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May 12, 2020 the Honorable Mitch Mcconnell Majority Leader United
May 12, 2020 The Honorable Mitch McConnell The Honorable Charles Schumer Majority Leader Minority Leader United States Senate United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Speaker of the House House Minority Leader U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 Washington, D.C. 20515 RE: Temporarily Expand SNAP in the Next Federal COVID-19 Relief Package to Lift Up Vulnerable Families and Support Local Economies Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leaders McConnell, Schumer, and McCarthy: We, the undersigned mayors representing cities across the nation, appreciate your work on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help workers, employers, older Americans, and children, but much more needs to be done to ensure that our residents can weather this crisis. During this time of soaring unemployment, financial insecurity, and growing hunger, we urge Congress to temporarily increase SNAP benefit levels in the next federal COVID-19 relief package. America’s cities are on the front line of responding to unprecedented disruption to local economies triggered by COVID-19. As mayors, we need every option available to fight hunger and stimulate the economy in our cities. SNAP is a proven solution to both challenges. By providing families with a grocery benefit they can use to purchase food directly, SNAP is a safe, effective way to ensure that low-income children and their families can get the food they need during this unprecedented crisis. While the FFCRA provided USDA with authority to increase emergency SNAP allotments for existing SNAP households to the maximum benefit, the most vulnerable families—roughly 12 million people, including 5 million children—received no additional nutrition assistance because their household already received the maximum SNAP benefit. -
C I T Y O F P H I L a D E L P H I a C I T Y C O U N C
CITY OF PHILADELPHIA C I T Y C O U N C I L KENYATTA JOHNSON ROOM 580, CITY HALL Philadelphia, PA 19107 (215) 686-3412 or 3413 Fax No. (215) 686-1932 Email: [email protected] ______________________________ 2ND DISTRICT COUNCILMEMBER March 20, 2020 Dave Scott, Chairman & CEO Comcast Spectacor Andy MacPhail, President Philadelphia Phillies Christopher Heck, President Philadelphia 76ers Don Smolenski, President Philadelphia Eagles Sent via electronic mail Re: Business disruption due to COVID-19 Dear Friends, My City Council colleagues and I write in the belief that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic requires ongoing coordination and cooperation among the government, business, and non-profit sectors. We believe that includes your organizations—which are so intertwined in the social and economic fabric of Philadelphia—and City Council. Moreover, Philadelphia’s stadium complex is headquartered in the Second Council District, which I represent, and my undersigned colleagues and I all have countless constituents who are diehard fans and even employees. We applaud your organizations and your leagues’ governing bodies for making difficult economic choices, including suspension of competition schedules, in response to this pandemic. At the same time, we have worked with our state and federal partners to do our part, mobilizing emergency health, social services, and safety-net initiatives, including expanded eligibility for unemployment benefits. Nevertheless, based upon conversations with hourly workers at locations such as the stadium complex, it is clear that we must do more to support Philadelphians, especially workers who have suddenly and indefinitely lost income. We will continue to ramp up intergovernmental efforts to expand support for such workers. -
Feb. 7Th 2021 Dear Dr. Hite and Mayor Kenney: the Health And
Feb. 7th 2021 Dear Dr. Hite and Mayor Kenney: The health and safety of our educators, school staff, students and their families have been at risk for years because of the toxic conditions that persist in many of our school buildings. Our children and our teachers have gotten sick from cancer, asthma, and other respiratory issues they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Despite our demands for sufficient school facilities funding, government at city, state and federal levels have all failed to provide money to swiftly and safely remediate the lead, asbestos, mold, rodent infestation and other hazardous conditions that our youngest residents have been subjected to for generations. As lawmakers, community leaders, and community advocates on this letter, we stand in solidarity with the workers of Philadelphia, including the unions and their members who work in our public schools. We will not allow them to be shamed, bullied or strong armed into accepting unsafe conditions at any point in their service to our city. The latest push by the School District of Philadelphia to send teachers back into schools has raised deeply troubling questions about sufficient safety precautions and without even a comprehensive plan to vaccinate them before potential classroom exposure. As a group that has advocated for funding to bring school buildings to a basic level of safety and decency, we are deeply troubled by outstanding important concerns about air balancing tests and building readiness. This is outrageous. Our society has a long tradition of undervaluing the lives of those who devote themselves to educating and supporting the next generation, and to caring for the school buildings where they spend their days. -
C I T Y O F P H I L a D E L P H I a C I T Y C O U N C
CITY OF PHILADELPHIA C I T Y C O U N C I L KENYATTA JOHNSON ROOM 580, CITY HALL Philadelphia, PA 19107 (215) 686-3412 or 3413 Fax No. (215) 686-1932 Email: [email protected] ______________________________ 2ND DISTRICT COUNCILMEMBER March 20, 2020 John Zillmer, Chief Executive Officer Aramark Sent via electronic mail Re: Business disruption due to COVID-19 Dear Mr. Zillmer, My City Council colleagues and I write in the belief that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic requires ongoing coordination and cooperation among the government, business, and non-profit sectors. We believe that includes Aramark—as a longtime Philadelphia-based business—and City Council. Aramark is headquartered in the Second Council District, which I represent, and my undersigned colleagues and I all have constituents who work for Aramark—whether at your headquarters, at sports venues, at universities, or beyond. We applaud Aramark for the measures it has already taken to address hourly workers’ needs relating to COVID-19, including expanded sick leave and health benefits, despite revenue losses from pandemic-related business interruption. We have worked with our state and federal partners to do our part, mobilizing emergency health, social services, and safety-net initiatives, including expanded eligibility for unemployment benefits. Nevertheless, based upon conversations with hourly workers at locations such as Philadelphia’s stadium complex, it is clear that we must do more to support Aramark workers who have suddenly and indefinitely lost income. We will continue to ramp up intergovernmental efforts to expand support for such workers. At the same time, we urge Aramark to take steps to help employees to offset lost compensation by working with its clients to provide shutdown pay and maintain benefits. -
Page 1 C I T Y O F P H I L a D E L P H I A
CITY OF PHILADELPHIA C I T Y C O U N C I L KENYATTA JOHNSON ROOM 580, CITY HALL Philadelphia, PA 19107 (215) 686-3412 or 3413 Fax No. (215) 686-1932 Email: [email protected] ______________________________ 2ND DISTRICT COUNCILMEMBER June 8, 2020 Mayor James F. Kenney City Hall, 2nd Floor Philadelphia, PA 19107 Sent via electronic mail Re: Police reform in Philadelphia Mayor Kenney, Philadelphia can’t breathe. In the poorest big city in America, during a global health pandemic and a massive economic crisis, the people of our city are telling us that police reform cannot wait. We must hear them and act decisively. Policing is difficult, dangerous work. It is vitally important work. For exactly those reasons, the Police Department must earn and maintain the trust of the communities it serves. Sadly, many of our most vulnerable citizens feel less safe, not moreso, in the presence of our police. Meaningful policy changes will require a blend of legislation, executive action, collective bargaining, and other means. First, we must recalibrate budget priorities. Our Police Department consumes a sixth of our annual operating budget, three quarters of a billion dollars. Since 2016, the police budget has increased by about $120 million. Given that context, and the deep cuts proposed for virtually every other department, we cannot accept the proposed $14 million increase to the police budget for Fiscal Year 2021. The Police Department—along with the policing profession nationally—faces a crisis of legitimacy. A big part of the problem is that we too often ask the police to solve problems better addressed by social workers, healthcare providers, educators, housing counselors, and others. -
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi the Honorable Mitch Mcconnell Speaker Majority Leader United States House of Representatives United
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi The Honorable Mitch McConnell Speaker Majority Leader United States House of Representatives United States Senate 1236 Longworth House Office Building 317 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Kevin McCarthy The Honorable Chuck Schumer Minority Leader Minority Leader United States House of Representatives United States Senate 2468 Rayburn House Office Building 322 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20510 Dear Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader McConnell, Leader McCarthy and Leader Schumer: We write to express our deep concern and objection to the use of federal forces in U.S. cities. These forces are conducting crowd control on city streets and detaining individuals. Their threats and actions have as escalated events, and increased the risk of violence against both civilians and local law enforcement officers. These actions also jeopardize the many important ways federal and local law enforcement must work together to protect our cities and country. We urge you to immediately investigate the President and his administration’s actions. The unilateral deployment of these forces into American cities is unprecedented and violates fundamental constitutional protections and tenets of federalism. As you are well aware, President Trump threatened to deploy federal forces in Seattle to “clear out” a protest area and in Chicago to “clean up” the city. Seattle and Chicago authorities objected and threatened legal action to stop such actions. In Washington, DC outside Lafayette Park, extreme action was taken by federal law enforcement against protesters without the Mayor of DC’s approval. Now the administration has deployed federal forces to Portland despite the objections of local and state officials. -
January 19, 2021 the Honorable Nancy Pelosi the Honorable Mitch
January 19, 2021 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi The Honorable Mitch McConnell Speaker Majority Leader United States House of Representatives United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Kevin McCarthy The Honorable Charles E. Schumer Republican Leader Democratic Leader United States House of Representatives United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510 Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader McCarthy, Leader McConnell and Leader Schumer: RE: Urgent Action Needed on President-Elect Biden’s American Rescue Plan On behalf of The United States Conference of Mayors, we urge you to take immediate action on comprehensive coronavirus relief legislation, including providing direct fiscal assistance to all cities, which is long overdue. President-elect Biden’s American Rescue Plan contains such assistance as part of an aggressive strategy to contain the virus, increase access to life-saving vaccines, and create a foundation for sustainable and inclusive recovery. American cities and our essential workers have been serving at the frontlines of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic for nearly a year. We have been charged with executing herculean public health efforts and an unprecedented emergency response. Despite immense fiscal pressure, your local government partners oversaw those efforts, while trying to maintain essential services and increase our internal capacity to provide support for residents and businesses who have been crippled by a tanking economy. And yet, as the economic engines of our country, local governments will be relied upon to lead the long- term economic recovery our nation so desperately needs, even as, with few exceptions, cities have been largely left without direct federal assistance. -
Where Residents, Politics, and Government Meet
November 2018 Where Residents, Politics, and Government Meet Philadelphia’s Experiments with Civic Engagement Chayenne Polimédio, Elena Souris, & Hollie Russon-Gilman Last edited on November 14, 2018 at 6:51 p.m. EST Acknowledgments We would like to thank Mark Schmitt, Rachel Black, Cecilia Munoz, Tara McGuinness, Sabrina Detlef, Jon Sotsky, Patrick Morgan, David Askenazi, Katherine McKinney, and Catherine York for their feedback and suggestions for this paper, and Maria Elkin, Laura Pratt, Brandon Tensley, and Alison Yost for their communication and editorial work. We are grateful to the individuals in Philadelphia who spoke with us. We would also like to thank the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for its generous support of this work, and for approaching us with this project. The views expressed in this report are those of its authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. newamerica.org/political-reform/reports/where-residents-politics-and-government-meet/ 2 About the Author(s) About New America Chayenne Polimédio is the Deputy Director of the We are dedicated to renewing America by continuing Political Reform program. She coordinates all aspects the quest to realize our nation’s highest ideals, of the program’s work, and manages an independent honestly confronting the challenges caused by rapid portfolio of research and writing on issues related to technological and social change, and seizing the representation and participation, as well as about opportunities those changes create. Brazilian politics and identity. Prior to working at New America, she was a Junior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in D.C. -
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 8, 2017 CONTACT: Mayor's Press Office 312.744.3334 [email protected] Bill Mccaffrey
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 8, 2017 CONTACT: Mayor’s Press Office 312.744.3334 [email protected] Bill McCaffrey, Department of Law 312.744.1575 [email protected] MAYORS EMANUEL, DE BLASIO, GARCETTI, KENNEY & WALSH FILE ANOTHER LEGAL BRIEF AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP’S TRAVEL BAN Cities, counties, U.S. Conference of Mayors, National League of Cities oppose the President’s attempts to restrict travel into the United States; U.S. Supreme Court to Review Issue in October Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and Boston Mayor Martin Walsh today announced the Cities of Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, 39 other cities and counties, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities have filed another legal brief, this time in the United States Supreme Court, supporting legal challenges to President Donald Trump’s efforts to restrict travel to the United States from six majority- Muslim nations and to suspend the refugee program. “With his harmful, immoral and unlawful actions, President Trump has turned his back on the world and abandoned America’s values,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Diversity is Chicago’s strength, and we will always welcome individuals and immigrants of every color, culture and creed. I am proud to stand with Mayors and municipalities from across the country in presenting a united legal argument to the Supreme Court to ensure that America’s beacon still burns brightly for all.” Today, Chicago led a total of 44 cities and counties, in addition to the U.S. -
Committee of the Whole April 12, 2018 (215) 504-4622 STREHLOW
Committee of the Whole April 12, 2018 Page 1 COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, April 12, 2018 9:35 a.m. PRESENT: COUNCIL PRESIDENT DARRELL L. CLARKE COUNCILWOMAN CINDY BASS COUNCILWOMAN JANNIE L. BLACKWELL COUNCILMAN ALLAN DOMB COUNCILMAN DEREK S. GREEN COUNCILMAN WILLIAM K. GREENLEE COUNCILMAN BOBBY HENON COUNCILMAN CURTIS JONES, JR. COUNCILMAN DAVID OH COUNCILMAN BRIAN J. O'NEILL COUNCILWOMAN CHERELLE L. PARKER COUNCILWOMAN MARIA D. QUINONES-SANCHEZ COUNCILWOMAN BLONDELL REYNOLDS BROWN COUNCILMAN MARK SQUILLA COUNCILMAN AL TAUBENBERGER BILL 180108 RESOLUTIONS 180121, 180122, 180147, and 180124 - - - STREHLOW & ASSOCIATES, INC. (215) 504-4622 Committee of the Whole April 12, 2018 Page 2 1 4/12/18 - WHOLE - RES. 180121, ETC. 2 COUNCIL PRESIDENT CLARKE: Good 3 morning. This hearing is called to 4 order. We have the presence of a quorum. 5 This is a public hearing of the Committee 6 of the Whole. The purpose of this 7 hearing is to consider Bill No. 180108 8 and Resolutions No. 180121, 180122, 9 180124, and 180147. 10 Mr. Christmas, please read the 11 titles of the bill and resolutions. 12 THE CLERK: Bill 180108, an 13 ordinance authorizing the City of 14 Philadelphia to enter into lease 15 agreements with the Philadelphia 16 Authority for Industrial Development 17 under which the City would lease to PAID 18 on a project-by-project basis certain 19 land and facilities in the Fairmount Park 20 system, recreation centers, playgrounds 21 and branches in the Free Library of 22 Philadelphia system, and which would 23 permit PAID to sublease such facilities 24 on a project-by-project basis to other 25 organizations in conformity with the STREHLOW & ASSOCIATES, INC. -
Get out and Vote November 5
Oct. 31, 2019 Official Publication of TWU Local 234 www.twulocal234.net Get Out and Vote November 5 The election for mayors, city councils, state and local representatives, and judges on Tuesday, November 5, 2019 includes contests that are important to labor in general and Local 234 in particular. With the economic and political rights of working people under attack, electing the right people can help protect our jobs. Anti-labor candidates are trying to expand their power. We can’t let that happen. Local 234 urges you to vote on Tuesday, November 5 and asks that you vote for and elect: Mayor Jim Kenney (D) City Council Districts 1st Mark Squilla (D) 2nd Kenyatta Johnson (D) 3rd Jamie Gauthier 4th Curtis Jones (D) 5th Darrell Clarke (D) 6th Bobby Henon (D) 7th Maria Quinones Sanchez (D) 8th Cindy Bass (D) 9th Cherelle Parker (D) 10th Judy Moore (D) City Council at Large Isaiah Thomas (D) Eryn Santamoor (D) Derek Green (D) Allan Domb (D) Katherine Gilmore Richardson (D) Helen Gym (D) David Oh (R) Al Taubenberger (R) Sheriff Rochelle Bilal (D) Register of Wills Tracey Gordon (D) Pa. Superior Court Amanda G. Hawkins (D) Daniel McCaffery (D) Megan McCarthy-King (R) Municipal Judge David Conroy Christina Hartman Court of Common Pleas Carmella Jacquinto Nicola Serianni City Commissioner Omar Sabir (D) Lisa M. Deeley (D) Al Schmidt (R) Pa. Auditor General Christina Hartman (D) Upper Darby Mayor Thomas N. Micozzie (D) Delaware County Council Monica Taylor Christine Reuther Elaine Schaefer Delaware County State Representative Deb Ciamacca 168th District Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele County Commissioner Val Arkoosh Ken Lawrence Recorder of Deeds Jeanne Sorg Court of Common Pleas Virgil B. -
BOILERMAKERS LOCAL 13 2015 PENNSYLVANIA PRIMARY ELECTION RECOMMENDED CANDIDATES STATEWIDE Pennsylvania Supreme Court Judge Kevin
BOILERMAKERS LOCAL 13 2015 PENNSYLVANIA PRIMARY ELECTION RECOMMENDED CANDIDATES Recommendations provided by Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, Philadelphia AFL-CIO, regional Building Trades councils and labor councils. * specifically endorsed by Boilermakers Local 13 STATEWIDE Pennsylvania Supreme Court Judge Kevin Dougherty (D)* Judge David Wecht (D) Judge Christine Donohue (D) Pennsylvania Superior Court Judge Robert J. Colville (D) Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Todd Eagan (D) PHILADELPHIA State Senate, 5th District John Sabatina (D)* Mayor of Philadelphia Jim Kenney (D)* City Council, 1st District Mark Squilla (D) City Council, 2nd District Kenyatta Johnson (D) City Council, 3rd District Jannie Blackwell (D) City Council, 4th District Curtis Jones, Jr. (D) City Council, 5th District Darrell Clarke (D) City Council, 6th District Bobby Henon (D)* City Council, 7th District Maria Quinones-Sanchez (D) City Council, 8th District Cindy Bass (D) City Council, 9th District Cherelle Parker (D) City Council, 10th District Brian O’Neill (R) City Council, At-Large Ed Neilson (D)* W. Wilson Goode, Jr. (D) William Greenlee (D) Isaiah Thomas (D) Blondell Reynolds Brown (D) Dan Tinney (R) Dennis O’Brien (R)* City Commissioner Lisa Deeley (D) Register of Wills Ron Donatucci (D) Sheriff Jewell Williams (D) BERKS COUNTY Reading Mayor Vaughn Spencer (D) Reading City Council Johanny Cepeda (D) Bryan Twyman (D) County Commissioner Don Vymazal (D) Kevin Barnhardt (D) Berks Court of Common Pleas Eleni Dimitrou-Geishauser (D,R) Victor Frederick (D,R) Magisterial District