DAILY GRINDER: Big Beverage, Big Spenders in Philadelphia
Hate to say we told you so. But here goes: In January, PW published a story about how the American Beverage Association was gearing up for another fight for soda in Philadelphia, particularly with a new ad campaign called Smart Taxpayers Exposing Waste, which essentially shows taxpayers how much money governments are spending on anti-soda initiatives rather than...
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DAILY GRINDER: Closing Arguments in Priest Abuse Case Today
Today will begin the closing arguments in the Philadelphia priest abuse case. If convicted, Monsignor William Lynn would become the first Catholic church member to be found guilty for allowing abuse to happen in the church—even though he never took part in that abuse. Many priests who were called to testify admitted to abusing children in the church and are...
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Philadelphia Delegation Slams Nutter’s AVI Plan, Calls it ‘Back Door Tax Increase’
Photo: Nutter sticker seen around town. Last week, state Rep. Mike O’Brien (D-Phila) held a news conference in Harrisburg suggesting diverting Pennsylvania gaming revenues to the Philadelphia School District was a better idea than Mayor Nutter’s Actual Value Initiative plan, which would re-assess property taxes in the city. Today, State Sen. Larry Farnese,...
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DAILY GRINDER: City Council Passes Resolution Supporting ‘Clean Air Act’
"Global warming just never stopped!" Philadelphia City Council passed a resolution yesterday supporting the use of the Clean Air Act to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. We’re now the 24th city in the United States to call on the EPA to work to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. According to CommonDreams, “Climate change in Pennsylvania will cause...
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DAILY GRINDER: Another Unrelated Incident Leads to Pot Arrest
Philadelphia firefighters responded to a West Philly fire yesterday afternoon and found “at least 100 marijuana plants in the house,” with a growing room taking up the entire second floor. That’s at least three police/fire incidents which have led to the discovery of marijuana growing and/or selling in less than a month. Black Madam news: She allegedly...
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DAILY GRINDER: Northeast Philly Woman Threatens Sen. Casey
A Northeast Philly woman was charged on Wednesday with threatening Senator Bob Casey. Ruby Marconi, 57, allegedly called Casey’s Washington office and told the Senator’s machine, “Hello Casey, you are going to pay for this … What the hell are you in office for, to go against President Obama?” She also noted, “You don’t think people are planning...
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DAILY GRINDER: [Philly Priest Abuse] Prosecution Says Lynn Lied to Police
The prosecution in the Philadelphia priest abuse case presented evidence yesterday which they claimed showed Msgr. William Lynn lied to police during the investigation of another priest. The alleged untruth happened during a 2001 police interview in which Lynn told a police officer about allegations of another priest’s history of sexually abusing members of...
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DAILY GRINDER: 31 Philadelphia Occupiers Acquitted
Thirty-one Occupy protesters—all of whom were arrested on Occuviction night—were acquitted yesterday on all charges (blocking a highway, etc.). After hearing from Police Captain William Fisher, the judge ruled “prosecutors did not have enough evidence to bring their case to a jury,” similar to the ten Occupiers who were acquitted in February. A new zoning...
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Northeast Philly Special Election and Primary Get Ugly
The race for the 169th State House seat is getting ugly. And not in the way we’d originally reported it would (that whole redistricting mess), but in that typical Outrageous Outrage way late political seasons can be: Smeary. First, some background: Like the weirdness in the 197th District, the 169th will have both a Special Election, and primary tomorrow. Unlike...
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DAILY GRINDER: NAACP Report Card Gives Pat Toomey an ‘F’
...And he plagiarized from Wikipedia! The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is out with its report card for the First Legislative Session of the 112th Congress (2011) civil rights voting, and no member of Congress is safe. The score was based on 20 congressional votes, which ranged from “education to labor, economic development...
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