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Our Opinion ... Blackwell Remedy
The Public Record • August 7, 2008
The homeless have been with us since time immemorial. Their numbers fluctuate depending on a variety of reasons. But their numbers can be mitigated and the lives of many them can be turned around. Since almost all things can be handled if enough people decide to work together to make them happen, Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell’s announced goal to rid this city of homelessness, in her words “without which this city can never be great,” are definitely on the right track. She not only has her Council peers talking about the subject and supporting her proposals, but she now has the ears of the State Legislature through the efforts of State Sen. Anthony Williams, who is proposing a fact-finding, solution-oriented committee formed from local, State and Federal officials and those involved in aiding the homeless. Should that take place shortly, there is little doubt the funding sources now used can be arranged to insure any new programming evolving from this effort will be sustainable. We salute the Councilwoman on her focused goal.
National Night Out Designed to help communities take back their neighborhoods from criminal elements, Night Out celebrations do have some effect. In the communities where the celebration is held, neighbors get to meet each other and avail themselves of police, health and other safety aids. We are now in our 25th year of marking National Night Out. The City has done what it can to promote the cause. But like everything else, the people who need preaching to, were not at any of the events in the numbers they needed to be. That means we will continue to worry, speak out against, and rally on the streets each time someone falls victim to senseless street killings. What we need is a Night Out event every other month in which every arm of the law takes to the streets to round up those who have outstanding warrants against them, and to make sure a court is in place that won’t let them out immediately after they come before the judges. This will work to cut crime and killings, since it is obvious many of those committing crime are those who have ignored warrants to appear for previous crimes.
Another Opinion What’s Wrong With Selling Your Vote? independent votes he needs to win in November. This creates a problem. If he goes too far in buying independent votes, he may have to return votes he already bought from left-leaning Democrats during the primaries. His updated positions on the Iraqi occupation, the death penalty, handgun bans, campaign finance, money for religious groups, and immunity for telecom companies that illegally helped the Bush administration wiretap us without warrants have upset people who thought their vote sales were final. In politics no sales are final. John McCain may have a
Aug. 9- Doo Wop Philadelphia Festival raising funds for Philadelphia Veterans MultiService & Education Ctr. at Penn’s Landing Great Plaza, 1-7 p.m. For info call Trish Burke (215) 923-2600, ext. 34. Aug. 9- State Rep. Ron Waters’ Village Family Reunion at Frances Myers Rec Ctr., 58th & Kingsessing, 12 m.-8 p.m. Free family fun with zone for children. For information call (215) 748-6712. Vendors should inquire. Aug. 13- Committee to ReElect John Taylor Beach Ball Bash, Lighthouse Pointe Restaurant, Wildwood, N.J., 2-6 p.m. For information call (215) 545-2244. Aug. 16- Travel with Democratic 47th Ward Leader George Brooks to Baltimore Crab Fest. Buses board at
Progress Plaza, 7 a.m. All you can eat crabs, lobsters, shrimp, open bar and entertainment. Tickets $125. For info (215) 235-2235 or (267) 235-3334. Aug. 19- Stu Bykofsky Candidates Comedy Night at Finnigan’s Wake, 3rd & Spring Garden Sts., 7 p.m. Tickets $100. Featured Congressmen Bob Brady and Pat Murphy, Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz, State Sen. Vincent Fumo, other politicos. For tickets write Variety, c/o Ellen Ganley, 2nd floor, 1520 Locust St., Philadelphia, PA 19102 or call (215) 735-0803. Aug. 21- Sen. Christine Tartaglione hosts annual Community Picnic at Norris Sq. Park, 2nd & Norris Sts., 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Family fun. All invited. For further info (214) 291-4653. Aug. 24- Billy Meehan’s 24th annual Clambake at Canstatter Volksfest Verein, 9130 Academy Rd., 4-8 p.m. Tickets $85, available at door and by calling Republican City Committee (215) 561-0650.
Aug. 29- Young Democrats Host Membership sign-up, $10, at Fiso Lounge, 1427 South St., starting at 6 p.m. Sep. 8COPE-PAC Fundraiser at Phillies vs. Marlins, 7:05 p.m. game time. $250 includes food, drink at Roof Top Bleachers. For info call Joni Bernard (15) 665-9800. Sep. 3- Let’s Love Logan festival on Wyoming Ave. from Broad to 11th St., 12 m.-8 p.m. For info call Michael Hayward (215) 324-7036. Sep. 7- Councilwoman Joan Krajewski’s party at Wissinoming Yacht Club, Devereaux & Delaware Ave.,2-6 p.m. Tickets $25. Call Kathy Price (215) 624-1872. Sep. 15- Monday Night Football with State Rep. John Taylor, Romano’s Catering, Wingohocking St. For info (215) 545-2244. Oct. 3- Committee to ReElect John Taylor Golf Outing, Torresdale Frankford Country Club, 12 p.m. tee off. For info (215) 545-2244.
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by Sheldon Richman Poor Max Sanders. The 19-year-old University of Minnesota student faces five years in jail and a $10,000 fine; he is accused of putting his vote in the presidential election up for auction on eBay. He started the bidding at $10. The charge is bribery, treating, and soliciting. I’m confused. Aren’t all our votes for sale? Each candidate tries to bribe us with future benefits of all sorts. Basically, a campaign is an effort to buy votes wholesale. Why do you think Barack Obama is “refining” his positions on so many issues? He’s in the process of buying the
bigger problem. He’s had trouble buying votes from the conservative base of the Republican Party. Those voters don’t seem eager to sell their votes to him because they don’t like what he’s promising to pay in return. While McCain is trying to close the deal with conservatives, he also needs to buy votes from independents. That’s one of the dilemmas of politics. If you buy votes from, say, fiscal conservatives, you might have a hard time also buying votes from advocates of climate control through cap and trade, which would be a tax on energy production. I’m sure many people were appalled young Mr. Sanders – eligible to vote in his first presidential election – would even dream of selling his vote. How cynical he is, they must be thinking. I don’t think he’s cynical. I think he’s naïve. (Ed. Note—Sheldon Richman is senior fellow at The Future of Freedom Foundation (www.fff.org) and editor of The Freeman magazine.)