On The Hill / In City Hall: SENATE LEADERS DEMAND MTG. WITH TOBACCO MOGULS

DON’T MESS WITH 3rd Dist. Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell who broke 2-inch board with her hand as part of Korean Taekwondo training. Trainers included K. Johnson and C. Jones. Photo by Joe Stivala

Two members of the Philadelphia State Senate Caucus have reached out to cigarette-industry leaders to ask them to meet with regards to their vigorous lobbying against the cigarette-tax bill that is needed to fund Philadelphia schools.

State Sens. Shirley M. Kitchen (D-N. Phila.) and Democratic Whip Anthony H. Williams (D-W. Phila.), wrote the following letter to Martin J. Barrington, Chairman and CEO of the Altria Group, Inc., and Susan M. Cameron, President and CEO of R.J. Reynolds.

Together these two companies control 78% of the cigarette market in the USA.

“Dear Chairman Barrington and President Cameron, “We are writing at this time on behalf of the Pennsylvania Senate Philadelphia Delegation to request a meeting with you and your respective lobbyists immediately. To our knowledge, a meeting was never requested with Sen. Shirley Kitchen, Chair of the Philadelphia Delegation, or Sen. Anthony Williams, sponsor of the cigarette-tax bill.

“As you are aware, we most recently proposed a $2-per-pack cigarette sales tax in order to close the School District of Philadelphia’s $93-million deficit. The revenue generated from this tax will provide the Philadelphia schoolchildren with critical funding. Once enacted, this tax was projected to generate approximately $45 million this year and $83 million next year.

“Nevertheless, the current projection for next year is now reduced to $69 million because of the delays. After much hard work over the last two years, we were very hopeful this legislation would finally pass both in our State House and Senate. However, it has come to our attention you and your agents have been meeting with our colleagues about this legislation, without involving the Philadelphia Delegation members. You may or may not be aware or concerned about the impact of these delays within our communities.

“We have included articles from our Philadelphia newspapers which highlight your role in denying the passage of this critical legislation which would in turn help our schools and the thousands of families who will be impacted by this funding.

“Every week that this tax is not enacted, the School District of Philadelphia loses $1.6 million. We do not believe this is how you want yourself or your company represented in this situation. “We recommend that a meeting take place right away to address all of these issues.”

FEDERAL BONDING PROGRAM GIVES SECOND CHANCE

State Rep. Ronald G. Waters (D-W. Phila.), Democratic Caucus secretary, is encouraging anyone having trouble finding a job due to an “at-risk” status to apply for the Federal Bonding Program.

“Getting a job is hard enough, but some people in our community are getting rejected before they even get in the door because of a mistake they made in their past,” Waters said. “The Federal Bonding Program is so important because it gives people a second chance to make good on their potential and allows them to finally give back to their community.”

The Federal Bonding Program incentivizes employers to hire “at-risk” job applicants by providing them with fidelity bond at no cost to the employer. The bond, which is good for six months and is worth $5,000, acts as a guarantee to the employer that the applicant will be an honest worker by covering loss from theft, forgery, larceny or embezzlement.

Those interested in the program can learn more about it by visiting www.bonds4jobs.com or by contacting Waters’ office at (215) 748-6712 for assistance with the process.

MCCARTER’S SENIOR FAIR IS TODAY IN ELKINS PARK

State Rep. Steve McCarter (D-Northeast) is hosting his second annual senior fair from 10 a.m. until noon today at Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel, 8339 Old York Road, Elkins Park.
“Last year’s event was a tremendous success, and I expect this year’s senior fair to be equally, if not more, successful,” McCarter said.

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