Former District Attorney Lynne Abraham, a Democratic candidate for mayor, last week delivered a letter to City Council President Darrell Clarke, calling for a public hearing on a possible sale of Philadelphia Gas Works.
Addressed to “Dear Council President,” the letter said a hearing would address issues such as management, infrastructure investment and the infusion of $424 million into the city pension fund. She noted that UIL Holdings, which sought to buy PGW, was willing to provide assurances regarding job security and gas rates.
Mayor Michael Nutted supported the sale. Abraham’s letter said Clarke showed a “lack of leadership” in not having a hearing.
Abraham wrote that the lack of a hearing sent a message to the business community that, “Philadelphia’s elected officials are not serious about the city’s business.”
Abraham wrote that, “Politicians have no business running the gas works.”
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George Matysik announced last week that he will run in the Democratic primary for an at-large City Council seat. Matysik was raised in the Lower Northeast and attended Mercy Vocational High School and the University of Pennsylvania, working his way through school as a janitor.
An East Falls resident, he serves as director of government affairs and public policy for Philabundance. He has worked in campaigns for candidates such as Joe Sestak and Jared Solomon. He is founder and co-chairman of the Friends of Mifflin School. He also serves on the boards of Mercy Vocational and the PA Resources Council, an environmental advocacy nonprofit.
In his campaign, he will address solutions to the issues of hunger and poverty, including investing in education, economic development and job creation.
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Mayoral candidate Ken Trujillo and the Young Philadelphia for Trujillo Committee were the official sponsors of last Saturday’s Pattison Leader Ball.
Named after the state’s two youngest governors, Robert Pattison and George Leader, the ball brought together young, civically minded and politically motivated professionals for an evening of networking, dancing and discussion over the future of Pennsylvania politics and policy.
“Nothing is more exciting than the energy that young people are bringing to Philadelphia. These young leaders — professionals in the arts, in business, politics, education and beyond — are changing the face of Philadelphia for the better,” Trujillo said.
Trujillo, a former city solicitor and assistant U.S. attorney, is seeking the Democratic nomination for mayor.
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Montour County District Attorney Rebecca Warren, a Republican, announced she will run for a seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
There will be three seats up for grabs in 2015.
Warren has a political science degree from Bloomsburg University and is a 1991 graduate of Dickinson School of Law. A mother of two, Warren served seven years in private practice before becoming an assistant district attorney in Columbia County in 1999. In 2002, she founded a law firm.
In 2011, she was elected district attorney of tiny Montour County.
“I believe that I am uniquely qualified to serve on the Supreme Court as a result of my 24 years of diverse experience with civil and criminal law at the federal, state, and county levels. Pennsylvanians deserve a Supreme Court justice that understands the importance of integrity and fairness. My record in public service and in the private sector demonstrates my commitment to both. As justice, I will act patiently, firmly and decisively,” she said. ••
