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Under
the gun

hen
it
comes to
protecting
Philadelphians from
the most violent criminals,
the mayoral contenders
have a hard act to follow in
Mayor Nutter and his top
cop, Police Commissioner
Charles H. Ramsey.
The murder rate is down
sharply, and all the citys
violent crime has declined
as it has nationally.
Also on Nutters watch,
the city has taken the lead
in spurring efforts to stem
the tide of illegal guns
across Pennsylvania. While
handguns the weapons
used to commit most murders remain readily
available in inner-city
neighborhoods, the mayor,
joined by City Council, ushered in new gun limits that
were potent enough to
spark a fierce and continuing legal battle with the National Rifle Association.

| EDITORIAL

What the next mayor can do

to protect Philadelphians
from violent crime and
illegal firearms.

For Nutters successor,

moving the needle on illegal guns and the culture of
violence they feed will
mean taking up the reins
on some of the mayors initiatives, such as the push
for Harrisburg to mandate
reporting of lost and stolen weapons.
But Philadelphias next
leader should also be expected to stretch the
boundaries of whats being
done in targeted policing,
violence prevention, and
social safety net programs
that steer teens in particular away from violent
crime.
With a clear policy focus
on stemming gun violence
Anthony Williams pledges to go so far as assigning
a top aide to the task a
new mayor can signal the
citys determination to
take these efforts to the
next level. What Jim Kenney and Williams wisely
recognize as the proven
methods of focused deterrence, which seeks to
identify the relatively
small number of people

Markers at the scene of a

shooting in the citys
Nicetown section last
month. JOSEPH KACZMAREK
likely to be caught up in
gun crimes, should be expanded preferably to
reach every troubled corner of the city.
And just as its important to jump-start and extend violence prevention
strategies, the work to
find ex-cons jobs and
skills that Kenney suggests, the police sensitivity training that Doug Oliver touts, the after-school
programs that Melissa
Murray Bailey promotes,
and the broader policy efforts to address the causes
of crime that Nelson Diaz
suggests would take aim
at the problem in useful
ways.
From an enforcement
perspective, its a widely
shared view that cracking
down on straw gun purchasers is vital. Lynne
Abraham can point to experience with that as a
former district attorney,
as can Williams, who
helped found a gun violence task force. Its less
clear that the gun buyback
programs pushed by
Bailey make much of an
impact.
Primary voters could be
forgiven for coming away
wanting more from the
candidates on gun violence. And much of what
the city can achieve is determined some two hours
drive from City Hall. Harrisburgs antipathy toward
any gun policy opposed by
the NRA will remain one
of the greatest hurdles for
the next mayor.
That means the new administration must marshal
average Pennsylvanians
evident support for more
sensible gun laws. In the
meantime, the mayor will
have to lead the city in going it alone with the smart,
aggressive, local antiviolence strategies within its
power.

COMMENTARY

On bootleggers and Baptists

moking, said King James I Baptists wanted laws closing liquor

in 1604, is loathsome to stores on Sundays to promote piety,
the eye, hateful to the and bootleggers wanted such laws
nose, harmful to the brain, to create an unserved market.
dangerous to the lungs.
Today, New York has the highest
Three years later, he planted a colo- state cigarette tax ($4.35 per pack
ny in Jamestown. Its tobacco en- plus a $1.50 New York City tax) and
hanced the royal treasury until Vir- North Carolina has the sixth-lowest
ginia produced a bumper crop of (45 cents), so naturally Interstate 95
revolutionaries, including the tobac- is a corridor for smuggled cigaco farmer George Washington.
rettes, which in 2013 were nearly 60
King James might have been less percent of New Yorks cigarette marcensorious about vaping,
ket. Proclaiming morality
which almost certainly is
while practicing cupidity,
less harmful than inhaling
states have tried to hit the
chemicals produced by the
sweet spot of cigarette taxcombustion of tobacco. Uses high enough to maxiers of e-cigarettes inhale vamize revenue without expors from electronic sticks
cessively discouraging
containing a liquid with nicsmoking.
otine, which is addictive
States addicted to tobacand perhaps particularly
co taxes need a large and
GEORGE WILL
unhealthy for adolescent
renewable supply of smok"@GeorgeWillRSS
brains. Between 2013 and
ers, so they wince whenev2014 the use of e-cigarettes
er an e-cigarette displaces
by middle- and high-school students a traditional cigarette. As Yandle
tripled, and it now exceeds that co- and three colleagues explain in the
horts use of traditional cigarettes.
current issue of Regulation quarterE-cigarettes, sometimes flavored to ly, state governments are now boottempt the immature (Unicorn Puke, leggers masquerading as Baptists,
Stoned Smurf, German Chocolate and many are in a bind.
Beefcake), might be gateway
In 1998, acting on the dubious propdrugs, leading to tobacco cigarettes. osition that smoking costs governCurrently, however, e-cigarettes often ments substantial sums (actually, cigaare substitutes for them. So, prepare rettes are one of the most heavily
for regulations combining high-mind- taxed consumer products, and one in
edness and low cunning.
three smokers dies prematurely, beE-cigarettes raise public health is- fore fully collecting government medisues but also illustrate the unhealthy cal, pension, and nursing-home entitleprocess by which public policy often ments), the tobacco companies
is made. They illustrate a familiar phe- agreed to pay 46 states $206 billion
nomenon, the cooperation between through 2025. Some states, impatient
bootleggers and Baptists, meaning to spend their windfall, securitized
merchants and moralists those mo- the future revenue in tobacco bonds.
tivated by profits and those motivated Now, as vaping supplants some smokby social improvement.
ing, there is a new cadre of bootlegIn 1983, Bruce Yandle, then a gers the holders of tobacco bonds.
Clemson University economist who They are supposed to be paid from a
now is at George Mason Universi- revenue stream from smokers (disprotys Mercatus Center, had an epipha- portionately low-income and low-inforny: Regulations often come from a mation people), so they will urge regucounterintuitive convergence of lations that discourage e-cigarettes.
pressures from two groups, the ear- Or that bring e-cigarettes under the
nestness of one providing cover for 1998 agreement, perhaps by declaring
the others avarice. In his example, them tobacco products because the

nicotine can come from tobacco.

In exchange for the big cigarette
companies payments, the 1998 agreement gave them tobacco marketing
restrictions, which they welcomed.
The restrictions impede the entrance
of new competitors into the field, and
hinder smaller companies from using
cigarette advertising for its primary
purpose, which is not to create new
smokers but to capture a larger market share of existing smokers.
E-cigarettes can expect similar
bootlegging regulations, couched in
moralistic cadences. Also, manufacturers of nicotine-replacement therapies (e.g., nicotine patches and gum)
will be bootleggers seeking regulations that will discourage people
from thinking e-cigarettes are a relatively safe way to enjoy nicotine.
Yandles hypothesis is given many
illustrations, from environmental
regulations to Obamacare, in a new
book, Bootleggers & Baptists, coauthored with his economist grandson,
Adam Smith. Yandles hypothesis expands public choice theory, which
demystifies and de-romanticizes government by applying economic analysis how incentives influence behavior to politicians and bureaucrats. It rebuts the fiction that such
officials are more disinterested than
actors in the private sector. Yandle
does the same thing regarding many
of those who seek regulations.
Life would be sweeter if people
would forgo the pleasures of inhaling smoke and vapors that do not
improve the air, which is plentiful
and untaxed. And government
would be better if more people
were clear-eyed about how Baptists
and bootleggers collaborate.
George Will is a Washington Post
columnist. +georgewill@washpost.com

Trudy Rubins Worldview

column from Erbil, the capital
of Iraqi Kurdistan, will appear
Friday.

Phillys celebration of science Other paths to learning

By Donald E. Morel Jr.
and Larry Dubinski

hiladelphia has long been

a city of scientific achievement. Today, we are a hub
for many technology-based industries, especially pharmaceuticals and aerospace. Our colleges
and universities are educating
the next generation of doctors,
engineers, researchers, and scientifically literate citizens. We
are home to a wide range of businesses inventing new products
and processes, encouraging innovation, and employing the
power of science to heal, create,
educate, and entertain.
Today, the Franklin Institute
Awards celebrate 10 of the
worlds most accomplished men
and women in science. These international luminaries join a legacy that stretches back 191
years, to 1824. In 1990, we added
awards for scientific leadership
and business and philanthropy,
recognizing that taking new
products to market and funding
research are essential parts of
the process by which science
and technology change the
world. Albert Einstein traveled
to the institute to accept the
Franklin Medal, as did Marie
and Pierre Curie, Jane Goodall,
Orville Wright, Alexander Graham Bell, Bill Gates, and
Stephen Hawking. The Nobel
Prize has the honor of sharing

116 of our laureates.

This evening, we will add to
this distinguished list. Among
them will be Jean-Pierre Kruth,
a Belgian scientist, for his pioneering research in additive
manufacturing otherwise
known as 3-D printing and
Elissa L. Newport, a researcher
at Georgetown University Medical Center, for her work on language development and on improving methods for language recovery after damage to the
brain. Two recipients showcase
talent at the University of Pennsylvania: Charles L. Kane and
Eugene J. Mele share the 2015
Benjamin Franklin Medal in
Physics with Shoucheng Zhang
of Stanford University.
There is not room here to recognize all our award winners,
but it is difficult to overstate the
impact of science and technology on our lives. We recognize
these achievements not only to
praise these remarkable individuals, but also to help us appreciate the power, possibilities, and
challenges of science and technology.
That is why we follow the
award ceremony with Fridays
start of the fifth annual Philadelphia Science Festival. This region-wide celebration convenes
210 partners from nonprofit, academic, and corporate fields to
present more than 100 events
over nine days that bring Phila-

delphians together around science in parks, restaurants, and

neighborhood centers. The festival fosters collaboration among
our regions science and technology stakeholders and allows
tens of thousands of people of
all ages to interact with both science and scientists.
Philadelphia is having a renaissance in many ways. Bright
young people are attracted to
our arts and culture scene, and
our economy is forging ahead.
Now lets add celebrating Philadelphia as a city of science to
the list.
From improving public health,
to developing diverse and sustainable energy sources to appreciating the wonders of the night
sky, we can harness science and
technology to enrich our lives.
Science can bring us together,
help us know ourselves better,
and connect us to the world. A
city that celebrates science is
one that values curious, informed, and engaged citizens.
Benjamin Franklin once noted, An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. In
celebrating science and the accomplishments of our laureates,
that interest is compounded
many times for the benefit of all.
Donald E. Morel Jr. is the chair of
the board of trustees at the Franklin
Institute (www.fi.edu). Larry Dubinski
is the institutes president and CEO.

By Lynn McMaster

hiladelphias literacy gap

is jeopardizing our collective future. We know that
students who dont read at proficient levels by fourth grade are
many times more likely to fall
behind and drop out of school;
that 85 percent of minors in the
court system are illiterate; and
that Philadelphia has one of the
lowest reading proficiency rates
among major U.S. cities.
Bridging these gaps is a hotbutton issue in the mayoral race
and at the top of school agendas
but it will never happen unless we, as a city rich in culture
and conviction, work together to
harness the power of nontraditional education.
The ecology of learning does
not get the attention it deserves.
Research shows, and most learning professionals agree, that 80
percent of learning happens outside the classroom, which is exactly why we need to cultivate
highly accessible educational experiences that complement formal schooling opportunities
that support literacy as the gateway to a more promising future
for Philadelphia.
For decades, developing early
literacy skills has been core to
our work at the Please Touch
Museum. This weekends 30th
annual Book Awards and Storybook Ball is an example. And
while were proud to be the first

childrens museum in the country to honor outstanding childrens literature, our work goes
far beyond promoting a lifelong
love of books and learning. It
exemplifies how fun, interactive
activities can build a strong
foundation of language, cognitive, and emotional skills that
are fundamental for success in
school and later in life.
Learning through play is one
of the most powerful experiences
a child can have. It excites. Its
effective. Its importance is hard
to overstate. But it cannot function alone, just as formal education cannot succeed in isolation.
Only by recognizing the significant merits of nontraditional education and strategically leveraging its potential will we make
meaningful progress in closing
the citys literacy gap. Promising
efforts are underway across the
region, but we cant each go it
alone.
We must take an inclusive approach to cultivating young
learners and work together as
teachers of all types classroom educators, business and
community leaders, politicians,
parents, and neighbors to foster a cohesive learning ecosystem that will enable the next generation of Philadelphians, and
our city, to flourish.
Lynn McMaster is CEO of the Please
Touch Museum
(www.pleasetouchmuseum.org).