PhiladelphiaDaily Record

Vol. II No. 7 (165) Keeping You Posted With The Politics Of Philadelphia February 18, 2011

IN 2010, PENNSYLVANIA ranked third among all 50 states in number of jobs

created – 65,000 of them. Labor economists argue it’s due to successful deploy-

ment of stimulus at State and Federal levels. See story page 2.

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Casey: Block

Congressional Pay

During A

Government

Shutdown

US Senators Bob Casey (D-Pa.)

today called for the pay of Mem-

bers of Congress and the President

of the United States to be blocked

in the event of a federal govern-

ment. A government shutdown had

been threatened by some Washing-

ton politicians.

“Economists have warned that a

government shutdown would hurt

the economy and endanger job cre-

ation,” said the Senator. “A shut-

down in a fragile economic

recovery will hurt people who have

already suffered through the reces-

sion. If it comes to a government

shutdown, everyone should agree

Members of Congress and the Pres-

ident should not receive pay or

retroactive pay.”

Washington Republican leaders

have refused to take the threat of a

government shutdown off the table,

even though a shutdown would af-

fect the lives of millions of Ameri-

cans by disrupting Social Security

checks, benefits for veterans and

paychecks for our troops.

The legislation introduced today

with Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Cal.)

prevents Members of Congress and

the President from being paid

retroactively after a government

shutdown and would also prevent

them from being paid if the public-

debt limit is reached and the gov-

ernment defaults on its financial

obligations.

Currently, Members of Congress

and the President are treated differ-

ently from millions of other Fed-

eral Employees because they are

paid through mandatory spending

required by law (2 U.S.C. 31 and 3

U.S.C 102) rather than through the

annual appropriations process.

The legislation fixes this inequity

by saying that the President and

Members of Congress “shall not re-

ceive basic pay for any period in

which there is more than a 24 hour

lapse in appropriations for any Fed-

eral agency or department as a re-

sult of a failure to enact a regular

appropriations bill or continuing

resolution OR if the Federal Gov-

ernment is unable to make pay-

ments or meet obligations because

the debt limit….has been reached.”

Two Years after

Recovery Act,

Policymakers Fixated

On Wrong Deficit

The key to reining in the federal

fiscal deficit lies not in job-crush-

ing spending cuts and tax breaks

for the rich but in policies that cre-

ate new jobs and boost middle-

class wages, according to a new2 | THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD 18 JANUARY, 2011

policy brief from the Keystone Research Center.

Prolonged joblessness and stagnant wages will con-

tinue to stifle tax revenues. By closing these deficits,

policymakers can rein in the fiscal deficit, while build-

ing on the success of the American Recovery Act and

other federal policies, which saved 400,000 jobs in

Pennsylvania and prevented the state’s unemployment

rate from rising above 15%.

“Policymakers remain fixated on the wrong deficit,”

said Stephen Herzenberg, PhD, an Economist and Ex-

ecutive Director of the Keystone Research Center.

“For Main Street families, the jobs deficit and the

wage deficit matter a lot more than the federal fiscal

deficit.”

Congressional Republicans, however, are pushing for

deep cuts to federal spending a few months after in-

sisting on billions in new spending to continue Bush

era tax cuts for the richest 2%.

“Pairing tax cuts for the rich with job-crushing spend-

ing cuts risks a worst-of-both-worlds outcome where

the economy slips again, and the jobs, wage, and fiscal

deficits all grow,” said Dr. Herzenberg, who co-au-

thored the policy brief with Labor Economist Mark

Price, PhD.

Pennsylvania is emerging from the recession with job

growth exceeding that of many other states. In 2010,

the Commonwealth added more than 65,000 jobs,

ranking third among the 50 states in the number of

jobs created. Adjusting for the size of each state’s

economy, Pennsylvania job growth still exceeded

three-fourths of all states.

“Continued investments in infrastructure, boosting

skills and innovation in critical industries, and in un-

employment benefits are key to keeping our economic

momentum going and reining in the job deficit,” Dr.

Price said. “A starting point on the wage deficit would

be to raise the minimum wage – an action taken to

help end the Great Depression – and requiring that

companies receiving State job-creation subsidies not

pay below market-based norms for their industry.”

Saturday is the two-year anniversary of Congress’s

passage of the American Recovery & Reinvestment

Act. To mark the occasion, Keystone researchers have

updated an earlier analysis showing how many jobs

the Recovery Act and other federal actions saved in

Pennsylvania and its metropolitan areas. The estimates

are derived from a national-level analysis of the im-

pact of federal economic intervention that was co-au-

thored by economist Alan Binder and John McCain

economic adviser Mark Zandi.

Pennsylvania’s economy would have been much

worse off without the policy actions taken by the Fed-

eral Reserve, the Bush and Obama administrations,

and Congress in the wake of the Great Recession. Un-

employment rates (as of December 2010) would have

spiraled to 20% in the City of Philadelphia and nearly

15% in the Philadelphia metro area, including Bucks,

Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia

Cos. and parts of New Jersey and Delaware (117,000

jobs saved).

“By acting forcefully when the economy was on the

verge of collapse, policymakers applied the historical

lessons of the Great Depression,” Dr. Herzenberg said.

“Pulling back now will cost jobs and set the recovery

back. Those who forget history, as the saying goes, are

doomed to repeat it.”

Holt Announces 10%

Jump In Container Volume

At S. Philly Terminal

Led by the new Black Pearl Service Line, Packer Av-

enue Marine Terminal continues to compete success-

fully for container cargo, as evidenced by statistics

released today showing a 10% increase in container

volumes over the last 12 months.

Best of all, the Terminal’s robust growth has created

more than 200 additional jobs at Packer, and that num-

18 FEBRUARY, 2011 THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD | 3

Feb. 18-

Fundraiser for Lou Lanni for

City Council at SmokeEaters,

7681 Frankford Ave., 7-10 p.m.,

$40 includes draft and food.

Checks payable to Lou Lanni

for City Council, 914 Clinton

St., Phila., PA 19107. RSVP

(267) 815-1188.

Feb. 18-

5th Ward Democrat leader Mike

Boyle hosts dinner fundraiser

for 5th Ward committeepersons

at Bella Cena, 1506 Spruce St.,

7 p.m. Candidates invited, $50

fee.

Feb. 19-

Several N.E. Democrat Wards

host Meet & Greet for candi-

dates and Petition Signing Event

at Plumbers Union Local 690,

Waterfall Rm., 2791 Southamp-

ton Rd., 4-8 p.m. Free to all reg-

istered Democrats. Judicial

candidates and incumbents only

please contact Robert N.

Dellavella (215) 335-4004.

Feb. 19-

St. Valentine Party hoisted by

56th Ward Democrat leader John

P. Sabatina, Sr. and State Rep.

John P. Sabatina, Jr. at American

Legion Post 810, 9151 Old

Newtown Rd. Tickets $50; at

door, $60. For info (215) 342-

5816.

Feb. 20-

61st Ward Fundraiser at Deja Vu,

5929 N. 5th St., 5:30 to 8:30

p.m. Petitions welcome. Tickets

$50. For info (215) 790-9570.

ber is expected to grow as new lines begin calling in the weeks ahead.

“Our goal is to increase the amount of container business that calls on

Philadelphia, because that means opportunity and jobs for our region,”

said Thomas J. Holt Jr., president of Astro Holdings, Inc., which leases

PAMT under a long-term concession with the Philadelphia Regional Port

Authority. “The arrival of the Black Pearl Line signals to the world that

the Port of Philadelphia is growing, and with the deepening of the

Delaware River, we believe that the Port’s best years lie ahead of us.”

The Black Pearl Line, which commenced at PAMT on Jan. 28 and is now

fully operational, now links on northbound routes from San Antonio and

Arica in Chile; Callao in Peru; Guayaquil in Ecuador; and also Man-

zanillo, Panama; Kingston, Jamaica; and Miami via CMA CGM Black

Pearl Service. Three ships carrying refrigerated cargoes already have

called at PAMT, and bigger ships are anticipated in the coming weeks.

And of course, the new Maersk Spondylus service makes its expected

debut at PAMT next week, generating more cargo and economic opportu-

nity at the Port.

“The arrival of the Black Pearl Line marks an important step in the ongo-

ing transformation at Packer,” said Holt. “We live in an increasingly glob-

alized world, so strengthening our connections to South America is likely

to continue providing dividends for the port community, especially as we

build a strong niche working with refrigerated cargoes.”

First Lady Susan Corbett

To Open Statewide Tourism Summit

Even as a buzz grows around the Commonwealth that its new Governor,

Tom Corbett, is seldom seen in public, a new entrant to the limelight may

be planning to do some shining for him. That’s his wife.

Susan Corbett will deliver the opening remarks at the statewide Tourism

Summit on Monday, Mar. 14 at The Hilton Harrisburg. The three-day

event, hosted by The Pennsylvania Association of Convention & Visitors

Bureaus, the Pennsylvania Tourism and Lodging Association and the

Pennsylvania Tourism Coalition, is titled “Together for Tourism,” and

strives to bring together many industry partners to explore ways to work

more collaboratively toward a stronger voice with our new Governor and

State legislature. The event will include representatives of every facet of

4 | THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD 18 JANUARY, 2011

Pennsylvania tourism, including museums, wineries,

golf courses, hotels, restaurants, attractions, the arts,

suppliers and many other tourism partners, largely

made up of small businesses and nonprofit organiza-

tions.

“We are extremely pleased to have Pennsylvania’s

First Lady officially kick off our Tourism Summit,”

said Rob Fulton, president of PACVB. “Tourism is an

integral part of our economy and to have Mrs. Corbett

recognize its importance to the Commonwealth is an

honor.”

During the 1990s, Mrs. Corbett was special projects

manager for the president’s office at Carnegie Muse-

ums and the director’s office of Carnegie Library of

Pittsburgh. Mrs. Corbett then became assistant pro-

ducer, and, ultimately, executive director of Pittsburgh

Arts & Lectures, a nationally recognized literary-arts

organization. After her husband was elected Attorney-

General, Mrs. Corbett moved to Harrisburg, where she

became VP of programs and development of the Get-

tysburg Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedi-

cated to the preservation and heritage of Gettysburg.

Tales Of Black Revolutionary

War Soldiers To Be Told

At Fairmount Water Works

Join Robert A. Selig, PhD, as he describes the experi-

ence of African American Soldiers in the American

War of Independence on Thursday, Feb. 24 from 5:30

to 7:30 p.m. at the Fairmount Water Works Interpre-

tive Center, located at 640 Water Works Drive.

In honor of Black History Month, Dr. Selig will ac-

count in vivid detail the experience of some 5,000 free

and enslaved African Americans who were said to

have fought in the Continental Army between 1775

and 1783 and how many more enslaved people were

anxious to join in the fight for “life, liberty and the

pursuit of happiness”. Ironically, these patriot soldiers

voluntarily took up arms, with or without the consent

of their masters, fighting for both their own freedom

as well as that of the country who did not want them to

fight, because they were Black.

These African American soldiers were an integral

component of the Continental Army on the march to

Yorktown. Additionally, President Barack Obama

signed into law the Washington Rochambeau Revolu-

tionary Route National Historic Trail in March 2009 to

commemorate the march on Yorktown through inter-

pretive signs along Schuylkill Banks at Market Street.

Dr. Selig is Historical Consultant to the National Park

Service for the Washington-Rochambeau Revolution-

ary Route National Historic Trail. He has provided

historical consulting to many State and local govern-

ments and has contributed to numerous publications

on Revolutionary War topics.

Support for this program was provided by American

Women’s Heritage Society/Belmont Mansion,

Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area,

Fairmount Park Council for Historic Sites, Schuylkill

River Development Corp., National Park Service,

W3R-NHT and Schuylkill Banks.

The Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center is op-

erated by the Philadelphia Water Dept. and open Tues-

day through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.,

and on Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. The Center is

closed on Mondays and City holidays. All programs

are free of charge and suitable for people of all ages

and interests. The Center is fully ADA accessible. For

more information about the Interpretive Center pro-

grams, visit www.fairmountwaterworks.org or call

(215) 685-0723. Follow us on Facebook at “Fairmount

Water Works” and also on Twitter @FWWIC.

18 FEBRUARY, 2011 THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY RECORD | 5