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Faxes Sent to Shirley M. Kitchen

Letters

From:	JA
To:	Senator Kitchen
Date:	Thursday, 09/25/08
Subject:	"Unwanted" Animals?

Please help us save their lives.

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.

The Arbor EARN center located 2701 n. Broad center has a training
for the consumers (TANF)named Work Certification. This training
is excellent in reinforcing customer service skills in the work
place. There will be Graduation ceremony for the next class on
May 20, 2008 @ 10 am.

It would be exciting to have our state representatives attend and
say a few words of encouragement. Our graduates are single
parents that has passed multiple screening procedures to qualify
for the course.

My name is Bob Shipman, staff member of the Institute for the
Study of Civic Values. We partner with the ARBOR EARN center. We
service the Lehigh and Alden DPW districts.

Please RSVP, Rachel McNeal, Director of Operations,
rmcneal@arborearn.com 2701 N. Broad Street, 4th Floor,
215-430-4930 X 205.

We would be honored with your presence at this event. If you
could put this event in your schedule.

For additional information and to RSVP Please use contact
information above. As we would like to create Press Releases with
your name on it.

The PWDC conference held recently acknowledged the ARBOR E&T /
EARN center as the most successful operation in the city that has
10 such centers servicing families. Arbor and its' host of
partner vendors such as ISCV, Friends Nieghborhood Guild,
pathways, CCSI, Alden district, Lehigh District, 1199c,ABO and
others.

We hope to see you at our event Tuesday , May 20, 2008 at 10 am .
Rachel McNeal rmcneal@arborearn.com, 215-430-4930 or Bob Shipman
rmship@gmail.com, 215-430-4930

Dear Governor Rendell:

The original casino bill was gutted, then the new version
passed. It is apparent that this is all about special interests
and big money, not what is best for the city, the state or more
importantly the neighborhoods where casinos will be sited.

Please direct your efforts, and the considerable goodwill you
have as the most popular politician in Pennsylvania in the last
thirty years, and do not allow casinos in Philadelphia, and you
can be assured that you will leave a valued legacy of good
planning and good government. Yes, there is give and take but
this is not one of those instances, you are not suppose to sell
out the people that elected you to the corporations.

Dear Governor Rendell:

Through strong community resistance we defeated the siting of a
casino in the Northwest. The residents of the river areas
deserve no less!

I am writing as one of the 1.5 million constituents of our
courageous City Council led by Councilman Frank DiCicco and our
elected representatives in the General Assembly (Senator Fumo,
and Representatives O’Brien, Keller and Josephs) and of our
newly-elected Mayor Michael Nutter, who are united with PNA in
an effort to re-site the casinos.

Your intemperate and misplaced attack this week is not
appreciated by the residents of Philadelphia, who have worked
for over a year to relocate the two casinos in Philadelphia
away from neighborhoods.

You, and the casino operators, stand alone in the way of moving
these slots parlors to more appropriate locations. Please
direct your efforts, and the considerable goodwill you have as
the most popular politician in Pennsylvania in the last thirty
years, to finding a better location for the casinos and for
creating a waterfront which will be a valued legacy to good
planning and good government.

Respectfully,

B Soltis

Governor Rendell:
"Government of the people, by the people,for the people."
Hurrah, for Councilman DiCicco exercising this on behalf of his
constituents.
Even you, cannot change this, in a midnight session in
Harrisburg. SHAME ...SHAME ... SHAME! Back to History 101, for
you!
How quickly,you forget. Short term gain for long term pain. Think
SUB-PRIME Mortgages. The Casino's will be an economic abscess on
the City of Philadelphia. But appearances seem to indicate that
your well placed friends will fare well,while the rest of us can
go to hell.

Kathleen Hackett

Dear Governor Rendell:
I am writing as one of the 1.5 million constituents of our
courageous City Council and of our newly-elected Mayor Michael
Nutter, who are united with PNA in an effort to re-site the
casinos.

Your intemperate and misplaced attack this week is not
appreciated by the residents of Philadelphia, who have worked
for over a year to relocate the two casinos in Philadelphia
away from neighborhoods.

You, and the casino operators, stand alone in the way of moving
these slots parlors to more appropriate locations. Please
direct your efforts, to finding a better location for the
casinos and for creating a waterfront which will be a valued
legacy to good planning and good government.

Respectfully,

Karen Walls

Dear Commerce Director Naidoff:

You dont have any business giving away state owned rivefront
land for a fraction of its cost to Sugarhouse. Live up the
position you hold, sir. Where is your honor? Where is the
justice in this situation? It is clearly not in this decision.
Please change your mind immediately, and do not "sell" this
land to Sugarhouse!

Jeremy Avellino

Dear Commerce Director Naidoff:

The City of Philadelphia has no business giving publicly owned
riverfront land to SugarHouse for a fraction of its real value.
Please disapprove SugarHouse Casino's request for a license to
build its facility on state-owned riverfront lands.

Hallwatch estimates that the publicly owned land SugarHouse
seeks to use for its slots parlor would go for $30 million on
the open market while the Daily News estimates SugarHouse will
only pay slightly more than a quarter of a million if you
approve their application.

Don't do it! You have been provided with compelling evidence
that the City does not have the authority to give away state
land for a fraction of its real value. Please take their advice
and say no to the SugarHouse land grab.

Dear Mayor Street:

I am extremely pleased that we do not have to suffer the
presence of a casino here in NW Phila.

But I also do not wish that misery on my fellow citizens in
other neigborhoods.

I am concerned about the Commerce Dept.'s decision to hold a
public hearing Nov. 15 on SugarHouse Casino's application to
build its facility on state-owned riverfront lands. SugarHouse
has invoked an obscure state law in the hopes of obtaining from
the City that which it has thus been thus far been unable to
obtain from the Commonwealth.

I'd appreciate it if you could get back to me with answers to
the following questions before the hearing:


Why not postpone the hearing until after Mayor Nutter takes
office in January since he is the one who will have to deal
with the casino issue for the next 4 years, at least?
What are the terms under which members of the public may
address the hearing?

Which officials will make the decision about whether to grant
SugarHouse permission to build on state riparian lands?
When do you expect a decision on the license to be made?

Is SugarHouse Casino expected to testify at the hearing?
Does the Commerce Dept. consider impacted residents to be
interested parties for the purposes of this hearing?

Will the hearing be videotaped and, if so, when will such
videotape be available to the public?

Does the Sunshine Act apply to this hearing?

Do the procedures found at 2 Pa.C.S.A. Section 551, et seq.,
apply to this hearing?

Thank you for considering this request that you clarify certain
aspects of your hearing. I look forward to hearing from you.

Dear Governor Rendell:

Nowhere else in this country have casinos been permitted to
locate next to residential neighborhoods--only in Pennsylvania.

Please let me know what you are doing to right this wrong by
relocating the casinos away from my neighborhood. I know from
your letter of October 9 that you wrote the casinos and
suggested that they move. What else did you do?

According to this Inquirer story from August 3 you promised
neighborhood leaders that you would:

1. support resiting both casinos more than 1,500 feet away from
neighborhoods if viable sites were identified

2. urge the casinos developers to consider such sites

3. make state resources available to enable the process

Please provide me with specific answers about what you did to
keep each part of your promise to neighborhood leaders by
October 22, 2007.

Casinos and neighborhoods do not mix. Councilman Frank DiCicco
provided you on August 9 with other locations that would allow
the casinos to make money, but also protect neighborhoods.

As a responsible and respected public official, I expect you to
protect me and my family by requiring casinos to locate at
least 1500 ft from all neighborhoods. Rep. Babette Joseph's
House Bill 1477 would turn this common sense requirement into
law. Since you say you have no power to force the casinos to
move, I respectfully suggest that you take steps to obtain this
power by making the passage of House Bill 1477 your number one
goal in the legislature.

Thank you for your past support of Philadelphia's neighborhoods
and for people--especially children--who live in them.

Sincerely,
B Soltis

Dear Governor Rendell:

Please let me know exactly what steps you took to get the
casinos to move to another site.

Dear Governor Rendell:


Dear Governor Rendell:

You promised neighborhood leaders you would try to persuade the casinos to
relocate if somebody came to you with suitable sites. Councilman DiCicco provided
you with such a list on August 9, but to date neither the Councilman nor the
150,000 people he represents have heard back from you.

I ask you to do the following by October 12, 2007 at the latest:

Provide me and Councilman DiCicco with a detailed report describing your efforts to
persuade the casinos to move and your progress to date.
Convene a blue ribbon panel of experts to study and recommend alternative
locations using Councilman DiCicco's list as a starting point.
Ask the Supreme Court not to rule on any casino's request for zoning permits until
January 15, 2008 so that you and the casinos have enough time to thoroughly
explore moving their facilities elsewhere.
Thank you for your past support of Philadelphia's neighborhoods and for the
families and children who live in them. Please let me know if you can accommodate
my request for action on your part.

Sincerely,

Pastor Steve Huber

Dear Governor Rendell:

You promised neighborhood leaders you would try to persuade the
casinos to relocate if somebody came to you with suitable
sites. Councilman DiCicco provided you with such a list on
August 9, but to date neither the Councilman nor the 150,000
people he represents have heard back from you.

I ask you to do the following by October 12, 2007 at the
latest:


Provide me and Councilman DiCicco with a detailed report
describing your efforts to persuade the casinos to move and
your progress to date.
Convene a blue ribbon panel of experts to study and recommend
alternative locations using Councilman DiCicco's list as a
starting point.
Ask the Supreme Court not to rule on any casino's request for
zoning permits until January 15, 2008 so that you and the
casinos have enough time to thoroughly explore moving their
facilities elsewhere.

Thank you,
Nathan Eckel

Dear Governor Rendell:

You promised neighborhood leaders you would try to persuade the
casinos to relocate if somebody came to you with suitable
sites. Councilman DiCicco provided you with such a list on
August 9, but to date neither the Councilman nor the 150,000
people he represents have heard back from you.

I ask you to do the following by October 12, 2007 at the
latest:


1. Provide me and Councilman DiCicco with a detailed report
describing your efforts to persuade the casinos to move and
your progress to date.
2. Convene a blue ribbon panel of experts to study and
recommend alternative locations using Councilman DiCicco's list
as a starting point.
3. Ask the Supreme Court not to rule on any casino's request
for zoning permits until January 15, 2008 so that you and the
casinos have enough time to thoroughly explore moving their
facilities elsewhere.
Thank you for your past support of Philadelphia's neighborhoods
and for the families and children who live in them. Please let
me know if you can accommodate my request for action on your
part.

Sincerely,
Karen Walls

Dear Governor Rendell:

I did not work for your campaigns nor did I vote for you, and so
I cannot appeal to your sense of obligation. Yet as a concerned
citizen who loves the city of Philadelphia, I urge you to please
keep your word.

Please, keep your promise and give us and Councilman DiCicco a
response. As complex as the issue might seem to you, the bottom
line is that casinos will damage Philadelphia's neighborhoods,
especially those in close proximity.

"You promised neighborhood leaders you would try to persuade the
casinos to relocate if somebody came to you with suitable
sites. Councilman DiCicco provided you with such a list on
August 9, but to date neither the Councilman nor the 150,000
people he represents have heard back from you."

Thank you.

Dear Governor Rendell:

Please find a more sensible site for casinos, away from
residential areas. Please think through the process of what it
would be like to live near these casinos, and, if you wouldn't
want you and your family to live there, then we shouldn't have to
take the brunt of this bad development either. Think of all the
negative impact that they will have on our long established
neighborhoods. Please remember that there are good people living
in these areas, and that many of us not only put you into office
as mayor, but then as governor. Don't sell us out this far into
your career. You were a great mayor....whats up with this
behavior now as governor, Ed? You have the power to move these
casino sites, or, more preferably, block them being built at all.
Step up, my man, and do your old town good. Remember Philly.

Dear Gaming Oversight Committee Member:

I urge you to vote House Bill 1477 out of committee at the next
scheduled meeting of the Committee.

House Bill 1477 would protect neighborhoods by requiring casinos
to locate at least 1500 feet away from any residence, church or
school.

I expect my elected officials to look out for the best interests
of me and my family. Most especially, the General Assembly must
take steps to protect the children of Pennsylvania and the
neighborhoods in which they live from casinos.

HB 1477 is common sense legislation that deserves your
wholehearted support. I urge you to vote House Bill 1477 out of
committee at your next committee meeting.

Dear Gaming Oversight Committee Member:

I urge you to vote House Bill 1477 out of committee at the next
scheduled meeting of the Committee.

House Bill 1477 would protect neighborhoods by requiring
casinos to locate at least 1500 feet away from any residence,
church or school.

I expect my elected officials to look out for the best
interests of me and my family. Most especially, the General
Assembly must take steps to protect the children of
Pennsylvania and the neighborhoods in which they live from
casinos.

HB 1477 is common sense legislation that deserves your
wholehearted support. I urge you to vote House Bill 1477 out of
committee at your next committee meeting.

Thanks to every one of you for sticking in there and fighting
the good fight!

Sincerely,

Karen Walls

Good afternoon your Honor, my name is Nahja J. Simmmons I am a
young professional in the 12th ward, 24th division. I have
followed your successes in regards to policies that improve the
lives of Philadelphia residents. I am a member of the Civil
Service Commission and recently applied for the positions of
Income Maintenance Case Worker and a Parole Agent 1. Please
investigate my current standing for each position. As a youth,
my passion to seerve families has prepared me for the
positions. My employment history and education has been
focused in this area. I am a 25 year, single parent with a
young child. We have a very good family support network that
will assist me with childcare.

To our elected State Officials:
From: The Church of the Advocate, Philadelphia
RE: Keystone Grant Cuts SB913

Keystone funds are used to provide Historic Preservation grants
to non-profit organizations and local governments and preserve
and maintain PHMC historic sites. Community needs and demands on
the Keystone Fund already far exceed Keystone revenues. We ask
you to keep the Keystone Fund whole, so it can continue its 14
years of successful projects. Each dollar of Keystone Fund
investment typically leverages a dollar or more in direct local
and county investments in our local communities. The Keystone
Fund receives roughly $86 million annually. This money is used
not only for historic preservation and museums but also for
libraries, recreation, conservation and parks projects.

We oppose ANY diversion of Keystone Funds. If you have or
intend to vote against SB 913, thank you and please oppose any
further efforts to take funding from Keystone. If you have or
will vote for SB 913, we are very discouraged and disappointed
and hope you will reconsider your position.

The Keystone Fund receives roughly $86 million annually. This
money is used not only for historic preservation grants but also
for museums, historic sites, libraries, recreation, conservation
and parks projects. This bill would cut this funding in half!

The Church of the Advocate has very few sources of restoration
funds available and we have a grant pending right now. Our
community, our apprentices and our National Historic Landmark
building will suffer from this diversion of funds. Please visit
our website at www.churchoftheadvocate.org to see why we need
this support!

Sincerely,


Barbara Stechert
Director of Development
Church of the Advocate
1801 W. Diamond Street
Philadelphia, PA 19121
215-236-6773 x 6
mail@churchoftheadvocate.org

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