Mike Nutter's Acceptance Speech

It was a great night and a great speech; watch it here.

Nutter Wins!

Photo of the Philadelphia flag is from Phillyskyline; Mike Nutter has won the Democratic Primary and will likely be the next Mayor of Philadelphia.

Nutter Endorsements

They're not just coming from the major dailys anymore, many local blogs have endorsed Nutter. Here are just a few:

Phawker
Booman Tribune (a nationally known blog that is Philly-based)
Laepplehertzog
Truth, Justice, and Peace

And of course, even before America's Hometown was a blog, we've been endorsing Michael Nutter for Mayor since 2003.

Chris Bowers on the Mayor's Race and Politics in Philadelphia

Commentary from Philadelphia's own Chris Bowers on the Mayor's race over at MyDD can be found here.

A Union Endorsement for Nutter

From the Philadelphia Inquirer: "Nutter also received the endorsement of Local 835 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, which represents 1,975 skilled tradesmen at area universities and cultural institutions."

Michael Nutter' Latest Television Ad

Michael Nutter's latest ad is here. It presents the deluge of endorsements he's recently received.

The Fallser Endorses Mike Nutter for Mayor

The Fallser - East Falls' community newspaper - has endorsed Michael Nutter for Mayor. Said the Fallser:

More than any other candidate, Mr. Nutter’s plans have both depth and substance. He is the brightest, most knowledgeable about Philadelphia and adjacent suburbs, and best able to articulate his plans for the city.

Mr. Nutter pledges to use the City’s economic development resources to create opportunities for all Philadelphians, including small business owners and middle class residents, now being squeezed out by Philadelphia’s shrinking job base. “I understand how to create neighborhood jobs,” he says, “I’ve been doing it as a District Council member for 15 years.”

P.S. East Falls is a fairly large neighborhood with more than 10,000 people.

Hot Places, Cool Spaces

Check out this link for some very neat, environmentally conscious developments in the Fishtown/Northern Liberties sections of town.

Michael Nutter's Latest Ad

Michael Nutter's latest television ad is here.

When Republicans Attack

Has anybody heard about the Republican review of Governor Rendell's appointments to the Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Kathleen McGinty and Mike DiBerardinis? If not, there's a post over at Young Philadelphia Politics that does a great job of explaining what's going on and why we need to speak up. The post on YPP is here; I'd also urge you to send an email to State lawmakers here.

Michael Nutter Continues to Surge

News from the Nutter Campaign:

He's raised $3.4 million so far, likely more than any of the non-self funded candidates. He's raised $325,000 in the last four days!!

Also, the latest NBC10 Survey USA poll confirms Nutter's position as "co-frontrunner" with Tom Knox. The SurveyUSA poll has Knox with 29 percent and Nutter surging into second with 27 percent, 13 points better than the last poll for NBC10. Fattah stays at 18, Brady falls to 11 and Evans to 9.

Matt McClure (Candidate for 4th Councilmanic District) Releases Fairmount Park Plan

On the 135th Anniversary of Arbor Day, Matt McClure, candidate for the Fourth Council District, released his plan for making immediate improvements to Fairmount Park by providing secure and adequate financial resources and clearly accountable leadership to make system-wide improvements.

Once elected, McClure has committed to immediately fighting for complete implementation of the Fairmount Park Commission’s Five Year Funding Plan. The majority of Fairmount Park’s 9,200 acres lies within the Fourth Councilmanic District.

“Its time to end the secretive backroom deals that select our Park Commissioners and City Councilmembers,” stated McClure. “Instead, I want to work hand-in-hand with an independent commission and parks advocates to keep our parks well-maintained, safe, and attractive. Fairmount Park is one of our region’s strongest assets, and with some innovative approaches to income retention and entrepreneurial opportunities, I believe that not only will we have the largest urban park system in the world, I believe we can also have the best.”

Matt's full plan for Fairmount Park can be found here.

Michael Nutter's Fundraising Surges

From the Nutter Campaign:

NUTTER'S MOMENTUM CONTINUES WITH A SURGE OF ONLINE DONATIONS

Over 313 Donors Give Average Contribution of $191 in last three days

Philadelphia, April 30, 2007

Michael Nutter, Democratic candidate for Mayor, today announced that his campaign raised more than $60,000 from more than 313 online donors in the last three days - Friday, April 27 through Sunday, April 29. Nutter said that he believed that this level of online support was unprecedented in the Philadelphia mayoral race and had likely far exceeded online donations made to any of his opponents over a comparable period of time. "These donations show that grassroots support for my candidacy continues to build, and we hope to ride this momentum straight through to May 15,"said Nutter. "Every time someone makes a donation, it shows a level of solid support - and from the start of this campaign the support that we have received has been phenomenal." Nutter said that more than 4,050 people have made a donation to his campaign for Mayor since he began his campaign last year. Nutter said that the online donations came after his campaign sent an email to his supporters reporting on a poll by Pennsylvanians for Effective Government (PEG) that showed Nutter in a virtual dead heat with the previous front runner, Tom Knox. Both the PEG poll and the Philadelphia Inquirer's endorsement of Nutter on Sunday, April 29, boosted donations to Nutter's campaign over the weekend. In 2006, Nutter raised more money and had more donors than any of the other four Mayoral candidates.

Michael Nutter's Latest TV Ad

Can be found here.

27th Ward Endorses Michael Nutter

Over in the 27th Ward - mostly University City - the Ward Committee overwhelmingly endorsed Michael Nutter for Mayor. The story - by Philadelphia's own Chris Bowers - can be found here.

Inquirer Endorses Nutter

In Sunday's edition, the Philadelphia Inquirer will endorse Michael Nutter for the May 15 Democratic primary election.

The Inquirer calls Nutter "the most promising package of achievement, persistence, smarts and vision." Further, the paper believes that it "is easy to imagine on the national stage as the fresh voice of a resurgent Philadelphia, changing the narrative from one about bloodshed, corruption and dysfunction to one about new ideas, new energy, new partnerships."

We're Number Five!!

The 25th anniversary edition of "Places Rated Almanac" is putting out its latest ranking of America's most livable cities, and Philadelphia ended up #5. Our sister City in the west of the state - Pittsburgh - was #1.

The ranking of 379 metropolitan areas across the nation is based on nine categories: housing (cost of living); transportation; jobs; education; climate; crime; health care; recreation; and ambience (museums, arts, restaurants and historical districts).

The rest of the top 10 are San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Rochester, N.Y., Washington, D.C., San Jose-Sunnyvale, Calif., Boston and Madison, Wis.

Bill would create regional authority for PHL

From the Philadelphia Inquirer:

"A state representative from Delaware County, joined by other lawmakers, introduced a bill in Harrisburg today to create a regional authority to operate Philadelphia International, Lehigh Valley and other airports in the area."

"Rep. Bryan Lentz said in a news release that establishing a Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Airport Authority could help reduce congestion at Philadelphia, one of the nation's most delay-prone airports, by coordinating planning and operations at all the region's air fields. The authority would be required to have cooperative agreements with state authorities in Delaware and New Jersey, and to coordinate planning and investment with SEPTA and Amtrak, he said."

Another Media Endorsement for Mike Nutter

The University of Pennsylvania's student newspaper - with a daily circulation of 14,000 - has endorsed Mike Nutter for Mayor of Philadelphia.

"The [Daily Pennsylvanian] Opinion Board strongly endorses Michael Nutter for the next mayor of Philadelphia. While all five Democratic candidates have their advantages and disadvantages, Nutter has the vision, know-how and experience to take the city in the right direction."

"Philadelphia needs real, practical solutions from someone who knows how to get things done. Michael Nutter is that man."

Read the full endorsement here.

Vote for Philly

CNN and Travel and Leisure are rating the nation's top cities in a variety of categories. Last time (2004), Philadelphia didn't fare well. While it is one of the top places for sightseeing, we also were ranked to have the least "good-looking" residents and second to last quality of life. You can see the results here.

The survey is coming out again soon so if you want to vote, click this link and improve our standing!

The First Major Media Endorsement Goes to Michael Nutter

Nutter will be endorsed by Philly Mag in the May issue - hitting newsstands Thursday.

Said Philadelphia Magazine:

"We interviewed all five Democratic candidates, and the nearly unanimous view of the staff was that only Michael Nutter has the vision and sense of urgency to tackle the city’s problems, from ethics to tax cuts to taking on the murder epidemic. In the end, we felt that Nutter has the best potential to be an inspiring leader and to speak to all Philadelphians.”

"Well, there is one candidate in this race who has, over the years, shown a willingness to take on the entrenched interests and do the people’s business. His name is Michael Nutter, and he’s been on the right side of virtually every public issue the city has faced over the past decade and a half. The Police Advisory Commission, domestic partner benefits legislation, ethics in government, wage tax reduction, the smoking ban — none of it would have happened without former councilman Nutter’s Job-like persistence."

Mid-Atlantic Highlands Action Program

The Mid-Atlantic Highlands Action Program is a multi-state partnership run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It is the first-ever attempt to coordinate environmental conservation and economic revival in the mid-Appalachian range. The governors of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia recently announced they had signed the charter establishing the partnership, which is mandated by an 2001 act of Congress.

Governor Ed Rendell said the program - similar to the state's Pennsylvania Wilds eco-tourism project in northern-tier counties - will seek to balance the region's portfolio of recreational amenities with various economic interests. "Our challenge," said Rendell, "is to seek common ground and develop policies that will manage the many demands on this land, while preserving the natural beauty and heritage of the Appalachian Mountains."

The states, under EPA's aegis and funded by an initial $2.5 million federal grant, will survey the region's ecologically significant highlands areas and identify pilot projects to facilitate ongoing community conservation efforts and local economic development.

Friday Agricultural Factoid

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the Commonwealth has preserved over 350,000 acres of farmland. That's a lot of land. It's equal to 70 million parked cars, more than 233,000 football fields and is four times the size of Philadelphia.

PHL is GREEN

Philadelphia International Airport is the largest purchaser of wind power among all airports in the U.S. They've committed to purchase 7% of their annual electricity use - about 13,000 megawatt hours - from wind power each year.

Friday Agricultural Factoid

I know, it's been a while. I've been on a hiatus.

Anyway, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, more than 2 million acres of crops will be planted this spring in the Commonwealth. Farmers will plant wheat, corn, oats, barley, sorghum and soybeans across our state’s 7.7 million acres of farmland.

PennDems Endorse Michael Nutter for Mayor

PennDems Endorse Michael Nutter for Mayor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: MUKUL SHARMA

communications@penndems.org

Phone: 816.686.0729

UNIVERSITY CITY, PHILADELPHIA – February 13, 2007 – The University of Pennsylvania Democrats are proud to announce their endorsement of Michael A. Nutter for Philadelphia Mayor. Nutter -- a lifetime Philadelphia resident and Penn graduate with an accomplished career of public service, business, and financial administration -- impressed the student organization's members with his reform agenda.

Councilman Nutter supports the gradual elimination of the Business Privilege Tax and adding more uniformed officers to the Philadelphia Police Department. Moreover, his Neighborhood Benefits Strategy would require housing and community development projects financed with federal funds to employ low-income neighborhood residents.

Furthermore, Nutter has long been a voice for reforming Philadelphia politics. He is one of the only candidates for mayor who has pledged to adhere to campaign finance limits enacted three years ago.

Nutter served as a City Councilman for nearly 15 years before resigning to run for Mayor. His tenure was marked by several leadership triumphs, including steering the effort to pass a citywide smoking ban and spearheading the creation of an Ethics Reform Board and Ethics Code to provide routine training for City Officers and officials.

The Penn Democrats -- one of the largest student organizations at the University of Pennsylvania and the 2006 Pennsylvania College Democrats Chapter of the Year -- look forward to assisting Michael Nutter as he seeks to become Mayor of Philadelphia.

Members of the Penn Democrats will knock on doors, write letters, and call voters on Nutter's behalf. These efforts will mirror those taken by the Penn Democrats in 2006, when members knocked on over 15,000 doors for Iraq War Veteran and Congressional Candidate Patrick Murphy in an election he won by fewer than 2,000 votes.

The University of Pennsylvanian Democrats are an organization of progressive college students dedicated to registering voters, educating fellow students, and electing Democrats. For information, please visit www.penndems.org.

Friday Agricultural Factoid - Two Days Late

According to the Department of Agriculture, there are more than 50 confectionaries in the Commonwealth, including Hershey's, the world's largest chocolate company.

High Tech Crime Fighting Technique for Philadelphia

From the Harvard Government Innovators Network, "Philadelphia will take advantage of new statistics software to predict which recent probationers are most likely to reoffend. Developed using research about thousands of previous crimes, the city's new Strategic Anti-Violence Unit (SAV-U) uses computer models to forecast which individuals may commit crimes again. Armed with this information, SAV-U can target resources, such as drug treatment, education, and counseling, more efficiently."

Nutter on Ethics (from the campaign)

I strongly support the proposals of the Committee of Seventy’s ETHICS AGENDA. I am proud to be the only candidate running for Mayor who has achieved any concrete ethics reform in Philadelphia. My public policy record on ethics reform is unmatched by any other candidate or potential candidate for Mayor. Every Mayoral candidate should post on this site their track record on ethics reform based on their experience in the public and/or private sectors. I plan to release additional proposals for continued ethics reform later this month. In the meantime, please read my track record on ethics reform as a policy and legislative issue in Philadelphia.

Independent Ethics Board
In September 2004, I introduced legislation providing for the first time in City history a Charter created Ethics Board. To insure the integrity of this Board, I pushed for a strong, independent entity with adjudicatory and enforcement powers, and guaranteed funding and staff to carry out its mission. The Ethics Board was overwhelmingly approved by the voters in May 2006. Five members were sworn in as the City’s first independent Board of Ethics on November 27, 2006.

Revised City Ethics Code
I made changes to the City's Ethics Code which now mandates regular ethics training and education for all City officers and employees, the issuance of advisory opinions, the adjudication of ethics violations, and the imposition of civil fines. These measures were adopted by City Council in December 2005.

No-Bid (Professional Services) Contract Reform and Contribution Limits
I wrote legislation, approved in June 2005, which provides for an open and transparent process for no-bid contracts, limits campaign contributions to $5000 for individuals and $20,000 for businesses, and requires mandatory disclosure of campaign contributions before the award of a no-bid contract and during the contract period. These reforms were Charter amendments and required voter approval before taking effect. In November 2005, 87% of the voters said “yes” to the ballot question calling for these reforms. This was the largest winning margin ever recorded for a ballot question in Philadelphia. The new no-bid contract procedures took effect on February 1, 2006.

Limits on Political Contributions by Contractors
Another important reform I proposed, approved in December 2005, prohibits persons and businesses from receiving City financial assistance if they have made campaign contributions in excess of the prescribed limits − $5000 for individuals and $20,000 for businesses. In addition, individuals or businesses awarded City financial assistance must agree not to make any campaign contributions which exceed the local limits for five years after receipt of the financial assistance. This ordinance took effect on July 1, 2006.

Campaign Finance Reports on City's Website
This new measure, approved December 2005, requires candidates for City offices to file their campaign reports with the City's Records Department. In addition to a hard copy, the reports are to be electronically filed, and the Records Department, working with the Ethics Board, is directed to post the campaign reports on the City's website no later than five business days after receipt of the information. The Records Department has implemented this new law and campaign reports are now available on-line.

There is much common ground between these achievements and the Committee of Seventy’s Ethics Agenda. I look forward to working with Seventy and to continuing the hard but important work of achieving real change in government ethics in the City of Philadelphia.

I Love the Farm Show

The Pennsylvania Farm Show is the largest indoor agricultural exposition in the nation. The Farm Show Complex contains 25 acres under one roof, spread throughout 11 buildings (including three indoor arenas). I went last year; it's a blast.

Fox Executive MBA program Ranked Top 20 in the US

The Executive MBA ("EMBA") Program at Temple University’s Fox School of Business has been ranked among the top 20 programs in the U.S. by the Financial Times. This is the sixth consecutive year that the Fox program has been ranked among the world's best by the London-based news organization.

Gambling and Addiction

"Eighty percent of people who gamble will have no problems. Fifteen percent will have some problems. Five percent will become addicted. This applies across the board to legal and illegal gambling and even state lotteries," said Eddie Looney, executive director of New Jersey's Council on Compulsive Gambling, which has broad experience with the 12 casinos in Atlantic City.

Holiday Factoid

Lots of toys are made in the Commonwealth. The Slinky is made in Hollidaysburg (Blair County); the Crayola Crayon is produced in Easton (Northampton County); and Boyd’s Bears are made in Gettysburg (Adams County).

Philadelphia Schools are Wired

Three Local Colleges Named 'Most High Tech' in Nation
by KYW’s Suzanne Monaghan

PC Magazine is announcing its 2007 "Top Wired Colleges". And a local university tops the list and two others are among the top 20.

Villanova University tops the list as the most high tech school in the country:

"Villanova's been pretty proactive about making sure students have the most updated equipment and then they have very strong tech support."

Erik Rhey of PC Magazine says Philadelphia makes a strong showing compared to other cities with Swarthmore College coming in at number four and Temple University placing 15th out of 240 colleges:

"I know they're in the middle of a big wireless project to get the whole city wireless on a certain timetable. And I think Philadelphia has a very strong initiative in that arena so I think it just sort of fits that the academic institutions sort of follow that."

Schools are judged on things like whether students can check coursework or take tests online, the availability of computer labs, and the strength and security of the school network.

Zoning Reform Bill

From PennFuture: Councilmen Kenney and DiCicco have introduced a Zoning Bill to establish a 29- member Zoning Commission to work with national experts to modernize our Zoning Code. As many of you know, our current Zoning Code was developed during the Eisenhower Administration and is over 600 pages long. More importantly, the code is out of touch with the current needs of the community. We need 2/3 of Council to give an affirmative vote on Thursday, December 14th. Please take a minute to contact your City Council members to urge them to support Bill No. 060699 and Resolution NO. 060716. You can send an email directly at www.nextgreatcity.org through our Take Action! page.

Agricultural Factoid

According to the Commonwealth's Department of Agriculture, 45 of Pennsylvania's approximately 200 milk processors sell eggnog, that fattening holiday drink. Dairy is Pennsylvania's #1 agricultural industry, contributing $4.2 billion in annual income. Moo.

The New York Times Loves Philadelphia

Another positive article in the New York Times about Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania Gets Greener

According to the Philadelphia Business Journal, the Commonwealth’s Department of Community and Economic Development (“DCED”) has granted $2.0 million to Philadelphia University's Engineering and Design Institute and the Pittsburgh-based Green Building Alliance to establish the Pennsylvania Green Growth Partnership.

Horizons Wins Award

Horizons has won the “Restaurant of the Year Award” from VegNews Magazine. The husband/wife team of Rich Landau (executive chef) and Kate Jacoby (pastry chef) moved Horizons from the suburbs into Philadelphia in 2006 and became our City’s first upscale vegan restaurant. The two-story restaurant (downstairs lounge; upstairs dining) serves “nouveau vegan cuisine along with organic spirits”. Craig LeBan - Philadelphia’s premier food critic – gave Horizons an “excellent” rating. Horizons is located at 611 South 7th Street. I've been there; it's delicious.

Friday Agricultural Factoid

This season, 380,000 acres of corn were harvested, producing more than 6.8 million tons of "silage". Corn silage, which is fed to livestock, contributes nearly $185 million to the Commonwealth’s economy.

Friday Agricultural Factoid

Chrysanthemums contribute more than $2.2 million to the Commonwealth's economy. There are more than 60 “mum” producers throughout the Pennsylvania. Overall, we rank seventh nationally in wholesale floriculture crops.

Philly Architectural Salvage Update

From my friends at Architectural Salvage News:

American Soil has opened an architectural salvage store in Philadelphia called Provenance at 1610 Fairmount Ave., (215) 236-6677. On American Soil's website, click on "architectural salvage." Presently, they're selling treasures from Philadelphia's landmark Divine Lorraine Hotel.

Philadelphia International Airport is in the Potatoes

According to the Daily News, Philadelphia International Aiport was awarded more than $38 million in grants for various projects during the fiscal year that ended on September 30. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, it set a record for the amount of money the agency has ever given an airport during one fiscal year.

Mike Nutter Letter to Paul Vallas

Mr. Paul Vallas
Chief Executive Officer
School District of Philadelphia
440 North Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19130

Dear Mr. Vallas:

I am writing to state my opposition to the numerous proposed budget cuts that have been detailed in the recent news accounts regarding the Philadelphia School District.

Some of these proposed cuts – art and music, athletics and sports, teen parenting centers, truancy officers, librarians, nurses and counselors - would have a devastating impact on our schools and many of your own education reform efforts.

It is unclear to me and many member of the public, especially parents and students, how the District’s finances have deteriorated over the past two years without more information being shared with the public, and more importantly, without a long term plan to fix the structural financial challenges that our District continues to face.

In response to this current funding crisis, I am asking that the District develop a comprehensive plan involving the wealth of partners who depend upon stable and improving public education system for the progress of this city and region. The Philadelphia School District must reach out in a cooperative manner to the City of Philadelphia, the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the foundation community, the many area colleges and universities, the education advocacy community and of course citizens, parents and students to develop a plan of action that will fully inform all of the stakeholders about the direction of public education and the quality of our educational services. The School District’s current schedule will not allow sufficient review and opportunity for public input.

I am proposing that you and the School Reform Commission take the following steps:

* Provide a full, detailed disclosure of how the current budget crisis developed and a complete accounting of the past two years’ actions taken to prevent any negative educational impact on students because of funding deficiencies.

* Request a review of the Philadelphia School District finances by the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority which would serve as an independent financial oversight entity.

* Provide a public explanation of the overall impact of the educational and service impacts of any budget-cut plan that is submitted to the School Reform Commission, including the impact on planning as required by the No Child Left Behind laws.

* Provide a school-by-school analysis of any proposed educational and service impacts of any budget-cut plan that is submitted to the School Reform Commission.

* Engage in a week of public hearings in City Council Chambers in order for the public, parents and students to fully understand what the District’s proposed cuts are and how those cuts will impact the educational experience of our students prior to any budget action by the Philadelphia School District and the School Reform Commission. The District can utilize the procedure outlined in the Home Rule School District Charter section 12-209(b) for public meetings of the School Reform Commission, the City Council and the Mayor.

I am strongly encouraging that you take time to extend the public input schedule, because the currently announced schedule provides virtually no real time for input by anyone.

I believe that these steps would result in a more comprehensive and thoughtful budget and would also help to restore public confidence in the School District. Thank you for your consideration, and I would appreciate your timely response.

Sincerely,

Michael A. Nutter
Candidate for Mayor of Philadelphia

Friday Agricultural Factoid: Three Days Late

Pumpkins contribute more than $16 million to the Commonwealth's economy. In 2005, 7,500 acres of pumpkins were planted and harvested. Pumpkins rank our state second nationally in annual production at 136 million pounds.

Temple Law School Excels

According to the Philadelphia Business Journal - for the first time - Temple University's School of Law graduates led the rankings in first-time pass rates for the July 2006 Pennsylvania Bar exam. Temple Law grads had a score of 91.16 percent, 7 percentage points above the statewide average. Temple Law was better than all other ranked law schools, including Pitt (90.34 percent), Penn (89.47), Dickinson (89.17), Duquesne (88.32) and Villanova (85.47).

Center City Development News

According to the Philadelphia Business Journal, the Girard Estate has entered into a $90 million agreement with Trinity Capital Advisors of Conshohocken to develop the block bordered by Chestnut and Market Streets and 11th and 12th Streets. Trinity envisions a project that will likely contain hotel, retail, residential, entertainment and office uses that could total more than 3 million square feet.

The Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence

From their website: The Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence ("RBA") seeks to discover those special places, to celebrate and publicize their achievement. Excellence exists in every city. It can be found in downtowns, neighborhoods, and parks. The Rudy Bruner Award is a search for examples of this often overlooked excellence, and a celebration of their contribution to the richness and diversity of the urban experience. Often these places transcend the boundaries between architecture, urban design, and planning. They are born through processes of transformation -- the renewal of something old, or the creation of something new that resonates in the history of community life.

Friday Agricultural Factoid: Late Double Shot

Pennsylvania ranks fourth nationally in apple production. Apples contribute more than $50 million to our state’s economy. In 2005, 21,800 acres of apples were harvested for 405 million pounds in PA. Also, the Commonwealth ranks fifth nationally in wine grape production. In 2005, we produced 16,300 tons of wine grapes. The state is home to more than 100 wineries.

For the "Conservative" Urbanist In You

Announcing Citiesonahill.org, a project of the Manhattan Institute’s Center for Civic Innovation. This exciting new website shines the spotlight on both the missteps of American urban policy, as well as potential solutions to urban problems. Citiesonahill.org operates with the assumption that the American metropolis can be transformed through better governance, crime reduction, and market-friendly economic policies.

The reader is invited to enjoy an engaging and interactive experience featuring original editorial content, timely analysis of breaking news, and moderated reader comments. Urban analysts based throughout the United States provide guest insight into the unique issues being confronted in their cities.

Citiesonahill.org is edited by urban policy expert Fred Siegel. Mr. Siegel was a major intellectual force in the revitalization of declining American cities in the 1990s. As a senior campaign advisor to Mayor Rudy Giuliani, he was one of the first to conceptualize the reform policies carried out in New York. He is the author of The Prince of the City: Giuliani, New York and the Genius of American Life (Encounter Books 2005), and frequently writes for publications including The New Republic, The Atlantic, The Public Interest, Commentary, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Dissent, The Weekly Standard, and The Washington Post. He was also one of the original editors of the Manhattan Institute's City Journal.

Harry Siegel, formerly of the New York Sun, is managing editor of the site. Harry was previously editor-in-chief of NewPartisan.com and editor-in-chief of the New York Press. He is widely published in national journals and newspapers.

Nutter and the City Year Serve-A-Thon

Nutter for Mayor 2007 is pleased to announce an exciting volunteer opportunity in the near future. City Year will be hosting their annual Serve-A-Thon on October 28, 2006 from 8:30am-3:00pm, and we want to bring our Nutter Team along and show our support for this excellent program.

This year's Serve-A-Thon will be at the Bellfield Recreation Center at 2100 West Chew Ave in Philadelphia, and will include the repairing and cleaning of this facility. A full day of activity is planned, with a new playground to be installed and murals to be painted. This a great chance for us to show our support for Michael and for our great City. If you want to sign up, or just learn more, contact Jesse Cohen at Jesse.Cohen@att.net.

Secret Meeting with Neil Oxman

Philadelphia-based political consultant Neil Oxman worked on six of the last seven Philadelphia mayoral campaigns and has helped elect candidates across the city and nation.

In this strictly “off the record” talk, he will tell how a reform effort can make real and lasting political change. You say you want a revolution? Come out and learn how you can change the world — or at least make positive change in Philadelphia.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006 — 7:30 pm
Friends Select School / 17th & Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Cost — Free

Mike Nutter and Regionalism

From yesterday's Philadelphia Inquirer:

While Philadelphia's bars and restaurants were trying to figure out the new smoking ban, Michael Nutter, the law's prime mover, was out trolling for votes, or rather contributions, at the Mendenhall Inn in Chester County last week. There, Nutter received an enthusiastic endorsement of his mayoral ambitions. He was praised as "a reform-minded public official, a person of the highest caliber who deserves to be elected mayor," in the words of Rob Powelson, president of the Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry and the man who invited Nutter out to the suburbs. "When the city is doing well, the region is doing well," Powelson said.

Nutter was the keynote speaker at the second annual awards luncheon of the Chester County Chamber Foundation. "Philadelphia's future is inextricably tied to Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties," he said. "I want to change the nature of those relationships," seemingly a reference to Mayor Street, who has been little seen in Philly's suburbs.

Nutter noted that Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley was able to bring together 272 mayors from six counties and form the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus. "There's no reason why we can't have something similar," Nutter said. Powelson gave Nutter credit for working with suburban representatives on the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority on the facility's long-awaited expansion.

SoundAboutPhilly

This is a new project from the Pew Foundation & Greater Philadelphia Tourism and Marketing Corporation that offers a series of downloadable audio tours about Philadelphia. The website is: www.soundaboutphilly.com.

Friday Agricultural Factoid: Double Shot

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture:

Potatoes contribute $24 million to the Commonwealth’s economy. In 2005, 11,000 acres of potatoes were harvested. Average yield was 25,000 pounds per acre, totaling 137,500 tons.

Pears contribute $1.3 million to the economy. In 2005, 800 acres of pears were harvested. Pear production ranks us 6th nationally in annual production at 2,100 tons.

Mike Nutter on SEPTA

Michael Nutter Submits Testimony to Pennsylvania Transportation Funding and Reform Commission

Philadelphia – September 15, 2006 - Mayoral candidate Michael A. Nutter submitted testimony today to the Pennsylvania Transportation Funding and Reform Commission in response to the Commission’s request for public comments on its August 2006 report entitled “Investing in Our Future: Addressing Pennsylvania’s Transportation Funding Crisis.”

“Citizens of the Southeastern Pennsylvania region rely heavily on transportation provided by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (“SEPTA”) and that reliance would increase still further if the system was improved,” Nutter commented. “One of the many critiques I heard from my constituents when I served the 4th Councilmanic District was that SEPTA does not serve them well and fails to communicate with them. That recurring problem causes an unnecessary tension between SEPTA and the neighborhoods.”

Nutter provided recommendations to assist in resolving that problem. He called upon the Commonwealth to reconfigure the composition of the SEPTA board to provide Philadelphians with greater representation. Nutter also called upon Philadelphia to solve the problem. He stated, “Philadelphia must do its part. Philadelphia needs a Deputy Mayor for Transportation, who would be the liaison between SEPTA and the citizens of Philadelphia.”

Nutter agreed with the Commission’s assessment that SEPTA remains under-funded and commented, “In order for the funding crisis to be resolved, there has to be a joint partnership between the Commonwealth and the five counties to increase funding.”

Governor Rendell created the Commission in 2005 to examine the funding crisis plaguing Pennsylvania’s highway, bridge and transit systems. The Commission is seeking input before it fashions a final report in November.

Participate in the September 16th “Statewide Action Day” - Help Build Momentum for Democrats Across Pennsylvania!

Governor Rendell is sponsoring a “Statewide Action Day” to build momentum, enthusiasm for November elections tomorrow. Thousands of people from across the Commonwealth will walk door to door to speak directly with their neighbors about the Governor’s record and the importance of getting out to vote on November 7th. This is an opportunity to build momentum on a grassroots level as Election Day quickly approaches. Please visit www.rendellforgovernor.com/actionday for a complete list of locations and for more information about how to get involved. The Governor will be in Bucks County, Bob Casey will be in Delaware County, and lots of local elected officials will be knocking on doors, too. In Philadelphia, things will be getting started at Rendell Campaign HQ at 123 South Broad Street, Suite 1220. Michael Nutter – candidate for Mayor – will be there.

Councilman Kenney Proposes Charter Change

Councilman Kenney is proposing to change the City Charter to eliminate the provision that requires elected officials or City employees to resign their position to run for another public office. Kenney notes that Philadelphia is the only county in the Commonwealth to have place this kind of restriction on its public officials and employees. Kenney says it takes good people, such as former councilman Michael Nutter, who resigned this Summer to run for mayor, prematurely out of public service. Said Kenney, "I think Mike Nutter is a perfect example of a person who worked diligently in here, had good ideas, got a lot of things accomplished, and then wants to take the next step up and has to resign and leave the body."

I Like Mike

Here's a little blurb from this morning's Philadelphia Inquirer. Nutter's actions evidence that he's not a grandstander, just another one of the reasons I like him so much and hope that he's our next Mayor.

"Some people crash parties. Politicians crash news conferences - especially those likely to draw international coverage, and when there's a mayoral race around the corner. At least that's what happened at the opening of the city's School of the Future on Thursday. U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.) and State Rep. Dwight Evans (D., Phila.) - both mayoral hopefuls - joined State Rep. Vincent Hughes (D., Phila.), State Rep. James Roebuck Jr. (D., Phila.) and Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell on stage at the West Philadelphia school. All were invited, but the Philadelphia School District and Microsoft Corp. - which helped design the school - had not planned for them to be on stage. Extra chairs had to be found. At least one politician didn't crash: Michael Nutter, the former councilman and declared mayoral candidate, whose district the school is in and who helped the district secure the site. He watched and listened from the crowd. 'I knew we weren't supposed to be on stage,' Nutter said. 'It wasn't about us.'"

Friday Agricultural Factoid

Grapes contribute $19 million to Commonwealth's economy, with Erie County producing the most. In 2005, 12,000 acres of grapes were harvested in Pennsylvania. Grape production ranks us 5th nationally in annual production at 90,000 tons.

Tell Mayor Street to Sign the Smoking Ban

From an email from PennEnvironment:

BACKGROUND After more than five years of debate, Philadelphia City Council finally passed the smoke-free workplace legislation this summer. On March 27th, the Philadelphia City Council's Public Health Committee passed Councilwoman Marian Tasco's legislation that would make Philadelphia smoke-free by prohibiting smoking in all workplaces in order to protect the health of our citizens and workers. This legislation passed on June 15, 2006 by a vote of 9-6, with council members Clarke, DiCicco, Goode, Kenney, Miller, Nutter Ramos, Reynolds Brown and Tasco voting in favor of this important public health proposal. Unfortunately, Philadelphia Mayor John Street is now hinting he may refuse to sign this legislation--after publicly stating that passing citywide, smoke-free legislation in the city is one of his top priorities. Councilman Nutter first proposed smoke-free legislation in 2000. At that time, far fewer municipalities had enacted smoke-free laws and the bill met strong opposition. In an attempt to work with members of the hospitality industry, the legislation became muddled with exemptions and eventually was put on the backburner before ever getting a vote in city council. Since then, a lot has changed.

In recent years a groundswell of support for smoke-free laws has developed in states and localities across the country. Nearly one-third of the U.S. population--or more than 90 million people--is now covered by strong smoke-free laws. Cities such as New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Los Angeles and Minneapolis have all passed comprehensive smoking bans, as well as our neighboring states of New Jersey and Delaware. As the numbers come back from places that have gone smoke-free, numerous careful scientific and economic analyses have shown that smoke-free laws do not hurt restaurant and bar patronage, employment, sales, or profits. In fact, in most cities the workplace smoking ban is credited with increased sales and creating new jobs as local residents who avoid smoky locales once again began going out to local bars and restaurants. For this reason, it isn't surprising that the Chamber of Commerce even supports this proposal. It is widely recognized that exposure to secondhand smoke causes disease, disability and death. Secondhand smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals and at least 69 carcinogens, including formaldehyde, cyanide, and arsenic. In addition to heart disease, secondhand smoke is proven to cause lung cancer and many serious respiratory illnesses. Here in Philadelphia, a broad alliance of public health groups, businesses, environmental groups and concerned citizens has come together in support of a smoke-free Philadelphia. For more information, check out the website, www.breathefreephiladlephia.org. Yet until June 15, 2006, Philadelphia's City Council had refused to take action on this important public health proposal.

Now, Mayor Street is threatening to bring us back to square one and start all over by refusing to sign the smoke-free workplace legislation. So take a minute to ask Mayor Street to sign the smoke-free workplace legislation. Then, forward this to your friends and family in Philadelphia and ask them to do the same. To email the mayor, click on the link below or paste it into your web browser: http://www.pennenvironment.org/PE.asp?id=1771&id4=ES

Meet Mike Nutter - September 20th

If you have not had the opportunity to meet Michael yet, here is your chance. Young Professionals for Nutter are having their next meet and greet on September 20, 2006 at 6:00 p.m. at Abbraccio located at 820 S. 47th Street.

Pennsylvania is Green

Governor Rendell announced this week that the state government will double the amount of electricity purchased from renewable sources. The enhanced purchase makes Pennsylvania the largest state purchaser of green electricity and ranks Pennsylvania number 12 on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Top 25 Green Power Partners list.

Friday Agricultural Factoid: There's a Fungus Among Us

I’m proud to report that, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, our state ranks first nationally in mushroom production, producing more than 495 million pounds annually. The mushroom industry contributes an excess of $391 million to the Commonwealth’s economy every year.

Rendell for Governor Event Tonight

Young Professionals for Rendell

32 Lounge - 16 S. 2nd Street - Old City

Wednesday, August 30th - 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Open Bar from 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.

No cover - drink specials

Friday Agricultural Factoid: Four Days Late

According to the PA Department of Agriculture, snap beans are a $6 million industry in the Commonwealth. In 2005, 9,500 acres of snap beans were planted in harvested. Snap beans rank 6th nationally in annual production at 27,380 tons.

Friday Agricultural Factoid: On Time!

According to the Commonwealth's Department of Agriculture, peaches contribute $19 million to Pennsylvania’s economy. In 2005, 4,500 acres of peaches were harvested and we rank 5th nationally in annual peach production at 23,000 tons.

Mike Nutter on Taxes

Candidate for Mayor Mike Nutter has an op-ed in the City Paper discussing his position on taxes that is worth reading. Here are two notable excerpts:

"The negative effects of Philadelphia's tax laws on job growth are about as scientifically certain as the effects of global warming, having been recently documented in studies from the Philadelphia Federal Reserve, the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority and the Philadelphia Tax Reform Commission."

"Because of our tax laws, we don't have enough good living-wage jobs in this city. Because of our uncompetitive tax system, we don't have enough money to invest in affordable housing, to provide more afterschool programs for our children, or to offer the hope of quality education and employment opportunities to the thousands of young men and women who drop out of school or don't go to college. Creating jobs, providing quality education and investing in our citizens would significantly reduce crime and violence in our city. That is why I care about tax policy."

Pennsylvania Becoming a Major Player in International Trade

Acccording to Governor Renell's Office, Pennsylvania jumped over five other states last year in the volume of goods exported to other countries. According to the federal government, Pennsylvania companies increased exports by $4 billion in 2005 to $22.3 billion, or a 20-percent increase in total exports. Further, since 2002, Pennsylvania has experienced the largest rise in exports among U.S. states at 41 percent. We now rank ninth among states in the total dollar value of exports, up from 14th last year.

Michael A. Nutter Denounces Drug Testing on Prison Inmates

August 14 - Philadelphia - Mayoral candidate Michael A. Nutter today denounced a recommendation by a Federal panel that would remove most limits on drug testing on prison inmates.

“We should be offering drug rehab to prisoners, not drug testing,” stated Nutter. “These recommendations, if implemented, could return us to the days when experiments were performed on prisoners at Holmesburg Prison, and the Tuskegee Experiments, which conducted syphilis testing on African American males in Alabama during the 1930s.” Nutter issued his statement in response to a front-page story in Sunday’s New York Times, which reported the recommendations by the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences. The Times reports that the discussion occurs during a time in which the biomedical industry is facing a shortage of subjects. Current regulations, passed in 1978, prohibit testing of prisoners, except where the experiment poses “minimal” risks.

“This is about one thing, taking advantage of a vulnerable population – mostly black men,” stated Nutter. “The City should refuse to allow drug companies to use its citizens for this purpose. It is completely immoral.” Nutter suggested that “If drug companies really want to help prisoners, as they claim, they should provide funding for job training and medical services that the prisoners truly need.”

Prior to 1978, experiments were conducted at Holmesburg State Prison, a facility run by the City of Philadelphia. At least one former prisoner reached a settlement with the city after he sued for damages caused by these experiments.

Michael A. Nutter is a candidate for mayor of the City of Philadelphia. For more information about Michael, visit www.nutterformayor.com.

Rendell Way Ahead in Recent Poll

According to a Quinnipiac University poll released today, Governor Ed Rendell has a 57-38 percent lead among likely voters over Lynn Swann a political neophyte with no governmentmanagementt experience. 4 percent were undecided.

Housing Sales Price Growth Strong in the Northeast

According to the National Association of Realtors recently released report on home sale trends for the second quarter of 2006, the strongest increases were in the Northeast where the median resale single-family home price in the second quarter was $299,200, up 6.3 percent from a year ago. The Philadelphia metro area was at $235,100, up 11.4 percent. Calm down everybody, calm the heck down.

Philadelphia Office of Fleet Management Done Good

From yesterday's Philadelphia Inquirer:

Wireless Philadelphia isn't the only program giving the city some buzz these days. The city's Office of Fleet Management ought to be clinking champagne glasses, too.

Two years ago, there was a lot of griping when then-City Managing Director Phil Goldsmith started swiping cars from commissioners and lower-level bureaucrats as a way to save money. In all, 329 "underutilized" city vehicles were sold, saving taxpayers $1.7 million a year. But the officials at fleet management didn't stop there. Faced with budget pressures, they came up with a program in which the city now partners with nonprofit PhillyCarShare, enabling employees to "borrow" cars from nearby parking garages whenever they need them. It's more fuel efficient, more cost effective - and so creative that the vehicle-sharing program was named one of 18 national finalists for the Innovations in American Government Awards, which are overseen by the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. "To be honest with you, it was a little disappointing that we didn't win. I think we would have made a push for publicity if we had," said Robert Fox, the department's administrative-services director and one of the brains behind the program. Out of 1,000 entries, seven won $100,000 each. Philadelphia and the other finalists "got an 'attaboy' with a nice certificate," Fox said. But his office also got this: the distinction of making Philadelphia the first government in North America to reduce its fleet by partnering with a local car-sharing provider.

Friday Agricultural Factoid: Three Days Late

According to the Commonwealth's Dept. of Agriculture, Pennsylvania is home to more than 1,000 farmers markets. The local fruits and vegetables grown and sold at farmers markets across Pennsylvania generate over $50 million in annual revenues.

GPTMC Wins Awards

The Travel Industry of America has announced that the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation has won three of eight 2006 Odyssey Awards. Nobody has ever won multiple Odyssey Awards in the same year. Awards are presented to tourism agencies that have demonstrated originality, creativity and effectiveness, with notable, measurable results.

Rendell = Open Space Preservation

Governor Rendell recently announced that $212 million has been committed for more than 236 projects in the first year of the innovative Growing Greener II initiative, including projects that will clean up streams, expand open space, preserve farmland, invest in state and community park improvements and redevelop communities.

Friday Agricultural Factoid: Three Days Late

According to the PA Department of Agriculture, vegetables contribute more than $99 million to our state’s economy. Pennsylvania is home to 3,500 vegetable growers who manage 50,000 acres of crops and produce more than 240,000 tons of vegetables for fresh and processing use.

Smart Places to Live in PA

Pittsburgh is #9 on the list of "50 Smart Places to Live," a ranking of American cities released May 8, 2006 by Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine and published in the June 2006 issue. The magazine looked for places that combine affordability and livability. To make the list, a city had to score well in a number of areas, including housing prices, cost of living, economic vitality, education, health care, the local arts scene and recreational facilities. The Pennsylvania cities that made the list and their ranking are as follows: (9) Pittsburgh; (12) Harrisburg; (19) State College; (22) Philadelphia; (37) Lancaster.

Friday Agricultural Factoid: Three Days Late

According to the Commonwealth's Department of Agriculture, tomatoes contribute over $26 million to Pennsylvania’s economy. In 2005, 3,900 acres of tomatoes were planted and harvested in the Commonwealth. Average yield was 13,500 pounds per acre, totaling 51 million pounds.

Rendell = Jobs

According to the AP, Pennsylvania added 49,500 jobs during the month of June, bringing the nonfarm jobs total to a record 5.75 million. “It’s encouraging because it’s past the pre-recession peak,” said Ryan Sweet of Economy.com. The unemployment rate was 4.7 percent for June, the 12th month it stayed below 5 percent.

Mike Nutter on Crime

"It is a matter of political will and determining how aggressive Philadelphians are prepared for policing to be to create a safe environment." City Paper’s Brian Hickey read these words in last Sunday’s Philadelphia Inquirer about Mike Nutter and saw them as “the words of a man willing to actually expend intellectual capital and find a fresh approach to saving Philadelphians' lives — the words of someone who, if he continues on such a path, might actually be able to make a difference.” After speaking with Nutter, Mr. Hickey “loved what [he] heard”. Read Brian’s impressions of Nutter and Mike's commitment to and vision for combating violence in Philadelphia here.

Nutter's Campaign Kick-Off Speech

Here's a link to Mike Nutter's campaign kick-off speech. He's intending to focus on three core issues at this point: public safety, education, and job creation.

Greenadelphia!

Greenadelphia! is a Philadelphia-based blog about environmental issues affecting the City and the region as well as issues of national and global importance. Check it out.

Friday Agricultural Factoid: Four Days Late (Again)

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, July is national ice cream month. In 1904, the first banana split was invented at Strickler’s Drug Store in Latrobe. Our state is ranked 4th nationally in ice cream production, manufacturing 41.6 million gallons every year.

Nutter for Mayor

Mike Nutter's got a new website; check it out when you get the chance.

Nutter Podcast Interview

From the Next Mayor Blog, there's a good podcast interview with my pick for Mayor, Michael Nutter.

Friday Agricultural Factoid: Four Days Late

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, sweet corn is a $32.4 million industry in our state. In 2005, 20,300 acres of sweet corn - intended for market - were planted. The average yield was 6,100 pounds per acre, totaling 108 million pounds for the Commonwealth.

It's Official: Nutter to Announce for Mayor

All are invited to join Michael A. Nutter as he announces his candidacy to be the next Mayor of Philadelphia. Here are the details:

Saturday, July 22, 2006
10:30 a.m.
5156 Parkside Avenue
Across from the Mann Music Center

Food, Drinks & a Fresh Direction for Philadelphia will be provided!

Accessible by SEPTA buses #40 & #52. Parking is available at the Mann Music Center.

Contact Nutter 2007 @ 215-545-9700 or www.nutter2007.com for more information.

Friedman...Out!!

I will be away for the next week vacation...posting highly unlikely. See you all when I get back.

Yea Baby! The Friday Agricultural Factoid!

According to the Commonwealth's Dept. of Agricutlure, the state provides $3 million in funding for its Farmers Market Nutrition Program, more than any other state in the country. While most states rely solely on federal funds, our state doubles the total amount available. This year, the program has assisted more than 250,000 people

Water Works Restaurant and Lounge: Opening Tomorrow

The Water Works Restaurant and Lounge opens tomorrow. It will offer an awesome view of the Schuylkill River and a Mediterranean-themed menu. The address is 640 Water Works Drive, just below the Philadelphia Art Museum. Their phone is (215) 236-9000.

Philadelphia History Through Photographs

The Philadelphia Department of Record's new blog features weekly updates that tell the story behind interesting historical photos and provide links to further information.

Cool Website: Short Films about Unique Neighborhoods

Check out a new website called Turnhere. This website features short films about unique neighborhoods and cool places throughout the world. Check out the ones about Old City and South Street.

MenuPages.com Launches in Philadelphia

MenuPages.com is now offering Philadelphia-area residents a fantastic dining and restaurant resource: philadelphia.menupages.com. The site includes complete menus for over 1,400 establishments, from pricey Center City establishments to neighborhood joints.

McClure for Council: Propitious Timing

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer this morning: "Candidate Matthew McClure had perfect timing last week when he lunged out of the gate for Michael Nutter's Council seat. The Ballard, Spahr, Andrews & Ingersoll lawyer happened to plan his first fund-raiser - friends and family only - for the day Nutter resigned. 'The timing was phenomenal,' McClure said, adding, 'I can't take credit for it.'" FYI, that fundraiser was tremendously successful, to be followed up by another one on Tuesday the 25th of July in the Fourth Councilmanic District, in Downtown East Falls. For more info about the event or the campaign, please email info@mcclureforcouncil.com.

Friday Agricultural Factoid: Three Days Late

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, the Commonwealth is home to America's oldest fair - the York Fair - which began in 1765, 11 years before our nation was founded. Three other 200-year-old events, being recognized as Bicentennial Fairs this year, include the Reading Fair, the Washington Co. Fair and the Cumberland Ag Expo.

Random Pennyslvania Factoid

Per capita personal income in Pennsylvania reached $33,257 in 2004 and ranked 18th nationally, according to the "Survey of Business", recently released by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis ("BEA"). Per capita personal income in the Commonwealth increased $1,527 between 2003 and 2004 and has increased by more than $5,000 since 1999. Personal income in Pennsylvania totaled $435.4 billion in the 3rd quarter of 2005, 1.0 percent higher than the previous quarter ($431.2 billion) and 5.2 percent higher than the 3rd quarter of 2004 ($414 billion).

Friday Agriculture Factoid

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, sweet cherries are in peak season. Our state produces nearly 350 tons and ranks in the top 10 nationally in utilized production.

Rendell is Still Killing Swann

According to a new Quinnipiac poll, Republican sacrificial lamb Lynn Swann has made no gains against incumbent Governor Ed Rendell in their race for Governor; Rendell now leads 55 – 31 percent.

Councilman Nutter Gets it Done: Smoking Ban Passes!

Philadelphia City Council has passed a bill to ban smoking in most restaurants and other businesses and public spaces in Philadelphia. The final vote was 9-6. The legislation includes exemptions for certain neighborhood taverns and outdoor cafés. No word yet as to whether the Mayor will sign it. Thanks to Councilman DiCicco for casting the deciding vote.