CITY HALL SAM: Fighting To Save Sweet Jobs

STATE SEN. ANTHONY WILLIAMS was recognized as a friend of the Holocaust Awareness Museum in Northeast Philadelphia. The museum society gathered for their annual dinner at the Philmont Country Club. Williams was recognized for his legislation mandating the teaching of the Holocaust in public schools. Also recognized for similar legislation was STATE REP. BRENDAN BOYLE. He and STATE SEN. MIKE STACK were also singled out for their financial assistance to the Holocaust Museum. Stack was responsible for providing over $50,000 in initial grants.

Also on hand were STATE REPS. JOHN SABATINA and ED NEILSON. City COUNCILMAN BILL GREENLEE was also there. JUDGE DOMINIC CERMELE sat at the same table as former mayoral hopeful MARTY WEINBERG. Weinberg has been active in the potential mayoral candidacy of Sen. Williams.

JOHN LAZAR, president of Local 492 Bakers & Confectioners Workers Union, joins State Sen. Michael Stack alongside State Reps. Brendan Boyle and Kevin Boyle at rally to call on Gov. Tom Corbett to save 300 jobs at Mondelez Plant in N.E. Phila. Executives at former Kraft and Nabisco plant told workers they may move its operations to Mexico. Stack wants Governor’s Action Team to open negotiations aimed at saving plant. Photo by Rory McGlasson

The legendary Kraft/Nabisco factory at the corner of Roosevelt Boulevard & Byberry Road may be closing. The sweet smells from this factory have enchanted the noses of Roosevelt Boulevard drivers and neighbors for years. Owners of the factory announced they were looking to close the plant and move the production to Mexico.

Elected officials have sprung into action to help save the plant. Sen. Stack, Reps. Brendan and KEVIN BOYLE, COUNCILMEN BRIAN O’NEILL and BOBBY HENON have asked for a meeting with the company, city, and state economic-development officials. Last week, JOHN LAZAR of Bakers & Confectionery Workers Union Local 492 and HANK McKAY of Local 6 joined the elected officials outside of the factory to urge state and city officials to help save the factory.

Veterans Day was celebrated this week. There are number of elected officials who currently serve in the military. Among them are JUDGE PAT DUGAN, who is a Major in the Army Reserve, and DISTRICT ATTORNEY SETH WILLIAMS, who is also a Major in the Army Reserve. Stack is a Captain in the Army National Guard. All three are members of the JAG Corps. Judge Dugan served actively in combat in both Afghanistan and Iraq. STATE REP. NICK MICCARELLI of Delco also serves in the National Guard and COUNCILMAN DAVID OH is veteran of the Armed Forces.

In state political news, both gubernatorial candidate ALLYSON SCHWARTZ and rumored gubernatorial candidate and former Pennsylvania Auditor General JACK WAGNER visited the state capitol this week to urge passage of a transportation funding bill. Pennsylvania has over 5,000 unsafe bridges and many miles of cracked and buckling roads. Philadelphia could use the economic and public safety benefits of increased funding to roads, bridges, ports, and mass transit. The mass transit systems are a national model and are run by impressive SEPTA EXEC. DIR. JOE CASEY.

One of CHS’s favorite liberal lawmakers, firebrand STATE SEN. JIM FERLO, told his Democratic colleagues he would not seek reelection next year. Ferlo’s policy positions and aggressive style were similar to longtime City COUNCILMAN DAVID COHEN. Redistricting dealt Ferlo an unfavorable hand. His once heavily Democratic district is now exactly the opposite and he would have an uphill battle to reelection.

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