Region's Business 04 April 2013

ACHIEVING LEADERSHIP BRICK BY BRICKAREA’S ULTIMATE GLOBAL CONNECTION

A JOURNAL OF BUSINESS AND POLITICSPHILADELPHIA EDITION 4 APRIL 2013

MEDICAL PRICING TRANSPARENCY NEEDED

Falling from bustling Naval shipyard to remote wasteland, it’s now poised to join the city’s success story.

REGION’S BUSINESS

GOV. CORBETT SEARCHING FOR OPTIMISM

RegionsBusiness.com

$2.00 U.S.

THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE

NAVY YARD

PLANNING AHEAD KEEPS ELEVATOR COMPANY GOING UP

Listen 2, 3, 4 times a day!

For the future we’re building…

At Philadelphia Gas Works, we’re building a better City to do business in, one conversion at a time.

That’s because, when your business makes the switch to natural gas from PGW, you’re ��Ǧ��Ƥ�� an abundant domestic supply of cheaper, cleaner energy.

Find out how to convert to a better future at:

www.PGWEnergySense.com

3REGIONSBUSINESS.COM

© Copyright 2013 Independence Media Corp. All rights reserved. Use of material within without express permission of publisher is prohibited.Region’s Business is published weekly on Thursdays and online at www.RegionsBusiness.com.The publisher makes no representations or warranties regarding the advertising appearing in its pages or its websites.

Independence Media Corp.600 West Germantown Pike, Suite 400

Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462 E-mail: [email protected]

Online: RegionsBusiness.comTwitter: @RegionsBusiness

Subscription & Advertising information:610.940.1656

PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER James D. McDonaldEDITORIAL DIRECTOR Karl M. SmithASSOCIATE EDITOR Terrence CaseyCONTRIBUTORS Brandon Baker, Chris Weeden, Don Lee, Charles Gerow, Timothy Holwick, Melissa DanielsPROOFREADER Denise GerstenfieldADVERTISING DIRECTOR Larry SmallacombeDIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Deirdre AffelADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR Zelinda Barnes

REGION’S BUSINESS

�1519 Walnut Street

��

7KH�5HJLRQ¶V�3UHPLHU��&RPPHUFLDO�5HDO�(VWDWH�%URNHUV�

866-Walnut 4

1429 Walnut Street Suite 1200 Philadelphia, PA 19102

Precisionrg.com

x� 2,600-6883 SF Available For Lease x� 30 Feet of Walnut Street Frontage x� Liquor License Available x� Neighboring tenants include Barbour,

Govberg Jewelers, PNC, Apple, Guess, Ubiq, Gap, LuLulemon,

Diesel, and Brooks Brothers

x� 1,500-16,333 SF Retail Available x� Fall 2013 Delivery x� 234 Luxury Units Above x� Two blocks from the Comcast Center x� Outdoor Seating Possible

1900 Arch Street

30

4 APRIL 2013

15 Coming to the Region! Mid-Atlantic Demo will launch in the Delaware Valley.

16 Pincus Elevator:Still Going Up! Planning ahead was the key to an “old technology” company avoiding a wild ride.

25

28 Medical Price Transparency Needed! There should be no need for the government to make it happen, because medical facilities that don’t adopt medical transparency are simply going to lose out to those that do.

19 The City’s Ultimate Connection! Linda Conlin’s mission with Philadelphia’s World Trade Center is to help the region think globally and help the world think about Philadelphia.

14 Leadership, Brick By Brick! Great leadership requires great vision, no matter where you rest on the company ladder.

4 Corbett Needs Some Optimism! The governor started 2013 with an aggressive agenda and a lot of hope. As the year’s second quarter begins, it’s clear nothing is going to come easily.

CONTENTS

2013: YEAR OF THE INNOVATOR

We believe that this is a good use of commonwealth money, taxpayer money because it’s protecting the citizens and taxpayers of Pennsylvania.”GOV. TOM CORBETT ON HIS PROPOSAL TO INCREASE FUNDING TO FIGHT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

20 Anchors Aweigh ! The Navy Yard’ssteady decline after World War IIleft it a desolate wasteland by the endof the 1990s. It’s now poised to returnto prominence.

4 REGIONSBUSINESS.COM4 APRIL 2013

Karl Smith is the Editorial Director for Region’s Business. You can contact him [email protected].

Finally, March is in the rearview mirror and all the signs of spring are upon us - the Phillies are playing games that count, March Madness has come down to the Final Four and even the procrastinators are getting serious about fi ling their federal tax returns.

With all of that comes the welcome side e! ect of Spring - optimism. And this year is no di! erent.

Whether it is confi dence in a Phillies lineup featuring a healthy Ryan Howard and Chase Utley or belief that the economy’s wobbly recovery is going to kick into full gear, opti-misim is rampant.

This year, optimism entering the second quarter of the year is mixed with intrigue. And, like March Madness, even if you don’t have a betting interest, it will be interesting to see how all the drama shakes out.

Out in Harrisburg, there are numerous moving parts and multiple layers to each story.

Gov. Corbett generated optimism after signing a deal to privatize the state’s lottery

operations and getting privatization of liquor sales to the fl oor of the House.

But Attorney General Kathleen Kane put the legal whammy on the lottery deal and while the House passed a liquor privatization bill, it only did so after signifi cant changes and a protracted discussion. And the bill being considered by the state Senate has anything but clear sailing ahead.

A powerful governor could rely on his party’s majority to muscle legislation through, but Corbett continues to post increasingly awful approval ratings. They’ve gotten so bad that not only are Democrats lining up by the droves to challenge his 2014 re-election bid, but numerous relatively high-profi le Repubil-cans are ready to unseat him.

Gov. Corbett started the year with an aggressive agenda, featuring privatization of liquor sales, the lottery and the turnpike as well as tackling the state’s single biggest chal-lenge - a massive pension crisis.

While he may yet get a signature legislative victory with liquor privatization, if there is

optimism in the administration, it must be, at best, tempered. Most polls show incredible public support for liquor privatization, but if it becomes law, it will be a much longer, and more di" cult, path than expected. With one fell swoop, Attorney General Kane derailed attempts to privatize the state’s lottery system.

As the year presses on, optimism could be harder to come by, even with a liquor priva-tization victory. The lottery deal has fallen to the backburner. Even though scandals con-tinue to rock the Turnpike Commission, there appears to be no appetite to begin privatiza-tion talks.

As the need for addressing the pension cri-sis increases, Gov. Corbett’s numbers continue to diminish and the list of potential 2014 chal-lengers grows.

It won’t be long before an NCAA basketball champion is crowned and we know if the Phil-lies are back to elite status. It will probably be a bit longer before we know if there is reason for continued optimism for Gov. Corbett’s aggressive 2013 agenda.

Optimism in Short Supply for Corbett

VERSATILESECURELOCALNearCloud® – Your data center next door.

To learn more about private dedicated cloud hosting, visit www.nearcloud.com.

Philadelphia New York www.PickITS.com 215.886.7166

EDITOR’SDESK

5REGIONSBUSINESS.COM4 APRIL 2013

WEEKLY BRIEFING

BRIEFING

Big Brothers, Big Sisters Appoint CEOBig Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA (BBBS SEPA) has announced the appointment of Marcus Allen as its new CEO. Prior to beginning work at BBBS SEPA, Allen was CEO of ACHIEVEability, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that seeks to help break the generational cycle of poverty for low income, single parent, and homeless families by providing academic, employment, housing and family support services. Allen will start April 15.“We are extremely excited about Marcus coming to BBBS SEPA. He has a thorough understanding of the challenges that face so many of our region’s children,” said Mitchell Benson, BBBS SEPA’s Board President and Chair of the Search Committee. “Marcus’ tenure will mark a new chapter in BBBS SEPA’s long and rich history.” BBBSSEPA.ORG

Workers’ Comp Rate ReducedThe Pennsylvania Insurance Department announced last week that the state workers’ compensation rate was reduced 4.01 percent.This rate cut could save Pennsylvania employers up to $110 million, according to the PID.“We are very pleased with the rate reduction which is the second workers’ compensation decrease in a row,” PID commissioner Mike Consedine said in a news release. “The lower rate will benefit Pennsylvania employers with ongoing cost savings.”

Center Considering Privatizing Daily Operations

The Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority issued last week a Request for Proposals from experienced organiza-tions or firms interested in managing and operating the Pennsylvania Conven-tion Center.

A selected proposer will be responsible for the comprehensive management and operation of the Center, including main-tenance of the land, building, furniture, fixtures and equipment; local sales and marketing of the Center as well as coor-dinating with the Philadelphia Conven-tion & Visitors Bureau; management of various product and service provid-ers; coordination of Center utilization, scheduling, negotiating and licensing of events, as well as other responsibilities.

School District Passes $2.7B Preliminary Budget

The School Reform Commission last week passed a $2.66 billion preliminary budget for the 2013-2014 academic year, according to The Notebook.

Labor costs would be cut by an addi-tional 10 percent in the proposed budget, according to the report.

It will be the third consecutive year that the School District of Philadel-phia has made steep cuts to its budget, according to the report.

EDUCATION

PA CONVENTION CENTER

Proposals By The Numbers: Live! Hotel and Casino

Each week, Region’s Business has fea-tured one or two of the proposed casinos vying for the city’s second gaming license. This is the final installment of that series. All previous installments can be found online at RegionsBusiness.com.

BY SANDY SMITH

Project name: Live! Hotel and CasinoDeveloper: Stadium Casino, LLCOperators-Owners: Greenwood Gam-

ing and Entertainment, Inc., and The Cordish Companies

Location: 900 Packer Ave., South Philadelphia

Particulars:Gaming hall: 2,000 slots, 125 table

gamesHotel: 200+ rooms, with meeting facili-

tiesOther ancillary facilities: Several

restaurants ranging from casual to fine dining; “intimate” live music venue. Park-ing: Valet parking plus 2,600-car self-park garage

Of the six proposals, this is the only one put forth by companies already operating casinos and entertainment complexes in the area.

Greenwood Gaming and Entertain-ment runs Parx Casino and Racetrack in Bensalem, Pennsylvania’s highest-grossing casino, and Cordish developed Xfinity Live!, the entertainment and dining venue adjacent to the Wells Fargo Center and Lincoln Financial Field.

While designed to play o! the existing sports and entertainment facilities nearby, Live! Casino is not physically connected to any of them, not even Xfinity Live!: It would occupy the site of the current Holi-day Inn Philadelphia-Stadium Hotel and replace it.

Its closer proximity to Broad Street gives it better transit access than the other stadium-area casino sites, and its location near a Walt Whitman Bridge Expressway (I-76) interchange o!ers good auto access as well.

In its presentation materials submit-ted to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, Stadium Casino LLC did not o!er any estimates of the $428 million project’s economic impact on the city or the state.

The Live! Casino proposal comes from two companies already operating casino/entertainment facilities in the area. Pictured here: Xfinity Live!, Cordish’s entertainment-dining venue on the site of the former Spectrum. BREA DEFEO

F.C. KERBECK ASTON MARTIN100 Route 73, Palmyra, NJ 08065

For information call 888 738 0014

visit www.fckerbeck.com

Lamborghini Palmyra NJ

F.C. KERBECK100 Route 73, Palmyra, NJ 08065For information call 888- 738-0014visit www.fckerbeck.com

THE ALL NEW ASTON MARTIN VANQUISH

NOW TAKING ORDERS.A dynamic experience

of unparalleled intensity.

BENTLEY PALMYRA NEW JERSEYF.C. KERBECK 100 ROUTE 73 NORTHPALMYRA, NJ 08065Tel: 856 829 8200www.palmyra.bentleymotors.com

The All New Bentley Continental GT V-8

NOW TAKING ORDERS.

The name ‘Bentley’ and the ‘B’ in wings device are registered trademarks. © 2011 Bentley Motors, Inc.

BENTLEY PALMYRA NEW JERSEY

F.C. KERBECKAuthorized Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dealer

100 Route 73, Palmyra, NJ 08065

For information call 856 303 1000

visit www.rolls-roycemotorcars-fckerbeck.com

ROLLS-ROYCE DROPHEAD COUPÉ

SERIES II

A FAMILY OF WORLD-CLASS PERFORMERS.

MASERATI GRANTURISMO S BASE MSRP $123,000, NOT INCLUDING GAS GUZZLER TAX, DEALER PREP AND TRANSPORTATION. DEALER PRICE MAY VARY. TAXES, TITLE AND REGISTRATION FEES NOT INCLUDED. ©2011 MASERATI NORTH AMERICA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. MASERATI AND THE TRIDENT LOGO ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF MASERATI SPA. MASERATI URGES YOU TO OBEY ALL POSTED SPEED LIMITS.

THE MASERATI GRANTURISMO, GRANTURISMO CONVERTIBLE & QUATTROPORTE.

The Maserati family of award-winning automobiles has a model tailored to reflect your individuality and to inspire your passion for driving like no other car in the world. Our GranTurismo range of high performance four-seat, two-door coupés and convertibles includes the limited-production MC and exhilarating Convertible Sport. The Quattroporte range of luxury sport sedans redefines the breed with the Quattroporte S and exclusive Sport GT S. Every Maserati is a masterpiece of design and engineering, and each is powered by a competition-proven V8 engine to remind you—and everyone on the road—that you are driving an automobile like no other. The Maserati family starts at $123,000*.

Passion runs in the family.

ON STAGE AT

F.C. KERBECK

FOLLOW US:

LEARN MORE: www.fckerbeck.com

SCHEDULE YOUR TEST DRIVE: 888.738.0014 Pantone Process Black C

Pantone 485 C / Process Black C

Pantone 289 C

Argento a caldo / Silver hot-stamping

F.C. KERBECK100 Route 73, Palmyra, NJ 08065

8 REGIONSBUSINESS.COM4 APRIL 2013º

WEEKLY BRIEFING

Drexel Law School Launches 2-Year Program

Drexel University’s Earle Mack School of Law will launch a two-year program beginning next year.

“Fast Forward” aims to put students into the workforce a year earlier than traditional three-year programs.

“Fast Forward o!ers highly motivated students an attractive option for com-pleting their education and getting a head start on their careers,” said Roger Dennis, dean of the Earle Mack School of Law, in a news release.

FEMA: 94 Percent of Claims Settled

FEMA spokesman Dan Watson recently said 94 percent of New Jersey’s 73,778 claims have been settled, accord-ing to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

However, FEMA and New Jersey Gov-ernor Chris Christie disagreed in Febru-ary about the number of claims settled; FEMA claimed 50 percent, while the governor claimed 30 percent.

FEMA has set up a hotline for home-owners. Residents with complaints can call 1-800-427-4661.

SUPERSTORM SANDY

Royal Bank Cutting Staff, Expenses

Narberth, Pa.-based Royal Bancshares of Pennsylvania will cut 9 percent of its workforce after losing money for the 18th consecutive quarter, according to a report in the Philadelphia Business Journal.

Discretionary expenses will also be cut by 10 percent, according to the report.

“We will imminently roll-out new tech-nology that will expand sales channels, including our mobile banking applica-tion and home equity loan application submissions through our website,” CEO Kevin Tylus said, according to the Busi-ness Journal.

BANKING

LEGAL

Chamber of Commerce Takes First Peek at 2013 Phillies

ECONOMY

Philadelphia’s Job Market

Shows GainsCity Controller Alan

Butkovitz recently released his latest monthly economic

report for February

661,000Jobs in Philadelphia

2,600Increase in jobs since

February last year

2,500Year-over-year increase in jobs in the Education and Health Services industry

219,400Total jobs in the Education

and Health Service industry in Philadelphia

1,300Year-over-year increase in Construction jobs in

Philadelphia

1,100Year-over-year increase

in Professional & Business Services jobs in Philadelphia

2,300Year-over-year decrease

in Government jobs in Philadelphia

24,300Job openings advertised online in Philadelphia in

February

Top: Broadcaster Chris Wheeler introduces pitchers Roy Halladay and Jonathan Papelbon and second baseman Chase Utley at Friday’s “On Deck With The Phillies” event at Citizens Bank Park. Middle: Infielder Pete Orr signs autographs. Above: Outfielder John Mayberry Jr. takes a ball. TERRENCE CASEY

Members and friends of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce were invited Friday to get a first look at the 2013 Philadelphia Phillies in Citizens Bank Park.

Fans lined up by the hundreds for the chance to have John Mayberry Jr. sign a baseball or Carlos Ruiz pose for a photo.

Coaches and players sat in the spotlights for 30-minute Q+A sessions.

The Philadelphia Phillies began the season Monday in Atlanta with the third-highest payroll in baseball. The team salary nears $160 million, according to a Dead-spin.com report.

Only the New York Yankees (about $229 million) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (about $216 million) spend more on their teams.


DEALBOOK

INFRASTRUCTURE

Aqua America Sells $50M of Assets In Fla. Aqua America, Inc. completed the sale of 57 water systems and 23 wastewater systems in 12 counties in Florida to the Florida Governmental Utility Authority for $50.2 million. In separate transactions, Aqua sold nine water systems and four wastewater systems in five counties to U.S. Water for $1.6 million, and Aqua sold one water system and one wastewater system to YES Communities Companies, LLC, which owns and manages manufactured home communities, for $1.1 million. Collectively, these sales represent 65 percent of Aqua’s customers in Florida.

LAW

Pittsburgh Firm Opens New Branch, Again Not in Phila.

Pittsburgh-based law firm K&L Gates opened a new o!ce in Wilm-ington, Del., maintaining the firm’s stance as the only major Pittsburgh law firm without an o!ce in Phila-delphia, according to The Philadel-phia Business Journal.

With the latest opening, K&L Gates has opened seven firms this year, giving it a total of 48 (26 in the United States), according to the Business Journal.

“Delaware continues as the nation-al center for formation of business enterprises, and these days newly formed alternative business entities outnumber traditional corporations by three to one,” Peter Kalis, chair-man of K&L Gates said in a state-ment, according to the Business Journal.

BANKING

Bryn Mawr Bank Buys 4 Branches in Delaware

Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation acquired MidCoast Community Bancorp, Inc. for about $33 mil-lion, Bryn Mawr Bank recently announced.

The four MidCoast branches bring to Bryn Mawr Bank approximately $235 million in loans and approxi-mately $250 million in deposits.

“It is exciting to have MidCoast Community Bank join the Bryn Mawr Trust organization,” said Ted Peters, chairman and CEO.

“MidCoast is one of the premier de novo banks in the nation, and it’s gratifying that they have chosen us as their partner going forward. We are looking forward to quickly expanding our banking presence in the State of Delaware under Mid-Coast CEO Jim Ladio’s leadership.”

Union League Looks To Buy Woodcrest Country Club

The Union League of Philadelphia is interested in buying and operating the Woodcrest Country Club in Cherry Hill, NJ, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Woodcrest will be sold at a public auction May 20 at a starting bid of $6.25 million, the amount agreed upon by Cherry Hill Land Associates and a bankruptcy trustee, according to the report.


Perspective.Delivered weekly.

$40 annually.To subscribe, call

610.940.1656

REGION’S BUSINESSA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS & POLITICS

Council Considers Municipal Land Bank ProposalPhiladelphia City Council is currently

considering a bill that would create a munici-pal land bank in Philadelphia to increase e!ciency in the management of public land.

Presently, the bill is being reviewed by the Committee on Public Property and Public Works and will likely have a hearing in the coming weeks.

Land banks are public authorities which manage public land by acting as the legal and financial clearinghouse for the transfers and development of such land.

Some of the main goals of a municipal land bank are to promote productive use of public land by managing vacant or blighted property and also increase the financial e!ciency of any city programs dealing with the transfer or ownership of public land.

The Philadelphia City Council bill propos-ing the creation of the “Philadelphia Land Bank” echoes these goals when it states, “a municipal land bank would ensure clear, transparent, and e!cient operations by serving as a single entity to acquire, hold, and dispose of vacant property with the participa-tion and approval of City Council.”

To achieve these goals, the new land bank would consolidate ownership of all publicly-owned surplus property and allow a greater proportion of public funds to be invested directly into community revitalization.

The proposed land bank would have a Board of Directors composed of 11 members.

Five of those members would be appointed by the mayor, five would be appointed by majority vote of City Council and the final member would be selected by the board.

At least four of the members must be representatives of nonprofit or advocacy organizations working in the field of housing, community development, or civic associa-tions. The board must hold monthly meet-ings open to the public.

The composition of the board, namely the inclusion of members from Philadelphia’s nonprofit community development and similar organizations, reflects how council sees this bank operating.

The expectation is that civic organiza-tions and community development sta"

will use the bank as a way to seek advantageous transfer of property to be used in fighting blight.

The fight against vacant, blight property is one of council’s top agenda items, and this bank will primarily be used to aid community development organizations in acquiring land, and receiving assistance in the acquisition based on their

intended use.Council has been busy in fighting vacant

property and blight, with a particular focus on tax-delinquent property. The creation of a land bank would provide Philadelphia with a centralized entity to pursue that mission.

The bill provides for public transparency of the bank. That transparency and the addition of the public monthly meetings reinforces the idea that this bank is there to aid the small community groups who could put the property to use.

CONTRIBUTE

Send comments, letters and essays to [email protected]. Opinions expressed by guest writers do not necessarily reflect those of Region’s Business.

Timothy Holwick is a freelance writer covering Philadelphia government. Find more coverage at citycouncilmatters.com.

POLITICAL COMMENTARY

THE NEW LAND BANK WOULD CONSOLIDATE OWNERSHIP OF ALL PUBLICLY-OWNED SURPLUS PROPERTY’


Student Loans Bubble Next In Line To BurstA college education used to be the key to

success. A degree was the gateway to a stable career and well worth the investment of four years and a few thousand dollars. Parents scrimped and saved, and with a little help from lenders, scholarships and other forms of fi nancial aid, students could generally get their degree and enter the workforce with a clean slate or at least something very close to it. It was part of the American Dream.

Today students are getting degrees at incredible cost and with very modest pros-pects of meaningful career employment. Stories about recent college grads heading back to mom and dad’s basement are legion.

At the heart of this social pathology is a ticking economic time bomb. Much like the housing bubble of a decade ago, the student loan bubble has expanded to the point where it is about to burst. Student loan debt is now in excess of $1 trillion. That’s more than is owed on automobiles and credit cards combined.

Many of these loans, like mortgages that left debtors upside down, shouldn’t have been

made. More than 90 percent are govern-ment made or backed, according to a recent survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Government student loans are up 390 percent under the Obama Administration.

These loans are defaulting at a horrifi c rate. The fi rst quarter of 2013 is the worst yet. Equifax, the giant credit-rating fi rm, says that student loan default ran over one billion per month for the quarter.

The U.S. Department of Education says that nearly 7 million student loan borrowers are now in default. The Congressional Bud-get O! ce estimates that of the roughly $113 billion in new government student loans this year, nearly $40 billion will be lost to default. These defaults cost taxpayers billions.

A default rate of this magnitude should sound alarms. But government student loans still don’t even require a credit check. Private loans do. At a time of devastating loan rates for government student loans, Sallie Mae, a private lender, has seen its default rate shrink.

And where’s the return on investment for all this debt? Student loans promised to

make college “more a" ordable” for middle-class kids. But government student loans took away the incentives for colleges to control costs and keep tuition low.

Only a minority of these loan debtors are graduating in four years. Barely 60 percent are getting a degree in six years. Colleges and universities are happy to see students taking lighter loads while paying full tuition.

Government student loans are a prime example of good intentions paving the way to bad results. The lack of lending standards that the private sector requires and the avail-ability of money that makes raising tuitions seem easy have created a new “student loan bubble” with potentially calamitous results.

A better path is to force institutions of higher learning to stop gouging the middle class and give students a degree that rep-resents a solid return on their investment, rather than just a ticket that’s been punched. A signifi cant part of that pressure should be more student lending from the private sector, which provides more value for less money than government bureaucrats.

CONTRIBUTE

Send comments, letters and essays to [email protected]. Opinions expressed by guest writers do not necessarily reflect those of Region’s Business.

Charlie Gerow is CEO of Quantum Communications, a Harrisburg-based public relations and issue advocacy firm.

POLITICAL COMMENTARY

FULL SERVICE ADVERTISING AGENCY

Strategic Planning Media Buying

Marketing Consulting

Web Development Creative Design

p: 610.644.8637 f: 610.540.6433StreamCompanies.com

255 Great Valley Parkway, Suite 150Malvern, PA 19355

219 Cuthbert Street, Suite 500Philadelphia, PA 19106


POLITICS

House Bill Would Ban ‘Triple-Dipping’

BY MELISSA DANIELS

HARRISBURG — Lawmakers are one step closer to barring state employ-ees from collecting multiple state checks after they retire.

The House of Representatives unani-mously passed a bill to ban “triple-dipping,” or the practice of state retirees who come back to work temporarily and then receive unemployment benefits.

Lawmakers passed a similar bill last session, but language conflicted with federal law and kept it from getting to the governor’s desk. This session, Rep. Adam Harris, R-Juniata, sponsored House Bill 421 correcting that language, and the idea is once again up for debate.

Sen. Patricia Vance, R-Cumberland, introduced a similar measure in the Senate, calling “triple-dipping” an obvi-ous waste.

“Really, they’re getting too much and the taxpayers are the ones who have to pay for it,” she said.

State law says retirees who come back to work cannot hold the position for more than 95 days or they lose their pension checks and health benefits.

But since the term of employment is predetermined, the state’s unem-ployment system considers the leave involuntary. That’s when the employee becomes eligible for unemployment

compensation, on top of their pension benefits and temporary salary.

It’s a legal loophole that hundreds of people have jumped through. In 2010 and 2011, more than 450 state retirees received a combined $2.1 million in unemployment compensation, accord-ing to House calculations.

“Ethically they shouldn’t have been doing it, but we’re going to have to pass a law that says you can’t do it,” Sen. Vance said. “Taxpayers are the ones who bear the brunt.”

Rep. Harris’ House proposal would prohibit unemployment eligibility for public- and private sector employees who leave a job to protect their pension benefits. Sen. Vance’s Senate Bill 297 specifically applies to state workers.

The state expects to save about $1 million from the general fund under HB 421. Additional savings could turn up in the state’s Unemployment Com-pensation Trust Fund if private-sector workers are included.

In an era where pension costs are crowding out other expenditures in the state budget, closing the triple-dipping loophole won’t solve any unfunded lia-bility crises. Sen. Vance acknowledged that compared to the state’s pension problems, it is minor.

“But I think it’s important,” she said. “My dad used to say, ‘Small leaks sink

large ships.’ This is a leak that’s been dripping for quite awhile.”

Sen. Vance’s bill is headed to the Senate Labor and Industry Committee. Without much opposition anticipated, a version of the legislation could be on the governor’s desk as early as May.

Pennsylvania isn’t the only state con-sidering post-retirement restrictions on state employees. A pending Louisiana bill would prohibit benefits for retirees who return to work, and a bill in the New York State Assembly would restrict retirees from coming back for two years.

But Pennsylvania’s situation is a bit unique because there is no clear law keeping someone from collecting unemployment benefits if they quit a job to preserve their pension.

Rep. Harris said unemployment com-pensation isn’t meant to fund someone who has left a job, but to assist those who are looking for work and don’t have any other income.

“The Legislature has made great strides to reform our unemployment compensation laws, and this is a com-monsense improvement,” Rep. Harris said in a statement. “Each time we chip away at fraud, waste, abuse and misuse, it adds up in the taxpayers’ favor.”

This article was originally pub-lished by Pennsylvania Independent at PaIndependent.com.

REALLY, THEY’RE GETTING TOO MUCH AND THE TAXPAYERS ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE TO PAY FOR IT.’— SEN. PATRICIA VANCE

PENNSYLVANIA POLITICS

PA Agencies Awarded Nearly $2M in Settlement

BY MELISSA DANIELS

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania agen-cies caught up in the middle of interna-tional bond-rigging schemes by major financial institutions are finally starting to see compensation.

Attorney General Kathleen Kane announced last week more than $1.9 million will flow to dozens Pennsylvania agencies that had investments corrupted by a big-rigging scheme from Union Bank of Switzerland.

The funds will be disbursed to govern-ment agencies, municipalities, colleges and other non-profits who were victim-ized by the bank’s schemes to short inves-tors and rig bids.

The money stems from UBS’s $90.8 million multi-state settlement in May 2011. The settlement alleges UBS rigged bids for the market and sale of municipal derivatives investments.

Local agencies might enter the agree-ments with the banks as way to invest or protect their bonds, but brokers and banks worldwide, including UBS, manipulated the bidding process, caus-ing higher fees and lower interest rates.

A number of the reimbursements are heading to taxpayer-funded agen-cies, compensating them for what they should’ve received.

Among some of the six-figure UBS awards: just over $749,000 for Pennsyl-vania Housing Finance Agency; about $220,000 for Montgomery County; nearly $55,000 for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, nearly $39,500 for the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority and $36,000 for Butler County.

Colleges receiving settlements include Lafayette College, Gettysburg College and Carnegie Mellon University. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia will be reimbursed for about $145,500.

Other institutions that have settled in the multi-state bond investigations include Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Wachovia.


MEETUP CALENDAR

April 2013 Philly Tech MeetupTime: 6:30 p.m.Date: Wednesday, April 10Place: Quorum at the Science Center, 3711 Market Street, Floor 8, Philadelphia, Pa.

Join fellow technologists for live start-up demos.

[6:30] Networking[7:00] Intro + Sponsors[7:05] Demo: Apply[7:20] Demo: Apply[7:35] Demo: Apply[7:50] Open Mic and Community Announcements[8:00] Exit to Han Dynasty for Happy Hour

Find more: PhillyTechMeetup.com

Pre-Tech Week Meta-Meetup of Meetup GroupsTime: 7 p.m.Date: Tuesday, April 16Place: Zivtech, 1315 Walnut Street, Suite 1500, Philadelphia, Pa.

There are dozens of active user groups in Philadelphia, but we don’t often enough come together to make sure we know each other and know which groups are still active. So, in the spirit of leading up to Philly Tech Week, we’ll come together, have some pizza and beer, sponsored by Monetate, organized by Technically Philly and hosted by Zivtech.

Other groups participating:Philly DrupalGirl Geek DinnersNodeJSPhillyJSNodePhillyScalaCode for America PhillyHacks/HackersGirlDevelopItPhilly Cocoa Heads

Mid-Atlantic Tech Demo Event to Launch in Philadelphia

BY CHRISTOPHER WINK

Ron Schmelzer runs a software company in Baltimore called Bizelo, but he’s known bet-

ter there for his monthly demo event TechBreakfast, which he’s growing into a tidy local tech empire.

From a startup pitch meeting in Bal-timore to versions in nearby Columbia and then D.C., now Mr. Schmelzer, 38, who says standard fare tech meetups in the mid-Atlantic need better cross-city connections, is launching Philly TechBreakfast during Philly Tech Week.

If you’re interested in pitching at TechBreakfast, send an email to [email protected]. RSVP for the inaugural Philly TechBreakfast here.

“While there are unique tech com-munities throughout the ‘lower Acela corridor,’ there’s actually quite a bit of fl uidity in movement of people, money and technology throughout this region,” said Mr. Schmelzer, who adds he was seeing Philly startups express interest in demoing in Baltimore, like Couped-Out and Mind Me Mobile.

“Strong tech ecosystems provide many opportunities for random colli-sions that result in continued momen-tum and growth,” he said.

To be sure, Philly is silly with events for tech startups to pitch their products — the annual Entrepreneur Expo from Philly Startup Leaders, Philly Tech Meetup, regular sessions at incubators like Venturef0rth and Seed Philly, tech niche sessions like the EdTech Meetup

— but Mr. Schmelzer says he takes a dif-ferent look at the conversation.

“Events are simply opportunities for individuals to meet and learn from each other, and one thing I’ve learned is that strong tech ecosystems provide many such opportunities and options for the random collisions that result in continued momentum and growth,” said Mr. Schmelzer, noting he wants to include demos from academics and large companies.

“TechBreakfast o! ers a few things to add to the existing mix of events in Philly: a morning demo-style event that showcases not just software startup activity, but tech innovation from a broad range of sectors such as IT, bio-tech, energy, robotics, and aerospace.”

Mr. Schmelzer is partnering with Drexel, the team behind CoupedOut, Enterprise Law Associates partner Gary Smith and lead sponsor DLA Piper.

If you had a software startup and a profi table event series, where would your focus be? Mr. Schmelzer notes the balance can be tricky.

“TechBreakfast is defi nitely becom-ing a business of its own, but it’s still something I’m doing on the side while Bizelo takes up most of my time. If it continues to grow as it’s going, however, I might have to rethink things.”

This article was originally pub-lished by Technical.ly Philly at TPhilly.com.

Full Disclosure: Technical.ly Philly is a media partner of TechBreakfast.

Steadily, but almost quietly, Philadelphia has become a hotspot for entrepreneurs. The combination of great ideas, available capital and a welcoming environment have set the stage to make 2013 a breakout year for innovation and new businesses.

To Learn More ...For more information on sponsorship opportunities or to suggest story ideas, call our main office at 610-940-1656.The web: RegionsBusiness.comFacebook: Facebook.com/regionsbusinessTwitter: @RegionsBusiness

Sponsored by



CAPITAL SEEKERS

Business: PagevampFounders: Atulya Pandey, Fred

Wang, Vincent Sanchez-GomezContact: [email protected]

BY BRANDON BAKER

Toss out that old-school Blogger.com Web template — Page-vamp’s got a better idea.

Co-founders and Penn seniors Vincent Sanchez-Gomez, Atulya Pandey and Fred Wang began their journey together in their freshman year, opting to brain-storm product ideas in their dorm rooms late at night in lieu of chugging beers.

“We lived in the same hall in the dorm, and we all just had this entrepreneurial spirit,” Mr. Sanchez-Gomez said. “But it wasn’t until junior year of college, about a year ago, that we decided to do a venture together to start websites for people.”

Pagevamp, launched in late March and first introduced as the second-place win-ner at PennApps hackathon, makes Web designing a simple, less than five-minute process — literally.

Users can copy and paste the link to their Facebook page to a Pagevamp con-version page, which will then — under the free version of the service — auto-matically create a website with a Page-vamp domain name.

For those interested in extended ser-vices, a paid Pagevamp option is avail-able that allows for add-ons, an original domain name and further extended services. So far, three clients — a restau-rant, a wine museum and a university club — have signed on for the paid ver-sion. By comparison, about 300 have used the free version of their service in Pagevamp’s first week.

“We’ll be working to convert [those 300] to the paid version soon,” Mr. Sanchez-Gomez said. “We’ve had people say that they’re interested. There’s sort of this time period between when someone decides to try our product, and when they decide to pay … We’ll see soon what our conversion rates will be.”

The trio plans to relocate to New York after graduating and, barring a majorly successful bootstrapping campaign, will seek funding shortly after.

PagevampA trio of entrepreneurs released

a five-minute webpage templateBY ANDREW EISER

If you want more startup successes, you should show o! the startup suc-cesses you already have.

That’s what’s behind the Startup Success event series coming from Tech in Motion Philadelphia, a year-old Meetup group from IT recruiting firms Workbridge and Jobspring.

At the inaugural meeting in the o"ces of Two Liberty Place, four pan-elists took the stage to dish out the do’s and don’ts of startups and how they managed their own ventures.

FIND THE RIGHT PARTNERThe night began with Bart Mroz of

SUMO Heavy Industries, who gave a relatively short presentation laying out his four tips to success.

Mr. Mroz’s first tip was to choose the right partner, which he related to a marriage, noting that he eventually moved in with his business partner during the early building stages.

Similar to finding the proper part-ner, Mr. Mroz’s second recommenda-tion was to put the right team together by implementing good processes and e"ciency through a controlled num-ber of members. He found six to be the magic number, thus far.

“There’s a lot of stuff that goes through everyday and you go ‘Well, I got to take care of everything,’ but just do it,” Mr. Mroz said. “Just do what you need to get done to get through the day, or let your people do it.”

The two steps are to focus and learn to juggle, Mr. Mroz said in order to concentrate on what you do best.

HIRE PEOPLE WITH DIFFER-ENT SKILLS THAN YOURS

A second speaker, C.H. Low, the CTO of Chaikin Analytics, spoke of his 30-year career as an entrepreneur and gave valuable insight into the quick-paced startup market.

His first piece of advice: “Go and work with the smartest people you can find,” Mr. Low said, which he mentioned also goes for hiring. “That’s what I did.

“Every day you work with them, you’re going to learn something.”

Secondly, Mr. Low advised that the worst thing you can do as a startup leader is vetoing the ideas of your peers and sticking only to your own.

Mr. Low encouraged the crowd of 100 people that you cannot succeed without making a lot of mistakes.

“Your IQ is not always as important as your EQ [emotional intelligence],” Mr. Low said.

Mr. Low’s final advice was that when you have problems, solve them fast. He gave an example of how when managing his project teams, he aims to resolve any issues within 24 hours and if he can’t, he has a backup plan within the following 24 hours to keep things running smoothly.

KNOW YOUR CORE VALUESThe night’s third guest was Tom

Kulzer from AWeber, an email mar-keting software company he started at 21 in his two-bedroom apartment in York, Pa., while taking a semester o! from college. Fourteen years later, his company is responsible for serving 120,000 customers.

Mr. Kulzer started his presentation with the hiring of prospects, which he advised to do sooner than you think. He said team growth helps resolve evolving problems. Once the team is in place, Mr. Kulzer said to establish core values, which commonly sur-round a basic model in the technology industry: Learn. Educate. Innovate.

As for the product, Mr. Kulzer said providing value is key, noting to “sell

something people want to pay for.”Related to the product is the service,

which Mr. Kulzer said he believes many companies overlook. By teach-ing customers how to use a service, it gives them confidence and minimizes frustration, which leads to satisfied, return customers, he said.

Lastly, Mr. Kulzer greatly empha-sized to the audience to be di!erent.

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been called crazy,” Mr. Kulzer said regarding ideas he’s had. “If people call you crazy, you’re onto something.”

Given Mr. Kulzer said he cherishes the vitality of teamwork at his com-pany, he decided to be di!erent by pro-viding his sta! with daily meals, along with fully covered health insurance.

FIND A PROBLEM TO SOLVEFrank Panko shared his experiences

with his newly founded project, A View From My Seat, which began in 2010 after he realized when selecting Phillies tickets that he could only see a simple seating chart, opposed to his idea — a photo of the full, real view you’d experience in that seat (The startup is a Project Liberty company).

He and his wife, also his business partner, have taken things on together.

“We’ve both been right, and we’ve both been wrong,” Mr. Panko said, an example that was echoed by the panel-ists throughout the night, which is that no single person can do everything as teamwork is often the best work.

This article was originally pub-lished by Technical.ly Philly at TPhilly.com.

Advice From Tech in Motion

AVIEWFROMMYSEAT.COM

IF PEOPLE CALL YOU CRAZY, YOU’RE ON TO SOMETHING.’

—TOM KULZER, AWEBER


19REGIONSBUSINESS.COM4 APRIL 2013 A&Q

LINDA CONLIN’S

The president of the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia is introducing

Philadelphia businesses to more than 100 countries

ULTIMATECONNECTION

What’s the elevator pitch for the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia?

Business today takes place within a global economy. With 95 percent of the world’s consumers located beyond our borders, and with growth still sluggish in the U.S. domestic market, it is not surprising that more and more compa-nies are looking to international mar-kets to diversify and grow their sales.

Tapping into global markets can be complex and is not without risk. That’s where we come in.

For over a decade, the WTCGP, a membership organization, has been helping companies in Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey

increase their sales in global markets. We have the sta! expertise — our

professional sta! has experience in over 75 markets — and worldwide connec-tions to do this. As a world trade center, we are connected to a powerful network of world trade centers in 100 countries, providing our members access to close to one million potential customers.

What do day-to-day operations at the WTCGP include?

In many ways, the WTCGP acts as a catalyst to generate economic growth and jobs through international trade, and we are proud to say that we do it one business at a time.

Each year we work with some 400

companies, so on any given day you will fi nd our trade specialists visiting on-site with companies, helping them to target best markets, develop the right market entry strategies and identify partners to sell into worldwide markets. We are the ultimate connectors. As the state’s o" cial export representative in SE PA, on a daily basis, we link Pennsylvania companies with the state’s international representatives for advice on major markets throughout the world.

What are some of the key goals and objectives for 2013?

We want to continue to deliver the quality of service and the diversity of educational programs to meet the

needs of our companies — whether they are exporters, importers or inter-national delegations seeking to conduct business with companies in Greater Philadelphia. Above all, we want more companies to know about us — manu-facturers, entrepreneurs, minority and woman-owned businesses, and the many large companies that want to see these businesses succeed.

We believe in a “World-Class Greater Philadelphia,” and will continue to work collaboratively with Mayor [Michael] Nutter and our many local, state and regional partners to enhance the region as both a great place to visit and do international business.

— Melissa Brooks

/World-Trade-Center-of-Greater-Philadelphia/ twitter.com/WTCphila www.wtcphila.org


Once Moribound, The Navy Yard Has Reversed Course And Charted A Bright Future

FULL STEAM AHEAD

Text ByChris WeedenIllustration By

Don Lee

FULL STEAM AHEAD

W


hen the Navy Yard ceased operations in 1996, it was a dying speck in a remote corner of a strife-ridden city.

In February, the Yard announced it now boasts 10,000 employees - 3,000 more than it did when it closed more than a decade and a half ago – and plans have been discussed for tripling that number in the long-term future through a total of $2 billion in investment and 13 million square feet of mixed space utilization.

“The Philadelphia Navy Yard, today, rep-resents the greatest turnaround of any closed naval facility in the United States of America, right here in Philadelphia,” Mayor Michael Nutter said at the ceremony commemorat-ing the accomplishment and the release of the 2013 plan for the land developed by the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corpo-ration (PIDC).

The 68 page document was a follow-up to the PIDC’s original report assembled in 2004 detailing strategic urban planning methodologies, and in February, spawned by the success it witnessed, the 2013 follow-up was released delineating future visions and assessments of past results.

It was undertaken for two main reasons, said Williams J. Agate Jr., Senior Vice Presi-dent for Management and Development at the Navy Yard.

First, after nearly a decade, the Philadel-phia Industrial Development Corporation and prime investor Liberty Property Trust, among other power brokers within the city, had enough perspective to analytically dissect the 2004 document and determine ways to improve it. In the process, they discovered that they wanted to bring greater diversity for building arrangements that could o!er flexibility capable of handling di!erent sec-tors of the economy that may be interested in relocating to the Navy Yard.

The original vision was simple and remains the same: create a desirable place to work and live. The breadth of the planning lay in the details. By analyzing several core competen-cies, the nearly vacant land could be more than a rusted vestige to a once-proud past, a painful reminder to a better past.

Situated along 1,200 acres with the Dela-ware and Schuykill Rivers, the Yard was armed with valuable waterfront property. The existing architecture provided beautiful glimpses of a community laden in history, and the space made a canvas for moderniza-tion and innovation.

What unfolded was the formation of a communities consisting of residential housing, commercialization, commercial, industrial and light manufacturing while

also maintaining its presence as a port for the incoming and outgoing of goods and materials.

The 2013 update has retooled two areas, the newly named Mustin Park and the Canal District. Eradicated are the neighborhoods of standalone residential housing, a byproduct of the commercial success the Yard has real-ized in the last few years. Since 2008, 2,500 jobs have been added. Through development, the PIDC boasts of the area as an urban cam-pus.

Special care has been taken not to overly develop the land. Green spaces line the map with a focus on pedestrian and bicycle access a primary focus on planning. To develop this, $130 million in public investments have been required to develop electrical, water, sewage, transportation and other systems required for the renovations. Private investment has surpassed $700 million. Over this period, numerous corporations have relocated their headquarters to these facilities, including clothing retailer Urban Outfitters, who was among the first to buy in to the development by moving in 2006.

Now there are more than 130 companies located on the former base including Tasty Baking Company, Unique Industries, WuXi App Tec Laboratory Services, Rhoads Indus-tries, Iroko Pharmaceuticals. The Navy’s Ships Systems Engineering Stations, Penn State and Department of Energy Efficient Buildings (EEB) Hub each have research and development activities on site.

GlaxoSmithKline’s move to the Navy Yard put the facility over 10,000 workers. Sixty percent of the pharmaceutical com-pany’s 1,300 workers moved in Feb. 5 with the remaining 500+ employees complet-ing the full transition roughly two weeks

later. Such was a milestone coincided with the unveiling of the 2013 plan, and a celebra-tion was held that month.

The 2013 plan brings further ambitions with the goal of employing 20,000 workers within the next 10 years with aspirations of ultimately reaching 30,000 workers. A lot of the development is tied to transit. In 2004, the goal was 850 residential units housed mostly in the Historic Core, but revised figures bring that number to 1,013. Although the campus is mixed use, invariably, thousands will need to descend into the 6.2 million square foot area daily. To handle that kind of demand, improving accessibility is a must.

Currently, there are several options. First, there are parking options. Initially, there were two public bus lines available, but in Decem-ber of 2012, the PIDC added an express route from the East Market station. Mr. Agage said that the addition of this service has show-cased a desire for mass transit.

Prior to December, the Navy Yard’s two bus loops experienced 400 rides per day. The goal of the express loop was to double that, but in less than a quarter, it tripled at 1,400 rides, said Mr. Agate

“It’s a great testament that if you o!er good choice and regulatory service, people are more likely to adopt a larger mass transit role as a means of transportation,” he said.

HISTORY

Anything But Smooth Sailing

1794President George Washington signs the Naval Act.

1797First ship launched.

1801Southwark Yard created.

1868923-acre League Island transferred to the federal government for $1.

1876Just eight years later, Southwark closes, though the Navy will maintain its presence as a base until 1996, 200 years after the first ship launched

WORLD WAR IIThe Yard reaches Its peak, employing more than 50,000.

1970The Yard builds its last ship.

1991Base Realignment and Closure Commission announces formal closure.Lawsuits attempted to keep it in operation, but only delay the inevitable.

19967,000 workers were let go in 1996.

2000Ownership was once again transferred back to the city, although the Navy has maintained small presence at the site along the Delaware River. PHOTO BY STEVEN DEPOLO

KEVIN BURKETT


Still, for the kind of scope that the Navy Yard projects, Mayor Nutter and those involved with the project need more. Accord-ing to a feasibility study, creating a 1.5-mile subway extension in order for the Broad Street line to reach the Navy Yard would cost $370 million but is entirely necessary. Two other options included bus loops oper-ated on seven-minute and 14-minute loops, which would cost $14 million and $8 million, respectively, although on a per-rider basis, the subway extension is cheaper, and revenues would also be significantly higher. However, the main obstacle will be securing the fund-ing necessary for the development.

Business appeal

Perhaps by recognizing the danger of hav-ing a single occupant of the valuable real estate, having a multi-faceted industry scene does several things. First, it brings a diversity of talent to the area, with talent ranging from port operators to scientific researchers. That flexibility insulates the area from market risk, assuring occupancy. After the Navy was the lone tenant for 200 years only to be left essen-tially abandoned, consider it a lesson learned.

But that alone would not spur the growth and inspire a redeveloped vision with more expansive goals. Instead, it’s been the Navy Yard’s ability to appeal to those previously outside of Philadelphia. Mayor Nutter said that of the 130 businesses, roughly 63 per-cent of them are new to the area, providing new revenues for existing businesses and an increased tax base. For national and interna-tional firms to want to centralize operations or take on large-scale research projects a major East Coast city is rare. Costs are often higher, so what the PIDC and other entities

within the city need to do is create buy-in, from investors financing these projects and prospective ventures seeking homes.

If nothing else, the Navy Yard has sold a vision to these power players. From initial conceptualization through implementation, and now, refining past successes, the PIDC prognosticated that the Navy Yard could become a model template for other cities, both domestically and globally.

If the second half of the 20th century was the suburbanization of America, then the first few years of this one may be witnessing the flocking back to the cities. But not the same cities. The things that drove people away: the noise, the congestion, the cost all led people away, and this generation does not necessarily accept going back to the con-ditions. They want a di!erent experience. They don’t want to struggle to find parking, and they want their greenery in convenient, well-maintained public parks. By being able to raze parts of the Navy Yard but still keep the former charm, Philadelphia gets the best of both.

Even in the Historic Core, that encom-passes roughly 17 percent of the terrain, has been gutted and improved with modernized facilities. Twenty-five buildings have seen renovations and upgrades.

This reinforces one of the original 2004 plan’s original tenants: sustainability. And it is this that makes the Yard so attractive.

In 2004, the plan called for green build-ings with reduced energy costs. The 2013 update calls for an extension of these plans and for further implementation of its Energy E"cient Building (EEB) Hub status. Here, all multi-tenant buildings have LEED sta-tus, among them Urban Outfitters. The Department of Energy, utilized several fed-

eral agencies to fund the yard as a Energy Regional Innovation Hub (E-RIC) because of its eclectic mix of old and new buildings of di!erent scales and purposes and serviced by an independent electric grid maintained by the PDIC.

Such a massive undertaking consists of a consortium of 27 educational and cor-porations in a dynamic, “living laboratory” attempting to devise solutions to local energy problems that can be applied as global rem-edies. A term used repeatedly throughout the 2013 report is smart-grid, where energy usage patterns can be tracked and adjusted through communications technologies. Such was unveiled in a 10-year Energy Master Plan, which occurs in two rounds of execu-tion.

“The first phase will focus on creating a basic grid Networks Operation Center (NOC) and installing capable and proven smart metering technology along with a robust, secure communications network,” it reads. “The advanced metering will support active business-to-grid interactions for demand response and energy market transactions. The communications backbone will facili-tate the development of a common utility real-time database, allowing The Navy Yard to improve situational awareness and better manage current grid operations Tenants will also have the ability to engage directly in monitoring their energy use, and will be able to earn revenue through demand response, supply capacity, and ancillary service pro-grams.”

“We have the ability to centralize all the information from the entire Navy Yard,” Mr. Agate said. “The struggle is to incentivize all 130 businesses to want to employ energy and distribution techniques.”

OUR NEXT STEP IS TO MANAGE THE GROWTH OF THE CAMPUS.’—JOHN GRADY, PIDC

THE STRUGGLE IS TO INCENTIVIZE ALL 130 BUSINESSES TO WANT TO EMPLOY ENERGY AND DISTRIBUTION TECHNIQUES.’—WILLIAMS J. AGATE, JR.

NAVY YARD

THE NAVY YARD HAS FULFILLED ITS INITIAL PROMISE OF BECOMING A CENTER FOR BUSINESS, INNOVATION, INVESTMENT, TALENT, AND JOBS.’—WILLIAM HANKOWSKY

LIBERTY PROPERTY TRUST

NEOSCAPE FOR ROBERT A.M. STERN ARCHITECTS


The second phase will be to reduce operating costs and enhance system reli-ability through a digital substation.

“With The Navy Yard’s growing repu-tation as a national hub for innovative energy and sustainability practices,” said John Grady, PIDC president. “Our next step is to manage the growth of the campus with this updated Master Plan, providing a blueprint for the continued development of The Navy Yard as a vital economic engine for the city and region, as well as a leading demonstration ground for the nation.”

Penn State, which has deployed its resources for energy sustainability to the Yard, provided oversight to the creation of the Energy Master Plan. Because it is on the front edge of technological inno-vation, it will cost roughly $50 million, according to Mr. Agate but it is worth it because of the attention it will bring to Philadelphia and the revolutionary potential it could yield.

Cisco, Siemens, General Electric, among others, have taken notice.

“They see this as a great way to show why these strategies are so critical in America,” he said.

Future growth

Federal incentives certainly aided the growth and made the economics more attractive, but for the PIDC to reach its goal of doubling the existing workforce within the Yard, there needs to be con-tinued investment of public and private capital. So far, it has continued.

Liberty Property, which has been involved heavily in development since the onset of the project collaborated with Ensemble Hotel Partners on a $34 mil-lion, 172-room Courtyard by Marriott. Located on the corner of Rouse Boule-vard and Intrepid Avenue, construction began in October and is the first hotel built on the former base with a comple-tion target of 2014. This plot sits at the corner of the Historic Core and the Cen-tral Green District, which was rebranded in the 2013 plan from the Corporate Center it had been named as previously.

“The Navy Yard has fulfilled its initial promise of becoming a center for busi-ness, innovation, investment, talent, and jobs,” said William P. Hankowsky, Chair-man, President, and CEO of Liberty Property Trust. “For 40 years, Liberty has invested in the City of Philadelphia, and we have always viewed our partnership in The Navy Yard as a logical extension of that commitment. Experience tells us that companies are attracted to The Navy

Yard because of its progressive focus on high performance development and its environment for growth, and we remain excited not only about our current activ-ity at The Navy Yard but also about the future mapped out by this updated Mas-ter Plan.”

This is one of several land changes pro-posed in the 2013 update. Most strikingly was the change of the name the Research Park to Mustin Park and the Marina to the Canal Zone and the installation of a shrubbery-lined bu!er zone between the those two neighborhoods and the heavily industrialized, less aesthetic Port.

These revised territories are intended to reinforce the campus feel while also promoting distinguished entities. Mustin Park will feature 901,000 new square footage of o"ce space, almost a 900 per-cent increase in current occupation. The Canal Zone, with no current occupants, will stretch from the Delaware River to the Bu!er Zone on the east and corridor belonging to the Navy on the west and share a border with Mustin Park on Kitty Hawk Avenue to the north with a total potential for 948,000 square feet. In total, there will be 10 buildings at least four stories tall.

Mustin Park resides between League Island Boulevard on the north and east

and Broad Street on the west with buildings rang-ing from 60,000-25,000 square feet including retail, o"ce and light manufactur-ing capabilities across the 81-acre lot.

Both feature man-made water bodies to control water management; Mus-tin Park’s reflecting pool achieves that while the canals in the aptly men-tioned Canal Zone achieve the same purpose. They also provide pedestrian and bike-friendly centers for their separate communities.

Two architectural land-marks will highlight these areas. Plans include a 12-story tower at the Rouse Boulevard and Kitty Hawk Avenue intersection, view-able from I-95. At the west-ern edge of the two neigh-borhoods along Kitty Hawk Avenue where Mustin Park East and Canal Street East Meet, there will be an eight-story building.

A lot of the growth can be tied directly to the presence of Urban Outfitters. Not only was it one of the first corporations to sign along the dot-ted line, it has been among the principal funding sources, according to Mr. Agate. Of the $700 million in private invest-ment to date, about 70 percent of it has come from Liberty Property Trust and Urban Outfitters. There are roughly 1,400 employees at Urban Outfitters in the Navy Yard at the moment, but cor-porate anticipates continued expansion. In the next three years, it hopes to add another 1,000 employees and create a campus of its own by moving into two more buildings.

“The vision of Urban Outfitters is directly parallel to what the city of Phila-delphia has with the Navy Yard,” Mr. Agate said. “The involvement of Urban Outfitters is one of the most impor-tant things that happened. Its success is beyond our control but it’s a happy occurrence that happened at the same time.”

Additionally, the Navy will be expand-ing its facility of engineers and R&D to the west.

The one hang-up at the moment is the implementation of the residential units. The Navy has balked at allowing the development of the originally 850

– now 1,013 – units. None of which has been developed. Mr. Agate feels that this is about two to three years away.

“It was too heavy of a lift,” he said. “Time is one of the biggest forces and heals all things.”

Costs

Undertaking this 2013 update will require serious capital, with the projec-tion at $101 million, roughly 30 percent of which is tied into utilities upgrades. Electricity will be derived from a PECO feeder on League Island Boulevard while PGW’s new main on Kittty Hawk Avenue should meet the new demand. The minimal amount of upgrades will cost the city $23 million. Mustin Park development will run approximately $34 million, including the work to be required for the development of the parks and athletic fields. The Canal Zone will run $21 million.

Mr. Agate said that the goal of the proj-ect is to keep the public dollars vs. private investment at a 6:1 ratio, so of the $101 million, about $14.5 million would need to come from public sources, which he said blend both city, state and federal funding.

Of course, this does not include the aforementioned 1.5-mile subway exten-sion with a price tag of $370 million. Ultimately it is necessary to secure the funding to create the pipeline necessary to support the influx of people required to meet the established workforce goals to successfully integrate the Navy Yard with the rest of the city.

With more than $700 million pri-vately invested and revenues arriving to the city daily through taxes and subsidies for research, the Navy Yard is primed for a great future as a driver of the Philadel-phia economy.

“Make no mistake — The Navy Yard is a major engine of economic growth, and it promises to be better than ever in the years to come,” said Mayor Nutter at the 10,000 celebration. “Today’s event marks a significant milestone in this long-term public-private partnership led by PIDC that has brought The Navy Yard from the uncertainty of the early 1990’s, through the acquisition of the property in the early 2000’s to now. The Navy Yard has established itself as a vibrant, progres-sive campus leading the region and the nation in high performance design, sus-tainability and smart energy innovation.”

Freelance writer Chris Weeden lives in Wilmington, Del.

Still Steeped In HistoryThe Navy Yard’s Master Plan calls for two significant architectural landmarks, but the Yard already boasts a nationally recognized building.

The Commandant’s Quarters (above) has been on the National Register of Historic Places since June 3, 1976.

The final Station Log entry reads: “Shipyard commander arrives, observed morning colors, commenced closure ceremony, shipyard commander orders the watch secured and Philadelphia Naval Shipyard closed; secured the watch, Philadelphia Naval Shipyard is closed, no further entries this Log.”


REAL ESTATE

Philadelphia Realtors Urge More AVI Action

BY SANDY SMITH

$265 million.That’s how much money the city needs

to find to bring the property tax rate under the Actual Value Initiative down to 1 percent while keeping its $1.16 bil-lion budget in balance.

In a Call for Action issued just before the weekend, the Greater Philadelphia Association of Realtors (GPAR) called on city residents to push their represen-tatives to take a number of steps that would close that gap.

The biggest revenue-raiser in the GPAR’s toolbox: Outsourcing collection of delinquent taxes to private contractors, a move it says would raise $175 million right o! the bat.

“We have been told by many sources that the collection rate in the city aver-ages 85 percent,” the GPAR said in its call. “We are compared to Detroit in all studies as the second worst tax collection city in the United States!”

The association noted that in cities that have turned over collection of back taxes to private collectors, collection rates average 95 percent, and the remaining 5 percent could be monetized through the sale of tax lien certificates, as New Jersey municipalities do.

Should the city be unable to privatize the collection of delinquent property taxes, the GPAR recommends selling tax lien certificates for the entire $175 mil-lion in unpaid taxes.

This would leave a $90 million gap to close.

The local Realtors group recommends two additional moves to close it:

Selling all 60,000 vacant lots currently in city hands. At an average sale price of $1,000 per lot, the GPAR says this would produce initial revenue of $60 million, plus $600,000 a year in property taxes at a 1 percent rate.

Creating tax-free business zones for graduates of Philadelphia colleges and universities who live and work in the city.

While the Call for Action does not go into the details, we assume this means that the city’s business taxes would be waived, but workers would still be sub-ject to the city wage tax, which would be the source of the remaining $30 million in revenue.

A GPAR survey of tax rates in 400 cit-ies across the country found that proper-ty taxes averaged 1 percent of the market value of homes in those cities, which is what led the trade group to support that ratio as a fair level here.

But the group also cautions that property values must be applied “fairly, equally and uniformly. We will not sup-port properties being assessed above market value.”

As a corollary to that stand, the GPAR also recommends the city extend the deadline for filing first-round appeals of property assessments to May 30.

As the original deadline was this past Sunday, this would in e!ect reopen the filing window.

This article was originally pub-lished by the Philadelphia Real Estate Blog at PhiladelphiaRealEstate.com.


REAL ESTATE

CHERRY HILL/WILDERNESS ACRES Spectacular Contemporary w/ 5BRs, 4.5 baths, 3 car gar on 1 acre in a quiet cul-de-sac. Great Room w/custom lime-stone floor & center gas FP. DR, w/marble floor, seats 24. Gourmet kitchen w/granite, newer prof. appliances, 3 compartments/temp. controlled wine refrigerator & center island. Master Suite w/sitting area, cathedral ceilings & bath completely renovated w/stone floors & 2 walk-in dressing rms. Fin Lower Level. Pool & multiple patios. …��5HDOLVWLFDOO\�SULFHG�DW��

The World According to Josh, Nicole and Steven….

PHILADELPHIA/SOCIETY HILL TOWERS Breathtaking views of the Delaware River from this 2/3 BR, 4.5 bath condo. Full front & 1/2 each side of South tower. Great open floor plan. Siematic Kitchen w/granite countertops & island. Marble flooring & baths, cus-tom built-ins and walls of windows t/o this almost 3,000 sqft space. Large family room, office and laundry room with plenty of room for storage. Securi-ty building with a beautiful lobby & 2 parking spaces. Great location, close to everything. ...5HDOLVWLFDOO\�SULFHG�DW��

MEDFORD/CLUB ESTATES Exquisite brick & stucco estate w/ 6BR, 5 full baths & 2 powder rooms & 3 car gar. Natural stone & HW floors. 1st floor Office w/French doors, gas fireplace & HW floors. Gourmet Kitchen w/ center island, cabinetry façade appliances, 2 dishwashers, 6 burner gas range w/grill & wall oven. 1st floor Master Suite w/ foyer, 2 walk-in dressing rooms, custom wet bar & private patio. Lower Level w/2nd FR, gas fireplace, gym, theatre & bar. Surround Sound, sprin-kler & security systems��«��5HDOLVWLFDOO\�SULFHG�DW��

ANNE E. KOONS The #1 Agent of the Cherry Hill Home Marketing Center 2012

NJAR Circle of Excellence PLATINUM Award 2012 [email protected] www.annekoons.com direct 856-795-4709 office 856-428-8000 ext 142

1401 Route 70 E., Cherry Hill, N.J. 08034

1RZ�PRUH�WKDQ�HYHU��EXPERIENCE�FRXQWV��WKDW�LV�ZK\�\RX�QHHG�WR�FDOO�RXU�Aunt Anne��

6KH�KDV�WKH�EXPERIENCE, COMMITMENT, PASSION & KNOWLEDGE WR�KHOS�\RX�LQ��

VHOOLQJ�RU�EX\LQJ�D�KRPH��Give Our Aunt Anne A Call Today

856-795-4709

ACCREDITED LUXURY HOME SPECIALIST

LICENSED IN NJ & PA

NEW LISTINGNEW LISTINGNEW LISTING

MARLTON/PRESERVE AT LITTLE MILL Stunning custom 4BR, 4 bath ranch on 14 acres of wooded splendor w/4 car garage, gated front entrance w/circular drive, courtyard w/ fountains & exposed aggregate & custom plant-ings. Circular Foyer w/Travertine mar-ble floors & 20’ ceilings. Gourmet “Snaidero” kitchen w/comm appls & wine refrigerator. All marble floors w/radiant heat. Lg. patio & porch off the kitchen area. Custom built-ins in FR. Fin. lower lvl w/game rm., gym & enter-tainment area. ...5HDOLVWLFDOO\�SULFHG�DW��

Drexel Sets Sights on More New HousingBY MICHAEL BURLANDO

Drexel University is looking to continue its current classroom and dormitory build-ing binge with a new tower at 34th Street and Lancaster Avenue in the Powelton Vil-lage section of University City that could house up to 1,300 students.

Drexel would hold the land while the building, dubbed Lancaster Square, would be developed by private student housing developer American Campus Communities (ACC).

The university is already partnering with ACC on the now-under-construction Chest-nut Square, on the 3200 block of Chestnut Street.

The new project is in line with Drexel’s master plan for the campus and would sit on the southwest corner of 34th and Lancaster.

The site is currently occupied by the one-story Hess Engineering Research Laborato-ries, an unremarkable mid-century low-rise that presents a blank face to the street and

seems emblematic of Drexel’s less than sto-ried architectural past.

According to new plans submitted by Drexel and ACC to the City Planning Commission for review, Hess Lab and its adjacent surface parking lot would be demolished and replaced with a five-story mid-rise along Lancaster Avenue and a 25-story tower on the campus side of the parcel.

The ground floor of the building would also o!er significant retail space along Lan-caster Avenue and an impressive double height student dining commons on the 34th Street side of the building.

With all of this retail, the building would make a great new gateway for the Lancaster Avenue commercial corridor, adding life to what is now a fairly dead block that divides the rest of the corridor from the heart of Drexel’s campus.

This article was originally published by the Philadelphia Real Estate Blog at PhiladelphiaRealEstate.com.


Dr. G. Keith Smith is a board certified anesthesiologist in private practice since 1990. Contact him via email [email protected].

CONTRIBUTE

Send comments, letters and essays to [email protected]. Opinions expressed byguest writers do not necessarily reflect thoseof Region’s Business.

Medical Facilities Need to Adopt Pricing TransparencyYears ago, I hired a carpenter to

build a deck in my backyard. He showed up with a pencil behind

his ear, a spiral notebook, and a tape mea-sure. I told him what I was looking for, and he made a few suggestions. After 15 minutes of measuring and taking notes, he handed me a piece of paper with how much it would cost.

In two days, he called me and asked for a payment for the lumber. I sent it to him. Five days later, he showed up with the lumber—cut, ready to assemble.

Amazing? Yet many do this every day in a free economy. They state an up-front price, and get the job done. But some say that isn’t possible in medicine. After all, building a deck isn’t surgery.

Contractors like this man, however, have run into unanticipated problems that make certain jobs more di! cult. Experienced contractors anticipate these problems and factor them into their price. Most of the time they get it right. If they get it wrong too often, they go broke. If their error rate is low, they are able to be much more competitive in the marketplace.

I think of this carpenter often. I cer-tainly had him in mind when I formu-lated internet pricing for our surgicenter. I knew that some cases would be more difficult than others. I knew that we would probably lose on some and make a little better marginal profi t on others. This is what all businessmen do every day in every sector of the economy—except medicine.

Eleven years ago, we began construc-tion of the large facility in which we now work in Oklahoma City. By this time, I had been providing occasional prices for the uninsured and poor, but still found the contractor’s confi dence in what our new facility would cost fascinating and incred-ible, having heard hospital folks saying so many times that fi xed, upfront pricing in health care is impossible.

But we did it anyway. Sometimes I got the price wrong. In some cases I was too high, and in some cases I was too low. Adjust-ments were made. Not at the expense of the patient, however.

Transparent pricing is necessary for any concept of value to have meaning, and to

send appropriate

signals concerning scarcity or abundance. Non-transparent pricing is a hallmark of command economies, as Professor Robert Higgs explains in his brilliant bookCrisis and Leviathan. There can simply be no meaningful competition when the prices aren’t transparent and known up front.

Not all medical facilities need to exhibit transparent pricing in order for a com-petitive and market economy to emerge. Indeed, our internet pricing has allowed individuals to leverage their local medical facilities, as otherwise they would have

gladly jumped on a plane and come to us for surgical care for a known price.

In spite of big hospitals’ attempts to denigrate this idea, they have found themselves in a competi-tive environment, like it or not. Whether patients are willing to fl y to Costa Rica, New Delhi, or Oklahoma City, they have a price in mind, and hospitals are having to explain why they are six to ten times more expensive while simulta-neously claiming to not make a profi t.

In Oklahoma City, upfront pricing is now available at several facili-ties, in addition to ours, by gastroenterologists, oncol-ogists, radiologists with a breast imaging center, cardiologists and cardiac surgeons with a physician-controlled heart hospital, and orthopedic surgeons. A tertiary hospital has recently joined in this e" ort, providing upfront pricing for procedures too complex for an outpatient center. This is a very excit-ing development.Since hospitals are

responsible for the vast major-ity of medical costs in this country, slashing their outrageous charges brings incredible savings without even touching physician pay.

I don’t advocate legislation to force medi-cal facilities to be transparent. I believe this is a violation of the non-aggression prin-ciple and might also provide legislators the opportunity to sell exemptions. The movement for medical price transparency is happening. It is better to let the much more unforgiving market deal with those who refuse to be transparent. Those who won’t divulge prices will lose out to those who will.

Price sanity is coming to surgical care, and ultimately to all medical care.

Those who won’t divulge prices will lose

out to those who will. Price sanity is

coming to surgical care, and ultimately

to all medical care.

© DONNARAE

OPINION


Common Sense Approach to City’s Delinquent TaxesLike many of America’s

cities, Philadelphia has well-documented fi scal problems.

While they aren’t severe enough to cause talk about bankruptcy and state takeover, they are siginifi cant enough to have an impact on the city’s overall health and prospects for growth.

While there is no single solu-tion, Alan Domb, president of the Greater Philadelphia Association of Realtors, has put forth a simple proposal that could pay o! big dividends: Privatize collection of delinquent taxes in the city.

Collecting on back taxes is an ongoing issue in many cities, but aside from Detroit, none greater than in Philadelphia.

In-depth research by WHHY’s Newsworks.org, The Philadelphia Daily News, AxisPhilly.org and The Philadelphia Inquirer point out the depth of the problem in painful detail.

The headline is that, when combined, the delinquent taxes, penalties, interest and fees, total about $541 million.

According to the city’s records, there are more than 400 properties with delinquent taxes by $50,000 or more and, make sure you are sitting down, almost 2,400 proper-ties that are at least 30 years behind on property taxes. That’s right, taxes haven’t been paid on almost 2,400 properties since early in Ronald Reagan’s fi rst term as president.

Consider this excerpt from Patrick Kerkstra’s work for the Inquirer: “The city’s decades-old

delinquency epidemic - the worst of any big city in the country except Detroit - has reached a level where it depresses the overall tax base by at least $9.5 billion, saps an average of 22.8 percent of the market value of all single-family homes in Phila-delphia, and deprives City Hall and the cash-strapped School District of $298 million a year.”

While Mayor Nutter’s recent e! orts to improve collection of these revenues may have been well-intentioned, Mr. Domb’s plan makes more sense from a fi scal, as well as governmental, perspective.

Privatizing collections of deli-quent property taxes takes a task o! the city government’s list. In an era that demands leaner, more e" cient government, that can only be applauded.

The collection rate on these past-due accounts will almost assuredly increase, and increase dramatically, under the control of a company that specializes in this task. As Mr. Domb points out, these companies work on a commission, which moti-vates them to collect in an e" cient manner. And the company’s fees are paid by the delinquent taxpayer, so there is no impact to the city’s revenue stream.

Additionally, privatization takes politics out of the mix, eliminating potential allegations of city o" cials exerting undue infl uence over which delinquent taxpayers move to the top (or bottom) of the list for collections.

All in all, this common-sense approach deserves immediate action.

REGION’S BUSINESSA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS AND POLITICS

© COPYRIGHT 2012 INDEPENDENCE MEDIA600 GERMANTOWN PIKE, SUITE 400

PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA 19462610.940.1656 | WWW.REGIONSBUSINESS.COM

EDITORIAL BOARD

CEO and President James D. McDonaldEditorial Director Karl SmithAssociate Editor Terrence Casey

HOW TO CONTRIBUTE

To contribute, send comments, letters and essays to [email protected]. Opinions expressed by guest writers do not necessarily reflect those of Region’s Business. We reserve the right to edit all submissions for content, style and length.

Nutter Needs To Step Upin Sick Leave Debate A few paid sick days are not going to make or break any business in this or any other economic climate. City Council has done the right thing, and parents, kids, teachers, workers and business owners need Mayor Nutter to stand up on the right side of this issue. Mayor Nutter, please don’t be swayed by the scare tactics of the business lobbyists.

YVONNE THOMAS ON PHILLY.COM, 2 APRIL, 2013

Protect Innocent PeoplePennsylvania lags behind other states, including New Jersey and Ohio, in reacting to the irrefutable evidence that innocent people are languishing in prison. Can there be a worse injustice than taking away the freedom of an innocent person?

DAILY NEWS EDITORIAL, 2 APRIL, 2013

How the GOP AbandonedBalanced Budget PoliciesThe destruction of fiscal rectitude under Ronald Reagan — one reason I resigned as his budget chief in 1985 — was the greatest of his many dramatic acts. It created a template for the Republicans’ utter abandonment of the

balanced-budget policies of Calvin Coolidge and allowed George W. Bush to dive into the deep end, bankrupting the nation through two misbegotten and unfinanced wars, a giant expansion of Medicare and a tax-cutting spree for the wealthy that turned K Street lobbyists into the de facto office of national tax policy. In effect, the G.O.P. embraced Keynesianism — for the wealthy.

DAVID STOCKMAN ON NYTIMES.COM, 30 MARCH 2013

Think Like a StartupRemember, even the largest corporations were once brand new startups. In order for the U.S. to remain competitive in a global market, Fortune 500s and startups need to engage in order to leverage the innovations and strategic assets that drive growth.

SCOTT CASE ON HUFFINGTONPOST.COM, 1 APRIL, 2013

COMMENTARY FROM ACROSS THE WEB

@TonyBrunoShow Phillies Phan Panic already in mid-season form after Opening Day loss in Atlanta. #HowWeRoll 2 APRIL 2013

OPINION


BY THE NUMBERS

6Number of active justices on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in the wake of Joan Orie Melvin’s resignation in

February.

6Number of campaign

corruption convictions against Justice Melvin. She was cleared on one charge.

1Number of Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices impeached by the State

House of Representatives, who impeached Rolf

Larsen of seven counts of misconduct in 1994. The

Senate gathered the two-thirds majority needed for impeachment on only one

count.

67Number of years the

Pennsylvania Supreme Court existed before the U.S. Supreme Court was

created. Pennsylvania established its high court in

1722.

55Age of the youngest justice on Pennsylvania’s Supreme

Court, Debra Todd, who joined the court in 2007.

Chief Justice Ronald Castille reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70 in

March of next year.

31Pennsylvania’s rank among the 50 states according to

FreedomInThe50States.org, produced by the Mercatus Center at George Mason

University. It’s a combination of personal and economic

freedoms. Pennsylvania ranked 33 in 2009. North Dakota and South Dakota ranked first and

second, respectively.

30Pennsylvania’s rank for

economic freedom, which includes fiscal and regulatory

policy.

28Pennsylvania’s rank for fiscal

freedom, which includes categories for taxes,

government employment, spending, debt, and fiscal

decentralization.

47Pennsylvania’s rank for alcohol, which includes restrictions on distribution, taxes, blue laws, keg registrations, and “happy hour” bans. Colorado topped

the list, as it did in 2009.

4Pennsylvania’s rank for

gambling, which includes includes “an estimated cost of gambling restrictions and

whether social or online gaming is allowed.” Pennsylvania moved

up five spots since 2009 and now only Nevada, Louisiana

and Indiana ranked higher. New Jersey ranked 13th, down two

spots since 2009.

35Pennsylvania’s rank for personal

freedom. The state ranked 21 in 2007 and 33 in 2009. Alaska topped the list as it did in 2009.

31Pennsylvania’s rank for tax

burden and improvement of five spots since 2009. South Dakota topped the list, as it did in 2009.

28Pennsylvania’s rank in the “find a job category,” described by

the website as a “user-created category combines the labor

market and occupational freedom categories.” The state was 27th in 2009 and 26th in

2007. Kansas topped the list, as it did in 2009. California was at

the bottom of the list.

3Number of times the jelly beans sold for Easter this

year (16 billion) would circle the earth if laid down

end-to-end.

71Millions of pounds of chocolate consumed

during the Easter season worldwide, the second-highest total for holiday season. Halloween, of

course, tops the list at 90 million pounds.

560Calories in 100g of milk

chocolate.

719Calories in 100g of nuts

and seeds.

62%Percent of U.S. workers who qualify to take leave under the Family Medical

Leave Act, passed in 1993.

50Millions of U.S. workers who have taken leave under the Family Medical Leave Act.

TIM SACKTON

#1 CASINO IN PENNSYLVANIA

At Parx, nonstop excitement is just around the corner. Enjoy everything from our top-rated casino and poker room to live thoroughbred action, fine dining and America’s #1 sports bar. It’s all here, just minutes from home.

Street Road Exit off I-95 or PA Turnpike

Must be 21. Gambling problem? Call 1.800.GAMBLERwww.parxcasino.com

CHA-CHING!With Parx Casino so close, you can be in the money in no time.

Region's Business 04 April 2013

Documents

Transcript of Region's Business 04 April 2013