From left: City Council members Maria Quinones-Sanchez, Mark Squilla, Kenyatta Johnson, Marian Tasco, Darrell Clarke and Bill Greenlee. Photo/Shannon McDonald

Can a City Council budget hearing be called such if only six members attend? Last night was Northeast Philadelphia’s turn in a series of meetings Council is holding to take public testimony about the Fiscal Year 2013 budget.

President Darrell Clarke led the hearing and was joined by a mostly silent but present 1st District Councilman Mark Squilla, 2nd District Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, 7th District Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez, 9th District Councilwoman Marian Tasco and Councilman-at-large Bill Greenlee. continue reading »

Philadelphia’s City Council members will be in Northeast Philadelphia tonight for a public hearing on the city’s budget.

The doors of St. William’s parish hall, 6234 Rising Sun Ave., will be open to the public, and residents are encouraged to give their public testimony.

“Please come and show your interest,” Councilwoman Marian Tasco, D-9th, encouraged attendees of the March Lawncrest Community Association meeting. Though held in Lawncrest, residents and business owners from all over the city are invited to the meeting – the only neighborhood budget hearing scheduled in the Northeast.

Philadelphia’s City Council members will be in Northeast Philadelphia next week for a public hearing on the city’s budget.

The doors of St. William’s parish hall, 6234 Rising Sun Ave., will be open to the public, and residents are encouraged to give their public testimony.

“Please come and show your interest,” Tasco encouraged attendees of the March Lawncrest Community Association meeting. LCA meetings typically draw 80 to 100 impassioned residents, many of whom Tasco has been working with on specific neighborhood improvement projects. The meeting will be open to the general public and starts at 6 p.m. continue reading »

This is part of ongoing coverage in “District 172: The Politics of Change after State Rep. John Perzel,” a collaborative effort with Philadelphia Neighborhoods funded by J-Lab.

The self-professed architect of a Pennsylvania House Republican scheme to pay for political campaign computer software with taxpayer dollars is headed for jail.

The former state House Speaker, John Perzel, has been sentenced to up to five years in prison. He also was ordered to pay $1 million in restitution, as well as thousands in fines. continue reading »

Philadelphia Councilwoman Marian Tasco, seen here at the 2011 Rising Sun Avenue Clean-up, announced City Council will hold a public budget hearing in Lawncrest. File photo/Ian Romano

Philadelphia City Council is coming to the Northeast.

On Tuesday, May 8, Council will hold a public budget hearing at St. William’s School in Lawncrest. Ninth District Councilwoman Marian Tasco made the announcement last night at the Lawncrest Community Association meeting. continue reading »

Photo/Nate for Congress Faceboook page

The member of Occupy Philadelphia who is challenging incumbent Allyson Schwartz in the 13th Congressional District won’t be on the ballot in the Democratic primary. Instead he has decided to take the write-in route.

Nate Kleinman says he decided to withdraw his nominating petitions for the 13th district, which includes parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery counties, for strategic reasons.  Attorneys challenging the signatures on Kleinman’s petitions wanted him to pay their bills if a judge tossed his name from the ballot.

“It made no sense for me to continue fighting in court to stay on the ballot and give the voters a chance to decide who is going to represent them in congress so I will be running as a write in candidate on April 24, Kleinman said.

Read the rest of this story from our partners at NewsWorks.org.

The first member of the Occupy movement to run for a major office, made it official Tuesday. Nate Kleinman is challenging Rep. Allyson Schwartz in the Democratic primary in the 13 District, which covers parts of Northeast Philadelphia and Montgomery County.

Nate Kleinman said he’s he believes his involvement in Occupy Philadelphia help his campaign for Congress.

“The Occupy movement has changed the conversation in this country from fiscal responsibility and budget cuts and deficit reduction to income inequality and the scourge of money in politics,” Kleinman said.

Read the rest of this story from our partners at NewsWorks.

Al Taubenberger at the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. File Photo/Morgan Zalot

Editor’s Note: This post has been updated with comments from incumbent Pa. Rep. Kevin Boyle, D-172nd).

State Rep. Kevin Boyle has already announced his re-election bid for the 172nd Legislative District.

And if Al Taubenberger accepts the endorsement the Republican City Committee has offered, the two will square off in the general election.

Taubenberger, of Burholme, told NEast Philly today he’s still considering the endorsement and weighing whether he’ll run. We spoke with him after the Public Record reported he’d already decided to enter the race. continue reading »

Klein JCC's Lisa Sandler accepts a citation from Seth Kaplan, chief of staff for Rep. Kevin Boyle. Photo/Klein JCC

Brothers Brendan, D-170th, and Kevin Boyle, D-172nd, have had a busy week in the Pennsylvania House. Amid the daily goings-on, they separately recognized a deceased Navy SEAL and a local meal delivery program.

Monday, Brendan Boyle authored a resolution that was passed by the House to honor fallen Navy SEAL Michael Strange. Strange, a Northeast resident, died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan in August.

“[Strange] was a dedicated and valiant soldier who remains one of the City of Philadelphia’s hometown heroes,” Boyle said.  continue reading »

Tacony resident and former City Council candidate Sandy Stewart. NEast Philly file photo/Saleem Ahmed

Philadelphia City Council is considering keeping bars open one hour longer to help raise money for the struggling School District of Philadelphia.

Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown has proposed letting bars stay open until 3 a.m. The ordinance would raise an estimated $5 million annually through the per-drink tax that’s allocated to the district.

But Tacony resident Sandy Stewart, who ran as a Republican in the 2011 6th District Council race, has asked that Council consider restricting the extra hours to entertainment districts. continue reading »