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January 2005
Breaking News
Jim Cawley to be New Bucks County Commissioner
Backed unanimously by the 13 county judges, Republican Jim Cawley was chosen to replace Michael G. Fitzpatrick on January 5, 2005. Cawley, who managed Fitzpatrick’s successful congressional campaign, (Fitzpatrick was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November) is a 35-year-old Middletown Township lawyer with the firm Rudolph, Pizzo & Clarke. He has also served as an aide and Chief of Staff to state Senator Robert Tomlinson (R-Bucks). A self-professed “progressive,” Cawley is also a trustee of Bucks County Community College and a commonwealth trustee of Temple University.
- Dave Turner, “Lawyer will fill opening on board,” Philadelphia Inquirer, 6 January 2005.
New SEPTA News
State Representative Dwight Evans (D-Philadelphia) introduced House Bill #22 on January 4, 2004, following the swearing-in of the General Assembly as to give his fellow legislators a chance to review the bill prior to their January 17, 2005, special session on mass transit. This leaves his colleagues with only two choices says Evans in the Philadelphia Daily News, “have hearings on it or bring it to the floor and have a full-blown debate.” House Bill #22 is a revised version of House Bill #1790 which, Rep. Evans proposed in the last session. In order to generate $110 million to save mass transit, House Bill #22 will:
- Increase automotive certificate of title fees from $22.50 to $31
- Increase automotive certificate of inspection fees from $2 to $3
- Increase driver’s record fees from $5 to $12
- Increase the surcharge on new tire purchases from $1 to $3
Later on Tuesday, January 4, 2005, House Speaker John Perzel called for the rescue of mass-transit but with a plan that generates more money for the agencies (SEPTA and the Port Authority of Allegheny County) as well as the money that is needed to rebuild bridges and roads. The Speaker rejected the Evans bill, which is backed by Governor Rendell, as inadequate. Speaker Perzel cites the facts that the transit agencies need $220 million, not only $110 million, in additional state funding each year to survive and that rural legislators will not be interested in taxing constituents who do not have transit systems as the problems with supporting the Evans bill.
On Wednesday, January 5, 2005, state House Majority Leader Sam Smith (R-Punxsutawney) was quoted in the Daily News saying “We will allow that the mass-transit system has legitimate [money] pressures on it and that time is an issue. So we foresee putting some monies into place with the caveat or contingency that we will look further at doing an audit.” The audit will bring to light the ways in which mass-transit agencies spend their money as a means to, as Smith said, “make sure we’re not throwing more money at it without getting a good bang for the buck by making it run more efficiently.”
- Jere Downs and Carrie Budoff, “State House Leaders Say They’ll Help SEPTA,” Philadelphia Inquirer, 5 January 2005.
- Dan Geringer, “Evans is Tenacious on SEPTA’s Behalf,” Philadelphia Daily News, 5 January 2005.
- Dan Geringer, “House Leader ‘willing to help’ SEPTA,” Philadelphia Daily News, 5 January 2005.
Presidential Tsunami Relief
On January 3, 2004, President Bush responded to the devastating tsunami in South Asia by offering $350 million in U.S. government aid to the victims and naming former Presidents George H. W. Bush and William Jefferson Clinton to head a fundraising effort to attract private contributions. At this time, there is neither a dollar amount nor timeframe set as a goal for this relief endeavor. For more information, visit www.usafreedomcorps.gov.
SEPTA Still Hanging In The Balance
Fixing mass transit was the January 4, 2004, front page “Rethinking Philadelphia” editorial as the General Assembly was potentially that day to review a $110 million aid package offered by State Representative Dwight Evans.
Issue Snapshot
By the end of October 2004, SEPTA faced a deficit of $62 million and looked forward to legislation being passed that would provide them with Dedicated Funding. The General Assembly closed its session early last year without resolving PA's transit shortfall situations (the Port Authority of Allegheny County also has a deficit). So, SEPTA sent out 1,400 pink slips on November 22, 2004. SEPTA’s board met on December 2, 2004, and agreed on a different contingency plan from the one they originally proposed.
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Original Contingency Plan
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Alternate Contingency Plan
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Raise base cash fare from $2 to $2.50
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Raise base cash fare from $2 to $2.50 on January 23rd; then raise base cash fare again from $2.50 to $3 on March 1st
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Increase average price of all other fares by 25%
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Tokens would go from $1.30 to $1.70 in first fare increase, then to $2 in the second increase. Transfers would increase from $0.60 to $0.75.
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Reduce weekday service on all City and Suburban routes including Regional Rail by 20%
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20% weekday service cut
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Suspend weekend service on all City and Suburban, Regional Rail, and Paratransit routes
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Keep system running on Saturdays but on a Sunday schedule
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Eliminate approximately 1,400 SEPTA employees
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Eliminate 1,400 SEPTA employees effective January
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Although two SEPTA board members vetoed that plan, remaining board members overrode the veto at their December 16, 2004 meeting. On December 17, 2004, Common Pleas Court Judge Matthew Carrafiello ruled that “SEPTA is banned from taking any cost-cutting action that cannot be reversed” following a lawsuit filed by the City in response to Mayor Street’s concern that he has never seen a SEPTA fare decrease in the history of the agency. On December 22, 2004, Governor Rendell announced a $13.3 million stopgap for the transit authority; diverted from local road projects. This allowed SEPTA officials to delay the contingency plan until February 27, 2005. Nevertheless, on December 30, 2004, SEPTA officials decided not to rescind the proposed service cuts and fare increases as they still face a deficit and they believe only $3.2 million of Governor Rendell’s $13.3 million would be easily approved; the remaining funds need authorization from the Delaware Valley Region Planning Commission.
For additional background information click here.
A Sample of Related Articles
- Zachary Stalberg, “Fix Mass Transit…Dammit!,” Philadelphia Daily News, 4 January 2005.
- John Sullivan, “SEPTA May Have to Compete for Money,” Philadelphia Inquirer, 3 January 2005.
- Dwayne Campbell, “SEPTA Delays Fare Hike, Cutbacks,” Philadelphia Inquirer, 31 December 2004.
- Ramona Smith, “SEPTA Fare Hikes, Service Cuts Put on Hold – For Now,” Philadelphia Daily News, 31 December 2004.
- Jere Downs and John Sullivan, “Rendell Throws SEPTA a Lifeline,” Philadelphia Inquirer, 22 Dcember 2004.
- Marcia Gelbart, “Court Puts SEPTA Hikes on Hold,” Philadelphia Inquirer, 18 December 2004.
- W.Wilson Goode Jr., “City Needs Mass Transit, not SEPTA,” Philadelphia Daily News, 7 December 2004.
- John Baer, “Ed Could Still Fix the SEPTA Mess,” Philadelphia Daily News, 6 December 2004.
- Dan Geringer, “City Pair Veto SEPTA Cut Plans,” Philadelphia Daily News, 3 December 2004.
- Tina More and Jennifer Moroz, “SEPTA to Send Out Pink Slips,” Philadelphia Inquirer, 22 November 2004.
Barnes to the Parkway
On December 13, 2004, Montgomery Orphans’ Court Judge Stanley Ott ruled that the best course of action to “halt the foundation’s downward financial spiral” would be to move the Barnes’ to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The next day, Mayor Street accompanied by Congressman Chaka Fattah, PA Senator Vince Fumo, State Representative Babette Josephs, Councilman Darrell Clarke, and others, announced that the Barnes’ new location will be the Youth Study Center located between 20th and 21st Streets. Excavation of the new Barnes location is scheduled to begin by year-end 2005.
- Patricia Horn, “Youth Center Is Barnes’ New Site,” Philadelphia Inquirer, 15 December 2004.
- Earni Young, “Street Moving Fast On Home For The Barnes,” Philadelphia Daily News, 15 December 2004.
- Matthew Blanchard, “Mixed Reaction Of Barnes’ Neighbors,” Philadelphia Inquirer, 14 December 2004.
- Emilie Lounsberry, “Judge Found ‘Clues’ To Support Barnes Move,” Philadelphia Inquirer, 14 December 2004.
- David Caruso, “Judge Oks Art Collection’s Move to Philly,” Associated Press, 13 December 2004.
Mayor Street’s Weekly Radio Address – KYW News Radio 1060
On November 12, 2004, Mayor Street accepted the challenge of moving toward Dedicated Funding for the Arts. A partnership of the William Penn Foundation, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, and the City’s Commerce Department will examine and recommend a model for “sustainable support of Philadelphia’s nonprofit sector.”
GOP Leaders Recommend Fitzpatrick Replacement
On December 9, 2004, the Bucks County Republican Executive Committee recommended three out of the ten candidates they reviewed to replace Commissioner Michael G. Fitzpatrick who is now the Congressman-elect for U.S. House seat 15. The candidates are “Northampton Township Supervisor George F. Komelasky, Doylestown Township Supervisor E. Thomas Scarborough Jr. and state Senate aide James Cawley.”* The county’s board of judges expects to make their decision shortly after January 4, 2005, Fitzpatrick’s resignation date.
*Hal Marcovitz, “Bucks GOP picks 3 for commissioner list,” The Morning Call, 10 December 2004.
Start Fresh with a New Look – The Bush Second Term Cabinet
Cabinet-level resignations made it up to nine of the fifteen Presidential advisers. Despite calls for his resignation, Donald Rumsfeld was asked to stay on as Secretary of Defense. The Secretaries of Housing, the Interior, Labor, Transportation, and the Treasury were also asked to remain throughout the second term. All Secretaries asked to stay on have accepted. All nominees await Senate approval.
Resigned
Secretary of Agriculture – Ann M. Veneman
Nominee to Replace
Nebraska Governor Mike Johanns
Secretary of Commerce – Don Evans
Nominee to Replace
Kellogg Co. CEO, Carlos Gutierrez
Secretary of Education – Rod Paige
Nominee to Replace
Longtime Bush adviser and key figure in the drafting of the No Child Left Behind legislation, Margaret Spellings
Secretary of Energy – Spencer Abraham
Nominee to Replace
Former Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, Sam Bodman
Secretary of Health & Human Services – Tommy Thompson
Nominee to Replace
EPA Administrator and former Governor of Utah, Michael Leavitt
Department of Homeland Security – Tom Ridge
Nominee to Replace
Senior Vice President of the consulting firm Giuliani Partners and former NYPD Police Commissioner – Bernard Kerik – Withdrew from consideration December 10, 2004
Eric Lipton and William Rashbaum, “Kerik Pulls Out As Bush Nominee For Homeland Security Job,” New York Times, 11 December 2004.
Department of Justice – John Ashcroft
Nominee to Replace
Former Texas Supreme Court Justice and Texas Secretary of State, Alberto Gonzales
Secretary of State – Colin Powell
Nominee to Replace
National Security Adviser and former Standford University Provost, Condoleezza Rice*
*To succeed Rice as National Security Adviser is current Deputy National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley
Secretary of Veterans Affairs – Anthony Principi
Nominee to Replace
Retired Army Reserve Colonel, former RNC Chair, and current U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, Jim Nicholson
Remaining
Secretary of Defense – Donald Rumsfeld
Secretary of Housing & Urban Development – Alphonso Jackson
Secretary of the Interior – Gale Norton
Secretary of Labor – Elaine Chao
Secretary of Transportation – Norman Mineta
Secretary of the Treasury – John Snow
Confirmation Hearings Schedule
Nominee for Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings – January 6, 2005
Nominee for Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice – January 18-19, 2005
For more information, view:
“Bush looks ahead to second term,” 9 December 2004, www.cnn.com; Internet.
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