Johnson 2nd Dist. City Hall Room 580 Phila., PA 19107
215-686-3412
SABATINA JR. 174th District 8100 Castor Ave Phila, PA 19152 T: 215-342-6204
6001 N. 54th St., 2nd Fl. Philadelphia PA 19120 State Rep.
Brendan F.
Boyle
(R) 177th Dist. 4725 Richmond St. Phila., PA 19137
170th Dist. 14230 Bustleton Ave. Phila., PA 19116
215-744-2600
215-676-0300
State Senator
First Senate District Tel. 215-952-3121
1802 S. Broad St.• Phila. PA 19145
www.SenatorFarnese.com
COHEN
197th Dist. 2243 W. Allegheny Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19132
202nd Legislative District
Taylor
R EPRESENTATIVE
]|ÅÅç W|Çà|ÇÉ GOP (215) 468-2300
Rep. J. P.
Miranda
215-924-0895
John
Back in the early ’80s, a hard-working, well-known State and then City Council employee filed to run in the Democrat primary for City Council, along with about 30 plus others. The lady’s chance of winning one of the seven at-large seats looked good to those who didn’t understand the power of the Democratic City Committee. She wasn’t among their endorsed candidates for a similar position. But if she drew number one or two or three, her chances would be better. The reason is the Democrat City Committee, though it has the ability to get out the necessary votes to make its endorsed candidates winners, sometimes falls short of a clean sweep, falling victim to the fact some of its ward leaders stray from the fold. They do so because some of them have lost sight of their prime mission, which is to ensure all endorsed candidates, regardless of the office or the many challengers for the same positions on the ballot, finish at the top in their wards. Since money talks, independent candidates have been
State Rep.
Mark B.
STATE REP. JOHN
State Rep.
Larry Farnese
The Democratic City Committee’s Policy Committee met Monday and came up with a list of candidates it suggested for some of the primary ballot openings. It is expected the ward leaders will make it official when they meet this week. This endorsement is seen as a balanced ticket, including every interest in the party. The Policy Committee picked a diversified ticket. Endorsed for Municipal Court are Robert Coleman, Henry Lewandowski and Fran Shields. Endorsed for Common Pleas Court were Judge Roger Gordon, Timika Lane, Sierra Street, Giovanni Campbell, Dan McCaffery and Dawn Tancredi.
Will Party Upend Ballot Advantage?
A NGEL C RUZ DISTRICT OFFICE
3503 ‘B’ St. 215-291-5643 Ready to Serve you
215-978-2540 3728 Midvale Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19129
able to put together a coalition of ward leaders who, together with a favorable ballot position, are able to get them into the winner’s circle. This straying from the fold has become traditional behavior since the early days in those same ’80s, when State
Sen. Henry “Buddy” Chamfrain joined forces with other ward leaders to support the same unendorsed candidates. When Buddy succeeded in getting two non-endorsed ladies into the winners’ circle, he opened the gate for others (Cont. Next Page)
State Sen. Shirley M.
Kitchen 3rd Sen. District 1701 W. Lehigh Ave. Suite 104 Phila., PA 19132
215-227-6161
www.senatorkitchen.com Pennsylvania vehicle owners can show their support for our veterans through a new license plate. The plate is inscribed with the phrase “Honoring Our Veterans” and features an image of the American flag and a bald eagle. The cost is $35, of which $15 goes to the Veterans Trust Fund. This fund is used to support and assist Pennsylvania veterans and their families. To learn more about this plate or to set up an appointment with Veterans Services Coordinator Joe Buckley, please call my office at 215-695-1020.
215-849-8505
Parkwood Shopping Center 12361 Academy Road, Phila., PA 19154, 215-281-2539
State Representative
RONALD G. WATERS 191st Leg. District
8016 Bustleton Avenue Philadelphia PA 19152 215-695-1020
6027 Ludlow Street, Unit A
215-748-6712
COMMISSIONER
AL SCHMIDT ROOM 134
City Hall 215-686-3464
Open Mon. - Fri. 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Sen.Mike Stack SERVING THE 5TH DISTRICT
www.phillyrecord.com • 215-755-2000
Kenyatta
Policy Committee Suggests Dem Primary Endorsements
Endorsed for Traffic Court were Omar Sabir, Marnie Aument Loughrey and Donna DeRose.
The Public Record • March 28, 2013
Councilman
they filed challenges against over 20 petitions filed for Traffic Court. They had two good reasons: Ed’s brother is running and so is Donna’s daughter. The second was to try to eliminate those candidates who really were in it for the lottery, such as was Bloom. He drew the first ballot position and instantly became the focus of a derogatory story in the main media, The facts revealed about his tax debt added fuel to the efforts to eliminate Traffic Court. The number of candidates has now been whittled down.
Page 5
(Cont. From Page 4) on Traffic Court as the problem, when all other counties have non-lawyer judges handling criminal and civil matters, while the Philadelphia Traffic Court judges only handle traffic-related infractions? They asked, “Why impose this on Philadelphia Co.?”, warning if the Philadelphia Traffic Court is made to require judges be lawyers, it won’t be long before this same requirement is imposed on all district judges. Traffic Court can be truly referred to as the people’s court, where we can represent ourselves without having to find lawyers and pay them. Curtis has introduced HB 1025, which would keep the court the same and change the title of its officers from judges to Traffic Court Masters, with final decision being approved by a supervisory judge. He admits this may slow up the process, but not clog it up. Also the bill raises educational requirements to include a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college. Waters called the Pileggi effort “another attack on the electoral process. Why not allow the people elected to be accountable to voters and instead of specially appointed Selection Panels?” Cohen testified, “In the rush to judgment we are
throwing the baby out with the bath water.” All three supported rigorous background checks, educational requirements, and additional training for judicial candidates to Traffic Court. If the second of Pileggi’s bills to eliminate the Court in its entirety passes this session, Traffic Court will continue until at least 2017. A constitutional amendment would be needed to eliminate it. In the end, only the State’s voters will have the say, should this legislation make it through two successive sessions. All three told the committee they believe those running in the primary for the Traffic Court’s three vacancies should be allowed to fill their terms if elected and vehemently oppose the Pileggi bill aimed at immediately wiping out the three vacancies. Propelling all this is the State Supreme Court. Clearly Pennsylvania’s top court is in need of an in-house investigation of the activities of some of its justices. Only months ago, the Chief Justice was asked to resign by a bold Inquirer editorial because of his personal involvement in a public building now undergoing construction at 15th & JFK. Yet he remains. Trying hard to eliminate Traffic Court candidates via challenges were Democratic Ward Leaders Donna Aument and Ed Thornton. Together