Kudos: Mayor Kenney Delivers on 2 Promises to PCCY
As a mayoral candidate, Jim Kenney was an early signer of 费城儿童誓言, a PCCY led effort backed by 26 of the most respected youth-serving organizations in the city. As Mayor, he wasted little time setting an ambitious agenda for his nascent administration, delivering on two major promises: Universal pre-k and upgrading public recreation centers.
During his first budget address, Mayor Kenney made accessibility to pre-k for all the city’s children his first order of business.
Kenney described the game-changing initiative as not only a moral imperative, but a fiscal one as well, saving millions by reducing the need for services like special education and fueling long-term economic growth.
The Mayor pointed out that in addition to helping kids break out of a vicious cycle of poverty, universal pre-k “could save [the school district] approximately $5.6 million per grade” (or, $72 million over the length of a grade cohort’s K-12 years).
“A report frequently cited by the Economy League found that for every $1 spent on pre-k, at least $1.79 is generated in local spending,” he added.
The Mayor also announced his plan for recreation centers as part of a larger vision to upgrade facilities that comprise the largest after-school programming available to Philadelphia kids. The $600 million neighborhood plan, one of the largest public investments in the country, includes sprucing up parks and libraries.
“If we ever want the Mayor’s budget address to be about something other than our failing school system and its repercussions, then we need to implement serious, radical, ambitious policies,” Kenney said.
Mayor Kenney also pledged resources to create 25 community schools.
“As many of you are already aware, community schools are public schools, where a dedicated coordinator directly integrates existing social services into the school, so students can access them easily,” Kenney said, adding that many of those same services are available to the public, elevating schools into community hubs boosting parental engagement and neighborhood buy-in.
If you’re keeping score, that’s two promises of the seven in The Pledge…after just two months on the job. This bodes well for his administration and, thanks to the raucous reception his budget address received, Mayor Kenney knows it.
消除铅中毒
在弗林特，密歇根州和费城，政府处理儿童铅中毒的方式有何不同？
在弗林特，州政府的直接行动毒害了孩子们。
在费城，地方政府有 长期的承诺 保护儿童免受铅污染的危害-但他们没有投入足够的资源，州或联邦政府也没有。
您是否知道PCCY率先开展了为期两年的运动，以使费城的主导法律成为现实？ 了解更多！
结束童年期铅中毒决定了住房解决方案，因为它主要是使孩子中毒的房屋中的铅基涂料。从屋子里带走铅很贵，但是与付给有毒孩子的医疗保健，特殊教育和少年犯罪账单相比，这笔钱相形见– –且不涉及中毒肆虐所造成的人类潜力损失防止。
您可以今天采取以下3项措施来保护孩子远离铅的危害：
- 提倡为“宾夕法尼亚健康之家计划”提供更多资金，以教育家庭如何了解含铅油漆对家庭的危害，评估房屋的危害并将家庭与可用资源联系起来。 点击这里 给您的州议员发信。
- 推动为HUD的铅危害控制和健康房屋计划办公室增加联邦资金，以在低收入家庭居住的旧房屋中提供铅危害筛查和铅危害补救措施。 点击这里 给国会议员发信
- 提倡纽约市执行其领导法律，要求房东测试六岁及以下儿童居住地中铅的危害，并提供房屋铅安全的证明。 点击这里 发送信件给卫生与许可和检查部门。
有关预防铅中毒的更多信息，请查看 卫生署常见问题.
MARCH 8: Join PCCY’s first Capitol Caravan of 2016 to tell our legislators they must pass the Education budget Pennsylvania desperately needs. Reach Shirlee: 215-563-5848×32 了解更多
“I wasn’t being held hostage.” New Jersey Governor Chris Christie responds to wide speculation that he appeared exceedingly uncomfortable standing behind GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump Super Tuesday night. 阅读更多
PCCY’s Smile Day phone bank opens on MONDAY (3/7). Click the link and share our flyers. Help us connect uninsured kids to free dental care. March 22-25. MAKE A DIFFERENCE
While the merits of pre-k are clear, some ask how Philly will pay for it. “And with all due respect that’s simply the wrong question. The only question is how can we afford not to pay for it,” Comcast VP David L. Cohen responded in an Inquirer commentary, while urging businesses to help fund the initiative. READ THE COMMENTARY