Vote Today

Yet another great thing about Center City. Voting is very convenient. No matter where you live, the polling place is no more than a couple of blocks away. For me, it is about one block. No line. No waiting. The whole process took about 5 minutes for both myself and my wife. That is the way it is supposed to work.

I would still prefer a system like Georgia's, where you can vote any time during the final week. But you can't have everything.

Get out today and vote.

If you live in Philadelphia and don't know where you go, use this locator to tell you the polling place.

Here are the Ballot Questions for Center City Philadelphia:
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Ballot Question:
Do you favor indebtedness by the Commonwealth of up to $20,000,000 for the payment of compensation for service in the Persian Gulf Conflict of 1990-1991?

Statement:
The ballot question asks the voters of Pennsylvania whether they approve of the Commonwealth borrowing $20 million to create a fund for the payment of compensation to veterans of the United States Armed Forces who served in the Persian Gulf Conflict and were Pennsylvania residents at the time of such service. The Persian Gulf Conflict was fought in 1990 and 1991 following the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq. If the ballot question is approved, payments will be made from the Persian Gulf Conflict Veterans’ Compensation Fund in the following amounts: (1) up to $525 to a veteran of the Conflict; (2)$5,000 to a veteran who was a prisoner of war in the Conflict; and(3) $5,000 to the survivors of a veteran who died in the Conflictor from a wound, disease, or injury sustained during the Conflict. Act No. 29 of 2006, which presents the ballot question to the voters, authorizes the Pennsylvania Adjutant General to create rules and procedures for administering payments from the Compensation Fund. If necessary to meet the obligations of the Fund, Act 29 authorizes the Governor to transfer money from the General Fund to the Compensation Fund and to reimburse the General Fund from other available funds.

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Ballot Question:
Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to allow for a preference in the civil service regulations for the children of Philadelphia firefighters or police officers who were killed or who died in the line of duty?

Statement:
This Charter change, if approved, would authorize City Council to provide for a preference in the City’s civil service hiring to be granted to the children of Philadelphia firefighters or police officers who were killed or who died in the line of duty

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Ballot Question:
Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to require the Finance Director to issue an annual report that analyzes the participation of disadvantaged business enterprises (“DBEs”) in City contracts for the purchase of goods and services, compared to the percentage of qualified DBEs available to participate in such contracts, and that sets annual participation goals for DBEs, using such categories as Council may define?

Statement:
This Charter change, if approved, would require the Director of Finance to file and publish on the City’s website an annual report setting out an Annual Disparity Study and Annual Participation Goals. The Annual Disparity Study will analyze the rate of participation of disadvantaged business enterprises in certain City contracts compared to the overall availability of qualified disadvantaged business enterprises in the marketplace. The Annual Participation Goals will set out the City’s goals for participation by disadvantaged business enterprises in City contracts for the upcoming year. City Council would be authorized to require additional related matters to be included in the report, and to define the required categories of contracts and disadvantaged business enterprises that must be addressed in the report.

*** UPDATE ***

All Three bollot questions were approved.

From the Philadelphia Daily News:

All 3 Philly Ballot Questions Garner Strong Voter Approval

By MARK McDONALD

Philadelphia voters overwhelmingly supported three ballot questions yesterday, favoring special payments to Gulf War vets and city charter changes aimed at promoting disadvantaged businesses and providing a civil-service preference for the children of firefighters and police who died on the job.

The disadvantaged-business issue was sponsored by City Councilman Wilson Goode Jr. It would require the city finance director to collect detailed information on the participation of disadvantaged businesses - whether owned by minorities, women or the disabled - produce an annual report and set annual participation goals for millions of dollars in city contracts.

The other charter change, authored by former Councilman Michael Nutter, would give added points on civil-service exams to the children of firefighters and police who died on the job. The statewide ballot question would benefit more than 30,000 Pennsylvanians who served in the Gulf War in 1990-91.

A bill signed into law by Gov. Rendell last spring would provide payments of up to $525 depending on a veteran's length of service. A payment of $5,000 would be made to a prisoner of war or to the survivors of a veteran who died in combat.

The payments would be funded by a $20 million bond issue, which Pennsylvania voters, like Philadelphians, supported.

Trick-or-Treating in Center City Philadelphia

This was our first Halloween here in the city. We expected that Halloween is celebrated just about the same everywhere. But things in Philadelphia are a bit different.

First of all, no one rings doorbells or knocks on doors. People go out on their steps with a basket of candy and sit there while the children come around, say trick-or-treat, and get candy. Everyone chats with each other, asking you where you live, what you think of the neighborhood, and so forth. The neighbors also talk with each other. On some blocks the adults all get together and put the candy in piles on a central table together with pizza and snacks. In Rittenhouse, residents sipped wine and beer.

Halloween was a social event, not the individualistic hunt for candy. This is totally different that what we were used to. But I like it quite a bit.

Here are some tips I learned:
- Trick-or-treating starts around 5:15.
- Go to the half-blocks (the small streets between the main streets).
- Rittenhouse is the best area. Especially Delancey. Addison was also good.
- Don't go down one side of the street a few blocks and then come back for the other side. It is much more efficient to do whole blocks at a time.
- By 8:00 most people have gone back inside. Some stay out till 9:00, but not many.
- If you are handing out candy, you have to stay outside. A co-worker who just moved into the city thought she would just turn all her lights on, open the main door, keeping the glass outer door closed. The basket of candy was even right in front of the glass door. No one came to her house at all.

It was a lot of fun. By the end of the night, my son (9 months old) had gotten the hang of reaching into the baskets and pulling out shiny candy. He thought it was a great game. Too bad he will not be able to enjoy his own spoils. But we sure are happy!!