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Author Archives: Jake Blumgart
Philly Restaurants That Actually Care About Their Employees
Yesterday the Philly chapter of the Restaurant Opportunities Center held a release party for their 2013 National Guide to Ethical Eating (and, yes, there’s an app for that). The event was held at Fergie’s Pub, 1214 Sansom, and the titular … More after the jump
Posted in Business, Philadelphia and suburbs
What lack of access to abortion looks like
Last week I received my copy of Tomorrow Magazine, the product of the excellent editorial team that GOOD laid off en masse at the beginning of the summer. (You should buy a copy of Tomorrow: It’s real pretty.) The magazine is crammed with interesting articles and fun … More after the jump
America the Segregated
If you read one long form web article this week make it ProPublica’s authoritative piece, by Nikole Hannah-Jones, on segregation in America and the unfulfilled promise of the Fair Housing Act. The article is packed with revealing facts about the political cowardice … More after the jump
Posted in Civil Rights, Education, Elections, National Politics, Social Services
Tagged civil rights, George Romney, HUD, Mitt Romney, Nixon, Obama, segregation
Best endorsement of the 2012 election
From my man Joss Whedon: lets vote for the candidate who is most likely to hasten the zombie apocalypse. “Mitt is ready. He’s not afraid to face a ravening, grasping horde of subhumans, because that’s how he sees poor people already…Lets all embrace the … More after the jump
Posted in 2012 - Election or End-of-days?, Elections, National Politics
Tagged 2012 Election, Joss Whedon, Mitt Romney, The Walking Dead, zombies
#sandyinphilly (UPDATE)
Philadelphia seems to have escaped Hurricane Sandy mostly unscathed. I’ve been in touch with friends in almost every neighborhood, from the northeast to South Philly, Kensington to Strawberry Mansion and Brewerytown and everyone is safe and dry. Everyone has power. All are … More after the jump
Posted in Environment and Energy, Philadelphia and suburbs
Tagged hurricane, Philadelphia, Sandy, SEPTA
PA Bill Punishing Poor Women For Having Kids: Part of A National Trend
A quick follow up on the bill championed, and then quickly dropped, last week by five PA state reps. The bill would have punished low-income women who receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (the anemic remnants of the New Deal cash welfare program Clinton gutted), by … More after the jump
Posted in Budget/Taxes/Spending, House of Representatives, Issues, National Politics, Social Services, State Government
Tagged Bryce Covert, motherhood, poverty, rape, TANF
Right-Wing Extremism and The Department of Homeland Security (Book)
I just finished reading Daryl Johnson’s Right-Wing Resurgence: How A Domestic Terrorism Threat Is Being Ignored, the memoir of a conservative, Mormon, pro-life, gun-owning, Republican and lifelong law enforcement employee, who became the target of a right-wing smear campaign and … More after the jump
State Reps to Poor Women: Prove You Were Raped or Lose TANF Assistance (UPDATE)
From Think Progress, new depths of barbarism from our state legislators (House Bill 2718). A Pennsylvania House bill seeks to limit the amount of TANF assistance that low-income women receive based on the amount of children they give birth to while covered under … More after the jump
Posted in Health, Regional News, Social Services, The Economy
Tagged poverty, rape, TANF, Thomas Caltagirone
Re-building America’s Welfare State
Presidential elections focus our attention on the current parameters of political conversation, which doesn’t suit the left particularly well. How much does Obama differ from Romney on abortion (a lot), the safety net (a lot, with disquieting wiggle room), or drone strikes … More after the jump
Philadelphia’s Restaurant Industry Creates A Lot of [Bad] Jobs
Yesterday Next American City published my piece on the implications of low-income jobs, and non-traditional labor organizing, for our cities. The second half of my post, which I’ll focus on today, is about the restaurant industry (which, unlike Wal-Mart style retail, I’ve had personal experience in). … More after the jump
