POLS ON THE STREET: Progressive Carpetbaggers Are City’s New Litterbugs

by Joe Shaheeli

PARKING AUTHORITY head Vince Fenerty, right, and Uber exec Jon Feldman forged an agreement to allow Uber to operate without restraint in Philadelphia for 90 days. The deal was prompted by the General Assembly’s failure to settle Uber’s legal status amid the chaos of budget negotiations, coupled with SEPTA’s regional rail crisis amid the upcoming Democratic National Convention.

The DNC Action Committee (not to be confused with the Democratic National Convention) has the following posted on its homepage: “Let’s make history again.” Absent the online rhetoric, one thing is abundantly clear: The most significant thing this group is making right now is a mess.

From the early actions of its fanatic followers, most of whom will be from out of town, we are beginning to feel pangs of remorse the city successfully landed the role of host for the Democratic National Convention. Their broadsheets, which call for protesting the convention, are costly to produce, and stick like paint.

Unfortunately for this paper, our hundreds of newsboxes are now being used as advertising posts by this group. They show no regard for private property and we could well see a plague of these broadsheets cover the city, welcome as locusts.

We posted two messages on their website as they invite adherents to do so. We saw after the first, posting will have to be first reviewed by its webmasters. Our second comment said, “For progressives who profess liberty, we wonder why you now censor.” We called their telephone, no answer! Their silence condemns them.

It is obvious someone is funding this group which poses itself as “a Philadelphia-based coalition offering assistance to organizers and visitors taking actions around or protesting the DNC.”
We called one of the two numbers listed below and got no response. Try your luck. If you are one of them, here is your contact. If you are one of us, ask them why they insist on messing up private property. We’d appreciate it. The numbers are (267) 271-9154 or (215) 253-0742.

Five-Term GOP DA Supports Shapiro

WEARING her DNC delegate’s cap is Kathy Huggins, who was hosted at the home of former Yeadon Mayor Delores Butler, on her award as Penna. Woman of the Year. Dignitaries seen from left at bottom are: Audrey Adedunyo; Yvonne Sawyer, president of Democratic Women; Huggins; and Ann Lasssiter. Middle row: Butler; Judy Sanders, City Committee; Lisa Rhodes, president of 2,000 African American Women. In the back row are Carolyn Collins, Federation of Democratic Women; Yeadon Councilwoman Leann Johnson; Sharhale Galloway, sergeant-at-arms, Dem Women; Lisa Rhodes, VP 2000 African American Women; Pamela Knapper; Debra Carn; and Bria Wilson. Photo by Joe Stivala

Democratic candidate for State Attorney General Josh Shapiro hopes it’s the start of a trend as Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin, the second-longest-serving Republican DA in Pennsylvania, endorsed him, citing the need for his pragmatic executive experience to protect the public. Martin organized a private event of bipartisan Lehigh Valley leaders to make his announcement; public events will follow.

Martin, a past president of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association and a five-term District Attorney of Lehigh County, said, “As a prosecutor and a Republican for over two decades, I’ve admired his no-nonsense, ethical leadership in Montgomery County and his close collaboration with law enforcement. Josh is the best candidate to put the people’s safety first, regardless of politics – he has the integrity and executive experience we need in our Attorney General and I’m proud to cross party lines to support him.”

PPA Delivers Help to DNC Delegates

The Philadelphia Parking Authority is considered, by those who fail to pay their parking meters, an overzealous guardian of its street parking regulations. But the other side of the PPA, not often seen, has worked extensively to ensure drivers, riders, and the general public seldom, if ever, run into logjams with parking and other problems associated with driving around this city.

That occurred last week when riders on public transportation found SEPTA was forced to curtail rail service by cutting a good portion of its Streamliner rail cars when a major problem surfaced in their construction. Add to that the thousands expected to jam the city and increase traffic jams in the next few weeks.

Doing what he always does best, PPA Exec. Dir. Vincent Fenerty initiated a move to extend more services to those requiring rides. He has allowed Uber, a ride-sharing service, to operate for 12 weeks without facing fines for violating existing regulations. In turn, Uber will pay $350,000 into an account to be held by PPA for two-year period it has been operating without licensing until the state legislature passes pending legislation detailing how it is to operate.

Fenerty is to be commended for cutting through the red tape to again insure those in need of cab or similar services such as Uber will be available during this very busy period due to the SEPTA crisis and the incoming DNC.
Unhappy were the Taxi Workers Alliance, and related organizations which are seeking an injunction. Observers feel their petition will only help justify the PPA’s right to make such agreements and set policies.

A GOODLY gathering of GOP leaders came out in support of State Senate candidate Ross Feinberg at Pub 36 in Torresdale. Among them were, from left, Ward Leader Bruce Holz, Feinberg, Ward Leaders Mark Wuller and Fran Woodruff, State Treasurer candidate Otto Voit, Brian McCann, Ward Leader Gary Grisafi and Darren Bartholomew. Photo by Wendell Douglas

Casino Revenue May Help Close Budget Gap

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board report that slot machine revenue grew 2.3% during the recently completed 2015/2016 state fiscal year compared to the previous fiscal year should ease some of the burden for General Assembly leadership as they search for ways to get projected revenue to match new budget’s expenditures.

Since the opening of the first slot machine casino in November of 2006, revenue from slot-machine play has totaled $20 billion, resulting in tax generation of $11.3 billion. Tax revenue from slot machines is designated under the Gaming Act to fund homeowner property-tax reduction; increase purses and provide health and pension benefits to personnel in the horse-racing industry; provide revenue toward economic-development projects statewide, including water and sewer projects; assist thousands of local fire and emergency companies with annual grants; and provide a new stream of tax revenue to the county and local governments which host a casino.

Pushing the General Assembly to come up with the tax and other funding sources to meet the demand of the budget now passed are credit rating agencies, warning if there is no action within the next three months, Pennsylvania’s bond rating will be again decreased, making it more expensive for the State to borrow money.

Toomey Sees Gold in Joining Trump

US Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) sees gold where state Democratic Party spokesman Preston Maddock sees coal.

Trump and Toomey met and delivered a statement that they will campaign as a united front. Maddock said, “Donald Trump is an embarrassment and wholly unqualified for the office he seeks. That Sen. Toomey thinks otherwise goes a long way to explaining his record of completely failing Pennsylvania.”

We suggest Maddock take a ride along many of the state’s rural roads and take a look at the numbers of Trump signs seen posted along the way on private property – then ask himself, “Where are our Clinton signs?”

Such signage displays haven’t been seen since the campaigns of President Ronald Reagan.
Toomey is defining his campaign against Democratic opponent Katie McGinty.

It was a busy week for Pennsylvania’s junior senator. In his political battle with Katie McGinty, he painted her as pro-illegal immigration and continued to hit her over her police-gear policy.

It is obvious Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton understands her success in capturing Pennsylvania and other swing states depends on African American turnouts in Philadelphia and other big cities. She understood this with her address at the AME General Conference in Philadelphia last weekend, where delegates weighed her every word. Philadelphia Democratic turnout is key and the burden falls again on the Democratic City Committee to press the “pedal to the metal.” This is already being done by Chairman and Congressman Bob Brady.

Catholic League Blasts Mayor as Un-American

Bill Donohue, head of the Catholic League, a national organization dedicated to spread understanding of the Catholic Church’s viewpoints, said, “James Kenney was elected Mayor of Philadelphia. He seems to think that gives him the authority, or qualifications, to run the Catholic Church in his city. It does not.

“Kenney ripped Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput as ‘not Christian.’ The Archbishop’s offense? He issued pastoral guidelines reiterating Catholic teaching on marriage, family and reception of the Eucharist. There is nothing new in Chaput’s document. It merely calls — as the Church always has — for clergy to provide pastoral care for those living in relationships outside its teachings, while upholding the integrity of the sacraments. ‘Anything less,’ Chaput correctly observed, ‘misleads people about the nature of the Eucharist and the Church.’

“Kenney disagrees. Fine. But it is an abuse of his office to use his platform as Mayor to publicly intrude on what is clearly an internal church matter. And it is far from the first time he has used his position as a government official to attack the Catholic Church. Kenney labels Archbishop Chaput un-Christian for upholding Catholic teaching. The Mayor is demonstrably un-American in misusing his public office to conduct his personal war on the Catholic Church.”

Judge Rules Libertarians Only Need 5,000

Gary Johnson will be on the general-election ballot. Instead of the 21,000 signatures he would have had to secure to get that to happen, a District Court Judge ruled he needs only 5,000. Look for a challenge from Republicans or from Trump campaign headquarters. Polls find the former New Mexico Governor can get up to 10% of the vote … unclear from which party he would draw more, though.

Socialists Will Make Presence Felt at DNC

Socialists hope to make hay while the sun shines, hoping to leave some impression on the rules, platforms and outcomes of the Democratic National Convention. After their demonstrations during the day, they will be able to join other like-minded each evening July 25-28, for a series of panel discussions and workshops at Friends Center, 1501 Cherry Street, 6-10 p.m.

Approximately 20 organizations will be involved.

Featured speakers include Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, socialist Seattle City Councilwoman Kshama Sawant and radical journalist/activist Chris Hedges. There will be nightly reports on what’s been happening on the floor of the Democratic convention and in the streets with the protest demonstrations. Titled “The Socialist Convergence,” these evening meetings are free and open to the public and the media. Time to Investigate Nonprofit Agencies?

Newspaper publisher Jim Foster has been crusading for years to investigate nonprofits in the Germantown-Ogontz areas. He has claimed widespread misuse: doing other than that for which they were created, political involvement, poor investing, nepotism, using money for personal activities and lack of services, among a litany of other charges.

Maybe now is the time for the state’s Auditor and Attorney General to assign some of their staffs to give every charitable, community, and welfare-oriented nonprofit registered in this state a regular yearly overview, asking simple statements like, “Show us what you do with what you got and where the bottom-line proof is.”

Sparking that thought was the surfacing of another abuser who treated her association with a nonprofit’s funds as a personal slush fund.

Lt. Gov. Stack Named Again to NLGA Ass’n

Our Philadelphia-bred Lieutenant Governor continues to be seen as a leader, being named this week to the leadership committee of the National Lieutenant Governors Association. NLGA is a professional association enabling policy discussion and progress at the state level.

“Through NLGA’s bipartisan nature, the priorities of Lieutenant Governors and their states and territories are united – not divided,” said NLGA Dir. Julia Hurst.

Lt. Gov. Mike Stack is serving as the East Region’s Democratic representative on the NLGA Executive Committee. Stack also served on the committee last year and was reappointed by NLGA chair Dan McKee, the Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island.

“The Lieutenant Governor was nominated to this position by the NLGA Chair and ratified by a bipartisan group of his peers,” said Hurst. “His unanimous election among officials of both parties from every region of the country speaks to the high regard he is held in among his peers.”

Stack took office as Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor in January 2015.

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