City's Mayor Is Useless

From Monica Yant Kinney at the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Dana Redd recently unveiled a slick new Web site - http://unitedforchange09.com - and a catchy R&B campaign ditty in her quest to be the next mayor of Camden.
Redd seems like a smart, capable public official, but I'm not feeling the United for Change vibe. And it's not because she totally ripped off Barack Obama's swooshy campaign logo, which, while not illegal, is kind of lame.
For starters, there's the fact that Redd is a state senator, vice president of Camden City Council, and the latest golden girl of the Camden County Democratic Party, which is on the verge of dominating South Jersey the way the communists control China.
There's no shame in being a machine candidate, but if that's who you are, embrace it. Don't pretend to be a change agent who'll shake up the system.
The bigger issue is just how ludicrous it is that anyone is running to be mayor of Camden.
The city has been under state control since 2002, rendering its mayor a glorified bobblehead. She gets a $103,000 salary, a social schedule and a swivel chair. Major decision-making is left to outsiders.
In exchange for a pot of cash to aid the ailing city, Camden has seen its mayorship transformed into a legally sanctioned low-show job that makes a mockery of self-rule. If Gov. Corzine really wanted to save a few bucks, he'd mothball the office.

To read Monica Yant Kinney's entire column click here.

Atlantic City's Cling Clang!

From Wayne Parry at the Associated Press:
It used to be the signature sound of gambling: the clacking of coins spilling into metal trays on slot machines. But newer electronic machines that spit out paper vouchers or credit winnings to cards emit only canned noise. Now, Atlantic City's oldest casino is bringing back the real clang amid indications that some gamblers miss the way things used to be. "You think you're playing a real slot machine here," said Jeanette Snell of Union, who won two $25 jackpots less than five minutes after she started playing yesterday at Resorts Atlantic City. "This feels like a game," she said. "The other ones, it's just losing money." Snell cashed out soon after the 47 dollar coins spilled into a metal tray at the bottom of her machine. She grabbed one of the oversize plastic cups that used to be everywhere in this gambling resort and scooped up her winnings. "This is real money," she said. "I like this better." Resorts is banking on others liking it, too. It became the nation's first legal casino outside Las Vegas when it opened in 1978 and has seen more than 14,000 slot machines come and go. Its coin experiment is swimming against the tide in the casino industry, where nearly 90 percent of the 900,000 or so slot machines in use in North America do not accept or pay out in coins. None of Atlantic City's 33,010 other slots uses coins, though a handful use tokens for high-denomination bets. The trend accelerated in 2003 when the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa opened as Atlantic City's first coinless casino. Casinos liked that the machines didn't jam as often, had to be maintained far less, and, best of all, required fewer employees. No longer was it necessary to pay workers to stock machines with coins, transport them to or from cash cages, and count and roll them. "It's very time-consuming and costly to run coins," said Christopher Downey, Resorts' director of slot operations. "As soon as this technology became available, the industry grabbed onto it." Resorts opened eight of the coin machines this week and will add more if they catch on. The casino, with one of the oldest customer bases in the city, has been doing well with a nightclub called Boogie Nights, where disco rules. It used the '70s Boogie Nights theme for the slot machines as part of a deliberate appeal to older players. Some of them gamble at the Skyline Restaurant & Casino in Henderson, Nev., where half of the 420 slots take coins. Those machines generate about 15 percent more revenue than do the paper-voucher ones, said general manager Mike Young. "It fills a niche, particularly for the older player," he said. "They like to get their hands dirty, they like to cash out, they like to hear the money drop into the trays."

Song Of 'The Soloist'

We caught an advance preview of the new film The Soloist earlier this week.
The movie is based on the book by former Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Steve Lopez and the book is based on a series of columns that Lopez wrote for the Los Angeles Times.
Starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx, The Soloist is about the friendship between two outcasts -- one just happens to be a journalist and the other just happens to be a homeless, schizophrenic, classical musician who once studied at Julliard.
In that respect, The Soloist is a bromance; a guy love tale between two unlikely fellas. And Foxx and Downey give understated, nuanced performances: Foxx muttering, musing and drifting; Downey letting those great, dark, magical eyes do lots of the talking. Together, they sing a soulful song of longing.
And if that were the whole story it might work.
But The Soloist is also about the haves and the have nots and about urban alienation and the emptiness of modern life. And it's about the fear of commitment and an unwillingness to return home. At the same time it's about the death of newspapers amidst our continuing search for stories and sensationalism - a search that sometimes feeds exploitation. And whether it realizes it our not, the movie is also about the hypocrisy of politicians and the failure of modern liberalism and the disdain that most elites have for what they perceive to be uncouth.
And, as Ken Shear would say: "It's also about 110 minutes."
I wish I could report to you that those 110 minutes flew by. I wish.
The performances are great and the music is downright thrilling at times.
But this film is so soaked with urban ennui and so hopelessly existential that when it tries to find a moral or a theme or anything that might pass for an anchor it just turns, shrugs and moves on to another diversion.
And that's a shame because the problems and the struggles that the movie tries to tackle are real and worthy of our attention.
Give DreamWorks and the produces and everyone involved lots of credit for taking on the subject matter. And give the actors their do for several fine performances not the list of which is Catherine Keener as the editor/former wife.
Perhaps with careful and attentive marketing The Soloist (opening April 24) may find its audience.
BTW: In the film, Steve Lopez is portrayed as divorced. However, his real life counterpart remains happily married. Lopez said that while having himself portrayed as recently single in the film was a bit weird, it was much more important to him that the film makers captured the themes of his articles rather than absolute facts.

Villanova Gears Up

Nordstrom Opening Defies Downturn

From Peter Mucha at the Philadelphia Inquirer:
Nordstrom's Department Store opened its doors at the Cherry Hill Mall today, seeking to defy an economic downturn with upscale appeal.
As the 10 a.m. opening approached, more than 100 Nordstrom employees lined the sides of the aisle leading to the mall entrance, sending up a cheer with one side yelling "customer," the other answering with "Service."
Shoppers started entering the store even before its metal gate was up, ducking under to be among the first inside. . . .
Within an hour, the store had already sold a half-dozen pricey handbags, including a $1,795 silvery leather Burberry Covington, a $1,585 Chloe Paddington, and a $1,395 Burberry Lawrence with raffia quilting. . . .
Nordstrom president Blake Nordstrom was pleased with the enthusiastic turnout - an estimated 1,500 in the first hour, according to a spokeswoman.
Seattle-based Norstrom sold shoes for more than 60 years, before adding apparel in 1963.
It's been expanding ever since - and plans to continue the pace, he said.
"The good news is there is still plenty of opportunity," he said.
The retailer now has 110 stores in 28 states, with two more slated to open this year in Ohio and Massachusetts. Delaware's Christiana Mall will also get one in 2011, according to nordstrom.com.
The chain had considered Cherry Hill about nine years ago, but the mall seemed "run down," Nordstrom said.
"The developers, to their credit, invested a lot of money, and it was that catalyst, if you will, that gave us the confidence to come and open the store."
Philadelphia Real Estate Investment Trust put more than $200 million into refurbishing the mall, adding restaurants and more than a dozen other new stores.
Norstrom brothers Peter, head of merchandising, and Erik, director of stores, were also on hand this morning, because "you gotta stay close to the customer," Blake Nordstrom said.
Nordstrom's business philosophy is an "upside-down pyramid," he said, valuing customers and sales staff the most.
"Our job," he said of the management team, "has to be to listen and support our troops."
We stopped by Nordstrom Cherry Hill Mall later in the day and found the place was still teeming with shoppers -- and these shoppers were carrying Nordstrom bags. They were (and are) spending.
And yes, we joined in the spending spree.
It's hard not to buy in such a delightful, friendly, customer-centered environment. It's a joy!

GOP Voters Rejecting Specter

From Thomas Fitzgerald at the Philadelphia Inquirer:
Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter trails a lesser-known challenger in the 2010 Republican primary, an indication of the political hit he has taken in his party's base for giving crucial support to the Democratic-drafted $787 billion economic stimulus, according to a new poll.
Former Rep. Pat Toomey, a conservative leader from the Lehigh Valley, leads Specter 41 to 27 percent in a hypothetical matchup in a Quinnipiac University survey released today.
Although Toomey came within 17,000 votes of beating Specter in the 2004 GOP primary, the poll found that 73 percent of Republican voters did not know enough about the likely challenger to form an opinion of him. Seventy-eight percent of all voters had not heard of Toomey.
"Pennsylvania Republicans are so unhappy with Sen. Specter's vote for President Barack Obama's stimulus package and so-called pork barrel spending that they are voting for a former congressman they hardly know," said Clay F. Richards, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Toomey came close last time and has strong conservative backing, but his challenge could be fractured if more Republicans crowd into the primary and split the anti-Specter vote."
Specter's support for the stimulus won 87 percent to 6 percent approval among Democrats; and 56 percent to 38 percent support among independents. Republican voters disapprove of that vote by a whopping 70 percent to 25 percent.
Overall, voters approve of the job Specter is doing 52 percent to 33 percent, boosted by strong support from Democrats and independents. That was nearly reversed among Republicans, however, with 36 percent approving Specter's performance and 52 percent disapproving.
Quinnipiac surveyed 1,056 Pennsylvania voters by telephone from March 19 through March 23. Results are subject to a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points; the survey includes 423 Republicans, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.8 percentage points.

Jay Shows The Way!

From Phil Sheridan in the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Jay Wright started outcoaching UCLA's Ben Howland long before tip-off of their second-round NCAA tournament game yesterday.
Howland, whose teams had been in the last three Final Fours, made it all-too-loudly known that he was unhappy playing Villanova in the Wachovia Center. That would be understandable if Howland's teams hadn't been assigned to Anaheim, San Diego, and Sacramento for the opening weekends of those three tournaments. UCLA left California just once before the Final Four in three years.
Sometimes a coach can motivate his players by giving them a grudge to nurse. Howland managed to plant an excuse in his players' minds. Wright had his 'Nova team stoked to smash the Bruins in the mouth - figuratively, of course - with fierce defense and relentless offensive pressure. The Bruins' response was to whine to the officials. . . .

Wright has begun to establish his own legacy at Villanova and, therefore, in Philadelphia basketball. In just eight seasons on the Main Line, Wright has earned a place among the best coaches in the city's storied history.
"If you're the coach at Villanova, you're going to be good," Wright said. "Every coach that's been there has won. It's not me. It's every coach."
Actually, there's more to it than the blue-and-white unis and the picture-pretty campus in Radnor Township. Wright has done an exceptional job.
After going to the NIT his first three years at 'Nova, Wright has taken a team to the NCAA tournament five years in a row. Four times, the Wildcats have advanced to the round of 16. Three years ago, they made it to within a game of the Final Four, losing to eventual national champion Florida in the round of eight.
Wright's 'Nova teams have a 9-4 record in the NCAA tournament. He has advanced now with completely different teams. So Wright isn't a potential Big Five Hall of Fame coach. He's a future Big Five Hall of Fame coach. . . .

The bracket is set up to give 'Nova games against Duke and Big East rival Pittsburgh in Boston. There is nothing easy about either of those games. There isn't supposed to be.
Play the way they did against UCLA for 40 minutes and the Wildcats could beat anyone. That kind of defensive energy and smart, balanced offensive attack would be effective anywhere, any time.
"We had six guys in double figures," Wright said. "That's big time. That's a good team."
Yes, and it's a very well-coached team, too.

Villanova: 16 In 16!

From Mike Jensen in the Philadelphia Inquirer:
Sure, Jay Wright is pleased to see Villanova move on to its fourth berth in the NCAA Sweet 16 in the last five seasons, but he's not readily acknowledging it.
There's no time.
"It's just 'next game' for us," the Wildcats coach said after his team defeated UCLA, 89-69, in the second round of the NCAA East Regional. "At the end of the season, we'll have time. Right now, we have to get ready for the next game.
"That's what you love. I don't want to waste time talking about accomplishments. I want to enjoy being with these guys. I want them to enjoy being together. Who knows, this might be our last game coming up. We want to really enjoy this."
In their three previous trips to the Sweet 16 under Wright, the Wildcats twice lost in the regional semifinals, including last year's 72-57 loss to eventual champion Kansas. They earned the regional finals in 2006 but dropped a 75-62 decision to Florida.
"It feels great to be back," junior guard Reggie Redding said. "Last year we lost in this round coming up, and we hope we can go farther than we did last year."
Overall, this is Villanova's 16th appearance in the Sweet 16.

Villanova Triumphant!

Villanova's Reggie Redding and Dante Cunningham celebrate the Wildcats' comeback win over American, 80-67. (Philadelphia Inquirer, Ron Cortes/Staff photographer)

Fumo Guilty, Nutter Comments

A federal court jury today found former Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Fumo of Philadelphia guilty on all counts.
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has just commented on the Fumo verdit calling it "stunning."
From the Philadelphia Inquirer:
Mayor Nutter commented on the verdict as he left his City Hall office to attend a ceremony for slain police officer John Pawlowski, who was shot to death 30 days ago.
"It's certainly kind of a stunning conclusion to what has been a pretty stunning trial. ... You know, the jury has spoken. We are a nation, state and city of laws. All of us are accountable to the law, especially those of us in public service who have, of course, a higher standard we all have to adhere to. ... It's just kind of a bit of a surprise, I guess. ... I certainly wish Sen. Fumo and his family the best in these very trying and difficult times. He in the true sense of public service certainly did many things beneficial to Philadelphia and our region and the Commonwealth. But I think that today's jury verdict is further evidence that no matter how much good you do in public life, no matter even what your good intentions may be, none of us, none of us, are above the law, and we'll all be held accountable for things that we do."
Nutter did not think Fumo's criminal actions would hurt Philadelphia's image.
"It's certainly not helpful, but I think the citizens of this city are smart enough to understand that what an individual may do is certainly not indicative of what generally goes on in the city of Philadelphia." The mayor also pointed out that Sen. Fumo was a state official, not a city official.
So what is Fumo's legacy now?
"It is not for me to write histories or legacies. ... This situation is certainly not good for those of us in public office and how the public thinks about people who are in high elected office. ... I would say, the system worked. It did what it was supposed to do. It held an official accountable."

Judge Stumbles Into Trouble

From Dwight Ott in the Philadelphia Inquirer:
The head of the city's police union today called for a municipal court judge to be dismissed after the judge ordered two pictures of John Pawlowski, the 25-year-old police officer killed Friday, be removed from his courtroom.
In early afternoon, Municipal Court Judge Craig M. Washington sought to have the pictures of Pawlowski taken off his courtroom bench in the 35th District police station. District official denied that order, and Washington stepped down from the bench and placed both pictures face down on the table where they stood.
At a hastily called press conference about 90 minutes later, Fraternal Order of Police President John J. McNesby demanded that Washinton be removed from the judicial hearing list at the station pending an investigation. He also urged that all court hearings be suspended in the 35th District until an investigation is completed.
Washington could not be reached for comment.
Through a spokesperson, President Judge Marsha Neifield said afterward that Washington would not be in the 35th District for the rest of the week, but that municipal court hearings in the district would not be suspended.
"We have to take a deep breath and review the situation....It's too early to know if he will be back," said the spokesperson, Jeff Jubelirer.
In a prepared statement, Neifield said: "All of us are deeply saddened about the tragic loss of Officer Pawlowski. Our thoughts and prayers are foremost with Officer Pawlowski's family, friends and his police colleagues. We understand why emotions are running high."
A career criminal, Rasheed Scruggs, 33, has been charged with murder in the slaying of Pawlowski, who was shot when he intervened in an argument between Scruggs and a hack cab driver.