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Philadelphians Tell Gov. Corbett What They Think of His Priorities

By Tara Murtha
Posted Sep. 26, 2012
Last week, Gov. Corbett was in Philadelphia to participate in a town-hall meeting hosted by conservative radio personality Dom Giordano at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. You may have heard: It didn’t go well.

Security insisted that guests were not allowed to bring “large bags” or backpacks into the museum’s auditorium, but local activists—many from Decarcerate PA, Act Up Philadelphia and Fight for Philly—somehow snuck giant banners into the room anyway. And in a scenario that played out like a bizarro episode of Pee-wee’s Playhouse, activists leapt to their feet shouting whenever the governor—he’s the bizarro Pee-wee in this metaphor—mentioned certain things. Those triggering phrases—“voter ID,” “Marcellus Shale,” “teachers,” “education,” “pensions,” “jobs,” “death penalty,” “General Assistance cuts”—represent only some of the issues that your typical Philadelphian activist beefs with Corbett on, mind you, but they’re a good start.

Tavis Smiley, Cornel West discuss poverty in North Philly

September 14, 2012|BY VALERIE RUSS, Daily News Staff Writer

Tavis Smiley and Cornel West spent three hours talking with Philadelphians about education, "decarceration," jobs and housing at a Baptist Church in North Philadelphia Friday.

"The poverty numbers in this country are abysmal," Smiley, the PBS late-night television host, told the crowd filling the pews at Tenth Memorial Baptist Church.

Smiley said that unless properly addressed, the high rate of poverty "will threaten our democracy and become a national security issue."

Massive Protest Planned for Corbett’s Philly Visit

For Immediate Release: September 18, 2012

Massive Protest Planned for Corbett’s Philly Visit

Groups demand Corbett fund education and General Assistance, not prison construction

Philadelphia, PA: Hundreds are expected to protest on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Wednesday, September 18, from 7:30-9:30pm, while Governor Corbett speaks inside. The rally will highlight Governor Corbett’s failed policies and demand that he cancel his $685 million prison expansion plan, reinstate General Assistance, and fully fund public education.

“Many people living with HIV depend on GA for copayments and for rent if they are in a drug recovery program,” said ACT UP Philly member Leon Tyer. “By ending GA, Governor Corbett has put the nail in the coffin for them, and by building more prisons rather than focusing on education, he is condemning them into even more vulnerable positions. For me, it is very personal because I nearly died in prison because of a lack of medical care. I don’t want anyone else to go through that.”

Philly Protesters Drown Out A Calm Tom Corbett

Voters wanted to talk to Gov. Tom Corbett about education and welfare funding, Voter ID and the reason why he was in Philadelphia in the first place, Marcellus Shale drilling.

But several attendees didn’t ask questions so much as they yelled, loudly and for minutes on end, turning what was supposed to be a 90-minute town-hall meeting Wednesday into a 60-minute debacle for all involved.

Corbett heckled at Philadelphia town-hall meeting

By Robert Moran

Protesters hold a banner at a town-hall meeting at the Art Museum. The event was ended 30 minutes early because of the disruption.
STEVEN M. FALK / Staff Photographer
Protesters hold a banner at a town-hall meeting at the Art Museum. The event was ended 30 minutes early because of the disruption.

Inquirer Staff Writer

Gov. Corbett was repeatedly interrupted by protesters during a town-hall meeting Wednesday night at the Philadelphia Museum of Art organized by a talk-radio host.

WPHT's Dom Giordano ended the event a half-hour earlier than its planned 90 minutes when it became clear that Corbett could not answer questions without being shouted at inside Van Pelt Auditorium. Police removed more than 10 people from the meeting.

At one point, protesters interrupted the program for seven minutes. Groups unfurled banners and chanted against expanding the state prison system, "Fund education, not incarceration."

There were shouts against Corbett's support of Marcellus Shale drilling, his cuts in welfare, and his signing of a death warrant for Terrance Williams, who is to be executed Oct. 3.

Protests interrupt Corbett at town hall meeting

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | Updated: 09/20/2012 06:55:15 AM EDT

PHILADELPHIA - Protesters representing a number of causes repeatedly interrupted Gov. Tom Corbett during a town hall meeting in Philadelphia, prompting an early end to the event.

The Philadelphia Inquirer (http://bit.ly/NDm0g6 ) says demonstrators at one point interrupted the Wednesday night program at the Philadelphia Museum of Art for seven minutes.

Philly demo to target Corbett town hall, demand schools not jails

Monday, September 17, 2012

Follow on Twitter @DanielDenvir

Republican Gov. Tom Corbett will be venturing behind enemy lines this Wednesday to hold a “town hall” meeting at the Art Museum (8 p.m., 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway). Protesters will gather outside to voice their opposition to his conservative policies.

The protest, organized by Decarcerate PA and Fight for Philly, is demanding that Corbett cancel new prison construction, reinstate the General Assistance cash welfare eliminated in the 2012 budget, and restore cut funding to public education.

Mandatory-minimum sentences don't work

Letters to the Editor  - August 21st, 2012

THERE IS A GROWING national consensus that mandatory-minimum sentences simply don't work. Despite this, Pennsylvania legislators are on track to pass yet another misguided bill, HB2331, which would create five-year mandatory-minimum sentences for illegal gun possession (Daily News, Aug. 17).

More mandatory-sentencing laws will not make us safer. They will, however, add thousands of people to our already out-of-control prison population at a time when Pennsylvania cannot afford to build more prisons.

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