Search Results
Below are your search results. You can also try a Basic Search.
(10/23/91 9:00am)
Dennis Wesley is ready to endorse Edward Rendell for mayor -- of New York. At least that is what Wesley, an independent candidate for mayor, said last night during an hour-long debate between the four mayoral candidates. Wesley's sarcastic endorsement was not the only one Rendell received as the Democratic front-runner was attacked heavily by Wesley, Republican candidate Joseph Egan and Consumer Party candidate Pamela Lawler. Egan offered an apparently sarcastic endorsement of Rendell during a play to turn Rendell's perceived strengths in the campaign into weaknesses. Egan attempted to discredit Rendell's financial strength by mocking "all 1000, maybe 2000" Rendell ads showing the front-runner as a candidate for change, while downplaying Rendell's announced position on several campaign issues. "Ed has a solution for every problem," Egan said, calling it "feel-good government." "If you do want to vote for Ed Rendell, please do so," Egan said at the end of his final remarks. But he added that if voters "wanted change," they should vote for Egan. During the debate, held at WHYY-TV, candidates had one minute to answer a question posed by one of six panelists -- reporters from local television and radio stations as well as the Associated Press. The panelists also asked 30-second follow-up questions of the candidates. Rendell steadily distanced himself from the confrontation, refusing to attack the positions of the other candidates or respond to attacks on his position and past record. Instead, Rendell spoke of his plans to cut waste in the city budget, lead and manage the city "decisively" and bid out city services. In emphasizing how he would govern decisively, Rendell said that he might wait out a strike if his contract offers to city unions were rejected and that he would rule the city by executive order if City Council did not cooperate with him. And while Rendell emphasized that the dire straits the city faces could inspire cooperation between the new mayor and Council, he said he would put Council's "feet to the fire" if they forget Philadelphia's government is organized with a strong mayor and a weak Council. After the debate ended, he only rebutted one charge -- Egan's claim that he ran up deficits when he was District Attorney -- by saying he saved other city departments money and that the city controller had described his fiscal management as "sound." Egan, who trails Rendell both in popular support and in money, challenged Rendell at the beginning of the forum, accusing him of charges varying from running a deficit at the DA's office to shifting the blame of city mismanagement to city workers. He called Rendell's plan to bid out city services a "cruel hoax" and said, as mayor, he would use his background as a negotiator to work with labor to change union work rules rather than privatize city services. Both third-party candidates attacked the major party candidates as well as the system, saying government should be opened up to more people. Wesley proclaimed himself the "only true Republican" to run for mayor since current City Councilmember Thacher Longstreth ran in 1978. He also accused both political parties of "giving away money" to suburban consultants and promised that if elected, he would "cut the gravy train." And Consumer Party candidate Lawler said she would sell Philadelphia Airport to relieve pressure on the city budget and that every "man, woman and child" needed representation in the power structure. At the end of the debate, Wesley restated forcefully his position as the "true Republican" in the race and said he was the candidate for citizens wanting to "take your city back."
(10/09/91 9:00am)
Does mayoral candidate Joseph Egan care about you? If you've been rebuffed lately by the Egan campaign, it's nothing personal -- or even political -- his aides will tell you. You're just a college student. Whether it's arriving late to campaign stops on campus or scheduling little time for campus media, Egan has not made many favorable impressions among student voters. But bad vibes on campuses across the Delaware Valley may be the least of Egan's problems. He is a year behind his Democratic opponent, Edward Rendell, in raising money. He has been criticized for avoiding issues. And many people do not know who he is. Egan also faces criticisms that another recent Republican pick, former District Attorney Ron Castille, faced just months ago -- that he doesn't really want to be mayor. Yet Egan's role in bringing the convention center to Philadelphia is an undisputably important accomplishment on his resume. Political leaders statewide praise his vision and his ability to accomplish what he sets out to achieve. But his themes of economic development and his "common sense" approach to government are getting little attention. Egan, called the city's top cheerleader, maintains he can win. But few people can guess how. · He's no Frank Rizzo. Or Ron Castille. Or even Sam Katz. Egan, handpicked by Republican Party boss William Meehan after Rizzo's death, has already faced many obstacles during his still-crystallizing mayoral campaign. On top of starting out with little money and almost no name recognition, he has been forced to fight off charges that he has little interest in being mayor and Republican rumblings that Katz or Castille would have been a better pick. Egan -- and many of his friends -- maintain it is possible to win the mayor's race without an excess of money or ideas. But little suggests this rowhouse-boy-turned-businessman is making any headway to erode the giant lead Rendell took when Rizzo died. A Hispanic political organization released results of a poll a few weeks ago which placed Egan third in the mayoral race, behind Rendell and independent candidate Dennis Wesley. But Egan, whose tough-talking "Maalox moment" radio ads have made him a favorite at least with Maalox stockholders, said he has confidence that he will finish the victor because people will understand what he says. Egan maintains the city must return to the basics of government -- doing only what it can afford to do and what it has the potential to do well, such as policing streets, fighting fires and repairing and cleaning streets. This streamlining, which he terms a "common-sense approach" to government, also requires the various sections of the community to come together to help plot a new course for government. "Cities have tried to be all things to all people," Egan said. "It's not possible." Egan adds he is best qualified to be the next mayor because he understands "all the elements" of the mayor's job. But he often claims ignorance on specifics and says people should be afraid of candidates with a more particular approach. "[Rendell] has position papers which should scare all of you," he said in a press conference for college media a few weeks ago. "No mayor can solve it alone. It scares me to death." In particular, Egan said he has little understanding of how to improve public education in the city, adding his lack of knowledge is "embarassing" to him. "School districts are a difficult, complex process," Egan said. "It's a menu of things coming together." But Egan does have more specific ideas on such issues as changing the 1951 Home Rule Charter and not bidding out city services. "Charter change is the single most important thing to govern the city," Egan said. The Charter, he said, has all the "best intentions of the '50s" built into it. But the charter incorporates a lot of red tape when the city has to buy goods, he adds, and City Council must be realigned so it "reflects a sense of the community." Additionally, the charter must provide for "flexibility" for management and to deal with the unions. But bidding out city services would be harmful, Egan said. Civil service offers opportunity for people -- particularly minorities -- that they cannot find in the private sector. Besides, he adds, Philadelphia is a unique town in respect to its relationship with the unions. "Philadelphia is Philadelphia," Egan said. "It's a blue-collar town." · Egan says his chief qualification for mayor is his ability to bring economic projects to the city. And this ability would give him an important advantage, many city and state Republican politicians say, in dealing with Harrisburg and revitalizing the city's economy. The state legislature, while split between Republicans and Democratics politically, is almost always united in its distrust of Philadelphia. Egan, several leaders said over the past week, is the city's proudest cheerleader and its most direct and honest one. "He's a street-fighter, which is good," state House Minority Leader Matthew Ryan (R-Delaware County) said. "I don't think he's afraid to mix it up." As president of the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation and head of the Department of Commerce, he was one of only a few who told the truth in lobbying for a hotel tax and other state investments to build another convention center in Philadelphia, political leaders say. Ryan maintains that city administrators lied to the state legislature often during the negotiations, most notable about the city's financial picture. "[Egan] was every bit the salesman, very credible," the minority leader said yesterday. "We found him to be very honest." "Joe Egan never lied to us. [That] was tremendously important in our dealings with him. He was someone we could depend on," he added. And Senate Majority Leader Joseph Loeper, anther GOPer, said last week Egan's personality and his conviction were his greatest attributes. "I think that Mr. Egan's role as head of PIDC was instrumental in convincing many of us on the state level of the need for the [convention center]," Loeper said. "He was a major influence in those negotiations . . . Joe Egan has a personality that just reflects enthusiasm for the city and the region." City Council member and fellow Republican Thacher Longstreth said that while Egan did not single-handedly bring the convention center to Philadelphia, he deserves credit for being the "leadership of that team." All three leaders say Egan's experience with bringing the convention center to Philadelphia bodes well for a city government which needs to expand economically and balance its own books. "Joe Egan's business background is ideally suited to help restore fiscal integrity to city government," Loeper said. And while many leaders praise Egan's grasp of the specifics of any task at hand, Longstreth said he is not disappointed that Egan has refused to come forward with many set positions. "Rather than coming up with Mickey Mouse programs that you know you can't implement . . . Joe's talked about his character and leadership and capabilities," the at-large city council member said. "If you haven't been mayor, you don't know about positions to be specific with much validity," added Longstreth, a former candidate for mayor. And Ryan said the state government would possibly be more conducive to Egan running City Hall. "I think we'd be prepared to deal with a Joe Egan administration, yes -- at least we as Republicans would," Ryan said. "We've always seen him in the role of businessman as opposed to politician, although I'm sure he's a politician, too." · The Joseph Egan for Mayor campaign scheduled an hour for the student vote. His press secretaries set up a "college press conference" for journalists from schools across the Delaware Valley. Over 25 reporters attended the conference. "This is your conference," Egan for Mayor press secretary Joe Sanchez said, saying although "real reporters" may attend the meeting, the students "shouldn't feel intimidated." Because of the crowd, Egan was unable to answer questions from all the reporters. Indeed, he skirted questions about basic problems the city faces -- its budget woes, its crisis in confidence -- and gave superficial answers on other topics such as improving education and decreasing crime. One "real reporter" at the conference maintains Egan's approach to the college media was typical of his unwillingness to talk about specifics. But Egan and his campaign have demonstrated little recognition of the University -- the largest university and private employer in the city. He has made one appearance on the University campus, while his opponent, University alumnus Rendell, has been on campus twice. During that appearance, Egan showed up 40 minutes late and kept referring to the students in the crowd as "advanced business students" even though students and faculty from across the University attended the forum. And his single proposal involving the University and other non-profit institutions has been to propose requiring the University to pay "user fees" or give in-kind services to the city, such as offering city employees free tuition to the Fels Center of Government. Meanwhile, Egan for Mayor literature has been difficult for students on the University's campus to obtain, while a Rendell table has been on Locust Walk sporatically for several weeks. When his sixty minutes with the college and high school media expired, Egan was whisked away to tape new radio spots, only answering the questions of a Philadlephia Inquirer political reporter. When reporters followed him out of the building and to his car and pushed him for more time to discuss the issues in the race, Egan did not respond. Instead, Sanchez turned to a reporter to answer the question for him. "Sorry, we gave you an hour."
(10/08/91 9:00am)
The city has reached an agreement with several non-profit institutions on how to guarantee the non-profits' $90 million loan to the city. Yet the non-profits -- city universities and hospitals -- and the city have not cleared the main roadblock in finalizing the loan -- the interest rate the institutions will charge. University Treasurer Scott Lederman said yesterday the hospitals and universities would charge in "the area" of 8.5 percent interest, but the city's finance director said he wants to see a lower rate. The University is one of at least ten institutions which are discussing loaning the city money to fill its empty coffers. The University has not decided how much money it might lend, Lederman said yesterday. Under the terms already agreed on, if the city were unable to repay part the loan, the University and the other institutions would not have to pay the owed amount when their wage taxes come due. Lederman said the University is still awaiting legal documentation on the city's proposals, which either the University General Counsel's office or outside counsel would review. City Finance Director David Brenner said the negotiations were progressing smoothly, although he disputes claims that an interest rate has been settled. "There really hasn't been an interest rate on the table," Brenner said. But Lederman said an 8.5 percent interest rate would be a reasonable rate "given the credit involved." Both Lederman and Brenner said any agreement would likely be closed within the next two weeks. "We had a briefing two weeks ago and we looked at some of their cash flow statements," Lederman said. "We're trying to avoid their running out of money [while maintaining] the fiducial responsibility for the cash we have." City officials are looking to borrow money on their own until the state authority overlooking the city's finances is willing to borrow money on the city's behalf. The authority's president said the authority will remain on the sidelines while the city borrows money. However, City Controller Jonathan Saidel said he wants to stop the city from borrowing the money because it will allow the city to avoid facing its underlying financial problems.
(10/08/91 9:00am)
A bill requiring campus police departments to release a complete daily crime blotter will be introduced to the state senate by the end of next week, the bill's sponsor said yesterday. The bill would strictly prohibit screening the names of students charged with committing a crime against another student -- a practice the bill's advocates say is commonplace at colleges and universities across the state. If passed, the bill would also require the University to change the way it handles inquiries about campus crime. Currently, students cannot see daily crime reports and names of students charged with crimes on campus. In addition, University Police do not release full descriptions of suspects in answering questions about crimes. Many schools, including the University, justify withholding crime reports, claiming either that disclosure violates federal laws or that, because they are not public institutions, the reports are not public records. State Sen. Richard Tilghman (R-Bryn Mawr) said yesterday the bill will be introduced in the next ten days, adding the bill would have been introduced sooner had the capital's computer systems not been shut down for a few weeks. He said the bill is not "terribly radical" and that its "time has come." "I can't imagine a great groundswell of opinion against it," the state senator said. But he would not predict whether the bill would become law. It is not known yet whether or not the University will lobby against the bill. Assistant Vice President for Commonwealth Relations James Shada, one of the University's lobbyists in Harrisburg, was not available for comment yesterday. The Massachusetts bill was written and spearheaded by Harvard Crimson editor Joshua Gerstein, and Spiegel said yesterday that after learning of Gerstein's success, he decided to push for a similar law in Pennsylvania. "Several student newspapers around the state, including ours, have had problems getting information on crime to students because campus police claim their records are not public," Spiegel said. "A situation in which the police control what information goes out to the students is very dangerous." He added that Security On Campus -- which was founded by Constance and Howard Clery in 1986 after their daughter Jeanne was brutally raped and murdered in her dormitory as an undergraduate at Lehigh University -- convinced Tilghman to sponsor the bill. Howard Clery, who serves as president of Security On Campus, said he is pleased Tilghman is introducing the bill, adding he is certain it will pass because of the success the Massachusetts bill had. "[In Massachusetts] lobbyists tried to fight it, but they were . . . hounded by the student press and the Boston press," said Clery, whose group lobbies for free access to crime reports nationwide. Once introduced, the bill would be sent to a committee -- either the Judicial Committee or the Education Committee, Tilghman said, by the president pro tempore of the state Senate. The committee would then study the legislation, suggest modifications and then vote on whether or not to send the vote to the entire state Senate floor. Tilghman added he does not yet have a sponsor for the bill in the state House of Representatives and said he did not know when the bill would be introduced to the House.
(10/04/91 9:00am)
The city's attempts to borrow $90 million from the University and other non-profit organizations would be a poor idea, top city and state officials said yesterday. But the head of the state authority overseeing the city's financial situation said he personally does not want to stop the city from borrowing money, though the board has not taken a stand on the issue. The University is one of at least 10 non-profit institutions in the city negotiating a short-term loan to the city to refill the city's drained coffers. City Controller Jonathan Saidel and state Senate Majority Leader Joseph Loeper (R-Delaware Co.) both said the city's attempts to negotiate a loan with several city non-profit organizations would delay the difficult long-term decision making city officials must make. "My impression is that City Council and the city administration have to deal in better faith with the PICA board in order for both to achieve . . . the goals established [for] the PICA board," said Loeper, one of the negotiators of the legislation to create PICA. "[The state government] is not looking for action to circumvent that board," he added. Saidel said the non-profits' willingness to loan the city money would have damaging consequences when those receiving state funding -- such as the University -- ask for more funding from the state. But PICA head Anderson said he feels strongly that the oversight board needs to limit its participation in the affairs of city government. PICA, Anderson said, should not have the power to stop the city from borrowing on its own. The mayor and finance director need to do what they can in order to pay the city's bills, he added. "It's a matter of internal affairs [of the city ]," Anderson said. "Personally, we should not interfere in that process." Anderson pointed out, however, that the city will pay significantly higher interest than it would if PICA were to borrow money on the city's behalf. Saidel also said that state legislators would not understand how universities could loan money to Philadelphia when a few months earlier they were complaining to state legislators that they were strapped for cash. "Every year, [universities] raise tuition, get additional funding -- then they want to loan the city money," Saidel said. Saidel said he may lobby the administrators of non-profit organizations, asking them not to loan the city money -- even if the city runs out of cash. "Elected officials have the responsibility to run the city," Saidel said. This is not the first time Saidel has sought to steer the city away from short-term borrowing. In August 1990, he was instrumental in scuttling a $350 million short-term borrowing plan, helping precipitate a serious cash crisis which has persisted since. At that time, he brought the city's troubled finances to the attention of Wall Street, scaring away many potential investors. The University has stepped in previously to help the city when it had problems paying its bills. Last November, the University pre-paid $10 million in wage taxes -- an amount equal to its tax burden through this June.
(10/03/91 9:00am)
Students who are interested in casting a ballot in the November 5 general election have only a few days to re-register if they have moved since they last voted. The deadline for the Board of Elections to receive voter registrations is Monday at 5 p.m. Election law requires people who move between elections to re-submit a registration form. Over 200 such voters from both parties living off-campus have been purged from the voter rolls, according to the Republican ward committee chairperson. Approximately 236 voters with listed residences between 40th and 42nd streets between Pine and Walnut streets have been purged from the voter rolls in the past few weeks because the election commissioner's office verified that they had moved, 27th Ward Republican Leader Matthew Wolfe said last night. The purge included approximately 110 Democrats and 89 Republicans, he added. Wolfe said while the purge was large, current registrations remain for even more people who have moved. "I know that division," Wolfe said. "Many more people are gone that they just didn't know about." In addition, people who have not voted in the last two years need to re-register to vote. These people have been purged from the voter registration files after the Board of Elections sent letters notifying them they would be removed from the voter rolls. To register, students must fill out the form which must be received by the Board of Elections office by next Monday at 5 p.m. Registration forms are available at the Free Library of Philadelphia on 40th and Walnut streets, the post office at 40th and Locust streets and from 27th Ward Democratic and Republican Committee members. After the Board of Elections receives a registration form, it will mail a verification receipt within seven working days. Before Election Day, voters will receive a voter identification card. If a person wishing to vote on Election Day is not listed on the voter rolls, an Election Court judge can allow a person to vote if they show either a valid voter ID card or a registration verification card.
(10/02/91 9:00am)
Some laud it as an important component of any plan to get the city out of debt. But others call it a whitewash applied to a history of administrative incompetence. Some argue that it's what everybody's doing in cities across the country. But others say "everyone" is getting gyped. It is the privatization of city services, a normally uninspiring, dry-as-toast topic that has taken center stage in this fall's mayoral campaign. It is a key plank in the leading candidate's platform to restore the city's financial stability, it riles up laborers to the point of inter-union riots and yet, after all the dust settles in November, it may face insurmountable political and legal hurdles. And no one even really knows what the word means. · The term "privatization" has been worn thin this year since Democratic mayoral candidate Edward Rendell introduced his plan to put city services out for bidding as a way for the city to cut costs. Rendell's plan would offer private corporations the chance to perform nearly any service the city provides -- except law enforcement -- while the city continues to oversee the service. But Republican mayoral candidate Joseph Egan says Rendell's plan is a smokescreen for Democratic excesses. Last week, he called the plan a "marvelous gimmick," and said it unfairly places the blame of "25 years of mismanagement" on city workers, who he says will have no control over how their departments are run. "It's cruel," the former businessman said last week. "It sends the wrong message." But Rendell has steadfastedly defended his proposal, saying his plan will increase efficiency among city employees. · Rendell said last week his plan to bid out city services includes almost everything but police protection. But privatization's critics say Rendell's stand has shifted, adding that first and foremost he wants to privatize trash collection. The Democratic mayoral candidate maintains that he originally focused on trash because Mayor Wilson Goode failed to privatize trash collection during his reign in City Hall. But despite Rendell's efforts to explain his proposal, the plan has been called everything from anti-union to subtly racist. Critics maintain that the city unions offer more opportunity than private unions, and that minorities -- particularly blacks -- have been able to move up the economic ladder through city jobs. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 427 spokesperson Leonard Tillman said Rendell's proposal would cause black workers to lose their jobs despite the fact that they are already improving productivity. Tillman cited the city's trash collectors as an example, claiming they have saved $15 million over the past few years. He added that private contractors have not listened to city officials' request to exclude laid-off city workers from private payrolls. "If it's not racial overtones, it sure sounds like it," Tillman said. But it is Egan, who has been desperately courting the black vote during the campaign, that has harped on the plan the most. "It sends the wrong signal at a time we must all be together," the GOP nominee said. · Indeed, "privatization" really isn't the proper term for Rendell's plan, according to Theodore Hershberg, a public policy professor who worked for a year in the Goode administration. Privatization, he said last week, means not only that city workers do not perform a service, but also the city does not manage it. And Hershberg said the Democratic candidate's plan is necessary for the city to begin cutting costs and getting out of its financial crisis. "The problem is not the private sector versus the public sector," Hershberg said. "The problem is monopoly." This monopoly, along with restrictive civil service rules, allows workers to become complacent and reduces their productivity, Hershberg said. They "go with the flow," he added, because they can be neither rewarded nor punished under the work rules. But Hershberg said the savings workers produced under a competitive situation could be partially returned to them in the form of benefits or bonuses. And Egan concedes that changes must be made in union work rules to increase productivity and has suggested that the city concentrate on "doing a few things well" and getting out of providing other, unspecified municipal services entirely. But many observers say the savings from bidding out city services is often misunderstood. Under Rendell's plan, private contractors must be union shops, while in other cities, private corporations must pay union wages. Hershberg said many city union leaders maintain that way the city would save money is by hiring companies with exploitative labor practices. But even contractors' proponents say that good management is required for municipal services to be carried out effectively by private workers. The private firms must be closely monitored to ensure the firm maintains its standards and that the city sign long-term contracts in order to keep costs relatively stable. · Rendell's proposal offers city workers a cushion where if their bid is less than five percent higher than the lowest private bidder, they still get to keep the contract. Rendell said he would also allow city union leaders to examine the lowest private sector bid to see if they could come within five percent of it -- a move which several analysts say is beyond the city's power. The 1951 City Charter states that when projects are bidded out, the lowest responsible bidder must be awarded the contract. Egan, who opposes bidding out city services, said Rendell's plan is effectively moot because changing the charter would be an extensive, lengthy process. Rendell has a more immediate roadblock in front of him, according to Committee of 70 Executive Director Frederick Voigt. Before any municipal services could be placed in private hands, the City Council must approve, Voigt said. Judging from past relations between Council and the mayor, Council approval of contracting out city services is in no way guaranteed. · In the competition between the public and private sectors, most experts agree that municipal workers should be able to do the job more cheaply than private contractors. Los Angeles Purchasing Director Tony Riolo said last week the municipal union usually is the lowest bidder whenever the city accepts bids for municipal services. The city unions have an advantage, Riolo said, because in their bids, they need not account for profit. In Los Angeles, the city does not have the option of accepting the city union's bid if it not absolutely below the lowest bid by a private contractor. However, the city will discount a bid five percent for comparison purposes if the contractor is from Los Angeles County. The largest municipal service provided privately by the city of Los Angeles, he said, was removal and dumping of hazardous waste -- a service never performed by municipal workers because it was too expensive to train the workers and maintain all of the proper licensing agreements. "We don't usually farm out services in Los Angeles," he said.
(10/02/91 9:00am)
Logan Hall room 17 was the place to be at 7 p.m. last night, even though no one found what they expected when they arrived. Several students and faculty members were invited to the lecture hall for a talk on mathematics and corporate life. About 20 students and professors -- and a KYW-TV news crew -- showed up for a rally and forum on Israel's future which was thought to be held there. And one Math professor says a Math 141 review session was scheduled for the room. But none of these things happened. And the ensuing discussions of an apparent joke with no known punchline caused several people to wonder who's behind one of the most puzzling hoaxes in recent University's history. "It's a curious hoax or prank," said Mathematics Professor Peter Freyd, who was invited to introduce a speaker who did not appear. "I don't see poetry in it -- it seems random." Several people said yesterday they received phone calls inviting them to events at Logan Hall 17 last night from people identifying themselves as professors. Those professors deny ever inviting anyone to any speech last night. KYW-TV set a news crew to Logan Hall after receiving two phone calls from a man saying he was Mathematics Professor David Shale. The man told them there would be a "300-person rally" outside Logan Hall. Shale denied last night ever calling KYW. Jaffe was unavailable for comment, but other professors who say they have spoken to him say Jaffe himself did not call the newspaper. Someone also circulated fliers advertising two separate mathematics forums featuring Harvard Mathematics Professor Robert Barrow. Those fliers, Mathematics Professor Freyd said, did not identify a sponsoring group. Open Expression Committee Chairperson Robert Davies said last night at Logan Hall the fliers did not comply with University regulations because they did not identify the sponsoring group of the event. And Freyd said he checked to see what was scheduled for the room, discovering students holding a Math 141 review session reserved the room. Flonnia Freeman, who schedules the University's facilities, was not available for comment last night. The result has been countless versions of the planned events for last night and no clear indication as to who masterminded the hoaxes. Graduate and Professional Students Assembly Chairperson Michael Goldstein said yesterday this was not the first hoax centered around Jaffe. A student in Jaffe's Finance 102 class says someone identifying himself as Jaffe told students they had to meet with Associate Finance Professor James Ghandi about the diversity of their project groups last Thursday instead of attending class. Students were told to meet in Vance Hall B-3, although Jaffe lectured the entire time to half the class, Wharton senior Katie Blanchette said last night. Because of the confusion over the activities planned for Logan Hall, Deputy Vice Provost George Koval sent two open expression monitors to the event. Open Expression Chair Davies said he thought the hoax was not funny. He speculated that the same people who convinced several hundred freshman Convocation would be held an hour late may have been behind last night's events. "It's unfriendly, uncollegial behavior," Davies said. "Some people think hoaxes are great fun, but they're not, really." Finance Department Chairperson Richard Kilhstrom said that after receiving an invitation to Barrow's speech from someone identifying himself as a Mathematics professor, he called Harvard to see if Barrow was coming to the University. He discovered Barrow had no plans of coming. Shale said he was not "terribly disappointed" someone masquerading as him was calling TV stations. Shale said he first heard about the questionable events from Freyd. Davies also questioned the manner in which the story appeared in yesterday's DP, questioning whether or not anyone could submit information to the paper without it being verified. DP staff writer Roxanne Patel, who wrote a brief about the forum, said she received a call from a man saying he was Associate Professor Jaffe at approximately 10:15 p.m. The man, Patel said, was not comfortable with his name being used the paper. Patel added that she does not remember whether or not he gave her a name before she asked for it. The DP has a policy of confirming all stories with at least two sources, but the daily "In Brief" section, which usually contains short articles on talks and events, is excepted from the policy. Staff reporter Consuelo Santiago contributed to this story.
(10/02/91 9:00am)
The University is waiting for legal documents which would state the terms of a short-term $90 million loan it and other non-profit institutions might advance the city, Treasurer Scott Lederman said yesterday. Lederman added the University has agreed only "to consider seriously" a plan to loan the city. The non-profit institutions are awaiting the documents to ensure there will be adequate funds to repay the loan on time, Lederman said. He added the city and the non-profit organizations have not reached an agreement over how much interest the non-profits would charge the city, only saying the University was considering an amount of money "bigger than a breadbox." Lederman also said the deadline for the city to close a deal with the non-profit institutions is by the end of next week. The University was approached a few weeks ago to participate in the $90 million loan that several non-profit organizations are offering the city, Senior Vice President Marna Whittington said Monday. The University still has not decided how much it will loan the city. The money is critical for the city to maintain an adequate cash flow until the city's oversight authority is willing to issue bonds on the city's behalf at much lower interest rates than the city itself could offer. City Council voted Saturday against giving PICA the ability to monitor contract negotiations -- a power required by the state legislation creating PICA. Lederman said he has been in touch with city representatives on a day-to-day basis but added he does not know when all of the non-profits will meet together with city officials. The officials and representatives of the non-profit organizations last met Friday. Lederman also said more non-profits have shown interest in loaning the city money over the past few days. Last November, the University and two other private corporations prepaid $10 million in wage taxes when the city faced insolvency -- an amount which covered the University's obligation through June.
(10/01/91 9:00am)
The University has joined a consortium which might loan $90 million to Philadelphia, Senior Vice President Marna Whittington said last night. The University, along with at least 10 other non-profit institutions, is negotiating the loan with city officials to temporarily fill the almost-empty city coffers, City Finance Director David Brenner said yesterday. Whittington would not disclose the size of the University's share in the loan. Brenner said he expects the organizations and the city to reach an agreement by the end of the week. The money would be used to tide the city over until its oversight authority is willing to issue bonds on the city's behalf. Any money the University loans to the city would be paid back by May, Brenner said. The authority must gain several powers from the city before it will issue bonds on the city's behalf. The authority's bond issue is critical to the city because the organization can borrow money at much lower interest rates than the city itself. Brenner said the non-profits are interested in loaning the city money for two reasons: receiving a good return on a short-term investment and helping the city avert financial ruin. "[Non-profit organizations] based in Philadelphia probably have more than a passing interest in the success of the city itself," Brenner said. Whittington said last semester the growth and stability of the University and the fate of the city are "inextricably linked." Brenner said he was approached almost two weeks ago by representatives of various not-for-profit organizations offering to loan the city money. Whittington said the University was not one of the instigators of the offer, saying that administration officials were asked to participate in it. She said she told Brenner that if "all of the parties on the city side agreed," the University would be interested in lending the city money. Whittington added that University Treasurer Scott Lederman, who is discussing the possible loan with the city, attended a meeting with other interested groups and city officials on Friday. Lederman was unavailable for comment yesterday. If the University loans the city money, it would not be the first time it has stepped in to help the city avoid cash flow problems. Last November, the University prepaid $10 million in wage taxes, which covered the University's tax burden through June. The amount of interest the non-profits would charge the city is a "key item to be negotiated," Brenner said. The last time the city borrowed money for short-term solvency, it agreed to pay 9.25 percent, but Brenner said the non-profits should charge less because interest rates have come down since the summer. Whittington said she expects the city to borrow the money at the "prevailing interest rate." If the University loans money to the city, the money would come from cash reserves which are continually placed in short-term investments, Whittington said.
(09/27/91 9:00am)
Temple University administrators have been requesting advice from University officials on handling the two recent reports of acquaintance rape at the North Philadelphia school. Women's Center Director Elena DiLapi and Office of Health Education Director Susan Villari have both been fielding calls about the University's resources for victims of acquaintance rape and its awareness programs. DiLapi said she has spoken with various officials in the Temple Student Affairs Office about forming a women's center and a rape-crisis center on the Temple campus, a proposal a committee of students, faculty and administrators is currently discussing. Villari has received requests for members of Students Together Against Acquaintance Rape to speak at a forum on acquaintance rape and for Temple to reprint portions of STAAR's latest acqaintance rape brochure. Bettina Beech, a graduate student in Temple's department of Health Education, said she called Villari because she was impressed the students in STAAR had mobilized on their own. Yet she admits the reported rapes have caught Temple students as well as administrators unprepared, even thought she says students are made aware of acquaintance rape during orientation week. "People forget . . . their guard is let down," Beech said. "I think it is fair to say we were caught off-guard." Two weeks ago, a woman reported being gang raped at the Alpha Phi Delta fraternity house at Temple. And a few days later, a woman told police she was raped by a man she knew in the Temple Towers dormitory. Mark McGraw, son of former Phillies' pitcher Tug McGraw, has been charged with rape, indecent assault, indecent exposure, simple assault, unlawful restraint and false imprisonment in connection with the reported incident. After the alleged rape at the Alpha Phi Delta house, the fraternity was suspended pending an investigation by the university, the fraternity's national organization, and the university's Inter-Fraternity Council. Also, Temple President Peter Liacouras met with the woman who was allegedly raped at the Alpha Phi Delta house for 90 minutes a few days after she reported the incident. Villari and DiLapi said they are impressed with Temple's swift, concerned response, but added they are not surprised Temple does not have resources to deal with acquaintance rape and sexual assault. Villari said last week many universities have not devoted their energies to dealing with acquaintance rape because they fear their action is equal to admitting there is an acquaintance rape problem on campus. "I think universities are skeptical to plan proactively," Villari said. "No one wants that stigma." Many universities then rush to develop resources for victims of sexual assault after an assault is reported, Villari said. Before the two reported incidents earlier this month, Temple had received no reports of rape or sexual assault for almost two years. DiLapi said several people from Temple have come to the University over the years to ask about the Women's Center, but that others at the university have not seen a need for it. DiLapi added that Temple administrators are concerned about acquaintance rape, but they "are not geared up for this."
(09/25/91 9:00am)
An unidentified man ran away with an undisclosed amount of money after holding up the Mellon-PSFS bank branch at 36th and Walnut streets at lunchtime yesterday. The robbery is the latest in a rash of bank hold-ups in the city, upping the record number of Philadelphia heists for this year to 118. According to University Police Lieutenant Susan Holmes, the man handed a bank teller a note saying "Male has a gun" at 11:47 a.m. The teller then handed over an unknown amount of money, Federal Bureau of Investigations spokesperson Linda Vizi said yesterday. Vizi added that the FBI generally does not disclose how much money bank robbers take. Customer service specialist Donna Glover, who was at a desk across from the tellers during the robbery, said the robber took "very little" money. Glover would not say if the teller activated a silent alarm or not. Vizi said the man ran out of the lobby and one of the bank's security guards unsuccessfully chased him from the bank to 36th and Spruce streets. Various police reports described the suspect as a 40- to 50-year-old black man between 5 feet, 5 inches and 5 feet, 8 inches tall, slim, with greying black hair, wearing either a beige sweater or a grey one with burgundy accents. Bank cameras continually tape the inside of the bank, but it was unclear yesterday how much of the robbery was captured on film. The bank closed the teller windows after the robbery, but Glover said she continued to serve customers while police officers began their investigation. Glover said the bank was congested during the robbery, making it difficult to see what was happening in the room. She added that banks are more often robbed when they are crowded. The FBI, Philadelphia Police and University Police are investigating the robbery. Staff reporter Damon Chetson contributed to this story.
(09/18/91 9:00am)
Alberta Africa was queen of her court Saturday afternoon. Seated on a pink milk crate on the porch of her new house, the MOVE leader spent her time answering questions for reporters and ignoring the photographer taking her picture. After the end of one interview, she turned to the next set of reporters. "Next!" Generous with her time, she talked politics and ecology for as long as anyone liked to listen. While most of her talk was serious and emphatic, she joked and smiled despite a confessed sadness that many other MOVE members have either died or are in jail. But she politely turned down any requests to look around the inside of her house. Africa's new house at 45th and Kingsessing streets, which is a a few blocks south of Baltimore Avenue, is a source of curiosity and fear among her neighbors and many other people in West Philadelphia. In many residents' minds, the attention over MOVE's new house has brought back memories of a day six years ago almost everyone in the city -- including Alberta Africa -- do not want repeated. · Africa blames the series of events leading up to May 13, 1985 on a "conspiracy" of people in city and state government. But Wilson Goode's blue-ribbon commission placed blame for those events squarely on the mayor's shoulders. The commission -- as well as the eyes of the world -- examined the bombing of a MOVE house at 6221 Osage Avenue, which killed six adults and five children after the city dropped explosives on the house and then did not fight the ensuing fire for over an hour. The city intended to use the bomb as a threat to get the residents of the house, members of the radical back-to-nature cult, to leave. For weeks, neighborhood residents had been complaining that MOVE members had boarded up the windows of their house and erected and elaborate public address system. Residents said members cursed on the loudspeakers in the middle of the night, ran across neighborhood rooves assaulting residents, and kept stray dogs, cats and rats. When MOVE members barricaded themselves in the building and started shooting at police, the bomb was dropped. But as the fire roared, members continued to shoot at police from the building and firefighters could not approach. But because of the delay, flames grew to be uncontrollable, and eventually destroyed 61 houses on the block. People across the country questioned the logic of Philadelphia government for years to follow, asking why a mayor would bomb his own people. · Africa, who bought the house June 4 under the name Alberta Wicker, said the house attracted her because of its big back yard, which will provide space for her two dogs and their puppies and for entertaining other MOVE members when they pass through the city. On Saturday, her dogs, a kelpie and a dalmation, trotted around the porch, running between Africa and her guests for attention. They barked occasionally to announce the arrival of strangers, but then settled down and greeted people as they approached the house. They ran freely around the fenced yard, which has a water bowl out for them across the driveway from a row of neatly-filled trash cans. Africa was emphatic when she spoke about the problems she sees in government and society. Her voice stayed continually at a high pitch while she gestured and cursed almost continuously. "Officials don't give a damn about you or me or anyone else," she said. Africa said MOVE is dedicated to teaching people about the corruption of democratic society, a society which she describes as having turned citizens into slaves and public servants into all-powerful masters. But government officials consider them subversive radicals willing to overthrow the system. Africa points to the Founding Fathers, who put into parchment their belief that there is a "right to overthrow" the government if one does not like it. As part of government's grab for power, she added, people have been taught to be satisfied with things they don't really need, such as money and material goods, rather than things from nature, which are all people need. Africa, who has been in MOVE since the 1970s, said people in MOVE try to avoid continual obligations to the government or to outsiders. Their children do not attend schools, and instead of holding down full-time jobs, MOVE members do odd jobs or operate their own businesses. She said public education is particularly frightening because it takes children when they are young and impressionable and "fills [their] heads with shit." Government officials try to silence people who question the foundations of the status quo, she added. "It goes past color," she said, pointing to the shootings at Kent State in 1972 as another example of government protecting their positions. "Nobody's got no freedom in this world," Africa said. "Kissing everybody's ass -- that's not freedom." · Africa will not tell how many people have moved into her new house, two halves of a duplex at 4504 and 4506 Kingsessing Street less than 100 feet from Clark Park. She said only that "not many" people will live there although observers may notice a lot of coming and going. A few of her new neighbors have stopped by to say "hello," and welcome the new residents, although she said at least two people are concerned about them. One, her next-door neighbor to the east, is concerned because some men tore down a section of a rotted fence to erect their own without asking the neighbor. Africa said she and her neighbor have worked out an agreement that men from the house will rebuild that section. Another neighbor came up to Africa while she was walking her two dogs to warn her their neighborhood was a "quiet one" and they wanted to keep it that way. "People say we're so violent -- they say they're afraid," Africa said, adding she thinks her neighbors do not feel afraid given that they speak openly about their concerns without fear of retaliation. Africa said neighbors' complaints that MOVE members are dirty insult her. "We live simple -- we don't live cosmetic but we live clean." She said the police have not bothered the house, but that they are "prepared" to retaliate if they do. And she says she is concerned that if the city confronts MOVE again, officials will devise a more efficient way of destroying them. But she says that after the bombing, the group has nothing to lose, and that the group's faith in God affords them "a lot of peace." "We're not sacrificial -- we're not fanatics," Africa said. "But we're not going to be slaves."
(09/17/91 9:00am)
In the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs conference room hangs a poster depicting a classical Greek sketch of a man and a woman. The man is impaling himself on the woman, who is pushing his face and looks angry. "Today's Greeks Call It Date Rape," the caption underneath the print reads. "Against her will is against the law." The poster is part of a nationwide campaign by fraternities to educate their members about acquaintance rape -- an effort several fraternity members say has been successful. Yet many who work with victims of acquaintance rape say fraternities need to move more quickly to police their members and change their attitudes. And while everyone agrees that fraternity members are a captive audience to discuss social issues, many dispute whether this audience really agrees with the message on the poster. · Many observers say women are raped or sexually assaulted in fraternities because they do not see fraternity parties as a potential danger -- particularly in their first few months on campus. "The myth is the black guy from West Philly," Women's Center Director Elena DiLapi said. "They don't fear the upstanding white fraternity." But several incidents over the past few years have contributed to an attitude of mistrust of fraternities on campus. In the spring of 1988, Zeta Beta Tau was suspended from the University for a year for hiring strippers for a rush event. Rushes attending the event performed sexual acts on the strippers with cucumbers and ketchup. And in February 1983, a woman was allegedly gang raped at Alpha Tau Omega by five or six men. While no one was convicted in connection with the incident, the fraternity was suspended for a semester. And many at the University believe fraternities have encouraged the objectification of women. Members of the Women's Alliance said yesterday that women going to fraternity parties should be aware of the attitudes houses have toward women. They have kept a collection of fraternity party fliers from the past few years which they say are particularly offensive and show an unstated goal of sexual conquest. One flier, posted by Phi Sigma Kappa, shows a whale on the awning of the Phi Sig house. The party, called the "Beached Whale" party, offers guests the chance to "meet Jonah." Women's Alliance member Wai-Sum Lee says the poster refers to a practice known as "beaching," where a brother convinces a woman to have consentual sex with him. Unbeknownst to her, however, other brothers are outside watching. Another poster, advertising a Beta Theta Pi party last fall, shows a woman and offers "Live Animals" for "Crab Night." On several of the posters, the fraternity promises beer free and "women free." "It's almost like a promise," College senior Lee said yesterday, adding it is unclear whether the hosts are promising women free entry to parties or men free access to women. The Beta poster drew criticism from the Panhellenic Council last year and, in part, spurred a new Interfraternity Council poster policy. The policy requires the chapter's executive board to approve all promotional literature and offers confidential review of promotional materials by several University organizations. Interfraternity Council President Jim Rettew said he is concerned about perceptions that the mood of fraternity parties is demeaning. "I would hope that we're not promoting . . . an atmosphere which encourages sex," Rettew said. "[T]hey don't help the situation . . . They foster a lot of bad attitudes," one junior woman said. And many of the respondents matched one senior woman's adamant criticism of fraternities: "The system and attitudes are to blame." But more than half of the respondents said fraternities are unfairly criticized on this front, saying fraternities may be a center for acquaintance rapes only because they are the center of undergraduate social life. The parties are a traditional haven for people to meet and drink underage. Over 62 percent of the respondents to the poll said alcohol was partially responsible for at least half of all acquaintance rapes. Others said they felt the parties, not fraternities themselves, were responsible for acquaintance rape and the houses should not be blamed. "What the hell for! Now that's definitely a stigma," one male respondent said. "It starts at parties and the majority of parties at Penn are at fraternities." And a freshman woman said although fraternities might be responsible for some acquaintance rapes, they would happen in other places if there were no fraternity parties. Still, some fraternity members admit they would have suggestions for women attending their first few fraternity parties about what they might encounter there. "Sure I'd have some advice," IFC President Jim Rettew said. "It'd be like going to West Philadelphia and not worrying about the crime . . . It's not a fraternal problem -- it's part of the social environment of coming to a new place." · Peggy Sanday, author of Fraternity Gang Rape: Sex, Brotherhood and Priviledge on Campus, has a very personal interest in the research she conducts. "My book was about a student of mine," the Anthropology professor said, adding she has a "strong sense of responsibility" to educate both men and women at the University about attitudes and actions that will affect them all. Yet her chronicle of the alleged gang rape at Alpha Tau Omega is harshly criticized by fraternity members and observers who have an equally personal interest in her work. In the book, Sanday maintains that gang rape and fraternity disrespect for women is rooted in initiation rituals which promote an agressive "macho" attitude toward sexual discourse and identity. Brothers humiliate and dominate pledges during initiation and characterize the pledges' weakness as feminine, Sanday contends. When pledges finally become brothers, their brotherhood is based on a shared sense of power that others do not have. She said brothers feel entitled to exercise power over others -- particularly women. Sanday's work has given complaints about fraternities the weight of academic scholarship, but others maintain it is, at best, a snapshot of the past and, at worst, a description of events that never happened at the University. "For Peggy Sanday to point and to blame the whole problem on fraternities is not only an exaggeration, it's inflammatory," Rettew said this week. "People make out the Greek system and intitation and pledging as if we teach sexim and racism in our curriculum. [It's] so far-fetched, so far from the truth . . . it doesn't even warrant a response." And journalist Hank Nuwer, who has written about hazing in society, said Sanday's book is overly general, taking a few isolated incidents and characterizing an entire system. Derek Goodman, a member of Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity and the Students Together Against Acquaintance Rape executive board, says although he agrees with Sanday's message, he questions her research. "I don't know about any of the initiation incidents -- they didn't come from my house," Goodman said. Yet Sanday said she has never heard that her book was inaccurate and said several fraternity brothers told her gang rape happens all the time. "My book is not an overreaction," Sanday said. "It's one of the only reactions to the problem." Sanday's research is not the only written condemnation of University Greeks in the past few years. In 1987, an internal University report said "most acts of violence, discrimination and harassment occur in or around fraternities." The report, commonly known as the Berg Report, also said the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs held little sway over fraternities. "Fraternity leaders claim that they would be at best ignored and more likely mocked if they were to attempt to lead discussion on ethics and morality in their houses," the report read. "This suggests that it is unrealistic to expect reform to arise from within the fraternities."
(09/16/91 9:00am)
A female Temple University student was allegedly raped or sexually assaulted by six to eight men in two separate incidents early Thursday morning at Temple's Alpha Phi Delta fraternity house, police and university officials said. And in an unrelated incident, a second Temple student filed a complaint with Temple police early yesterday morning, accusing an acquaintance of raping her in one of the school's dormitories. The student, a junior, told police her assailant was not from Temple. Police are investigating the report, but no charges had been filed at press time. No other information was available on the incident.
(09/13/91 9:00am)
President Bush made a short stop at a University-sponsored drug treatment program at the Veterans Administration Hospital during his brief daytrip to Philadelphia yesterday. At the VA, like every stop during his afternoon visit to the city, he was met by well-wishers and rubber-neckers, as well as a group of protesters who tried to challenge the president on domestic policy issues. But Bush's attention seemed focused on polite smiles for the cameras and prying campaign money out of donors' pocketbooks during the VA visit and a Center City fundraiser for Republican Senate candidate Richard Thornburgh. During his three-hour tour of Philadelphia, he received a quick lesson on a joint University-VA drug treatment program, and then showered goodwill on Republican Party faithful at Thornburgh's $1000-a-plate banquet. Yet Bush likely didn't see the nearly 7,000 protesters who lined Broad Street yesterday afternoon, protesting the president's and Thornburgh's stance on issues ranging from abortion to the closing of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Bush's motorcade was routed away from the protests as he arrived at and departed from the Hotel Atop the Bellevue, the site of the fundraiser. While the president was speaking to the GOP supporters, the protest outside turned violent, resulting in several minor injuries, eight arrests and charges that police overreacted to the protesters. During his visit, Bush was flanked almost constantly by either Philadelphia Police officers, plainclothes Secret Service agents or U.S. Marines. After flying into Murphy Field on Marine One, an armored helicopter, Bush toured the VA facilities and met with substance abuse researchers. During a short speech at the VA, Bush said he "learned a lot" about substance abuse, but that the inherent societal problems surrounding drug abuse still need to be solved. "People think the problem in our world is crack, or suicide, or babies having babies," Bush said. "Those are symptoms. The disease is moral emptiness." Bush also stressed the importance of traditional family values. "If as president I had the power to give just one thing to this country, it would be the return of an inner moral compass, nurtured by the family and valued by society," Bush said. Outside the VA, about 30 protesters carried signs criticizing Bush for his policies on AIDS, unemployment and drug abuse. After his visit to the VA, Bush went to the Bellevue, where he met privately with the Thornburgh campaign staff before speaking at the former cabinet member's fundraiser. Bush spoke for nearly 15 minutes under a blue and white "Thornburgh for Senate" canopy in the ornate, two-story ballroom to nearly 800 GOP supporters. Before Bush arrived, Republican leaders on the first floor mingled, while others on the second floor peered over the edge of the balcony as the band played "Tequilla" and "God Bless America." The president opened his remarks by praising Judge Clarence Thomas's performance in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, saying he was "choked up" by the Supreme Court nominee's opening presentation in front of the committee. "I called Barbara [to remind her to watch the hearings] and she said 'Quiet, I'm watching Judge Thomas,' " he said. Bush also showered praise on Thornburgh's tenure both in Harrisburg as governor and in Washington as attorney general, and spoke personally about his friendship and trust of the Republican Senate candidate. "Dick came in and took action -- cut bureaucratic bloat, cut taxes on individuals and business to spark growth, and restored integrity to a state government that had been plagued by corruption and scandal," Bush said. Bush also attributed to Thornburgh a 75-percent increase in the number of federal prosecutors and the doubling of the number of federal prison beds. Because of his experiences, Thornburgh is ready "to take on Capitol Hill -- without danger pay," and that Thornburgh would be a "key member . . . of the GOP shock force." "Boy, do we ever need him in the Senate," he said. The president was joined at the head table of the banquet by Republican mayoral candidate Joseph Egan -- "I hope to see him win" -- as well as several national and local Republican committee members. Former district attorney and mayoral candidate Ron Castille also attended the banquet as did Frank Rizzo, Jr. -- son of the late Republican mayoral candidate Frank Rizzo -- and Delaware Governor Mike Cassel. Bush left the room shortly after he finished his remarks, joking that the crowd would "probably have broccoli later" and that he "didn't know how good dinner would be." Just as Bush began speaking to the GOP crowd, the mostly-peaceful demonstration turned violent after members of the AIDS activist group ACT-UP overturned three police barricades in front of the Bellevue while carrying a wooden coffin with ashes in it. Police, many of whom were wearing latex gloves, began restricting the protesters, hitting them and bystanders with nightsticks. Police Commissioner Willie Williams said last night that two of the protesters who were taken away by police would be charged. Eventually a total of eight were arrested. Two police officers were also hurt in the fray. Williams said that he had not completed an investigation of the demonstration. Staff writer Roxanne Patel contributed to this report.
(09/11/91 9:00am)
The University will be hard-pressed to find money to pay the city "user fees" if a plan proposed by Mayor Wilson Goode is approved, Senior Vice President Marna Whittington said yesterday. The Goode administration has proposed the University and other non-profit institutions pay a combined $20 million in user fees -- money to support fire, police, sanitation and other basic services -- to help bail the city out of its current fiscal mess. Whittington said despite the restoration of $37 million state funds last month, the University's budget is "quite tight." Administrators did not plan for the city to assess user fees this fiscal year ending next June, she added. Whittington, the University's chief financial officer, said although she would have preferred that city administrators discussed their plans with the University before they wrote the draft, she hopes the University and the city will be able to work together to help forge an appropriate solution to the city's financial troubles. Currently, the city does not levy several taxes on the University that for-profit organizations must pay, although the University contends it deserves reduced tax rates because of the medical care, volunteer time and prestige the University offers the city. The suggested user fee hike is part of a proposed five-year plan the city must submit to its financial oversight board. The oversight board must approve the plan before it will borrow money on the city's behalf and before the city receives approval to charge a regional sales tax. It is not yet certain how much the city intends to charge the University under Mayor Goode's plan. The report has not yet been released to the public, and details of the plan were not available. Whittington said she has not seen a copy of the proposal, adding the University is trying to obtain one so they can analyze what the city wants the University to pay. The Associated Press contributed to this story.
(09/10/91 9:00am)
The Goode administration has proposed charging the University and other non-profit organizations "user fees" as one way to bail the city out of its current fiscal crisis, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Sunday. The proposed user fees -- payment for fire and police protection, sanitation and other city services -- are part of a proposed five-year plan to balance the city budget. City officials must submit this plan to a state-run commission which oversees Philadelphia's finances before the commission will approve the one-percent regional sales tax and a bond sale which will generate operating cash for the city. It is not yet certain how much the city intends to charge the University under Mayor Wilson Goode's plan. The report has not yet been released to the public, and details of the plan were not available. A 50-page report describing the plan was given Saturday to members of the authority that oversees the city's finances. A copy was obtained by the Inquirer. University administrators said yesterday they had no first-hand knowledge of the plan, adding that no direct communication between the University and city officials had taken place about the University altering its financial relationship with the city. But according to the Inquirer, the report said the city wished to receive up to $20 million a year from all the non-profit institutions in the city. Currently, the University pays a discounted rate for water it uses and dumps trash in city sites for free. It also does not have to pay property taxes on land which is used for the "educational mission" of the University. But University officials have continually stressed that the University provides the city with other benefits besides mere tax revenues. And University Budget Director Stephen Golding said yesterday the city must consider the University's maintenance of its own police force and sanitation department. "We are spending a large amount of money in order to provide these services already," Golding said. The prospect of the University and other non-profit institutions paying user fees has been bandied about by several mayoral candidates and City Council members. Mayoral candidate Edward Rendell said last week he had not determined whether or not he would demand user fees from non-profit organizations. However, if elected, the University alumnus said his administration would likely not begin assessing such fees until at least next July. A year ago last spring, the City Council passed Resolution 402 calling for a task force to look into how universities and other non-profit organizations can give back to the city in non-monetary ways. The resolution calls for the committee to explore "improving the nature and quantity of in-kind services that can be performed by certain tax-exempt entities, such as hospitals and institutions of learning." The University is also the city's largest private employer. Budget Director Golding added that although it was premature to comment on the unreleased plan, paying user fees was "certainly not something I would encourage." City Relations Director Paul Cribbins also said he would not yet comment on the draft plan, adding he is trying to obtain a copy of the report. Neither Philadelphia City Finance Director David Brenner nor members of his staff returned phone calls yesterday and City Controller Jonathan Saidel would not comment on the draft report. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
(09/10/91 9:00am)
President Bush will meet with University researchers at the Veterans' Administration Hospital Thursday as part of an afternoon-long trip to Philadelphia. Afterwards, he will speak to the staff of the VA medical center and the University's Substance Abuse Treatment Research Center, which is located on 38th Street immediately south of campus. O'Brien, who is the director of the VA's Addiction Research Center, has gone to the White House before to discuss his research with the president. He said last night Bush has had a continuing interest in his work, adding that he is excited about the presidential visit. "No president has gone to a VA hospital in the last 20 years," O'Brien said. Bush's visit to the VA is the first stop during his visit to Philadelphia, White House advance coordinator Bobby Carr said Monday. The president will land in a helicopter on campus early Thursday afternoon and will be taken to the VA in a 40-car motorcade, Jarvis said. Bush has not scheduled any other appearances at the University. The president is coming to Philadelphia to attend a fundraiser for former Pennsylvania Governor Richard Thornburgh, who served in Bush cabinet for three years as attorney general. The fundraiser, which will raise money for Thornburgh's senate campaign, will be held in Center City at the Bellvue-Stratford Hotel. In preparation for the president's visit to the VA, several roads in the area will be closed Thursday afternoon. The Schuylkill Expressway will closed in both directions from University Avenue to Grays Ferry after 3:30. Other roads in the area that will be closed are: · The University Avenue exit ramp, between 3:30 and 4:15 p.m. · University Avenue between 3:30 to 4 and 5 to 5:30 in the area including Grays Ferry, 38th Street, Baltimore Avenue, Woodland Avenue, Convention Avenue, and Med Drive. · University Avenue between Grays Ferry and Convention Avenue between 6:15 and 6:45. Signs have been posted around campus telling students and faculty who oppose Bush and Thornburgh's policies to show up for a rally at the Bellvue-Stratford at 5 p.m. Thursday. Staff reporter Roxanne Patel contributed to this story.
(09/05/91 9:00am)
The city's two major mayoral candidates fiercely debated privatizing certain city services and made ugly accusations about each other's past political lives during a local talk show Tuesday. But they made clear at the end of the show that they would not bring up each other's private lives during the campaign. Democratic candidate Edward Rendell and Republican candidate Joseph Egan squared off in a mostly friendly, though sometimes heated, appearance on WPVI's AM Philadelphia, their first joint television appearance of the fall campaign. The show alternated between an interview of Rendell and Egan and comments from people in various sections of the city. Residents identified crime and education as the two major problems facing the city -- issues which neither candidate discussed in detail while on the air. The candidates clearly intended to hit each other in issues where they were politically vulnerable. Egan bashed the legacy of Democratic rule in Philadelphia saying Rendell's plan to "bid out" certain municipal services was simply a way to "cover up the scandals and corruption of the past 20 years." Egan had earlier said if elected he would look into selling Philadelphia Gas Works, calling it a "political patronage base for the Democratic Party." After the show, Egan said selling PGW would be "a form" of privatization. Rendell also hedged when AM Philadelphia host Wally Kennedy asked for a "straight answer" about whether or not he would contract out city garbage collection. Rendell said he would contract the service to the lowest "responsible" bidder, whether or not that bidder is a municipal union. "There are tons of services citizens are not getting their money's worth for," Rendell said. Rendell also responded to an Egan radio ad -- which says Rendell represents the "same old stuff" -- by calling Egan's past work in City Hall "patronage" jobs. "I've stood for change all my political career," Rendell said. "He [Egan] has worked for four Democratic administrations as a patronage employee." Egan, who served as head of the Philadelphia Industrial Development Commission, responded by saying the PIDC was "the part that shined" in Democratic administrations while the Democratic party was "deeply rooted in corruption." Egan and Rendell also disputed the role of the next mayor in finding solutions for the city's financial crisis and its crime problem. While Egan said he would strive to be a "facilitator," Rendell said he would offer decisive leadership, adding that such leadership has been lacking in the current administration. Meanwhile, Egan and Rendell agreed their private lives would not be at issue during the campaign. Rendell called Egan "a nice guy," while Egan said there were already enough issues in the campaign without private accusations. Although the candidates spoke fiercely while on the air, they chatted amiably with each other during station breaks. Before the show started, they joked about a spring AM Philadelphia show where the late Frank Rizzo pulled an affidavit out of his pocket which allegedly proved Rizzo's accusations that Ron Castille, former district attorney and Republican candidate, drank to excess and handled guns carelessly.
