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Thursday, April 30, 2009

Councilwoman Calls for Hearings on Swine Flu

City Councilwoman Janie Blackwell today introduced a resolution calling for hearings into the swine flu pandemic. Blackwell says she has been hearing from panicked constituents about the illness.

"I've had people calling my office asking me what we're going to do, what's happening in our city, what the rules, especially people who are otherwise sick or handicapped," said Blackwell, who said she'd like to hold the hearings as soon as possible.
Posted by Catherine Lucey @ 11:50 AM  Permalink | 23 comments
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:19 PM, 04/30/2009
    grandstanding? what?! someone tell her it isn't an election year for council, and she has a good 10-15 months before she has to start pretending to care about things and making meaningless public gestures.
    — Phillyguy4413
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:46 PM, 04/30/2009
    When are the members of city council going to be held accountable for "fiddling while the city burns"? Enough about swine flu, foie gras, cell phone use in cars, etc. We have major problems in this city and all that council does is have hearings on stupid issues, and battle to keep their bloated budgets, cars and staffs. Then we wonder why Philadelphia is stuck in the 1950's.
    — lance71
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:57 PM, 04/30/2009
    If you were worried about the swine flu, why wouldn't you call a doctor or hospital? Why would you call a member of city council? I guess these little socialists have got residents in their wards so dependent on government, that they can't make a move in their lives without checking with Der Kommissar. And I'm sure that's the way these city council kings & queens like it - their own private little feifdoms.
    — fafafooey
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:00 PM, 04/30/2009
    MikeMike -- eating pork does not transmit swine flu. Mexicans who live in the US aren't any more likely to spread swine flu than anyone else -- unless they've recently been to Mexico, and non-Mexicans travel there, too. Lance71 -- I agree completely. They fiddle around the margins much too often while serious issues need to be tackled, and that requires knowledge of the issues and compromise.
    — akelsey
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:37 PM, 04/30/2009
    What special action could Council initiate that hasn't already been outlined in the emergency management and pandemic planning in the city thus far? Does Blackwell need hearings, or does her office simply need to prepare a fact sheet with the CDC and PA Health Dept., and City Public Health Dept. websites for regularly updated information.
    — CleanupPhilly
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:38 PM, 04/30/2009
    To call Council hearings for no clear purpose just feeds a sense of panic and haphazardness.
    — CleanupPhilly
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:42 PM, 04/30/2009
    Mikemike, the people in the US getting sick are college kids coming back from spring break, upper middle class tourists coming back from resorts, and only a few people who are native Mexicans. The kids in DE are in college dorms. For a start, people have to wash their hands and use hand sanitizer. Freaking out is counterproductive.
    — CleanupPhilly
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:46 PM, 04/30/2009
    Another distraction by one of the intellectually bankrupt morons running our government....not a city issue Blackwell...try addressing some of the real problems like how are we going to reduce government so we don't have to tax to death the few remaining workers in the city?
    — phillysmart
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:58 PM, 04/30/2009
    People who catch the novel virus in Philly are not going to get it from Mexicans, they're going to get it from exposed people who are working at the airport, driving a cab or bus, or who've been exposed to someone who has it in NY, NJ, or DE where it's already appeared or a myriad of other ways, such as working in a hospital, doctor's office, etc. If I'm afraid of catching H1N1, the last person I would call is a member of Council.
    — CleanupPhilly
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:34 PM, 04/30/2009
    How do YOU morons keep electing THOSE morons?
    — JingoGuy
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:09 PM, 04/30/2009
    I'm just afraid that trying to have hearings by Council will over-emphasize a flu that is turning out to be about as deadly as the seasonal flu, which still claims 36,000 people a year, make no mistake. But we're not shutting down commerce and tourism to prevent the seasonal flu. We're not discouraging visitors to Philly to prevent them from getting seasonal flu. Is that what Council really wants to do?
    — CleanupPhilly
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:16 PM, 04/30/2009
    City Council is having hearings to figure out if there is a way to give no-bid contracts to friends and family for the swine flu response....
    — Captain Awesome
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:21 PM, 04/30/2009
    Why dont the people in Blackwells district call hospitals or their doctors. City council needs to figure out the budget rather than issue a bill that they should have nothing to do with. I think city council members need to be knocked down a peg or two.
    — cecelia
  • Comment removed.


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About The Philly Clout Team
PhillyClout
Chris Brennan, a native Philadelphian and graduate of Temple University, joined the Daily News in 1999. He has written about SEPTA, the Philadelphia School District, the legalization of casino gambling, state government, the mayor, the governor, City Council and political campaigns.
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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics ­– which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
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Catherine Lucey joined the Daily News in 2002 and has written about murderous drug gangs, political protesters and Harry Potter. After covering the 2007 mayoral election, she moved over to the City Hall bureau where she has been reporting on the Nutter administration.
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Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans.
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