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Faxes Sent to Donna Miller

Letters

From:	EG
To:	Councilman Goode, Councilman Green, Councilman Greenlee, Councilman Kelly, Councilman Kenney, Councilwoman Miller, Mayor Nutter, Councilwoman Reynolds Brown, Councilman Rizzo
Date:	Friday, 11/07/08
Subject:	Write the Mayor and City Council

Dear Mayor and Philadelphia Authorities, I am writing to request
your attention and consideration with regard to the CED
Ordinance, 080742, which passed through the Rules Committee
recently. I will refrain from emphasizing my personal dismay at
allowing this downtown gallery district to be made available to
casino development, BUT I request that you STRONGLY CONSIDER
inserting a provision to restrict the square footage of signage,
and honor our ambitions to create a green city. PLEASE, let's not
trade the atmosphere we live in for dollars.

ALSO!!!!!!!! I am deeply saddened to hear that we are closing
libraries and pools in order to weather this fiscal "storm." I
realize that there is quite simply not enough money to go around,
and these services are not "essential," by must it always be our
children who pay for our failures. Without these services and
oasis's, we are set to watch violence and frustration rise once
more amongst our youth and neighborhoods.

All said, many thanks on you wonderful leadership and service in
these tumultuous times. I was one of the lead organizers who put
together Operation Obama Blitz, and it was a pleasure to see you
ridding the truck around spreading energy and empathy during this
historic election. Now back to creating youth art programs, may
we all keep the celebration going in Philadelphia, for the right
reasons, our children!

To whom it may concern,
This letter is in reference to a "slumlord" that i am
currently dealing with. This man has received all the money in
which he asked for me to move-in, but will not make any
repairs. He also will not refund me any of the money i paid to
move-in. I have called L and I, i have taken photo's of the
mold, the leaks, the roaches, the broken window, the windows
with no screens. I am a fulltime worker and a part time college
student this has taken a trmendous toll on me. Not only do i
have to worry about violence i also have to worry about being
taken advantage of by a landlord. I felt as though you guys may
be able to further assist me in making sure he does not take
advantage of another young lady because i am the second female
he has gotten over on. The first female he took her security
deposit let someone else move into the unit and changed the
locks. She still has not received her money back. I found this
out afterwards of course, this actually just makes things more
difficualt for honest hardworking people its very sad. My
landlord's name is Jerry Fluellen and his partners name is Joel
Hasin. Jerry and his family own three properties on North broad
the one i reside in is 4621 N. Broad that is the only property
that is not vacant. Please do not ignor this e-mail or throw to
the side i am not the only person in the city of Philadelphia
dealing with a "slumlord" this issue is just as relevant as the
violence in our city.

Mt Airy, West and East, NIM, Weavers Way - all environmentally aware and pro civil
rights- Right?

Yet this community has turned its back on the contaminated brownfield at Sydney
and Devon that was pitched by our City Council and local community groups. Our
City Council has covered up the real estate fraud, the Environmental Injustice issues
and allowed my home, my health, and my neighborhood to suffer.

The Community leaders in MT Airy and Chestnut Hill along with City Council has
known about these environmental crimes and that it was putting me in the hospital
and has taken my home away from me. Mt Airy Express has had copies of the
violations against thecreek and known about the contamination for a long time.
Much more cover up of crimes has been done by this community leaders and City
Council.

I have learned that City Council also wanted to subdivide Awbury Park which has
one of the last open spring areas of the Wingohocking. The people at Awbury Park
fought it.

I told the City that the headwaters of the Wingohocking where behind my house.
They ignored me. I told them the land was contaminated . They ignored me and I
ended up in the hospital. No one in the community has ever come to my aid in
trying to fight the environmental crimes at the Devon site.

When I am long gone, this community is going to have to deal with the health
consequences of contamination, the watershed issues and the lack of storm
management.

Even in MT Airy the Color of GREEN MONEY is worth more than the Green of Earth.
ANd City Council will commit crime to protect their developer friends. They always
have and always will unless the citizens stop them.

I have put some of the story of what has happened to me, right under your nose, on
this blog www.greenuptoxicphiladelphia.com

City Council has deliberately allowed me to lose everything I ever worked for and
abused me until I end up in the hospital and denied all protections and civil right to
my neighborhood and doesn't care. And Mt Airy has allowed it. If you vote to hand
the park over to City Council it will be your fault that it is soon sold off. Real Estate
fraud is a Philadelphia tradition tied up directly with City Council.

Here is something a friend sent me that shows how government can be the
roadblock to creative growth and progress.


Here are a handful of youtube videos originally produced by 20/20 broadcast on
ABC entitled John Stossel’s Politically Incorrect Guide to Politics. I trust this material
will introduce a healthy perspective on the political process and the government.
They are in six short segments and are absolutely worth viewing. It’s exactly what
every politician and bureaucrat will never admit namely that they are the problem.
What they will never ever tell you is that you are the solution. These are quite
humorous, educational, and right on. Enjoy it and pass it on.

Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Phs6CwnutoY
Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e11-_cE63Us
Part 3:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuL8teeuJD8
Part 4:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pu6cT6ICQQ
Part 5:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTI9r4pUYh4
Part 6:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWVLr8Y18e0

The corner of Pulaski and Rittenhouse streets is a disgrace.
Prostitution, illegal dumping and drug dealing are rampant.

The Pickett Clarence E Middle School is endangering the lives of
its students by refusing to maintain its property. I can't
imagine that anyone would want their child to walk down the
crackhead+condom+glass+feces infested stairs on Pulaski but i'm
sure it happens every day.

The Fresh Grocer and 'Pulaski RE Partners' are negligent in the
upkeep of their properties and should be fined. 'Planet Aid'
should be forbiden from placing their dumpsters on the public
sidewalk.

Ms. Miller, i challenge you to bring this part of your district
under control.

Thank you for your time.

Dear Mr. Nutter and esteemed councilpeople.

I would like to ask your assistance to rid our fine city of
'planet aid' clothing donation boxes.

These unlicensed dumpsters have become a haven for illegal
activity including the dumping of construction material.

This problem is quickly becoming an issue city wide.

Please begin enforcing city sanitation law and shut down planet aid.

Thanks!


_Michael.

I am outraged and appalled that the Philadelphia Department of
Public Health is signing a death sentence for thousands of
animals. The lifesaving achievements of the last three years
are to celebrated and furthered, not abandoned. We will not go
back to a time when most homeless animals are killed.
Classifying them simply as objects to be collected and disposed
of like garbage is unacceptable. We demand that the Health
Department rescind its current request for proposal for animal
control services and rewrite it to require lifesaving. The
agency that holds this contract must achieve progressive save
rates – with a starting place of 60% of the total number of
animals who enter the shelter alive, the current level – so
Philadelphia continues moving closer to the goal of
guaranteeing a home for every healthy and treatable pet. We
will not allow this city to turn its back on Philadelphia's
animals.

TO THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA YOU BETTER LOOK INTO WHAT I'VE BEEN TELLING
YOU FOR YEARS NOW!!!!!!



www.greenuptoxicphiladelphia.com


EVOLUTION OF CRIMINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ENFORCEMENT
Edward Bonanno, Supervising Deputy Attorney General, New Jersey Division of
Criminal Justice

Since the states and federal government first began prosecuting environmental
crimes more than 25 years ago, the nature of the cases they have investigated and
prosecuted has changed dramatically. In the early years of criminal enforcement,
prosecutors used then recently enacted criminal statutes to deal with blatant
criminal conduct, such as midnight dumping of toxic waste drums. Over the past 25
years, the states and Congress have enacted tougher, more comprehensive
environmental crimes statutes and devoted greater resources to fighting
environmental crime. Those efforts, coupled with civil enforcement efforts and the
general industry acceptance of, and compliance with the comprehensive
environmental regulatory strictures put in place, have, to a very large degree,
eliminated most of the blatant dumping activity that was so pervasive in many areas
in the late 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
Now, those who want to avoid complying with the law, either out of greed or sheer
laziness, often employ more sophisticated or discreet methods. Some falsify
documents to conceal their failure to comply with the requirements of our
environmental laws, while others store hazardous/toxic materials in ways that
endanger workers and the surrounding community. Moreover, as the demands on
our land and water resources increase, more companies and individuals are taking
actions that violate statutory and regulatory requirements for land use and for safe
drinking water. With greater development and redevelopment pressures, there is
also more incentive for contractors, consultants and truckers to improperly handle
the removal and disposal of debris, both non-hazardous and contaminated, from
old commercial sites.
This article examines those types of conduct that are now and will be of greatest
concern to state and federal environmental prosecutors. It will also examine some
significant legislative developments in New Jersey that reflect the evolution of
criminal environmental enforcement and ways that criminal enforcement can
creatively use resources to combat environmental crimes.
Trends in Enforcement
Environmental Fraud
Many of those who are inclined to violate or evade our environmental laws will do so
by engaging in schemes to falsify documents to conceal their misconduct. Criminal
enforcement in this area has become a priority for the United States Department of
Justice, Environmental Crimes Section (USDOJ), and for some states, including New
Jersey. In order to combat this fraudulent criminal conduct, which may conceal
significant past, ongoing, or potential environmental problems, federal and state
prosecutors are now using their racketeering, civil forfeiture and money laundering
statutes, as well as traditional non-environmental crimes, such as fraud and forgery.
As many environmental programs rely, to a large degree, on the honesty of those
submitting information to them. The unscrupulous often attempt to exploit the trust
given them. State and federal environmental regulations in virtually every media or
program require regulated facilities to submit or file information with the regulatory
agencies and to maintain certain types of records. As few regulatory agencies have
the ability or resources to closely examine and check all the information they
receive, those inclined to violate the law may feel they have a golden opportunity to
profit by neither misstating to the regulatory agency that they have addressed a
problem when they have not, or denying that there is a problem and then literally
paving it over. In order to preserve the integrity of the system, it is vital that
prosecutors investigate and prosecute those who engage in such activity in order to
send a strong, specific and general deterrence message.
In New Jersey, state prosecutors charged a subcontractor at a state bridge
construction project with government contract fraud for submitting weigh tickets
and bills of lading that falsely stated that contaminated soils had been properly
disposed of, when that was not in fact the case.1 State prosecutors also prosecuted
the managers of a large community water treatment system for submitting to the
State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) analysis of drinking water
samples that did not accurately reflect the sources of the water tested for
radionuclides.2
Community/Workplace Safety
All too frequently, facilities located in densely populated urban areas, or other
communities, operate in a manner that endangers the surrounding area. Such
facilities may arguably not have hazardous waste on site and, consequently, may
not be subject to Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA) or other
environmental statutes, such as the Clean Air or Clean Water Act, which contain
reckless endangerment provisions.3 New Jersey and some other states, however,
have reckless endangerment type statutes that allow state prosecutors to prosecute
those who risk injuring people in the facility or the surrounding community.4 In
New Jersey, the state prosecuted a company for negligently exposing its workers to
methyl bromide gas during a fumigation of a warehouse, which resulted in injuries
to workers.5 They also prosecuted the owner of a child care center for disregarding
a report indicating elevated lead levels and for continuing to operate the center so
as to expose the children to unsafe lead levels.6
In United States v. Atlantic States Cast Iron Pipe Co., et al, federal environmental
prosecutors successfully pursued Atlantic States, a cast iron pipe manufacturer in
Philipsburg, New Jersey, a division of McWane Inc., and four of its supervisors, for
engaging in a conspiracy to expose employees to dangerous conditions, to pollute
the air and water and to impede federal regulatory and criminal investigators.7 In
2005 and 2006, federal prosecutors also successfully pursued four other McWane
divisions and their employees for environmental and health and safety violations at
facilities in Utah, Texas and Alabama.
Urban Dumping
As old commercial and industrial areas are redeveloped in cities, and as costs
associated with the transportation and disposal of solid waste continue to rise, there
are greater incentives for contractors to improperly dispose of debris, contaminated
soils and asbestos from such sites. In 2004, New Jersey enacted a Solid Waste
Crimes8 law to enhance prosecutors’ ability to combat this type of conduct. Using
this new law, New Jersey state prosecutors have charged a number of individuals
with unlawfully disposing of large quantities of demolition debris in open urban
areas in Jersey City, Paterson and Newark.9 Successful prosecution of these
violators has substantially reduced large scale dumping activities in these cities.
Legislative Developments
In addition to enacting the Solid Waste Crimes Law in 2004, New Jersey has several
new provisions that greatly expand the legal tools available to state environmental
prosecutors. In 2007, New Jersey eliminated the statute of limitations for hazardous
waste, medical waste, air pollution, asbestos abatement and water pollution
crimes.10 Prior to this revision, a prosecution had to be commenced within 10 years
of the date of discovery by government officials.11 In 2008, the state created new
criminal provisions in the Waterfront Development Act, Water Supply Management
Act, Coastal Area Facility Review Act, Flood Hazard Area Control Act, Safe Drinking
Water Act, Wetlands Act, Pesticides Control Act, and Endangered and Nongame
Species Conservation Act.12 Under these new provisions, a person can be
prosecuted for purposely, knowingly or recklessly violating any of the provisions of
these Acts, or their underlying regulations or for purposely, knowingly or recklessly
making false statements in documents required to be maintained or submitted
pursuant to these Acts. With these new laws, state prosecutors can begin to address
unlawful conduct relating to land and water use at a time when development
pressures are putting a greater strain on these resources.
Community Environmental Policing
Community or neighborhood policing involves sharing responsibility for policing
with community members for identifying and responding to problems, eliminating
those problems and preventing them from occurring again.13 Common
characteristics of effective community policing initiatives have included better
communication between police and the public, new types of information exchange,
increased responsiveness to citizen concerns and increased trust between citizens
and police.14 Budget constraints, limits on the omniscience of the state, and a
growing diversity of environmental hazards have prompted the consideration of
community participation in pollution monitoring.15
One example of community participation in environmental/pollution monitoring is
the “bucket brigade” program, which involves distributing sample containers to
citizens so they may obtain air samples around industrial facilities. “Bucket brigades”
are usually initiated by community members who work with non-government
organizations.16 Governmental agencies have also provided some support for these
programs.17 “Bucket brigades,” which can function as a sophisticated neighborhood
watch, have provided more information and data to governmental agencies and have
increased public awareness of chemical and health hazards.18
Community environmental policing would involve citizens working closely with law
enforcement to monitor specific areas or facilities for possible environmental
violations. These citizens would be “eyes, ears and noses” for law enforcement. This
would allow law enforcement to have a greater presence in areas threatened by
pollution. With community environmental policing, law enforcement would work
with community and environmental groups to identify potential environmental and
health concerns and to then develop strategies for monitoring and detecting any
problems. Law enforcement would train group members on what to look for and
how to promptly report any pollution incidents to authorities. The training would
make it clear to volunteers that they should not go into private property and that
they should avoid any confrontations. Law enforcement would work with community
and environmental groups to ensure that they select volunteers who are best suited
for doing this type of work.
Community environmental policing can greatly increase the information that law
enforcement receives. This will enhance the ability of law enforcement officials to
identify and prosecute violators and to prevent a serious environmental/public
health incident from occurring. In an era of reduced governmental resources,
community environmental policing will allow law enforcement to maintain and even
expand its presence.
In criminal environmental enforcement, the types of issues confronting law
enforcement have changed significantly from the early years. The enactment of new
laws, as well as the creative use of existing and new resources, through initiatives
such as community environmental policing, will allow law enforcement to respond to
new challenges.
The author, Edward Bonanno is currently a Supervising Deputy Attorney General in
the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice handling environmental crimes
investigations and prosecutions, which he has done since 1988. He is a member of
the Northeast Environmental Enforcement Project and has provided training for that
group as well as for the National Association of Attorneys General, and for state,
county and local law enforcement and environmental officials.
[1]State v. James E. Haas, Indictment No. 07-08-00112-S (N.J. Sup. Ct. Law Div.
2007)
[2]State v. Ottens and Flegal, Indictment No. 06-06-0070-S (N.J. Sup. Ct. Law Div.
2006) (on appeal with respect to Defendant’s admission into diversionary program)

I am horrified to learn that Philadelphia is taking a giant step
backward into the dark ages of animal control. Cities such as
New York have set goals of controlling animal populations without
killing stray animals and are making enormous progress to that
goal. Philadelphia can do the same. I love this city -- I live
here, I work here, I own a home here and my husband runs a
business here. Please do not allow the new regulations to take
effect. They are unkind, and most of all, unnecessary.

Thank you.

To All this May Concern,
I find it questionable that you think that it is okay to just
take away the lives of innocent animals without an effort to
place each and every one into a home. These animals deserve a
chance to have a happy ending!!!!!!!
A "catch and kill" contract can not be tolerated!!!!!!!!!!
Please ensure that the new contract will allow these innocent
animals a chance to find a home!!!!!!!!!!
Sincerely,
Karen Moquin

I am outraged and appalled that the Philadelphia Department of
Public Health is signing a death sentence for thousands of
animals. The lifesaving achievements of the last three years are
to celebrated and furthered, not abandoned. We will not go back
to a time when most homeless animals are killed. Classifying
them simply as objects to be collected and disposed of like
garbage is unacceptable. We demand that the Health Department
rescind its current request for proposal for animal control
services and rewrite it to require lifesaving. The agency that
holds this contract must achieve progressive save rates – with a
starting place of 60%, the current level – so Philadelphia
continues moving closer to the goal of guaranteeing a home for
every healthy and treatable pet. We will not allow this city to
turn its back on Philadelphia's animals.

Please help save the innocent lives of animals that have been
neglected and abused. What we really need is to create
legislation that would make it mandatory that all pet owners
have there pets neutered and spayed. If we could inspire more
people to pay attention to how their neighbors are treating
their animals and give agencies like the spca, pacca and the
Humane society more funds to actually fact check and do their
job, we can surely solve this problem without killing so many
animals that deserve a good home.

Dear Coucilmember Miller,

I am writing to seek you assistance in dealing with a set of
clothes donations boxes on Pulaski Avenue, next to the Fresh
Grocer store.

While these boxes are meant to serve a good purpose, they have
become a dumping ground.

People dump trash, broken bottles, old paperwork, etc.

Before the fence was put up around the closed auto station, that
whole area was a dumping ground. The fence curbed almost all of
the dumping.

With these boxes there the dumping has started again.

We love Germantown, and want it to stay clean.

Please help us get these boxes moved somewhere where they will
not cause the area to become a eyesore.

I am outraged and appalled that the Philadelphia Department of
Public Health is signing a death sentence for thousands of
animals. The lifesaving achievements of the last three years are
to celebrated and furthered, not abandoned. We will not go back
to a time when most homeless animals are killed. Classifying
them simply as objects to be collected and disposed of like
garbage is unacceptable. We demand that the Health Department
rescind its current request for proposal for animal control
services and rewrite it to require lifesaving. The agency that
holds this contract must achieve progressive save rates – with a
starting place of 60%, the current level – so Philadelphia
continues moving closer to the goal of guaranteeing a home for
every healthy and treatable pet. We will not allow this city to
turn its back on Philadelphia's animals.

I am writing, as are many others, to request your immediate
action in making the Department of Health re-write their request
for proposal for animal services to include lifesaving measures.

I am a lifelong resident of Philadelphia. I own and care for 4
cats and 2 dogs, all of whom were rescued from the street or
shelters.

The thought of "disposing" of these poor animals makes me sick.

I have voted for most of you because I feel that your beliefs and
actions match what I myself would do.

Please work with Department of Health to correct their RFP.

I am writing today to express my outrage regarding Wilson Goode
Jr's behavior, particularly in the assault on Claudia Gomez.

The taxpayers deserve a full investigation into this matter.
The use of baseless racial accusations in the course of official
city business makes me ashamed to be a philadelphian. :\

Is Mr. Goode above the law? What would have happened if Jeff
Cole slapped *his* employee???

So, which of you folks wants to wind up the subject of a
Germantown Courier-Mt.Airy-Times Express op-ed piece?

'Councilmember(fill in your name) votes to kill pets'

Very quaint, don't you think?

...PAWS and PACCA are doing a great job with this city's stray
animals. A 60% save rate means that they are also educating the
public about spaying and neutering. And it means a smaller pet
breeding market, which in turn means less temptation to abandon
pooch when the family decides to take that summer vacation.

I know that there is bound to be a loser somewhere in all this-
those pet stores who get their animals from the puppy farms
Rendell is trying to get rid of. Well, let them kill goldfish
instead.

Meanwhile, if you don't agree, there is always:

'Councilmember (insert your name) votes to renew the masscre of
family pets'

The City's RFP for Animal Control is currently unacceptable and
abandons all efforts made to date to improve Philadelphia's
animal "death rate."

As a long-time volunteer and animal activist, I urge you not to
cut the necessary staff and funding to continue the efforts to
make Philadelphia a no-kill city.

Please don't undo our hard work and lifesaving efforts.

Beth Monahan

I am outraged and appalled that the Philadelphia Department of
Public Health is signing a death sentence for thousands of
animals. The lifesaving achievements of the last three years are
to celebrated and furthered, not abandoned. We will not go back
to a time when most homeless animals are killed. Classifying
them simply as objects to be collected and disposed of like
garbage is unacceptable. We demand that the Health Department
rescind its current request for proposal for animal control
services and rewrite it to require lifesaving. The agency that
holds this contract must achieve progressive save rates – with a
starting place of 60%, the current level – so Philadelphia
continues moving closer to the goal of guaranteeing a home for
every healthy and treatable pet. We will not allow this city to
turn its back on Philadelphia's animals.

I am outraged and appalled that the Philadelphia Department of
Public Health is signing a death sentence for thousands of
animals. The lifesaving achievements of the last three years
are to celebrated and furthered, not abandoned. We will not go
back to a time when most homeless animals are killed.
Classifying them simply as objects to be collected and disposed
of like garbage is unacceptable. We demand that the Health
Department rescind its current request for proposal for animal
control services and rewrite it to require lifesaving. The
agency that holds this contract must achieve progressive save
rates – with a starting place of 60%, the current level – so
Philadelphia continues moving closer to the goal of
guaranteeing a home for every healthy and treatable pet. We
will not allow this city to turn its back on Philadelphia's
animals.

Dear Mayor Nutter and City Council Members;
I am a Philadelphia resident and animal lover. I own a beautiful
cat that was rescued by PACCA and fostered by PAWs. I am deeply
concerned about the decision to not renew PACCA'S contract for
animal control. I beleive Philadelphia should be aiming for the
goal of no-kill animal control, and I believe PACCA is in the
best position to help us continue forward toward that goal.
Please don't take us backward.

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