We just got this release from state Rep. Brendan Boyle:

Boyle introducing resolution calling for binding arbitration in SEPTA strike

 PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 6 -- State Rep. Brendan F. Boyle, D-Phila./Montgomery is introducing a House resolution calling on both sides in the ongoing SEPTA strike to agree to binding arbitration to resolve the impasse.

“After eight months without a contract, and four days of a strike with no end in sight, it is clear that binding arbitration is needed,” said Boyle. “In this specific context, binding arbitration is a reasonable way to obtain a contract that treats both parties fairly and gets SEPTA back up and running.”

Boyle added, “Currently, with no resolution to this impasse, all sides are losing and will continue to suffer. SEPTA riders have no way to get to work, which hurts them and the local economy of the Philadelphia region. SEPTA workers are out of work and going without pay. Those who drive and don’t use SEPTA are also losing because they are now forced to endure crippling traffic, with the dramatic increase of vehicles on the street.”

Boyle's resolution will be introduced in the House on Monday, and the lawmaker said members could vote on it early in the week.

»  More State Rep. Calls For Binding Arbitration to Resolve SEPTA Contract

It's when times are tough, that you learn who your friends are.

Today the U.S. House of Representatives voted on a resolution to honor the Yankees for their victory in the World Series. But one member of the Philadelphia delegation refused to support the measure.

Who was this champion of the forlorn Phillies?

It was U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz, whose district includes parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery counties. Both U.S. Rep. Bob Brady and U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah supported the resolution. Here’s a link to the vote results.

To Schwartz, PhillyClout says: you go girl!
 

Mayor Nutter today said the city is reviewing whether it could seek an injunction to send striking SEPTA employees back to work.

“The standards for an injunction, based on previous court rulings are fairly high and fairly specific,” Nutter said. “We’ve been monitoring all the elements of the strike since Tuesday. But ultimately that’s a legal matter and a legal decision based on those standards.”

Nutter said the city was particularly concerned about the public health impact of the strike, given the public health emergency declared to deal with the H1N1 flu.

“The city solicitor, the law department, all of our public safety areas and public health areas have been monitoring the impact of the strike from, not just an inconvenience standpoint, but from a true impact of people trying to get to their doctor or to their hospital,” Nutter said. “There is a health emergency that was declared by the city and the state related to H1N1 and we’re very concerned that medical care may not be provided.”

But Nutter did not provide a time frame for the decision, saying it would depend on when the city met the necessary criteria.

“It’s a fact based decision. If you look at the rulings from the past, there are a series of factors you have to take into consideration,” Nutter said. “It’s not something to make a decision on today or at any moment. If you’re going to go, you should go with the best facts and the best case available.”

UPDATE, 11:55 a.m.: We just spoke with City Solicitor Shelley Smith, who made clear that the city does not plan to go to court right away. She said that to get an injunction, the city would have to show "clear and present danger to the health, safety and welfare of the public."

To show that, Smith said, the city would need to provide the court with witnesses who could testify that they could not get health care or access emergency services because of the strike. So far, they have no such examples.

"We've been monitoring for that kind of evidence and we have none," Smith said, noting that it will take more time and data collection for the city to know if they can go to court.

Just got this press release:

Philadelphia’s Unemployment Ranks Third
Controller compares City’s unemployment rate to nation’s 10 largest cities

PHILADELPHIA - City Controller Alan Butkovitz today released the monthly Economic Forecast and Snapshot that shows Philadelphia, the sixth largest U.S. city, ranks third highest in unemployment with 11 percent.

The September economic report includes the unemployment figures for the top 10 U.S. cities. Philadelphia’s unemployment rate falls behind Los Angeles and Chicago with 12.7 and 11.3, respectively. San Jose and New York City round out the top five for highest unemployment.

Philadelphia’s unemployment rate is 3.4 points higher compared to one year ago. It’s also 2.2 points higher than Pennsylvania’s current rate of 8.8 percent.

The report also indicates the region’s manufacturing executives expect business activity to increase over the next six months; however, expectations have moderated somewhat in the last several months.

»  More Philly Has Third Highest Unemployment Rate Among Big Cities

Striking SEPTA workers were considering several offers from management last night.

Tom Knox, who is now running for governor, says that, if elected, he would seek limits on statewide political contributions.

The chief investigator for the Police Advisory Commission is accused of violating city residency requirements.

Fans greet the Phillies on their return to town.

Willie Brown, president of Transport Workers Union Local 234, just left City Hall, where he gave an informational briefing to City Council on the state of the SEPTA contract talks.

As he left City Hall, Brown said he regretted the timing of calling the strike. “But I don’t regret the strike,” he said.

Brown said he was meeting with the governor later today, but again said he would not meet with Mayor Nutter. But he bumped in to Nutter on his way out of the building, walking past him at the security checkpoint at the northeast corner entrance. Nutter said “good afternoon.”

Nutter said he wasn’t taking Brown’s comments to heart.

“The gentleman can do whatever he wants, we just met each other for the first time on Friday,” Nutter said. “I’m not personal about any of this. What I’m personal about is that a million and a half people were inconvenienced by a decision that was unilaterally made Monday night into Tuesday morning.”
 

Reporters peppered Tom Knox, a Philadelphia millionaire running for governor, today with several questions about why he paid $15,500 for a fine and legal costs last September to the Philadelphia Board of Ethics to settle an issue about radio ads his campaign aired when he ran for mayor in the 2007 Democratic primary election here.  That was less than convenient for Knox, who was pushing his plan to bring ethics to Harrisburg.

The ads, run under the name of a bogus organization, targeted then front-runner Michael Nutter for a land dispute involving a church in West Philadelphia.  The ads, which aired on black-oriented radio stations, suggested if was as if Nutter "wanted to disrespect the church, which is a step away from disrespecting God."

Knox today said he had accepted responsibility for the ads and dismissed the issue today as a "reporting error" on a campaign finance report.  “Quite frankly I didn’t know anything about it," Knox added. "If I had seen that ad, I never would have run it. It was a ridiculous ad. It was counterproductive and probably not true."

Last September, Knox released a statement saying he disagreed with the Board of Ethics on several of the allegations but felt it was in the best interest of the public to settle the issue.  The board found that the ads had been e-mailed to Josh Morrow, who ran Knox's campaign for mayor and now heads up his campaign for governor.  The board also found that Knox had signed a wire transfer for $13,215 to the West Philadelphia Democratic Club, which the same day sent the same amount to the radio stations for the ads.

Tom Knox, the millionaire businessman from Philly running for governor in the May 2010 Democratic primary election, released an e-mail blast followed up by an online chat and conference call detailing a series of steps he would take to reform the way government works in Harrisburg.  Knox hammered away at one key theme across all those platforms -- repeatedly saying he was the only candidate in the race who isn't a "career politician."

Knox, who is reluctant to disclose how much of his own money he will use to fund his campaign, said he would call a special session of the General Assembly immediately if elected to push for reform. First up:  Campaign contribution limits of no more than $500 cumulative per election cycle for anyone who does "business with Harrisburg."  Knox also wants a limit on contributions from people who don't do business with the state government but could not say what amount it should be when reporters asked.

During the online chat, one poster accused Knox of trying to buy the election.  Knox responded:  "I would suggest that my funding my election is far better than Comcast or some other large company giving large donations and creating the impression that my administration is for sale to special interest groups."

With that $500 limit in place, Knox said he would target "pay-to-play" by seeking to ban anyone who contributes more than that from receiving a state contract.  Knox was not sure if he could do that through an executive order or if he would need legislation approved by the General Assembly.  "There’s just too much pay to play going on in Pennsylvania," Knox said during the conference call. "People are trying to buy influence."

Knox also said he would push for a requirement that public officials "resign from one job before running for another."  That can be read as a shot at the six other candidates who now hold one office while running for governor, including Republicans state Attorney General Tom Corbett and U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach and Democrats state Auditor General Jack Wagner, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel, Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty. “People want you to do the job you were elected for," Knox said. "It’s about perception and public confidence. It’s not about individuals.”

Knox said he would also prohibit gifts and meals accepted by legislators, eliminate controversial WAMS -- walking around money -- legislative spending accounts, mandate annual ethics training for public officials and create a hotline for anonymous calls about ethics problems.  Of course, he would have to convince the General Assembly to vote for most of that as well.

Below, you can see the web commercial Knox released in support of today's reform blitz.  NOTE TO KNOX -- When you say you want to "strengthen our schools," make sure your ad team spells "strengthen" correctly.

And that's it for the Phillies. Until next year...

Gov. Rendell is expected to meet with striking SEPTA workers today.

How Philadelphians got to work and school yesterday.

John Baer ponders the Obama presidency after the GOP won some mid-term elections.