I recently celebrated my 47th birthday. While most folks my age probably wouldn’t tell you that, I have no problem with it. Beats the alternative. Besides, I got all sorts of neat presents. My Significant Other got me tickets to the Roots Picnic on Penn’s Landing, which turned out to be a day-long concert I thoroughly enjoyed. My Mom, who decided a long time ago that she was tired of shopping for presents for her five grown kids, gave me money. I also had friends take me to lunch, take me to the movies, and even go shopping with me, which I really, really enjoyed. But there’s one birthday gift that I’m hoping I’ll still get, and it’s one only the Republican National Committee can give me. That gift? Well, I’d love it if they would schedule one of their Presidential Candidate debates here in Philly. Preferably at the Constitution Center. Now, why would I want to see seven (possibly eight if Jon Huntsman formalizes his decision to join the fray) Republican candidates spend two hours talking about how big a failure President Barack Obama is? Because if Monday night’s debate in New Hampshire is any indication, I’ll be thoroughly amused, almost to the point where I’m laughing so hard I’ll throw up. I spent 90 minutes Monday night watching the old: (Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich) the new (Tim Pawlenty) and the Tea Party (Michelle Bachmann, Herman Cain) take questions from CNN newsman (?!) John King. The debate actually lasted two hours, but Monday just happened to be the Significant Other’s birthday, so I took him to the late night showing of X-Men: First Class shortly before the debate ended. If I were looking to learn how the GOP plans to campaign against President Obama in 2012, I would have learned a lot from Monday’s gathering. This gang of seven didn’t talk nearly as much about the ways in which they were different from each other as they did trying to convince folks any of them would be better than the current occupant of the White House. But if I wanted to learn what these folks would do if they were elected about such important (Cont. Page 30)
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Former JUDGE JIMMIE MOORE has thrown his hat into the ring against City CHAIRMAN CONGRESSMAN BOB BRADY. Moore presents an interesting challenge to Brady in that he is African American. The District, which Brady has represented well for multiple terms, is about 50% African American. To outsiders, Brady would seem to be in hot water. But those who understand Philadelphia politics know Brady will call in as many favors as he needs and should be able to win easily. MIKE FANNING, the endorsed candidate for Common Pleas Court Judge will likely land a job in Family Court. He chose not to go to work for outgoing COMMISSIONER MARGE TARTAGLIONE, as the job would have likely been short term. Tartaglione lost her bid for reelection. STEPHANIE SINGER, who helped defeat Tartaglione, continues to be the reformer who plays backroom politics. She must continue to build her alliances to be relevant as City Commissioner. Otherwise, word on the street is her supporters from the primary may support her fellow Democratic City Commissioner for Majority Chair, ANTHONY CLARK. BILL RUBIN has been running a full-time campaign against Republican incumbent BRIAN O’NEILL in the 10th Councilmanic Dist. He continues to raise money and knock on doors. The rumor is O’Neill is feeling not just the heat of summer, but the heat of competition. JONATHAN SAIDEL has turned into a vocal opponent of MAYOR MICHAEL NUTTER. He led a rally of Teamsters and soft-drink employees against the Mayor’s proposed tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. STATE SENS. SHIRLEY KITCHEN and MIKE STACK are said to be devising a plan to gain control of the School District. Philadelphia Senators have grown tired of the lack of accountability that the School District and Mayor provide to Harrisburg and may be moving toward an elected school board. JOHN DOUGHERTY, the head of Local 98, has been basking in the glory of BOB HENON’S Council victory. He continues to build alliances with Northeast Ward Leaders, including Sen. Stack. Nutter appeared in Northeast Philadelphia with local elected officials including STATE REP. MIKE McGEEHAN and State Sen. Mike Stack. He paid special tribute to retiring (Cont. Page 30)
The Public Record • June 16, 2011
Yo! Here we go again with these tips for using coffee filters that Amy M., a reader sent to me as some very useful information. Buy the filters at the dollar store and use them to: cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave; clean windows, mirrors, and chrome since they are lint-free so they’ll leave windows sparkling; protect china by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter. Here are some more things you can do with coffee filters. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter. Weigh chopped foods. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter. Use strips of coffee filters to wax eyebrows. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc. on them; they soak out all the grease. Keep them in the bathroom; they make great “razor-nick fixers.” Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills. Use them to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls. Use them to sprout seeds. Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a zip-lock plastic bag until they sprout. Use coffee filters as blotting paper for pressed flowers. Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book. And you can use them as a disposable “snack bowl” for popcorn, chips, etc. Oh yeah, by the way, they are great to use in your coffee-maker.
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Has MICHAEL MEEHAN found religion? Last week at a Republican City Committee meeting, City Committee’s Counsel gave an impassioned speech on the importance of Philadelphia Republicans’ offering an alternative voice to the ruling Democratic Party on the issues. I was out of town that week, but all the Elephants were buzzing about it when I got home and they haven’t quit yet. Specifically, Meehan noted he had reached out to ADAM LANG and NATHAN SHRADER to help with this endeavor. Both Lang and Shrader have written op-ed pieces on various issues, and have close ties to the insurgent faction of the Party. A lot of folks were impressed by Meehan’s appeal. Few can recall any point in time during Meehan’s almost 20 years of leadership of the Philadelphia Republican Party when he put any real emphasis on issues. Did he have an epiphany and decide traditional Republican values of smaller government and fiscal restraint are important? Did he see the Republican tidal wave that hit the US House of Representatives as something from which the RCC could benefit? Or did he note from recent primary results that issue-oriented candidates such as AL SCHMIDT and DAVID OH performed well? He had not endorsed Schmidt and appeared to only reluctantly back Oh. But Republican voters, if given a choice, seem to like issue-oriented candidates. Subsequent to the RCC meeting, Republican mayoral candidate KAREN BROWN was among those citizens who offered public comment to Philadelphia City Council on the issue of DROP. Throughout the primary campaign, Brown was light on the issues. She has now declared DROP and a possible tax increase to finance our mismanaged school system are important issues. Way to go, Karen! Also at last week’s meeting, Meehan quoted RONALD REAGAN, who admonished Republicans who criticized other Republicans. We understand Meehan may be offended by criticisms of his leadership. During active primaries, however, candidates differentiate themselves from others sometimes through negative commentary. That’s what Philadelphia Republicans just had – a contested primary – and many Party activists on all sides reported they enjoyed the experience! But with it came some rough and tumble. STATE REP. JOHN TAYLOR sent a letter to all Republican committeepersons stating those who supported AL SCHMIDT for Commissioner only cared “about their own agenda,” that “they have no in(Cont. Page 30)