Author: admin

bookmark_borderOccupy Philly Daily Happenings

Posted on by admin

PHILADELPHIA, PA — 12:00pm Bubbas and Zaydas for Peace in the Middle East – 19th & JFK
3:00pm From South Africa to Palestine – Boycott Divestments and Sanctions past and present – Anderson Hall, Temple University
7:00pm Peace Center of Delaware County Film Series – Waltz with Bashir – Peace Center of Delware County – 1001 Old Springfield Rd –
Springfield, PA

November 2nd, 3pm – From South Africa to Palestine – Boycott Divestments and Sanctions past and present – Anderson Hall, Temple
University – In 2005, Palestinian civil society called for the boycott divestment and sanctions against Israel until it Complies with
International Law and Universal Principles of Human Rights. Philly Boycott Divestment and Sanctions members Nathaniel Miller and Susan Landau will speak about their organizations BDS campaign against Sabra and Tribe.

November 2nd, 7pm – We may forget the past, but the past won’t forget us WALTZ with BASHIR @First-Friday Free Large Screen Film Series at the Peace Center of Delaware County, 1001 Old Sproul Road, Springfield, PA 19064 – (WALTZ with BASHIR, 2008, 86 mins., Rated R for disturbing images of atrocities, strong violence, brief nudity and a scene of graphic sexual content. Written and directed by Ari Folman. Hebrew with English subtitles.) Israeli director Ari Folman’s animated, quasi-documentary film which follows the filmmaker’s attempt to recall his long submerged memories from the Lebanon War when his Israeli army unit enabled allied the Christian militia, in the heart of Beirut, to massacre more than 3,000 Palestinians in the Sabra-Shatila refugee camps. A haunting film that explores the unending psychological trauma of war, with a message that resonates long after the final fadeout. Doors open at 6:30p.m. for light refreshments. Peace Center is located at the Springfield Friends Meeting that has adjacent parking lot. After film discussion. For directions and more information including film trailer, visit  www.delcopeacecenter.org, or call 610-544-1818. Co-sponsored by the Brandywine Peace Community.

Philly Debtors’ Assembly – bring your stories! Sunday, November 11, 2012 2:00pm. Wooden Shoe, 704 South St. YOU ARE NOT A LOAN! We are in debt – student debt, credit card debt, medical debt, in foreclosure, and much more. This is not because of some personal failing, but the failings of mafia capitalism as a whole – a system which profits from our pain to line the pockets of Wall St. We are fed up! We gather to share our stories and offer support, to sing and play music, to break bread and make friends. Please join Strike Debt Philly and together let’s build a movement to abolish exploitation and debt! For those interested: the next meeting for Strike Debt Philly will be Sunday, Nov. 4 at 2pm at the Wooden Shoe, 704 South St.

For those of you who didn’t attend last year’s Women’s Day GA at which Selma spoke — or haven’t had a chance to meet her elsewhere — I highly recommend you attend. I guarantee that she will ignite your activism, revolutionize your thinking, and show you simply and clearly how sex, race & class connect to your life and our movement for change. Sex, Race & Class Study Group with Selma James. All welcome! Monday, November  5th at The Friends Center 1501 Cherry St. 6pm Potluck reception, 6:30pm reading from Sex, Race and Class – The Perspective of  Winning: A Selection of Writings 1952-2011 by Selma James. (Childcare available). Two members of the Study Group will report on “Striving for Clarity and Influence – The Political Legacy of CLR James (2001-2012)”, pp 283-296. Followed by discussion and comments from Selma. Childcare provided by Philadelphia Childcare Collective.

November 5th,, 6:30pm – Friends Center – 1501 Cherry St – Movie Mondays hosted by the Envision Peace Museum. Movies will the first Monday of Each month from October – December. The second in the series will the short film “The Story of Change”, followed by the feature film “Economics of Happiness”. This feature length documentary illustrates how people around the world are resisting the policies of globalization and corporate power.

UPDATE – For those of you planning on showing up at court Monday morning to support Shawn McMonigle, the trial has been continued,
which means IT WILL NOT BE MONDAY MORNING! A new date and time will be posted soon. Thanks for your support!

According to reports (see caav.org web site), the NYC administration is not distributing food or water to people who could not/did not go to public shelters. This failure of public officials (and ultimately the profit-driven system) means many, many people are in dire need. Occupy Wall Street, Food Not Bombs and CAAAV (a pan-Asian community organization) are trying to meet these needs. See for more information: http://caaav.org/update-on-caaavs-efforts-post-hurricane-sandy-volunteer-and-donate Update on CAAAV’s Efforts Post-Hurricane Sandy!  Volunteer and Donate!

Events listed here include Occupy Philly related events as well as other social justice events. For more updates be sure to check the Occupy Philadelphia Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OccupyPhiladelphia. Your support is greatly appreciated!

bookmark_borderFormer Penn State President Charged

Posted on by admin

Former Penn State President Graham Spanier charged in “conspiracy of silence;” Gary Schultz & Tim Curley face additional charges

HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA (USA) — Attorney General Linda Kelly and Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan announced that criminal charges have been filed against former Penn State University President Graham Spanier, who is accused of conspiring with other top university officials to conceal information about suspected child abuse involving Jerry Sandusky, along with obstructing the criminal investigation into this case, perjury before a grand jury, endangering the welfare of children and other related crimes.

New criminal charges have also been filed against former University Senior Vice President for Finance and Business Gary Schultz and former Penn State Athletic Director Timothy Curley.

Spanier, Schultz and Curley are accused of concealing information about suspected child abuse involving Jerry Sandusky, including on-campus incidents from 1998 and 2001 that were reported and discussed in great detail by those three men. The three are also accused of obstructing the criminal investigation into the case, making false statements before a grand jury, endangering the welfare of children and other related crimes.

“This is not a mistake, an oversight or a misjudgment.  This was a conspiracy of silence by top officials at Penn State, working to actively conceal the truth, with total disregard to the suffering of children,” Kelly said.

“I hope the attention this case received will change people’s perceptions concerning child sexual abuse,” said Noonan. “If you are aware of a complaint by a child or if you know that a child is being abused, it is imperative that you report it immediately to law enforcement.”

The grand jury presentment shows in great detail the ways in which the three men conspired to conceal and cover up the truth, according to Kelly.

“The grand jury issued a subpoena in December 2010,” said Kelly, “but pertinent emails and other key evidence were never turned over until April 2012, after these men had left their jobs.”

Notes and documents about the 1998 and 2001 crimes were allegedly kept by Schultz in a file drawer in his campus office. Schultz told staff members that they were never to look in that “Sandusky” file.  On November 5, 2011 – the day that original criminal charges were announced against Sandusky, Schultz and Curley – that file was removed from Schultz’s office and delivered to his home.

The existence of Schultz’s file about Sandusky, along with an extensive amount of additional information from Penn State that was beneficial to the investigation, was not disclosed until after Spanier was terminated as President of the University by the Board of Trustees, which then directed university personnel to cooperate fully with the investigation.

Kelly said it is important to remember what was at stake in this case. Spanier, Schultz and Curley failed to do what was legally required of them when the matter first came to their attention. As a result, at least four boys were attacked between 2001 and 2008, including Victim 1, Victim 3, Victim 5 and Victim 9.

Graham B. Spanier, 64, 425 Windmere Drive, State College, is charged with one count perjury and two counts of endangering the welfare of children and two counts of criminal conspiracy, all third-degree felonies which are each punishable by up to seven years in prison and $15,000 fines.

Additionally, Spanier is charged with one count of obstructing the administration of law or other governmental function and one count of criminal conspiracy, both second-degree misdemeanors punishable by up to two years in prison and $5,000 fines, along with one count of failure to report suspected child abuse, a summary offense punishable by up to 90 days in prison and a $300 fine.

Gary Charles Schultz, 63, 636 Rosslyn road, Boalsburg, and Timothy Mark Curley, 58, 201 Meadowlark Lane, Boalsburg, are each charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of children and two counts of criminal conspiracy, third-degree felonies which are each punishable by up to seven years in prison and $15,000 fines.  Schultz and Curley are also each charged with one count of obstructing the administration of law or other governmental function and one count of criminal conspiracy, second-degree misdemeanors which are each punishable by up to two years in prison and $5,000 fines.

Kelly noted that Curley and Schultz are currently awaiting trial in Dauphin County court on charges of perjury (one count each) and failure to report under the Child Protective Services Law (one count each).  At this time that trial is scheduled to begin in January 2013.

Preliminary arraignments for all three will be scheduled before Harrisburg Magisterial District Judge William C. Wenner.

Kelly and Noonan noted that this remains an active and ongoing criminal investigation and thanked the agents, troopers, investigators and support staff from both the Office of Attorney General and the Pennsylvania State Police for their dedication and professionalism during this extensive effort.

(A person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty.)

# # #

Editors’ Note: Click here for a copy of the criminal complaint. Potos of the defendants are attached. If you have difficulty viewing the attachments contact the Attorney General’s Press Office at 717-787-5211.

bookmark_borderCaution: Storm-related Scams

Posted on by admin

HARRISBURG, PA — The Attorney General (Linda Kelly) urged Pennsylvania residents to be cautious about storm-related consumer problems and potential scams in the coming days, as residents assess damage and communities work to recover from Hurricane Sandy.

“Natural disasters can be a magnet for scam artists and unscrupulous operators who are more interested in taking money from storm victims than in helping with repairs,” Kelly said.  “Consumers should remain vigilant, understand their rights and carefully evaluate any contractors they hire to repair homes or to address other storm damage.”

Kelly noted that the most common topics for consumer complaints following disasters include home repair scams, government loan or grant schemes, fraudulent disaster-related fundraising efforts and concerns about price gouging.
Home Repairs

“It is understandable to homeowners to look for speedy repairs, attempting to return to ‘normal’ activities as quickly as possible, but consumers should not allow the desire for immediate repairs to cloud their judgment regarding contractors,” Kelly said.

Kelly explained that all home improvement contractors who do more than $5,000 worth of business per year in Pennsylvania are required to register with the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. Additionally, all of those businesses are required to provide consumers with specific information before proceeding with any project, including:

  • The contractor’s registration number, which must be included in all contracts, estimates and advertisements.
  • A written contract for any project costing more than $500.
  • Information about the consumer’s three-day right to cancel a home improvement contract.
  • Details about the materials and labor included in the project.
  • Total cost of the work.
  • A specific start-date and end-date for the project.

Additionally, Kelly explained that the state’s Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act limits the amount of any up-front payments that contractors can collect.  For projects costing more than $5,000, contractors may not accept advance payment of more than one-third of the total price of the contract.

Kelly also encouraged consumers to get multiple estimates for any major project, to check references for recent work before committing to a project and to be wary of individuals who approach you with stories of “just being in the neighborhood” or other unsolicited offers that seem “too good to be true.”

Warning signs for potential home repair scams include:

  • Unsolicited door-to-door sales pitches.
  • Requests for large up-front payments.
  • No written estimates or contracts.
  • Offers to perform work using “left over” or “discount” materials from other jobs.
  • High-pressure sales pitches.

“When consumers understand their rights, they are much better prepared to identify and avoid potential scams,” Kelly said. “If you encounter a contractor who is not providing the information required by Pennsylvania law, we encourage you to file a complaint with our office and consider using another business for your project.”
Government loan or grant scams

Kelly said that government aid for communities and businesses is often a major topic of public discussion and media coverage following a disaster, but many victims may not be familiar with how those programs operate.

“Scam artists attempt to prey on desperate storm victims who are looking for assistance – requesting up-front payments in order to process applications for ‘loans’ or other ‘disaster aid,’ or to search for grants and other funds,” Kelly said. “It is important for everyone to understand that legitimate government assistance programs and relief agencies do not ask for pre-payment from disaster victims.”

Kelly urged storm victims to contact their local governments directly to get a list of available disaster-relief programs – checking with their local city, borough or township office; their county emergency management office; the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (http://www.pema.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/disaster_assistance/4687); the Federal Emergency Management Agency (http://www.fema.gov/); and the U.S. Small Business Administration, along with established private relief organizations such as the American Red Cross.
Fictitious Fundraising Efforts

Kelly said that in times of disaster, scammers may attempt to take advantage of peoples’ desire to help their neighbors by collecting contributions for non-existent charities or other deceptive solicitations.

Kelly urged consumers to consider the following tips:

  • Be wary of high-pressure tactics and door-to-door collections.
  • Ask for details about any charity before you make a donation.
  • Request information about how funds will be spent (legitimate charities will tell you what percentage of your gift will go toward community services, operating expenses or fundraising).
  • Make contributions directly to the charity – do not give cash donations.

Charitable organizations operating in Pennsylvania are required to register with the PA Department of State.  Consumers can check the registration status of charities using the Department of State’s searchable online database at http://web.dos.state.pa.us/cgi-bin/Charities/char_form.cgior by calling the Department of State Charities Bureau at 1-800-732-0999.
Price Gouging

Kelly said that Pennsylvania’s price gouging law is intended to protect consumers and businesses from sudden, unwarranted price increases during emergency situations.

The price gouging restrictions were triggered by Governor Corbett’s declaration of a disaster emergency on October 26th and apply to anyone involved in the distribution or sale of consumer goods or services. The price restrictions apply to businesses involved in direct consumer sales, along with manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers and distributors.

Gouging is defined as a price increase of more than 20% above the average prices observed during the week before the emergency declaration.

Kelly said the price gouging law gives the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection the authority to investigate price gouging complaints and allows for penalties of up to $10,000 per violation.

Kelly encouraged consumers to report potential price-gouging or other consumer related scams by submitting an online consumer complaint using the Attorney General’s website, at www.attorneygeneral.gov(Click on the “Complaints” button on the front page of the website and then select the “Consumer Complaint Form”).

Consumers who do not have access to a computer can call the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Hotline, at 1-800-441-2555 (Monday through Friday during normal business hours).