, in recognition of his many years of distinguished service.

According to the press release:

Recently elected to his 13th term, Vitali has been leader on environmental issues and open government. He has consistently stood up for the values and ideals of the Democratic Party no matter what the consequence. 

Named after the late Congressman Bob Edgar, the award is presented annually by the Delaware County Democratic Committee. Edgar represented Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District for six terms from 1975 until 1987, breaking Delaware County's Republican "machine". Edgar was known for his independence and as a reformer. While in Congress he led efforts to improve public transportation, authored the community Right to Know provisions of Super Fund legislation, co-authored the new GI bill for the all-volunteer service, fought wasteful water projects, and supported tougher environmental laws.

Vitali is one of my favorite state reps and it is delightful to see him receive this award.

 

Other Interesting Articles This Week

Catching up on the papers this weekend, I noticed a couple of interesting articles in the Wall Street Journal and the Inquirer.

"Made in the U.S.A.:  A sweater travels from sheep to shelf," by Christina Binkley, WSJ 11/26/2014, recounts the route small business Zady took to manufacture a wool sweater complete in the US, from, as the article title says, sheep to shelf.  Two stops along the way are in Pennsylvania.  The wool for the sweaters was dyed at a Philadelphia company, G. J. Littlewood, which has been in the city since the Civil War; Littlewood reportedly made uniforms for both the Union and the Confederacy.  The dyed wool was spun into yard at Kraemer Yarns in Nazareth, PA.  Interesting and cool.

Don't read this unless you want to raise your bloodpressure or get depressed.  Joann S. Lublin writes "The boss makes how much more than you?" in the WSJ, 11/26/2014.  Companies may not have to report how the CEO's salary compares to that of the average worker.

Trudy Rubin continues her efforts to remind us all of a forgotten obligation.  "Iraqi helps now need help," Philadelphia Inquirer 11/27/2014.  Iraqis who served as translators or otherwise helped US troops and civilians.  In doing so they put themselves and their families at risk or retribution.  They were promised special visas but 2,400 are still waiting.  We need to get this done.

Area Girl Now Head of USPS

Megan J. Brennan, graduate of Immaculata College, joined the United States Postal Service as a letter carrier in Lancaster, PA.  Hers is a postal family, with her father and two of her brothers working at the USPS, too.  Megan stayed with the postal service, and was recently named COO, also called the postmaster general.  She is the first woman to hold the job.  (You go, Megan!).

You can read more at the USPS website:  https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/leadership/officers/coo-evp.htm  and in a recent WSJ article ("New postmaster's goal:  act like private sector," by Laura Stevens, 11/24/2014)