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OPINION Toe the Line: Philadelphia municipal election Vote blue tomorrow
MONDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2015 VOL. CXXXI, NO. 94 131st Year of Publication
MATT MANTICA President JILL CASTELLANO Editor-in-Chief SHAWN KELLEY Opinion Editor LUKE CHEN Director of Online Projects LAUREN FEINER City News Editor KRISTEN GRABARZ Campus News Editor CLAIRE COHEN Assignments Editor PAOLA RUANO Copy Editor RILEY STEELE Senior Sports Editor COLIN HENDERSON Sports Editor LANE HIGGINS Sports Editor HOLDEN MCGINNIS Sports Editor CARTER COUDRIET Creative Director KATE JEON Design Editor JOYCE VARMA Design Editor HENRY LIN Online Graphics Editor IRINA BIT-BABIK News Photo Editor ILANA WURMAN Sports Photo Editor TIFFANY PHAM Photo Manager MEGAN YAN Business Manager SAM RUDE Advertising Manager ALYSSA BERLIN Marketing Manager EMMA HARVEY Analytics Manager MAX KURUCAR Circulation Manager
THIS ISSUE HARRY TRUSTMAN Associate Copy Editor LUCIEN WANG Associate Copy Editor
tem’s creation in 1968. This means that whoever is elected will have the practical equivalent of a life term. Vote on Tuesday because the winner will have a voice in important judicial disputes for years to come. Along with the statewide races, Philadelphia will elect a new mayor. With Mayor Penn democrats Michael Nutter restricted by term limits, Penn Democrats he 2016 presidenhas proudly endorsed Demotial election has cratic nominee Jim Kenney captivated our nato be the next mayor of Philation’s collective delphia. As a strong advocate interest, with televised deof criminal justice reform, bates best resembling ComLGBTQ rights and economic edy Central roasts. However, development, we are excited there are truly influential about the work Kenney will races just around the corner; do as mayor. they just happen to be decidThe rights availed to us edly less sexy. today were not always availMany students at Penn able. America became a more strive to be agents of change perfect union when the Votand make an impact on sociing Rights Act of 1965 was ety. One of the most powerful signed in to ways to serve law. It gave our community everyone is to exercise an opportuyour right and duty to vote. This election will also shape the extent of nity to have This election is social and economic rights in Pennsylvania their voices heard when vital for Pennfor the forseeable future.” it purged sylvania and the last vesfor Philadeltiges of disphia in particular. It is our duty to stand up and churn out 12 of 18 dis- crimination from the electoral tricts that are heavily Repub- system. Now, that progress is and participate. In Pennsylvania, one of lican. It is clear that we need being undermined. With the the most significant elections to change the commission in Shelby v. Holder decision in in over three centuries will order to ensure fairness in our 2013 (which invalidated some occur next Tuesday. On Nov. elections so Pennsylvania’s portions of the VRA), some 3, Pennsylvanians will go to voice is most effectively rep- states rushed to restrict votpolls to decide state and lo- resented in Congress. ing through Voter ID laws. This election will also We owe it to those who came cal races, and among them are open seats on the Pennsylva- shape the extent of social and before us, who fought for the nia Supreme Court. For the economic rights in Pennsyl- VRA, who are still fighting first time since 1704, there are vania for the foreseeable fu- for equal representation at three seats on the court up for ture. Supreme Court justices, the ballot box, to exercise the election. With three Republi- elected to 10-year terms, will right they worked so hard to cans and two Democrats on have a decade to influence protect. Only by casting our the court right now, this elec- policy issues such as LGBTQ ballots for those who chamtion will decide which party discrimination, police reform pion fair and equitable voting controls the state’s judicial and school funding. access for all can we take the However, the likelihood of steps in order to restore credbranch. The importance of the upcoming Supreme Court any justice only serving one ibility to our electoral system. election and, by extension, the term is infinitesimal. PennVote for the Democratic importance of voting on next sylvania has a unique system ticket on Tuesday for a betTuesday cannot be overstated. where incumbent justices ter Philadelphia and a better In Pennsylvania, the inde- do not run in open elections Pennsylvania. Take advantage pendent redistricting commis- against opponents but in- of this opportunity. sion is composed, automati- stead face retention elections, cally, of two representatives where voters can only vote — Ari Goldfine C ‘19 from both the Democratic “Yes” or “No” on whether to Lawrence Perry C ‘18 and Republican parties. The keep that judge. This system Rachel Pomerantz C ‘19 Pennsylvania Supreme Court has translated into only one Penn Democrats represencan appoint a “tie-breaking” incumbent judge losing a re- tatives. member to the independent tention election since the sysinfo@penndems.com
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redistricting commission, which will decide how state legislative and congressional districts are drawn after the 2020 census. This dynamic places the Supreme Court race at the center of how the state determines electoral representation. Essentially, whichever party controls the Pennsylvania Supreme Court controls future state redistricting. If we could elect a Democratic-controlled Supreme Court, then the horrendous gerrymandering that the GOP state legislature forced on Pennsylvania in 2011 could be absolved. With the nonpartisan RealClearPolitics calling the 2011 redistricting the “Gerrymander of the Decade,” Republicans were able to take a state that has voted for a Democrat in the last six presidential elections
Go vote! The next state judicial race is for the one vacancy on the 15-seat Pennsylvania Superior Court. This court is one of the two intermediate appellate courts for Pennsylvania. Cases that end up before the Superior Court involve most appealed cases from the Courts of Common Pleas. The Superior Court also reCOLLEGE REPUBLICANS views wiretapping requests made by the state and district hile everyone attorneys. Emil Giordano is has been tunthe Republican running in ing into the this race and is currently a presidential judge on the Court of Comdebates and following the latmon Pleas for Northampton est comments from Donald County. He has been on the Trump, this is all for an eleccourt since 2003. He received tion more than a year away. It his Juris Doctor degree from may not be as widely known Villanova University in 1985 that there is in fact an elecand has served as an assistant tion tomorrow as well. On district attorney out of law Tuesday, voters will have the school. He then went on to be opportunity to vote on an aran attorney in the private secray of local and state issues tor before seeking the Courts that will have a significant of Comimpact on our mon Pleas local comjudgeship. munity. While There the election tomorrow may Your one vote is the same vote ‘everyone is a vacannot have the else’ receives, and it matters just as much.” cy on the nine-seat high-profile Pennsylvanames that are nia Comin the news every day, this election will and believes that the Court’s monwealth Court as well this have a significant impact. sole responsibility is to re- year. This is Pennsylvania’s College Republicans urges all view the laws passed by the second appellate court and those students registered to legislature. Her endorsements hears cases mostly dealing vote in tomorrow’s election include the Pennsylvania with cases against regulatory here in Philadelphia to do so. State Troopers Association, agencies of the government, The most visible office on Pennsylvania Pro-Life and the eminent domain cases, elections, workers’ compensation, the ballot here in Philadelphia Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The final Republican banking, insurance and more. is that for Mayor Michael running is Anne Covey. She The Republican running in Nutter’s successor. College Republicans en- is currently a judge on the this election is Paul Lalley. A dorses the Republican candi- Pennsylvania Commonwealth Penn undergrad alumnus, he date, Melissa Murray Bailey, Court. In this position she is currently working with a for mayor. We believe she of- was instrumental in the case private law firm. Regardless of who you fers a youthful change to Phil- against the NCAA in its settleadelphia politics and offers ment with Penn State Univer- vote for, College Republicans solutions to the city’s prob- sity over the Sandusky scan- urges those students eligible lems not heard in the political dal. She was insistent that the to vote in tomorrow’s elecmoney paid in the settlement tions to do so. Your one vote discussion nearly enough. Another set of elections be kept in Pennsylvania and is the same vote “everyone that will be particularly con- be used to help sex abuse vic- else” receives, and it matters sequential this year is the tims in the state. Her endorse- just as much. — College Republican elections for the Pennsylva- ments include the Local No. nia Supreme Court. There 22 Philadelphia Firefighters Editorial Board penncollegerepublicans@ is an unprecedented three and Paramedics Union, Pennseats open for election on the sylvania Pro-Life Federation gmail.com seven-seat Court. The five and Pennsylvanians for Effeccurrently filled seats are oc- tive Government.
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cupied by three Republicans and two Democrats. So the balance of the Court hangs on the outcome of this election tomorrow. College Republicans endorses the three Republican candidates running for the positions. The first candidate is Michael George. He is currently serving on the Adams County Court of Common Pleas and has held that position since 2002. Before that he served as the Adams County District Attorney. He is endorsed by the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association. The next candidate running is Judy Olson. Currently she serves on Pennsylvania Superior Court. She graduated second in her law class and worked in the private sector before obtaining her judgeship. She is an advocate against “judicial activism”
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JIANING WANG Associate Copy Editor SUNNY CHEN Associate Copy Editor
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ELAINE LEE Associate Copy Editor NICK BUCHTA Associate Sports Copy Editor OLLY LIU Associate Photo Editor LULU WANG Associate Photo Editor JACOB ADLER Associate Sports Editor TOM NOWLAN Associate Sports Editor ISABEL KIM Deputy News Editor
Unsigned editorials appearing on this page represent the opinion of The Daily Pennsylvanian as determined by the majority of the Editorial Board. All other columns, letters and artword represent the opinion of their authors and are not necessarily representative of the DP’s position.
sam sherman is a College senior from Marblehead, Mass. His email is samsherman6@gmail.com.