Will Climate Change Drown Philly?
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Good morning, Philadelphia. Here’s what you need to know today.
Parts of Philadelphia could drown if the world doesn’t finally reduce carbon emissions.
Glub glub. A new report from Climate Central in Princeton finds that “some 156,000 people, or about 10 percent of the city’s population … are living in areas that would be below the high-tide mark at some point in the next century if carbon emissions remain at about current levels.”
“Philadelphia has a really big problem under the worst-case scenario but a very small problem under the best case scenario,” Ben Strauss, vice president for sea level and climate impacts at Climate Central, told StateImpact Pennsylvania. “That’s why the stakes for Philadelphia are higher than almost any other American city in the difference between what happens if we cut carbon emissions and we don’t.”
Legislators may OK slot machines at airports to fix Pennsylvania’s budget deficit.
Ready to gamble before your flights? Now that Pennsylvania House Republicans have rejected Gov. Tom Wolf’s tax plan — and the budget is more than 100 days late — GOPers are looking for new ways to plug the state’s $2 billion deficit.
“Some Republicans in Harrisburg believe adding slot machines at airports and off-track betting sites, as well as adding internet gambling, could help boost state revenue,” KDKA in Pittsburgh reports. House Majority Leader Dave Reed says: “Before we look at increasing taxes on working families, we have a responsibility to look at every other possible revenue source out there, and expanded gaming is certainly one of those possibilities.”
Philly’s mayoral candidates will let you know what they want to do in office …. after they’re elected:
Philly Mag’s Holly Otterbein reports that Democratic candidate (and front-runner) Jim Kenney wouldn’t detail his proposals that might have a tough time getting City Council approval. Kenney responded, “Well, that’s not something I’m going to discuss at the moment. There are things that are going to come up, and I’m not going to put out there ideas and issues in order for them to be analyzed and picked apart before I have a chance to implement them or move forward with them.”
Otterbein says Melissa Murray Bailey, the Republican, was fuzzy on details as well. “She promoted a plan to get every public school student reading by third grade, but she wouldn’t say exactly where she’d get the funding to do that. She simply said she had lots of ideas to save money. Likewise, she didn’t specify how to finance her plan to hire 500 extra police officers.”
The private company in charge of providing substitute teachers to Philly schools is still falling way short of its goals.
You’ll remember that Source4Teachers promised to fill 75 percent of all teacher absences at the beginning of the school year — and instead was able to get the job done just 12 percent of the time. Things are getting better. But not much.
The Inquirer reports the company filled just 19 percent of absences on Friday, and 22 percent the day before. District officials expressed disappointment, but a Source4Teachers official told Inky the company was “encouraged by the progress we’re making.”
Chase Utley was booed heavily at Citi Field on Monday at the Dodgers’ playoff game with the Mets.
Phillies fans don’t get a postseason this year. They’ll have to settle for old friend Chase Utley driving Mets fans into an absolute rage. (Alas, the Mets won the actual game.)
Follow @JoelMMathis on Twitter.
