Food stamp funds are about to get cut. Twice.
The war on public assistance has hit Pennsylvanians hard since Gov. Corbett came into office in 2011. A little over a year ago, he introduced a food stamp asset test, which would seek to make sure those Pennsylvanians receiving SNAP benefits do not have too much money in their savings or checking accounts. Earlier this year, in April, very little fraud was actually...
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Equality Forum: Q&A with Rabbi Nancy Wiener
An author and teacher on many issues within the Jewish faith, New York City-based Rabbi Nancy Wiener was instrumental in crafting a resolution on officiating ceremonies for gay and lesbian couples at the Central Conference of American Rabbis. She will be speaking at the Equality Forum’s Religious Colloquy this week and PW spoke with her about her various ventures...
Continue ReadingRight-Wing Media Freak Out Over Philly’s LGBT Equality Bill
As PW and every other local media source reported last week, Philadelphia City Council passed a historic bill that would provide for more transgender rights and tax incentives for companies that provide for domestic partners’ health care coverage. That information has gone through the usual Internet outrage cycle and has come out the other side: David Horowitz’s...
Continue Reading‘Good Neighbors’ Campaign Seeks Money From City Nonprofits
A number of local organizations led by Philadelphia Jobs with Justice launched a campaign earlier this week they say will help fund schools and other public services that’ve been cut in recent years. The campaign, which they’re calling “Good Neighbors,” calls on “mega-nonprofits” to pay taxes to the city, which will, in turn, go to public services. “There...
Continue ReadingNutter’s Paid Sick Leave Decision is Nigh
Mayor Nutter has until tomorrow to make a decision on earned paid sick leave for workers in Philadelphia. On March 14, City Council passed an earned sick leave bill by an 11-6 vote. The bill, introduced by Councilman Bill Greenlee, would allow workers without paid sick time to earn one hour for every 40 hours worked. It has a history of controversy amongst some...
Continue ReadingPaid Sick Leave Passes–But Will It Stick?
Hundreds of protesters showed up for Mayor Nutter’s budget speech this morning. Many of them, from unions like AFSCME DC 47, DC 33, were there to protest specifically against Nutter, being that three city unions are still working without contracts, and many blame the mayor for this. They chanted “Bozo sucks!” before the address began, holding signs of Nutter...
Continue ReadingUnion Protesters Drown Out Mayor Nutter’s Budget Speech
As expected, Mayor Michael Nutter gave a speech to a packed hall of union protesters, angry at the administration for having worked several years without a new negotiated contract. Things had been a little nutty throughout the morning, as the City Council debated earned sick leave and a couple other issues. Protesters had shown up early with signs portraying...
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Q&A: Philly Guerrilla Artist Huggie on Mayor Nutter AVI Art
This spring, the city is expected to overhaul our property tax system. Instead of tax rates that are based on property assessments from 2004 and, in some cases, the 1980s, each city property has been re-assessed and likely taxed at around 1.25 percent (though the final number is still unknown). What that means, in layman’s terms: your taxes are probably...
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Corbett Wants to Sell Off State Booze Monopoly For Convenience, Schools
Gov. Corbett on liquor sales: "We shouldn't do it halfway." On Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Tom Corbett and several Republican legislators held a press conference in Pittsburgh to announce a new plan to get the Pennsylvania government out of the liquor business—fully, and for good. The conference began with Lt. Gov. Cowley, who noted Wednesday’s...
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Inside the Bid to Privatize the PA State Lottery
Image: A state employees' union has put up billboards protesting lottery outsourcing to a British company. The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is back. And one of the first orders of business seems to be dealing with this whole privatizing the lottery thing. On Friday, the Corbett Administration announced it’d be moving forward with a plan proposed...
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