Hear what Will Downing had to say to 107.9 WRNB’s Dyana Williams and E. Steven Collins about the passing of Teena “Lady T” Marie and her musical legacy.

RELATED: Teena Marie Dies At Age 54
RELATED: More About The Passing Of Teena Marie On RNBPhilly.com
RELATED: More About The Teena Marie On RNBPhilly.com

Launched on May 3 and ending on June 25, 2010, Philadelphia Tax amnesty allowed those delinquents who participated in and qualified for the program to have all of their tax penalties waived, as well as pay only half the interest owed.  For those who did not participate, the City of Philadelphia is emphasizing they will aggressively pursue remaining tax delinquents and enforce the maximum penalties.

“First and foremost, the City of Philadelphia thanks all of the responsible citizens who have been diligent in paying their taxes on time, as well as those who stepped up to do the right thing by participating in Tax Amnesty. We are very pleased with the level of participation, and that so many came together for the common good by participating in the program,” said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. “Unfortunately, not everyone chose to take advantage of this opportunity, and the City has already begun to crack down on remaining tax delinquents. We will continue to identify and bring into compliance those who still owe the City. These individuals and businesses will face swift legal action as well as stiff fines and penalties on top of what they already owe.”

“We were very pleased to see that so many people took the few simple steps required to participate in Philadelphia Tax Amnesty,” said Keith J. Richardson, M.B.A., Commissioner of the City of Philadelphia Department of Revenue. “From the start our goal was to make as many people as possible aware of the opportunity, and then encourage them to take action by providing a very high level of support via our website, hotline and in-person assistance.”

Commissioner Richardson offered the following statistics on Philadelphia Tax Amnesty applications and methods of processing:

Completed applications:                        27,473

Website hits:                                                 83,163

Inbound calls from taxpayers:             98,811

Outbound calls to taxpayers:                 326,825

Walk-in Center visitors:                           7,588

To enforce compliance among those who did not participate and settle up on back taxes before the end of the amnesty period, as well as identify businesses and individuals who should be—but are not—registered with the City and paying taxes, the City is taking action in a number of ways, including:

New Post-Amnesty Enforcement Efforts

• Criminal Prosecution – Failure to turn over trust fund taxes (including: Wage, Liquor, and Parking) collected on behalf of the City and School District is considered theft under state law. These cases will be referred to the District Attorney’s Office for potential prosecution and can result in up to 7 years imprisonment.
• Tripling the Number of Properties Sent to Sheriff Sale – The City will increase the number of properties sent to sheriff sale from 200 to 600 per month.  Properties will get sent to sale earlier; property owners won’t fall so far behind that they cannot catch up.
• Revocation of Business Licenses – The Department of Licenses & Inspections can revoke business licenses, forcing businesses to cease operations.
• Greater Scrutiny on Tax Debt Negotiation – The City’s Law and Revenue Departments have historically been open to negotiating with taxpayers seeking to resolve their past debts and fines for failure to file tax returns. Following amnesty, any request for waiver of interest, penalty or fines, particularly for taxpayers that could have come forward during amnesty and chose not to, will receive significantly higher levels of scrutiny.

Expanded Enforcement Efforts

• Intense Collection Efforts – The City will begin calling delinquents as soon as a payment is missed.  More accounts will be sent more quickly to outside collection firms for further enforcement action.
• Focus on the Top Tax Deadbeats – The City will continue to publish the names of the biggest debtors on a new enforcement website and will implement a targeted strategy to collect from them.
• Increased Audits & Investigations – The City is adding staff and information resources to enhance its ability to track down those who should be paying but is not.
• Vendor Compliance Program – The City has launched a program whereby other governments and quasi-government agencies, such as the Philadelphia Parking Authority, School District and PGW, will seek tax clearances for any vendors they use.
• Employee Indebtedness Program – The Department of Revenue, in partnership with the Office of the City Controller, has overseen a program to bring City employees into compliance.  Those employees who do not pay their outstanding debts in full or through payment agreements will be subject to involuntary payroll deductions.  The City will also require that new hires to government positions and appointees to boards and commissions be tax compliant.

Mayor Nutter added, “In some instances, failure to remit taxes is not just a shirking of a civic obligation resulting in monetary penalties; it’s a crime, and we will prosecute.  From the beginning of Tax Amnesty, the City made it clear that when time ran out on the amnesty period, so did the idea that people could get away without being penalized to the fullest extent. That time has come. Cases are already being turned over to the D.A.’s office for potential prosecution and may carry criminal penalties.”

Now that time has “run out” on Philadelphia Tax Amnesty, the City is also continuing to take steps to help enhance filing and payment options.

“Equally as important as collecting back taxes owed to the City of Philadelphia is putting in place the procedures and laws that will cut down on the number of tax delinquents moving forward,” said Mayor Nutter. “Mandatory e-filing and e-payment, and aggressive pursuit of delinquents as well as increased pursuit of non-registered businesses inside and outside of Philadelphia are just a few examples of our aggressive response to tax delinquency.”

Further details on filing and paying Philadelphia taxes is available at www.phila.gov/revenue, or by calling
215-686-6442 (Real Estate taxes), 215-686-6600 (all other taxes).

Contacts: Joanna Ford                            Adam Leiter          

215-875-4362                         215-875-4363

Cell: 215-534-5373                 Cell: 856-237-5534

jford@stargroup1.com aleiter@stargroup1.com

The message is simple:  If you’re caught driving impaired, you will be arrested. No exceptions.  No excuses.  DUI arrests include impairment by alcohol, illicit drugs, prescription drugs and even over-the-counter medications or a combination thereof.
 
Last year in Pennsylvania, over 53,000 people were arrested for the crime of DUI.  Those arrests included 10,517 people arrested for drugged driving.   DUI drug arrests accounted for about 20% of the total DUI arrests for the year.
 
Impaired driving is the most frequently committed crime both in the Nation and in Pennsylvania.  It is also the most preventable crime.  Simply make the conscious and deliberate decision to not drink when you are impaired.
 
In 2009 in Pennsylvania, 12,712 impaired driving-related crashes occurred resulting in 449 fatalities compared to 534 fatalities in 2008.  Of the total fatalities in 2009 in Pennsylvania, 36% were caused by impaired driving.  
 
Driver’s can enjoy a safe and festive holiday without jeopardizing their life and the lives of the others who may be on the road:  

• Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin;
• Before drinking,  designate a sober driver and give that person your keys;
• If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation so you are sure to get home safely;
• Use your community’s Sober Rides program;
• If you happen to see a drunk driver on the road, call 911 immediately;

Driving impaired is simply not worth the risk.  The consequences are serious and real.  Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma, financial costs and embarrassment of a crash or arrest are significant.   Convicted DUI criminals face jail time, the loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates, and dozens of other unanticipated expenses. 
  No matter what you drive-a passenger car, pickup, or motorcycle-if you are caught driving impaired, you will be arrested.  You will be convicted and you will then suffer the consequences of a criminal record.   Don’t let this Fourth of July blow up in your face!

“In Philadelphia, keeping our swimming pools open during the summer is important to maintaining a strong sense of community in which friends and neighbors can connect,” said Mayor Nutter.  ”First Niagra Bank’s generosity in supporting the City’s efforts to keep our pools open during the summer is another great example of the positive impact that public and private partnerships have on providing safe and enjoyable activities for all of our residents.”

“In April, Eastern Pennsylvania became our largest regional market, and we were determined to demonstrate the same sort of commitment we’ve made in our other markets right here in our new nine-county footprint,” President and CEO John R. Koelmel said. “As I’ve stated in the past, we will continuously strive to display our dedication to our regions by leveraging First Niagara’s financial strength to better the lives of those who live in all the communities we serve.  When the bank was made aware of the budget realities facing the city’s pool initiative, we jumped at the chance to make sure the children, young adults and families of the region had places to enjoy swimming activities in safe, supervised, and most importantly, fun environments.”

“The response for the Mayor’s Splash and Summer FUNd program, an initiative that is very near and dear to his administration, has been tremendous, and we are fortunate to have reached his goal for 2010,” Recreation Commissioner Slawson said.  Commissioner of Parks and Recreation Mike DiBerardinis said, “The City of Philadelphia has one of the largest volumes of outdoor pools per capita when compared to other major cities in the United States, and we’re grateful to have established a working relationship with First Niagara to begin planning for the successful execution of the 2011 swim season.”

First Niagara joined other private-sector donors in answering the Mayor’s call to raise $600,000 in funding to supplement city budget dollars to open and operate Philadelphia’s public pools.  Other private donations include $37,000 from Lombard Swim Club, $34,000 from Shire Pharmaceuticals, $34,000 from the Philadelphia Parking Authority, $30,000 from TD Bank, $12,000 from Modell’s Sporting Goods and $10,000 from Temple University. The City’s public swimming pools offer 800 jobs, including 400 seasonal maintenance aides who keep pool areas clean and safe and an additional 400 jobs for young adults, teens, and college students from the neighborhood who serve as lifeguards.

YMCAs serving the following counties are encouraged to apply for First Niagra Bank’s $250,000 grant funding program: Chester, Philadelphia, Montgomery, Berks, Bucks, Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon and Monroe. Applications can be completed and submitted by visiting https://www.fnfg.com/InTheCommunity/CorporateGiving/ and clicking on the Charitable Contribution Request Form.  YMCAs in the region can apply between the dates of June 3, 2010 and July 5, 2010.

“Speaking on behalf of all of the YMCA branches in Eastern Pennsylvania, I cannot sufficiently express what this grant program means to the region and those children who will benefit from this investment,” said President and CEO Denise Day.  “First Niagara has been a corporate citizen of the region for two short months, and they are already taking a proactive approach to nurturing children of the region, strengthening families, building strong communities and developing healthy minds, bodies and spirits for all.”

Alabama! Wow — whoda thought that would ever happen.

Congressman Arthur Davis challenges Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks in that state’s Democratic contest. If the four-term congressman wins this primary, he would become the state’s first African-American Democratic nominee for governor. If Davis is elected in November, he would make history again, becoming Alabama’s first black governor.

Many call Representative Davis ‘the Obama of Alabama’ and the Harvard graduate is a friend of President Obama. And while he is the early front-runner for the Democratic nomination, but would face major, major challenges in the mostly white, heavily Republican state for the November general election.

Seven candidates are in the race on the republican side. But it’s the democratic contest that has captured national attention and for good reason.

Who could forgot the one time four-term Alabama Governor George Wallace’s 1964 inaugural speech, when he said: “In the name of the greatest people that have ever trod this earth, I draw the line in the dust and toss the gauntlet before the feet of tyranny, and I say segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever”.

To stop desegregation by the enrollment of two African-American students Vivian Malone and James Hood, he stood in front of Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama on June 11, 1963. This became known as the “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door.” After being confronted by federal marshals, Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach, and the Alabama National Guard, he stood aside.

Wallace again attempted to stop four black students from enrolling in four separate elementary schools in Huntsville in September 1963. After intervention by a federal court in Birmingham, the four children were allowed to enter on September 9, becoming the first to integrate a primary or secondary school in Alabama.

Wallace disapproved vehemently of the desegregation of the state of Alabama and wanted desperately for his state to remain segregated. In the late 1970’s Wallace announced that he was a born-again Christian and apologized to black civil rights leaders for his earlier racist and segregationist views, comments and discriminatory actions.

What would Wallace say today if he where here to see an election – even the possibility of history in Alabama? If elected, Congressman Davis would be the first African-American governor of a Deep South state since Reconstruction.

Good luck Rep Davis, today, in November, and forever! You will need it!

“Philadelphia is the only place to be during the 4^th of July,” said Mayor Nutter.  “Wawa Welcome America! offers all the entertainment, history, culture, and fun that families hope to find in the summer and it’s all here in the city where our nation began.”  

The festivities begin on June 25th with three days of Wawa Welcome America’s signature culinary event, Taste of Philadelphia, which combines great food from the areas hottest restaurants with exciting performances.  In addition to continuous entertainment throughout the weekend, attendees will also enjoy doing “the bird” and singing “Jungle Love” during Taste’s June 26^th evening concert headlined by Morris Day and The Time with 107.9 WRNB!

Following the Taste of Philadelphia weekend, the festivities continue during the week of June 28, including three “Go 4^th and Learn” activities for children, three “Philly @ the Movies” screenings of cinematic favorites, the famed Wawa Hoagie Day celebration, a Rocky Balboa look-alike contest on the steps of the Art Museum, the Dietz and Watson Hot Dog Day in Historic Philadelphia, and three opportunities to enjoy the 12^th annual Super Scooper All-You-Can-Eat Ice Cream Festival at Penn’s Landing, benefiting the Joshua Kahan Fund which fights to cure pediatric leukemia.

And of course, fireworks will be prominently featured again this year.  For the first time ever, the Festival boasts three shows over the course of ten days, culminating on the evening of the 4^th of July.

The line-up on Independence Day begins early with pomp and pageantry. The morning ceremony, Celebration of Freedom, takes place at Independence Hall, the site of our nation’s birth. Immediately following, the Life, Liberty & You Independence Day Parade will put its best patriotic foot forward, and for the second year in a row, will march through the cobblestone streets of downtown Historic Philadelphia.  In addition to the array of multicultural marchers, music, dancers, and floats, this year’s parade boasts a star-studded line-up showcasing Miss America 2010, Caressa Cameron; America’s Got Talent’s own DC Cowboys Dance Troupe; and Walt Disney World vocalist Davonda Simmons.  In addition, Marine Colonel John Folsam of Nebraska will enlist the support of parade spectators as he seeks to set the Guinness World Record for the largest number of ‘high fives’ at a special event.

In the afternoon, the Party on the Parkway will be in full swing on Benjamin Franklin Parkway, where a non-stop array of free performances, games, children’s activities, food, and other exciting fun takes place. Later that evening in the same locale, Grammy-nominated performers The Goo Goo Dolls will take center stage for the musical finale.  Longtime and new Goo Goo Dolls’ fans will enjoy listening to popular hits such as “Sweetest Lie,” “One Night,” and “Soldier” while also being treated to music from their new album, Something for the Rest of Us.  Other musical talent will perform on the Life, Liberty and You stage as well, in the “Largest Free Concert in America.” Capping off this remarkable day will be the third — and most dramatic — fireworks display of the festival.

Sponsors for the Wawa Welcome America! festival 2010 season include title sponsor Wawa – new for this year, long-time media sponsor WPVI/6ABC, Philadelphia International Airport, Peco, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Radio One 107.9 WRNB and a host of others.  

“Providing this high-caliber, free entertainment over the ten-day Wawa Welcome America! festival would not be possible without the tremendous support of our sponsors and partners,” said Melanie Johnson, City Representative and Executive Director for the festival.  “We are very pleased with what we are offering families, residents and visitors this year, with their support.  We can’t wait to get the festival underway so that everyone can enjoy the best Welcome America festival ever!”

Additional entertainment elements will be announced as the Wawa Welcome America! festival nears.

Taylor, who has a history of drug abuse and runs-in with the law, is being charged with third-degree rape, which involves having sex with a minor, the Journal News reported on its website. Ramapo police said Taylor has yet to be formally charged.

Ramapo authorities told the Journal News that the alleged victim was also beaten at the hotel and treated at a hospital.

 ”She was a runaway since March and there was a pimp involved,” Ramapo supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence told the newspaper. “She got punched in the face. We’re not sure who did it.”

An attorney for Taylor, Kenneth Gribetz, said he expected Taylor to be arraigned later Thursday.

“We’re confident his innocence will be proven,” he said.

Police said they would hold a news conference this afternoon. They did not immediately respond to questions about the circumstances of the arrest.

Taylor, 51, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999 and competed in ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” last year. He had a highly publicized struggle with drug addiction and has had multiple legal issues in retirement.

A quick, fierce and athletic linebacker who redefined his position, Taylor anchored the Giants’ defense and led New York to Super Bowls titles in 1987 and 1991. He was selected to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.

A 10-time Pro Bowler, he was the NFL Most Valuable Player in 1986 and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1981, 1982 and 1986. He recorded 132.5 sacks, which doesn’t included the 9.5 sacks in 1981 when the statistic wasn’t official.

 In 2001, Taylor was convicted of possessing drug paraphernalia in New Jersey. The conviction stemmed from the September 1998 discovery in a hotel room of a butane torch and other materials commonly used to smoke crack.

In 1996 and 1997, he was arrested in South Carolina and Florida on drug charges. In those cases, he either admitted his guilt or agreed to enter a pretrial intervention program.

In 2000, he drew five years of federal probation for filing false tax returns and for tax evasion. Last November he was charged in Florida with leaving the scene of an accident.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

“They’re in a safe place right now,” he said. “I would ask that the community embrace this family , they are going through a lot.” The Mayor’s comments come as Tenton Police ramped up their investigation into the case of a 7-year-old girl who they say was gang-raped by a group of men while her 15-year-old stepsister watched and got paid for it.

Police conducted a pre-dawn raid at the public-housing complex, a high-rise apartment building so dangerous that city officers are hired as security guards at night. They arrested a 20-year-old Trenton man on a charge that he had sex with the teen in an apartment.

Gregory Joseph Leary was booked Wednesday night on charges of statutory rape and endangering the welfare of a child. Under New Jersey law, a 15-year-old is too young to consent to sex.

Leary was held Thursday in jail on $200,000 bail. Jail officials said he did not have a listed attorney.

Police said they were investigating whether Leary was involved with the rape of the 7-year-old at a party Sunday night in the apartment complex, down the street from the Statehouse.

On Thursday morning, police arrested 27 people on unrelated outstanding warrants during a sweep of Rowan Towers. Police Capt. Joseph Juniak said that the raid was planned before the girl’s attack but that it was “somewhat beneficial for investigators” looking into the child rape.

Many of those arrested Thursday were women who told the Associated Press that the warrants were for minor infractions.

Residents said the assault was clearly at the forefront of officers’ agenda during the raid.

Tair Rivers, 27, said officers yelled, “What happened to the little girl?”, as they arrested her for outstanding parking tickets. Rivers lives in Apartment 13-H, right across from 13-C, where the party occurred. She said she was not home over the weekend but would not hesitate to tell police if she knew something.

“We all got kids,” Rivers said. “If we knew something, we would tell.”

Police believe as many as a dozen people were at the party and said everyone in the apartment when the rape occurred could be legally culpable.

At the party, the 15-year-old starting having sex with several men for money and then gave the younger girl some cash to let a group of men touch her as she looked on, police said. It soon escalated to rape, and the men threatened to kill the child if she screamed or told anyone, according to police.

Police are reviewing surveillance videos at the complex.

According to police, the teenager and the 7-year-old were outside in the neighborhood Sunday when the older girl ran into two young men she knew who invited her to the party. The 7-year-old wanted to tag along because she was worried about the older girl’s safety.

The young girl later put on her clothes and left the apartment; her sister stayed. Two women found the child crying outside the apartment and walked her home.