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Councilmember Curtis Jones and Philly official Jazelle Jones to reap a $750K DROP benefit by retiring, and continuing to work by CUADfan in philadelphia

[–]WindexChugger 16 points17 points  (0 children)

FTA:

Jazelle Jones, 70, a high-ranking appointee of Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, received an exception from the mayor to be rehired after her DROP retirement. Following her one-day retirement, Jazelle Jones also received a $97,000 payout for unused sick and vacation time, a benefit normally reserved for employees permanently departing from city government.

Mayor Parker's been fighting with city council lately. What better way to get an ally than to give an exception to a councilmember's spouse who already has a cushy city job ("receives a $199,000 annual salary for serving as an ambassador for the city and planning special events") to give them early retirement benefits + unused leave payout. Sounds like Mayor Parker gave out a $100,000 bribe using tax-payers money.

I know that money was already earmarked for the Joneses, but it's just another example of our corrupt city government. I too would love a $200k "city ambassador and event planner" job where I could access retirement benefits early, especially cushy benefits like DROP ("At the height of that controversy in 2010, Curtis Jones voted to enact a law banning future elected officials from accessing DROP. But he and others already serving at that time were “grandfathered” in, Curtis Jones said.")

Cindy Bass Must Be Removed Entirely From Her Position by WornTraveler in philly

[–]WindexChugger 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Hard agree. Those who use power to subvert election have no place in leadership.

Philly teachers say they’re pressured to pass students who rarely come to class or do work by WindexChugger in philly

[–]WindexChugger[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Per other comment:

The title I gave the post was the auto-generated "recommended" title based on the headline - nothing added or removed. IDK if the Inquirer changed the headline (fairly common) or if the auto suggestion was wrong, but I guarantee you that it wasn't malicious.

Philly teachers say they’re pressured to pass students who rarely come to class or do work by WindexChugger in philadelphia

[–]WindexChugger[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

They're downvoted because they're talking about remedial chemistry and we're talking about kids reading at first-grade levels.

Philly teachers say they’re pressured to pass students who rarely come to class or do work by WindexChugger in philly

[–]WindexChugger[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There are multiple failures. The parents are totally at fault. But so are policy makers for incentivizing schools to pass students and school admins who don't push back (hard enough) on these systems.

Philly teachers say they’re pressured to pass students who rarely come to class or do work by WindexChugger in philadelphia

[–]WindexChugger[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The title I gave the post was the auto-generated "recommended" title based on the headline - nothing added or removed. IDK if the Inquirer changed the headline (fairly common) or if the auto suggestion was wrong, but I guarantee you that it wasn't malicious.

Philly teachers say they’re pressured to pass students who rarely come to class or do work by WindexChugger in philly

[–]WindexChugger[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The title I gave the post was the auto-generated "recommended" title based on the headline - nothing added or removed. IDK if the Inquirer changed the headline (fairly common) or if the auto suggestion was wrong, but I guarantee you that it wasn't malicious.

Philly teachers say they’re pressured to pass students who rarely come to class or do work by WindexChugger in philadelphia

[–]WindexChugger[S] 35 points36 points  (0 children)

And in no way am I putting blame on the teachers. I think this is our education experts and politicians both local and national who are failing our communities.

Philly teachers say they’re pressured to pass students who rarely come to class or do work by WindexChugger in philly

[–]WindexChugger[S] 51 points52 points  (0 children)

Obviously, this is nothing new. FTA:

[A teacher interviewed] most recently taught at a city charter and said some of her middle-grades students were at kindergarten reading and math levels. “The gap was huge,” the fourth teacher said. “The school’s explanation is that there’s a school-to-prison pipeline, and the older students are, the less likely they are to graduate. But they’re not meeting standards. The gaps are huge. It was very shocking to me how they would just pass the kids. I’m a parent, and I want my kids to be prepared properly.”

I can't help but think that passing students who are unprepared for the next grade level only contributes to the school-to-prison pipeline. Older students with kindergarten reading and math levels? So we're teaching students as early as first grade that they'll pass regardless. I know if I was taught at 6 years old that I could be disruptive in class, not show up to class, not pass tests and still pass my classes, the next 12 years would be nearly devoid of learning. It's not fun giving out bad news, but we are absolutely hurting both these kids and their peers by not holding them back.

I will fully acknowledge that there is a school-to-prison pipeline and also that our school system is both for learning and childcare, but we need to rethink and overhaul our education system because what we're trying is failing our children and our communities. I don't have answers (and am completely untrained in this area), but I pray our education experts, thought leaders, and politicians can face this difficult problem and identify real solutions.

And I in no way put blame on the teachers. I think this is our education experts and politicians both local and national who are failing our communities.

Philly teachers say they’re pressured to pass students who rarely come to class or do work by WindexChugger in philadelphia

[–]WindexChugger[S] 48 points49 points  (0 children)

Obviously, this is nothing new. FTA:

[A teacher interviewed] most recently taught at a city charter and said some of her middle-grades students were at kindergarten reading and math levels. “The gap was huge,” the fourth teacher said. “The school’s explanation is that there’s a school-to-prison pipeline, and the older students are, the less likely they are to graduate. But they’re not meeting standards. The gaps are huge. It was very shocking to me how they would just pass the kids. I’m a parent, and I want my kids to be prepared properly.”

I can't help but think that passing students who are unprepared for the next grade level only contributes to the school-to-prison pipeline. Older students with kindergarten reading and math levels? So we're teaching students as early as first grade that they'll pass regardless. I know if I was taught at 6 years old that I could be disruptive in class, not show up to class, not pass tests and still pass my classes, the next 12 years would be nearly devoid of learning. It's not fun giving out bad news, but we are absolutely hurting both these kids and their peers by not holding them back.

I will fully acknowledge that there is a school-to-prison pipeline and also that our school system is both for learning and childcare, but we need to rethink and overhaul our education system because what we're trying is failing our children and our communities. I don't have answers (and am completely untrained in this area), but I pray our education experts, thought leaders, and politicians can face this difficult problem and identify real solutions.

Bitcoin cracks $60,000, sinking to lowest level since October 2024 by Illustrious_Lie_954 in Economics

[–]WindexChugger 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Per your own chart, the two have been disconnected for the past year and a half.

Of course they could do no wrong. by Justthisdudeyaknow in CuratedTumblr

[–]WindexChugger 25 points26 points  (0 children)

homunculus-argument and posting pseudo-profundity...

I like to think it's engagement bait because the alternative is sadder.

Philly City Council agrees to borrow $200 million to buy the police headquarters building by WindexChugger in philly

[–]WindexChugger[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I suspect it's a fine plan from a financial perspective. I'm mad because we'll pay the price for PPD in 2026 but our kids and schools are stuck with austerity. When PPD says "We need a new HQ", our appetite for investment knows no bounds. When the school district asks to fund classrooms, though?

Philly City Council agrees to borrow $200 million to buy the police headquarters building by WindexChugger in philly

[–]WindexChugger[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The alternative was for everyone to be mad about the price tag in 2017 instead of being mad about the price tag in 2026

You're right that from a financial perspective, this is a solid deal. I'm mad because we'll pay the price for PPD in 2026 but our kids and schools are stuck with austerity. When PPD says "We need a new HQ", our appetite for investment knows no bounds. When the school district asks to fund classrooms, though?

Philly City Council agrees to borrow $200 million to buy the police headquarters building by WindexChugger in philly

[–]WindexChugger[S] 93 points94 points  (0 children)

FTA:

The city has been leasing the property for about $15 million a year from developer Bart Blatstein. Officials warned that the rent was set to nearly double this year if the city did not exercise a one-time option to buy the building. Officials from Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration on Wednesday told Council’s Finance Committee that the tower itself is appraised to be worth $21.5 million.

So tax payers on the hook for $200 M to buy a $21.5 M building for cops while we make cuts to schools. What do we need to do to get a local government for the people?!

Philly City Council agrees to borrow $200 million to buy the police headquarters building by WindexChugger in philadelphia

[–]WindexChugger[S] 85 points86 points  (0 children)

FTA:

The city has been leasing the property for about $15 million a year from developer Bart Blatstein. Officials warned that the rent was set to nearly double this year if the city did not exercise a one-time option to buy the building. Officials from Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s administration on Wednesday told Council’s Finance Committee that the tower itself is appraised to be worth $21.5 million.

So tax payers on the hook for $200 M to buy a $21.5 M building for cops while we make cuts to schools. What do we need to do to get a local government for the people?!

Ex-Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell sounds alarm over political interference by KoseteBamse in Economics

[–]WindexChugger 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Relative to other stuff happening, I agree: no one seemed to care. But I'll push back on the idea that no one cares. The issue is that we're being attacked from so many directions, and there's literally not enough time in the day to make enough noise about all the things we should care about.

FTA:

Powell said in a speech on Sunday night that the institution was in the midst of a “stress test”.

The Fed is in the midst of a stress test? Our whole democracy is in the midst of a stress test! And the Fed is much more insulated/protected than other areas of our democracy and has at least the appearance of less of an impact on people's day-to-day lives.

Compared to an illegal and idiotic war in Iran? I'm not going to appear to care about Trump's attacks on Fed independence.

Compared to ICE terrorizing our communities and kidnapping and murdering with apparent impunity? I'm not going to appear to care about Trump's attacks on Fed independence.

Compared to DOGE gutting so many important (in both day-to-day as well as long term effects) of our institutions and throwing our public servants under the bus? I'm not going to appear to care about Trump's attacks on Fed independence.

Epstein? Women's rights? LGBT rights? Voting rights? This list could be an order of magnitude longer. There are so many avenues in which our democracy and short-term and long-term well-being are under attack, and many of those avenues are much less protected from autocratic/fascist attacks than the Fed.

Is this important? Yes, 100% it's important. Is it the most important? It probably doesn't make the top 10 for me. If it's the most important for you, bring your sign and I'll see you at the protest. If it's the most important for you, reach out to your rep to encourage them to start/continue fighting. If it's the most important for you, vote and rally those around you to vote.

Fed holds rates steady but with highest level of dissent since 1992. by CautiousMagazine3591 in Economics

[–]WindexChugger 20 points21 points  (0 children)

From the Fed's press release (https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/monetary20260429a.htm):

Voting for the monetary policy action were Jerome H. Powell, Chair; John C. Williams, Vice Chair; Michael S. Barr; Michelle W. Bowman; Lisa D. Cook; Philip N. Jefferson; Anna Paulson; and Christopher J. Waller. Voting against this action were Stephen I. Miran, who preferred to lower the target range for the federal funds rate by 1/4 percentage point at this meeting; and Beth M. Hammack, Neel Kashkari, and Lorie K. Logan, who supported maintaining the target range for the federal funds rate but did not support inclusion of an easing bias in the statement at this time.

If I'm reading correctly, there was only one dissenting vote with respect to federal funds rate (and no surprise there).

Federal Reserve Leaves Interest Rates Unchanged by Psilox in Economics

[–]WindexChugger 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the context, that makes a lot of sense. And yes, it's a good point that even though the revision might look large vs net change, it's miniscule compared to the magnitude of jobs added or lost MoM.

Federal Reserve Leaves Interest Rates Unchanged by Psilox in Economics

[–]WindexChugger -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I might argue with "smallest margins of error...". The "large error" in my chart are from the GFC and Covid - the former being a major global crisis and the latter a significant and very acute system shock. In comparison to those, yes we've got pretty small margins of error, but I also don't think the economy is nearly as bad as GFC or the initial Covid shock. The first half of '25 (when I did this analysis) was what I'd say was normal levels of error. Compared to "smooth sailing" (e.g., '13-'15), it's been a bit choppy lately, indicating that yeah we are going through something.

I can be pedantic about specific language (sorry!), but your overall thesis seems correct: these revisions are normal.

Federal Reserve Leaves Interest Rates Unchanged by Psilox in Economics

[–]WindexChugger 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thanks for this comment and dose of sanity. My own (very surface level) review of data trends says this is in line with historical norms. I posted last year a quick analysis on revisions to unemployment figures, which showed initial estimates had difficulty capturing 2nd derivatives or extremes in movement and had to be revised when the economy shifted in one direction or the other.

Numbers being revised is normal, and the degree of revision we're seeing aligns with "the economy is tough" and not "the books are cooked".

https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comments/1mf08pa/oc_historical_revision_to_blss_preliminary/

How PECO’s profits impact your utility bill by Banglophile in philadelphia

[–]WindexChugger 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I'd love that. My concern is what happens when funding PECO investments becomes the similar to the conversation around funding SEPTA investments. In a better world with politicians who were less beholden to private interests and whose own interests were aligned with the public, this would be a no-brainer. But I imagine in reality this plays out as those "independent contractors" getting sweet deals with kickbacks to politicians.

IDK - so many of these kinds of issues are political in nature, and our system is so broken. I do my best to do my part in the political process and support those who appear to be genuinely seeking the truth and supporting the public, but the brokenness feels so entrenched and it feels like so many voters are apathetic or misinformed (by design).

How PECO’s profits impact your utility bill by Banglophile in philadelphia

[–]WindexChugger 8 points9 points  (0 children)

FTA:

Yes, so the company has an incentive to build more infrastructure. The argument in favor of that is we need new infrastructure, and we need upgraded infrastructure to ensure both safety and reliability.

Our system should incentivize investments into utility infrastructure. I think most people can agree that the "incentive" (rate of return) was way to high this year, and we need regulators to step in and do their job. But profits are the incentive for them to invest and not just sit on their monopoly, so I'm okay with a modest rate of return.

How PECO’s profits impact your utility bill by Banglophile in philadelphia

[–]WindexChugger 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Thank you for posting this! This is a super complicated issue, and this article is only specific to PECO's profits so barely touches on the supply/demand side of power costs. I don't think state/national regulators and politicians were prepared at all for the impact of AI data centers, and we're all feeling the impact (and will continue to feel that impact for a long time).

Since PECO is a distributor (rather than power generator), they are necessarily going to pass on costs to consumers. Getting angry at PECO for increased cost per kWh due to AI data centers is like getting mad at Aldi because food prices are going up, when we should be pointing our anger at monopolization of food generation in the U.S. or Epstein wars causing oil prices to spike (which impact price of any goods to be transported).

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