Update on Peter Amuso

Peter Amuso, the Democratic candidate for Montgomery County District Attorney, has opened his campaign headquarters, at 412 East Main Street in Norristown.

He also announced that he is resigning his position at Toll Brothers to campaign full-time.

Update on Homeless Veterans Legislation

Last month I reported on legislation proposed by Rep. Patrick Murphy (PA-08) to assist homeless veterans. Two of Murphy's provisions were folded into HR 2874, which has passed the House. According to the press release sent out by his office:

The first provision from Murphy’s bill would make permanent a program to identify service members on active duty who are at risk of becoming homeless. The second provision from Murphy’s bill calls on the Veterans Administration to take steps to make their homeless vets programs more accommodating for an increasing number of female veterans. It is estimated that there are over 3,300 homeless veterans in Pennsylvania and at least 550 in the greater Philadelphia area alone. Over the last three years, as many as 1,300 veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan have participated in homeless outreach programs by the VA or in their own communities.

Let's hope it passes the Senate.

Another VA Cemetery Update

It looked for a moment like things were moving along for the proposed veterans cemetery in Bucks County. Unfortunately another road block has appeared. Theresa Katalinas writes in the Bucks County Courier Times ("Commission sends Toll plan to supervisors," 7/26), that Upper Makefield and Toll Brothers still cannot agree on what to do on the Dolington Tract:

The planning commission on Wednesday voted 6-0 to turn Toll’s plans over to the supervisors for further review. The commission and Toll were at odds over the developer’s perceptions of open space allotment and the preservation of agricultural soils.

On the 27th the same paper ran another article by the same reporter ("Time running out for veterans cemetery,") which says:

Getting it done is exactly what Bill Tuerk, VA undersecretary for Memorial Affairs, hopes to do. Except that these days, building a veterans cemetery on farmland in bucolic Upper Makefield is less of a sure bet. After 18 months of discussions, resident opposition, a controversial land rezoning and legal challenges, the VA still has yet to take ownership of the land. Owning the property is the first step to designing a cemetery and having it built, Tuerk has said.

and later:

But Toll has said it would not sell to the VA at the $7 million asking price until the builder received "unappealable" land development approval. Toll has yet to submit housing plans.

I'd like "unappealable" deals, too, but they just don't show up on my doorstep. Let's hope this can get worked out.

Two More Small Business Resources

I meant to somehow fold these links in to this morning's post on small business in PA and the new Northeast Philly Small Business Development Center, but somehow it didn't work, so they get their own post.

Pennsylvania: Open for Business provides links to information, forms, etc.

The Commonwealth's Department of Community and Economic Development also provides a variety of information for entrepreneurs and other business interests.

New Northeast Philly Small Business Development Center

On July 12th Congressional Representatives Allyson Schwartz (D-13) and Patrick Murphy (D-08) issued a joint press release that read in part:

Today, Pennsylvania Representatives Allyson Schwartz (D-13th District) and Patrick Murphy (D-8th District) and proudly announced federal funding for a Small Business Development Center in Northeast Philadelphia. The Small Business Development Center will be located at the Northeast Philadelphia campus of the Community College of Philadelphia. It is expected to be an economic engine for Northeast Philadelphia and lower Bucks County, providing training and resources for locally owned small businesses. Reps. Murphy and Schwartz announced that the Development Center would receive $231,000 in federal money. This money was approved by the house with the passage of the Financial Services Appropriations bill in June.

"This is a great win for Northeast Philadelphia. Small businesses are the lifeblood of our nation's economy and I am proud to have worked to secure these funds for the Community College of Philadelphia. This Center will be an outstanding asset for the entire region," said Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz.

"I am very proud to support the Small Business Development Center. With these resources it will give the economy in Northeast Philadelphia and lower Bucks County a much-needed boost," said Congressman Patrick Murphy. "Small businesses keep our economy strong and this Center will help those small business owners make the right choices and get the right help to make their businesses a success."

According to the Small Business Administrations’ Pennsylvania page, 98.4% of the employer businesses in the state were small firms (fewer than 500 employees). In 2003 these small businesses provided 2,513,875 jobs in the state and employed half of the non-farm private sector workforce. Small non-farm businesses’ income increased to $35.8 billion in 2005. Small businesses also provide opportunities for demographic groups that, historically, have not flourished in corporate America. Roughly one third of the self-employed in 2004 were women. In 2002 26% of the state’s small businesses were owned by women. Small businesses owned by African-Americans generated $2.1 billion in receipts.

Pennsylvania has 18 university-based small business development centers. Their mission:

The Pennsylvania SBDC provides consulting services and educational programs to entrepreneurs looking to start or grow a small business. SBDC consultants work with entrepreneurs in one-to-one sessions to help test a new business proposition, shape a business plan, or investigate funding opportunities. Addressing topics ranging from compliance issues to marketing tactics, SBDC programs serve to inform and assist entrepreneurs with the many tasks a new business owner faces.

Too many people decide to start up a business without the kind of planning needed for longevity and success, or without the funding needed to get off the ground. Of the clients helped in 1996 or 1998, 80% were still in business in 2004, a significantly higher percentage than the success rate of new small businesses generally (PASBDC).

There are three existing small business development centers in the region, at Temple, Wharton (U Penn), and Widener Universities.

The new center in Northeast Philadelphia will have a slightly different focus and also provide job skills training. According to an article in the Northeast Times (“CCP business center to get federal funding,” by Lauren Fritsky 7/19, see archives on website):

The center also connects with efforts to revitalize Northeast business corridors like Frankford and Torresdale avenues and the development along the Delaware River waterfront. Schwartz, a sophomore congresswoman, has secured more than $21 million for those undertakings.

"Of course this is part of a broader commitment to the business atmosphere," she said. "There is a lot of important, good work going on. We’re seeing the revitalization in the Northeast area…we want to work with our businesses to make sure they thrive."

The small-business development center will also include a conference center to provide short-term training opportunities and meeting space for more than 3,000 local businesses. The college also plans to collaborate with the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce to design programs.

The college will also be revamping existing and creating new associates degree programs in areas where there is high demand for employees and a lack of training programs in the area.

I wish the new venture well and hope that it provides a long-term boost to the economy of the area.

PA in the WSJ

This is a list of articles regarding Pennsylvania in this past week's Wall Street Journal. Chances are I missed something, but these are the articles that caught my eye.

It should be noted that I routinely do not read the editorials in the WSJ. So any discussions of the state, its elected officials, businesses, or citizens, in editorials will not be mentioned here.


PA Politicians

Not a politician per se but a court case involving Media. “President who?” by Peter Lattman (7/25) gives an overview of the town’s lawyer asking that President Bush’s name not be used in court when a man is tried for displaying an antiwar sign in 2003, due to the president’s poor approval ratings.

Rep. John Murtha is featured in “House Democrats seek new options on Iraq policy,” by David Rogers (7/26)

Hazelton mayor Lou Barletta gets some press (good or bad, depending) in “Judge in Pennsylvania overturns town’s immigration law,” by Miriam Jordan (7/27)

PA Businesses

The Bristol-based company is the focus of “Fate of Jones Apparel Could Hinge on Barneys Deal,” by Rachel Dodes (7/28)

Other PA

From Herrick, Thaddeus "States aim to stem tide of home foreclosures with funds for refinancing" (7/23):

"Hoping so slow the quickening pace of home foreclosures, about a half-dozen states are setting up funds to help homeowners with high-risk subprime mortgages refinance to more-affordable loans. The states -- which include Maryland, Massachusetts, NJ, NY Ohio, and PA -- are expected to invest a total of more than $500 million in the effort."

More on housing in the state in “Bucking a trend, sales of rental units climb,” by Maura Webber Sadovi (7/25):

Many buyers are also betting that Philadelpia rentals are better positioned going forwards than in some other markets that have drawn investors buying condominiums they don’t plan on living in. As such, Philadelphia’s apartment market is steadier than markets where some fear unsold condominiums will be repositioned as rentals, analysts say.

Even more on housing in “The State of the slump,” by James R. Hagerty and Ruth Simon (7/26). Mark Zandi of Economy.com in West Chester is quoted. In a comparative chart of 28 housing markets, Philadelphia is listed with a downward price trend, an 11% increasing in housing inventory, a weak employment outlook, and 2.7% of loan payments 30 or more days delinquent. That last statistic was among the lowest on the chart.

As part of what appears to be a continuing series on the subject we find “Schools beat back demands for special-ed services,” by Daniel Golden (7/24). Pennsylvania is mentioned a number of time and Perry Zirkel of Lehigh University is quoted. The most informative and lengthy PA section is this:

After hearing reviewers in Pennsylvania were accused of bias, the state overhauled its system for choosing them. Until recently, Pennsylvania had four appeals panels, each with a fixed roster of three administrative judges, to review initial rulings. In a federal lawsuit filed in 2005, lawyer Dennis McAndrews accused one of the four panels of bias, saying it decided 45 of 47 appeals for districts between August 2003 and August 2005.

In “Robert A. Heinlein’s legacy,” by Taylor Dinerman (7/26) we learn that the city once hosted a triumvirate of science fiction literary lions: “He [Heinlein] ended the war at the Philadelphia Naval Yard Aircraft Factory, working with fellow writers L. Sprague DeCamp and Isaac Asimov.”

Other Interesting Tidbits

Old media is not dead, according to “Political ads stage a comeback in newspapers,” by Kevin Helliker (7/26). Jordan Lieberman of Campaigns & Elections magazine is quoted as saying that newspapers are “highly effective and highly cost-effective.” So, candidates, please buy lots of newspaper ads so the Inky can hire back some of those reporters they laid off.

A perfect example of why people get so ticked off at the government can be found in “Why Texas firms are keeping cattle on the back forty,” by Jennifer Levitz (7/28) . Texas gives a property tax exemption for agricultural work and the rules have been loosened in recent years. Some examples: Fidelity Investments reduced its property tax bill from $319,417 to $714.57 by housing 24 cattle on its grounds. Samsung cut its taxes from $21,080 to $135.68 by hanging 10 birdhouses and spraying for fire ants. Several others are mentioned. Consider what that has done to local services and school funding in the state.

Off Topic: Sleeping Over in Philly

Ma was in town last month for a visit. Mr J and I took advantage of an in-house grandparent, left her with the kids, and skeedaddled off to the city for a rare overnight outing (Thanks, Ma!!!!)

In our BK (before kids) days Mr. J and I used to lounge away some of our Saturday afternoons in the city. Lunch at IHOP near Rittenhouse Square (no longer there), a leisurely look in Barnes & Noble (still there) or maybe a movie at the Ritz. We revisited those times by staying near Rittenhouse and taking a nice long walk over to the theater, pausing to see the Liberty Bell and sitting on a bench in the shade. On the way back we stopped for dinner. The desserts at the restaurant were not as tempting as one might hope so further along we stopped again at the Naked Chocolate Cafe. Ah, bliss. I had a lemon bar, very tasty. The cupcakes also looked inviting, not the tarted up confections you find in the grocery stores these days, but elegant, classic desserts at home anywhere. Just about everything there looked good. If you haven't been there definitely give it a try.

weekly legislative update

It looks like they are done until the fall. A few emails came though showing bills shuffled off to committee but no real activity.

Perhaps the Last Post on the State Government Shutdown

Recently I spoke with someone who was camping in a state park the day the government furloughed state workers and the parks closed down. He said they were told they had to leave and he asked about a refund as they had prepaid. This is something I had not thought about. If you paid with a credit card the park workers could see that your card was refunded but if you paid with cash you had to fill out forms and mail them in. That is my understanding anyway. Those taking an inexpensive family vacation and who had paid cash in advance would have just been out of luck. Some would probably have found it a financial hardship to scrounge up alternative arrangements at the last minute.

I asked the person who was telling me about this if they had returned to the park the next day when they reopened. The answer was no. They had been able to find another spot and just stayed there.

As one example this wouldn't seem to have much impact, but played out on a larger scale, especially with out of state tourists, who are likely to tell everyone they meet about what happened, it isn't going to help our tourism industry.

Harry Potter's Pennsylvania Connection

I finished the last Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, recently. Turning the last page of the story, I skipped back to the about the author page and the about the illustrator page and then on the very last page of the book, in the diamond of type that describes the process used to actually make it, I read this sentence: The book was typeset by Brad Walrod and was printed and bound at Quebecor World Fairfield in Fairfield, Pennsylvania.

So, there you go.

If you want to know how the book ends, it was Mrs. Plum in the dining room with the knife. [smile]

Getting Your Shapiro Fix

Now that we aren't seeing live coverage of the state house on PCN or the smiling faces of legislative leaders in the paper or the news some of you might be having withdrawal symptoms. Should you be "jonesing for Josh," here are a few recent / forthcoming tidbits on State Rep. Josh Shapiro (D-153), who will no doubt be leaping over tall buildings near you any day now.

From next month's Philadelphia Magazine, the Best of Philly issue, we find:

What's this? A Pennsylvania legislator who has [this being a G-rated blog let's just say "gentlemanly attributes"] ... and isn't ethically challenged? Just beginning his second term, Josh Shapiro -- a Montgomery County Democrat -- helped engineer the overthrow of Republican House Speaker John Perzel in January. More important, since then he's been one of the leading voices for cleaning up the way things work in Harrisburg, co-chairing the Speaker's Commission on Legislative Reform and helping to pass changes that tighten lawmaker's perks and expand public disclosure. If Shapiro isn't careful, something resembling democracy may soon break out in Harrisburg.

If you've never seen Shapiro, he recently appeared on "Insider Insights." I didn't time the video but it is probably 15 or 20 minutes long. Shapiro is given to thoughtful answers so don't look for sound bites.

More on She Should Run

I wrote earlier about a new website She Should Run, which allows people to nominate one or more women to run for office. According to SSR, most women who do become candidates do so because someone asked them to. Hillary Clinton has added a short video to the site, talking about her decision to run for office. Of all the video footage I have seen of the senator this is the one I like the best.

If you are stumped for ideas on who to nominate let me offer you a sneak peak into next month's Philadelphia Magazine, the Best of Philly issue. They highlight two prospective women candidates but let me share their "Person Who Should Be Elected as Something."

It's embarrassing that six middle-aged men ran for mayor this year. Young, smart Alba Martinez -- currently president and CEO of United Way -- is the kind of woman we'd love to see leading the city someday.

Never heard of Martinez? I hadn't either, though I can think of a number of other women I would like to see in office in the area. However, after a quick look at Martinez's resume, I can see their logic.

So if you can't think of anyone else to nominate at She Should Run (take a look at the presidents of your local PTA, friends of the library, or environmental / preservation organization, that's where you will often find smart, politically savvy, civic minded women; true confessions: I have never held any of those offices), you can always nominate Alba Martinez.

Reading Judge Todd

Debra Todd, currently Judge of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, is a candidate for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. In addition to her JD (Pittsburgh, 1982), she also received an LL.M. (Master of Laws in the Judicial Process) from the University of Virginia in 2004. As part of the requirements for that degree she wrote a masters thesis which she adapted and published as “Sentencing of Adult Offenders in Cases Involving Sexual Abuse of Children: Too Little, Too Late? A View from the Pennsylvania Bench” (109 Penn State Law Review 487).

The article is 77 pages long and very informative, yet accessible to a non-lawyer. I found it an interesting read and have already been able to use some of what I learned from it. It is definitely “chewy” but not dense. I was pleased to note that she mentions the political work of a number of individuals, of both parties. The sources she cites are broad ranging and show effective research; the footnotes are from legal cases, law statutes, statistical sources, journal articles from law, criminal justice, and social science journals, books, poetry. Emile Durkheim and Hillary Clinton are among the names scattered throughout the footnotes.

There are 14 sections to the text.

The introduction sets the tone. The first paragraph reads:

As an appellate judge in my fifth year on the bench, I can state with certainty that no cases have affected me more than those involving the sexual abuse of children. I have been astounded by the sheer number of such cases that come before my court and have, at times, been disturbed by what would appear to be the low-end sentences for these, the most appalling of crimes, perpetrated upon the most innocent and vulnerable members of our society.

The second section gives a concise outline of the historical treatment of children in America, also providing British legal antecedents. As early as 1696 the legal system recognized the ability of the state to intervene in family matters for the protection of children, although early on property interests were also a factor. The 1875 founding of the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children was pattered on the existing Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The legal precedent in Pennsylvania allowing abused children to be removed from their home was set in 1838. Pediatric radiologists were the first medical group to systematically note and categorize injuries that were frequently the result of parental abuse. Their findings were published in a 1962 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Federal legislation to address the problem came in the form of the 1974 Child Abuse and Prevention Act.

The third section discusses the epidemic of child abuse and is chock full of statistics, none of them pleasant. She reports on the prevalence of young abusers; younger children are frequently sexually abused by juveniles. As the age of the victim rises so does the age of the abuser. And, contrasting the stories we read in the news, most abusers are family members of friends of the family, not strangers. For abuse generally she found “The most common pattern of maltreatment was a child victimized by a female parent acting alone.” However, “In contrast, male parents were identified as the perpetrators of sexual abuse for the highest percentage of victims.” Girls are more likely to be sexually abused than boys. She also provides the rather shocking statistic that for children age 4 and younger the leading single cause of death by injury is abuse and neglect. For children under age 1 homicide is the leading cause of death by injury. Two other factors she considers noteworthy are that nearly one-half of the substantiated cases of child neglect and abuse are associated with parental alcohol or drug abuse, and households prone to domestic violence are at higher risk for child abuse as well. She also mentions the long term effects of childhood abuse and the problems those children encounter as adults, such as increased occurrence of depression, substance abuse and the potential to repeat the pattern as an abuser.

The fourth section is entitled “Despite Everything We Have Learned, Have We Really Evolved,” and discusses the language used by judges and the media which implies consent by abused children, such as referring to the sexual abuse as a “relationship.”

The fifth section delves deeper into “Where are the Perpetrators?” It reports a 1997 Dept. of Justice statistic that “60% of the 234,000 convicted sex offenders under the care, custody or control of corrections officials in the United States are on parole or probation.” In other words, out in the world. It also points out that while convicted sex offenders, once outside of prison, are less likely to be arrested again than other violent offenders, if rearrested it is more likely to be for the same crime. So while burglars might murder and murderers might assault, sex offenders tend to commit only sex crimes, and often in alarming numbers. From p. 514:

For example, in a study of pedophiles funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the results revealed that each of the 453 perpetrators studied reported molesting an average of 52 girls or 150 boys. Another study revealed that the pedophiles victimized an average of seventy-two children.

The sixth section, “Criminal Behaviors and Theories of Sentencing,” contrasts those who believe criminals act as individuals and must be punished rather than rehabilitated and those who believe criminal activity is a product of environment (poverty, social conditions). The judge makes an excellent point in reporting research showing 78% of prison inmates have used drugs or alcohol compared with 37% of the general population. She also describes the three categories of correctional action: punishment, treatment, and prevention. Theory is not one of my strengths and those interested in correctional theory would do well to read this section themselves.

Section seven is on “The History of Sentencing in Pennsylvania.” It provides a very interesting but brief description of the influence of Quakerism on early Pennsylvania prisons and corrections, stressing confinement and rehabilitation, and the changes and amendments to the state’s penal code through the years. In 1987 the penal code was amended further to assign new guidelines which take into account the gravity of the offense, the offender’s prior record, mitigating factors, and establish a sentence range chart.

The eighth section, “Appellate Review of Sentencing in Pennsylvania,” discusses the difference between an illegal and a legal sentence, and the difficulty in appealing a legal sentence. Generally, the sentencing court has a closer look at the particulars of a case, including the character of the defendant and any indications of remorse.

The ninth section is on “Megan’s Law.” Then Gov. Ridge signed Pennsylvania’s initial version of Megan’s Law in 1995. It was struck down in 1999 and Megan’s Law II was enacted in 2000. There are significant but detailed differences between the two. One being that sexually violent predators, in lieu of an increased sentence, are required to “undergo lifetime registration, notification, and counseling procedures…” Todd also points out three problems with the registration process. First it requires the cooperation of the offender, to provide accurate information. Second, it may encourage vigilantism. Third, authorities may not have the resources to search for those don’t register, or to ensure that registration is done correctly. She also details some of the work done by then Auditor General Bob Casey, Jr. Among his findings:

According to the Auditor General, the State Police gave incorrect information to local police departments, schools, and child care centers nearly half the time, resulting in families no knowing that a sexually violent predator was living nearby, sometimes for weeks and even months.

Todd also notes the proposal to use a national sex offender registry so that offenders who move from state to state do not become lost in transit.

The tenth section is “Sexual Abuse Crimes in Pennsylvania.” One of Todd’s most important points in this section is that Pennsylvania, like most states, does not separately categorize crimes with underage victims, so sexual assault victims are listed together regardless of the age of the victim, although some crimes, such as statutory rape by definition involve children. The statistics for the years 2000, 2001, and 2002 are similar in that of reports of suspected child abuse, around 21% were substantiated and about half of those involved sexual abuse. Almost half of the abuse children were living in single parent homes, compared with about 30% living in homes with two parents. Almost 80% of the substantiated reports of sexual abuse involved girls. And perhaps most disturbing, “Of all perpetrators, 74% had a parental relationship (mother, father, step-parent or paramour of a parent) to the child.”

The eleventh section, “Some Pennsylvania Stories,” is difficult to read. It provides 19 brief descriptions of particular cases, giving the sentence handed down to the perpetrator.

Section twelve is “Considerations in Sentencing” is relatively short. Some of the concepts it covers are the pros and cons of having children testify (importance to the trial, possible further damage to the child) and thus the possibility of plea bargains to avoid children testifying. Also the reliability of child witnesses who may not be able to remember dates and places as well as adults. Since sexual abuse may not always leave physical evidence the trail can become a he said / she said of the accused and the abused.

The thirteenth section is “Pennsylvania’s Response.” This section covers some of the ways that the state is trying to protect child. One is the change in parole guidelines to put primary consideration on public safety. The legislature also increased the penalties for sexual crimes involving children. Todd quotes from State Rep. Ronald Marsico. She also mentions two 2003 ballot questions regarding legal testimony of children. Other items in this section are changes to law that allow the state to remove children from neglectful or dangerous homes. A kudo is given to Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala, Jr. and his work against domestic violence. Todd cites this alarming statistic:

Recognizing that 37% of Pennsylvania women who visit emergency rooms do so for injuries inflicted by an intimate partner and that domestic violence claimed 115 lives in our Commonwealth during 2000, …”

Some examples of community organizations working against domestic violence and child abuse are also given.

In the “Conclusion,” Judge Todd discusses some of the strategies employed by other countries. She also provides some specific recommendations for prevention and intervention:

better training in identifying and reporting cases of abuse for coroners, police officers, prosecutors, doctors, teachers, and social workers; increased funding for in-home support services for families at risk; teaching children that they have a right to say “no” to physical contact with others if it is sexually threatening; letting children know that they can and should confide in other adults if they are abused or threatened by someone; and establishing community-based crisis intervention services and education programs on child abuse.

More than once in the conclusion, and in earlier sections, Todd contrasts the public outcry when strangers abuse children and the relative ignorance of the large numbers of children abused in their own homes. She ends with this:

Our nation’s children deserve to feel safe and secure, particularly in their own homes. They deserve the carefree days of youth. Those of us whose decisions affect the criminal justice system, and whose voices can be heard, must be vigilant in protecting those children, the most vulnerable among us. Our children are entitles to nothing less.

Bruce Almighty, Part IX

A few odd quotes from Bruce Castor in the past few months. I noted in my post on the May debate between Castor and his fellow Republican candidate for Montgomery County Commissioner Jim Mathews, and Democratic candidates Joe Hoeffel and Ruth Damsker, that in the lightning round there was a question on the possibility of a Republican ending up as minority commissioner. Castor said that if the Democrats won the two majority spots for commissioner he would not want to be the minority commissioner.

Today my fellow bloggers from across the aisle, PA Water Cooler, pointed us to an article by Gary Puleo (“Lights, camera, case…”)in the Times Herald, on a possible tv show focusing on cases that have come before Castor, who has worked in the Montgomery County’s District Attorney’s office for the past 22 years, and is currently the District Attorney. Note this quote from the article:

"I'm hoping that Hollywood will discover me and take me out of politics," Castor joked Thursday evening after a long day of filming the pilot episode of "Probable Cause."

So, does he really want to run for office or not?

I also found this section disturbing:

And if the "props department" - aka the D.A's office - continues to be as cooperative as it has been the last few months, the collaboration will click indefinitely.

"The D.A. says 'get them the murder weapon for this production' and the next day we'll have it," Phucas said. "Without their cooperation we'd have nothing. They've been able to call up a judge and he comes into the courtroom for a scene. They've been terrific throughout the whole project."

My questions here are should the DA’s office be involved so closely in this sort of thing? Surely some sort of general approval can be given and then the film company work with staff on this. Does the DA himself need to be taking the time to make calls about murder weapons for a tv show? Should the DA be calling judges, who rule for or against his cases, and asking them for favors? Aren’t there more pressing matters for him to attend to?

Also, in a region containing Camden and Philadelphia, neither known as crime free zones, do we really want to further advertise the area as a center for murder and mayhem? I like true crime shows as much or more as the next viewer but this would be a bit much.

I also wonder when the show will air. It is my understanding, and it may be wrong, that shows featuring candidates cannot be aired until the race is over. When George Takei ran for city council in San Francisco in 1973 I believe reruns of “Star Trek” (he played Lt. Sulu) were banned until after the election. But, as I say, I may be wrong on this or the laws may have changed. I know it is a matter of current interest in the presidential race with Fred Thompson’s media work. Since he has an exploratory committee and isn’t an officially declared candidate it is merely an academic argument, but Castor is currently involved in a political race that won’t be decided until next November. Perhaps the show will be in post-production until then.

Food for thought, at any rate.

Book Review: Blog Rules

Book review: Blog Rules by Nancy Flynn. NY: Amacom, 2006

Short version: Buy this book.

Long version: While primarily aimed at business blogs and for employees of the corporate world that blog either on or off the clock, much of what Flynn has to say is applicable to all kinds of blogging, including political blogging, though it isn’t really discussed specifically. The chapters on CEO bloggers would work just as well for candidates (should they blog? Pros/cons). There are sample blogging policies for businesses that could just as easily work for campaigns. What a campaign operative (even a volunteer) says on a personal blog can reflect well or poorly on the campaign. There are also tips on contacting bloggers for those wishing to promote products or candidates on blogs. Flynn touches on legal issues, though this is always a moving target. She does suggest caution. She also frowns on anonymous blogging and points out the courts have been inconsistent so far in whether or not anonymous bloggers needed to be outed if sued. All in all very useful, written to be read easily, with a lot of numbered lists, summary rules, and so on.

Summation: Buy this book.

(Full disclosure: I found this book at the library and so while I suggest you buy a copy I have not done so but plan to in the near future.)

PA in the WSJ

This is a list of articles regarding Pennsylvania in this past week's Wall Street Journal. Chances are I missed something, but these are the articles that caught my eye.

It should be noted that I routinely do not read the editorials in the WSJ. So any discussions of the state, its elected officials, businesses, or citizens, in editorials will not be mentioned here.


PA Politicians

In “Senate Democrats take a pause,” by David Rogers (7/19) we find this paragraph:

Rep. John Murtha, the bill’s manager, has used every lever available to try to put pressure on the White House regarding Iraq. But the
Pennsylvania Democrat said he is torn now because another veto fight over Iraq could jeopardize added funding in his bill to improve oversight, for example, of the record number of outside contractors now employed by the Pentagon, including in the Iraq theater.

PA Businesses

Apparently we still need customer service workers here in the US, not all the jobs can be outsourced. Banks are having trouble finding and hiring tellers. PNC Financial Services Group of Pittsburgh is among those mentioned. Some technical and community colleges are starting training programs for tellers. See “Expanding banks bemoan lack of qualified tellers,” by Sudeep Reddy (7/17)

Lice Fighters will comb lice out of your or your family’s head if you live in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania for $200 a head. “A head scratcher: How to get rid of a pesky parasite,” by Joseph DeAvila (7/17)

“Jones apparel names officer,” (7/17)

Brief mentions:

Hershey (7/17)

Harleysville National Corp. (Harleysville) (7/18)

Interdigital Inc. (King of Prussia) (7/18)

Valley National Gases LLC (Washington, PA) (7/18)

Other PA

Susan Gingerich a private practice social worker in Philadelphia is quoted in “Letting your family in on your therapy,” by Elizabeth Bernstein (7/17)

The Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia is mentioned in “Art for less,” by Lauren A. E. Schuker (7/21)

Other Interesting Tidbits

Note this sentence from “Carry-on items taken at airports find happy homes,” by Paulo Prada (7/17):

Pennsylvania, which collects goods at 13 airports including New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, says it collects a total of 2.5 tons of TSA goods a month and that the items, sold on eBay, since 2004 have raised $360,000 for state coffers as of June.

There is a great article on Elizabeth Edwards, “The Nights and days of Elizabeth Edwards,” by Monica Langley on 7/21.

weekly legislative update

This is a list of bills that passed the Pennsylvania House or Senate this week, and mention of any noteworthy resolutions. Standard caveats apply (resolutions not generally included, list of sponsors deleted if it was too long - three lines in the originally formatting).

Our accountant friends at PICPA have provided their usual informative weekly update.

Other updates this week:

PA GOP Senate
PA Democratic Senate
PA GOP House (daily session updates)
PA Democratic House


Resolutions
Nothing caught my eye this week.
Bills

House
HB 874 Prior Printer's No. 1029.Printer's No. 2261. An Act providing for umbilical cord blood banking; requiring health care facilities and providers to give pregnant patients information regarding umbilical cord blood banking; and requiring health care facilities to permit pregnant patients to arrange for umbilical cord blood donations.


HB 1422 Prior Printer's Nos. 1752, 1885, 2293.Printer's No. 2348. An Act amending Title 3 (Agriculture) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, codifying the Public Eating and Drinking Place Law and the Food Act; providing for the protection of public health and for regulations; requiring licensing; further providing for food employee certification and for farmers' market; providing for penalties; and making related repeals.
SB 798 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Prior Printer's Nos. 890, 923, 1153, 1244, 1311.Printer's No. 923. An Act providing for the capital budget for the fiscal year 2007-2008.

SB 246 By Senators GREENLEAF, ERICKSON, O'PAKE, CORMAN, WASHINGTON, C. WILLIAMS, LOGAN, ORIE, STACK, FERLO and DINNIMAN. Prior Printer's Nos. 25, 1227, 1286.Printer's No. 1326. An Act establishing the Smoke Free Pennsylvania Act; prohibiting smoking in enclosed and substantially enclosed areas; imposing duties upon the Department of Health; imposing penalties; and making a related repeal.

SB 413 By Senators BROWNE, WONDERLING, WASHINGTON and BOSCOLA. Prior Printer's No. 460.Printer's No. 1276. An Act amending the act of July 28, 1953 (P.L.723, No.230), known as the Second Class County Code, further providing for assessment of signs and sign structures; and making related repeals.

SB 455 By Senators VANCE, EARLL, BOSCOLA, FONTANA, MADIGAN, O'PAKE, ORIE, PUNT, RAFFERTY, STACK, M. WHITE, WONDERLING, CORMAN, BROWNE, KITCHEN and McILHINNEY. Prior Printer's Nos. 502, 1097, 1186, 1225.Printer's No. 1243. An Act amending the act of May 1, 1933 (P.L.216, No.76), known as The Dental Law, further providing for the definitions of "dental hygienist" and "board"; providing for the definition of "public health dental hygiene practitioner"; further providing for the general powers of the State Board of Dentistry and for radiologic procedures, education and training; and providing for the practice of public health dental hygiene practitioners.

SB 466 By Senators ROBBINS, SCARNATI, O'PAKE, MADIGAN, WOZNIAK, CORMAN, LAVALLE, RHOADES, MUSTO, PUNT, WONDERLING, BOSCOLA, REGOLA, McILHINNEY, BAKER, BRUBAKER and FOLMER. Prior Printer's Nos. 511, 1093, 1226, 1280, 1297.Printer's No. 1329. An Act amending the act of November 10, 1999 (P.L.491, No.45), known as the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, further providing for application, for changes in the Uniform Construction Code and for exemptions.

SB 548 By Senators CORMAN, ERICKSON, D. WHITE, VANCE, M. WHITE, WONDERLING, FOLMER, WAUGH, GORDNER and C. WILLIAMS. Prior Printer's No. 292.Printer's No. 1299. An Act amending the act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.682, No.284), entitled "An act relating to insurance; amending, revising, and consolidating the law providing for the incorporation of insurance companies, and the regulation, supervision, and protection of home and foreign insurance companies, Lloyds associations, reciprocal and inter-insurance exchanges, and fire insurance rating bureaus, and the regulation and supervision of insurance carried by such companies, associations, and exchanges, including insurance carried by the State Workmen's Insurance Fund; providing penalties; and repealing existing laws," providing for scope of article, for the definition of "long-term care insurance," for the Long-Term Care Partnership Program, for authority to promulgate regulations, for marketing and advertising prohibited and for penalties; and further providing for coverage and limitations.

SB 929 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Prior Printer's No. 1112.Printer's No. 1312. A Supplement to the act of April 1, 1863 (P.L.213, No.227), entitled "An act to accept the grant of Public Lands, by the United States, to the several states, for the endowment of Agricultural Colleges," making appropriations for carrying the same into effect; and providing for a basis for payments of such appropriations, for a method of accounting for the funds appropriated and for certain fiscal information disclosure.

SB 930 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Prior Printer's No. 1113.Printer's No. 1313. A Supplement to the act of July 28, 1966 (3rd Sp.Sess., P.L.87, No.3), known as the University of Pittsburgh--Commonwealth Act, making appropriations for carrying the same into effect; providing for a basis for payments of such appropriations, for a method of accounting for the funds appropriated and for certain fiscal information disclosure.

SB 931 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Printer's No. 1114. A Supplement to the act of November 30, 1965 (P.L.843, No.355), known as the Temple University--Commonwealth Act, making appropriations for carrying the same into effect; providing for a basis for payments of such appropriations; and providing a method of accounting for the funds appropriated and for certain fiscal information disclosure.

SB 932 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Printer's No. 1115. A Supplement to the act of July 7, 1972 (P.L.743, No.176), known as the Lincoln University-Commonwealth Act, making an appropriation for carrying the same into effect; providing for a basis for payments of the appropriation; and providing a method of accounting for the funds appropriated and for certain fiscal information disclosure.

SB 933 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Printer's No. 1116. An Act making an appropriation to the Trustees of Drexel University, Philadelphia.

SB 934 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Prior Printer's No. 1117.Printer's No. 1314. An Act making appropriations to the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania.

SB 935 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Printer's No. 1118. An Act making appropriations to the Philadelphia Health and Education Corporation for the Colleges of Medicine, Public Health, Nursing and Health Professions and for continuation of pediatric services.

SB 936 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Printer's No. 1119. An Act making appropriations to the Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia.

SB 937 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Printer's No. 1120. An Act making an appropriation to the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia.

SB 938 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Printer's No. 1121. An Act making an appropriation to the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Philadelphia.

SB 939 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Printer's No. 1122. An Act making an appropriation to the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, for instruction and student aid.

SB 940 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Printer's No. 1123. An Act making appropriations to the Trustees of the Berean Training and Industrial School at Philadelphia for operation and maintenance expenses.

SB 941 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Printer's No. 1124. An Act making an appropriation to the Johnson Technical Institute of Scranton for operation and maintenance expenses.

SB 942 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Printer's No. 1125. An Act making an appropriation to the Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades in Delaware County for operation and maintenance expenses.

SB 943 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Printer's No. 1126. An Act making an appropriation to the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Erie.

SB 944 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Printer's No. 1127. An Act making an appropriation to the Fox Chase Institute for Cancer Research, Philadelphia, for the operation and maintenance of the cancer research program.

SB 945 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Printer's No. 1128. An Act making an appropriation to the Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, for operation and maintenance expenses and for AIDS research.

SB 946 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Printer's No. 1129. An Act making an appropriation to the Central Penn Oncology Group.

SB 947 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Prior Printer's No. 1130.Printer's No. 1315. An Act making an appropriation to the Lancaster Cleft Palate for outpatient-inpatient treatment.

SB 948 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Printer's No. 1131. An Act making an appropriation to the Burn Foundation, Philadelphia, for outpatient and inpatient treatment.

SB 950 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Printer's No. 1132. An Act making an appropriation to The Children's Institute, Pittsburgh, for treatment and rehabilitation of certain persons with disabling diseases.

SB 951 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Printer's No. 1133. An Act making an appropriation to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for comprehensive patient care and general maintenance and operation of the hospital.

SB 952 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Printer's No. 1134. An Act making an appropriation to the Beacon Lodge Camp.

SB 953 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Prior Printer's No. 1135.Printer's No. 1316. An Act making appropriations to the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh for operations and maintenance expenses and the purchase of apparatus, supplies and equipment.

SB 954 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Prior Printer's No. 1136.Printer's No. 1317. An Act making an appropriation to the Franklin Institute Science Museum for maintenance expenses.

SB 955 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Prior Printer's No. 1137.Printer's No. 1318. An Act making an appropriation to the Academy of Natural Sciences for maintenance expenses.

SB 956 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Prior Printer's No. 1138.Printer's No. 1319. An Act making an appropriation to the African-American Museum in Philadelphia for operating expenses.

SB 957 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Prior Printer's No. 1139.Printer's No. 1320. An Act making an appropriation to the Everhart Museum in Scranton for operating expenses.

SB 958 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Prior Printer's No. 1140.Printer's No. 1321. An Act making an appropriation to the Mercer Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, for operating expenses.

SB 959 By Senator ARMSTRONG. Prior Printer's No. 1141.Printer's No. 1322. An Act making an appropriation to the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, for operating expenses.

SENATE

HB 1590 By Representatives MARKOSEK, D. EVANS, McCALL and DeWEESE. Prior Printer's Nos. 1971, 2088, 2170, 2179.Printer's No. 2342. An Act amending Titles 53 (Municipalities Generally), 74 (Transportation) and 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for minority and women-owned business participation; authorizing local taxation for public transportation assistance; repealing provisions relating to public transportation assistance; providing for transportation issues and for sustainable mobility options; consolidating the Turnpike Organization, Extension and Toll Road Conversion Act; providing for Turnpike Commission standards of conduct; in provisions on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, further providing for definitions, for authorizations and for conversion to toll roads and providing for conversion of Interstate 80, for application, for lease of Interstate 80, for payments, for other interstate highways, for fund distribution, for impact, for financial plan and for nonperformance; in taxes for highway maintenance and construction, providing for definitions; further providing for imposition and for allocation of proceeds; providing for special revenue bonds, for expenses, for application of proceeds of obligations, for trust indenture, for exemption, for pledged revenues, for special revenue refunding bonds, for remedies, for Motor License Fund proceeds, for construction and for funding; and making related repeals.

HB 1631 By Representative D. EVANS. Prior Printer's Nos. 2055, 2108, 2112, 2150.Printer's No. 2345. An Act providing for the Pennsylvania Gaming Economic Development and Tourism Fund Capital Budget for 2007; itemizing projects to be assisted by the Department of Community and Economic Development, together with their estimated financial costs; authorizing recurring payments for certain projects; and making appropriations.

HB 1203 Prior Printer's Nos. 1668, 1995, 2057, 2291, 2297, 2340.Printer's No. 2343. An Act amending the act of November 30, 2004 (P.L.1672, No.213), known as the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act, further providing for the definitions of "alternative energy credit," "customer-generator," "force majeure," "net metering," and "Tier I alternative energy source," for alternative energy portfolio standards, for portfolio requirements in other states and for interconnection standards for customer-generator facilities.

HB 1295 By Representatives HANNA, BAKER, BELFANTI, CONKLIN, DENLINGER, FABRIZIO and CALTAGIRONE. Prior Printer's Nos. 1600, 2125, 2173, 2239.Printer's No. 2349. An Act amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), known as The Fiscal Code, providing for Commonwealth employees group life insurance; further providing for the State System of Higher Education and for budget implementation; providing for general budget implementation and for 2007-2008 budget implementation and restrictions on appropriations for funds and accounts; and making a related repeal.

HB 1530 Prior Printer's Nos. 1876, 2182, 2285, 2298.Printer's No. 2344. An Act amending Title 66 (Public Utilities) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in restructuring of electric utility industry, further providing for duties of electric distribution companies.

HB 1656 By Representatives MOYER and MENSCH. Prior Printer's Nos. 2136, 2284, 2294.Printer's No. 2341. An Act authorizing and directing the Department of General Services, with the approval of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Governor, to grant and convey to Skippack Township certain lands situate in Skippack Township, Montgomery County, in exchange for Skippack Township granting and conveying certain lands to the Commonwealth to be added to those existing lands at Evansburg State Park; authorizing and directing the Department of General Services, with the approval of the Governor and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, to grant and convey to Jefferson County certain lands situate in Winslow Township, Jefferson County; authorizing and directing the Department of General Services, with the approval of the Governor and the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, to grant and convey to the Borough of Mansfield certain lands situate in the Borough of Mansfield, Tioga County; authorizing the Department of General Services, with the approval of the Governor, to grant and convey, at a price to be determined through a public solicitation for proposals, certain lands, buildings and improvements situate in the First and Second Wards of the City of Pittsburgh, County of Allegheny, known as the Pittsburgh State Office Building; and authorizing the Department of General Services, with the approval of the Governor, to grant and convey, at a price to be determined through a public solicitation for proposals, certain lands, buildings and improvements situate in the City and County of Philadelphia, known as the Philadelphia State Office Building.

PA in the August Issue of Money

A few Pennsylvania tidbits from the August issue of Money Magazine.

Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania is the first U.S. hospital offering a warranty on surgery (p. 31)

The cover story, "The Best places to live," features 100 towns that have "everything any family could want." Pennsylvania has four towns on the list:

#9 Nether Providence (Wallingford)
#12 West Goshen
#15 Horsham
#87 Emmaus

An accompanying article "Where we'll live tomorrow," (p. 104-105) by Joel Kotkin contains this interesting quote:

One would imagine that the residents of Philadelphia, a city of well-established neighborhoods, would identify strongly with their communities. Yet a recent Temple University study found that nearby suburbanites were considerably more likely than city dwellers to see their neighborhood as "home."

(An abstract of that study "Where We Stand: Community Indicators for Metropolitan Philadelphia," which has multiple authors, is available, with a link to the full study for those interested in more data.)

Furloughed State Works to be Paid

According to today's Inquirer ("No lost state pay in 1-day furlough," by Martha Raeffele), state workers will be paid for the one day they were furloughed during the state budget battle between the governor and the legislature.

The July 9 furlough will be treated as a paid office closing, such as a snow day, Rendell spokesman Doug Rohanna said. Depending on their pay schedules, employees will receive the money in paychecks issued Aug. 3 or Aug. 10, said Mia DeVane, spokeswoman for the Office of Administration.

This is good news, though I think better planning and more cooperation could have prevented the problem in the first place.

Damsker / Hoeffel Video

Democratic candidates for Montgomery County commissioner, Ruth Damsker and Joe Hoeffel have posted video of their joint appearance on a local television program. You can watch for yourself at:

http://votedamskerhoeffel.com/newsroom_details.asp?id=946