– I am one of the so-called “Philly labor bosses” Republican 26th District state Senate candidate Tom McGarrigle rails against in his latest disingenuous TV commercial. The McGarrigle campaign failed to point out that I’ve worked with and supported the Delaware County Republican machine for many years.

Delco Republican gentlemen like former county Chairman Thomas Judge Sr. and former Upper Darby leader John McNichol are of a bygone era, a better time when political civility still existed. I know and count as friends several former, high-ranking Delco Republicans who ran afoul of the law. I never once said a bad word about them – not in public, not in private. In fact, I now work with a few of them. I consider them gentlemen, business associates and family.

Tom McGarrigle and the other arrogant members of the new breed of Delco Republicans aren’t gentlemen; they’re hit men. Rather than define who he is and why he is deserving of election, McGarrigle instead has spent his time and considerable campaign cash trying to tear down John Kane’s character.

For the life of me, I don’t get McGarrigle’s deceitful, pervasively negative campaign against my friend and union brother, John Kane, the Democratic state Senate nominee in the 26th District race. Tom McGarrigle snidely refers to me and the other hard-working leaders of the Building Trades as “union bosses.” He’s a hypocrite. During the 2012 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Philadelphia, when I served as the parade’s Grand Marshal and McGarrigle was a member of Delaware County Council, he was by my side all day long. Now, he speaks of me and my union brothers and sisters with open contempt.

The Delaware County Republican Party, to which McGarrigle pledges his allegiance, has gladly accepted $1.8 million in political contributions from the Philadelphia Building Trades in the last two election cycles alone. And now we’re the bad guys? What a joke.

One last point: John Kane would never shamelessly drag his Republican opponent’s family into the middle of a heated political race. But that’s what Tom McGarrigle did, in a final, desperate attempt to smear John Kane. McGarrigle’s half-hearted denial that his camp wasn’t involved in this latest effort to embarrass John convinced no one.

John Kane has talked about creating family-sustaining jobs. He’s talked about taxing the Marcellus Gas industry to help plug the huge funding gap for our public schools. He’s talked about being a defender of Delco’s many middle class families, fighting for jobs, tax breaks and lower college tuition costs. I have sat next to John at many meetings when we talked about creating after-school programs, raising more than $1 million for United Cerebral Palsy, adopting Alex’s Lemonade Stand as a charity, building playgrounds and rec centers for under-privileged youth, participating in the Gary Papa Prostate Cancer Run, and delivering toys and turkeys every holiday season, many to families in Delaware County.

Tom McGarrigle has talked only about John Kane. Badly, dishonestly and continuously.

I hope my Delaware County friends will reject McGarrigle’s politics of negativity and vote for John Kane for state Senate on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

-John J. Dougherty, Business Manager, IBEW Local 98

– President Obama will join our endorsed gubernatorial candidate, Tom Wolf, for a Get Out The Vote rally at 4:00 on Sunday, November 2nd at Temple University’s Liacouras Center on North Broad Street. This event starts at 4:00. Tickets are free but must be reserved ahead of time.

For details, go to: http://action.wolfforpa.com/page/s/get-your-ticket-to-see-president-obama-in-philadelphia

– Today In PhillyLabor Radio Podcast Featuring Tom Wolf, Democratic Candidate for Governor in PA w/Lynn Fox, Bus. Mgr of Workers Unite, Erin Young, Political Director, Worker’s United and Joe Scullin, Director, Tools For Meeting Life’s Challenges

Featured Topic: Enjoy a captivating an conversation with Tom Wolf about his plan to bring good jobs, improved education and hope back to Pennsylvania for working men and women!

To LISTEN to the podcast, go to: http://wwdbam.com/2014/10/29/jk102914_mono/

– Today In PhillyLabor Radio Is Excited to Welcome PA. Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate, Tom Wolf to Today’s Broadcast Joining Our Featured Labor Guest, Lynn Fox, President of Workers United Along with Joe Scullin, Director of Tools For Meeting Life’s Challenges and Erin Young, Workers United/Cohen, Placitella & Roth.

Tune in to WWDB 860 AM (or Online at http://wwdbam.com/streamer/) on Today/Wednesday at Noon To See What All The Talk Is About!

– Hearings to Be Held to Explore Opportunities to Enhance PGW’s Performance & Make Philadelphia a Regional Energy Hub

– Following an exhaustive review of the Nutter Administration’s effort to privatize the Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW), City Council on Monday informed Mayor Michael A. Nutter that the financial and public policy risks associated with the sale proposal outweighed the stated benefits to the City of Philadelphia and PGW customers.

Council’s conclusion was based on analysis provided by independent consultant Concentric Energy Advisors, which on Council’s behalf conducted two separate but related studies: 1) a financial and business review of the sale to Connecticut-based UIL Holdings Corporation as proposed by the Administration, or the Asset Purchase Agreement (APA), and 2) an assessment of higher and better uses of PGW as a municipal entity.

In reviewing the Administration’s proposed sale to UIL, City Council found that the permanent loss of PGW’s annual $18 million payment to the City substantially drops the net benefit of the proposed transaction down to the $200-400 million range, rather than $400-600 million as stated by the Administration.

In addition, Concentric found a number of considerations and objectives important to City Council and the public it represents were not addressed by the APA, including but not limited to:

No commitment to keep rate and bill increases at reasonably affordable levels beyond three years of corporate ownership
No contractual commitments on income-based assistance programs after the initial tariff filing for programs other than the Senior Citizen Discount
No commitment to or details of potential acceleration of the cast iron main replacement program
No commitment to a minimum number of PGW employees beyond three years of corporate ownership
No commitments on employee wages and benefits beyond the expiration date of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) on May 15, 2015
No commitment to ensure or prioritize the hiring of Philadelphia residents
No commitment by UIL to retain ownership of all or some of PGW’s assets for any period of time after the sale
No Economic Opportunity Plan to ensure equal employment opportunities for women, minorities and the disabled or to include Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in UIL’s procurement of goods and services
No commitment by UIL to maintain a local presence beyond its guarantee to keep PGW headquarters in Philadelphia for three years

Moreover, Concentric’s review of the APA revealed the potential for negative impacts on the citizens of Philadelphia, including:

The possibility that household and business bills could increase despite UIL’s commitment to a three-year base rate freeze. Because the base rate accounts for approximately 50 percent of the total consumer bill, UIL could raise consumer payments through mechanisms such as automatic rate adjustment riders, charges and surcharges.
Under corporate ownership, UIL could depart from PGW policy and foreclose on liens or sell liens to a third party for collection, setting the stage for crisis among residents or businesses who cannot afford to pay due to hardship or other circumstances.
City government would no longer have input into base rate hikes linked to PGW budgetary and spending priorities because of the removal of municipal oversight.

“I would like to thank all of the parties invested in this sale as proposed – including the Administration, UIL and PGW – for their patience as Council performed its due diligence on what would have been the largest municipal privatization in Philadelphia’s history. I also thank the team from Concentric Energy Advisors for its expertise and assistance throughout Council’s review,” Council President Darrell L. Clarke said.

“While Council concludes that the terms of this sale proposal are insufficiently favorable for Philadelphians and pose an unacceptable degree of risk to consumers, we readily acknowledge opportunities for the enhancement and possible expansion of PGW’s operations,” Council President Clarke added. “To that end, City Council has submitted to Mayor Nutter recommendations for PGW moving forward, and will hold public hearings on how Philadelphia can leverage its considerable assets, including PGW, toward a future as a regional energy hub.”

Councilwoman Marian Tasco (9th District), chair of the Philadelphia Gas Commission, said, “I would like to add my thanks to our hard-working staff for the long hours and great energy they put into Council’s thorough review of the Administration’s proposal. It is Council’s duty to advocate for and protect our citizens by gathering the information that would enable us to arrive at an informed decision. In the end, the terms of this particular proposal do not adequately address the many risks privatization would pose to the public.

“City government has little authority over how major corporations treat consumers,” Councilwoman Tasco continued, “and this proposal simply does not include to our satisfaction adequate safeguards against negative short- and long-term impacts on households and businesses in Philadelphia that a transition to corporate ownership might bring.”

A resolution authorizing hearings to explore opportunities to establish the Philadelphia region as an energy hub will be introduced on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014. City Council’s recommendations on PGW’s next steps; Concentric’s reports on the financial terms of the sale as proposed by the Administration as well as higher and better uses of PGW; and comparative information on high risk main in Pennsylvania and elsewhere is below.

Source: http://phlcouncil.com/council-news/city-council-issues-recommendations-on-philadelphia-gas-works/