Democrats Promise ‘A Better Deal’

Last week, Congressional Democrats unveiled a new economic agenda, “A Better Deal: Better Jobs, Better Wages, Better Future,” that they hope will help them win back the House in 2018.

The three-point plan includes:

• Raise the wages and incomes of American workers and create millions of good-paying jobs.
• Lower the cost of living for families.
• Build an economy that gives working Americans the tools to succeed in the 21st Century.

In a New York Times op-ed, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote:

Democrats have too often hesitated from taking on those misguided policies directly and unflinchingly — so much so that many Americans don’t know what we stand for. Not after today. Democrats will show the country that we’re the party on the side of working people — and that we stand for three simple things.

First, we’re going to increase people’s pay. Second, we’re going to reduce their everyday expenses. And third, we’re going to provide workers with the tools they need for the 21st-century economy.

While Schumer said Democrats are not targeting blue-collar Americans in rural areas (read: white voters), this image seems to be sending a subliminal message.

Hmmm.

The High Cost of ‘Affordable’ Housing

There is an affordable housing crisis across the country. The demand for affordable housing far exceeds the supply. In the nation’s poorest big city, the Philadelphia Housing Authority spends nearly $400,000 for each new “affordable” rental unit. With 42,886 people on its wait list, PHA would need $17,154,400,000 — more than four times the annual operating budget of the City of Philadelphia — to provide housing for those currently on its wait list. And by the way, PHA’s wait list is closed:

PHA closed its Public Housing Program wait lists on April 15, 2013. The wait list will reopen when PHA determines that the average wait time for housing has reached an acceptable level. The public will be notified through advertisement on this website.

Frontline and NPR recently investigated how billions are spent to house the poor but fewer housing units are being built.

In December 2016, PHA welcomed residents to 57 new apartments that cost the housing authority a whopping $21.9 million. The project was partly financed with Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). Before the paint was barely dry the contractor, Domus Inc., filed a lawsuit alleging PHA “repeatedly changed the terms of the contract, refused to cooperate with the contractor and delayed payment.”

If Domus wins its case, the cost for one unit of LIHTC-funded “affordable” housing could be more than $400,000. To put PHA’s construction costs in context, the median home value in Philadelphia is $142,000. The city’s median income is $41,233; 44 percent of households have an annual income of less than $35,000.

Domus and PHA will face off before Common Pleas Court Judge Patricia McInerney on July 18, 2017. Stay tuned.

Life on Parole

It has been less than two weeks since now former Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams pled guilty to one count of violating Pennsylvania bribery law. U.S. District Court Judge Paul Diamond was so outraged by Williams’ mountain of lies, he revoked his bail and ordered his immediate detention.

When Williams is sentenced in October, Judge Diamond will likely impose the statutory maximum of 57 months and a $250,000 fine. Club Fed will be hard on Williams but not as hard as the life that awaits him as a returning citizen. At the recent Beyond the Walls: Prison Healthcare and Reentry Summit, speaker after speaker underscored that reentry begins inside the walls. So if the former DA has TV privileges, he should check out Frontline’s “Life on Parole,” a look at Connecticut’s efforts to reduce recidivism.

The documentary airs on PBS on Tuesday, July 18. To check your local listing, go here.

#PreservationMatters: Germantown Boys and Girls Club

Philadelphia is the first World Heritage City in the United States. In this city’s culture of demolition, places where history happened are frequently tossed on the trash heap of history. The Germantown Boys’ Club (originally the Boys’ Parlors Association) was established in 1887. It is now known as the Germantown Boys and Girls Club. Friends of the club are fighting to save the historic building from the wrecking ball.

On May 12, the Philadelphia Historical Commission considered the nomination of the Germantown Boys and Girls Club submitted by indefatigable architectural historian Oscar Beisert. Parenthetically, Oscar worked 24/7 to try to save from demolition the church where Marian Anderson learned to sing. His nomination of the First African Baptist Church preserved the historic church for future generations. Oscar and I collaborated on the nomination of the Malcolm X House.

After three hours of histrionics, the Historical Commission had enough. They decided to table the nomination for 45 days. In the meantime, the opposing sides were encouraged to talk among themselves.

Reverend Dr. Alyn E. Waller, senior pastor of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, used Mother’s Day to call out “a small but vocal part of that community”:

You may have heard a lot about the struggle we are presently in in Germantown around the Germantown Boys and Girls Club. Those of you who are from Germantown know that Germantown, like Charles Dickens, is the tale of two cities. … The reason there is a Boys and Girls Club within a mile of each other is because there was a time when there was a white Germantown and a black Germantown. So the black Boys and Girls Club was the Wissahickon Boys and Girls Club and the white Boys and Girls Club was the Germantown Boys and Girls Club.

Now that reality is no longer because, quite frankly, Germantown is black, both sides. But sadly, there are still vestiges of the old mindset. What is taking place in Germantown is that there is an opportunity for the Boys and Girls Club to expand its offering to at the Germantown site. Comcast, along with Ed Snider Hockey, along with some other funders, are attempting to build a new Boys and Girls Club that is going to be inclusive of an ice rink and some other amenities for the community.

The last ditch effort of a very small but vocal part of that community to stop it is to try to get the present building declared a historical site. Now on the surface it sounds like, you know, it’s a good thing to declare it a historical site. Underneath the public argument is fundamentally a group of people who don’t want those children coming into their neighborhood because you have to kind of go through the Penn-Knox neighborhood. And quite frankly, not all of them because there are some wonderful people who really wanna know what the building is going to look like.

Rev. Waller then played the race card:

But the fundamental issue is a race issue and it is a certain crew of people who just don’t want those kids in their neighborhood. I have to call a name because I don’t speak in abstract. The ring leader is a man by the name of Greg Paulmier and he has been historically, the 23 years that I have been here, a lead voice in trying to keep African Americans in a particular pocket. He even on that day called into question my love for the children of this community because I don’t live here.

The Penn-Knox neighborhood is a “family-oriented area, with many residents having raised their families here, and younger residents raising children. Many people are professionals, and range from lawyers and teachers to artists and business people.”

Truth be told, racists who have options do not raise their families in an overwhelmingly black community.

Aaron Wunsch, an assistant professor of historic preservation at the University of Pennsylvania, told me: “Germantown is the closest Philly has to an integrated neighborhood.” Prof. Wunsch’s observation was underscored by archivist and historian J.M. Duffin: “It’s completely absurd because white racists don’t choose to buy houses in Germantown and live next to two organizations, the Boys & Girls Club and PAL, that were there long before any of the neighbors and have been serving primarily African American youth.”

Time will tell what is underneath Rev. Waller’s race-baiting. Like the reverend, I don’t live in Germantown. As a lifelong activist, I care about children in every community. I grew up in an impoverished neighborhood so I know first-hand the importance of exposing children to the possibilities. Knowing one’s history also transforms lives. The Germantown Boys and Girls Club is associated with the Great Migration. The building exemplifies the economic, cultural, political and social heritage of the city and nation. It holds stories of de facto segregation, resistance and white flight. The club’s past is part of the African American story of separate and unequal facilities. Germantown’s history of racial segregation should not be erased from public memory. Fact is, the club’s past informs our present. Philadelphia is the 4th most segregated big city in the country.

The Historical Commission is not the venue to settle old scores or impugn motives. The sole issue before the Commission should be whether to accept the unanimous recommendation of the Committee on Historic Designation to add the Germantown Boys and Girls Club to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. If the 119-year-old building meets the criteria, it should be added to the list. Point, blank, period.

Corruption is What Makes Philly

In the run-up to the Democratic convention, the 2016 Democratic National Convention Host Committee launched #WhatMakesPhilly, “a social media campaign to energize Philadelphians about the Convention coming to town and highlighting what makes the city the unique.”

What makes Philly unique? It continues to live down to its reputation as “corrupt and contented.” One of the longest serving congressmen, Chaka Fattah, is now serving time in federal prison. City Council Majority Leader Bobby Henon is under FBI investigation.

District Attorney Seth Williams, who no longer has a law license, is under indictment. One of the candidates running in the May 16 primary election to succeed him is in debt up to his eyeballs.

And we now know the real winner of the host committee’s #WhatMakesPhilly social media campaign was the committee’s executive director, Kevin Washo. Last week, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Washo paid himself a $310,000 bonus:

On Nov. 25, all 12 of the host committee staff received bonuses. In addition to Washo’s $310,000 check, rewards ranged from $13,357 for the office manager, who was paid $3,000 monthly, to $220,000 for the chief financial officer, who was paid about $8,000 monthly.

In the host committee’s report to the Federal Election Commission, Washo’s bonus is described as “Consulting Services-Political.” On Dec. 23, 2016 — five months after the convention ended — he collected $13,805.96 in “salary.” By then, Washo had already been hired by powerhouse law firm Cozen O’Connor “to assist clients with government relations across Pennsylvania as well as in Washington, D.C., and New York.”

Washo may soon need a lawyer.

Philadelphia Magazine detailed the other bonuses.

The nearly $1 million in bonuses were authorized by Host Committee Chairman Ed Rendell. Philly’s culture of corruption is so embedded that Rendell, a former mayor and governor, brazenly said:

No donor did this out of the kindness of their heart. They all wanted access. They got exactly what they donated for. No donor should feel cheated.

Why should donors “feel cheated?” After all, they received “access” and a tax deduction. Millions of dollars of donations to the host committee were funneled through the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau Foundation. The financial scheme appears to violate the absolute prohibition on political campaign intervention by a Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. The bonuses also facially violate IRS rules against self-dealing.

So on Mother’s Day, I decided to file a complaint about these greedy mothers (half the word) with the IRS and the Federal Election Commission. When I visited the host committee’s website to find out who was on the board of directors, I discovered the site has been partially wiped clean (perhaps “with a cloth or something”), including its home page, sponsors and area partners.

Also on Sunday, Gov. Tom Wolf issued a statement denouncing Rendell and Washo for not returning the $4 million surplus to the state:

I am disappointed that when the host committee discovered there was a surplus, the first call was not to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to discuss returning the money to the taxpayers. The commonwealth supports large events that have an economic benefit to Pennsylvania and the region, but when there is leftover funding, that money should be returned to taxpayers. I am disappointed that the surplus was instead spent on bonuses and grants.

Wolf requested that Auditor General Eugene DePasquale review the host committee’s audit report.

UPDATE: Three Republicans — Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Pat Browne — have called for an audit. In a letter to Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, they wrote:

The revelations over the past several days are particularly troubling. It is undisputed that the DNC had no less than $4 million I unencumbered funds upon completion of the event. A small group of individuals including former Governor Rendell chose to allocate the excess on targeted special interest initiatives and exorbitant bonuses, one greater than $300,000. We were not contacted at any point by the officials at the DNC, the Governor’s Office, or DCED (who administered the grant) about the surplus. No efforts were made to return any portion of the surplus to the Commonwealth.

Kevin Washo and the other host committee staff will have to use their taxpayer-funded windfall to pay for lawyers.

Stay tuned.

How Sanctuary Cities Work to Undermine Rule of Law

The fight over sanctuary cities is heating up. Last week, a federal judge blocked President Trump’s executive order barring sanctuary cities from receiving federal fund. Judge William H. Orrick issued an injunction blocking enforcement of Section 9(a) of the executive order on the grounds that it is unconstitutionally vague.

In a statement, the White House blasted the ruling as an “egregious overreach by a single, unelected district judge”:

Today, the rule of law suffered another blow, as an unelected judge unilaterally rewrote immigration policy for our Nation. Federal law explicitly states that “a Federal, State or Local government entity or official may not prohibit, or in any way restrict, any government entity or official from sending to, or receiving from, the Immigration and Naturalization Service information regarding the citizenship or immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of any individual.” 8 U.S.C. 1373(a). That means, according to Congress, a city that prohibits its officials from providing information to federal immigration authorities — a sanctuary city — is violating the law. Sanctuary cities, like San Francisco, block their jails from turning over criminal aliens to Federal authorities for deportation. These cities are engaged in the dangerous and unlawful nullification of Federal law in an attempt to erase our borders.

Trump tweeted he will appeal the ruling all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, Baltimore’s sanctuary city policy works like a charm. In a memo obtained by The Baltimore Sun, the Baltimore State’s Attorney’s Office says prosecutors should go easy on illegal immigrants:

In considering the appropriate disposition of a minor, non-violent criminal case, please be certain to consider those potential consequences to the victim, witnesses, and the defendant.

Will American citizens be given the same consideration?

In Philadelphia, Mayor Kenney and City Council work overtime to flout the rule of law. Last week, City Council passed a resolution that invoked a nonexistent “human right” to work in the United States:

Recognizing every person’s fundamental right to earn a living, regardless of immigration status, and affirming the City of Philadelphia’s commitment to protect and secure a safe and dignified workplace for all.

Philadelphia Daily News Columnist Stu Bykofsky noted the resolution is not worth the paper it’s written on:

There is no such right. That notion is not just harebrained, it is criminal. Under federal law, only people here legally have the privilege of a job, and they need a permit for that. Even legal visitors have no “right” to work without permission. Employers are prohibited from hiring the undocumented.

Immigration law was passed by Congress and if you don’t like it, go to Congress to change it. That’s how democracy works. You don’t ignore it or rewrite it. The Council resolution didn’t reference U.S. law or the U.S. Constitution. It instead cited the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We’re all Globalists, now.

In the same vein, Jay McCalla, a former deputy managing director of Philadelphia during the administrations of Mayors Ed Rendell and John Street, said Mayor Jim Kenney has some explaining to do:

While Kenney has boldly asserted the general policy, he has neither defined it nor invited public debate to affirm it. City Council adopted a resolution of support, but the few seconds set aside for a voice vote hardly qualify as a sincere sorting of the issues in what may be the most significant, potentially impactful declarations of values a city can make.

While we wait for Kenney to explain himself, check out the surprisingly evenhanded explainer from Vox.

Black Voters to Democrats: We Are Not Your Negroes

Last month, Tom Perez was elected the first Latino chair of the Democratic National Committee. In remarks to the International Association of Fire Fighters, Perez acknowledged the party has work to do:

I understand that one of the basic pillars and adages of politics and of life is often, “What have you done for me lately? What do you stand for today?”

Democrats stand for illegal immigration. In a statement following his election, Perez said fighting President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration is a high priority:

The Democratic National Committee will fight back by (shining) a spotlight on the real faces of those impacted by Donald Trump’s cruel mass deportations. We will not allow this administration keep their stories in the dark.

The DNC’s program, “Faces of Trump’s Mass Deportation Plan,” Latino Victory Fund whose tagline is: We are the future. Latinos may be the Democrats’ future but African Americans are asking: What have you done for me lately?

In a post-election survey for the Congressional Black Caucus, pollster Cornell Belcher found that African Americans feel they are being taken for granted.

Rep. Cedric Richmond, chairman of the CBC, told the Grio:

African Americans are the Democratic Party’s most loyal voters and they should be treated as such. The results of this survey are clear marching orders for the Congressional Black Caucus — African Americans want Democrats to stop using the same old playbook and to make substantive progress on the issues that affect their communities.

African Americans muted their opposition to illegal immigration while President Obama was in office. But the Age of Obama is over.

The fear of criticism keeps most people from speaking out. African Americans’ absence from “A Day Without Immigrants” protests speaks volumes about how they feel. A recent Pew Research Center poll found a 14 percent approval rating for President Trump. With ± 2.9 percent margin of error and 7 percent refusing to say, Trump’s approval rating among African Americans’ could be as high as 20 percent.

The Democratic Party must face the reality that African Americans are not their Negroes.