Wednesday deluge
If I hadn't blown my morning on something stupid, I might have time to say more about the following bits:
- News
- Philadelphia tops the charts in terms of poverty among large cities: nearly 25% of all residents live below the poverty line!! This is what people mean when they talk about building human capital for the long haul. We need more and better jobs. Pile onto that the nation's record level of uninsured and a lot of people are hanging by a thread. Dan UA adds his two cents on these sad circumstances (and the need for future leaders to address them). Best quote goes to Ben in the comments:
There is something very strange happening right now in Philadelphia politics. Everyone is talking about crime. No one is talking about poverty. It's akin to a couple of weather forcasters talking about rain without mentioning the clouds.
- Gov. Rendell commits Pennylvania to doubling its use of green energy.
- State Rep. Dwight Evans is on a listening tour, talking with various community groups about how to prevent violence, in theory in preparation for a special session of the Assembly this fall.
- Philadelphia's City Hall will be getting more security, possibly similar to that at the judicial buildings nearby (and less draconian than initially proposed).
- Supporters of Rendell may want to check out a "young professionals" event in Old City tonight.
- The Philadelphia Weekly profiles a Brazilian community that has established itself in Northeast Philadelphia, where it has avoided the conflict with neighbors that tore Riverside, NJ apart.
- Despite strong opposition by local government, PGW continues to press for liquid natural gas shipping on the Delaware River (and storage in Port Richmond).
- A local guy is starting a sort of Consumer's Review for green technologies, hoping to provide homeowners and businesses with better data for improving their own bottom lines.
- Philadelphia tops the charts in terms of poverty among large cities: nearly 25% of all residents live below the poverty line!! This is what people mean when they talk about building human capital for the long haul. We need more and better jobs. Pile onto that the nation's record level of uninsured and a lot of people are hanging by a thread. Dan UA adds his two cents on these sad circumstances (and the need for future leaders to address them). Best quote goes to Ben in the comments:
- Opinion
- The Daily News features an piece cheering Paul Vallas, from the man who preceded him and knows how hard (and lonely) a job he has.
- A Fumo lawyer clarifies some points about various gambling bills and who supports what.
- The director of the PPA defends its introduction of GPS and other high-tech gizmos into city cabs.
- Tom Ferrick looks ahead to the Senatorial debates that start soon, and wonders whether their content will be able to penetrate the advertising fog being emitted from both camps.
- The Daily News features an piece cheering Paul Vallas, from the man who preceded him and knows how hard (and lonely) a job he has.
posted by ACM at 2:52 PM
2 Comments:
The "best quote" is good rhetoric, but how strong is the link between violent crime and poverty? It's my understanding that there's more of a nexus between poverty and other types of crime. My two cents, I can't believe that Sly Johnson isn't getting run out of town - what a terrible police commissioner, inspiring little confidence.
well, it seems intuitive to me that poverty is linked to (1) alternative income sources such as drugs (linked specifically to gun violence), and (2) kids growing up thinking that they're not going to make it, in any sense, and thus that having power and being respected is all there is (linked specifically to illegal gun ownership and random gun violence).
but perhaps I'm missing something. perhaps general life unhappiness doesn't increase interpersonal conflict? perhaps domestic disputes and fights over small items isn't linked to living hand to mouth? how aren't all these kinds of violence directly linked to poverty?
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