WALKING THE BEAT: Why Not Cheap Computers For City Schools?

MAYOR NUTTER’S health talk in Washington, D.C. was a hit. He has promoted healthy living. It hit me, that old talk, that Nutter might be pushing for a job in the reelected Obama Administration; say the Dept. of HEW?… The Grays Ferry trail link opened. Until connected, links create more difficult police patrol areas like the dead-end trail in back of the Sheet Metal Hall. Still, they get the administration a lot of PR.

The more important story is the lack of computers among the poor. If students in lower grades could start early with a computer, the future of our city might be improved. Two computers developed for third-world countries were developed by major universities. Look up Different Types of Cloud Computing and Their Benefits to be prepared with the latest technology. They are cranked up to energize, and cost $100 and $200. They could be purchased for city students by local business leaders at low cost. Junk, you say; well, MITT ROMNEY, while Governor of Massachusetts bought one for each student. We have to start SOMEWHERE. Where is NUTTER on this???

CITY COUNCIL LOBBYIST? Is it needed? Yes. The Mayor has one. This gives him better communication with the legislature, etc., and unfair advantage over Council. Look at the School Reform folks slipping in to talk to lawmakers on control of union benefits. JEFF HORNSTEIN, Queen Village Neighbors Association President, wrote Don’t rush the new tax system in the daily press. He is right not to advocate placing the AVI cart before the data horse.

YOUR A.V.I. REAL-ESTATE TAX INCREASE: Council President DARRELL CLARKE seems to be leading to a compromise that will solve the budget dilemma. The split proposal he advocates makes sense. I can’t agree with Bill Green who wants the $94 million from the tax. How can we ACCEPT the $94M quote without investigation?? The FINANCE DEPT. figure needs close checking. One Councilman keeps saying that many homeowners would see lower bills? If you KEEP REPEATING it, what will you say when they get an increase? You WILL be blamed. In his old neighborhood, homes were valued in the 40th percentile. (Philly was not harmed valuewise as much as other cities in the downturn.) So values could be increased over 50%. In Councilwoman TASCO’S Ward, values were say 44-46%. The market-value increase could be 50% more or less. It was written that some neighbors will likely see a decrease. At this time there is NO “likely.” The good news is that COURAGEOUS COUNCILPERSONS supported the SQUILLA BILL to delay AVI.

The write-up on the Court Clerk’s office is a story of the new modernity. It IS more efficient. Joe EVERS and Deputy DAILEY do a top job. But former Clerk VIVIAN MILLER got an unfair bad rap on this issue. When I visited the office, I found mostly new employees there. What happened to the vanished staff??… GOV. Corbett’s BIG TAX BREAK to Shell Oil – what else is new? Should Gov. “Corporate” declare of the 99% — “Let them eat cake”?

LOUIS AGRE has a 39th Birthday this week. This labor leader and ward leader operates so efficiently and caringly that peers have profound, professional respect for him. Best wishes!… LOCAL 8 IATSE demonstrated outside a medical-association seminar, since a visual company did not pay area wages. It generated much support…. MIKE CIBIK, ESQ., GOP Ward Leader in Ward 5 continued his GOP Happy Hour in Paddy Whacks. A spirited group, it is.

CITYWIDE HANDS ACROSS MILES: Two leading political consultants have united into a partnership. Dwayne Stewart Lilly, and Joe Russo, both with recent wins under their belts, will join all corners of the city. “We are family” is a good theme for this group and their many friends across town…. ROSE FRANCES WHELAN, saint in the rough, passed at 82. She fought many illnesses and won the good fight. Lord deliver her unto your spirit.

Would you believe the ADJUDICATION Branch at 9th & Filbert (Parking Authority run by the City) won’t let you add tickets to an existing payment plan. This is not modern, but dark ages, finance. It’s Marie Antoinette all over again. You know what happened to her. People with guaranteed paychecks and full bellies, telling others to give up the money…. EDGAR HOWARD is recovering well. He was a top veterans commissioner for the City. That did not stop him from losing his job. He was the perfect match since the job is hard to fill. If you put a VFW guy in there, the American legion, DAV or JWV will be upset. The story goes his desk was packed up and left on his front stoop. No doorbell was heard???

MEMORIAL DAY PARADE in Wildwood City was a good one!! The sad news is North Wildwood and the Crest would not let it enter. Why??…You all remember how DAN GRACE of Local 830 TEAMSTERS whupped the City soda-sugar tax! Well, Mayor Bloomberg in the Big Apple is going to try it. He held a media conference with soda cans and sugar cubes in front of each. A few days later, he admitted a mayonnaise-smothered BLT is okay – once in a while. Huh.

A MITT ROMNEY economic advisor used the Obama policy to cite how to broaden the tax base. OOPS…. IS THE GOP slowing the economy TO INFLUENCE THE ELECTION? The thought is in a lot of heads. Business, banks and finance (rescued by Obama) have the ability to do so. It came up again in the daily press. Let’s see: Fully recapitalized banks not making loans, employers not hiring and squeezing as much as possible from existing employees. A weak job report. Yeah, it is credible. If OBAMA is elected, he will let Bush tax cuts expire. The GOP in control of the House (maybe the Senate) will be more inclined to make a deal to increase revenue and cut the budget. If ROMNEY gets in, the House and GOP senate will move to make BUSH TAX CUTS permanent. They will repeal OBAMACARE. Austerity will be dead.

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