Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus

2012-01-12T08:59:00.000-05:00

COLUMN	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
State Rep. Ronald Waters D-Delaware/Phila. www.pahouse.com/waters

Waters: Occupy illegal guns

As a Pennsylvania lawmaker and concerned resident, I, along with the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus Vice Chairwoman Vanessa Lowery Brown, am writing in response to a disturbing political cartoon recently published in the Philadelphia Daily News.

The image depicts five hooded individuals with smoking guns protruding from the hoods in place of faces. The words "Occupying Black Philadelphia" accompanied the cartoon.

Gun violence in the Philadelphia area is a serious problem and no laughing matter.

It is time to move forward in this effort and attack the larger problem: the proliferation of illegal guns.

The No. 1 priority of government is to protect its citizens. Too many innocent lives have been lost in the crosshairs of gun violence. It is a sad fact that within the city of Philadelphia the majority of homicides are committed with hand guns and by minors, as well as offenders with previous criminal backgrounds.

Easy access to guns has cost us hundreds and hundreds of lives and replaced safety with fear. It's time we reclaim the streets of the Philadelphia area and replace fear with determination. As legislators, we need to collaborate with each other to bring about tangible solutions to this problem.

I have been calling on Gov. Tom Corbett and the General Assembly to create a task force on gun violence and trafficking in the Commonwealth. The task force should be composed of law enforcement officials, including the Pennsylvania State Police, as they are equipped with surveillance capabilities and the manpower to handle the influx of illegal weapons in the neighborhoods within our state.

The task force would be charged with investigating the use and transport of illegal guns and assault weapons across the state and how to take them off the street and out of the hands of people with bad intentions who will use them to commit crimes. By creating such a task force, Pennsylvania can be turned into a leader on crime reduction.

I also am requesting for a special session known as a Committee of the Whole to invite the entire General Assembly to meet in a bipartisan fashion to address the concerns of public safety. How do we show our constituencies across the state that we are working together under the common goal of increasing public safety? We must be tough on crime, but also right on crime.

We also need to invest in programs with proven track records of reducing violence and the number of repeat offenders, such as Weed and Seed. Funding for the program was eliminated under the Republican-controlled budget and I am also calling on the governor to reinstate it.

The Weed and Seed program is a law enforcement/community revitalization effort targeting medium-sized communities whose inner cities are plagued by crime, violence and social deterioration. It is a great example of the state doing right by citizens who live in inner cities, as it has been responsible for reducing crime and delinquency, and has enabled police to work with the community, the private sector and social service agencies to revitalize communities.

The program prepares people for jobs, and gives them the real-world skills they need to succeed through training classes and mentoring.

Simply building more prisons is not the answer and neither is cutting a program as a short-term solution to a long-term problem. We cannot simply build our way out of this problem. It is too costly; the state budget reveals that the amount of money allocated to the criminal justice system has increased, yet do our streets feel any safer? We cannot simply arrest our way out of this problem, but we can with the proper evidence-based resources create an environment conducive to building stronger lives.

We will work to build stronger lives by creating opportunities that will add value and purpose to the lives of all of our citizens. Creating these opportunities within our educational system and sustaining real job creation are fundamentals that, when in place, create strong neighborhoods. Investing in early childhood education programs is a proven way to get young people started on the right educational path. Those early educational experiences can lead to positive gains within the job market later in life.

We should increase the number of recreational and enrichment programs to keep our children focused. As a result of their participation in such programming, they stand to become better prepared to be productive contributors to society. We are not undermining the role of parents in our society, but as policymakers, we must best direct our available resources to ensure our children’s long-term success.

Currently I believe we are placing too much emphasis on the stick and not the carrot; we are way too strict on punishment and not on prevention. It is clear that these guns are not in our neighborhoods by mistake. Many of the people who use these guns use them to commit crimes within the inner city against their neighbors and other community members. Let’s become more proactive on crime rather than reactive. We should be mindful that creating safer neighborhoods should be the true public safety goal. When resources are drained from neighborhoods where unemployment and poverty levels are high, the opportunities to gain a valuable education are low. Making the statement of “Occupy Black Philadelphia” with a negative image depicting hooded individuals and guns is speaking to a symptom, but does not address the cause.

Unfortunately, the state can’t legislate an end to violence, but we certainly can create measures to get illegal guns off the streets, make our neighborhoods safer and occupy the real problem of gun violence.

###

Waters represents the 191^st Legislative District in the House of Representatives and serves as the chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus.

Brown represents the 190^thLegislative District in the House of Representatives and serves as vice chairwoman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus.

2012 PLBC Scholarship Program Information

2012-01-11T16:20:00.000-05:00

	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
State Rep. Ronald Waters D-Delaware/Phila. www.pahouse.com/waters

Waters: 2012 PLBC scholarship program opens

HARRISBURG, Dec. 20 – State Rep. Ronald G. Waters, D-Phila./Delaware, chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, announced the applications for the 2012 PLBC scholarship program are now being accepted through Feb. 17.

The PLBC will award five $1,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors who currently attend school in either the Harrisburg, Philadelphia, or Pittsburgh school districts, or the Chester Upland school district, are classified as a minority, and plan to enroll in an accredited two- or four- year college in Pennsylvania.

“Higher education is the best way to develop a career with long-term financial security,” Waters said. “We are proud to be able to continue to offer these scholarships to give some students a helping hand on that road.”

Scholarship applicants will be evaluated on grades, with a minimum 3.0 grade-point average required, a statement of career and educational goals, school and community participation, work experience, family income and any unusual personal or family circumstances. Applications are available from the PLBC website, www.pahouse.com/plbc but only the first 250 applicants will be considered.

Scholarship recipients also will participate in a scheduled mock check presentation ceremony in the state Capitol on May 1.

Neighborhood Children Help Feed the Homeless

2011-12-01T10:06:00.000-05:00

Betty Harris, founder of Betty Harris Homes, Inc.,
poses with Rep. Ronald G. Waters during
Wednesday Feeding of the Homeless.--SUBMITTED PHOTO

Providing food for the less fortunate isn’t uncommon in Philadelphia during the holidays. However, what is uncommon is for children to actually participate in doing so.
This was the case on Wednesday when Southwest Philadelphia resident, Betty Harris, founder of Betty Harris Homes, Inc. took the children from her Southwest community to Center City Philadelphia and distributed hundreds of Thanksgiving meals to the homeless gathered there.

While most efforts to feed the homeless require the homeless to go to a specific area to receive the food, the children and adult volunteers of Betty Harris Homes go where the homeless are, traveling underground at the El station at 15th and Market and visiting Love Park and surrounding areas where the homeless are known to congregate and handing out platters containing turkey, stuffing and other traditional ingredients.

“This is our tenth year of feeding the homeless and what I try to do is to teach the children that there is a better way of life and for the children to see what it is like for the homeless,” said Harris during an interview following the event.
Harris has provided residential services for abused and neglected children for over a decade and, as part of her services, has sought to instruct the children in her care about how to care for others in return. Her annual feeding of the homeless is one way in which she teaches the children, ages 5-17, how to serve others in the community who are less fortunate.
“This is an event that we have been doing for the past ten years and I just thank God for our supporters who help us feed the homeless,” Harris said.
Among such supporters were Pepsi Cola, Brown’s ShopRite, Fresh Grocers, The Philadelphia Phillies and the Urban Affairs Coalition who donated turkey baskets which Harris distributed to families facing tough times due to the poor economy.
Not only did the children in her care help in the preparation and distribution of the food but so did a significant number of children from the community who seem to flock to Harris’ home and participate in the activities she provide for them.
Among them were the members of the Buccaneers Drill who performed their steps as they distributed food.
“The children enjoy going out there to feed the homeless,” she said. “It makes them feel as if they participated in something special by helping someone and I try to get them to do different things to help people.”
Another supporter of Harris’ Thanksgiving feeding of the homeless is West Philadelphia resident and elected official, Ronald G. Waters who joined the children at the Clothes Pin located 15th and Market.
“It feels good to be a part of something as good as what Betty Harris Homes is doing and has been doing when it comes down to people who are in dire straights and who for so many years have been neglected,” Waters said. “Its good, the energy and love that she puts into, we need more people like Betty Harris.”
Waters himself distributes turkeys to those in his community.
Along with local businesses, elected officials and the help of youth and adult volunteers from the area, Harris also received help from the Independent Queens Sports Motorcycle Club based in Wilmington, Delaware.

2011-11-21T12:21:00.001-05:00

Check out the link below to view the last Friday's edition of the Philadelphia Daily Record featuring State Reps. Ronald G. Waters, PLBC Chair and James Roebuck, Democratic chair of the House Education Committee.

http://www.phillyrecord.com/daily-2010/PDR-2011-11-18.pdf

PLBC hosts student town hall

2011-11-21T12:15:00.002-05:00

	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
State Rep. Ronald Waters D-Delaware/Phila. www.pahouse.com/waters

PLBC hosts student town hall

HARRISBURG, Nov. 18 – State Rep. Ronald G. Waters, D-Phila./Delaware, chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, and other members of the PLBC hosted a youth town hall meeting last night, focusing on education to reduce crime and incarceration.

The event, held in the nearly full auditorium of West Philadelphia High School, was moderated by student representatives from Youth United for Change and the Philadelphia Student Union. State Reps. Ronald Waters, Vanessa Lowery Brown, vice chairwoman of the PLBC, and James Roebuck, chairman of the House Education Committee, were joined by Leroy Nunery, acting Philadelphia School District superintendent and CEO, and West Philadelphia High School Principal Mary Dean who welcomed all in attendance. Other speakers included Sam Staten Jr., business manager of Laborers’ Local 332 of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, and Judge James M. Deleon of the Philadelphia Municipal Court.

The theme of the evening was encouraging education as a way to reduce crime and prison sentences for city youth. Among the topics the youth discussed were violence and the presence of metal detectors in schools, zero tolerance rules and city curfew ordinances, and Act 104, the state’s school code. The audience included students, parents and others from the community interested in student education.

Much of the evening’s discussion focused on restorative justice, an attempt to work with both victims and offenders, where offenders take responsibility for their actions and make reparations to the victims, while the victims take an active role in setting the offenders’ terms. The goal is to keep the person out of the criminal system while establishing the offense was against a person, not the state, in the hope of preventing repeat offenders.

The students expressed their concerns that current rules and regulations make them all feel like criminals, and without improving their safety. Passing through metal detectors daily makes them feel imprisoned already, and the zero tolerance rules can lead to a criminal record and school expulsion even for those who are trying to protect themselves from violence started by another student.

Youth United for Change defined zero tolerance as: A group of polices that create an atmosphere where young people are criminalized for minor offenses and given mandatory exclusionary sentences for misconduct. Those policies include the Memorandum of Understanding, Student Code of Conduct, and Reporting Protocol.

The students also expressed their interest in keeping open the lines of communication between the students and community and educational leaders.

Waters encouraged the students to graduate high school and pursue higher education, as well.

“Study after study shows a quality education is the best way out of the circle of crime and poverty. There is no better way for a young person to create a stable and secure life than through education. A high school diploma, followed with a college degree, provides the best way to get ahead in today’s society,” Waters said.

PLBC to co-host Youth Town Hall Meeting

2011-11-03T11:28:00.000-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

State Rep. Ronald Waters

D-Delaware/Phila.

www.pahouse.com/waters

PLBC will co-host youth town hall meeting

HARRISBURG, Nov. 2- State Rep. Ronald G. Waters, D-Phila./Delaware, chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, has announced a Youth Town Hall Meeting from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 17 at West Philadelphia High School, 4901 Chestnut St., Philadelphia.

The theme of the town hall is "Education over Incarceration."

"We hope this meeting will result in a dialogue where youth feel comfortable to share their fears, hopes and dreams," Waters said. "We want to show how valuable an education is to reach career goals."

Two community groups, Youth United for Change and the Philadelphia Student Union, will be partnering with the PLBC for the event. Both groups are made up with city youth who are concerned about education, violence and the city curfew.

"Education is a crucial step for youth to break the cycle of violence which too often leads to incarceration instead of graduation," Waters said.

For more information, contact Waters' office at 215-748-6712.

PLBC to tour Marcellus Shale site

2011-11-03T11:11:00.000-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

State Rep. Ronald Waters

D-Delaware/Phila.

www.pahouse.com/waters

PLBC to tour Marcellus Shale site

HARRISBURG, Oct. 18- State Rep. Ronald Waters, D. Phila./Delaware, chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, announced that he, other members of the PLBC and Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson will tour Williamsport's Pennsylvania College of Technology and a nearby Marcellus Shale drilling site on Friday, Oct. 21.

The tour, which begins at 10 a.m. at the college, is designed to allow the PLBC to study the impact of Marcellus Shale drilling in the region.

Waters said he is looking forward to seeing in person the economic impact of what he terms the three E's associated with the Marcellus Shale drilling industry: environmental issues, economic opportunities and employment.

"More people working will greatly impact our Commonwealth's economy," Waters said.

Pennsylvania College of Technology is the home of the Marcellus Shale Education & Training Center, and the Williamsport area is in the center of a possible Marcellus Shale drilling boom, where unemployment has fallen from 10 percent to 7.4 percent.

Michael Krancer, secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, arranged the Marcellus Shale site tour and will be accompanying the delegation to the site. State Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Bradford/Lycoming/Sullivan/Susquehanna/Union) assisted in setting up the tour to the college.

Rep. Waters hosts Town Hall Meeting on crime prevention

2011-10-06T11:25:00.004-04:00

Join me and Senator Anthony Hardy Williams for a town hall meeting on crime prevention for Cobbs Creek and West Philadelphia residents. It will take place today, Thursday, October 6 at 7pm at the KIPP Philadelphia School, 5900 Baltimore Ave., Philadelphia.

Representatives from the Philadelphia Police Department, SEPTA Transit Police, Philadelphia Adult and Juvenile Parole and Probation Departments, Philadelphia Department of Human Services, the Black Captains Association, Philadelphia Operation Town Watch and neighborhood schools are scheduled to participate.

Pa. Black Caucus urges action in parking dispute

2011-09-13T12:04:00.002-04:00

Larry Miller at the Philadelphia Tribune writes:

A Black clergywoman in Harrisburg is at the center of a developing controversy involving her and a former top-level official with the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare who allegedly blasted her verbally over a parking space.

According to Democratic state Rep. Ron Waters, who is also chairman and president of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, Rev. Norma Kenley-Barber, 66, parked her car in a space used by Philip Abromats outside the Capitol complex on July 20.

Waters said that Rev. Barber, who takes a diuretic for a heart condition, rushed in to use the restroom. When she returned she was dismayed to find that Abromats had blocked her vehicle with his state car and had also gone inside the building to call the police. When he returned she said that he verbally assaulted her and called her an “idiot.”

Click HERE to read more.

Department of Public Welfare official's behavior over parking space is 'intolerable,' Rep. Ronald Waters says

2011-08-31T11:44:00.002-04:00

Published: Wednesday, August 31, 2011, 7:38 AM

By JAN MURPHY, The Patriot-News The Patriot-News

JOE HERMITT, The Patriot-News, file
Norma Kenley-Barber says a state official verbally abused her when she parked in his reserved spot.

A group of black legislators want an investigation into how state Department of Public Welfare officials treat people after a top-level staffer berated a black Harrisburg pastor for parking in his reserved space.

Rep. Ronald Waters, chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, sent a letter to Welfare Secretary Gary Alexander calling on him to explain the department’s disciplinary policy for employees who act unprofessionally toward the public.

In particular, Waters, D-Philadelphia, asked what action was taken against Philip Abromats, the former deputy secretary of the Office of Income Maintenance, who lashed out on July 21 at the Rev. Norma Kenley-Barber, 66, for parking her car in his parking place. She ran inside the Health & Welfare Building to use the restroom. Her car had a handicapped placard on the rearview mirror and a clergy sticker displayed.

Waters said in an interview Tuesday that he is concerned about how Abromats’ behavior that day reflects on his attitude toward welfare recipients. He also wonders if Abromats would have treated a young white woman the same way.

“All those things come into play when you are doing stuff like this,” Waters said. “I’m sure he would never want anybody to talk to his mother like that.”

Kenley-Barber reached out to the caucus to seek lawmakers’ assistance in ensuring Abromats was appropriately disciplined for his behavior that day, Waters said.

Department spokeswoman Anne Bale said the department doesn’t comment on specifics regarding personnel matters. She said a department official had a private telephone conversation with Waters’ staff about concerns raised in the letter but declined to elaborate. Waters said he has not spoken directly to any department official about the matter.

Kenley-Barber told the lawmakers that Abromats verbally assaulted her and called her names, including “idiot” and an expletive. Abromats later sent her an apology letter, but Kenley-Barber described it as insincere. Abromats’ prime parking space and state car were taken away after the incident.

In his letter, Waters stated, “Not only is Mr. Abromats a public employee, he is a white male who attacked a black female pastor who suffers from a disability. This type of discriminatory behavior is intolerable.”

Abromats, who was earning $125,184 a year in the deputy secretary post he held since April, was reassigned two weeks ago. He now holds a newly created position of executive director of program audits and regulatory review at a salary that has not yet been finalized, Bale said.

Kenley-Barber said a job reassignment didn’t solve the problem and that he should be removed from any executive-level post. “His behavior must be dealt with. ... I am a minister, and I must be concerned with Mr. Abromats future behavior towards the public,” she stated in an email.

Leaders in Harrisburg’s black community were equally upset over the incident.

Stanley Lawson, president of the Greater Harrisburg Chapter of the NAACP, said Abromats’ behavior is intolerable. “He had every right to question her about taking his spot. But after he got the explanation, he handled himself very poorly, unprofessional.”

Black caucus backs embattled Philly superintendent

2011-08-19T12:58:00.003-04:00

KATHY MATHESON, Associated Press
Updated 07:23 p.m., Wednesday, August 17, 2011

State Rep. Ronald G. Waters, D-Philadelphia, center, chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, State Sen. Shirley M. Kitchen, left, and State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams, D-Philadelphia, right, speak with the media after an emergency meeting for PLBC members, other elected officials, community leaders and stakeholders with Dr. Arlene Ackerman, superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia at the school district headquarters Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2011, in Philadelphia. (Alex Brandon / AP)

State Sen. LeAnna Washington, D-Philadelphia, a member of the Legislative Black Caucus, speaks with the media after an emergency meeting for PLBC members, other elected officials, community leaders and stakeholders with Dr. Arlene Ackerman, superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia at the school district headquarters Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2011, in Philadelphia. (Alex Brandon / AP)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Members of the state's Legislative Black Caucus expressed support for embattled Philadelphia schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman on Wednesday amid rumors she might be bought out of her contract.

Lawmakers joined community activists and local clergy in a closed-door meeting at Ackerman's office, emerging about two hours later to call for separate meetings with the mayor and School Reform Commission, the city-state panel overseeing the district.

The legislators — all Democrats from Philadelphia — said complaints about Ackerman's leadership are unwarranted and noted she has boosted test scores, introduced promising reforms and created parent outreach programs.

"We believe that she has what it takes and has proven that she can do what it takes," said Rep. Ronald Waters, adding that Ackerman's contract was extended because of her success.

But, as she gets ready to begin her fourth full school year in the city, Ackerman has seen her support steadily eroding. Critics say she is overpaid, autocratic and a polarizing presence in Pennsylvania's largest district.

She has taken heat for her $348,000 salary — twice what the mayor makes — and the district's unprecedented $664 million spending gap this year, though much of the deficit was due to cuts in federal and state aid.

Ackerman also lost a dispute this week with the teachers union, in which she unsuccessfully attempted to protect staff in her signature school overhaul program from layoffs despite their lack of seniority.

And she caused grief for Mayor Michael Nutter this summer when, after he reneged on a no-new-taxes pledge to raise money for a jeopardized kindergarten program, she found the necessary funds without immediately telling him. Nutter then forced the district to give city and state officials unprecedented access to its financial information.

On Wednesday, Nutter spokesman Mark McDonald said the mayor has an excellent relationship with the black caucus and meets with members regularly. He did not say the same of Ackerman.

"The mayor supports the district and its mission to provide quality education for Philadelphia children, and he certainly supports the education programs that have produced improve graduation rates and test score performance," McDonald said.

School Reform Commission members, who rarely question or debate Ackerman in public, have been characteristically mum — leading to criticism that they are dragging out an untenable situation. The members are nominated by the mayor or governor and confirmed by the state Senate.

Commission chairman Robert Archie Jr.'s most recent statement said simply that "Dr. Ackerman is and continues to be the superintendent" and that members will work with her "to make sure that we have a successful school year."

Caucus member Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams said Wednesday that Ackerman is a victim of outside agendas and that he hopes to "get to the bottom line of what these disgruntled comments are all about."

"It's always been about politicians, it's never been about children, academic performance or, frankly, the contract she signed," Williams said.

Buying out Ackerman, whose contract runs through 2014, could cost up to $1.5 million. But Sen. LeAnna Washington said that won't be necessary.

"I'm convinced that she will stay on the job," Washington said.

Ackerman has said as much herself, remaining adamant about staying in Philadelphia throughout weeks of questions surrounding her tenure.

That remained the case Wednesday, as spokeswoman Jamilah Fraser said the superintendent will continue leading the district's 203,000 traditional and charter school students this fall.

"She looks forward to serving the kids and getting ready for a new school year," Fraser said.

___

Kathy Matheson can be reached at www.twitter.com/kmatheson

Inquirer Article: Arlene Ackerman, under fire as Philadelphia school superintendent, has been staying away from official functions

2011-08-18T15:41:00.004-04:00

David M. Warren/Staff Photographer
Activist Sacaree Rhodes (left) said Arlene Ackerman's duties had been given to Deputy Superintendent Leroy Nunery. At right is State Rep. Ronald G. Waters (D., Phila.).

By Kristen A. Graham and Susan Snyder

Inquirer Staff Writers

Where is Arlene Ackerman?

The embattled school superintendent, widely rumored to be at the end of her tenure in Philadelphia, did not attend the School Reform Commission meeting last week.

She was not at a Monday news conference on possible state exam cheating in the Philadelphia School District.

And she was noticeably absent from Tuesday's Superintendent's 2011 Leadership Conference, an annual meeting that serves as a start to the school year.

The event's agenda listed Ackerman as a speaker from 8:45 to 9:10 a.m., but officials told the hundreds of principals and others gathered at Abraham Lincoln High School that she was absent because of circumstances beyond her control.

Assistant Superintendent Penny Nixon read a statement from Ackerman that said in part: "Three years ago I was blessed to be chosen to lead the eighth-largest school district in this country. It has been my honor. Although I could not be with you all today due to circumstances beyond my control, know that I am with you in spirit."

District spokeswoman Jamilah Fraser would not say why Ackerman missed Tuesday's ceremony, but said Ackerman appeared at many events this summer.

"The events that she's been able to go to that have been in her control, she's been able to go to," Fraser said. "When she's able to go, she does go."

Some Ackerman supporters have said she was being directed not to show up at events and was being marginalized.

At a raucous community meeting in Southwest Philadelphia Tuesday night attended by about 50 people, activist Sacaree Rhodes said she had just spoken with Ackerman.

"They have taken all her duties and given them to [Deputy Superintendent Leroy] Nunery," Rhodes said.

She said Ackerman planned to go to work on Wednesday, and supporters said they would walk her into the school administration building.

As Ackerman's supporters met, several sources said a deal was being worked on under which she would receive a buyout substantially less than that called for under her contract, a minimum of $1.5 million. A portion would come from the district and a portion from a private foundation to which donations could be tax-deductible and anonymous, sources said.

Two weeks ago, a prominent business executive active in civic affairs said he was approached last month by a board member from a charitable education group asking for help in raising money to contribute toward an Ackerman buyout. The executive, who requested anonymity, said he rebuffed the request.

Several of Ackerman's supporters emphasized Tuesday night that she had signed no deal.

District spokeswoman Fraser dismissed the talk of an Ackerman buyout as rumors.

At last week's SRC meeting, State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams (D., Phila.) said Ackerman was being frozen out of decision-making.

Philadelphia Federation of Teachers president Jerry Jordan said Ackerman's latest absence was symptomatic of a larger problem.

"There's just an instability in the district," Jordan said. "People don't know what's happening."

Robert McGrogan, head of the principals' union, called Ackerman's absence from Tuesday's principals convocation "conspicuous" and "surprising."

In previous years, Ackerman has been front and center at the three-day event - giving speeches, announcing awards, and hosting parties for principals. The conference agenda also has Ackerman scheduled to present publicly on Thursday afternoon.

Fraser said Ackerman would be at the conference at some point.

This is not the first time that Ackerman has been paid as a schools chief while staying apart from the day-to-day picture.

For the final five months of her six-year run as head of the San Francisco School District, Ackerman held the unusual title of superintendent emeritus.

Ackerman received her full salary while her deputy ran the district. She served as an adviser to the deputy and used sick and vacation time before departing with $375,000 in severance money.

At the end of June, Ackerman signed a document giving Nunery power to sign documents on her behalf. At the time, she said it was a routine legal document that she had signed in the past.

But now it is unclear whether Ackerman, who has publicly vowed to fight for her job, will be in place when school starts Sept. 6.

In recent months, Ackerman has come under fire for a budget gap of more than $650 million, a widening probe into possible cheating on state tests, and blindsiding Mayor Nutter with a plan to save full-day kindergarten.

Nutter and other politicians had singled out the threat to full-day kindergarten as the greatest danger from state budget cuts.

But the mayor was looped in on the plan just an hour before Ackerman announced it publicly. Their political relationship damaged, Nutter demanded and received an "education accountability agreement" signed by the SRC that provided an unprecedented level of city scrutiny of the district.

Nutter's spokesman said Tuesday that he could not speak about Ackerman's attendance at specific events.

Asked if Nutter still supported Ackerman as superintendent, spokesman Mark McDonald said "the mayor supports the district and its mission to provide quality education for Philadelphia children, and he supports the education programs that have produced improved graduation rates and test-score performance."

Asked again about Ackerman, McDonald said, "That is my comment."

Calls to School Reform Commission Chairman Robert L. Archie Jr. and the other three members of the commission were not returned Tuesday. Neither was a call to Gov. Corbett's office.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contact staff writer Kristen Graham at 215-854-5146, kgraham@phillynews.com or on Twitter @newskag. Read her blog, "Philly School Files," at www.philly.com/schoolfiles

Legislators vow support for Ackerman

2011-08-18T15:36:00.002-04:00

the notebook
by Benjamin Herold on Aug 17 2011 Posted in Latest news

Several Philadelphia members of the Legislative Black Caucus and a small group of activists huddled with Superintendent Arlene Ackerman Wednesday morning, emerging strong in their support of her and with harsh words for the School Reform Commission and Mayor Nutter.

"We had broad grassroots support of people who love the direction that the Philadelphia School District is headed towards," said state Sen. Ron Waters, chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, whose district includes parts of Southwest Philadelphia. "We will stand to protect the right for Dr. Ackerman to perform the duties she has been assigned to do."

State Sen. Anthony Williams questioned the role of the SRC in the District's budget woes and in allowing the leadership situation to fester.

"The SRC was created to make sure the books are balanced," he said. "In that regard, they have failed. In terms of leadership, there are a thousand different versions of who's going to be in charge, so they have failed in that." He called its performance "embarrassing."

Photo: Benjamin Herold
State Sen. Shirley Kitchen appeared at 440 to show her support for Superintendent Ackerman. She called for removal of Robert Archie as chair of the School Reform Commission.State Sen. Shirley Kitchen, head of the Philadelphia delegation, called for SRC chairman Robert Archie to resign.

She cited his handling of the District's leadership situation, budget, and Promise Academies – Ackerman's signature school turnaround initiative.

Kitchen was also critical of Archie's behind-the-scenes involvement at Martin Luther King High during the Renaissance Schools selection process.

Waters said the group would demand meetings with Archie and with Mayor Nutter. Both have declined to articulate their positions on Ackerman amid rumors that her days are numbered, and her departure awaiting only a buyout settlement.

Nutter's press secretary, Mark McDonald, did not respond to a call for comment. Archie's secretary said he was out of town and he did not respond to an email.

"We want to have a meeting with Chairman Archie because we want to hear it from him about his position he has with her," Waters said.

After being absent from events earlier in the week, Ackerman appeared at District headquarters Wednesday morning. She emerged from the building about 11 a.m. to meet with the band of supporters, then went back inside to meet with the legislators.

Besides Kitchen, Williams, and Waters, others present included state Sen. LeAnna Washington, state Rep. Tony Payton, and state Rep. Curtis Thomas.

"I'm convinced that she will stay on the job," said Washington after the two-hour session. She said the meeting was about Ackerman, her future, and how the legislators should deal with the SRC.

"We're going to bring them in and let them know what their responsibilities are and what should be happening," Washington said.

Asked if the School Reform Commission still supports her, Ackerman said, "As far as I know they still support me."

"I am superintendent of schools. I'm going to be here as long as I can," Ackerman added. "I'm going to focus on getting schools open."

She said that the Inquirer's report that a deal is being worked out for a buyout is not accurate.

"We have no negotiations going on right now," said Ackerman.

In response to the scaled-back Promise Academies effort, District spokesperson Jamilah Fraser said Superintendent Ackerman is committed to working within the constraints of the cutbacks, but feels the original model is the best way to support students.

PLBC continues to support Philadelphia Schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman

2011-08-18T15:23:00.001-04:00

Black pols backing Ackerman
By DAFNEY TALES
Philadelphia Daily News

talesd@phillynews.com 215-854-5084

Members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus yesterday officially joined the campaign to protect Superintendent Arlene Ackerman's job and vowed to get to the bottom of rumors that political forces are moving to have her booted.

Meanwhile, in her first public appearance in days, Ackerman was greeted by supporters outside of district headquarters yesterday as she reiterated her commitment to proceed with her plans for the district.

"I'm not going anywhere until I absolutely have to, she said, a day after not attending her annual Superintendent's Leadership Conference.

Despite persistent rumors, Ackerman added that she is not negotiating a buyout package, which sources have priced at $1.5 million. Still, it remains unclear how much longer she will stay at the helm of the $2.7 billion district.

Meanwhile, during the pro-Ackerman rally outside the headquarters, activist Sacaree Rhodes burned a copy of the Inquirer, criticizing the paper for what she described as racist coverage of the schools chief.

"The overwhelming response to our coverage has been largely supportive, but not everyone is going to agree," said Inquirer editor-in-chief Stan Wischnowski. "I strongly stand by our coverage."

State Rep. Ronald Waters described the political leaders' meeting with Ackerman as a "very real" discussion, while state Sen. Shirley Kitchen called for the resignation of SRC Chairman Robert Archie.

Adding to that, state Sen. Anthony Williams questioned the SRC, which oversees the district, and its role in the district's $629 million budget gap.

"They signed off on something and then pointed their fingers in another direction," he said.

Caucus members plan to draft letters to Archie and Mayor Nutter requesting sit-downs, said Waters, who chairs the caucus.

"We want to hear it from him [Archie] about the vision he has for [Ackerman],"Waters said.

Yesterday's meeting follows last week's tempestuous SRC meeting during which Williams accused the board and others of marginalizing Ackerman.

Williams charged that a decision to slash the number of Promise Academies, one of Ackerman's key plans to overhaul troubled schools, was made without her consent.

Mayoral spokesman Mark McDonald said Nutter supports the district and its mission to provide quality education. As for Ackerman, he added, "she's supervised by the SRC and [the mayor] will leave to the SRC those personnel issues."

Archie said through a district spokeswoman that the SRC would continue to work with Ackerman to "make sure that we have a successful school year."

My Annual 2011 Village Family Reunion & Festival!!!

2011-08-09T10:40:00.000-04:00

Black 4 year-old boy Misquoted to Sound Violent!

2011-08-01T09:51:00.001-04:00

If this is what hell feels like then we better straighten up

2011-07-22T15:36:00.004-04:00

This new heat wave that has settled over the entire east coast, temperatures have rose to 105 degrees in some areas. It is responsible for nearly 2 dozens deaths. Researchers say, this is the first summer in over a decade where temperatures rose so rapidly. Temperatures are expected to be in the 100's for the next couple of days.
Well what can we do to stay cool? It is suggested that you stay well hydrated, drink plenty of water, and stay away from caffeine and alcohol because they are known to dehydrate. Stay indoors in air conditioned rooms. Use fans, they tend to circulate air around rooms. Where loose-fitting, light-colored clothing that is suitable for warm weather conditions. Change your exercise routine times, instead of running during the day, take late-night jogs. Keep a small water spray bottle on you, and throughout the day spray your face with it. And lastly change your food intake, instead of hot fatty foods; try eating smaller, lighter cold meals.

Pennsylvania State Governor and Republicans lie to general public about budget school funding

2011-07-18T14:46:00.004-04:00

Governor Tom Corbett and his fellow Republican leaders are saying that through the new 2011-12 budget, school districts are receiving more funding, when in fact there are no increases from 2010-11, only decreases. There is an overall 854,063,700 million dollar total school funding loss, which is a 13.5% decrease. But Tom Corbett is telling Pennsylvanians that those numbers don't exist, instead, he and his colleagues made up a lie that there is more money given to school districts. Very soon teachers are going to start being laid off, property taxes will start increasing and school taxes will start increasing, and by that time it will be too late. We can't blame the republicans for this, we have to take accountability for our actions and blame ourselves. We are the ones that elect these Republican liars into office, or we don't vote at all, and then complain about the new policies they make! We need to come together and tell them we will not stand for this anymore, and the only way we will ever be able to do that is to vote the right way next election!

Pennsylvania New Budget Increases State Schools Tuition by 10 percent and Cuts 900 teachers

2011-07-11T10:33:00.008-04:00

As Republicans celebrate new budget plans, working and middle-class citizens are really feeling the effects. While natural-gas drillers, are getting tax decreases, middle-class citizens are getting tax increases, while, at the same time, being laid-off. Nathan Benefield, director of policy analysis for the right-leaning Commonwealth Foundation, predicts the deal will cost taxpayers $160 million more by the year 2015. State colleges tuition is increasing 10%, making the already expensive tuition even more difficult to pay for in-state students. Sharon Ward, director of the left-leaning Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, says "We're already in an economic recovery that's still fragile. This budget makes it harder to recover...its cuts are affecting middle-class families and the knowledge-based economy." More than 900 Pennsylvania public school teachers are being laid-off, while republicans celebrate getting the budget passed on time! Do you see anything wrong with this picture?

Rep. Ronald Waters House Bill 1144 (content may be graphic)

2011-07-08T15:31:00.003-04:00

We send our loved ones to nursing homes or living facilities because they can no longer take care of, or provide for themselves. Many of us have busy lives that wouldn't be able to concentrate solely on our loved ones needs. We all would like to think that our parents, grandparents or loved ones are being treated kindly, and lovingly, but reality is, we will never know what goes on behind those closed doors. For this reason, Rep. Ronald Waters is sponsoring HB 1144, which simply enforces electronic monitoring in nursing homes, personal care homes, and assisted living facilities. To make sure our loved ones are being treated with the utmost respect and care, and to be sure these crimes won't happen to anyone else's family again.

New SAM Program saves Pennsylvania $2 million

2011-07-08T10:49:00.000-04:00

Ever since former president Richard Nixon declared drug abuse "public enemy No. 1" in 1971, there has been a downward spiral of American citizens losing more and more money each year. Legalization of marijuana has been a hot topic more recently among states. Where it used to be 8 out of every 10 Americans opposed legalization of marijuana, it is now 46% of Americans that urge marijuana to be legalized, nearly half! Although 14 states have decriminalized marijuana users, there are still many legislators that refuse to adopt this legislation, and still continue to put people that smoke, or possess marijuana in jail, causing a tremendous amount of taxpayers' money to be spent each year.

Well today is a new day in Philadelphia. Newly elected District Attorney, Seth Williams, has implemented a new program that will save the city and states money. It is called "The Small Amount of Marijuana Program" (SAM), and it's main purpose is to save our citizens money and to save room in jail for only violent offenders. With the SAM program, drug offenders only carrying 30 grams or less will be tried as a summary offense instead of a misdemeanor that would put them in jail for 30 days and give them a $500 fine. Instead, with this program, offenders will only pay for a $200, 3-hour drug abuse class, and their record will be expunged. No court costs, no trial, no lawyer, no judge, and no police officer being paid overtime to testify.

So far under Williams leadership, Philadelphia has saved 2 million dollars."We were spending thousands of dollars for when someone possessed $10 or $15 worth of weed.", Williams said, "It just doesn't make sense." Taxpayers money should be used for real issues such as improving our schools, educating our children, and putting the real criminals in prison.

Pennsylvania must create gun violence task force to take back streets

2011-06-30T09:22:00.000-04:00

HARRISBURG, June 29- State Rep. Ron Waters, D-Delaware/Phila., called on Gov. Tom Corbett and the General Assembly to create a task force on gun violence and trafficking in the Commonwealth.

Waters was joined by members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, including Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland, D-Chester, who called on the governor to form an expanded task force composed of law enforcement officials to investigate the use and transport of illegal guns and assault weapons across the Commonwealth.

Waters request came on the heels of the recent string of 32 shootings in Philadelphia, which included six homicides. Many of those who were shot were innocent people, including young children, said Waters, who noted that the No. 1 priority of government is to protect its citizens. Corbett formed a similar task force as attorney general, but has not created one as governor. A gun task force would include representatives of the Pennsylvania State Police, as they are equipped with surveillance capabilities and the manpower to handle the influx of illegal weapons to the state.

"Gun violence has hit our inner cities and urban areas hard," Waters said. "The state needs to take tougher action to get guns off the street and out of the hands of criminals. By creating a gun violence and trafficking task force, Pennsylvania can lead the nation in reducing incidents of violence crime in our cities."

Waters said the task force would not go after legal, law-abiding gun owners, and would only serve to strengthen law enforcement's ability to take illegal guns off the street.

"The people using illegally-obtained guns are criminals, plain and simple. We do not want to go after people who own guns and use them for sporting purposes. We simply want totake illegal weapons out of the hands of dangerous criminals and out of our communities," Waters said. "Taking illegal guns out of the hands of people who have bad intentions does not violate and Second Amendment cover.

"We also have to look at programs with a proven track record of reducing violence and recidivism and turning communities around, such as Weed and Seed. The program has been eliminated from the budget, and I call on the governor to reinstate it," Waters said.

Waters said more than $125 million is spent each year on immediate health care needs of shooting victims. Of this amount, he said, taxpayers pay $90 million for medical care for uninsured victims. Gun violence is responsible for the death of 1,200 people each year in Pennsylvania. In 2007, the state had 719 homicides, with 73 percent gun-related.

According to the National Cemter for Health Statistics, from 2000 to 2009 more than 65,000 people of color living in urban communities nationwide lost lives to gun violence.

Waters serves as the chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus.

HIV Prevention Specialist Releases Urban Book About Safe Sex, HIV, AIDS, and STDs For The African American Community and At-Risk Youth

2011-06-21T10:44:00.000-04:00

Did you know that African Americans make up nearly 12% of the U.S. population? Did you also know that African Americans make up 50% of all new HIV/AIDs cases? Certified HIV Prevention Specialist and HIV Testing Counselor with Wellness AIDS Services, Dangerous Lee, just published her first novel, "Keep Your Panties Up and Your Skirt Down". Lee's soul purpose for writing this novel is to make our community more aware that HIV/AIDs is becoming a huge epidemic to the black race. Hydeia, International AIDS Activist, said "I think it will help more people think about HIV/AIDS and STDs in their sexual relationship and also think about practicing safer sexual activities."

PA Legislative Black Caucus Denounces Assault on Education

2011-05-20T10:58:00.000-04:00

HARRISBURG, May 18 – State Rep. Ronald G. Waters, D-Phila./Delaware, chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus; Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown, PLBC vice chairwoman; state Sen. Shirley Kitchen, D-Phila., Democratic Public Health and Welfare Committee chairwoman; Rep. James Roebuck, Democratic chairman, House Education Committee; and Sen. Vincent Hughes, Democratic chairman, Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on the effects of the Republican budget cuts to public education. These cuts will primarily target and further set back disadvantaged, African-American and Latino children:

"As members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, we have grave concerns about the cuts to basic education that Governor Corbett and the House Republicans have proposed for the 2011-2012 budget.

"Our position is clear – we stand firmly in opposition to these cuts, which would be a detriment to our children and our future, and set back underprivileged children in this Commonwealth for years to come.

"There is no question that school districts throughout the Commonwealth will be hurt if we fail to invest in our children’s futures. What’s more, neither of these budget proposals, either the governor’s or the House Republicans’, would distribute the pain evenly throughout Pennsylvania. Rather, low-income students and students of color would suffer disproportionately.

"These proposed budget cuts eliminate our state’s recent efforts to provide adequate and equitable funding for all our students to meet higher academic standards. If school districts are going to be held accountable for educating all our children to higher academic standards then we must provide adequate and equitable resources so all our students have the opportunity to meet these higher academic standards.

"According to a data analysis compiled by the PA School Funding Campaign, the governor’s budget would cut education spending, on average, by $819 for a low income student, by $867 for an Hispanic student and $1,091 for a black student. The typical Caucasian student would experience only a $493 cut. Statewide, the average cut would be $623 per student.

"The PLBC believes that this analysis is the missing link, the untold story in the Republican assault on education. The Republicans would make the most vulnerable among us -- poor children and children of color -- bear the brunt of these disastrous cuts to our schools. This is not an example of shared sacrifice, as Governor Corbett touted in his budget address. This is an example of bait and switch, as some children will be forced to sacrifice more than others. The leaders of the commonwealth have a responsibility to provide an opportunity to learn to all children; disproportionate cuts are antithetical to democracy and decency.

"The disparities under the GOP House budget are just as glaring, although the average cut would be a little less, at $509 per student. The typical low-income student would experience a $715 cut. The spending reductions would be $781 for an Hispanic student and $1,018 for an African-American student compared to $385 for a white student.

"It is no wonder that Pennsylvanians are emphatically against cuts to education, and rate education as the issue of greatest importance to them. If we allow the governor’s proposal or the House Republican proposal to go forward, we are sending the wrong message to our children. We are telling them that we do not believe in equal access to a high-quality education. We are telling them that if you are of a certain ethnic background or color, or were born into an underprivileged family, you will sacrifice the most.

"Public education was not supposed to be this way. State funding for education is designed to level the playing field, and bring less harm to those who need the greatest help. We should not impose more suffering on those children who are least able to bear it."

Rep. Ronald G. Waters, chairman, Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus
Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown, vice chairwoman, Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus
Rep. James Roebuck, Democratic chairman, House Education Committee
Sen. Vincent Hughes, Democratic chairman, Senate Appropriations Committee
Sen. Shirley Kitchen, Democratic Public Health and Welfare Committee chairwoman
Members of the PLBC

Chairman Waters speaks at Weed and Seed rally in the Capitol Rotunda

2011-05-13T14:55:00.000-04:00

On May 11, 2011, State Rep. Ronald Waters, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, hosted a rally and press conference for Pennsylvania Weed and Seed in the Capitol Rotunda. Six other state lawmakers also joined 100 members of the community and law enforcement officers in expressing their support for Weed and Seed, which Governor Corbett has zeroed out in his proposed 2011-2012 budget. The program, a collaboration between community and law enforcement, targets crime plagued neighborhoods and revitalizes them. Over 50,000 youth have been helped by Weed and Seed's anti-violence and recidivism initiatives, and over 173,000 residents have been impacted by its various outreach, social services and training programs.

PLBC Hosts Voter Education Forum

2011-05-06T12:38:00.000-04:00

Please join the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus and WURD-900AM for a voter education forum. Come learn the roles and responsibilities of elected officials.

PLBC/WURD-AM VOTER EDUCATION FORUM

DATE: Thursday, May 12, 2011
TIME: 4:00 PM-6:00 PM
LOCATION: Haddington Multicultural Services for Older Adults, Inc.
5331-41 Haverford Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19139

PA Legislative Black Caucus kicks off hearings on education budget cuts

2011-04-12T12:04:00.000-04:00

Waters: PLBC to hold hearings on improving education for Pennsylvania’s students

2011-04-05T11:46:00.000-04:00

HARRISBURG, April 4 – Chairman Ron Waters has announced the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus will hold four statewide hearings on providing better educational opportunities for Pennsylvania’s students.

The hearings are entitled “A Civil Right for Pennsylvania’s Children: High Quality Universal Education,” and will focus on improving access to education and eliminating the achievement gap.

Experts and stakeholders will discuss issues pertaining to equal access to a quality education, including: The detrimental outcomes of Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposed state budget, school climate and its effect on student performance, disciplinary policies and other student support services.

PHILADELPHIA HEARING
Date: Friday, April 8, 2011
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: Terrace Room, Claudia Cohen Hall (Ground Level), University of Pennsylvania

Testifiers · Jerry Jordan, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers · Jaileah Gibson, senior at Sayre High School, member of the Philadelphia Student Union and leader of the Campaign for Nonviolent Schools · Shayla Johnson, senior at Overbrook High School, member of the Philadelphia Student Union and leader of the Campaign for Nonviolent Schools · David Lapp, staff attorney at the Education Law Center · Bach Tong, junior at Science Leadership Academy, member of the Asian Student Association and Campaign for Nonviolent Schools · Member of the Statewide NAACP Education Committee · Durant Radcliff, Youth United For Change · Emily Maronta, Youth United For Change

HARRISBURG HEARING
Date: Monday, April 11, 2011
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: Room 205 Ryan Office Building, Harrisburg, PA

Testifiers · Ronald R. Cowell, president of The Education Policy and Leadership Center · Dr. Betty Davis, PA Statewide NAACP · Dr. Joan Duvall-Flynn, PA Statewide NAACP Education Chair

CHEYNEY UNIVERSITY HEARING
Date: Thursday, April 14, 2011
Time: 3:00 PM
Location: Ed Bradley Broadcast Center, Duckrey Social Science Building, Cheyney University

Testifiers · Dr. Joan Duvall-Flynn, statewide NAACP Education Chair · Ann Frazer, president of the Cheyney University Chapter NAACP · Christopher Carter, president of the Cheyney University Student Government Association

PITTSBURGH HEARING
Date: Friday, April 15, 2011
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: Lower Lounge of the William Pitt Union Building, University of Pittsburgh

Testifiers · John Tarka, president of the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers · Erik S. Lowe, University of Pittsburgh School of Law student · Member of the statewide NAACP Education Committee

We must stand by the unions for creating the middle class, By Rep. Ronald G. Waters

2011-03-15T14:50:00.000-04:00

According to recent news reports, the union-busters are headed to Pennsylvania. Americans For Prosperity—a Tea Party group founded by the Koch brothers that tried to kill President Obama’s health care reform bill— now wants to break up the unions. Their signature is all over these attempts by Wisconsin’s Governor Scott Walker to take away the collective bargaining rights of public sector unions. Now, they’ve set their sights on three states: Ohio, Indiana and our commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Like the rest of the country, I am looking at what is happening in Wisconsin. I have joined over 380 of my colleagues, state legislators from 50 states and two territories around the country, in signing a letter of support of the Wisconsin Democratic legislators. I am also proud to join six legislators in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in signing this letter.

As a proud member of AFSCME, I carry my union card in my wallet everyday without fail. Unions created the middle class, and lifted up the working poor to create an environment for them to make a better life for themselves. For me, being a member of the union means standing strong with workers who simply want a better life for their children, health care for their families, and reasonable working hours.

It troubles me when Tea Party Republicans such as the Koch Brothers go after the hardworking people who have made our country what it is today. Union members are the teachers and the police officers, the firefighters and the construction workers, the nurses and the postal workers. Union members are the ordinary folks who get up each day at the crack of dawn. They take the early bus to put food on their table, support their families and put their children through college. They are not millionaires who are getting rich at the expense of the working class and the middle class, as some would allege. Rather, people who join the labor movement are the salt of the earth. They are for us, and we are for them.

There was a reason why unions were formed, and there is a reason why unions must continue their good work. If anyone has their eye on the Keystone State to bust up the unions, we must make it clear they are simply not welcome here in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania can’t afford to ignore alternatives to prison, By Rep. Ronald G. Waters

2011-03-15T14:46:00.000-04:00

Pennsylvania’s Department of Corrections recently announced its plan to cancel the construction of a $200 million, 2,000-bed state prison for Fayette County. In addition, this facility would have cost the taxpayers an additional $50-60 million a year to operate. As a Department of Corrections spokesperson noted, since it would have been built in Southwestern Pennsylvania— while most prisoners are from the eastern part of the state—the prison would have undermined re-entry efforts that prepare inmates to return to their families and communities.

The new prison is unnecessary, and I applaud the decision by Governor Corbett and his administration to abandon that proposal. Building more prisons does not sound like a public safety plan, it sounds like a plan for more criminal activity to occur. It is easy to decide to build another prison, but it is hard to create meaningful programs which help eliminate crime in our communities. I would like to see a plan to reduce crime, rather than one which only reacts to crime. With the high levels of recidivism in our state, there is clearly more work to be done by the Dept. of Corrections.

Why should we spend taxpayer dollars to incarcerate more nonviolent offenders when there are more appropriate and effective alternatives to help them? Each inmate costs the state an average of $33,000. Is this money being well spent?

Now that I have returned to the House Judiciary Committee, I look forward to working on these issues. I am exploring the problems in the criminal justice system that lead to the incarceration of those for whom prison is not the proper response to deal with their behavior. This includes individuals who are in need of counseling for anger management or mental health issues, or treatment for substance abuse.

I want to work together with my colleagues to adopt the efforts employed by other states that effectively handle criminal behavior. For example, one of the bills I am introducing will bring the Dept. of Corrections and the Board of Probation and Parole under one roof, a method used by other states to streamline government.

Our commonwealth cannot continue to increase its corrections funding as 27 other states—including even Texas, and many others facing budget shortfalls— have reduced their prison population. The Commonwealth sent 2,100 of its prisoners to Michigan and Virginia at a cost of $62 per inmate per day, and Pennsylvania’s taxpayer generated revenue was outsourced along with them. This year, 1,100 of our state prisoners currently incarcerated in Michigan are returning back to Pennsylvania facilities.

I am never opposed to putting violent offenders in prison, but let us make sure that those who are in there deserve to be there. 90 percent of the people who are already incarcerated will return to the streets, to their neighborhoods.

I offer thanks to the Governor and the judiciary committees of the House and Senate for getting involved and realizing that there is a better way than incarcerating people who are only a threat to themselves. Congratulations to the Corrections Secretary-designee John Wetzel for stepping to the plate and tackling these issues head on. We look forward to continuing to find ways to be good stewards of the taxpayers’ dollars, and to enact strong laws that improve government services and reap real benefits and improve public safety to all Pennsylvanians.

Op-ed by State Rep. Ronald G. Waters: Philadelphia is proud to have Dr. Ackerman

2011-02-22T13:10:00.000-05:00

As Chairman of the Pennsylvania Black Caucus, I am expressing my unwavering and unequivocal support for Dr. Arlene Ackerman, the Superintendent of the Philadelphia School District. In light of a recent personal attack against her, including a call from one state lawmaker for her resignation, I believe it is necessary to set the record straight.

Dr. Ackerman has decided that she will defer any bonuses from the school district. She already had reported to the School Reform Commission in December 2010 that she would defer the upcoming scheduled bonuses. The bonuses were in Dr. Ackerman’s contract, but she made the decision in light of the state of the economy and the budget cuts the district must make this year. In addition, she announced she will take 20 furlough days as part of the budget cutting measures. It was the responsible thing to do. Her greatest concern is the education of Philadelphia’s children.

A Harvard-trained educator and former Columbia University professor, Dr. Ackerman recently was given the Richard R. Green Award as the nation’s top urban school leader. She turned things around in other school districts throughout the nation, including San Francisco, Washington D.C., and Seattle. And now, she’s doing the same for Philadelphia, and we are fortunate to have her. She deserves nothing but the praise of parents and students throughout our community who love her and say she is doing a great job.

In less than three years, Dr. Ackerman is making a positive change for our children with impressive achievement gains.

Her Renaissance Schools Initiative, only in its second year, is reaping big rewards. For the first time, over half of Philadelphia school students scored proficient or better on state standardized tests. Nearly 100 schools were given Keystone Achievement Awards for the progress they have made. The six-year graduation rate for high school students is 63 percent, up 4 percent in the past two years. A dropout recovery program is attracting thousands of former students back into school. And reading and math scores are up for eight straight years, while violent incidents have dropped 29 percent in two years.

Ackerman’s Promise Academies are turning around low performing schools. Her Parent University initiative allows parents to better themselves and gain new skills. This is a win-win for parents with young children in school, to get them up to speed on what is being taught, and to enable them to help with homework assignments. Schools are being funded fairly across the district. And Promise Neighborhoods provide cradle to career services to students, and helps them to pursue post-secondary education.

It also is clear that Dr. Ackerman is building for the future of Philadelphia, with investments in smaller classes, improved counseling and more support for struggling students and new immigrants. Internship programs are steering high school students to the teaching profession, and the “Grow-Your-Own” program is helping members of the community achieve their teaching certification.

Managing America’s eighth largest school system is no easy task, and there is no one better prepared to lead it than Arlene Ackerman. At a time when women such as First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Arlene Ackerman are being denigrated for making a positive difference in young lives— the First Lady for encouraging children to make healthy choices, and Dr. Ackerman for placing Philadelphia’s children on a better path to success and adding value to their lives— we must embrace these arch “sheroes” among us and sing their praises. There’s no better time for celebrating these significant accomplishments than during Black History Month. The attacks on these black women are unjustifiable, and those who would encourage people to put them down should tell us who they really are. I say thumbs up to Dr. Arlene Ackerman, Superintendent and Chief Executive Officer of the Philadelphia School District.

Black History Month Celebration

2011-02-14T15:11:00.000-05:00

The following are highlinghts of the PLBC's 2011 Black History Month celebration, which took place on February 8 at the State Capitol Rotunda:

Pennsylvania must not become a capital of hate, by State Rep. Ronald G. Waters

2011-02-11T10:27:00.000-05:00

The wave of hate crimes and racially motivated incidents throughout Pennsylvania in recent months has left me shocked and saddened. With the state and nation becoming more and more diverse, we should be celebrating our differences, the richness of cultures that make our society better. But some people are reacting to this diversity with anger, threats and acts of violence.

What’s even more disturbing is that many of these acts are being committed by young people.

In the Dover Area School District, York County, there have been two incidents of ethnic intimidation in the past two months. In December, a 14-year-old boy at Dover Intermediate School was charged with two cases of ethnic intimidation. The teen allegedly drew a swastika on a bathroom wall and wrote “KKK and White Power," and left a threatening message with a racial slur on a 12-year-old boy's cell phone. “I'm going to hang you and light you on fire,” was the alleged text to his classmate, who is black.

And just days ago, a 12-year-old boy, who is white, is alleged to have sent three threatening and racist text messages to a 12-year-old biracial girl while riding on a bus. According to the girl’s mother, who contacted the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus office, the boy called her a porch monkey in the first text message and a bitch in the second. Finally, after she ignored him, he reportedly texted, “I’m going to hang you” -- showing he was serious and not going to give up.

Here is a boy who was barely a toddler at the start of this decade, the second decade of the 21st century. Yet, he is spewing hatred that was better left in the 20th century, or in centuries before.

I do not think the blame should rest solely with these children alone. After all, children do not pick up this behavior in a vacuum. People don’t come into the world thinking this way, filled with hate. They learn it at home from their parents, and from other adults in the community. We are products of our environment, our experiences, and we act on what we learn. We must cultivate responsible citizens the way a gardener grows healthy plants. Both must be nurtured, given attention, constant care and the proper nourishment in order to flourish and become a source of pride.

Sadly, the incidents at Dover are not isolated. This is a statewide problem.

In August 2010, a 19-year-old Philipsburg man was charged with burning two crosses on the lawn of an 18-year-old white woman in Clearfield County. The young man was reportedly angry that the woman had a black friend visiting her house.

That same month, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted three men for burning a 6-foot cross outside the home of a white family in a Pittsburgh suburb. The family has a black foster child who plays football for the local high school.

Last October, the William Penn Senior High School marching band of York was attacked while marching at the Manheim Farm Show in Lancaster County. The band members, who were black, white and Latino, were the victims of racial epithets and derogatory comments by the predominantly white crowd of spectators observing the parade. Spectators also threw rocks at the William Penn students and sprayed them with soda.

In April 2009, a Pittsburgh man was charged with murdering three police officers and wounding two others following a domestic dispute outside his mother’s house. The man, who is alleged to harbor racist views and whose writings appeared on a white-power website, reportedly believed President Obama would ban guns.

And in 2009 an all-white Schuylkill County jury acquitted two white youths of all serious charges in the July 2008 beating death of Mexican immigrant Luís Ramirez. This came despite strong evidence that the teens had murdered the man, including claims by witnesses that racial epithets were used during the violent assault. The teens were later indicted on federal hate crimes charges and convicted by a federal jury last October. Last month, two police officers were convicted for attempting to cover up the crime.

James Carville once said that “Pennsylvania is Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with Alabama in between.” Unfortunately, his statement rings true today. Pennsylvania needs to be a leader in job growth and education, not a capital of hate and racial intolerance. During this Black History Month, we should strive to do better. We cannot afford to become the new “Old South” of the North.

At a time when we have an African-American president, first lady and family, that should serve as an indication that the country is moving forward. However, we wonder what some people mean when we they say they want to “take our country back.”

It’s time Pennsylvanians stand up and condemn hate crimes.

Rep. Mark B. Cohen Celebrates Black History

2011-02-09T12:45:00.001-05:00

CLICK HERE FOR LINK

Dover Area's second case of ethnic intimidation attracts concern

2011-02-09T12:27:00.000-05:00

State Rep. Ronald Waters said he is "alarmed and concerned" that there have been two reported incidents of ethnic intimidation in the Dover Area School District in as many months.

Read more: York Daily Record/Sunday News

Waters’ resolution condemning the Arizona shooting incident adopted

2011-01-25T15:59:00.000-05:00

HARRISBURG, Jan. 25 – State Rep. Ronald G. Waters, D-Delaware/Phila., today offered a resolution condemning the Arizona shooting incident that took place earlier this month and reaffirming the bedrock principles memorialized in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. House members unanimously adopted the measure.

An alleged assassination attempt against U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford, D-Arizona, took place on Jan. 8 in Tucson. A lone gunman opened fire during a “Congress on Your Corner” event. In all, 13 people were wounded and six people killed, including the Honorable John Roll (a federal judge and Pennsylvania native) and 9-year-old Christina Taylor Green (granddaughter of former Philadelphia Phillies manager Dallas Green).

"This was a senseless loss of innocent life that the country witnessed in Arizona," Waters said. "We are deeply saddened by these events, and supportive of the victims and their families, who were both emotionally and physically harmed and will bear those wounds forever.

"When something like this happens, the families are directly affected, but in a way, all of us are touched by such a tragedy."

Waters compared the Tucson shooting to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination.

"The fact that the Tucson tragedy took place a week before the birthday of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reminds me that Dr. King, like some of the victims in Tucson, was taken from us by an assassin’s bullet, and like Representative Giffords and Judge Roll, had received death threats," Waters said. "Dr. King stood for peace, and for settling differences through nonviolence rather than bloodshed. I think we can learn a great deal from this in 2011."

The resolution (H.R. 18) not only expressed the sympathy of the House of Representatives for the victims and hope for the rapid and complete recovery of those wounded, but also applauded the bravery and quick thinking of those who stopped the gunman.

“As elected leaders, it is imperative that we fight for a democracy in which all can participate and in which intimidation and threats of violence cannot silence the voices of any American,” Waters said.

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PLBC announces new members and caucus positions

2011-01-12T16:26:00.000-05:00

HARRISBURG, Jan. 4 –The Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus has new officers and two new members for the 2011-12 legislative session.

State Reps. Margo Davidson, D-Delaware, and Michelle Brownlee, D-Phila., freshmen members of the House of Representatives are the newest additions to the caucus. Brownlee is also PLBC secretary.

Second term state Reps. Vanessa Brown and Kenyatta Johnson, both D-Phila., hold new officer positions with the caucus. Brown is vice chairwoman and Johnson is treasurer.

State Rep. Ronald G. Waters, D-Phila./Delaware, will continue to serve as PLBC chairman in the 2011-12 legislative session, a position he has held since January 2009. Waters is also chairman of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators Region 2, which includes Pennsylvania and New York.

Caucus members said they will continue to fight for the advancement and equality for minorities in the Commonwealth.

In 2010, the PLBC hosted a scholarship banquet and gave away $25,000 in college scholarship money to minority seniors pursuing degrees at Pennsylvania colleges and universities. Members said they will continue to work on programs that will help to promote educational initiatives for minority students.

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PLBC members condemn Tucson shooting, express support for victims and families, urge Americans to come together

2011-01-12T14:21:00.000-05:00

HARRISBURG, Jan. 12 – State Rep. Ronald G. Waters, chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, said today that members of the caucus are deeply saddened by the Jan. 8 assassination attempt against U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, D-Arizona, in Tucson, which left six dead, including a nine-year-old girl and a federal judge.

Giffords and 13 other people were wounded in the shooting.

"This was a senseless loss of innocent life that the country witnessed in Arizona this past weekend," Waters said. "We are deeply saddened by these events, and supportive of the victims and their families, who were both emotionally and physically harmed forever."

The shooting claimed the life of the Honorable John Roll, a seasoned and respected federal judge who was a Pennsylvania native and was appointed to the federal bench by President George H.W. Bush. Also among the dead was nine-year-old Christina Taylor Green, who was the granddaughter of former Philadelphia Phillies manager Dallas Green. She was born on Sept. 11, 2001, as the United States experienced one of the most tragic losses of innocent life in the country's history.

"This young life was snatched away from us, and we do not know what she would have become," Waters said. "When something like this happens, the families are directly affected, but in a way, all of us are also touched by such a tragedy."

State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown, D-Phila., vice chairwoman of the PLBC, said she feels a personal connection to the congresswoman who was attacked.

"As a fellow National Foundation for Women Legislators member, Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford’s plight this past weekend really struck a chord with me. In fact, it only served to reinforce the fact that being a public official can be both a rewarding yet a potentially dangerous job. This senseless tragedy was reprehensible in every respect, and whether or not it was precipitated by the ever-heated political climate does not make this crime any more or less egregious," Brown said. "My deepest sympathy and prayers are with all of the victims of this horrible tragedy, and it is my hope that we all as legislators learn from this shooting and move swiftly in the direction of tightening current gun laws."

State Sen. Shirley M. Kitchen, D-Phila., another PLBC member, said the shooting should remind politicians of the reasons they chose to become an elected official.

"This tragedy is a wake-up call for all politicians," Kitchen said. "While we all share a passion for serving our constituents, we definitely need to tone down the divisive rhetoric. We can do that by sticking to the facts on issues and rejecting political extremism. We're here to serve the people, not a political agenda."

Waters compared the Tucson shooting to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,'s assassination.

"The fact that the Tucson tragedy took place a week before the birthday of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reminds me that Dr. King, like some of the victims in Tucson, was taken from us by an assassin’s bullet, and like Representative Giffords and Judge Roll, had received death threats," Waters said. "Dr. King stood for peace, and for settling differences through nonviolence rather than bloodshed. I think we can learn a great deal from this in 2011."

PLBC members said their deepest sympathy and prayers are with all of the victims of this horrible tragedy.

Rep. Waters and Sen. Kitchen speak at Diabetes forum on 6abc

2011-01-05T10:25:00.000-05:00

PLBC Chair Ron Waters and Sen. Shirley Kitchen spoke at a forum called "Picture This: Diabetes in the Media Information Forum." It aired on ABC's Philadelphia station, WPVI Channel 6.

National Black Caucus of State Legislators ratifies Rep. Waters’ resolutions on Arizona immigration, cultural competency in healthcare

2010-12-17T15:16:00.000-05:00

HARRISBURG, Dec. 17 – Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus (PLBC) chairman, State Rep. Ronald G. Waters, D-Delaware/Phila., introduced two resolutions at the annual conference of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) in Atlanta. The NBCSL—whose membership includes African-American state legislators throughout the United States—ratified the resolutions condemning the Arizona immigration law, and supporting cultural competency training for health care professionals.

State Rep. Waters’ healthcare resolution stresses that cultural awareness and cultural competency are essential skills for providing quality health care to a diverse patient population, yet only a small percentage of medical schools and teaching institutions currently provide formal training.

In his resolution, Waters says “the NBCSL recognizes the role of cultural competency training in promoting communication at the provider, care institution, health plan, national and state levels is likely to contribute to success in reducing racial and ethnic disparities in the receipt of high quality care.” Further, “the NBCSL calls on states to require healthcare professionals, in order to be eligible to receive or renew licensure, certification or registration, as applicable, to submit evidence to the appropriate state board that the professional has successfully completed the board's requirements for instruction or continuing education in cultural competency.”

The resolution also urges state medical boards to consider problems of race and gender-based disparities in health care treatment decisions; approve continuing education courses addressing cultural competency in health care treatment, and consult professionally relevant and nationally recognized organizations when adopting new rules.

According to the Urban Institute, health disparities among African Americans and Latinos relative to whites cost the health care system $23.9 billion in 2009, including $700 million in Pennsylvania. Medicare alone will spend an extra $15.6 billion, and private health insurers an additional $5.1 billion due to elevated rates of chronic illness among these groups. From 2009 through 2018, it is estimated the total cost of these disparities will be $337 billion, including $220 billion for Medicare.

“The costs to treat the diseases which result from Health and Healthcare disparities represent one of the recognized areas of unnecessary and arguably avoidable healthcare delivery costs. Specifically, in certain instances both prevention and more cost efficient management of chronic disease states can significantly reduce healthcare costs,” according to Dr. Lee Kirsey, MD, co-founder of The Center for Health Improvement and Economic Development, and Michele Jones, MSW, Manager of Partnership Development and Community Relations at Fox Cancer Center in Philadelphia.

In his second resolution passed by the NBCSL, Waters condemned Arizona Senate Bill 1070, also known as the Arizona Immigration Law. Signed into law by Governor Jan Brewer on April 23, 2010, the law makes it a misdemeanor for an alien to be in Arizona without carrying the required documents, and authorizes police to ask suspected undocumented immigrants about their status. A federal court is reviewing the constitutionality of key provisions of the law.
The NBCSL resolution criticizes the Arizona law for violating the Fourteenth Amendment by interfering with federal immigration power and authority, and urges state governments and public officials to refrain from doing business with the state of Arizona.

“Arizona Senate Bill 1070 reminds us that we must remain vigilant when faced with threats to democracy and civil rights,” Waters said in his resolution. “The State of Arizona previously demonstrated a disregard for the legacy of civil rights when it became the last state of the Union to observe the Martin Luther King holiday,” Waters added. “The Arizona Law is oppressive in nature and promotes racial profiling and separatism similar to the Nuremberg laws in Nazi Germany, Jim Crow Laws in the former Confederate States and the Apartheid laws in South Africa.”

The PLBC was founded in 1973. Its purpose is to serve as an information and advocacy vehicle to advance the interests of African-American, Latino, and other minority citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The PLBC is a member of the NBCSL, which is based in Washington, D.C.

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Phila. Tribune: Union deals drive attacks on Ackerman

2010-12-15T14:36:00.000-05:00

Phila. Tribune: Legislative Black Caucus Stands behind Ackerman

2010-12-10T13:57:00.000-05:00

PLBC Press Confrerence in support of School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Dr. Arlene Ackerman

2010-12-10T11:51:00.000-05:00

The following are photos from a December 9, 2010 press conference at the School District of Philadelphia, in support of Philadelphia Schools Superintendent Dr. Arlene Ackerman. Participants included PLBC Chairman Ronald G. Waters, State Sen. Shirley Kitchen, State Rep. Kenyatta Johnson, State Rep. Cherelle Parker, State Rep. Vanessa Brown, State Sen. LeAnna Washington, State Rep.-elect Michelle Brownlee, and Philadelphia and Pennsylvania NAACP Pres. J. Whyatt Mondesire.

Speakers Show Support For Ackerman

2010-12-10T11:25:00.000-05:00

Fox 29 News: The community came out in force to show their support for Philadelphia Schools Superintendent Arlene Ackerman at a meeting of the School Reform Commission.

PLBC members support Philly Schools Superintendent Dr. Arlene Ackerman

2010-12-07T12:02:00.000-05:00

HARRISBURG, Dec. 7 – Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus (PLBC) chairman, State Rep. Ronald G. Waters, D-Delaware/Phila., said caucus members support Dr. Arlene Ackerman, Superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia, and commend her for her commitment to diversity. The fearless advocate for children and school reform has been criticized recently for removing Security and Data Technologies Inc. from a $7.5 million, no-bid contract for surveillance cameras, and replacing it with IBS Communications, a minority contractor.

“I am proud and encouraged that Dr. Ackerman is taking on the issue of inclusion, diversity and opportunity in an effort to spread the school district’s contracts among all the communities. IBS is a highly qualified and a highly recommended firm, and Dr. Ackerman should be given the opportunity to defend herself,” Waters said.

“In a school district that is 88 percent children of color, minority participation leaves much to be desired,” Waters added. “Out of all of the businesses that contract with the Philadelphia School District, only 20 percent are women- and minority-owned businesses, and only 10 percent of contractors are people of color. We have to end this practice of economic apartheid.”

“I support extending the opportunity to small and disadvantaged business to acquire state and local government contracts. I believe that these businesses, which are often women and minority owned, are frequently overlooked and need the support and intervention of government officials and those in administrative positions to level the playing field,” said State Rep. Cherelle Parker, D-Phila., a PLBC member.

According to the U.S. Census, Philadelphia is 43.5 percent African-American, 39 percent white, 11 percent Latino and 5.5 Asian. This means that nearly 58 percent of Philadelphia’s citizens are people of color, yet Waters is concerned that their numbers are not reflected among contractors doing business with the city. “The city’s top elected official is a person of color. The chairman of the city’s School Reform Commission is a person of color, as is the District Attorney, the Sheriff, eight of the 17 members of the City Council, 18 legislators representing Philadelphia in the General Assembly, and one of Philadelphia’s four members of Congress. Even the President of the United States is a man of color,” Waters added.

“I am a strong advocate for giving African-Americans and minorities the opportunity to participate in contracts with the School District of Philadelphia and all forms of state-related contracts,” said State Rep. Kenyatta Johnson, D-Phila., a PLBC member.

“How do we encourage our youth to go to school, get an education and invest in their future, when they come to school and see that the contractors, the people working in the school don’t look like the person they see in the mirror?” Waters asked. “The majority of the teachers and people earning income in that building don’t look like them. What kind of signal are we sending when we talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk? Actions speak louder than words, and children want to see results, not just hear what we say. How do we incentivize good, desired behavior when we want them to believe the system is fair, but the reality doesn’t agree?” Waters added.

“I congratulate Superintendent Arlene Ackerman for having the will to end the old boys’ network and stop business as usual,” Waters said. “Far too often, too many of us stand around as spectators. If we want to end crime, promote healthy behavior, and want people to feel that America is a great place to live and raise a family, then we have to do it by way of example.”

“If you want to reduce crime and show kids a bright future, rather than investigate fourth grade reading levels as an indicator of prison growth, you have to show that education is important—not just academics but life experience,” Waters added.

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Statement from PLBC Chair Ronald G. Waters commending Governor Ed Rendell for his veto of expanded Castle Doctrine bill

2010-12-02T09:13:00.000-05:00

HARRISBURG, Dec. 2 – As chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, I commend Governor Ed Rendell for his decision to veto H.B. 1926, also known as the Castle Doctrine expansion bill.

I voted against the legislation because of its inherent dangers. I support the Castle Doctrine already on the books in Pennsylvania, which says that a person has a right to protect their home, their “castle” against intruders. However, the bill would have expanded the Castle Doctrine so that the word “castle” would no longer apply. This legislation went out into the streets—wherever people find themselves—and created a wide-open condition where you would no longer have to retreat when you feel threatened, but rather you could shoot first and ask questions later. You would no longer have to confront people verbally, just shoot to kill if you have a gun. These circumstances only encourage people to arm themselves, and can lead to a lethal confrontation which can prove harmful not only to those in conflict but innocent bystanders as well. Anyone knocking on someone’s door could be met with deadly force.

In addition, the bill contained no benchmarks for gun owners, and no additional training in proper gun usage. Even police departments are trained not to use deadly force unless they have to. They must have a perfect score of 100 in their firearms qualifying course in order to become police officers. If law enforcement requires training in the police academies on the proper time to use a weapon, then ordinary citizens should as well. Further, the bill extremely limited the ability of innocent victims’ families to file a civil action, thereby removing the element of responsibility.

I supported H.B. 1926— which would have protected young citizens by closing a loophole in Pennsylvania’s Megan’s Law— in its original form. I voted for the original Megan’s Law legislation in the Judiciary Committee and on the House floor because it was a good bill. I also questioned and voted against H.B. 40, which was the expanded Castle doctrine, in committee. However, the Megan’s Law provision was later bundled with the Castle Doctrine bill into a single, unfair piece of legislation. The two bills address unrelated issues, and therefore should run separately and independently on their own merits.

The National Rifle Association supported the new Castle Doctrine legislation with expanded gun use. However, the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association opposed the bill because it “gives thugs a new line of defense to escape the law,” and I support their decision. We have been trying our best to get the General Assembly to pass reasonable gun legislation to no avail, so they pass expansion of gun use instead.

I support a standalone Megan’s Law bill, and look forward to voting on it in the next legislation session. I encourage all members of the General Assembly to explore reasonable legislation that we can agree upon and sign into law next term.

I applaud Governor Rendell for his leadership and his commitment to protecting the safety of all Pennsylvanians.

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Pa. Black Caucus salutes Vick

2010-11-29T09:49:00.000-05:00

PLBC members congratulate Michael Vick on his rise to number one quarterback

2010-11-23T10:38:00.000-05:00

HARRISBURG, Nov. 23 – Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus chairman, state Rep. Ronald G. Waters, Delaware/Phila., said caucus members commend Philadelphia Eagles player Michael Vick for his rise to the top ranked quarterback in the NFL. This comes weeks after the caucus publicly supported the Philadelphia Eagles decision to make Vick their starting quarterback in spite of his previous involvement with a dog fighting operation.

“Michael Vick is now the number one quarterback, and the only starting quarterback who hasn’t thrown an interception,” Waters said. “A few weeks ago I spoke about the time to forgive, and a man who had made such great strides to win back his credibility. Now he outdid himself and went from number three to number one among starting quarterbacks. We should all be proud.”

In 2001, Vick rose to fame when he became the first African American quarterback to be selected as the first overall pick in the NFL draft. He enjoyed a successful career with the Atlanta Falcons for six seasons until he was convicted of running an illegal dog fighting operation out of his home and released from his position. He had to serve 18 months in prison.

Vick has been allowed back on the playing field and was recently named the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles.

PLBC member, Sen. Shirley Kitchen, D-Phila., said there is a time to forgive and give a person a second chance.

"Michael Vick is a perfect example of what people can get from a second chance. More people are benefiting through jobs and general support based on Vick’s second chance.”

Waters also said forgiveness can be expressed verbally or through action.

“Actions speak louder than words and money talks,” Waters said after he watched a recent game at a sports lounge in Philadelphia. Waters also said he saw various crowds of people cheer and eagerly display their support of Vick in his new role.

Waters said the NFL should express their forgiveness through justly compensating Vick for the moral boost he has brought to the NFL and the Philadelphia Eagles organization.

“According to statistics, Vick ranks number one in terms of starting quarterbacks throughout the league, but ranks last in salary in this same position,” Waters said.

“I look forward to when the Eagles organization will compensate Michael Vick, this talented football player, for the value he brings to the game and this professional sport,” Waters said.

State Rep. Tony Payton, D-Phila., another PLBC member, said “The story of Michael Vick is one of redemption. He has paid his debt to society and should be able to play football at the highest level as his talent demands.”

Waters posed the question and asked, "When is it time to forgive?"

“We must support Michael Vick as he continues to excel on and off the field through his demonstrated talent and community outreach efforts. Through community outreach, Vick is clearly demonstrating people can change. Can we change? Can we change our opinions on how long we hold people accountable for their past mistakes?” Waters asked.

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State Rep. Robert Donatucci dies

2010-11-22T14:16:00.000-05:00

On November 9, State Rep. Robert C. Donatucci, 58, died in his sleep in his South Philadelphia home. Donatucci received 84 percent of the vote the week earlier in the election for his 16th House term. PLBC Chair Ronald G. Waters and others reflected on his career.

Read more: Philadelphia Inquirer

PA House Votes For Lethal Force For Self-Protection

2010-11-22T14:01:00.000-05:00

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives concurred with the Senate on a bill allowing lethal force in self-protection. The legislation was originally designed to close two loopholes regarding sex offenders under Megan's Law. However, the Senate included an amendment for the expansion of the “Castle Doctrine” regarding self-protection. The bill would expand the current law to permit the use of deadly force against the attacker outside of the home, and eliminate the duty to retreat.

Rep. Ron Waters questioned the constitutionality of the bill and whether it violates the same-subject clause requirement under the Pennsylvania Constitution. Rep. Cherelle Parker expressed concerns about the safety of police officers as a reason not to concur with the bill.

Read more: The Bulletin

Moore’s Friends express outrage - Community organizer brutally attacked in home

2010-11-15T15:49:00.000-05:00

State Rep. Kenyatta Johnson, a PLBC member, held a press conference with PLBC Chair Ronlad G. Waters to address the outrage in Southwest and West Philadelphia over the home invasion and brutal beating of community organizer Marsha Moore.

Read more: Philadelphia Tribune

Reward offered for leads in attack on Philly activist

2010-11-15T10:49:00.001-05:00

PLBC Chairman Ron Waters joined Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and PLBC members State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams and State Rep. Kenyatta Johnson in announcing an $11,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person who attacked Marsha Moore, a longtime community activist in Southwest Philadelphia.

Read more: Philadelphia Inquirer

Roadmap for Hospitals: Culturally Competent Patient Care

2010-11-15T10:12:00.001-05:00

Published in DiversityInc.com. According to the Joint Commission, an independent nonprofit organization, hospitals and healthcare providers must make the necessary accommodations that are both respectful of and responsive to an increasingly diverse patient population. Click HERE for more.

West Phila. retail center to revitalize Lancaster Ave.

2010-11-15T09:49:00.000-05:00

Published in the Philadelphia Tribune. PLBC member, State Rep. Louis Williams Bishop, was on hand at a recent groundbreaking of the Louise Williams Bishop Commercial Center, a $1.5 million, 6,000 square-foot retail development. Click HERE for more.

State probation & parole official for Philadelphia district had firsthand experience - as a fugitive, records show

2010-11-15T09:43:00.000-05:00

From the November 12, 2010 Philadelphia Daily News. Rep. Waters weighs in on this issue. Click HERE for more.

Message from PLBC Chairman Ronald G. Waters on the election results

2010-11-04T14:02:00.000-04:00

I was proud to see senior citizens coming to vote in their walkers and canes, assisted by friends, and parents who brought their children with them to cast their vote and introduce them to the process. In spite of how we may feel about the outcome of the election, and despite your views on the issues, this process known as democracy prevails. The real results for us of this outcome are yet to be seen. Of course as a Democrat and an elected official I will continue to deliver the best advocacy, services and community outreach in the best interests of the constituency I represent.

Sesame Street Loves Black Hair

2010-11-01T13:45:00.000-04:00

The following is a new puppet on Sesame Street, a black girl who was created to encourage black children to love themselves and their hair. For children in the early stages of development, it plays an important role in their life to to see images on TV that look like a neighbor, family member or what they see when they look in the mirror. We congratulate the creator of this character, and support his efforts to make this character a regular part of the television program.

We need to support President Obama in these tough times, by State Rep. Ronald G. Waters

2010-10-26T12:14:00.000-04:00

Despite all that he has done for this country in such a short period of time, President Obama is being blamed for a lot of things lately, and it just isn’t fair.

But the President is fighting back against critics who say he hasn’t done enough on jobs, the economy and health care. He is fighting against apathy and hopelessness.

And he is fighting back against those who would give tax cuts to the rich and let ordinary Americans fend for themselves, and I support him.

We must remember what the situation in America was like when President Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. His predecessor, George W. Bush, had left a big mess. Bush had turned a budget surplus under Clinton into a huge budget deficit. America was fighting two wars—one in Iraq, and one in Afghanistan.

Further, a massive recession was already under way, with widespread unemployment. Bad policies led to 1 in 7 Americans landing in poverty. The deregulation of the financial sector allowed banks to use risky mortgages to sell derivatives, and gamble with the future of everyday people in the process. The foreclosure crisis has devastated millions of families, and according to United for A Fair Economy, the subprime mortgage meltdown has resulted in the largest loss of black and Latino wealth in modern U.S. history.

So, this is what our current President faced from day one. Yet, he is blamed for the things he didn’t do, and the good things he has accomplished under trying circumstances. His $887 billion stimulus package put people back to work and kept the U.S. from falling over the cliff into another Great Depression. And it prevented tens of thousands of teachers from losing their jobs. Some people mistakenly hold President Obama responsible for the TARP bailout of Wall Street banks, thinking that TARP and the stimulus are one and the same. But Bush orchestrated the TARP program.

Here is what Obama has done, however: The President enacted national health care reform. Many presidents have tried, dating back to 1912, when Theodore Roosevelt included health insurance in his campaign platform. He is going forward with a Consumer Financial Protection Agency to help out people who can’t defend themselves from predatory loans and other discriminatory banking practices. President Obama signed into law an overhaul of the federal student loan program. His reform increases Pell grants, increases aid to community colleges, eliminates private bank fees and includes loan forgiveness after 25 years. The President has expanded college access to millions of young people who are crushed under the weight of student debt, and often must give up on their dreams of owning a home because they cannot afford it.

In addition, President Obama has made badly needed investments in our nation’s crumbling infrastructure, and he saved the U.S. auto industry. Further, the President extended unemployment benefits to 2 million workers, and made sure that 11 million additional children had health insurance. Obama appointed more women to his cabinet than any other president, and nominated two women to the U.S. Supreme Court, including the court’s first Latina judge. He has instituted a new national drug control strategy that treats drugs as a public health issue, and emphasizes community-based solutions and prevention. And he has restored integrity and transparency to the federal government.

Meanwhile, some oppose the President simply because he is the first African-American in the White House. The tea party has made a whole industry out of hating Obama, but they offer no solutions other than shutting down the government. I would ask them whether they think they could do more.

The challenges that Pennsylvanians and people around the country face may seem overwhelming at times. Although the waters may be rough, I am relieved that we have

the steady hands of Barack Obama at the helm.

State Rep. Ronald G. Waters is chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus.

Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus condemns racial attacks against marching band at Lancaster County parade

2010-10-22T16:55:00.000-04:00

HARRISBURG, Oct. 22 – Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus chairman, state Rep. Ronald G. Waters, Delaware/Phila., condemned the recent racial attacks against a high school marching band at a Lancaster County parade, and emphasized his commitment to strengthening laws that protect the innocent.

On October 6, 2010, the William Penn Senior High School marching band of York, PA marched at the Manheim Farm Show in Lancaster County. The band members, who were black, white, and Latino, were the victims of racial epithets and derogatory comments by the predominantly white crowd. Members of the crowd also threw rocks at the William Penn students and sprayed them with soda.

“As chair of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, a leading body in this commonwealth to advance the interests of African-American, Latino, and other citizens, I strongly condemn the acts committed against these young Americans. The William Penn marching band is a multicultural group of students working together, the way civilization should be. Yet some people are threatened by that,” Waters added.

“While this is 2010, and almost 2011, there are those people who are not moving forward like the rest of the world,” Waters added. “Unfortunately, in today’s climate, there are cross burnings and other hate crimes taking place right here in Pennsylvania-- not fifty or a hundred years ago, but right now. Sadly, for some people in this state and across the nation, civility and decency have been lost and anything goes. Just a few days ago, in a city in Georgia, a white councilman told a black councilman that he should be picking cotton.”

Waters said that a unified force is needed to show that the good will outweigh the bad in the face of racial violence. “In spite of the ignorant behavior on display at the parade, right thinking people need to show an example to our youth. And I commend the organizers of the parade for standing up to the hate and expressing their embarrassment over the incident,” Waters said.

“As legislators one of our main responsibilities is to protect our citizens and to be champions for justice. In doing this we will provide a real service for the citizens of this commonwealth. We must set policies in place to level the playing field of opportunity,” Waters said. “Good laws and policies that will serve as a deterrent and show there are consequences for this type of misconduct. We all must take a stand and make it known that we do not support such actions or tolerate such ignorant behavior,” Waters added.

Waters in favor of Marcellus Shale tax

2010-10-22T16:43:00.000-04:00

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 21 - State Rep. Ronald G. Waters, D-Phila./Delaware, is calling on the Senate to pass the Marcellus Shale tax and says implementing the tax should be a top priority before the end of the year.

Waters said the Marcellus Shale tax would help to close the state's current budget deficit and relieve some of the burden on individual taxpayers.

"If we pass this tax we would be able to generate much needed revenue for the state where we would not have to continue to make deep, drastic cuts to services that some of our most vulnerable citizens need. These include educational programs, senior citizen services, health programs and other human services," Waters said." Every year we have to make cuts to these programs, yet we do not require rich oil and natural gas companies to pay their fair share. Does this make sense?"

Waters said the Marcellus Shale is one of the biggest natural gas fields in the U.S. and Pennsylvania is becoming a leader in natural gas extraction.

"Pennsylvania is one of the 32 states in the nation that produces natural gas and it ranks 15th in total production. The Marcellus Shale deposit alone reportedly holds 50 trillion cubic feet," Waters said. "There is almost an unlimited amount of wealth that can be derived from this natural resource by big oil and gas companies - Pennsylvania could practically be considered the Saudi Arabia of natural gas. However, Pennsylvania is the only state with significant extraction activity that does not impose a severance tax or conservation fee on the big companies drilling for natural gas."

Waters said he hopes the legislature will pass the tax and think more about its citizens and less about protecting big business.

"Our cities are hurting. For example, Philadelphia has the highest poverty rate of the ten largest cities in America according to the U.S. Census, with 25 percent of its residents in poverty, and one in three children under age 18 in poverty," Waters said. "The Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction in our state will mean major profits for the investors, and could yield billions in revenue at a time when our social service programs are in jeopardy. I see nothing wrong with asking these people with deep pockets to step up to the plate. As legislators we need to be more concerned about protecting the interests of our citizens before the profits of big business, We want to make sure our elected officials are voting the right way," Waters added.

"We successfully passed it out of the House of Representatives with bipartisan support," Waters said. "Some people are more concerned about the environment than anything else. This tax could be used to fund the Department of Environmental Protection, which has oversight, to ensure the environment is protected."

Waters also said taxing the natural gas extracted from the Marcellus Shale would not cost Pennsylvania jobs.

"If we have this natural resource to help generate the money we need to help bring us out of this state's recession, let us use it."

Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Fiscal Report Card

2010-10-22T13:30:00.000-04:00

PLBC members work to increase diversity in Pa. health-care workforce

2010-10-22T12:03:00.001-04:00

HARRISBURG, Sept. 29 – The Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus chairman, state Rep. Ronald G. Waters, D-Phila./Delaware, said the caucus is working with health-care professionals across the state to encourage more minorities to pursue professions in the health-care field.

Waters made the announcement during a recent symposium, “Working to Eliminate Health Disparities in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania” at the University of Pittsburgh’s Medical Center.

Waters participated as a panelist and said it is important for health-care providers, educators and organizations to recruit and mentor more minorities in the Pennsylvania health-care workforce.

"Statistics show that African-Americans make up 12 percent of our population, yet they only make up 3 percent of health-care professionals," Waters said. "According to a Newsweek article discussing the large population increase within the Hispanic community, Latinos make up 14.2 percent of the U.S. population; however they only account for about 6.4 percent of students earning their medical degree."

Waters also said there are 3,000 Latinos for every one Latino physician.

"These alarming statistics prove that more diversity is necessary within the medial field and should be a long-term goal. In the interim, cultural competency will suffice if it is deemed a requirement of medical professionals."

Other panelists included PLBC members, state Reps. Jake Wheatley and Joe Preston, both D-Allegheny, Rep. Dan Frankel, also D-Allegheny, executives from Gateway Medical Society and Pennsylvania Department of Health’s Director of Office Policy Lillian Escobar-Haskins.

“We cannot close our health disparity gap unless we have a more diverse health-care workforce in the Commonwealth,” Waters said. “People feel more comfortable going to doctors who are sensitive to the diverse backgrounds of patients.”

Waters said he plans to introduce legislation that will increase and improve cultural competency among health-care professionals in the state.

“My bill would require medical experts to learn about the way one’s background affects a person's health. The bill will also increase accessibility to adequate health care while improving communication and fostering stronger relationships between doctors and their patients," Waters said. "Currently, other states have completed legislation, while others have legislation pending to increase cultural competency.

“This effort is not just a one-day conversation, but an ongoing effort with an objective of resolving health disparities throughout the state and nation,” Waters said.

PLBC members support Michael Vick's rebound

2010-10-22T12:01:00.000-04:00

HARRISBURG, Sept. 30 – Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus chairman, state Rep. Ronald G. Waters, Delaware/Phila., said caucus members support the Philadelphia Eagles decision to make Michael Vick their starting quarterback in spite of his previous involvement with a dog fighting operation.

In 2001, Vick rose to fame when he became the first African American quarterback to be selected as the first overall pick in the NFL draft. He enjoyed a successful career with the Atlanta Falcons for six seasons until he was convicted of running an illegal dog fighting operation out of his home and released from his position. He had to serve 18 months in prison.

Vick has been allowed back on the playing field and was recently named the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles.

PLBC member, Sen. Shirley Kitchen, D-Phila., said there is a time to forgive and give a person a second chance.

"Michael Vick is a perfect example of what people can get from a second chance. More people are benefiting through jobs and general support based on Vick’s second chance.”

Waters also said forgiveness can be expressed verbally or through action.

“Actions speak louder than words and money talks,” Waters said after he watched a recent game at a sports lounge in Philadelphia. Waters also said he saw various crowds of people cheer and eagerly display their support of Vick in his new role.

Waters said the NFL should express their forgiveness through justly compensating Vick for the moral boost he has brought to the NFL and the Philadelphia Eagles organization.

“According to statistics, Vick ranks number three in terms of starting quarterbacks throughout the league, but ranks last in salary in this same position,” Waters said.

“I look forward to when the Eagles organization will compensate Michael Vick, this talented football player, for the value he brings to the game and this professional sport,” Waters said.

State Rep. Tony Payton, D-Phila., another PLBC member, said “The story of Michael Vick is one of redemption. He has paid his debt to society and should be able to play football at the highest level as his talent demands.”

Waters posed the question and asked, "When is it time to forgive?"

“We must support Michael Vick as he continues to excel on and off the field through his demonstrated talent and community outreach efforts. Through community outreach, Vick is clearly demonstrating people can change. Can we change? Can we change our opinions on how long we hold people accountable for their past mistakes?” Waters asked.

Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus expresses outrage at minority children kicked out of suburban swim club pool

2009-07-10T10:50:00.000-04:00

HARRISBURG, July 9 -- Members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus are expressing outrage after learning that more than 60 minority children from Creative Steps Day Camp, a summer camp in Northeast Philadelphia, were turned away from a private swim club in Huntingdon Valley that their parents had already paid for them to use.

According to news reports, the campers were turned away from the pool because of their race.

Horace Gibson, a parent of one of the children from the camp, e-mailed the news station and said, "When the minority children got in the pool, all of the Caucasian children immediately exited the pool." He added, "The pool attendants came and told the black children that they did not allow minorities in the club and needed the children to leave immediately."

Dymire Baylor, one of the campers, said he overheard a woman ask, "What are all these black kids doing here?" when he and his friends showed up.

PLBC chairman, state Rep. Ronald G. Waters, D-Delaware/Phila., described the incident as a human rights violation.

"It is hard to believe that this kind of discrimination is still happening in 2009," he said. "We live in a democracy and I am appalled that authorities at the pool would act in such an unprofessional manner to the point where they would kick children out based on the color of their skin. The owners of this establishment placed their personal prejudices before their professional duties.”

News reports say the Creative Steps Day Camp paid more than $1,900 to The Valley Swim Club, a private club that advertises open membership. However, the day after the campers were asked to leave the pool, the club told the camp director that the camp's membership was being suspended and their money would be refunded.

Parents are awaiting an apology from the camp while Waters personally looks into the matter.

Waters expressed his disappointment with the racial battles this country still faces and said, "Of all the places in the nation, it is quite ironic that it happened in the City of Brotherly Love."

Residents can view more on this story online at: nbcphiladelphia.com
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Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus says "Enough is Enough"

2009-06-01T14:07:00.001-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
State Rep. Ronald G. WatersD-Phila./Delaware www.pahouse.com/Waters

HARRISBURG, June 1 – The Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus issued the following statement today in response to the recent case of Bonnie Sweeten, a Bucks County woman who claimed she and her daughter were kidnapped by two black males, a claim that turned out to be a hoax:

"It is appalling that, time and time again, supposed crimes that have turned out to be hoaxes have involved allegations against black men. From Susan Smith to Bonnie Sweeten and other instances in between, black men have been the subject of grandiose fabricated tales of crimes, which have been proven to have never occurred. One can only surmise that those individuals have pointed fingers toward black men to bolster the believability of their tales, preying on the institutionalized racism and stereotypes that have permeated our culture and society. It is time for this to end."

PLBC chairman, state Rep. Ronald Waters, D-Delaware/Phila., added this statement: “This is another assault on the black community. How many more times will individuals point accusatory fingers toward black men to support their lies? All Pennsylvanians must stand together to reject this sort of outright racism. I call on all Pennsylvanians – and Americans – to abandon the racist stereotypes that stifle our progress and inhibit our growth as a unified nation. At a time when the economy is enduring an economic a devastating downturn, we should be focusing our attention on healing our nation, uniting one another and doing all that is in our power to help lift our country up.”

State Representative Jewell Williams, another member of the PLBC and a former police officer, added this statement: "Fabricated racial stereotyping makes it more difficult for law enforcement to find the real culprit. And it’s dangerous when citizens reinforce ignorant stereotypes with these types of false claims. Even though the nation has just elected its first black president, unfortunate incidents like these prove we are still short of achieving a united and equal nation."

The PLBC statement concludes: "The Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus strongly condemns such inequality and every false allegation of a crime against any person. As a caucus of legislators, we are committed to continuing the work of breaking down stereotypes and the institutionalized racism that encourages this type of irresponsible and unethical behavior."

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Chairman's Welcome

2009-04-13T12:11:00.000-04:00

Thank you for visiting the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus' blog site. The purpose of our blog is to create another line of communication that allows constituents to voice their concerns, make comments, and ask questions directly to the members themselves. Here, you also have the opportunity to get updated on the PLBC's current events, legislative initiatives, and policy agendas. We have created this site with you in mind, so your feedback is invaluable.

Again, thank you for visiting our blog and welcome to our site. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Rep. Ronald G. Waters, Chairman
Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus