A Latino voting push: seeing pressing issues, a nonpartisan group targets Pa. and N.J. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA)

Byline: Gaiutra Bahadur

Jul. 26--A civic group that registered 72,000 Latino voters in Florida in 2004 is expanding its efforts with electoral drives in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Arizona.

The nonpartisan Hispanic organization Democracia U.S.A. launched its Pennsylvania campaign yesterday with a news conference at the Tierra Colombiana restaurant, in the center of the city's long-standing Latino community on North Fifth Street.

Though the state ranked 15th nationwide in Latino population in 2004 -- just under a half-million residents said they had roots in Latin America -- it has one of the fastest-growing Hispanic populations, political scientist Sergio Bendixen told reporters.

'Pennsylvania is virgin territory for the civic engagement, political organization and voter registration of Hispanics,' said Bendixen, a prominent Latino pollster.

Though far from the border, the state has found itself in the national spotlight as the country debates illegal immigration.

Sen. Arlen Specter (R., Pa.) chairs the committee that drafted the Senate's proposed overhaul of the nation's immigration laws. Cheesesteak impresario Joey Vento, owner of Geno's Steaks in South Philadelphia, emerged as a plainspoken mouthpiece for the English-only movement. And Hazleton, the small Poconos town that enacted a law this month cracking down on illegal immigrants, has become a model for other municipalities.

Jorge Mursuli, director of Democracia U.S.A., said that the climate nationwide lends urgency to registering Latino citizens, educating them about the political process, and getting them to vote.

'This is especially important during times like these, when an anti-Hispanic fever is sweeping the country,' he said.

Mursuli called the Hazleton ordinance 'an example of what can happen when people think a community has no power' and a forceful argument for registering more Latinos.

'Are we going to do anything about it?' he said. 'How can we not?'

Canvassers for the group, who have been at work in the state for two months, registered 75 new voters in Hazleton at community meetings to discuss the measures aimed at illegal immigrants. In total, they have registered 5,000 voters across Pennsylvania.

The New Jersey campaign has not started yet.

Latino voter turnout has historically lagged behind that of the general population, posing a challenge for groups such as Democracia U.S.A.

'Simply signing up new voters is not enough,' Mursuli acknowledged.

Democracia U.S.A., a project of the People for the American Way Foundation, also educates voters about issues that affect their lives and encourages them to vote through at-home visits, direct mail and phone calls. It also trains leaders in local communities.

Nationwide, the size of the Latino electorate tripled between 1980 and 2004. In 2004, 7.6 million of 10 million Latinos registered to vote cast ballots across the country.

In Pennsylvania, 95,000 of the state's registered Latino voters went to the polls that year. Democracia U.S.A. hopes to increase that number to 245,000 by 2010.

Bendixen said that Latinos overwhelmingly agree on key issues, suggesting they are a bloc to be courted by both Republicans and Democrats.

His Miami-based firm, Bendixen & Associates, interviewed 1,000 Latinos in May about the war in Iraq and policies affecting immigration, the minimum wage, and health insurance.

Most respondents opposed the war and were in favor of raising the minimum wage, creating a national health-insurance plan, and granting illegal immigrants a chance to become legal residents of the United States.

Opposition to immigrant-crackdown policies has sent Latinos to the polls in the past, Bendixen said. In California, Asians and Latinos later voted to replace Republican political leaders who backed a 1994 package of measures denying social services, health care and public education to illegal immigrants.

'Now we have another war against immigrants in Washington,' Bendixen said.

Among Latinos, he said, 'we're seeing a great deal of interest in politics and in elections because of the immigration debate.' They see it as 'being about 'whether we belong in the United States.' '

In 2004, Latinos made up 14.2 percent of the U.S. population, or about 40 million people, according to the U.S. Census. By 2050, the Census Bureau predicts, they will account for one-quarter of the population, or about 103 million people.

Only five Pennsylvania counties had more than 20,000 Latino residents in 2004, according to the census. Philadelphia, with about 140,000 Latinos, had the largest population, followed by Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh and Northampton Counties.

By 2015, however, Montgomery, Bucks and Chester Counties also are expected to have more than 20,000 Latino residents.

Nationally, New Jersey ranks sixth, with a Latino population of 1.3 million.

Contact staff writer Gaiutra Bahadur at 215-854-2601 or bahadug@phillynews.com.

Copyright (c) 2006, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business

News.

Harrisburg, Pa., couple develops market for gaming software. - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

By Ellen Lyon, The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Nov. 9--Harrisburg natives Linda and Donald Bailey are gambling that the return to their hometown after a long absence will pay off.

The founders of the 4-year-old Atlantis Internet Group, which specializes in development of gaming software and management of online casinos, couldn't have timed it better.

In March, the Baileys opened a satellite Atlantis office in a carriage house behind a Front Street mansion in Harrisburg. In July, the Legislature passed a bill that authorizes slot machines at racetracks and other sites in the state.

'Because we do slot-machine software ... we're interested in the market here in Pennsylvania,' Donald Bailey said. 'We've created some real milestones for our industry,' including one of the first interfaces between online games and traditional slot machines.

Atlantis, which went public in April, posted less than $1 million in revenue last year, 'but we expect our revenue to grow as we grow and the industry grows,' he said.

Donald Bailey, a 1974 Harrisburg High School graduate, left the area to attend Tulane University in New Orleans. After graduating with a degree in business, he worked for several Fortune 500 companies.

On a visit home, he met Linda, a graduate of Bishop McDevitt High School, who was working in the Governor's Office of General Counsel.

They married in 1994 and moved to California, where Linda Bailey graduated from Santa Monica College and worked for a national health-care corporation also on the Fortune 500 list.

They moved to New Orleans, where Donald Bailey founded a waterfront development company called Atlantis and designed, among other projects, a riverboat casino.

When they formed their software design company, which is based in Henderson, Nev., and has offices in Moscow and the Netherlands Antilles, they kept the Atlantis name. They decided to return to Harrisburg to be near their families as they raise their 7-year-old son.

With about 15 employees, 'we're really kind of a mom-and-pop organization,' said Donald Bailey, who starts work at 2 a.m. so he can communicate with his overseas employees.

He acknowledges that it's a bit ironic that Atlantis has become so identified with gambling.

'I come from a very religious family, and my wife comes from a law enforcement family,' he noted. 'I'm not a big gambler.'

But Bailey said gambling, if done in moderation for entertainment, can generate revenue, jobs and business opportunities in communities. It's an issue that should be left to voters, he said.

A new wrinkle within the past decade is online gambling, which requires a computer with Internet access and a credit card.

'We develop the software that allows individuals to play online,' Bailey said. 'What we're really doing is bridging the gap between online and traditional gaming.'

Online gambling is so new that most states don't have legislation addressing it, but it already has grown to a $6 billion-a-year industry worldwide, he said.

Atlantis has offered to donate a one-year license to use its online casino-management software to any state that passes a law allowing Internet gambling.

Casinos would pay between $250,000 and $500,000 a year for such a license, according to an Atlantis news release.

The company estimates that states could rake in more than $600 million a year on just 15 percent of the gross winnings of Internet casino operations.

In the United States, Atlantis' online gambling products are used as marketing tools. 'What we do is offer a tutorial product and a marketing product for traditional casinos,' Bailey explained.

For instance, Atlantis designed a Web site with free, play-for-fun games for the Avi Tribal Resort and Casino in Laughlin, Nev. Players can win complimentary stays and meals at the resort.

'We offer probably one of the most realistic products on the market,' Bailey said.

You can hear the sound of dice rolling in the games on Atlantis' Web site.

Atlantis also designs non-gaming software, including an operator-assisted search engine called Web Directory Assistance.

The Baileys are realistic about business prospects in their home state.

'They just passed slots here, so I don't see online gaming [anytime soon],' Bailey said. 'We would certainly like to be a slot product provider.'

He said he already has introduced Atlantis products to Penn National Gaming officials, who plan to open a slot-machine facility at the Penn National Race Course near Grantville in 2006.

'We're able to come back now with some good experience and a good network of people and resources,' Linda Bailey said. 'We'd like to contribute to this new industry here.'

To see more of The Patriot-News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.patriot-news.com.

(c) 2004, The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, Pa. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

BEYOND "OOM-PA-PA'; FRITZ'S POLKA BAND, CELEBRATING ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY, PLAYS A MIX OF STYLES THAT APPEALS TO "JUST ABOUT EVERYONE'.(Neighbors Madison) - The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY)

Byline: Meghan Rubado Contributing writer

In 1978, Fred Scherz started a family project that turned into a community treasure.

He took his new son-in-law, Gabe Vaccaro, to buy a bass guitar one Saturday morning in October and organized Fritz's Polka Band's first gig for later that night.

Fred Scherz played lead accordion, and his son, Fritz, then 8, played second accordion. They added a trumpet player and created the original lineup of a group that still entertains people all over Central New York and the Northeast.

This year, the Verona-based Fritz's Polka Band (FPB) celebrated its 25th anniversary, received proclamations from Congressman Sherwood Boehlert and Oneida County Executive Joe Griffo and secured a sponsorship from Jagermeister.

'It just keeps getting busier every year,' said Fritz Scherz, now 33. 'This summer we played 23 gigs in 18 days. We even did our first triple: three gigs in one day.'

During the summer, the band traveled around the cities and towns of Central New York, playing at parks. It's their most hectic time of year, but lately, the rest of the year has become nearly as busy, Scherz said.

'We've had to turn down some gigs,' Scherz said. One man called to book the band for his daughter's wedding reception and asked when the group would be free to play. He based the wedding date on FPB's availability. He said, 'We want you for the reception. That's the most important thing,'' Scherz said. 'It was unbelievable.'

Scherz said the strong and growing popularity of the group his father started makes him feel lucky.

'We have a lot of fun, make a lot of people happy, and that gives us the best feeling,' he said.

Vaccaro agreed.

'A lot of bands break up because of family pressures or for one reason or another, but this band is family,' Vaccaro said. 'It's tough to break up family. That's why we've been around so long.'

The band has grown to include six members, including Fred and Fritz Scherz, Vaccaro, Rick Szczyt on drums, Tom Campbell and Frank Nelson. Nelson and Campbell play guitar. They alternate performances and sometimes play together, Vaccaro said.

'It works out really well,' Vaccaro said. 'We always have such a good time together, wherever we go.'

Fritz Scherz writes a lot of the music FPB plays. He described the music as 'a real mix.' They play mostly original songs and some covers. FPB plays songs rooted in country, classic rock and contemporary styles.

'We can tell people are usually surprised when we play,' Scherz said. 'They expect that oom-pa-pa stuff, but we're really different. We appeal to just about everyone.'

Their unique style earned FPB a role in the upcoming film, 'The Manchurian Candidate,' a remake of the 1962 classic. The band went to Nyack in September to shoot a scene for the movie, Vaccaro said.

In the scene, FPB plays Scherz's 'All Night Long.'

'It's one of my favorites,' Scherz said. 'It's a lively song. It really cranks.'

Scherz said he isn't sure that the scene will make it into the film, but if it does, it will mean national recognition for the band.

'We just have to hope that we make the cut,' Scherz said.

Most recently, the band traveled to Manhattan to play a standing-room-only Christmas concert at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill.

The event Dec. 12 was hosted by Glen Burtnik, former bassist for the Styx. It also featured Steve Augeri - lead singer of Journey - Billy J. Kramer and others.

'Everybody there was awesome,' Scherz said. 'It was incredible to be there with all those musicians.'

Vaccaro said he also felt fortunate to be able to meet so many famous artists.

'I got to talk to a lot of the people I listen to and read about,' he said.

FPB's performance went over well, Vaccaro said.

'People were clapping and cheering for us,' he said. 'It was such an honor just to be there with the band.'

The band plans to continue playing as long as good health and good luck allow them to do so, Vaccaro said.

'As long as they last, I hope to be there,' he said.

CAPTION(S):

PHOTO

File photo/Al Campanie, 1999

MEMBERS OF FRITZ'S POLKA BAND include (from left) Tom Campbell, Fritz Scherz, Rick Szczyt, Gabe Vaccaro and Fred Scherz. Frank Nelson, a guitarist, also plays with the band occasionally. The group is shown at its fan club picnic in 1999. That was the year the group became the first polka band to play at a Woodstock festival - thus the tie-dye shirts. Color.

PHOTO

Photo courtesy of Fritz's Polka Band

Moscow, Pa., Excavation Firm Faced Reduced Fine for Trench Collapse. - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

By Steven A. Morelli, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Jan. 3-- WILKES-BARRE, Pa.--The excavation company cited in a fatal trench collapse has reached an agreement with the federal government to reduce the company's fine from $113,00 to $70,000, the company's lawyer said.

James T. O'Hara Inc. of Moscow will pay the fine over two years to satisfy eight serious citations from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said O'Hara's lawyer, Bruce Phillips of Philadelphia.

OSHA spokeswoman Leni Fortson said the case is still officially open and would not comment.

Andrew Hedesh, OSHA area director, said representatives from the federal government and O'Hara met Nov. 29 for a formal settlement discussion, but he would not say what resulted from the meeting.

OSHA does not consider a case closed until an administrative judge rules on it and a 30-day appeals period elapses. It is unclear when an administrative judge will receive the agreement.

If the agreement is approved by the administrative judge and is not appealed, it will be the last official charge against the company stemming from the Feb. 16 trench collapse that killed Joel Connors, 31, of Pottsville. Connors was working in a trench on a sewage line project at Gilligan and Spruce streets in Wilkes-Barre.

Last week, O'Hara Inc. was cleared of other citations and $97,000 in fines the city lodged after the accident. In that decision, Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Patrick Toole said the city's codes did not cover excavation work.

The company also has no lawsuit pending against it in the accident, Phillips said. Workers compensation insurance law protects companies from some lawsuits.

After the incident, federal inspectors said the walls of the 20-foot trench were not properly supported. When OSHA cited O'Hara Inc. in August, Hedesh said the company showed 'blatant disregard' for its employees.

When OSHA cited the company, Connors' brother, Rodney Connors, said the next step should be criminal charges. Connors' lawyer, James Riley of Pottsville, has said he also asked District Attorney David Lupas to consider filing an involuntary manslaughter charge.

Riley was not available Wednesday for comment.

Lupas this week said investigators are still looking into the case.

To see more of The Times Leader, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.leader.net

VOTING RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS FILE SUIT TO ENFORCE NVRA IN PA. - States News Service

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The following information was released by Demos:

Today, the Black Political Empowerment Project (B-PEP) and ACTION United filed suit against Secretary of the Commonwealth Carol Aichele, Secretary of Public Welfare, Gary D. Alexander and Secretary of Health, Dr. Eli N. Avila in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The plaintiffs, represented by a coalition of national voting rights groups including Demos, Project Vote and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, allege that the Commonwealth has systematically failed to comply with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). Since its 1993 enactment, the NVRA has helped ensure that low-income residents receive an opportunity to register to vote by mandating that all public assistance agencies offer voter registration services.

>>> READ THE COMPLAINT

The plaintiffs allege that the majority of clients seeking public assistance services in Pennsylvania are simply not being offered voter registration opportunities, and some public assistance agencies do not even have the voter registration forms available on request. Specifically, the Complaint alleges that, based on Pennsylvania's own submissions to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, the number of voter registration applications submitted at Pennsylvania public assistance offices decreased by a staggering 93% in recent years, from 59,462 in 1995-1996 to just 4,179 in 2009-2010. This steep decline in voter registrations is particularly significant because it occurred during the same period that both the population of the Commonwealth and the number of applicants for public assistance were increasing.

As a result of the Commonwealth's failures, the Plaintiffs are forced to expend resources helping to register citizens who would otherwise be registered by the Commonwealth.

The freedom to vote is the foundation of American democracy. It is the means by which Americans, regardless of class or race, control their lives and their futures.

'The freedom to vote is the foundation of American democracy. It is the means by which Americans, regardless of class or race, control their lives and their futures. The NVRA tasks all states, including the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with promoting and protecting this fundamental freedom,' said Dave Rubino, counsel at Demos. 'Right now, the Commonwealth is falling short on that task.'

In the past several years, lawsuits filed by the same voting rights groups have forced other states that had been disregarding the NVRA to comply, with dramatic results. For example, applications from Missouri public assistance agencies skyrocketed, from fewer than 8,000 a year to more than 130,000 a year, following settlement of a suit in that state in 2009. More than 360,000 low-income Ohioans have applied to register since a similar case was settled there at the end of 2009. Cases were also recently settled in New Mexico, Indiana and Georgia.

'Public assistance clients greatly benefit from accessible voter registration. Congress decided that these citizens shouldn't have to jump through additional hoops to register,' said Bob Kengle, co-director of the Lawyers' Committee's Voting Rights Project. 'Our interviews with public assistance clients showed that few had received voter registration applications when they should have, and some offices didn't even have voter registration applications on site when we asked for them.'

'Public assistance offices are in a unique position to increase voter registration rates among low-income citizens, the disabled and racial minorities,' said Sarah Brannon, director of the Public Agency Voter Registration Program for Project Vote. 'Pennsylvania should realize this potential and correct the inadequacies within its system.'

The national coalition had been attempting to work with the Commonwealth collaboratively on NVRA compliance for a number of years. Only when it became clear that the Commonwealth would not voluntarily come into compliance prior to the voter registration deadline for this year's elections did the group opt to take legal action. Among other things, the Complaint seeks an order directing defendants, under a court-approved plan, to take all actions necessary to remedy the past and continuing violations of Section 7 of the NVRA.

'The people in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and indeed the nation, who might benefit the most from having an ongoing, consistent and accessible opportunity to register to vote are low income residents. The opportunity for political empowerment and the opportunity to vote in each and every election cannot be underestimated,' said Tim Stevens, Chairman and CEO of B-PEP, 'It is imperative that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania meet its NVRA obligation.'

York Daily Record, Pa., Business People Column. - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

York Daily Record, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Nov. 4--CONNIE BILLET and Adi Reck of Jack Gaughen Realtor ERA have completed a class for CRS, or certified residential specialist, designation.

TERES M. SMETANA of Stambaugh Ness PC attended seminars sponsored by Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants on investment research and case studies and investment selection and monitoring.

THE NEWTON GROUP is starting its 10th year of business and has launched a Web site, www.newtongroup.com.

GERALD A. BARNETT of Lower Windsor Township has been elected president of Interstate Labor Standards Association. Barnett has been acting assistant director of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry's Bureau of Labor Law Compliance for 26 years and is the first Pennsylvania government official chosen for the post.

HARRY ZIMMERMAN has joined Commerce Bank as vice president and senior commercial lender for the bank's York Division.

JACK GAUGHEN Realtor ERA has hired Richard Williams Jr. and Marty Priddy, both of York, Kathy Koht of West York and Steve Dellinger of Dallastown as Realtors.

SUSAN P. BYRNES Health Education Center has hired Kara Longo as school health coordinator, Vanessa Marie Jordan as adult health educator and Dana M. Miller as gift planning coordinator.

DOLORES MOORE of York has joined The Longaberger Co. as an independent sales associate.

MICHAEL GAROFALO JR. has joined Allstate Financial Group as a personal finance representative.

KEITH MILLER has joined RGS Associates as project manager.

ROBERT M. FORD has been promoted to office managing partner of the Central Pennsylvania practice of Ernst and Young LLP.

ROBERT SHANNER has been selected head of school at York Country Day School for 2003-04. Shanner is currently assistant head of school.

-- We welcome items about York County people who have a new job, promotion or honor and businesses that have won awards. For guidelines, check out our Web site, www.ydr.com, and click on the Biz-Tech tab. To have a photograph returned, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

To see more of the York Daily Record, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.ydr.com

(c) 2002, York Daily Record, Pa. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

Bills requiring use of e-Verify advance to Pa. Senate - Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal

While most of the attention in the illegal immigration debate has been focused on Arizona, the Pennsylvania legislature has also been dealing with the issue.

Last month, the state house in Harrisburg passed two bills aimed squarely at employers who hire undocumented immigrants. Rep. John Galloway (D-Bucks) was the principal sponsor of House Bills 1502 and 1503, which would require contractors and subcontractors doing business in Pennsylvania to verify the employment eligibility of their employees through the federal government's e-Verify program or the Social Security Number Verification Service. Contractors fail to do so could be barred from state projects or even lose their state licenses or certifications. The measures, if they become law, are expected to impact the construction industry most.

'Too many good-paying jobs are being lost, and many trades are being decimated by illegal and unfair practices that have afflicted the construction industry,' Galloway said. 'Because illegal immigrants are willing to work under the radar for less pay and no benefits, they are taking construction trades jobs from well-trained, dedicated Pennsylvania workers. My bills would protect jobs and level the playing field for honest companies that do the right thing.'

There are an estimated 35,000 illegal construction workers in Pennsylvania. The unemployment rate in the construction industry is over 35 percent In addition to the negative impact on jobs, Galloway said illegal employment brings fiscal strain to local communities and the state.

'We are losing millions of dollars in an underground economy,' he said. 'Contractors who employ illegal workers don't pay taxes. Illegal workers don't pay taxes yet put a strain on our education, judicial system and health-care systems that our taxpayers pay to support. H.B.1502 would ensure that taxpayer dollars being spent to create jobs for Pennsylvanians.'

Galloway said his motivation for introducing the bills was similar to that of the recent, much harsher, legislation in Arizona.

'Inaction by the federal government on immigration issues is forcing Pennsylvania to take up this issue,' he said. He also noted that, although Democrats at the federal level had expressed dismay at the Arizona laws, here in Pennsylvania the proposed bills have broad bipartisan support.

Among the Democrats voting for the bills was John Yudichak, (D-Luzerne).

'These bills are about protecting thousands of jobs,' he said. 'The Center for Immigration Studies estimates that in 2009, between 18,000 and 35,000 construction jobs were being held by illegal workers. It is time for Pennsylvania to protect our hard-working citizens and punish companies that are breaking the law by hiring illegal workers.'

The bipartisan vote doesn't surprise Susan Guerette, a partner at the Radnor, Pa: based law firm of Fisher & Phillips.

'With the unemployment rate where it is, there is pressure to protect U.S. jobs and workers. Leaders on both sides of the aisle have an interest in that and there is public support for it. There is also frustration with the federal government that it is not addressing immigration. This is really a federal issue, but there has not been any action at the federal level so the states are stepping in to fill that void.

Still, she acknowledges that these particular bills may be focusing on a business where Americans do want to work.

'The construction industry was targeted because it is one of the main problems in illegal unemployment,' Bond said. 'With about 35 percent unemployment in that industry, Pennsylvania has an estimated 35,000 illegal construction workers, and you can imagine the tax and social welfare implications of that.'

Guerette also worries about the effect a patchwork of such laws may have for large employers. Fourteen states and the federal government use some form of e-Verify.

'Having states enact their own particular bills creates a dynamic where companies that do work in a number of different states have to learn the requirements of each particular state, which can be complicated and burdensome.'

On the plus side, she notes, 'employers who use e-Verify also gain the presumption that they did not employ someone knowing that they weren't authorized to work.'

Of course, there are still some concerns about the e-Verify system itself. Critics say the system is still rife with errors.