DAILY GRINDER: Rep. Bob Brady to Receive ‘Bob Brady’ Award
U.S. Rep. Bob Brady will receive the first annual “Bob Brady Working Class Hero” award this weekend. The award, being doled out by the United Steelworkers Local 10-1 is going to Brady for helping broker the deal in which the Carlyle Group bought the almost-closed Philadelphia Sunoco Refinery. Stay away: The Running of the Santas is this weekend. And the...
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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...
Continue ReadingDAILY GRINDER: ‘Junk’-Exposing Traffic Court Judge Removed—For Something Else
Remember Willie Singletary? We mentioned him yesterday as the Traffic Court judge who allegedly exposed himself to a fellow government employee? Well, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has suspended him for remarks he made back in 2007 – which just recently found their way onto YouTube – asking inhabitants of a biker rally for donations and, in exchange, he’d...
Continue ReadingDAILY GRINDER: What’s the Over/Under on Rick Santorum’s ‘Moneybomb’?
Rick Santorum has begun what’s called a “Moneybomb”—essentially a cool-sounding donation beg-a-thon—from now until the Iowa caucus, which is 50 days. In a fundraising email, Santorum writes that he’s “the only passionate conservative running for president. I am running hard to win the Iowa caucuses, spending more time in the Hawkeye state than any...
Continue ReadingSecond Republican at-Large Seat To Be Decided…In Time
Of course this happened: Only 140 votes separate GOP City Council at-Large candidates Al Taubenberger and David Oh, the latter of whom is currently in the lead. The final count in the race will begin Monday, according to election officials. Though, according to Heard in the Hall, there’s no way of knowing how long the recount will take. Last night, Oh and Taubenberger...
Continue ReadingDAILY GRINDER: Tom Ridge for Penn State President? (Oh, and City Elections)
Former Pennsylvania Governor and head of Homeland Security Tom Ridge may end up as the replacement for Penn State President Spanier, considering dude resigns. The number of victims in the Penn State sex abuse/child torture/cover up case has allegedly doubled. There are now “as many as 17” accusers. Joe Paterno’s son says those resignation rumors are hogwash,...
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Update: More Anti-David Oh Robocalls
Philadelphia Phuture, a political action committee and champions of gun control (?) are still making robocalls on behalf of “anyone but David Oh!” Last time, they were just worried about Oh shooting them in the face while they sleep. Now, it’s his military record snafu. Here’s the transcription: “Newspapers have uncovered Oh was arrested on...
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Anti-David Oh Robocall Part of Media Blitz
Picture this: You’re on the train, minding your own business, when you get a call from a (267) number. You let it go to voicemail, then listen to the message. No, the call wasn’t (necessarily) coming from inside the train car, but it did suggest there’s a City Council candidate who could — and, likely, will — stalk you, then blow your brains...
Continue ReadingDAILY GRINDER: Are You Ready to Occupy Eric Cantor?
New Occupy Philly fun: GOP House Majority Leader Eric Cantor is coming to the Wharton School on Friday. Occupy Philly says they’ll be there, and MSNBC host Ed Schultz (that guy who sort of looks like Rush Limbaugh, but isn’t actually him) says he supports their doing so. The event is called the Occupy Eric Cantor March. And it makes sense that this would...
Continue ReadingDAILY GRINDER: Council Takes on Tough Issues: Satellite Dishes
Councilman Darrell Clarke will not stand for your DirecTV satellite dishes! He’s trying to pass legislation that would force new dishes to be the same color as the roof of the house on which they’re mounted. Real quote: “Having these satellite dishes on the facades of properties when they don’t have to be there is something we don’t think is acceptable.”...
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