Who Is LitterCo.?

by Lisa D. Poe

I live at 36th Street and Lancaster Avenue, near Drexel University campus, and while a pair of red sweatpants stuck in a tree about ten feet off the ground is certainly eye-catching, I continued east on Powelton Avenue looking for more. I had a hunch that much worse litter and weirdness could be had around the corner. Where Powelton Avenue dead-ends into 31st Street behind Amtrak’s 30th Street Station has always been the plastic-bags-and-broken-glass kind of dirty. There are no houses on the left-hand side, just a big fenced in lot with dumpsters in it. On the right, there is occasionally a bit of sidewalk, then a chain-link fence, and a slope leading down to the railroad tracks.

There isn’t much to be seen at the intersection of Powelton and 31st, because the tracks come too close to the road. As you go north on 31st, though, you can see that as the tracks veer away from the fence and the incline becomes steeper and fills with undergrowth there are signs of dumping. It’s little things at first: a muffler, unidentifiable metal objects, possibly part of a car grill, a decomposing Styrofoam cooler. A few steps more and you notice a shoe, five tires, three plastic milk crates from Lehigh Valley Dairy Farms, and a bathroom sink. Yes, there is an entire sink sitting there among the trees, near the single sneaker and shattered plastic milk jug.

Then I see a sign on the fence that says No Trespassing, Property of Amtrak. The fence and all of the land on the dumping side, the non-public side, belong to Amtrak. Sure, there are things on the public side of the fence, too, like four floorboard mats lying in a pile next to an empty vodka bottle. But that’s nothing compared to the rusting 50-gallon drum I can barely see through the chain-link, lurking in the shadows, overgrown with an odd natural/industrial camouflage. The rust makes it blend with the fall leaves all around it, and ivy has started to grow over one end, making it hard to see unless you’re looking for it.

A few feet further along, just as the first houses appear across the street, there is a couch, upside down, very close to the fence, as though it was all the dumper could do to get it over the top. Then another tire, a car battery, a mop suspended from a vine, a smaller metal drum, a volleyball, a large, plastic, outdoor garbage can, another tire, and a traffic barrier – one of those orange and white striped ones. As you see the sign for Hamilton Street, the trash begins to taper off; the fence is overgrown with vines, the plants on the other side are much taller, there are more buildings nearby, and it seems to be a less convenient place to dump.

Satisfied that I had a real litter disaster on my hands, I walked home and called the University City District. They have recently created an anti-litter coalition called LitterCo. (perhaps not the best choice of name). I spoke with John Fenton, Senior Director of Operations, Clean and Safe Programs. He first clarified which side of the fence the dumping was on, and informed me that Drexel students had just been part of a cleanup in the area a few weeks ago. When he discovered that the dumping was happening on Amtrak property, he seemed much less concerned. He told me, “Amtrak has their own cleaning people.” When I asked if Amtrak is one of LitterCo.’s community sponsors, he then told me that “someone from Amtrak” is on the Board of Directors. This person is Sally J. Bellet, Esq., Secretary of the Board, and Vice President for Real Estate Development and Counsel to the President of Amtrak. John suggested that Amtrak probably didn’t know about the dumping, and promised me that if I sent him an email, he would forward it on to Ms. Bellet.

I then called Amtrak’s Corporate Communications office in Washington, D.C. I was informed that another company, U.S. Equities, owns the land on which the station sits and “we’re technically just a tenant.” Before I could ask this person her name, she said she would transfer me to the Philadelphia office and put me on hold. Almost immediately, another woman named Nashay picked up, and asked if I was being helped. When I told her I was holding for the Philadelphia office with a local issue, she asked me what it was and made me go through the whole description again. She then told me all the lines were busy to the Philadelphia office and that if I gave her my phone number, she would have “someone from the Real Estate Department” get back to me. Nashay took my name but would not give me the local number or a contact name at Amtrak.

I am still waiting for that call, but I am glad to see that the great American tradition of passing the buck is alive and well. If I do hear from LitterCo. - uh, I mean Amtrak - I’ll be sure to give you an update.

Bally Total Fitness Customer Service Confirms Member Complaints

By Amanda Gonzalez

Bally Total Fitness (BTF) boasts about being located in over 40 cities nationally and having 4 million satisfied customers, according to their website. After visiting Ballysucks.net you wonder how many more members the company actually has that are unsatisfied. The creator of the site was unavailable for comment but does publish his story on the site. After joining Bally Total Fitness for what he thought was a 12-month membership, he went to terminate his membership because he was returning to Europe. While overseas the gym continued to bill him monthly for 2 years. He finally received notice from a collection agency about owing the gym a large amount of money. After trying for months to rectify the situation nothing was resolved. So according to his website, Mladen Sudarevic decided, “I will cost this company thousands of times more money than I paid to collection agency. I will let the world know about their business practices.”

I have heard complaints from friends about their memberships with BTF. When you sign up for membership, “it’s like your signing away your life, they never mention that you have choices other than the 3 year membership” said Bejal Shah, a 3 year member who has been trying to get out of her contract for a year since she has not visited the gym for some time. “At this point I have 3 months until my contract is up, I’d rather pay the money than have to deal with member services people,” said Shah.

Many members of BTF faced the same problem when trying to break a contract with the gym. Many customers get duped into signing a long time contract. The typical comment on Ballysucks.net is that members try to get out of the contract but unlike other contracts there is no cancellation fee, you simply cannot cancel. There is a clause that the company recently began advertising through their hold music – “work out 12 times in your first 30 days” and you can cancel. Let’s think about this – if you find that you do not like the place, what are the chances that you will work out 12 times there?

If a member does not pay their membership fees their account is sent to a collection agency and with an APR of up to 12%; a $60 a month fee can jump to $1000 after not being paid for sometime. Many members, whose accounts were sent to collection agencies, did not even know that this happened until the amounts reached into the thousand-dollar range. Apparently, BTF sells these accounts in default to a collection agency without giving any notice to the customer until it is too late. Many members on the site end up paying these large fees because contact with BTF customer service gives not results. No one at the customer service department was available for comment on the collection process.

Another problem frequently mentioned on the Ballysucks.net website is the fact that employees and trainers at the locations are rude and do not know enough to be training people. Other posts on the site suggest members contact the manager or customer service department of the Bally Center they visit. When contacting the South Philadelphia Bally Total Fitness to see how many complaints they receive a year Susan, the front desk person, said, “I cannot disclose that information.” But she did take my name and number and transfer my call to the customer service department. Customer service was not able to answer the question either sending the call to a manager. After holding for some time David answered the call and took a message. Once he learned the reason for the call he let me know that management would not be able to answer my question. The best way to find out the information would be to contact the Bally Total Fitness main call center.

Efforts to contact this customer service department were also futile. The first four calls made were answered by a machine, placing me on hold because of the number of calls the department was receiving. Each time I would be on hold for a minute then my call would be disconnected. Finally, after holding for 10 minutes, an actual person answered the line. After I asked them about the number of complaints they receive in a year the gentleman hung up the phone with out giving any response.

After trying to investigate the legitimacy of the complaints made at Ballysucks.net I understand the frustration that many members feel. If you can never talk to a customer service representative, then when you do they are rude, how will any conflicts be resolved? Some members think of Bally employees as the ultimate sales people, they rope the buyer into a contract that many do not get to read in its entirety, then they are unavailable when people want to ask questions or cancel their membership. This behavior makes one assume that the complaints on Ballysuck.net are legitimate. After my experience with customer service the critical piece of advice to remember when dealing with Bally Total Fitness is “let the buyer beware.”

From Alternet.org: Return of the Embeds

A great story about embedded reporters continue to miss most of what's going on in Iraq.

Ron

AlterNet: Return of the Embeds

Pro- and Anti-McDonald's Websites Tell the Same Story

By John Nolan


McSpotlight (http://www.mcspotlight.org) is the official website of the McInformation Network, an anti-McDonald’s organization. Based in the United Kingdom, with members spread out over 16 countries, the goal of the Network is to alert the public to the allegedly questionable business activities of the McDonald’s Corporation. McSpotlight began as a website devoted to covering what came to be known in the UK as the “McLibel Trial,” a lawsuit filed by the McDonald’s Corporation against two activists who distributed anti-McDonald’s literature outside several McDonald’s restaurants in England. Since the trial’s end in 1997, the website has expanded to cover a wide range of McDonald’s-related issues, including nutrition, advertising, and the environment.

The McInformation Network’s complaints about McDonald’s, in terms of nutrition, are that the products served by the fast food chain are high in fat and low in fiber – the kinds of foods that have been linked to heart disease and cancer. Additionally, the Network challenges the corporation’s claims that their food is actually nutritious and can be a part of a healthy, active lifestyle.

When asked to comment on their position, an unnamed representative of the Network declined to be interviewed, stating that everything the Network has to say on the subject of McDonald’s can be found on McSpotlight. Granted, the website does contain a great deal of information regarding the alleged nutritional hazards of McDonald’s food. Links to articles about preservatives, diseases, and tainted beef are provided, as well as transcripts of defense witness testimony from the McLibel Trial. The impact of all of this information is powerful, and makes a strong case for never eating another Big Mac or Filet O’Fish.

Asked to respond to the statements made by the McInformation Network, Danielle, a member of McDonald’s “Customer Satisfaction” department, referred the request for comments to the McDonald’s website (http://www.mcdonalds.com). Within the “Contact Us” section of the site, McDonald’s provides a great deal of nutritional information about their products. Ingredient lists, calorie and nutrient breakdowns, and dietary tips are made available here, as well as in every McDonald’s store. By providing this information, McDonald’s does appear to be attempting to establish itself as a “health-conscious” eating establishment. However, the facts themselves tell another story.

According to the nutritional breakdown for a Big Mac, it contains 560 calories (48% of which come from fat) and 1,010 mg of sodium. A Crispy Chicken sandwich contains 500 calories (41% from fat) and 1,090 mg of sodium. In other words, each sandwich contains nearly half of the recommended daily allowance of fat and sodium. In spite of McDonald’s claims to the contrary, these are not healthy choices.

Given McDonald’s attempts to portray itself as health conscious, the facts about these items are quite disturbing. The McInformation Network has a legitimate reason to warn the public about the food served by McDonald’s. However, McDonald’s seems to be doing the same thing, albeit inadvertently. Whether pro- or anti-McDonald’s, both websites (in the words of the McInformation Network) “provide the info for you to judge for yourself.”

The True Cost of War

An excellent example of investigative reporting - turns out the true casualty rate for American troops may be higher than we were led to believe.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/19/60minutes/main656756.shtml

See you Tuesday.

Corporate "Hate Site" Mini-Project

Has anyone else found that the people or groups behind these websites are not interested in being interviewed? So far, the groups that I've contacted replied that their websites contain everything they have to say and that I should refer to the websites for answers to my questions.

John

Red States, but No Red Ink

Here's a story about how red ink may discourage students when they see teacher corrections and comments.

http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2004/08/23/harshness_of_red_marks_has_students_seeing_purple/

While we're on the subject, why don't we see any "nice try" stickers among the stickers that teachers affix to their students' papers? This is grade inflation, the early years.

Of Piercings and Protest Songs

AlterNet: Rights and Liberties: Of Piercings and Protest Songs

Spotted this on the alternative news service AlterNet today - perfect timing, don't you think?

Again, it's not always the messenger, it's the person or institution that exercises power.

Do these students seem credible to you?

Privacy at the Pharmacy

A rather disquieting story on what happens to the information we provide to pharmacists:

http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/20512/

See you all tonight.

ACLU Defends Detroit Students' Fourth Amendment Rights

By John C. Nolan

On their 1982 album, Combat Rock, The Clash sang, “You have the right to free speech as long as you're not dumb enough to actually try it.” In Detroit, Michigan, the same could be said of high school students and their Fourth Amendment rights. On June 10, 2004, lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint on behalf of three students, alleging that their Fourth Amendment rights had been violated.

According to the complaint, on Wednesday, February 18, 2004, the defendants, named as the City of Detroit, Detroit Public Schools, Unknown Detroit Police Officers and Unknown Detroit Public School Security Officers, “conducted a mass, indiscriminate, unconstitutional search and seizure known as a ‘sweep’ of the entire student body of Detroit’s Mumford High School, including the three minor plaintiffs.” The complaint notes that “the sweep was conducted pursuant to an established custom, policy, or practice of defendant Detroit Public Schools to periodically conduct such sweeps without notice,” and that students “who questioned these illegal searches were threatened with arrest or corporal violence.”

When asked to comment about this case, Michael J. Steinberg, an attorney with the ACLU, responded that the case was currently “in discovery,” meaning that the involved parties are being deposed and that he and the other attorneys are investigating the policy of the Detroit Public Schools that is mentioned in the complaint. Steinberg also hinted that such cases are becoming more common. “Since Columbine,” he remarked, “public schools have shown more willingness to violate the rights of students.”

The plaintiffs in this case are seeking “declaratory, injunctive, and monetary relief.”

Great Example of Investigative Reporting

Please the read the article (whose URL appears below) for Tuesday - it's a solid example of investigative reporting, and shows the lengths to which companies will go to shape public opinion.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/14/national/14rail.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1100536241-dEdky6HgjNTNTOF26xm6kQ

If you can't just cut and paste the URL, visit www.nytimes.com and enter "rcbsam" in the member ID and "etifwe" in the password block. Then, in the search box, enter "rail industry." When the search results appear, it's the second article. It's written by Walt Bogdanich.

See you tomorrow.

An Update on the Line-Item Veto

Hey there:

In our weekly "test your knowledge" quiz a couple of weeks back, I gave you incomplete information on the line item veto. Turns out it was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1997, after Clinton had used it more than 80 times.

Too much power, the Court said.

Here's a link to a recent article that clears it all up:

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/111104E.shtml

Union College Physics Professor Displays Lifelong Commitment to Learning and Teaching

by Holly Burnside (Just realized I never posted this!)

Coloring outside the lines has never been a problem for Union College physics professor Jonathan Marr.

“I remember one of Jon’s classes, when he was writing some stuff on the white board, and he ran out of space, so he just continued onto the wall!” said Jessica LaVine, Union class of 2002 and current Ph.D. student in astronomy at University of Florida. Good thing it wasn’t permanent marker.

Another one of Marr’s specialties is sharing his interest in physics and astronomy with people of all ages.

“Jon’s classes are so much fun, you don’t even know you’re learning,” said Mark Kostuk, class of 2001. “He just makes it seem so easy.”

Marr’s experience, reflected by his curriculum vita, reveals a passion for education.

Marr received his B.S. in physics and astronomy from the University of Rochester in 1981. He graduated magna cum laude with distinction in physics and astronomy, stated Katie Kovar, secretary in the Registrar’s office at the University.

While at Rochester, Marr served as a teaching and research assistant in his senior year. Though this was probably not an “official appointment,” according to Shirley Brignall, assistant to the Department Chair, “most of our assistants are graduate students, and Jonathan was an undergraduate.”

It was a head start on a so far successful career.

After college, Marr left the Northeast and traveled to the other side of the country. He studied astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned his M.A. in 1985 and his Ph.D. in 1990.

While at Berkeley, Marr continued his teaching experience through various levels. Though exact dates could not be confirmed, Marr’s CV states that he served as a teaching assistant from 1982-83, and as a teaching associate from 1984-85. Additionally, he served as an instructor at nearby Sonoma State University in 1986 and then again in 1989, when he was an instructor at Berkeley as well. From 1983 to 1990, Marr was also a research assistant.

After successfully completing his Ph.D., Marr came back East. From 1990 to 1995, he served as visiting assistant professor at Haverford College in Haverford, Pa.

Marr’s next move brought him back to upstate New York, where he entered a tenure-track position at Union. In 1997, after two years at Union, Marr was promoted to assistant professor. Although according to department secretary Colleen Palleschi Marr had been promoted again to associate professor, he has not yet updated his CV to reflect the promotion.

Marr’s primary research interest is radio astronomy. “In ‘laymen’s terms,’” according to his web site, he uses “satellite-dish-like telescopes around the world to detect and map the invisible light emitted by sub-atomic particles that move at relativistic speeds in regions of space millions to billions of light-years away in which supermassive black holes, millions to billions times as massive as the Sun, reside. (Hoo boy!)”

Under Marr’s supervision, Union’s physics department opened its observatory in 1999. The observatory houses a 20-inch optical telescope and a 2.1-meter radio telescope.

“Working with Jon at the observatory was great,” said Jason Slaunwhite, class of 2004. “It gave me good preparation.” Slaunwhite is in the Ph.D. program in physics at Ohio State University.

Marr has received a number of awards and grants. Among them are an American Astronomical Society Small Research Grant in 1991, which funded a project titled “Molecular Study of the Broad Emission Line Regions of AGN,” according to Kevin Marvel, Deputy Executive Officer of the AAS.

Marr has also published a number of research reports in various peer-reviewed journals, mostly Astrophysics Journal, and in other science periodicals, including the January 1997 issue of The Physics Teacher titled “Measuring the Distance of an Outer Planet by Parallax with a Camera.”

“Jon is great to work with,” said Dr. Rebecca Koopmann, Marr’s colleague in the Union physics department. “He can handle students, other faculty, and administration. He’s really enthusiastic about his work, and I think that comes out in his teaching. Students really seem to respond to him.”

"Anyone who votes for Bush is nuts in the head."

by Holly Burnside

9:00 AM on the nose, Tuesday November 4th, I arrived at my polling place, University Square, 3901 Market Street. I was excited. It was the first time I would get to vote at an actual polling place, having voted by absentee ballot in 2000 and in 1998. It was also the first time I really felt strongly about any election race. I had done my research; I had made my decisions. I knew who I was supporting, and I knew why.

A walk through the voting room and down a long hallway took me to the end of the line; I had entered through the exit. The line started to fill in behind me within minutes. Soon I started overhearing a running commentary from an elderly woman behind me. She had the kind of voice that carries over all others; I rarely heard any of her companion’s responses. I could only assume that she was a resident of the building, because she said (a few times) that when she came down for breakfast at 7 AM, the line was already forming.

She made no secret about which Presidential candidate she was supporting. “John Kerry, he’s my man.”

I thought to myself, okay, if I have to listen to someone, at least it’s not a Bush supporter. Plus, her reasoning, I thought, was amusing.

“That John Kerry, he was very good looking when he was younger… He has two beautiful daughters, too.” Not exactly the same criteria I would use to choose a President, but again, at least she wasn’t a Bush supporter.

This became even more evident a few minutes later. “Anyone who votes for Bush is nuts in the head.” It was almost too much.

And then…

“Who else are we voting for?”

I was crushed. Something about that simple question made my excitement level fall into the basement. My faith in the democratic process was not what it had been just fifteen minutes before. What good was all of the effort to Get Out the Vote if people weren’t going to take it seriously? It was really depressing.

The only other interesting thing I saw was little bit later on. I had moved up in the line so that I was in the actual room with the voting booths. Another elderly woman, an African-American got to the front of the line. She was ready to go; she knew who she was voting for too.

“I’m voting straight Democratic,” she proclaimed to the twenty-something volunteer.

“Okay, but let me give you the instructions for both parties just so it’s fair,” he said.

“Nope, I don’t need it. I’m voting straight Democratic,” she protested.

“Well, I really should give you the same instructions I’ve given everyone else.”

But she still wasn’t having it. Finally, another volunteer, a middle-aged African-American man came over. “You want straight Democrat? Press this button and this button,” he said. She walked away happy.

All of this made my first polling place experience a little bit anticlimactic. Perhaps it was an early indication of things to come. Perhaps it was just the inevitable conclusion to nearly two years of build-up. Maybe it was a little bit of both. Anyway, I had done my part, and throughout the rest of the day I came to realize that that’s really all anyone can do. There’s always 2008.

Election Day Mini-Project: Lobbyists reprimanded for leading voters to advertise candidate within polling place

by Sarah Knowles


The line to vote at Philadelphia’s Community Education Center on 3500 Lancaster Ave. on Tuesday were steady between 10 and 11 a.m. Most ballots were cast without a hitch, however, at approximately 10:15 a.m. lobbyists directly outside the Center were reprimanded for allowing voters to enter the polling place with open pamphlets advertising Senator Arlen Specter’s re-election.

The one-sided pamphlet, paid for by Citizens for Arlen Specter, was given to accepting Community Education Center entrants by one of two lobbyists outside. This simple one-color pamphlet described Specter as “Philadelphia’s Independent Voice” and explained that he had been endorsed by organizations and figureheads such as: Philadelphia Black Clergy, Philadelphia & Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, Philadelphia Building Trades Council, SEIU, Local 332 Laborers Union, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, Sheriff John Green, Charlie Bowser, and Henry Nicholas. The only other piece of information on the paper was the fine print at the bottom that stated that the Citizens for Arlen Specter had sponsored the advertisement.

The two lobbyists indeed followed all regulations dictating the distance they must remain away from the front door of the polling place, but were reprimanded for not advising entering voters to keep these pamphlets out of clear view once entering the building.

One of the two volunteers manning the voter registration table (neither of which could be reached for names) noticed that voters were perusing this literature while in line to vote. After ensuring that the registration process was moving along steadily, she excused herself to notify the lobbyists of the violation, indicating that it was the lobbyists’ responsibility to ensure voters would not inadvertently advertise Specter’s campaign within the building.

At this point in the day, approximately 130 voters had already entered and left the polling place.

Vote Early, Vote Often, Vote Even if You Don't Exist

Seems like President Bush's mandate is getting smaller all the time. Some excellent reporting by Bev Harris of Black Box Voting, Keith Olbermann of MSNBC, and the folks at Democracy Now have revealed some growing irregularities in voting patterns in Ohio and Florida.

Check this article out for starters:

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/11/08/1513252.

See you tonight.

Voting Prevails Amidst Accounts of Confusion and Flaws

by James Katsaounis

The typical process of waking up in the morning and beginning ones daily ritual was anything but typical on November 2, 2004. America was facing one of its most embattled grassroots campaigns to elect the person who would fill the seat of president in the White House. Election Day was here, and the many voices of America were going to be heard, especially here in Philadelphia.

Having already cast my vote by absentee ballot, I was anxious to hear and see what people in Philadelphia were experiencing at the polls. Within the workplace, however, co-workers experiences at the polls were already being voiced, some disgruntled while others complacent.

“Oh don’t even get me started about voting today,” said Ann Wilson, director of campus activities at Drexel University. “When I went to vote we had a person who couldn’t even read pulling the names of registered voters.”

At the 15th Ward, Division 15 in Canaan Church at 20th and Spring Garden Streets, Wilson was among a line of voters who arrived early when the polls opened at 7 a.m. The line was barely moving, poll workers were arguing and one of the two voting machines was not working. A neighbor standing in line next to Wilson used their cell phone to complain to the county voter registration office regarding the non-working machine. The registration office suggested plugging the machine into another electrical outlet. Once the neighbor encouraged the poll workers to try another outlet, the machine was up and running.

Still the lines moved slowly and the voting machines were visibly not in continuous use. As Wilson neared closer to those working the registration verification table, she watched the two ladies working the sign-in book and voter verification cards arguing that the line was moving too fast. According to Wilson, she reported her disgust with the way the polling place was being handled. The man whom she reported dissatisfaction to simply told the ladies “to do it the way they always do it.”

Once Wilson voted after a 45 minute wait, she complained again to the poll worker about the lady pulling the voter verification cards, this time saying that the lady had difficultly reading. “What’s it like in a district with less educated people,” Wilson exclaimed in disgust after her experience at the polls. She reported her dissatisfaction with NBC News who was operating a nationwide election experience report line.

Another employee at Drexel University, Ari Hauben, assistant director of campus activities, had another dissatisfying experience in the 34th Ward, Division 34. His polling place, off of City Line Avenue, was located in the garage of a person’s home. “It’s an interesting experience walking into the garage of someone’s home that you don’t know to cast your vote for president,” said Hauben.

Hauben who arrived at his polling place at 7:45 a.m. did not encounter any long lines or people violating the election protection laws, instead he was told that there was not record of him being registered to vote. The poll workers asked if he had voted there before or moved recently, according to Hauben. “I showed them my drivers license with my address and ensured them I had voted there before,” said Hauben.

After poll workers made numerous phone calls to different county voter registration verification hotlines, they finally called a state voter registration hotline that said Hauben was no longer a resident of Pennsylvania. When Hauben was told that the state of Pennsylvania did not have record of him presently living in the state, he finally showed them the voter registration ticket he received in the mail telling him where to go to vote.

After about an hour, a poll worker allowed Hauben to vote by provisional ballot. “My concern is what does [provisional ballot] mean? If the state doesn’t show me living here, will my ballot be thrown out even though my license and voter registration ticket shows me living here,” questioned Hauben. “I was dedicated to vote. I was glad that there was some type of provisional system, but I assume my ballot was probably thrown out,” he added.

After hearing Wilson and Hauben’s stories, it was time to hit the streets and visit the polling places myself. First stop was the 24th Ward, Division 1, in University City at 34th and Barring Streets. No lines were visible, there were a about a dozen posters promoting candidates attached to a fence as you entered the parking lot leading to the polling place, and there were two groups of people more than 100 feet from the polling place entrance with clipboards in hand.

The two groups were Election Protection, a non-partisan voting rights organization and Move On, a 527 organization supporting the Democratic ticket with private funds. “Election Protection was started by lawyers to make sure people going to the polls were not being intimidated,” said Will Flanders, an attorney volunteering from Massachusetts. “After hearing about minorities being intimidated at polling places during the last presidential election, I decided to sign up and volunteer. Philly was the closest location,” he added.

The Election Protection groups assigned to mostly minority neighborhoods across the country are made up of teams of four people, one must be an attorney. Election Protection volunteers have access to a legal command center made up of legal experts should they see any activity that is questionable. “This has been a very laid back polling place,” said Flanders who had been working the poll since 7:00 a.m. and will work until the polls close at 8:00 p.m. The only problem we have seen here were that too many provisional ballots were being used,” said Flanders. “When we saw so many provisional ballot receipts in the hands of voters exiting the polls we looked into it immediately and discovered that people weren’t being sent to their assigned wards to vote.”

The poll did appear to be running smoothly. No more than 6 people entered to vote during the 30 minutes I was present. “Everything has been fine, except one man tried writing on the machine for his write-in candidate,” said Gloria Jackson, machinist for the polling place. “The machine went dead and we had to call in to get instructions to reroute the machine to get it up and running,” she added.

The 527 organization, Move On, were quietly speaking among themselves. They appeared to be respecting the few voters who entered the polls to vote and only asked voters if they had received any solicitations at their place of residence.

The next stop before the polls closed was the smallest ward and two smallest divisions in Philadelphia: Ward 8 and Divisions 22 and 23 located at 2200 Ben Franklin Parkway. Located in the town hall of the Park Towne Place apartment complex, these polls we equally as quiet as the previous poll visited in University City.

No lines, and only one voter was seen during the last half hour before the polls finally closed. Patty Jepson, a resident of Park Towne Place and member of the Move On organization said “massive amounts of students tried to vote, but were turned away because they didn’t know they had to vote where they registered.” Poll workers estimated that they had an increase in voter participation by 70% over the 2000 presidential election. “The students not knowing where to vote is something we need to do a better job of educating them in the future,” added Jepson.

Keli Jackson, another Move On organization representative said, “the bulk of the crowd came before 4:00 p.m., we never had any lines that lasted longer than ten minutes. She was also able to confirm Jepson’s statement that college age students need to be better informed on how to vote.

The polls closed at 8 p.m. For the two smallest divisions in the 8th Ward, the night ended smoothly and the restless poll workers were surely going to be able to call it an early night. The atypical day had ended with a typically American ideal, the democratic process of voting. But as we see from the experiences of some people, the process of voting is not always going to be easy.

Ward 54, Where Are You?

by Lisa Poe

Reporting to Committee of Seventy’s headquarters at 1:30 p.m. on Election Day, I was assigned to an existing field team in Ward 54 in northeast Philadelphia. My team members were Phil Beck, a freelance journalist who has worked for several local newspapers, and Kelly Green, a 32-year-old new mother who has been active behind the scenes in Philadelphia politics since she was 16. They had worked together poll watching for Committee of Seventy for the past five elections, and were old hands at the whole procedure.

I felt fortunate to be assigned to a team with experienced members, as I was unsure how difficult my job might be. Phil advised that I should always refer to the Judges of Elections by their title rather than their name, because many of the Judges were selected that morning on the spot and would be unsure of their authority. As he explained, someone from Committee of Seventy saying, “thank you for your time, Judge,” would give them “a sense of empowerment” they might not otherwise feel.

As it turned out, my job could not have been easier. The Judges of Elections in all divisions were unanimous in saying that the number of voters was up, but that they were not having any problems with the machines, the procedures, or voter identification.

From what I observed, the efforts to get out the vote for this election were amazingly successful. In every division we visited in the ward, the number of voters was reported as being double the usual number.

Despite these high turnout numbers, I never once saw a line of more than 10 people at any polling place and there were often only two or three people at any location. I don’t know if voters had spread themselves out during the day or if there had been a huge rush in the morning, but the expected long lines of people never materialized. I sometimes felt that I was chasing a rumor, but the numbers matched the reports. Some divisions had close to 90% turnout!

There was one problem that Kelly and I noted on our trip to Divisions 2 and 3. The voting machines for both divisions were located at Spruance Elementary School, but had been placed on the stage in the school auditorium rather than on the floor. Although the Judges of Elections for both divisions claimed that there were no difficulties and no voter complaints, Kelly and I observed an elderly lady with a cane having difficulty climbing the stairs to the stage. This was a clear violation of the principle that all voters should easily be able to reach their polling location.

Dennis Woodrow, the voluble Judge of Elections for Division 6, was the only one to sound a cynical note about the day. He joked that he had been doing this for so many years that he finally had to sell his house and move out of Philadelphia to prevent his division from re-electing him next year. Dennis said that he used to believe in the election process until he got a chance to see it from the inside. He advised me to quit my non-partisan poll monitoring and get a job as a poll worker and I would “lose all [my] faith in the system.”

Several of his colleagues agreed, telling me I should become a ward leader or committee woman if I wanted to know what Philadelphia politics was really like. At first, it was disheartening to hear this from men in their 60’s who have been involved in local politics most of their lives. However, despite Dennis’ claim that “you take an honest person, put him in office, six months later he’s a crook,” it turned out that what had stopped his continued election work was a quadruple bypass and a bad leg, not disillusionment.

Many poll workers reported that first-time voters did not know where their polling place was located and would often go to the first one they saw. The poll workers would then try to help them locate the correct polling location, giving directions or letting the voters use the workers’ cell phones to call the election hotline.

This spirit of cooperation and enabling the vote was the rule in Ward 54. It was inspiring to be a part of the process this year rather than sitting in front of my computer or television screen obsessing over projected returns. As Iris Cohen, Judge of Elections in Division 1, put it best, people were “just so happy to be able to vote for president.”

University City Polling Places Experience Few Problems on Election Day

Ann Kushmerick

Things were generally calm at three polling locations in University City on Election Day 2004. Volunteers at the polls reported smooth sailing, with a few moments of excitement. Due to recent nationwide registration controversies, Philadelphia expected major issues at the polls on November 2, especially in mostly African America districts. In mid afternoon at the polling location on 34th and Baring Street, few voters were seen going in or out of this community center. Will Flander, 49, Greenfield Mass., was stationed at this polling place as a member of Election Protection, a non-partisan voting rights organization. Flander, an attorney, was there to help with any legal issues which might arise during the election.

When asked why he traveled to Philadelphia from Massachusetts for Election Day, Flander said, “I just wanted to do something. I came to the closest city where there was action.” This comes as no surprise, since in recent months Pennsylvania, and in particular Philadelphia, has been analyzed and scrutinized. Pennsylvania has been deemed a “battleground state” whose voters can greatly influence the outcome of the presidential election. When questioned about any controversies he observed this Election Day, Flanders discussed some issues about voters who have recently moved. At this polling place, Election Protection heard that voting officials were allowing voters who had recently moved into this district to vote here, despite the rule that they must vote in their previous district for a period of time. Flander’s duty was to notify the election officials that this is the wrong procedure.

Flander noted that Election Protection has 25, 000 volunteers nationwide on Election Day and 1,500 in Philadelphia alone. The organization is dedicated to ensuring that each voter’s rights are preserved and that the integrity of the election process is maintained. Such watch-dog groups could be seen everywhere this Election Day, undoubtedly as a result of the election fiasco in Florida 2000. Regarding this, Flander commented, “Another rule we’ve been watching out for is that police have to stay 100 feet away from polls. In Florida, police set up road blocks so people couldn’t get to polls.” He had not noticed anything like that in Philadelphia.

At a nearby polling place, at the Powelton School on 36th and Powelton Ave., few voters seemed to be entering or exiting at 4 pm. Most of the voters, election officials, and volunteers here were African American. Noticeably, all of the election signs outside were democratic, with the exception of one Arlen Spector sign. The community seemed very involved here, and they were even conducting a Bake Sale outside the polling place. Election Protection volunteers were also stationed here, but no problems had occurred.

At another polling location, the Community Education Center, 3500 Lancaster Ave., a large line of voters snaked from the entrance. The vast majority of these voters were students, and few were minorities. The Move On organization had a table set up here, with donuts and coffee. When asked what their mission was on Election Day, a volunteer said that they were asking voters if they had been contacted by Move On. The volunteers wanted to confirm how many individuals whom they had contacted had actually gone out and voted. The Move On volunteers also claim to offer directions to voters who are confused about their place of voting.

Volunteers for Election Protection were also present at this polling place, though they were more vocal. They claimed that things had been generally quiet throughout the day, at least in light of the expectations. Sharvon Washington, 37, Philadelphia, of Election Protection, offered some examples of controversy throughout the day. She noted that the district is predominantly students, many of whom recently registered to vote. Some of their registrations were not properly documented, according to election officials. Washington claimed that the officials began accepting student ID’s, instead of ID’s which include address information, so that many of these students could vote. Also, Washington stated that at one point an election judge ran out of the polling place after a woman whom he claimed voted twice. However, by the time he got outside, she was gone. Perhaps most shocking, Washington said, “A couple tried to go in and read the machines. The judge asked them for proper documentation.” The mysterious couple was forced to leave the polling place soon after. Washington added, “We got a call that it happened at another location, but different people. Were they being honest? We don’t know.”

Another campaigner at the Community Center, Angel Ashley, 25, Philadelphia, was seen wearing an Arlen Spector shirt. She stated, “I’m just here to get paid. Republicans pay more.” She then displayed her Kerry paraphernalia underneath the Spector shirt. Ashley was getting paid per hour to stand outside the polling place with her Spector shirt and Spector handouts. She said that her entire family is doing the same, even though they personally support the democratic candidates. Ashley said that her mother, campaigning for Spector at the Powelton School polling location, experienced a disgruntled voter today. The voter became enraged at the sight of her Spector sign. “Someone took the sign and threw it in the trash!” Ashley exclaimed. “She went and got it and put it up higher.” Perhaps such individuals, who vote one way yet campaign for the opposition for money, will impact this election’s results.

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Support for Kerry and Edwards Dominates

Amanda Gonzalez

“Kerry –Edwards, Kerry - Edwards,” could be seen all over the 2 polling places I visited on Election Day. A young women wears a shirt reading ‘FCUK BSUH’ an older women compliments her on it. This was definitely an election like no other.

I was surprised that other political parties were not represented at my own polling place located at 2115 Sansom Street in an adult community center. Organizers at this location said that lines began at 6:30 in the morning and sometimes wrapped all the way around the block. No one complained that their party was not represented leading me to believe that many of the voters I was standing in line with were going to vote for Kerry and Edwards for president and vice president. One older man, Mr. Tucker, had no complaints about waiting in line, he was more upset at all of the phone calls he received yesterday from various recordings rallying votes for one party or another. He even received a call from Laura Bush – which put him over the edge, forcing him to hang up. Another women said that she refused to answer her phone last night because of all the calls she had been receiving. Maybe we need to develop a ‘Do Not Call’ list for election time?

After work I went to the community center located at 3500 Lancaster Avenue. I expected there to be more of a minority showing. I had voted at this location for the 2000 election and remembered a variety of people coming to this location. However, when I got there the line consisted of mostly college age students. It was great to see all of these young people waiting to vote in a line that extended from the front doors halfway down the block. No one seemed to mind waiting for about an hour to vote. All of the people I spoke to agree that it was a good sign because it means people are getting out and voting. I spoke to one Drexel University student, Mike, who had just voted after waiting for an hour. “Everything went well inside. I did not see any problems,” he said after I asked if things were going smoothly inside the polling place. Christina, Dave and Pete, all Drexel students, felt like they were the only Republicans at Drexel. “We haven’t seen any signs other than ones for John Kerry around Drexel,” she [Christina] said.

The group MoveOnPac was stationed at the Lancaster Ave. location waiting to hear from those voters that may have experienced a problem during voting. Sharvon, a MoveOnPac member, had not heard of anything going wrong at this location, “The only compliant came from a gentleman who pulled up in a car and said that he felt intimidated because his party’s signs were not up. But he never got out of the car to vote or put up his own party’s signs.” Other than that everything was going well, workers and voters were very optimistic about the whole experience

As I stood around talking to people many passers by yelled, “vote for Kerry” or honked their horns cheering on voters waiting. The overall atmosphere of both polling places I visited was uplifting. Everyone was excited to vote and excited that there were so many people voting in this election. There may not have been any mishaps at these locations but one theme remained clear, most people in these areas were Kerry – Edwards supporters.

Smooth Sailing For Haverford Township Voters

By John C. Nolan

My coverage of Election Day 2004 in Ward 7, Precinct 1 of Haverford Township started out with some excitement. As I approached the polling place (the Brookline Volunteer Fire Department), a bit of intrigue seemed to be brewing. A teenaged girl – clipboard in one hand, Starbucks latté in another – ran up to me and asked me to sign a petition to reelect Commissioner James McGarrity. Immediately, a woman in her forties ran up to me, yelling, “That’s not what it’s for!” My immediate reaction was that “Jo Jo Starbuck” was trying to trick me into signing something, and that the older woman was trying to warn me about it. However, I quickly discovered that the two women were working together, that the petition was actually about re-zoning, and that the older woman was correcting the younger one. As the two women bickered about the purpose of the petition, I slipped by them (not wanting to sign a petition for an issue I was not familiar with) and made my way toward the entrance to the polling place. On my way to the entrance, I was handed a ballot for the Democratic Party. However, the representative of the party remained outside.

The polling place was quiet, with a minimalist layout. Two voting machines – the kinds with curtains and levers – were located at the far end of the room and were overseen by a single member of the voting committee. Along the adjacent wall was a long table behind which four older women (all members of the voting committee) sat. The waiting line was short and I very quickly found myself going through the process of preparing to vote. The first woman asked for my name (but not for any form of identification), found my card in a book, tore it out, and asked me to sign it. This card was passed to the second woman, who entered my information in her voting log, and then passed the card to the third woman, who entered my information into her log.

At that point, I was ready to cast my vote. I walked up to the booth, and the committee member overseeing the booths asked me if I had any questions regarding the working of the booth. I confirmed with him that my perception of how to operate the booth was indeed correct, and I proceeded to cast my vote without incident.

After voting, I spent some time observing the procedures in the voting place, but I found that everything was moving smoothly and without incident. Voters came in, were processed through the line quickly, cast their votes, and left. The committee member manning the voting booths answered question from anyone who was unsure how to work them, but did not enter the booths with the voters.

At no time during my observations was anyone prevented from voting. The only occurrence that came close to being an ‘incident’ involved a man for whom this was his first election as a Havertown resident. He waited in line, and explained to the first woman that he was not sure if he were in the right place. She did not find his name in her book, and told him that the second woman would know where he needed to go. The second woman said that, because he lived on the North side of Earlington Road, he would probably have to go either to the Synagogue or the Annunciation Church. However, she wasn’t completely sure either, so she referred him to the third woman, who was not only unsure about where he should vote, but also unsure whether the Synagogue was operating as a polling place this year. Finally, the fourth woman at the table confirmed that he definitely needed to cast his vote at the Annunciation Church. The man thanked the women for their help and left.

Apart from that incident, voting went smoothly for all who showed up. Considering that I live and vote in a quiet, middle-class suburb, this is not surprising. To the contrary, with so many news reports focusing on denied access to polling places, absentee ballots being discarded, and voter registration forms not being processed, the lack of controversy was rather comforting. In spite of all the potential for problems, Ward 7, Precinct 1 of Haverford Township was operating efficiently and doing its part to make sure that every vote gets counted this year.

Senate Majority Leader Keeps Membership in Society with Secrets, a Secret

by James Katsaounis

Last November, Pennsylvania State Senate Majority Leader, David J. Brightbill, took upon himself the mysterious secret oaths and obligations of the ancient fraternal order of the Freemasons. He was initiated in the company of eight fellow state senators who are also Freemasons. Sources working close to the senator at his two main offices in Harrisburg and Lebanon were unaware of his Masonic membership.

“Isn’t that a secret society?” asked David Warner, a field representative at the senator’s Lebanon office, when contacted to confirm the Brightbill’s membership. “I never heard the senator mentioning the Masons before,” he added.

Brightbill’s membership in the Freemasons (Masons) came to surface during a review of the senator’s resumes that are posted on the Pennsylvania Senate website and his personal website. Neither of the senator’s two online biographies listing his credentials and community involvement mentions him belonging to the Masons. Very little personal information is publicized on the two websites of the senator, only briefly mentioning his education and former career experiences.

News of the senator’s initiation into the fraternity did, however, get statewide attention in the “The Pennsylvania Freemason” magazine, a quarterly publication of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania with a membership of approximately 135,000. Appearing in the May 2004 issue of the Masonic publication, which can be viewed online, is an article and photo of Brightbill wearing Masonic regalia and standing alongside senators present at his initiation.

“Senator Brightbill is the thirteenth current state senator who is a Mason,” according to Thomas Labagh, past master of Abraham C. Treichler Lodge No. 682 in Elizabethtown, PA, where the senator holds membership. Labagh had the honor of conferring the “Master Mason Degree” upon the senator, the third of three ceremonies or degrees that a man joining the Masons must complete in order to become a full member in the fraternity. “I can’t tell you much about the ceremonies as they are held confidential by the members, but I can say that they exemplify moral qualities on how one should live his life,” added Labagh.

The Masonic fraternity is a male only organization with a worldwide membership estimated at approximately four million. The fraternity officially organized itself in 1717, London, England; however, there are records of the organization dating back to the fifteenth century. Websites for the organization state that Masons donate more than $2 million per day towards charities in North America. Among famous American Masons are 14 presidents of the United States beginning with George Washington and ending with Gerald Ford, and countless politicians, including two locally, Pennsylvania State Governor Edward Rendell and U.S. Senator Arlen Specter.

“He (Brightbill) joined [the Masons] because he has seen the many charitable programs sponsored by the fraternity, especially by lodges in his 48th district that covers five counties,” said Frank Hagist, past master and secretary of Abraham C. Treichler Lodge. Brightbill’s senatorial district covers portions of Berks, Chester, Dauphin and Lancaster counties, in addition to all of Lebanon County.

Belonging to an organization that contributes millions of dollars to charity on a daily basis and counts U.S. Presidents, astronauts and T.V celebrities among its membership would be something many people would find noteworthy for a resume, especially a state senator’s resume. “I don’t know why the website doesn’t state that the senator is a Mason,” said Deb Gentzler, executive assistant to the senator in the State Capital office, Harrisburg. “Without first speaking to the senator, I can’t confirm that he even is a member as you claim. We try to keep the websites up-to-date, and the legislative issues being accomplished by the senator are what really matter to the constituents,” she added.

Of the 12 other state senators who are Masons, nine of them include their Masonic affiliation on their online resumes. Among those who publicize their Masonic membership are Senate Majority Whip Jeffrey Piccola, District 15, and Senator Vincent Fumo, District 1. Those not publicizing their Masonic affiliation include President Pro Tempore Robert Jubelirer, District 30, and Senator Barry Stout, District 46.

While reviewing Brightbill’s two resumes, confirming information such as the senator’s education and work experiences proved to be more difficult than getting information from the “secret” Masons.

The senator graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Economics. When contacting the Penn State alumni records office, I was told that they could only confirm his year of graduation having been 1964. To confirm his major, I was transferred to the registrar’s office only to be told that I would have to pay $6 to research the information or if I had a social security number for Brightbill, I could possibly view it online. Feeling fortunate that I was able to confirm that he graduated and having learned the year in which he graduated, I considered accomplishing two of my three inquiries with the Penn State administrative offices enough to move on with my investigation.

Upon graduating Penn State, Brightbill entered law school at Duquesne University. I was unsuccessful in learning the date in which he graduated. It would have had to been close to 1970 in which according to the senator’s resume, he was the editor-in-chief of the “Duquesne Law Review.” But according to Mary Ann Buerkle, senior clerk in the registrar’s office, “because his record is so old” she would have to check the paper files and could not promise to get back to me in time for this article.

Dittakavi Rao, assistant director of the Duquesne’s law library, did confirm that Brightbill served on the editorial board of the “Duquesne Law Review” in 1968, but was unable to confirm that he was the editor-in-chief because the hard bound copies do not include the necessary page that lists the editor-in-chief. The only other source that would have this page is on microfilm. Rao was unable to access the microfilm copies since the machine used to view the film was not working.

I was then referred to Elisa Astorino, director of student organizations, regarding the “Duquesne Law Review” because it is considered a student organization. “I don’t have records for officers of student organizations dating that far back,” stated Astorino. “I can say that the ‘Duquesne Law Review’ is a scholarly journal which restricts publication membership to the top 15 percent of the students, so if indeed the senator was on the editorial board, he would have definitely been at the top of his class academically.” With Elisa’s statement regarding the journal’s membership restrictions being academically rigorous, and without the registrar’s office confirming the date of graduation, she was the closest source I was able to get to confirm the senator’s claim that he also graduated with honors.

Requesting confirmation from the senator’s Harrisburg and Lebanon offices regarding the senator’s educational experience at Duquesne University, I felt was met with suspicion, especially since my questioning about the senator’s involvement with the Masons. Deb Gentzler, executive assistant at the State Capital office, told me that she would get back to me but she never did; nor did she return two follow-up calls.

With all the stumbling blocks I was coming upon, I felt it to be ironic that the senator once worked as a news reporter for the “Lebanon Daily News.” When contacting the newspaper, I was referred to librarian Phyllis Whitman. Phyllis and one additional staffer at the newspaper are currently the two longest working employees at the “Lebanon Daily News,” but she was only able to confirm that Brightbill worked for the newspaper in the 1960’s. She and her co-worker have been with the “Lebanon Daily News” since the early 1970’s and Brightbill was no longer reporting for the newspaper by then.

As I diligently pushed forward to confirm more aspects of Brightbill’s resume, I did find a mistake. The senator’s resume states that he served on the board of directors for the Lebanon School Board from 1966-1967. Records at the Lebanon School Board show that Brightbill served on the board of directors from 1965-1969. “I hate to say this, but the senator’s resume is wrong,” said Linda Brandt, board secretary. “He was elected to the board November 2, 1965 for a four year term that ended in 1969,” she added. The senator omitted two years of service with the Lebanon School Board from his resume.

The excitement of finding a mistake on the senator’s resume was almost as exciting as trying to learn why Brightbill does not include his Masonic membership on his resume. I did inform David Warner, field representative at the senator’s Lebanon office, of what the Lebanon School Board told me and he expressed his appreciation and said that they would look into it. After a week of having this information, the senator’s website still remains unchanged.

The last piece of information, unrelated to the numerous positions held by the senator in the Pennsylvania State Senate and confirmable through the Pennsylvania State Senate website, was his service to Lebanon County as District Attorney from 1977-1981. Kerry Holtz, administrative assistant to the District Attorney, confirmed the dates of Brightbill’s service as being correct.

So is Brightbill keeping secrets? I am sure he, like most people, has things that he would like to keep personal or confidential. But, with all the mystery and secrets that surround the Masonic fraternity, it was the Masons who seemed most willing and proud to speak about their fellow fraternity brother. Maybe it is just poor website maintenance that is keeping the senator’s resume from being correct and complete, but we now know for certain that members of the senator’s staff have been informed of omissions to Brightbill’s resume. What they do with this information may very well be kept secret.