Tuesday, July 1st, 2008

Nutter has endorsed the PennPraxis Delware River waterfront vision, which includes a major reorganization of the beleaguered Penn’s Landing Corp., according to an article on Philly.com.

The Penn’s Landing Corp. has been plagued by corruption scandals and development failures since is began in the 1970s. Its reorganization is the top recommendation in a 10-point waterfront-action plan unveiled by PennPraxis, a nonprofit planning group affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania.

Penn Praxis also recommends a master plan, new waterfront zoning, and the immediate construction of two new parks and a bike trail. PennPraxis’ goal was to develop a “detailed road map for transforming a bleak industrial landscape into a seven-mile-long necklace of parks, trails, housing and businesses, all linked into Philadelphia’s neighborhoods by an extension of the city street grid.”

Photo courtesy of PhilaMarineCenter.com.

Democrats have continued to add more voters than Republicans in all but five of 67 state counties since the primary on April 22, according to an article on Philly.com. The Democrats now hold a statewide lead of 40,566 voters and Republicans have lost nearly 1,500 registered voters since the primary.

The trend is especially noticeable in the Philadelphia suburbs, where Democratic leads in Montgomery and Bucks counties continue to grow.

The registration trend continuing like it is challenges the notion that the primary voter rolls were distorted by Republicans who made a temporary switch in order to affect the Democratic outcome. While Republicans which did this are returning to their party, their numbers are subsumed by the Democratic gains.

Oct. 6 is the deadline to register to vote in the November election.

Photo courtesy of LearnSomethingNewToday.us.

Mayor Nutter is encouraged by the opinion of the Supreme Court ruling which struck down D.C.’s longtime handgun ban, according to an article on Philly.com.

According to Nutter:  “What the Supreme Court decision speaks to is an individual’s right to keep a weapon in their home for lawful self-defense purposes. What we are seeing on the streets of Philadelphia, of course, is not self defense. It is senseless violence and slaughter. What we are dealing with is not lawful ownership, but rather illegal activity.

“As much as we are concerned about an individual’s right to own their own weapon, we are more concerned with cracking down on activity that is actually illegal.

“In limiting its opinion to the matter of self-defense, and in saying the right is not absolute, the United States Supreme Court decision today is an explicit statement of support for cities all across America who are creating reasonable measures to limit the ability of those who will do harm, who will maim, who will buy, carry weapons illegally.

“This is extraordinary and possibly an unprecedented statement by the U.S. Supreme Court.”

Nutter also mentioned in the same speech that the city would soon begin enforcing three new gun laws which the courts are allowing at the moment. City lawyers are almost finished creating the guidelines with which to enact and enforce the laws.

Photo courtesy of Media.Philly.com.

The City Council in Ocean City, NJ is in the process of deciding whether to create an ordinance to lift the 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. summer curfews on the beach, according to an article on KYW1060.com.

State and federal dollars are used for beach replenishment, and therefore the state wants the beach to be open 24/7.

According to Lieutenant Steven Ang, the police are okay with the change:  “We patrol the beaches 24 hours a day in the summertime. The ordinance that we had in effect was only for the months of June, July, and August.”

Although some beachgoers have mixed feelings on the issue, council is expected to pass the ordinance.

Photo courtesy of FoxNews.com.