View Details

We've been doing a little bit re-arranging to the Gashouse Live schedule, so it forced us to take last week off from the #15minaday podcast. We're back this week, and this episode is just a recap of what we missed last week in the Philadelphia Mayoral race.

View Details

Tonight's 15 minutes focused on the Education Forum that 5 out of the 6 Democrat candidates participated in. For the most part, it was a lot of generic talk, and still tough to see who's the real leader in this race.

View Details

The Ad - http://youtu.be/PxXWA9oeb3o

Yesterday we talked a little bit about how Williams has the most money in this campaign, which is the onnly reason he is considered a front runner. Well his first TV ad is out. While it is positive, Im not sure if there is any truth in it yet.

I also must say that this guy is out in my opinion.

1. His wife is a fracking lobbyist. Giant red flag right there. http://www.philebrity.com/2015/03/13/this-moment-in-phl2015-anthony-hardy-williams-wife-is-a-fracking-lobbyist/
2. The city's Board of Ethics has fined the Carpenters Union $1,000 for donating $21,500 - $10,000 over the limit - to State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams' mayoral campaign, and the union has agreed to pay. Whether Williams' campaign will have to return the extra $10,000 was not clear Thursday. http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/mayor/20150320_Carpenters_union_fined_for_exceeding_campaign_contributions_to_Williams.html
3. So much of his money is coming from corporate interests in charter schools. I'll say it again, the public vs charter debate should be a good school vs bad school debate, and you don't accept tons of money from charter school advocates without giving them something in return. It's too important of an issue to allow someone in with unsure alliances.

To the video:

First claim: "Got almost a 1/4 billion dollars out of Harrisburg to fund public schools"

• his 1st source: http://paindependent.com/2013/07/watchblog-philly-schools-to-get-120-million-from-permanent-extension-of-temporary-sales-tax/
• "The state House voted 119-83 to extend indefinitely a 1 percent local sales tax for Philadelphia, which was enacted in 2009 and was scheduled to be phased out at the end of 2013. The revenue will be used to give $120 million annually to schools in the city.

The permanent extension of the sales tax, which is counted on top of a 6 percent state sales tax and an additional 1 percent city sales tax, was included in the state tax code bill, a kind of instruction manual that moves along with the state budget bill. The bill goes to the state Senate for a final vote that could come on Tuesday."

• He didn't get that money out of Harrisburg. He continued to take that money from Philadelphia citizens with an increased sales tax, let's be clear.

• his 2nd source: http://news.yahoo.com/philly-schools-45m-ease-money-crisis-222334392.html

• The Obama administration provided $45 million in debt forgiveness to Pennsylvania that was meant to address the education funding gap for Philadelphia. Corbett held that money hostage, demanding Philadelphia teachers take a 10 to 20 percent pay cut from their new contract, but massive public outcry forced him to release the money in October 2013.
• Outside criticism of the governor's decision to withhold the $45 million escalated last week, especially after the asthma-related death of a child who attended a school without a full-time nurse brought national attention to the funding crisis in Philadelphia schools. Zogby said that his "heart goes out" to the girl's family, but that the incident did not figure in the governor's decision.
• "These discussions have been ongoing," Zogby said. "We went into this [putting conditions on the funding] with the understanding that there was going to be a lot of pressure on the state and we were prepared for that going in."

• What convinced Corbett to release the funds, Zogby said, was "the demonstration that the SRC and the superintendent were serious about the business of long-term reform and had taken sustainable, tangible actions around fiscal and operational controls. That was the driving force, not the noise coming from some of the other groups."

• Do you really want to drive attention to this mess in your TV ad, or are we so predictably lazy that his campaign knows no one will ever actually look at these anyway.

• $120 + $45 million = $165 million. Still $85 million away from a 1/4 billion, so math isn't a strong suit either.

Next claim "stared down the barrel of the gun lobby to take illegal guns off the street."

• his source: https://phillyda.wordpress.com/2011/01/06/gun-violence-task-force-nets-18-arrests/
• The Philadelphia program operates in much the same way as its precursor in St. Louis. Citizens who would like to report a property where illegal guns are believed to be kept should call the Gun Violence Task Force at (215) 686-9585. Experienced officers, trained to take a "low-key" approach, will then visit the property, speak to an adult resident, and request permission to search for illegal weapons. In exchange for such permission, the District Attorney's Office will promise in writing that should any illegal firearms be located in the premises, no one will be charged with illegal possession of the firearms. Should any located firearms be traced to prior crimes, charges may be filed against the individuals who committed those prior crimes.
• Since it began in December 2006, the Task Force has opened 1,623 investigations involving the illegal transfer of firearms, made 521 arrests, and seized 1,006 firearms. In addition, the Task Force has assisted Philadelphia Police in solving numerous shootings, burglaries, robberies, and homicides. To date, the Task Force has convicted 342 individuals of straw purchasing and other gun trafficking offenses. (as of 1/2011).

• This one appears to be true. Although I don't know how great it is to quote "18 arrests" from 4 years ago

• PLUS, he eats a cheesesteak at the 25 second mark. He's as bad as nationally televised football games.

In other news:

• Is Milton married? http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/ninetynine/79890-whats-milton-streets-marital-status-its-anybodys-gues
• Education Forum Tonight http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/blogs/ninetynine/item/79911-five-of-six-dem-mayoral-candidates-commit-to-tonights-education-forum-in-s-philly

View Details

Tonight we gave a quick update on some of the candidates running in the 2015 Mayoral Race for Philadelphia.

We also looked at a report on the way the local news stations report on issues during election season. It turns out, they don't. Rather than risk affecting some of the millions of dollars in campaign ad revenue, the local affiliates just avoid discussing any issue that may have an impact on your vote.

Good ole' mainstream media strikes again.

PHL2015 #NextMayor2015

Sources: http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/blogs/ninetynine/item/79832-milton-street-campaign-for-philly-mayor-survives-first-legal-challenge

http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/79844-qaa-philly-political-media-watch-highlights-gap-between-campaign-ads-coverage

http://www.phillyvoice.com/ties-between-williams-campaigns-charter-schools/

View Details

Philadelphia is historically very much a Democrat city. That is why we spent all of last week focusing on the Democratic candidates for the 2015 mayoral election. Many say that the real election is happening on May 19th with Democratic primary. This is not very healthy for Philadelphia politics. It tends to mean that we will have much of the same old same old. We need healthy competition and alternative points of view. We need options.

So let's look at the only Republican candidate in this election: Melissa Murray Bailey

Melissa is an experienced general manager and business development executive. Across the past 10 years, she has proven her ability to build and turnaround businesses regardless of industry, country or business environment. She is a passionate team leader and trusted advisor to CXOs of many Fortune 500 companies.

A go-to person on leadership and employee engagement challenges across the world, Melissa advises companies on how to better acquire and leverage their most valuable asset…people.

Currently President of Universum. Universum is the global leader in employer branding strategy. Based on our annual market research of over half a million students and professionals around the world, we have been supporting leading employers for over 25 years as a strategic partner to develop and communicate effective employer brands to attract the right talent.

The Republican ward leaders "rallied around" Bailey, Taylor said, describing her as a "brand-new face" for the party.

Philly GOP Executive Director Joseph DeFelice chimed in, as well, adding, “I met with Melissa and believe a candidate like her speaks to business-minded people and new Philadelphians such as millennials and empty nesters. Much of what I see in the Democrat primaries are ‘has beens’ and ‘also rans.’ Other candidates may still emerge on our side of the aisle, but I am encouraged that someone like Melissa, with her strong background in business development and charity, is giving this a serious look.”

Bailey, speaking to those ward leaders last month, said she tried to change her voter registration from Democratic to Republican late last year. The City Commission lists Jan. 26 - six weeks ago - as the date of that change.

Independents

Rhashea Harmon - According to Wikipedia, she is declared as an independent running in this election I could nto find any information on her other than her Linked In, and that she is an attorney who ran against Anthony Hardy Williams for Senate a few years back.

Bill Green, former[1] chair of the School Reform Commission of the School District of Philadelphia and a former Democratic Councilman-at-Large on the City Council of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, changed his voter registration to independent this week to “leave all the doors open” this Fall. That could mean a run at his old at-large seat on City Council, but it could also mean an independent bid for the mayor’s office (it could also ultimately lead to nothing at all). Green would take a chance on the mayoral race only if his old enemy Jim Kenney were to win the Democratic primary.

Sam Katz

Sam Katz launched a website called "Citizen Sam: An independent voice for Philadelphia" with a post titled "A Plan to Close the Educational Funding Gap." Katz, who lost a pair of mayoral campaigns versus Milton's brother John, "is considering running for mayor in November as an independent candidate, a decision that will be governed in part by who wins the May 19 Democratic primary."

the most comprehensive policy paper of the mayoral race to date: an ambitious, even radical, heavily-footnoted proposal to eliminate the school funding and pension crises in about, oh, 82-fell swoops; without raising taxes.

Here's the gist:

• Collect $45m-$50 million from the city's non-profit eds and meds sector in the form of PILOTs (stands for Payment In Lieu of Taxes) or some other mechanism.
• "Re-examine" the assorted tax abatements, incentives and other tax discount programs. Katz stops short of advocating for the outright abolition of these tax breaks, and he doesn't offer up a dollar figure for how much revenue a re-examination might generate.
• Improve the "absurd and embarrassing performance of its tax collection system." Katz suggests this could be achieved through a combination of tax lien sales and outsourcing collection to private companies (which is already happening in a lot of cases). Katz says selling the liens on the city's huge inventory of delinquent properties could generate a one-time infusion of $250m-$400 million (which seems like an optimistic estimate).
• Pour a whopping $3 billion into the city's pension fund—which Katz suggests can be obtained by selling or leasing city-owned assets like PGW, the airport, street parking, and the Water Department—and thus reduce the city's annual pension payment by $280 million. He'd allocate $180 million of that for the School District. How does that work? Think of it as paying down a mortgage debt, refinancing, and then being on the hook for a smaller monthly payment thereafter. This would be, to put it mildly, politically challenging to pull off. Katz knows this. He writes: "The lease, sale or partnership of these services is a very difficult strategy, no doubt... But when a community makes a huge commitment to invest in the education of its children and in its economic future, there is nothing but hard and complex choices to make."
• A new "massive endowment" to generate income that the School District can use to "take on important projects beyond the basics." Katz imagines this endowment—which he'd like to see reach $1 billion within a decade—would be funded through a mix of philanthropy (mostly) and some public money (seeded, perhaps, by whatever cash the city could generate by selling off its property tax liens).
• Put together, Katz says his plan would generate $250m-$300 million in combined city and philanthropic revenue for the schools every year. He figures that sort of big, local investment would help pry loose another $100 million from the state, for a grand total of $400 million in new funds each year

This will be extremely difficult to get passed the City Council, but if ever we needed radical change, it's now. It may be extreely tough, but at least he has a specific plan and not generic rhetoric.

Read more at

Sources: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmurraybailey http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/mayor/20150311_Philly_GOP_settles_on_mayoral_candidate__Lawyer_who_6_weeks_ago_was_a_Democrat.html#SdVcWlc18l8ihFt3.99 http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/U-TURN/Business-exec-eyes-Phila-mayoral-run-as-Republican.html#4HzxSgqEChhVOQST.99 http://www.phillymag.com/citified/2015/03/12/sam-katz-school-funding-plan/#xeMDLchtWcS7fpy6.99 http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/blogs/ninetynine/item/79566--while-you-were-gone-a-recap-of-the-mayoral-campaign-weekend

View Details

Sources: http://articles.philly.com/2015-02-09/news/58933278_1_doug-oliver-race-philadelphia-gas-works\ http://articles.philly.com/2015-03-06/news/59848684_1_doug-oliver-bald-eagles-democrat-oliver http://dougoliver2015.com/ http://www.greaterphilachamber.com/download/public/doug-oliver-candidate-questions-transcript-(1).pdf http://planphilly.com/articles/2015/03/05/q-a-doug-oliver-on-the-10-year-tax-abatement-vision-zero-and-philly-s-waterfront

The Philadelphia mayor's race received a dash of youth if not experience Saturday with Doug Oliver's formal announcement that he is running.

At 40, Oliver, Mayor Nutter's former spokesman, is by far the youngest candidate seeking the Democratic nomination - a fact he clearly hopes to exploit to boost the chances of what by any measure is a long-shot candidacy come the May 19 primary.

Oliver is a Philadelphia native whose most recent position was senior vice president for marketing and communications at the Philadelphia Gas Works. He is not considered to have a realistic chance in this year's race, given that he lacks name recognition, financial and organizational support, and a record of significant public achievement.

His 12-year-old son Ifanyi attends Glenside's Phil-Mont Christian Academy and splits his time between his divorced father and mother Natalie Martinez. The two parted amicably (she is circulating petitions for Oliver), and they decided to share custody in East Oak Lane without court intervention.

"I didn't want to be 'mandated' to be in my son's life," says Oliver, taking a stand more fathers should emulate.

Not having his own son in a Philly school won't play well politically.

Funding

How about endorsements?

"None," he says evenly, "short of frustrated Philadelphians who want something different."

He is different - not a lawyer or career politician like his opponents. After three years with PGW, he became Mayor Nutter's press secretary for two years, then returned to PGW as a senior vice president.

Without endorsements, without big money, without bodies, how can he expect to win?

Nutter started out in last place in 2007, he notes, and finished first, with 106,805 votes. But Nutter had endorsements, and turnout in that five-way slugfest was an anemic 35 percent.

Oliver says that out of some 800,000 registered voters, 411,000 are under the age of 45, and his opponents are all at or above 60.

"The city is getting younger," Oliver says accurately, and "if these young people come out and vote, who do they see in their best interest?"

Issues

"So there are four key areas where I would focus as a Mayor to make us more competitive. The first is an investment in schools. You cannot have a world-class city with a thirdworld education, employers know this. They don’t want to move to a city where their employees can’t educate their kids. We have to address that if we want to attract business to our city.

Number two, is our tax structure. We tax the wrong things and we tax the things that can leave, wages and business and guess what they do leave. We don’t have to have the lowest tax structure, but we do need to be more competitive than we are now and make investments in that area.

Number three, we have to have cooperation between the executive and legislative branches of government. People are looking. They are watching us and if we can’t get along with each other they won’t want to step into that mess, so we need to show businesses all across this country and all across the world that Philadelphia is here and open for business. We want to welcome them with open arms.

And lastly, we have to have strong neighborhoods. We have to invest in our neighborhoods because with 98,000 small businesses that is the core of our city and it’s not just in Center City anymore. We have to make investments in our neighborhoods if we expect to be a vibrant city that’s competitive. "

Education People tend to get distracted by the public vs. charter debate. At the end of the day, our sole focus needs to be on creating school environments – public and charter – that foster positive educational outcomes for all students. Currently, there are too many public and charter schools where performance is mediocre at best and a disservice is being done to kids. This cannot continue.

I will institute aggressive intervention policies to deal with underperforming Philadelphia public and charter schools. These policies will include putting a performance improvement plan in place for schools that underperform in any single academic year and changing the management of schools that fail to meet standards for two consecutive years. When necessary, new, experienced management and good teachers will be drawn from high-performing schools and placed into failing schools.

After decades of failing Philadelphia students, it is evident that a shift must be made in the role of the SRC. I believe the Mayor should appoint three SRC board members, while the Governor should appoint the two remaining board members. This enables lines of accountability to be maintained with the City and State and aligns the interests of the Superintendent and the governing authority. Most importantly, I believe that the SRC should function as a regulator rather than as an operator. The SRC’s core responsibility should be clear and unequivocal: ensuring that no school in the City of Philadelphia is ineffective and enforcing change when needed.

Teachers cannot be blamed for failing schools; they have historically not had the resources they need to do their jobs. In any system, however, there are weaknesses that have to be managed. Teachers – just like schools - should be held accountable to standards which are fair and which recognize the reality of classrooms today. When teachers don’t provide our children with the education they deserve, the City must have the flexibility to retrain or replace them.

The School District spends roughly $129 million to operate 19 consistently underperforming schools. With approximately 200,000 students in the school district, the average cost to educate a student is $12,500 per year. Only $6,000 per year, however, is spent on each student. Where is the delta going? It is being taken from students to manage the City’s non-education related financial challenges.

The City is in a difficult position given that the Commonwealth holds the purse strings and that non-Philadelphia Pennsylvanians resent their tax dollars being directed at underperforming Philadelphia schools. Worse yet, they don’t believe that any money that might be appropriated would make it to classroom. In this climate, we can’t count on funding from the state. Even as we continue to push for a fair funding formula out of Harrisburg, Philadelphia may need to make tough funding decisions to educate our children.

Budget

" I’d be in favor of selling municipal assets to generate one-time money, which if applied to the pension fund would free up money that could either be reinvested into the pension fund to pay it down faster, or it could be used to provide critical city services like police and fire, reduction in business taxes or pay for our schools."

" I think we do ourselves a favor when we take a broader look at city services and see where we might leverage city budgets between one department and another. Consider a wise investment in the streets department to keep trash off of our streets pays off when we don’t have to spend more money in the water department to clean that same trash out of our rivers. That’s just one example of the types of things we as a government can do to make sure that we’re using the resources that we have wisely while we take the necessary aggressive steps to forestall the catastrophe that lies ahead if we don’t find a way to get our pension and healthcare costs under control. "

Job Growth Each of the many tens of thousands of businesses in this City, regardless of their size, plays some role in creating jobs for Philadelphians. Therefore, the City of Philadelphia must be pro business – not just pro big business. This means supporting small start-ups from hair salons to tech companies, creating programs to attract new firms of all sizes, and developing incentives to keep existing businesses in the City.

Speaking of start-ups, the sooner we begin removing the barriers and red tape that impede their success, the sooner they can grow, hire, and scale as they capture more market share. We also need to put in place pro-growth incentives like lower tax rates during the initial post-launch phase to properly support the growth and development of start-ups and accelerate their job creating potential.

" I’d like to ensure that small businesses have access to capital. I’m thinking about CDFIs, community development financial institutions that have more relaxed rules that allow access to capital making it a little bit easier for small business but not only access to capital but ensuring through the office of small business that these businesses have the business acumen to spend the money that they do have access to correctly. "

I believe we should reduce the business privilege tax and the wage tax and add new tax credits. When offering these tax incentives, the City needs to extract legal assurances from their recipients. If they are in receipt of public funds or tax breaks, businesses must be accountable for their projections related to tax revenue and job creation. If the City makes an investment, it is reasonable that it expect a return on that investment.

"My goal would be to duplicate those numbers, but duplicate it in half the time. So by the end of my first-term I would like to have created an additional 4,000 jobs in the city and employ an additional 10,000 Philadelphians. I will work with the business community to get this done. I will work to aggressively reduce both the business and wage tax with a dollar for dollar increase in our property tax to ensure that the city has the resources it needs to run itself and at the same time creates an environment where business wants to be. "

View Details

Sources: http://articles.philly.com/2015-03-04/news/59730572_1_challengers-nelson-diaz-campaign http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/mayor/20150312_Mayoral_candidates_respond_to_chamber_s_questions.html#1G80DRcGkpkwFwlR.99 http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/ninetynine/78832-for-nelson-diaz-its-all-about-schools http://www.greaterphilachamber.com/download/public/gpcc-response-diaz.pdf

United States lawyer who has been a Philadelphia city solicitor, a judge on the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, and General Counsel at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). He was mentioned as a possible HUD Secretary in the Obama Administration,[1] before Obama announced that Shaun Donovan was his pick for the position. Diaz founded the first organization devoted to black and Hispanic law students at Temple University while he was a student there, and he has been a member of Temple's Board of Trustees since 1992. Having been the first Puerto Rican to be admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar Association in 1973

Diaz is aiming to position himself as the original progressive candidate. He has no major endorsements, but boasts a career of public and private executive experience arguably unmatched in the field.

"When I look at each one of [the challengers], I don't see anyone who has run anything - they are lobbyists, legislators, spokespersons, activists, a prosecutor," he said. "I don't see anyone that has that leadership experience, I think that's really important."

As the first Puerto Rican to run for mayor, Diaz said, he has the Latino base on lock. He thinks he can get votes from progressives and a portion of the African American community, particularly traditional public school advocates who may be against state Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams' stand in favor of school vouchers.

Funding

No major endorsement, only thing I find is a $10,000 donation from the law firm where he is a partner.

Issues

Education Diaz said he supports "charters that work," and sits on the board of one in Camden, but wants a moratorium on new charters until Philadelphia's school district can climb out of its financial crisis. He also is calling for an end to the School Reform Commission, though he's unclear on whether a mayor could dismantle the state-constructed entity.

"We have to have a full funding process throughout the state," maintained Diaz, adding that he's willing to file a federal lawsuit to ensure fair state funding for education. "One of the issues is that almost 100 percent of the kids happen to be minorities: African-American and Latinos in the public school system.

"Some of the charters have ... sort of abandoned the rest of the public education process. We have to be able to educate everyone. Everyone deserves a good education, and just by siphoning out what they consider to be the prime kids and leaving everybody else behind, we're going to have to pay later for the problems that will be created as a result of not having kids with an education."

Diaz also said that he'd seek funding for universal pre-Kindergarten education.

Employment Diaz said the city needs to focus on job growth outside Center City and University City. He suggested that community colleges become partners in providing business skills to residents.

How would you assist sole proprietors to grow into small enterprises and increase employment? A: As Executive Director of the Hispanic Merchants Association back in the 1970s, I helped business owners navigate a complicated system and seek out loans for things like working capital. We provided support, expertise, and guidance to small businesses seeking to open their doors or expand. I used that experience in other neighborhoods as well, and helped establish local entities on the ground that could do real community economic development. Today, we don’t consistently do that in every neighborhood and every instance. PIDC has some models that really work, but needs to do a much better job taking its successes and turning them into scalable best practices. The redevelopment of the Navy Yard in particular provides a model that we should be looking to employ elsewhere in the city. We also do a particularly poor job leveraging our universities and educational institutions as incubators for economic development, especially in relation to some peer cities in the northeast and the rest of the country. That’s one big reason Philadelphia lags behind other cities as a center of high tech job growth. We bring in far less venture capital funding than other similar cities, and the funding we do get as a metro region overwhelming flows to the suburbs, in sharp contrast to pretty much every other big city. If we can partner with our educational institutions, that’s going to create a more vibrant job market and business climate that will be especially beneficial to companies that are looking to expand and grow.

Economy There’s a reason 48% of working Philadelphians reverse commute to the suburbs. That’s unacceptably high, and it’s a direct result of our tax and regulatory structure combined with our dysfunctional education system and public safety issues. It’s because of all those things that we’ve been the 2nd worst city in the country at creating small business jobs since the recession, with only Detroit behind us. That’s insane. We have incredible resources and amenities as a city; people and businesses want to be here. But our antiquated tax system drives them away. It’s not necessarily that we tax too much, but that we tax the wrong things and the wrong people. You know the numbers better than I do, but they’re so striking they’re worth repeating. 66% of our tax revenue comes from taxes like the Business Receipts Tax and Wage Tax; peer cities like New York and Washington get perhaps 1/3 of their revenue from similar sources. In today’s economy those sources of revenue are highly mobile, and there’s little to stop information or service sector jobs from packing up and moving to the other side of City Line Avenue to avoid those taxes. Meanwhile, just 1/6 of our revenue comes from real estate taxes, while New York and Washington get twice as much revenue as a share of their budget from real estate. The single most important thing we can do for our economic health is fundamental, soup-to-nuts tax reform. We have to fix our tax structure and make it both more equitable and more pro-growth, while increasing revenue. We know the basic outlines of how to do that and we know the issues; they’ve been highlighted in report after report, but nothing’s changed. What you have to ask is who’s going to actually get the job done and make this change happen. We'll need help in Harrisburg to achieve reform, and I know how to build coalitions and work with a Republican Legislature to achieve important goals – it’s what I did at HUD, when I worked for a Democratic President facing the New Gingrich-led House of Representative, and still managed to get a lot done. To throw our hands up and write off Harrisburg, as some in this race have done, is a non-starter. Similarly, constantly patching the holes, as some other candidates have, isn't a winning strategy. I’m going to actually get this done, and I hope I’ll have your help in that struggle.

View Details

Sources: http://www.lynneabraham.com/ http://www.phillymag.com/articles/lynne-abraham-can-woman-win-philadelphia-mayors-race/#8XcITrwhfAtmwYG1.99 http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20150312_Abraham__mayoral_candidates_should_reject__dark_money_.html#pRQyojxhc3hk1i4m.99 http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Philly420_Lynne_Abrahams_Marijuana_Madness.html#muxtclULXItg6Svs.99

Lynne M. Abraham (born January 31, 1941)[citation needed] is an American attorney who served as the District Attorney of the City of Philadelphia from May 1991 to January 2010. She was the first woman to serve as Philadelphia's district attorney. Abraham won election to that position four times. As district attorney, she oversaw the largest such office in Pennsylvania. She earned the nicknames "Deadliest DA" and "Queen of Death" for the high rate at which her office sought the death penalty in past decades. [not that the mayor has anything to do with the death penalty]

She is a connoisseur of art. She’s also a voracious reader and traveler, and a big-league talker who might be waxing on criminal justice one moment and then launch into a dead-on impression of George Carlin the next. As a young prosecutor she carried a .38 under her belt, and cans of cat food in her legal brief bag in case she spied any hungry strays. She loves jazz and sweets. She built a Japanese garden in the backyard of her rowhouse in Old City.

Her own poll conducted in November gave her a big early lead: She drew 31 percent of the vote, with nobody else getting more than 12 percent. (Williams was at nine.) Chalk those early numbers up in large part to name recognition.

As a prosecutor, Abraham started doing her own investigations, because the cops weren’t thorough enough to suit her. It was an era of gang warfare in many parts of the city. “Oh, the gang boys were captivated by me,” she says. “They used to call me ‘Miss Ann,’ ‘Miss Ann,’ which was slang for ‘white woman.’ But I loved these kids. They were bright, they were very good at what they did, for all the wrong reasons.” She started carrying the .38. “I was really stupid, walking around 33rd and York at 2:30 in the morning, but I figured that no harm would come to me — and you know what? No harm ever came to me.” She never had to draw her gun. Lynne Abraham loves old war stories about pounding the pavement, about going anywhere in her city in the pursuit of justice. She loves even more the stories about taking on the old boys.

As a prosecutor, Abraham started doing her own investigations, because the cops weren’t thorough enough to suit her. It was an era of gang warfare in many parts of the city. “Oh, the gang boys were captivated by me,” she says. “They used to call me ‘Miss Ann,’ ‘Miss Ann,’ which was slang for ‘white woman.’ But I loved these kids. They were bright, they were very good at what they did, for all the wrong reasons.” She started carrying the .38. “I was really stupid, walking around 33rd and York at 2:30 in the morning, but I figured that no harm would come to me — and you know what? No harm ever came to me.” She never had to draw her gun.

Funding

Even as Democratic mayoral candidate Lynne M. Abraham called upon her opponents Wedesday to reject campaign help from third party groups unfettered by funding restrictions ["Dark Money"], Jim Kenney received just such a boost from an ad produced by a political action committee with ties to the Electrical Workers Union. Building a Better Pennsylvania, which in the past has been funded by labor unions active in the construction industry, unveiled a 30-second ad on WPHL17 that supports Kenney's bid for mayor.

Abraham's pledge calls on candidates who benefit from advertising paid for by third-party interests to donate the equivalent of the ads' costs to the school district.

This ties in directly with our Positive Campaign Promise idea. Although, the ad was a positive ad, not negative

Issues

When it comes to weed she was highly critical of council’s decriminalization of marijuana, a policy change popular among voters.

• "I absolutely, totally disagree that our jails are filled with people who are low-level marijuana possessors," she said. Not true. Going back to the UCRS data from 2005-2009, when Abraham was D.A., there were 19,766 adults arrested for less than 30 grams of cannabis. That is an average of 13 people per day. Every single one was put into handcuffs and put into a Philadelphia holding cell.
• When she testified before a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing in 2010, she claimed that cannabis consumers were all frequent criminals and any ease of law enforcement pressure on marijuana could result in a crime wave. Of course, none of that is true and sounds more like 1937 than the 21st Century.

Her sensitivity over issues of race — principally, her reputation for pushing for maximum sentences for defendants, a stance that resonated badly in the inner city — will certainly come up during her campaign.

Her grasp of the issues seems pretty superficial. In New York, she identified the mess of public education as far and away the most important one facing Philadelphia, and we talked about it for some time, but the only interesting idea she offered was to go to Governor Tom Wolf and demand that he keep the School Reform Commission. On other parts of the problem — funding, say, or how to handle the teachers union — she’s suggested nothing new. Her adviser, lawyer Michael Sklaroff, says a plan on education will develop during the campaign. The same goes for other issues — on city finances, or Philadelphia’s future role as an energy hub, Abraham has many questions but no concrete answers.

View Details

Sources: http://kenney2015.com http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/mayor/20150308_Mayoral_candidates_talk_wages__schools__housing.html#tHQPGvFOLigXvOfh.99

James F. Kenney is a Democratic politician and former member of the City Council of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On February 4, 2015, he announced his candidacy for Mayor of the City of Philadelphia.[1] Kenney, a South Philly native, former Mummer and La Salle University graduate, said that based on his legislative record, he believes he will get votes from rowhouses, labor unions and businesses; from gays and lesbians to recent immigrants - and every other community.

The Jim Kenney known for profane Twitter rants about New Jersey Gov. Christie and City Hall diatribes about marijuana decriminalization has been replaced by a mayoral candidate who seems at peace. "I think it's because I'm actually doing this instead of thinking about it and being frustrated in not doing it," Kenney said this week in his campaign office, two blocks south of the City Hall office he occupied for 23 years. "I'm enjoying it more than I thought I would."

Much has been made of the racial math in the mayor's race. Kenney says he has decided to reject the calculation of how many white, black, and Latino candidates there are in the primary. "I'm going after everything," he said. "I'm not drawing lines on a map of Philly, saying this is where I'm going to win and this is where I'm not."

Previous Legislative Record

Kenney said he rejects the politics of race and opposes the practice of stop-and-frisk used by the Philadelphia Police Department primarily in the city's African-American communities. "Despite the fact that there is a belief that that is a crime-fighting tool," he said, "I think it further degrades the relationship between minority communities and the police, which we don't need. What we need are minority communities trusting the police." During his years on Council, Kenney has championed legislation that led to broader protections for gays and lesbians and the decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana. He's been tight with city labor unions, and proclaimed yesterday that Philadelphia will be a labor town "until the day I die."

Funding Kenney is not entering the race flush with cash. He has $70,000 in the bank, he said, and estimated that he'll need to raise $1.5 million to $2 million to have a credible shot at winning the May 19 Democratic primary. That won't be easy with the city's new stricter campaign-finance reform law, which limits donations to $2,900 for individuals and $11,500 for organizations. Kenney, who voted for the campaign-finance law, said he expects to be working the phones to get the cash he'll need.

Issues

**What I like abut Jim compared to yesterday's discussion on Williams is that he has a track record in Philadelphia of what exactly he voted for in the past on all of these issues****

Education

He bluntly said he does not have the answers for fixing the ailing School District of Philadelphia, but if elected, "I'm going to go hat in hand to Harrisburg to ask for money."

Jim is committed to finding the funding to provide access to high­-quality Pre­K to three and four year old Philadelphians in need over the next five years. As a city, we have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in sporting arenas and our convention center to grow our economy. Research shows that for every one dollar invested in PreK programs, the local economy gets a five to seven dollar return on its investment. Jim believes that it is time we invest in our children.

As Mayor, Jim will work to make our schools financially stable so that Harrisburg has no reason to continue to saddle Philadelphia with the SRC. If the SRC does vote to disband itself, Jim will welcome a new school board as an opportunity for parents to hold their elected officials responsible for the quality of our schools.

Until that happens, the financial stability of our schools will be Jim's top priority in education. As Mayor, Jim will lead a bipartisan coalition of advocates from distressed school districts throughout the Commonwealth to convince legislators that properly funding education -- which they are Constitutionally required to do -- should be the first priority of state government, not an afterthought. And at home, Jim will gather a coalition of stakeholders made up of parents and guardians, as well as leaders in government, business, non-profits, and education to ensure we're considering every option that gets Philadelphia school children the level of funding they deserve. *A big issue with this election seems to be public schools vs charter school, and the SRC or School Reform Committee. Each night this week we are taking the 15min to look at one candidate at a time. On Monday we'll go over this public vs charter issue. Because the more I read the more it seems like charter schools are just another giant corporation looking out for profit before education. I dont have a child in the Philly school system, so I do not know a lot about this particular issue, but I will by Monday. Provide Quality Educational Choices for Families

Philadelphia needs one unified system of public education that is focused on meeting the needs of children, families and neighborhoods -- not competing systems that fight each other for resources, support, and students. Jim believes that charter schools can play a positive role in the City's educational offerings as long as they are held accountable and they don't continue to take money and resources away from our already underfunded public school students. Jim publicly called for a moratorium on the SRC's grant of any new charter schools until Harrisburg agrees to reimburse the District in full for charter costs and a complete review of the quality all existing charters can be completed.

Economy A THRIVING ECONOMY THAT WORKS FOR PHILADELPHIA RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES

Protect Workers and Increase Wages

As a Councilman, Jim maintained one of the strongest voting records on workers rights and co-sponsored the 21st Century Minimum Wage Ordinance that created a living wage for the workers of all City contractor or subcontractor. In 2011, Jim led the fight against tip theft - a practice where restaurant and bar owners deducted customer credit card payment fees from their servers tips. Jim sponsored and passed legislation to make this practice illegal and punishable, saving thousands of Philadelphia servers the money they worked so hard to earn. As Mayor, Jim will do everything in his power to ensure every employer treats their workers with dignity and pays them wages they deserve.

At a Center City forum hosted by Pennsylvania Working Families, a political group made up mostly of union and liberal activists, four of the six declared mayoral candidates gave some indication of how far left they would go as mayor.

Former Councilman James F. Kenney, former Common Pleas Court Judge Nelson Diaz, and State Sen. Anthony H. Williams said they supported a $15 minimum wage.

Grow a More Diverse, Inclusive Economy

Almost half all Philadelphians living outside of Center City commute to the suburbs for their jobs. We must create an environment that fosters more job opportunities in our city and work together to reverse that trend.

As Councilman, Jim passed legislation to attract new businesses to Philadelphia through the creation of targeted tax credits and exemptions. As Mayor, Jim will continue to work with City Council and Harrisburg to create a system that makes it easier for businesses to locate and operate in Philadelphia without increasing the tax burden on families. In addition to continuing the wage and business tax cuts made by Mayors Rendell, Street, and Nutter, Jim will also eliminate red tape and push to provide all-inclusive city services that enhance, not inhibit, job creation.

Create Opportunity for Immigrants

Jim understands that the same desire for a better life and economic opportunity that drove people to leave their homes in places like Ireland, Italy or Germany is the same desire that drives immigrants to Philadelphia every day from places all over the globe. We've experienced a population increase for the first time in over fifty years, in part as a result of waves of immigration into our City. Neighborhoods that were seemingly on the brink of collapse after decades of decay and depopulation have been given new life as new Philadelphians put down roots, open new businesses and send their kids to the City's public schools. As Mayor, Jim will invest in those who have chosen to make Philadelphia their new home by expanding language access services, creating small business concierges specifically geared towards recent immigrants, reducing barriers to City services, and increasing access to capital.

Capitalize on Our Assets

Jim believes that Philadelphia has an incredible number of assets that we must capitalize on to grow our economy. We have ample industrial-zoned waterfront land located in the most densely populated part of the United States, putting Philadelphia in a strong position to attract manufacturing and shipping companies to our shores. In the last few years, we have seen our country's renewed domestic energy production turn nearly-shuttered plants into job and revenue producing economic engines. Philadelphia is in a unique position to use its portfolio of vacant land, excellent rail access, and ready workforce to attract new capital investment to Philadelphia.

Good Government Protecting Advances in Ethical Government

Jim Kenney was proud to stand with then-Councilman Michael Nutter and support important legislative achievements such as the creation of the City's Board of Ethics and campaign finance and pay-to-play reforms. As Mayor, Jim will continue the reforms that Mayor Nutter has implemented and further ethics in government by making the Office of the Inspector General and Chief Integrity Officer permanent by codifying them into the City Charter.

Over the last six years, Philadelphia's Inspector General has recovered $40 million in waste and prevented countless instances of fraud and abuse. However, the next mayor of Philadelphia is not required to keep this check on government abuse.

Jim Kenney will keep the IG in City Hall. As a city councilman, he even sponsored legislation to make the position a permanent part of the city charter. Former state senator, Anthony Williams, however has not been so forthcoming with his stance on the position, as a recent editorial by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Editorial Board pointed out:

"A spokesman for Williams seemed to dodge the question when asked recently about keeping the office. That's unacceptable. There's no room for ambivalence on this issue. It should be a no-brainer to retain an office that saves tax money while assuring city residents that a credible entity is looking out for their fiscal well-being. One has to wonder why Williams has chosen to leave his intentions about this office open to speculation."

Zero Based Budgeting

Jim believes that there is no better indicator of a government's priorities than its budget. As Mayor, Jim will transition City departments to a zero-based budgeting model, where instead of asking for incremental or program specific budget increases, each department will be responsible for explaining the need and efficiency of its programming and services. This method will cut waste, and enhance high-performing programs so that taxpayers are getting their moneys worth.

Investing in Technology

Jim believes that there is no more important function of City government than delivering its core services as effectively and efficiently as possible. As a City Councilmember, Jim continually urged City administrations to invest in technology that will make government cost less, and perform better. As Mayor, Jim will continue the City's investment in technology to increase efficiency in City services, and further involve Philadelphia's burgeoning tech community in the process of improving how the City operates

Open Data

As Mayor, Jim will uphold Mayor Nutter's Open Data Executive Order, including expediting the release of high-value city data and the existence of the open data advisory council. He will also retain the Chief Data Officer position and work with OpenDataPhilly.org to increase public releases of city data."

Environment and Transportation In 2006 as a City Councilmember, Jim was one of the first proponents of enhancing and improving Philadelphia's vehicle fleet by purchasing hybrid vehicles. Philadelphia has made some headway on this issue, but as Mayor, Jim will push all City Departments to embrace these energy efficient alternatives to both reduce our carbon emissions and to save taxpayer funds on fuel. Jim also believes that Philadelphia must make investments in making our City buildings increasingly energy efficient. In 2014, along with his City Council colleagues, Jim pushed for the Department of Public Property to study all police stations and firehouses to determine necessary repairs and enhancements to make the buildings safer and cheaper to operate. As Mayor, Jim will continue this effort, and make investments in Philadelphia's public infrastructure to protect our environment and save money for future generations.

Encouraging Commercial Energy Efficiency

Jim was proud to support the Building Energy Benchmarking Ordinance in 2012. Under this law, building owners and operators with over 50,000 square feet of space must disclose their energy use and water consumption, with this information publicly accessible on the internet. The initial goal of the legislation was to reduce energy consumption by 10% in 2015, but Jim knows we must go further. As Mayor, Jim will continue this requirement for reporting, and push property owners and operators to do whatever they can to continue to reduce energy use and improve efficiency.

Prioritizing Safe & Affordable Transportation Options

As an almost daily traveler on public transportation, Jim believes that Philadelphia must continue to work with SEPTA to provide residents with a safe and efficient transportation system. With the population of Philadelphia finally back on the rise, use of public transportation has risen as well, and now is the time to invest in our aging infrastructure. As Mayor, Jim will work with Harrisburg and Washington to fund an extension of the Broad Street Subway line to the economically bustling Navy Yard. Jim will also work with SEPTA to renovate the City Hall and Suburban Station concourses so that they are safe, clean and inviting to passengers. Further, Jim will work with Titan advertising, the company approved late in 2014 to redesign and renovate Philadelphia's bus shelter program. Under this new program, bus shelters will be dynamic, and more importantly the shelters will be built in more neighborhoods, providing the safety and information that passengers need and deserve. Jim's goal will be for these shelters to be architecturally appealing and functional, and to provide a superior experience for SEPTA riders by providing real-time transit data.

Vision Zero

Philadelphia's walkability and bikeability is an incredible asset which contributes to a high-quality of life and makes our city a highly desirable place to live and work. As Mayor, Jim will adopt a Vision Zero goal for the City of Philadelphia, which accepts that no traffic fatality is inevitable - whether pedestrian, bicyclist or driver.

As Mayor, Jim will take a multi-faceted approach to implementing Vision Zero. This includes continuing and expanding on the work of the Nutter administration by increasing the number and safeness of bike lanes throughout our City. Jim will form a Vision Zero taskforce made up of stakeholders from local and state transportation agencies, public safety agencies, advocacy groups, local businesses and community members. This taskforce will be asked to create a "Vision Zero Action Plan" for Philadelphia so that we can ensure that no more lives are lost needlessly to a preventable traffic accident.

Fight for Equality A CITY THAT LEADS IN EQUALITY AND FAIR TREATMENT

Demand Equal Pay for Equal Work

It is absolutely unacceptable that women in 2015 are earning on average less than eighty cents for every one dollar earned by a man. As Mayor, Jim will work to expand the purview of the Commission on Human Relations so that they have the resources necessary to investigate allegations of pay inequality, and the ability to punish employers who discriminate against their employees.

Advancing LGBTQ Equality

During his twenty-three years on Philadelphia's City Council, Jim was a leading voice for Philadelphia's LGBTQ community. In the early 1990s, he introduced legislation to provide benefits to life partners of City workers. In 2013, he fought to provide additional benefits and protections to transgender citizens. Late last year, Jim introduced and passed hate crime legislation that gives LGBTQ Philadelphians the broadest such protections in the country. As Mayor, Jim will continue to make sure that equality is not just a buzzword, but a way of life in Philadelphia.

Street Harassment

Jim knows that Philadelphians will never consider their neighborhood safe unless they can walk down the street without fear of violence or harassment. In 2013, Jim sponsored legislation and heard heartbreaking testimony from women and members of the LGBTQ community who had been harassed on Philadelphia streets. As Mayor, Jim will work with the School District and other education partners to ensure that tolerance and diversity are pillars of Philadelphia's education system to change the mindset of future generations. Jim will also work with community groups and advocates to conduct safety audits in neighborhoods throughout the City to determine how and where police services can best be used to limit or eliminate this type of behavior.

Domestic Violence

Everyday, the Philadelphia Police Department receives more than 300 calls for domestic violence while countless other women suffer silently from abuse. As Councilman, Jim supported protections for domestic abuse victims to prevent employers and landlords from discriminating against them. As Mayor, Jim will reconvene a domestic violence task force to create a strategic plan for Philadelphia to focus on improving victim safety, ensuring batterer accountability, and identifying areas of improvement for the various city agencies and systems currently in place.

View Details

Williams is the son of Hardy, a politician, and Carole, an elementary school teacher. He grew up in Philadelphia. He attended Anderson Elementary School (one block from his home, where his mother taught), Mitchell Elementary School, Conwell Middle Magnet School and Westtown School. He then earned a degree in economics fromFranklin & Marshall College. [3] He was sworn in to represent the 191st legislative district in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1989.[4] In 1998, Williams' father, Pennsylvania State SenatorHardy Williams, retired hours before the deadline to file nominating petitions, allowing Anthony the opportunity to run unopposed for his father's 8th senatorial districtseat.[5] The younger Williams had already filed his nominating petitions to run for his House seat, so he remained on both ballots. He declined to take his House seat when he won both elections simultaneously

He comes to the race as the perceived front-runner, largely because he is an accomplished African American candidate running in a city with a plurality of African American voters.

Just as another candidate - James F. Kenney - has dismissed such "racial math" as outdated, so does Williams.

"I agree, voters are smarter than that," he said. "And it works both ways. I don't expect only African Americans to support me."

Rather, he has pitched himself a candidate for "one Philadelphia," and has promised to heal divisions across geographic and demographic lines. The task before him is ending a perception - a wrong one, he argues - that he is a one-issue candidate: pro-charter schools.

"Charter schools alone are not going to fix education in Philadelphia," he said. "I never say that. I never have said that. I have always been a supporter of public education."

Funding

• Five years ago, in a failed bid for governor, he benefited from $5 million in support from three Bala Cynwyd financial traders, who favor, as he does, giving students options beyond failing public schools. The enormous contribution cemented Williams' reputation more narrowly as a charter-school advocate.
• So far, the big banner across the headquarters of Ed Coryell’s Metropolitan Regional Council of Carpenters, among the biggest unions in Pennsylvania, overlapping into other states, has pushed State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams to the forefront. That endorsement was delivered to Williams, along with healthy checks from the Carpenters’ and Teamsters’ Unions.
• Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 19 endorsed Williams early on and this last Saturday staged a major rally for him at its spacious hall on Columbus Boulevard with over 500 members attending.
• Another major endorsement came from SEPTA’s largest union, Transport Workers Union Local 234, whose president, Willie Brown, said, “He’s a consensus-builder and problem-solver” – both attributes needed for a Mayor.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/mayor/20150306_Mayoral_candidate_Anthony_Williams_striking_many_notes_beyond_charters.html#kKYtYotqpyEepQKz.99

Issues According to his Website

• Education FundingAs mayor, Anthony will focus on securing more state funding for Philadelphia public schools by working for the enactment of a comprehensive and fair funding formula (one that takes into account our poverty rate, and special education population) so that students have the tools they need to be prepared for the global economy. He will also work to secure charter reimbursement funding to end the tension between neighborhood schools and public charters.

• Innovation & Supporting EducatorsAnthony believes we must create school environments that are safe for students and teachers alike, and attracts and retains teachers, principals, and support staff through robust professional and career development. After creating an environment for success, Anthony believes we must demand results – through longer school days, a longer school year, and by implementing evidence-based practices that improve educational experiences and outcomes for our students. He is prepared to be an ally and work in partnership with the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers on these issues.

• Reducing Gun Violence Anthony is a member of the Senate’s Law and Justice Committee, and is a leader in the Senate to eliminate gun violence in our communities. He sponsored bills to require the registration of all firearms across Pennsylvania, and to expand penalties for the transportation of illegal firearms. He launched initiatives like the Gun Violence Taskforce in partnership with the District Attorney’s office to catch illegal gun dealers. Anthony will continue to sponsor and advocate on behalf of legislation and community-led initiatives that protect our neighborhoods, and families from senseless and tragic gun violence.

• Protecting Our Children Anthony’s efforts led to the Senate’s unanimous passage of his “Passing the Trash” bill, aimed at preventing school employees with a history of sexual misconduct from being retained or re-hired at other schools. Anthony also sponsored bills to expand evidence-based anti-truancy programs, and fought for increased funding for Safe Schools Grants, which help school administrators create and execute plans designed to reduce and prevent violence.
• Engaging Our Neighborhoods Anthony believes that passing legislation is but one of many tools to advance our city’s priorities. He sponsors numerous community-led initiatives to address our challenges in comprehensive ways, including his annual Summer of Peace initiative to teach children about alternatives to violence. He also launched the Violence Reduction Initiative, which focused efforts on aligning resources and efforts across education, youth development, family services, employment and ex-offender re-entry services, and public safety.

• Supporting Law Enforcement Anthony believes that the recent events in Ferguson, Missouri were a chilling moment for all Americans. He has a long history of holding Philadelphia law enforcement leadership accountable through his work with Mayor Ed Rendell and the “Gang of Five.” He supports additional training and increased resources to ensure law enforcement agencies reflect not just the community’s demographic, but also its values.

• Attracting Jobs, Reducing Poverty Anthony believes that economic development in Philadelphia must prioritize lowering the city’s poverty rate by attracting new jobs, training unemployed city residents, and attracting talented individuals and businesses from across the world. He sponsored legislation to replace Pennsylvania’s corporate income tax with a Commercial Activity Tax to create a more predictable business and investment climate. He supports Keystone Opportunity Zones and other tax incentives that leverage private investment to attract much needed economic development to blighted areas of the city.

• Job Training Anthony believes that every willing Philadelphian should have the opportunity to train, or retrain, for the jobs of the future. He supported the creation of the Diversity Apprenticeship Program, which provides access to a career in the labor trades within reach for thousands of young men and women across Philadelphia. He’ll also push for greater alignment between the city’s workforce training programs, our region’s educational institutions, and our employers.
• Investing in Philadelphia’s Small Businesses As a former small business owner, he believes that small business and entrepreneurship are important tools to reduce the city’s poverty rate. As a member of the Senate’s State Government committee, Anthony introduced bills to simplify the certification process for minority-owned businesses, and to increase state government’s procurement with those businesses. He’s hosted workshops for small business owners, including how to develop mobile applications to attract consumers and increase revenues.

As mayor, Tony will initially focus on four key areas to leverage city data: 1. Fully implement the Open Data Strategic Plan to drive culture change in agenciesToo often, program design and policy development take place without consideration for the citizen. For example, there are dozens of residential programs, and federal, state and local benefits that Philadelphians do not claim because they are not aware of them. As mayor, Tony will work with the Chief Data Officer to fully implement the Open Data Strategic Plan, and direct agencies to improve how they communicate with citizens. One idea he supports is modeled on Single Stop’s Benefits Enrollment Network. Leveraging the BenePhilly centers across the city, he will work to ensure that every Philadelphian can access the programs and services they are eligible for. 2. USE OPEN DATA TO CREATE A HUB FOR CIVIC INNOVATION AND SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP City government should create a public data inventory, and as mayor Tony will reauthorize the Office of New Urban Mechanics and formally partner with Philadelphia’s great civic innovators and social entrepreneurs to strategically address societal challenges locally and globally. This approach can also provide training in our public schools, and local colleges and universities that will empower citizens to create solutions to problems city government could not tackle alone. If city government can support an ecosystem that allows civic innovation to thrive, it will attract investment, unlock economic growth across the city, and fundamentally reshape the relationship between citizens and their government through direct engagement and input. 3. Use open data to develop an evidence-based approach to municipal servicesSimply put, the City of Philadelphia has limited funds to invest in its most pressing priorities. Evaluating the effectiveness of city government programs and services should be a basic rule of municipal management. City government has an obligation to invest in and expand policies and programs that are proven to work, and re-direct funding away from policies and programs that do not. As mayor, Tony will expand city agencies’ capacity for program evaluation, similar to the Philadelphia Police Department data scientists initiative, and build a data-driven culture focused on delivering a better quality of life for all Philadelphians. 4. Use open data to reinforce ethics and integrity in city governmentTransparency bridges the gap between effective open data practices and our commitments to an ethical government. As mayor, Tony will ensure that all agencies adhere to robust reporting practices. Management of services and resources should be tracked in real time, so Tony will roll out new digital tools that meet those challenges. This will necessitate continued and significant capital investments to upgrade city government’s technological capabilities. The next mayor must be positioned to lead a multibillion-dollar enterprise with over 20,000 employees. With a citizen-centered and data-driven approach to governance, Tony will change how Philadelphia does business.

[Editor’s note: These issues and others will be the focus of our Philly Tech Week Mayoral Forum April 20. RSVP for the forum and check out the responses to our mayoral questionnaire here.]

How many net new jobs will you create in your first term? How will you work with the business community to create them? Small business growth will be a top priority for a Williams Administration. My One Philadelphia vision ends the false choices between higher wages and economic growth ­ between labor and business ­ and brings us together to solve difficult challenges. Mayors do not create jobs (unless they are government jobs). Mayors foster an environment in which jobs are created in the private sector. While many other peer cities gained private sector jobs since 1970, Philadelphia joined Detroit in losing them. Philadelphia’s job loss can be tied largely to our tax structure, which punishes businesses located within city limits. According to the Kauffman Index, Philadelphia is last among the 15 largest metropolitan areas for entrepreneurial activity. This is where Philadelphia needs fundamental reform to accelerate its economic growth. Unlike others in the mayoral race, I’ve owned a small business. As a former small business owner, I will be the city’s foremost champion for small business job creation, particularly for businesses owned by women and people of color. I understand why businesses locate here, why they stay, and what will help them grow. Businesses look for a well­educated workforce, tax and regulatory stability, and manageable energy/utility costs. Businesses look for a local government and public officials that understand their challenges, and with whom they can partner to create a thriving economy that benefits everyone. In a Williams Administration, the business community will have a partner, not an adversary. While disagreement may exist on specific policies, all share the common vision of a thriving economy in every neighborhood across the city, and the region.

Specifically, how would you create efficiencies in Philadelphia’s operating budget and reform the cost structure of municipal government? A Williams Administration will re­balance city government towards providing a better quality of life to residents through a data­driven approach to municipal services, leverage municipal assets to shore up Philadelphia’s underfunded pension liabilities, and establish a commitment to reducing the significant costs of incarceration and recidivism. 2As mayor, I will lead a government committed to using a data and evidence based approach to inform decision­making. Evaluating the effectiveness of city government programs and services will continue as a basic tenet of municipal management, with tools such as PhillyStat leading the way. A Williams Administration will use data and evidence to invest in and expand policies and programs that work, and shift funding away from policies and programs that do not. I will build upon city government’s capacity for evaluation, and implement a data­driven culture focused on delivering a better quality of life, and efficient and effective services to all Philadelphians. As mayor, in partnership with City Council, I will explore leveraging municipal assets through a one­time windfall or a dedicated revenue stream earmarked towards pension liabilities. This will free up general fund revenues to spend on education, infrastructure, and other core priorities. Philadelphia’s consolidated city/county structure means that city revenues also support traditional county­level expenditures like prisons, and the judicial system. Municipal functions like trash collection, Licenses and Inspections, and parks and recreation compete against these expenditures. Since 1960, those county­level expenditures increased over 133 percent, while municipal­level functions decreased by nearly 25 percent over the same period of time. Simply put, city government must begin to shift spending from prisons to parks. The Bureau of Justice Statistics pegs the cost of recidivism in Philadelphia at $500M alone. Nearly 40 percent of inmates lack a GED or a high school diploma. As a result, returning citizens struggle to find employment after their release, increasing the likelihood of reoffending. The Community College of Philadelphia offers courses for a limited number of prisoners through its Re­Entry Support Project, and the REACH College program. As mayor, I will expand these programs to equip returning citizens with the skills and education to rejoin the workforce. In addition, providing access to quality healthcare to inmates and returning citizens will save millions of dollars each year by reducing recidivism and length of incarceration, and shift healthcare costs to the federal government which will free up funding for other priorities.

How do you view the mayor’s role in creating a well­ educated workforce? How do you specifically plan to carry out that vision? The son of a former Philadelphia public school teacher, I am running for Mayor to build a One Philadelphia vision for education ­ a city in which every family can access a quality education that prepares students from cradle to career, from child care to college. However, state government is not meeting its constitutional obligation to provide for a “thorough and efficient” system of public schools in Philadelphia. Without full and weighted funding from the state, the School District will remain in crisis. As mayor, my vision is a fully funded public school system that centers on the child and parents, focuses on educational quality and outcomes, and values public school teachers as professionals and public servants. As mayor, I’ll have limited control of Philadelphia’s public schools, but I’ll use the full power of my office to achieve this vision. 1) A Fully Funded Public School System As mayor, I’ll secure a weighted, full funding formula from the state that takes into account Philadelphia’s poverty rate, as well as public charter school reimbursement, to provide financial stability for the School District and end the tension between neighborhood schools and public charter schools. With full funding, the School District can hire back counselors, nurses, more teachers, and implement programs that support academic excellence for every child. We also have to move towards a more balanced partnership between the state and the city. In addition, to a weighted funding formula and public charter school reimbursement from the state, we’ll need to increase local revenue. As mayor, I’ll work to aggressively collect delinquent property taxes, free up dollars by shoring up the city's underfunded pension system, and implement a long­term plan to increase commercial property taxes, significantly increasing funding for public schools. 2) Improve child care quality and affordability for working families Early learning is the best investment a city can make in its youngest citizens, but less than 15% of infants and toddlers in Philadelphia receive a quality day care experience that prepares them for kindergarten. Expanding quality and affordable neighborhood­based child care facilities and pre­K will reduce poverty, make communities across Philadelphia attractive places for families to stay and grow, and ensure that children are prepared to learn. As mayor, I will support Councilman Johnson’s bill to provide a dollar­for­dollar wage tax credit to families who send their children to certified day care centers. It is estimated that a family earning $27,000 a year will save nearly $700 in wage taxes. To improve the quality of day care in Philadelphia, I will order the Department of Licenses and Inspections, and the Department of Public Health to annually inspect day care facilities that are not certified by the state, and move them towards certification. 3) Implement Early College Programs Increase educational attainment rates by implementing early college programs in public high schools to provide graduates with the skills and credentials needed for the global economy. These programs extend high school in partnership with community colleges, and four­year colleges and universities so graduates receive a high school diploma as well as two years of college credits, an industry­recognized credential, or an associate’s degree at no cost to families. Research has shown that early college programs increase graduation rates and educational attainment rates, which will reduce poverty, crime, and increase economic prosperity. 4) Expand Mayor’s Commission on Literacy Over 550,000 adults in Philadelphia are low­literate, and unable to fully participate in the local economy. As mayor, I will pursue a “two­generation” approach for children and their parents, and expand the Mayor’s Commission on Literacy’s myPLACE initiative, which is the nation’s first online, cohort­based class for reading, writing, and math for low­literate adults. Improving the reading, 5writing, and math proficiency of this population will significantly improve Philadelphia’s workforce, and prepare more residents for higher wage jobs. 5. How do you view Philadelphia’s competitive standing compared to other cities with regard to taxes, regulations and job creation? How would you improve our city’s competitiveness as Mayor? Taxes Philadelphia’s reliance on wage and business taxes is at the root cause of its tenuous economic recovery. That is why as mayor I will work with City Council to reinstate an incremental business and wage tax reduction schedule to provide for a more predictable business climate, and increase take­home pay for working Philadelphians. My long­term vision is a city government that can treat homeowners and commercial property owners differently. Pennsylvania’s uniformity clause does not allow Philadelphia to do that. In partnership with Harrisburg, I will draw upon my experience as a state legislator to lead a bipartisan effort in Harrisburg to decouple commercial and residential property tax rates, and set the commercial rate at 15% above the residential rate. This change would allow Philadelphia to reduce its wage tax to below 3 percent, and cut its Business Income and Receipts Tax (BIRT) in half over the next decade. This shift in tax policy would put more money in the hands of working families and small businesses. The Job Growth Coalition estimates that this fundamental shift in tax policy would create 50,000 new jobs over 10 years, and secure nearly $100M in increased revenue for the City. Regulations As mayor, I will convene a task force to identify ordinances and regulations that negatively impact economic growth, and place unnecessary obstacles in front of small businesses. I’ll also prioritize how the City interacts with small businesses, and continue enhancements to the City’s business services portal so entrepreneurs can conduct all licensing and permitting online and track its status. By expanding the Office of Business Services, the Commerce Department can 6support small businesses as they navigate city government, rather than making it more difficult. Job Creation The tax restructuring plan explained above is estimated to create 50,000 jobs over 10 years. Increasing anchor institutions’ local procurement by 25 percent is estimated to create 4,000 new jobs. Energy Hub While we’ve long paid attention to our “eds and meds” for job creation, we should turn our eyes to Philadelphia’s future as an energy hub. As mayor, I will lead that effort. Production of natural gas in Pennsylvania has more than doubled since 2011, solidifying Philadelphia’s opportunity to play a vital role in its entire industrial supply chain. This includes the delivery and export of Natural Gas, growing new markets like NG vehicle fueling, and strengthening our manufacturing base through the conversion of natural gas to higher valued products, returning Philadelphia to its strong roots. Transporting the finished products such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) naturally pivots to our port. As the nation’s 5th largest city with the 28th ranked port we have opportunities for significant market gain. As mayor, I will work with PGW to diversify its natural gas portfolio to safely secure more natural gas from Pennsylvania. I also support the pursuit of public­private partnerships that expands PGW’s ability to export LNG to emerging markets. The growth potential extends outside of the Philadelphia market as PGW could utilize its LNG storage capability to export, and barge, to other ports. Under a Williams Administration, PGW will also continue to play a central role in the city’s economic development strategy by reducing energy costs for businesses seeking to expand or relocate to Philadelphia. As mayor, I’ll partner with PGW to increase Combined Heat and Power (CHP) installations 7across the City, and leverage its economic and environmental benefits to attract new businesses and create more jobs. As Philadelphia’s energy industry infrastructure grows, it will need a talented workforce to support it. As mayor, I will coordinate with the Philadelphia Energy Authority and Philadelphia Works to provide Philadelphians with the career training necessary to maximize job opportunities, and bridge the skills gap in the energy industry. This can be accomplished through partnerships with local colleges and universities, including the Community College of Philadelphia, who partnered with the state to develop the Energy Training Center. STEM programs housed in neighborhood public schools can provide an ideal platform for students and young adults alike. Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship In order to increase entrepreneurial activity and hiring, Philadelphia will need to attract more investment capital. As mayor, I will engage with the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and other stakeholders to attract more early stage and venture capital investment to Philadelphia, and position Philadelphia as a national hub for government innovation and social entrepreneurship. Philadelphia’s challenges with poverty are also an opportunity to attract social entrepreneurs. Coupled with our city’s world­class foundations and universities, Philadelphia can attract and develop businesses and solutions that address local and global challenges. As mayor, I will reauthorize the Office of New Urban Mechanics and formally partner with Philadelphia’s great civic innovators and social entrepreneurs to strategically address societal challenges. This approach can leverage our public schools, and local colleges and universities to create solutions to problems that city government could not tackle alone. When city government can support an ecosystem that allows civic innovation and social entrepreneurship to thrive, it will attract investment, unlock economic growth across the city, and fundamentally reshape the relationship between citizens and their government through direct engagement and input.

View Details

In tonight's 15 minutes, we go over 2 articles.

1. As we get closer to the 2015 Mayoral Race in Philadelphia, we need to know what to look for in a great mayor. So this article profiles 3 mayors of recent history from around the country. There is some great advice in here that can be used to pick the best candidate in November: http://economyleague.org/node/253?f=news_events/events

2. Erickson Media ut out a great article about HBO's News Division. With Bill Maher and John Oliver's shows having such great success, and the new documentaries coming to HBO as well, it appears that "Slow Journalism" with a bit of satire is the key. Young viewers are turning away from FOX and MSNBC, and looking to these types of shows. http://ericksonmedia.com/blog/industry-news/1863-the-hbo-news-division.html

Thank you, and please tune in live every weeknight 6-9pm ET on www.gashouseradio.com!

View Details

Tonight's segment we take a look at the need for a Republican presence in the upcoming Philadelphia mayoral race. Check out this article for reference: http://billypenn.com/2015/02/26/meet-the-philly-republicans/

We also discuss the legalization of marijuana that is coming up in Washington DC, and the movement of medical marijuana here in Philadelphia.

View Details

Comcast Will Sue Over Net Neutrality http://www.orrazz.com/2015/02/comcast-we-will-sue-to-slow-web.html

• The company says the FCC overreached by passing rules to stop Internet service providers from blocking sites and slowing traffic. The problem is, Comcast’s admitted to doing just that.
• Despite tens of millions of corporate dollars in last-minute lobbying, the Federal Communications Commission passed new rules Thursday reclassifying the Internet as a public utility and preventing Internet service providers from artificially slowing down the Web.
• Now Comcast is calling “inevitable” lawsuits to nullify the rules a “certainty,” and the company says it will pressure legislators to draft a law that will override the FCC’s decision.

“After today, the only ‘certainty’ in the Open Internet space is that we all face inevitable litigation and years of regulatory uncertainty challenging an Order that puts in place rules that most of us agree with,” David L. Cohen, executive vice president of Comcast, said in a statement. “We believe that the best way to avoid this would be for Congress to act.”

In 17 States, The Top 1% Earned 100%of All Income Growth http://www.epi.org/publication/how-unequal-is-your-state-the-ratio-between-the-average-incomes-of-the-top-1-percent-and-the-bottom-99-percent-in-each-state/

• Between 1979 and 2007, the top 1 percent of taxpayers captured an increasing share of income in every state. Incomes at all levels declined as a result of the Great Recession, and income growth has been lopsided since the recovery began. From 2009 to 2012 top 1 percent incomes grew faster than the incomes of the bottom 99 percent in every state except West Virginia. In 39 states, the majority of income gains after the Great Recession accrued to top 1 percent. And in 17 of these states, the top 1 percent captured 100 percent of income growth. For further state-by-state analysis of inequality, see our latest report, The Increasingly Unequal States of America.
• Since the Great Recession of 2008, the only ones to recover are the ones who received the government bailouts. Wall St. We continue to suffer, as unemployment numbers are distorted to make it look like we are in recovery. Again, no transparency here, because if there was, people would be a lot more upset by the current state of affairs.

Legalizing Prostitutes for Politicians http://www.blacklistednews.com/North_Carolina_Legalizes_Prostitutes_For_Politicians/42261/0/38/38/Y/M.html

• In other terms, lobbying firms can hire people who can offer sexual services for politicians, and they don’t even need to register. now, before it is said that it is being misinterpreted, here is the actual letter from the Ethics Committee, titled “Sexual Favors or Sexual Acts as a Gift or ‘Thing of Value.'” In it, they declared that these relations have no monetary value, so do not need to be reported. In addition, they declared that if the person is not registered as a lobbyist, there was never any point of concern, even if the service was paid for by a third-party. In other words, lobbyists can hire people expressly for a politician to use in a carnal manner, even if the politician asks for or otherwise indicates their desire for such a service.

Google Becoming the Ministry of Truth http://www.blacklistednews.com/Google_modifying_algorithm_in_attempt_to_become_the_Internets_Ministry_of_Truth/42280/0/38/38/Y/M.html

• A Google research team is adapting that model to measure the trustworthiness of a page, rather than its reputation across the web. Instead of counting incoming links, the system – which is not yet live – counts the number of incorrect facts within a page. "A source that has few false facts is considered to be trustworthy," says the team (arxiv.org/abs/1502.03519v1). The score they compute for each page is its Knowledge-Based Trust score.
• The software works by tapping into the Knowledge Vault, the vast store of facts that Google has pulled off the internet. Facts the web unanimously agrees on are considered a reasonable proxy for truth. Web pages that contain contradictory information are bumped down the rankings.
• Is it possible this will shut down "alternative media"? Will this move anything that doesn't line up with the mainstream to the back of the line? Ex: The official story for JFK is that 3 shots fired by Lee Harvey Oswald. Anyone who has done any research will tell you that's wrong, but if an website goes with an alternate theory, will t be buried?

View Details

Tonight's episode of #15minaday will give you a better idea of what we're going to be doing with this time as we develop our PCP idea, and expand on other ideas to help bring positive change.

View Details

Ok, we have a big update on our Positive Campaign Promise idea. It's going to completely change our timeline, but I think it's for the better. Now we'll be focusing on another task...

View Details

Tonight we started to look into the individual charities that we hope to help with our Positive Campaign Promise.

We also updated the website, and will continue to update the site as our ideas progress.

Tune in weekdays 6pm ET on www.gashouseradio.com

View Details

As we move forward with our Positive Campaign Promise, it's time to take a look at the charities we plan on incorporating in this idea.

We are also going to continue to explore other avenues of improvement using this segment.

Tune in to Gashouse Live, weekdays 6pm ET on www.gashouseradio.com

View Details

As we continue our plan for the "Positive Campaign Promise" we realize that there will be times when we are waiting on answers before we can move forward. So tonight we start to explore other things we can improve while simultaneously building our PCP idea.

The Fair Tax is brilliant. Its a radical change, but radical change seems to be the only thing that is going to make a difference in our struggling economy.

View Details

It looks like the the best place to start is with is the race for Mayor of Philadelphia. How could they refuse P.C.P??

http://gashouseradio.com/positive-campaign-promise/

View Details

RonBomb joined us in-studio to give his take on our Positive Campaign Promise idea. After speaking it over with a few people, we're now leaning towards Non-Profit Organization vs Charitable Trust. Listen to this, and then let us know what you think is best.

View Details

We've made some progress on our Positive Campaign Promise. Our goal right now is to secure a lawyer willing to help us properly setup a charitable trust. We've also started gathering all of the contact info for the politicians we plan on contacting. Moving right along!

View Details

Our Positive Campaign Promise, or PCP, is moving right along. Today we're working out the difference between a Non-Profit Organization and a Charitable Trust. We need to set up one or the other, so if anyone has any input on this, please let me know!

View Details

Today we just did a little bit of fine tuning everything that we discussed on yesterday's episode. Because we have different co-hosts each night, I like to get multiple opinions before we advance the game plan...

15minaday, change, progress, talk, podcast, philadelphia, politics

View Details

Last week we came up with our idea, the Positive Campaign Promise (check out an earlier episode if you missed it). Now this week we'll be creating a game plan and figuring out what roadblocks we need to overcome. This idea is going to start happening quickly!

15minaday, change, podcast, talk, philadelphia, Politics, corruption, election

View Details

What if political candidates took the money they spend on negative TV ads, and donated them to charities instead? Could you imagine millions of dollars going towards good? Would you look at our politicians differently?

View Details

All this week on #15minaday we are discussing the importance of Campaign Finance. Today we introduced our idea for change. Rather than play the game and attempt to change the system, what f instead we just slightly alter the game itself? PCP = Positive Campaign Promise. Imagine if politicians took the millions of dollars sent on negative TV ads, and spent that money on charity?