Late this afternoon I tried to contact Sen. Toomey's office, to encourage him to vote against Betsy DeVos, nominee for Secretary of Education. I couldn't reach the Philadelphia office, so I tried the Washington DC office. That call went to voicemail. I tried the Scranton office. Either Philly or Scranton had a busy signal, and eventually voicemail but it said the mailbox was full. The other just transferred to voicemail but wouldn't let me leave a message but on the phone tree was the option to talk with an operator, but that just led back to voicemail. It is very frustrating.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Monday, January 16, 2017
US Needs Government Cats Who Tweet
After the election I was looking around for things to lift my spirits.
And I found things -- twitter accounts for UK government cats. That's right, there are moggies at the keyboard in Downing Street and other government buildings. At least four of them.
Larry the Cat lives with the Prime Minister at #10 Downing Street. Larry is considered a civil servant and not a personal pet, so he's there regardless of who is in office. Follow him at https://twitter.com/@number10cat
Gladstone counts the mice at the Treasury and tweets at: https://twitter.com/HMTreasuryCat
Palmerston patrols the Foreign Office and officially tweets at: https://twitter.com/DiploMog
Evie is the newest mouser on duty, with her son Ossie. She patrols part of Whitehall and tweets at: https://twitter.com/hmcabinetcat
Even Julian Assange has a tweeting cat: https://twitter.com/embassycat?lang=en
What does the US have? Well, John Kerry's dog has a twitter feed: https://twitter.com/diplomutt
A few Bo Obama twitter feeds started but none lasted long.
The UK government cats are working cats -- the British press keeps track of their mousing skills (Larry is rumored to be a slacker in this area, but the people and the press like him, so his job is fairly secure for the moment. Fame is fickle, Larry; step up your game.
Mike Pence has two cats. Maybe they will follow the trend. There are surely a few mice around Observatory Circle.
Nice Press for Jared Solomon
The Philadelphia Public Record published a nice article on newly elected State Rep. Jared Solomon. "Change brings Solomon to the lower northeast," by Tony West 1/13/17 provides a political history and some biographical information on Solomon, who is now representing the 202nd state house district, in Northeast Philadelphia.
Wednesday, January 04, 2017
Dean New Chair of House SE Delegation
amended press release:
Democratic members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives’ Southeast Delegation on Tuesday elected state Rep. Madeleine Dean as chair of the delegation for the 2017-18 legislative term.
State Reps. Mary Jo Daley and Patty Kim were elected vice chairs, state Rep. Steve McCarter was elected treasurer, and state Rep. Pamela A. DeLissio was elected secretary.
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The Southeast Delegation comprises 22 Democratic members. The delegation website can be found atwww.PaHouse.com/Southeast. Dean replaces former state Rep. Steve Santarsiero, D-Bucks, who did not seek re-election for his Pennsylvania House seat.
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
December Dog Licenses in Montco
from the inbox:
Montgomery County Treasurer Jason Salus today announced that beginning December 1st, residents are able to purchase their 2017 dog licenses through his office.
According to Salus, Pennsylvania state law requires all dogs three months and older be licensed by January 1st of each year. “If your dog is lost, a license is their ticket home. It helps animal control and shelters identify dogs to return them home safely,” said Salus.
An annual dog license is $8.50, or $6.50 if the animal is spayed or neutered. Lifetime licenses are available for dogs that have permanent identification like a microchip or tattoo. Additionally, older adults and people with disabilities may be eligible for discounts. Owners who do not purchase a license could face state fines and penalties of up to $300 for each unlicensed dog.
“One of the goals of my office is to make getting a dog license fast and easy,” said Salus. “Licenses can be purchased or renewed online, through the mail or at a number of satellite locations across the County. Salus added,
“Licenses make a great stocking stuffer – don’t forget your pets this holiday season!” Licenses may be purchased at the Treasurer’s office which is located on the sixth floor of One Montgomery Plaza in Norristown or online at www.montcopa.org/treasurer.
Leary Nominated to Social Security Administration
The White House released a list of nominations that have been sent to the Senate. Among them is Michael P. Leary, of Pennsylvania, to be Inspector General, Social Security Administration, vice Patrick P. O'Carroll, Jr., resigned.
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Wadlington a Champion of Change
On Friday September 30, the White House will recognize ten individuals from across the country as White House “Champions of Change” for extracurricular enrichment, afterschool, and summer programming for marginalized girls, including girls of color. One of the ten is from Pennsylvania:
Cheryl Ann Wadlington – Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaCheryl Ann Wadlington is the Founder and Executive Director of The Evoluer House in Philadelphia. Under Wadlington’s leadership, The Evoluer House has delivered award-winning empowerment programs over the past 12 years to more than 1,200 teen girls of color experiencing unique social and emotional challenges and barriers to success. The Evoluer House works to equip the most underserved and hard-to-reach girls in Philadelphia with essential tools to become college-bound and career-ready and break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. As a testament to its success, 100% of Evoluer House graduates finish high school on time and 90% go on to attend a four-year college. Cheryl is also a fashion and beauty journalist, personal growth consultant, author, and motivational speaker.
Porterfield a Champion of Change
This Friday eleven people will be honored this Friday at the White House as Champions of Change for College Opportunity. One of the eleven is from Pennsylvania:
Daniel R. Porterfield– Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Daniel R. Porterfield, Ph.D. has served as president of Franklin & Marshall College since 2011. Under his leadership, Franklin & Marshall has developed a distinctive student talent strategy built upon a significant increase in their need-based financial aid budget. Through his work, Franklin & Marshall has seen record application numbers and an increase in the academic profile, diversity, and selectivity of incoming classes. In addition, lower-income and first-generation students at F&M consistently achieve the same average GPA as the student body as a whole and maintaining higher retention and graduation rates. Porterfield sits on the boards of the College Board and the Lenfest College Scholarship Foundation. He has received awards for his work from the KIPP and “I Have A Dream” foundations and in 2016 was named one of the “Sixteen Most Innovative People in Higher Education” by Washington Monthly. Prior to leading Franklin & Marshall, Porterfield served as a Senior Vice President at his alma mater, Georgetown University. He was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship and a Mellon Fellowship in the Humanities and earned his Ph.D. at The City University of New York Graduate Center.
Thursday, September 01, 2016
Things to Do: State of Women's Health
from the inbox:
On Wednesday, September 14, 2016 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Union League of Philadelphia, Lifecycle WomanCare (LWC) will host their second annual health forum on the State of Women’s Health. The forum will feature keynote speaker Pennsylvania State Senator Judy Schwank and two panel sessions with policymakers, leaders, and experts in women’s health issues.
At the event health expert panelists and Senator Schwank will discuss important health issues facing women today. Because 2016 is such a significant election year, participants will focus on the critical impact that public policy has on women and families’ health and well-being. Topics at the event will include: integrative care; accessibility and other disability challenges; environmental and occupational health; maternity, lactation and reproductive rights; health disparities; employment accommodations and family and medical leave; violence; midwifery and collaborative partnership models of care; and economic family issues.
"In an election year such as this, it is critically important to have open dialogue about major issues of health and welfare being faced by women and families today, and bring to light innovative policy approaches that can play a significant role in helping our families," said Kathryn Boockvar, Executive Director of Lifecycle WomanCare. "This important event brings together some of the nation’s and region’s most innovative thought leaders on these issues, and our unique audience-interactive program allows the audience, as well as the experts, consumers, and practitioners, to interact and participate, in order to identify and deliver the most effective solutions out there."
LWC, founded in 1978 as a 501c3 non-profit organization, delivers high-quality and empowering women’s healthcare in the greater Philadelphia region. LWC has served tens of thousands of families and has become a leading hub and a voice for a lifelong and partnership-based approach to healthcare.
The 2016 Keynote Speaker is Pennsylvania State Senator Judith L. Schwank of District 11. Sen. Schwank is CoChair of the Bipartisan Pennsylvania Legislature's Women's Health Caucus, as well as a member of the Senate Public Health & Welfare Committee.
Last year, she spearheaded legislation in key areas impacting women and family health and wellbeing. These have included addressing the opioid addiction and overdose epidemic; increasing the effectiveness of funding of services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault; including postpartum depression as an "at risk" category allowing for early intervention tracking and services; prohibiting surprise balance-billing of unaware patients; and criminalizing former intimate partner internet harassment (“revenge porn”). She also led the PA Agenda for Women’s Health, to promote family-friendly working conditions, economic fairness, healthy lives, and support for victims of domestic violence
In addition, she is a member of Pennsylvania Interbranch Commission for Gender, Racial and Ethnic Fairness,
where she works to ensure the unbiased and fair delivery of justice and application of laws in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The 2016 panelists include:
Breakfast Panel (8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.)
Workshop Panel (10:30 a.m. – noon)
Panel Moderator
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Book Review: Making Ideas Matter by Dwight Evans
Making Ideas Matter: My Life as a Policy Entrepreneur by Representative Dwight Evans with William Ecenbarger. Philadelphia: Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania, 2013.
State Representative Dwight Evans is currently the Democratic candidate for the 2nd Congressional District, defeating incumbent Chaka Fattah in the primary. This book was published before his congressional run, but after previous unsuccessful runs for higher office. It is a slim volume (181 pages with an index) providing a history of State Rep. Evan's political career. The first chapter is biographical, telling the story of his childhood and upbringing. He points out that after getting a part-time job in high school he didn't take money from his mother again, allowing her to focus on his younger siblings.
The rest of the book concerns his work as a state legislator and his personal life is not really mentioned again. Most of the chapters concern a particular subject -- one on education, another on the importance of access to healthy food choices. Others are on aspects of political culture -- there is a chapter on Walking Around Money (WAM) and how it can be used to leverage cooperation from political colleagues.
Evans outlines a number of projects he worked on,priorities he followed, strategies he used to reach out to fellow Democrats as well as Republicans, and how he developed rapport with legislators from other parts of the state to overcome overall hostility towards the Philadelphia area.
There is a focus on his work as chair of the Appropriations Committee, and his disappointment when he lost that position. He writes about his own personal values and how they informed his behavior, expectations of staff, and political behavior, and what happens to politicians who lose their moral compass.
He writes a lot about developing and maintaining relationships, not only with political allies but as ways of reaching across the aisle or to the far corners of the state. He writes about empowering staff (including giving staff the ability to tell him no), and holding them accountable for their work and ethics as well.
Evans only seems to write about one fault and that is the inability to tell his story effectively when running for mayor or governor. He wishes he could have continued as chair of Appropriations and that he could have helped a non-profit he had worked with maintain control of his district's main high school.
This book does explain how State Rep. Evans created some of the coalitions that passed legislation he wanted. It is a first person account and therefore does not include some of the context or reflection that a third person account might have. The writing is fast paced and easily read. The book could easily have gotten bogged down in self-congratulation or unnecessary details. As you might expect from a policy wonk, there are a lot of acronyms, but otherwise it avoids many of the pitfalls that other books of this kind fall into. Co-author William Ecenbarger is a former reporter and I credit his influence with a great deal of the book's readability.
Baring some sort of disaster Mr. Evans will be elected to Congress in November and his tenure in the state legislature will end. I hope that at some point a scholar writes a definitive history of his time there. I'm sure there are a lot more stories to be told. The book left me wanting more, which is surely the sign of a well-written book.
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
SEPTA Updates
from the inbox:
New schedules for SEPTA’s City,
Suburban and Victory Transit divisions go into effect beginning Sunday, September 4
and Tuesday, September 6, 2016. Most timetable adjustments are minor and are designed
to account for seasonal changes in ridership and to improve customer service. However,
SEPTA would like to alert passengers to the following service changes:
• Route 15: Trolleys return to service between 63rd Street and Girard Avenue and
Frankford and Delaware Avenues following summer bus substitution due to a
track renewal project. Buses will continue to operate on the portion of the route
between Frankford and Girard Avenues and Richmond and Westmoreland Streets.
• Route 40: Added morning and afternoon weekday service.
• Route 56: Added morning and afternoon weekday service.
• Routes 201, 204, 205 and 206: These routes will continue to operate on their
current schedules as published online at www.septa.org. Schedules are subject to
change with Regional Rail interim schedule changes and will be updated online.
• Norristown High Speed Line: Trains will operate on the current summer
schedule until the end of the service day on Sunday, September 18, when the
Radnor Station improvement project will be completed. A new schedule will go
into effect beginning at the start of the service day Monday, September 19.
Service information will be published on the System Status section of SEPTA’s
website (http://www.septa.org/realtime/status/system-status.shtml) prior to
September 19.
New transit schedules are available at SEPTA customer locations and online at
www.septa.org. Riders can also access real-time service information by using the official
SEPTA App available as a free download for both Apple and Android devices, and by
following the @SEPTA Twitter feed.
#
Monday, August 29, 2016
Shaughnessy Naughton Update
Shaughnessy Naughton, who was a primary candidate for the 8th congressional district, sent out an email announcing her new professional direction. Here is part of her statement:
In the months since the primary, I’ve reflected on what we achieved together and the work that lies ahead.
I ran because I believed that we need new perspectives in Congress. As a scientist, entrepreneur, and business leader, I didn’t fit the template of a conventional politician. And public service, like business, wasn’t my first career choice.
But I saw a deficit of leadership that remains unfilled. For decades, Congress has shortchanged NIH funding, ignored climate change, and listened to special interests instead of scientists.
My mission to advocate for STEM priorities didn’t end in April. That’s why I’ve joined the board of 314 Action, a grassroots organization founded to empower the STEM community to affect public policy.
Rite of Passage: Students Become Voters
The American Association of State Colleges & Universities sponsored a report, released last April, called Graduating Students Into Voters. Ideas42 prepared the report, a 25 page pdf, outlining reasons college students may not vote (not sure of the process, don't know how to register, feel disconnected), and how to increase political participation among college students. It is very interesting reading. (The pdf can be found here: http://www.aascu.org/programs/ADP/StudentsintoVoters.pdf
In my house voting is a requirement of anyone over 18 living at home or taking parental money for college. It's a form of rent.
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Latest EpiPen Issue
Nearly three years ago I wrote two posts about the increasing price of EpiPens (post in Oct 2013 and in Nov 2013). The topic is back in the news as the price has continued to go up. One issue is that there is no generic equivalent for an EpiPen. Mylan, the company which produces the EpiPen, raised the price again recently, just before a generic was expected to be approved ("Mylan raised EpiPen's Price Before the Expected Approval of a Generic," by Andrew Pollack, New York Times 8/24), However, the generic was not approved. Matt Egan of CNN Money reports that one may be available next year.
The CEO of Mylan, Heather, Bresch, appeared on CNBC's Squawk Box to try to diffuse the bad press (see video embedded in linked Slate article). What I found most startling in her remarks was her comment that "we have passed legislation in 48 states ...." Really? Mylan passed legislation? Who elected Mylan to do anything? What she meant, of course, is that Mylan lobbied for legislation and perhaps even wrote it. There would have been campaign donations to key state legislators. So, yes, Mylan probably does feel that it passed legislation. And that should give us all pause.
On a personal note I refilled our family's EpiPen prescription this week. It still just costs me $10 for a 2-pack. I work in a union shop and we have good health insurance. With Mylan's increase, though, it is no doubt costing the insurer a lot more and that will mean higher premiums all around.
Friday, July 15, 2016
News Programs Need a Daycare Rule
Daycares and child care centers often have rules on potty training. Some won't take kids that aren't potty trained. I've heard the phrase "3 sh*ts and you're out" as a rule. As I watch what are supposed to be news shows that rule comes to mind. I think if a pundit or spokesperson publicly states something that is provably wrong more than three times their contract should be cancelled. Surely it is possible to write something like that in, a truth clause, or make it part of a morals clause. It is so disheartening to watch people over and over again flat out lie or dissemble and then appear again the next night with no penalty.
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
The "Other" Talk
I have always referred to my children as the "little janes." Some people have assumed this meant I had only daughters, but I was using "jane" as a last name in this context. In fact, one of my children is male. He is an adult now and, at least for the present, not living in my house.
I've had "the other talk" with all of my children but reinforced it more often with my son. It goes something like this:
Unless asked for specific information, there are three acceptable answers when questioned by the police: "Yes, Officer;" "No, Officer;" and "I don't know, Officer." If pulled over when driving, keep both hands on the wheel, visible at all times. Don't make any sudden movements. Do not try to make jokes. If any movement is required explain in advance what you will be doing and why, and move slowly. If the police stop you walking down the street, stop immediately, keep hands out of pockets, stand still, no sudden movements, no jokes. If a police office tells you to sit down or lay down, do it without asking questions or making comments, hands visible. An officer has to assume you are armed and dangerous or potentially under the influence or mentally unstable. Their lives depend on starting with an assumption of the worst possible scenario. Give them the time and space to decide you are not an immediate threat.
The boy is tall and hit a growth spurt right around the time Pennsylvania passed some form of "castle doctrine." I told him if he went trick or treating that fall (or any fall thereafter) he couldn't wear a mask or anything that covered his face. Hats were okay provided his face was still visible. I told him that while he might still think of himself as a kid, he was as tall as a grown man and people who didn't know him would react to him as such. Someone seeing him walking around a house on Halloween (or any other night) might assume he was a burglar.
He went with me to a couple of political events and on the way to one I was pulled over. It was a teachable moment. After it was all over I talked with him about why I thought I hadn't gotten a ticket. What I did and did not do when interacting with an officer.
I know several of the police officers in our local force; some are my neighbors. Their jobs are difficult and often provide no margin of error. There was a shootout one street over a few years ago and an officer was injured. It is a dangerous, thankless, poorly paid job. I've also noticed that the drivers I see pulled over on our local streets are African American far more often than our demographics would suggest.
My family is on the very pale /translucent end of the pigmentation spectrum. We are very white. I cannot imagine the stress African American parents feel when that talk with their children. It is surely more involved than the one I had with mine. As we see all too often in the news, someone who follows all the rules of "the talk" can still be shot.
We need to find a way to help police officers do their job without injuring or killing people who are simply going about their business. We need to make sure racial prejudices don't factor into law enforcement decisions. In the meantime, parents all over country will be having the "other" talk with their kids, especially their sons.
Wednesday, July 06, 2016
Call for LGBT Non-Discrimination Bill
from the inbox:
Pennsylvania remains the only state in the northeast that lacks laws that would protect citizens from being fired from their jobs or evicted from their homes based solely on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Senator Bob Casey and members of Governor Tom Wolf’s administration met in Pittston yesterday to address the need for non-discrimination laws at both the federal and state level. LGBT Pennsylvanians deserve to live in a state that is inclusive and welcoming for everyone. Governor Wolf has already signed executive orders protecting commonwealth employees. It is now up to Congress and the state legislature to pass bills that will protect all Pennsylvanians.
Tuesday, July 05, 2016
White House Summer Interns from PA
Last week the White House Internship Program announced the participants for the Summer 2016 session. The mission of the program is to make the White House accessible to future leaders around the nation and to prepare those devoted to public service for future leadership opportunities.
Here are people on the list who are from or going to school in Pennsylvania:
Alarco Alarco, Claudia Hometown: Silver Spring, MD ; Villanova University, PA
Black, Cara Hometown: Bucks County , PA; Georgetown University, D.C.
Casey, Amy Hometown: Wayne, PA; College of the Holy Cross, MA
Cholli, Neil Hometown: Chelmsford, MA; University of Pennsylvania, PA
Gerstel, Dylan Hometown: Ridgewood, NJ; Swarthmore College, PA
Kiernan, Christopher Hometown: Chevy Chase, MD; Lehigh University, PA
Krulik, Sarah Hometown: Philadelphia, PA; University of Rochester, NY
Lee, Joshua Hometown: Wellesley, MA; University of Pennsylvania, PA
Maz, Rebecca Hometown: Radnor, PA ; American University, D.C.
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Moreno-Rosa, Salomon Hometown: Amherst, MA; University of Pennsylvania, PA
Powell, Lindsay Hometown: Brooklyn , NY; Carnegie Mellon University, PA
Rooney, James Hometown: Pittsburg, PA; Georgetown University, D.C.
Serota, Jonathan Hometown: Brookville, NY; University of Pennsylvania, PA
Sheasley, Jamie Hometown: King of Prussia, PA ; American University, D.C.
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Shulman, Sabrina Hometown: Washington, D.C.; University of Pennsylvania, PA
Smitham, Eleni Hometown: Bethesda, MD; Haverford College, PA
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SEPTA Refunds and Credits
Our friends at SEPTA are doing their best to ensure we have a safe, comfortable, and timely ride to wherever we are going. The altered schedules that started today are an inconvenience and SEPTA is offering refunds and credits to passholders:
– Due to the impact on customers from the Silverliner V portion of the rail fleet being taken out of service over a structural defect, SEPTA will provide refunds and credits for customers who have purchased Weekly and Monthly Regional Rail TrailPasses.
The refunds and credits are for customers who purchased Weekly Regional Rail TrailPasses for the week starting Monday, July 4, and those who bought Monthly Regional Rail TrailPasses valid July 1-31.
To receive refunds, customers will have to mail their passes to SEPTA no later than Thursday, July 7. Envelopes must be post-marked July 7 or earlier. A check will be sent to the address provided by the customer. Please note “Silverliner V Pass Refund” on the envelope, place the refund-eligible Regional Rail TrailPass inside and mail it to:
SEPTA P.O. Box 58609 Philadelphia, PA 19102-8849
For customers who want to continue using their TrailPass this week and for July, SEPTA will offer a credit on a future purchase. The credits can be redeemed on any pass purchase made through Monday, Oct. 10. These are the credits SEPTA is making available for TrailPass holders:
Weekly Regional Rail TrailPass Credits (passes valid the week that began Monday, July 4):
Zone 1, 2 and Cross-County Weekly TrailPasses: $5 credit
Zone 3 and Anywhere Weekly TrailPasses: $10 credit
Monthly Regional Rail TrailPass Credits (passes valid July 1-31):
Zone 1 and Cross-County: $20 Zone 2: $25
Zone 3: $30
Anywhere: $35 For more information, visit http://www.septa.org.
Monday, July 04, 2016
Regional Rail Changes Start TOMORROW!!!
If you take Regional Rail on a regular basis be forewarned that due to needed repair on about a third of the railcars there will be fewer trains and a reduced schedule, starting TOMORROW!
Monitor this page for schedule updates: http://www.septa.org/service/contingency.html
Also, a special shout out to the so far unknown SEPTA employee who noticed the structural issue before a disaster happened. Thank you!
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