Philly isn’t satisfied with its government; Bridgegate gets its day at the Supreme Court | Morning Newsletter

The city government really wanted to know what Philadelphia residents thought of it. They got their answer. In short, Philadelphians are unsatisfied. And in other news this morning, the 2013 New Jersey political revenge scandal that involved allies of then-Gov. Chris Christie was the subject of a hearing at the Supreme Court yesterday, a former Penn State football player alleges that he was hazed during his time on the team, and there’s a controversy over what might happen with a dam in Luzerne County that’s important for a number of reasons.

— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

Philadelphians aren’t satisfied. And they made that clear.

When asked to rate city services, just 31% said they were excellent or good. A survey also asked about the top issue that the city should focus on improving, residents’ satisfaction with the quality of the city’s schools, access to jobs that pay a living wage, and more.

Several Supreme Court justices expressed skepticism that onetime allies of Christie had committed federal crimes in the political revenge plot now known as Bridgegate. Two Christie allies were convicted, and one of them spent time in jail. They asked the court to overturn the verdict and declare they committed no crime. Surprisingly, Christie appeared at yesterday’s hearing.

One of the main questions was whether Christie’s aides defrauded the government by misusing resources of a federally funded agency. The charges stemmed from their involvement in a 2013 scheme that caused a days-long traffic jam in Fort Lee by reducing the number of open lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge. Their goal was to punish the town’s mayor for not endorsing Christie’s reelection campaign, according to evidence from the trial.

This is a story about salt. And not just in the way New Yorkers and Pennsylvanians might feel about each other.

Here’s what’s going on: a dam in Luzerne County is used to control flood risks, with recreation (such as whitewater rafting) added as a later purpose with regular water releases from May to September that churn out rapids. A new study that’s partially funded by New York City has some local residents concerned that those releases could be curtailed in order to keep the Delaware River’s salt line below Philadelphia’s drinking-water intake. If the salt line gets too high, it could contaminate Philadelphia’s drinking water supply. Currently, New York City’s drinking-water reservoirs release enough freshwater to help keep that salt line away from Philly.

Great shot, @anthony.difilippo. Thanks for sharing!

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“Why is this happening? Because racism is alive and well. The twinkle I had in my eye when I learned that Meghan and Harry were engaged in November 2017 has been snuffed out. Back then, I thought that perhaps the home of colonization and imperialism had moved past its racist history, that a woman who at one point would have had to enter the palace through the back door would be respected and loved and protected by the most powerful family in the land.” — columnist Elizabeth Wellington writes about Meghan Markle and how being a princess isn’t a fairy tale if you’re black.

″It’s like I’m a Loch Ness right now, or Bigfoot. What’s alive but you don’t see all the time? Like a baby pigeon. ... When’s the last time you seen a baby pigeon?” Pa’Trice Frazier said about being a black female welder. She’s a 34-year-old master welder and instructor.