The Greater Philadelphia Area
Monday, March 4, 2013
12:30pm until 1:20pm
Speech Communication adjunct lecturer Eva Blackwell will discuss “Careers in Media” on Monday, March 4 from 12:30-1:20 p.m. in the South Hall Community Room, West Campus, Pottstown. Blackwell has many years of experience in various aspects of broadcast media, primarily in the Philadelphia area. The workshop is free and is open to all students.
Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (PP&R) in partnership with the Fairmount Park Conservancy and Wells Fargo & Company, announced that registration for the spring 2013 TreePhilly giveaway is now open. TreePhilly is a yearlong initiative that engages Philadelphia property owners, businesses and neighbors to plant and maintain trees. Starting today through March 31st, property owners can submit requests for a free yard tree to plant on their private property.
“TreePhilly is an investment in our city’s future,” said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. “Our city will be healthier, safer and more attractive as a result of the trees we plant through this program. This year, Philadelphians can ask for more than one tree and we have more locations for pick-up. I would like to thank Wells Fargo & Company and the Fairmount Park Conservancy for their support of this important initiative.”
As TreePhilly embarks on its second year, there are a few new features to the program. More trees will be available for residents this year, increasing the yard tree give away totals from 4,000 to 5,000 trees (2,500 for this spring). Philadelphia residential property owners can request up to two trees and community groups that own large private properties with community access, such as faith-based institutions and senior centers, can register for up to 10 trees. TreePhilly is offering a total of nine pick-up locations on seven different days in April (see details below). Participants who pre-register for the yard tree giveaway will be able to select their pick-up site and date. At each pick-up location, TreePhilly will offer tree planting and care demonstrations. Those who participate in the demonstration will receive a free raffle ticket for a free tree watering bag. Additionally, TreePhilly will be offering free mulch for TreePhilly participants at select pick-up locations.
“With the continued support of our great partners and building off the tremendous success of last year’s TreePhilly campaign, the2013 TreePhilly campaign will enable even more Philadelphia property owners to receive free trees and learn about the numerous benefits of planting trees. This spring we are very excited to offer community groups, such as senior centers and faith-based institutions, as many as ten free trees to plant on their properties and be enjoyed by their communities,” said Michael DiBerardinis, Deputy Mayor for Environmental and Community Resources.
“We have seen great success in engaging Philadelphians to plant and care for trees as part of the TreePhilly program. Wells Fargo has been an extraordinary corporate partner of Treephilly, from their financial support to promoting TreePhilly through their branches and ATMs. The Fairmount Park Conservancy is truly grateful for their support both last year and this year – an example of how successful public-private partnerships can be,” said Kathryn Ott Lovell, Executive Director of the Fairmount Park Conservancy.
“Wells Fargo is pleased to renew our commitment to the TreePhilly program because of this program’s success in making Philadelphia more attractive and environmentally sound for generations of future Philadelphians,” said Vince Liuzzi, Wells Fargo’s regional president for Greater Philadelphia/Delaware. “Tree Philly aligns with our commitment to environmental stewardship and will further the vision of Philadelphia’s founding father, William Penn, of Philadelphia as a ‘greene country towne’.”
The yard tree pick-up dates and locations are as follows:
Sat. April 6th, 2-4pm, Second Baptist Church of Frankford (1801 Meadow St. 19124)
Sun. April 7th, 11am-1pm, New Kensington CDC Garden Center (1825 Frankford Ave. 19125)
Thurs. April 11th, 4:30-6:30pm, Haddington Library (446 N 65th St. 19151)
Sat. April 13th, 10am-12pm, Columbus Square Playground (1200 Wharton St. 19147)
Sat. April 13th, 10am-12pm, Pennypack Environmental Center (8600 Verree Rd. 19115)
Sat. April 13th, 1-3pm, Pennypack Environmental Center (8600 Verree Rd. 19115)
Sat. April 13th, 3-5pm, Pennypack Environmental Center (8600 Verree Rd. 19115)
Sun. April 14th, 2-4pm, West Oak Lane Library (2000 Washington Lane, 19138)
Sat. April 20th, 12-2pm, Hunting Park Recreation Center (900 Hunting Park Ave. 19140)
Residents with limited mobility can apply for free tree delivery and planting by a representative from Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. Space for this service is limited and residents are encouraged to apply early by contacting Erica Smith Fichman at 215-683-0217 or by visiting www.treephilly.org. Finally, if a resident does not register for a tree, there will be a “leftovers” day schedule in April (exact date to be determined), , where extra trees will be available to residents on a first-come, first-served basis.
There are several ways citizens can get involved with TreePhilly, including planting and caring for trees on their property, volunteering for a tree planting event in their local park, or sponsoring community service days to plant and maintain trees. For more information, citizens can visit www.treephilly.org or call 215-683-0217. For more information about the Fairmount Park Conservancy, please visit www.myphillypark.org. To stay up to date on Fairmount Park Conservancy projects and news, visit the Conservancy’s Facebook Page at www.Facebook.com/FairmountParkConservancy or follow the Conservancy on Twitter @myphillypark.
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General (OAG) today announced its determination that the proposed Lottery contract with Camelot Global Services violates the Pennsylvania Constitution and is not statutorily authorized.
“The Office of Attorney General conducted a very thorough review of the Professional Management Agreement, the State Constitution, the State Lottery Act, the Gaming Act and applicable case authority and has determined that it cannot approve the contract to allow Camelot to operate and manage the Pennsylvania Lottery,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane said.
The Attorney General is required under the Commonwealth Attorney’s Act to review contracts for ‘form and legality.’ In a memorandum to David Kraus, Chief Counsel for the Department of Revenue, Robert A. Mulle, Chief Deputy Attorney General and head of the OAG Legal Review Section, provided three reasons why the Professional Management Agreement (PMA) failed the ‘form and legality’ test.
First, the memo states that the Executive Branch exceeded its authority under Article II, Section 1 of the Pennsylvania Constitution by unlawfully infringing on the General Assembly’s power to make basic policy choices regarding the management and operation of the Lottery.
Second, the memo states that the development of monitor-based or other electronic games, such as KENO, is not authorized by the State Lottery Act and usurps the authority granted by the General Assembly to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
Lastly, the memo points out that allowing Camelot to be indemnified for “indirect expenses,” as provided in the PMA, is an unconstitutional waiver of the doctrine of Sovereign Immunity as set forth in Article I, Section 11 of the Pennsylvania Constitution.
“It is our duty to defend and protect the Constitution of our Commonwealth and that is what our office has done by declining this contract,” Kane said. “In the course of making this determination, I have taken the advice and counsel of the Executive Deputy Attorney General in charge of the Civil Division and the Chief Deputy Attorney General in charge of the Legal Review Section. Together, these attorneys have many years of experience reviewing Commonwealth contracts for ‘form and legality.’ It should be noted that these attorneys worked for the Governor when he was Attorney General, as well as several Attorneys General before him.”
Kane continued, “Promising money to people in need based on a contract that is not legal and then blaming those entrusted to do their job correctly is both disingenuous and a perfect example of putting the cart before the horse. It is important that my office perform its role in the system of checks and balances that our government desperately needs and that our citizens deserve.”
The text of the memorandum issued by the Office of Attorney General to the Department of Revenue is set forth below:
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL
February 14, 2013
SUBJECT: Contract 2013-005
TO: David R. Kraus
Chief Counsel
Department of Revenue
FROM: Robert A. Mulle
Chief Deputy Attorney General
Legal Review Section
We have given careful review to proposed Contract # 2013-005 by which the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue would retain Camelot Global Services PA, LLC, to operate and manage the State Lottery.
As you know, the authority of the Secretary of Revenue to enter into this Professional Management Agreement (PMA) is being litigated before the Commonwealth Court. We would prefer to refrain from reviewing the contract pending a ruling by the Court and for that reason we requested that the contract be withdrawn. Because the administration declined our request, we proceeded with our legal review as required by the Commonwealth Attorneys Act. 71 P.S. §732-101 et seq.
Section 204(f) of the Act requires the Office of Attorney General to approve the proposed contract unless we determine that the contract is in improper form, not statutorily authorized, or unconstitutional.
Our review of the proposed contract, the relevant law and the administration’s answers to the questions posed in our tolling memorandum of February 5, 2013, leads us to conclude that the proposed contract contravenes the Pennsylvania Constitution and is not statutorily authorized. We therefore do not approve the PMA for the following reasons:
1. The PMA is an unlawful extension of executive authority that infringes on the General Assembly’s power to make basic policy choices regarding the management and operation of the Lottery pursuant to Article 2, §1 of the Pennsylvania Constitution. The State Lottery Act does not confer express or implied authority upon the Secretary of Revenue to privatize the operation and management of the Pennsylvania Lottery. That authority rests with the General Assembly.
2. The contract provides for the development of monitor-based or other electronic games, such as KENO, which is not authorized by the State Lottery Act and usurps the authority of the Gaming Control Board with regard to slot machines as defined by the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act, 4 Pa.C.S. §1103.
3. The proposed contract provides for claims by the vendor for indemnification of “indirect expenses.” Such open and undefined indemnification constitutes an unconstitutional waiver of the doctrine of Sovereign Immunity as set forth in the Pennsylvania Constitution, Article 1, Section 11.
In reaching these legal conclusions, we express no opinion on either the wisdom of the policies or the soundness of the business decisions embodied in the contract.
Finally, as required by Section 204(f) of the Commonwealth Attorneys Act, we are providing copies of this memorandum to the Office of General Counsel and the General Assembly.
RAM:jn
cc: James D. Schultz, General Counsel
Mark R. Corrigan, Secretary of the Senate
Anthony Frank Barbush, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives