On the front page of the current Public Record is the headline ”Push Underway To Curb Needle Swap Locations”. The legislation, HB 2185, was introduced by Representative Angel Cruz of North Philadelphia, and referred to the Urban Affairs Committee, which he is a member of.

Cruz has valid concerns,

”Public safety is my number one concern and citizens’ being poked by stray syringes is inexcusable. People shouldn’t have to worry about getting injured while walking in their neighborhood.”

(Hopefully soon the Public Record will put a link to the article on their homepage)

I agree that no one wants dirty needles in their neighborhood, and while I don’t think the problem is as bad as it is being made out, one needle on the street is one too many.

The problem is that the 500 foot buffer from residences seems like a big hurdle to overcome, and could effectively wipe out these important services. In addition, neighborhoods are where people, including intravenous drug users, live and moving the exchange programs out of them only decreases their effectiveness.

According to the Drug Policy Alliance, 34% of reported HIV infections are among intravenous drug users and their sexual partners. Needle exchange programs have the possibility of reducing infection rates drastically, and are a needed component of the fight against HIV and AIDS.

While I believe Rep. Cruz is well intentioned, the negative consequences of his legislation would far outweigh the benefits. I do believe there is a way to solve neighborhood concerns regarding the increased use of needles around exchange sites without closing them down.

Security agents, increased police patrol around sites, or even participation by neighborhood associations would curtail the problems Rep. Cruz is trying to address. My basic point is that leaders in City Hall should focus on ways to curtail residents’ quality of life concerns, but we shouldn’t use a blanket approach from Harrisburg that will tie our hands with this important tool in our fight against HIV.

In today’s Daily News, Mark Mcdonald reported on a bill that would ban the display of "symbols of virulent animus: a noose, a burning cross or a swastika" introduced by Councilman Clarke.

link here

First off I need to say I’m not racist, I had a black friend in college. Secondly, I’m not angry that it leaves out symbols of hate against the LGBTQ community like pleated-pants or clutter. Basically, when it comes down to it, this legislation isn’t going to affect any immediate plans I have of hanging swastikas or burning crosses.

For the past month or so the queer community has had the unpleasant opportunity of putting its money where its mouth is, figuratively speaking.

Here’s a dirty little secret; when it comes to transgender issues, the heterosexual community isn’t the only group that could use some educating. Many gay men and women are surprisingly intolerant or plain ignorant when it comes to transgendered people and the issues they face. I, ashamedly, count myself in the latter. While I’ve made it a point to learn the differences of various labels, and will actively seek out television or cinema with trans-themes, I wouldn’t be telling the truth if I said I really understand the issue.

My ignorance caught up with me when I asked a transgendered woman what steps I could take in order to increase participation by the trans-community in an organization I help run. Her answer was simple, “Why don’t you invite your transgendered friends?” Quite frankly, I was a bit embarrassed I didn’t have any.

What does this realization have to do with the upcoming ENDA vote? I’ll tell you.

The New York Times has a great story today about how Seattle has turned around its recycling rate from the "cardboard ceiling" it hit in the 1980s, to a national leader.

Seattle now recycles 44 percent of its trash, compared with the national average of around 30 percent, which makes it a major player in big-city waste recovery. Its goal, city waste management officials said, is to reach 60 percent by 2012 and 72 percent by 2025.

Philadelphia's recycling rate is 5%.

Seattle makes it illegal, with consequences, to throwout cardboard and paper in their nonrecycable bins. Now they're expanding that even further. While the environmentally friendly city has always taken yard scraps in a third bin, they now allow food scraps into that mix; soon they'll mandate it.

In today's world of global warming, every day we waste in reducing our carbon footprint is a day we will pay for in the future. (It takes significantly less energy to make things from recycled products than from raw materials.)

Recycling is not something our national or state government handles, the responsibility falls directly to our City Council. It is their inaction that continues to keep us in the dark ages of civic living.

As of Oct. 10, 2007 Philadelphia still lacks real, city-wide recycling.

600 Arch Street
17 Jul, 5:15 PM
We just got word that Republicans in the Senate are planning on blocking a vote on ending the war early this week. Let's be perfectly clear about what's going on here: Republicans are blocking the bill to stop the war because they know they would lose if it came to a vote.

I guess the neighborhoods along the riverfront can thank this Republican from Bucks County. Will the Philadelphia delegation cosponsor this bill?

I don't know how to make it neat and gray, but this is a press release his office sent out.

**********************

Rep. Paul Clymer (R-Bucks), Republican chairman of the House Gaming Oversight Committee, today introduced legislation to eliminate the two licenses available for stand-alone casinos in the City of Philadelphia.

It's unfortunate I only have a paper copy, and don't have access to the Daily News digital archives but I think you can get a good idea of what the article is about. If anyone has access to the archives, maybe they can post some important parts of it.

Philadelphia Daily News
March 23, 2005
"Pay-to-Prey: Mayor's Son Lobbying State for Payday Loans- At Over 400% Interest"

Turns out that Sharif Street was a paid lobbyist in Harrisburg for the payday lenders.

I’ve always considered myself progressive; a strong commitment to the environment, a belief that human rights should be a large factor in our foreign affairs, a progressive income tax verses a flat sales tax, abortion on demand until the age of two, separation of church and state, a welfare system for the disadvantaged, a draconian commitment to the first amendment… you get the point.

But recently, and especially discussing policy around the upcoming election, I’ve found myself in favor of some issues that I think most of my friends would disagree. My question is, can you still be a progressive, and hold these fiscal policy beliefs?

This morning’s Metro proclaimed loudly on the front page “Same-Sex Marriage Ban Fails.” That’s great; great for the people of Massachusetts, awesome for the people of New Jersey, it could even be good news for the citizens of Washington State. For me, the victory is bitter-sweet. It looks like for the foreseeable future the religious-right will not be able to write discrimination against gays and lesbians into the Federal Constitution. It is good that the preeminent governing document of this nation will not have an anti-gay clause in it; still, I’m worried.

The day before a very similar vote happened in a very different city. The Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted to amend the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage and any “legal union identical or substantially equivalent” to marriage (read civil unions). While I am worried that we lost this vote, I’m very concerned with the degree it was lost. The final vote was 137-60; we lost 42 Democrats.