The Spirit of Penn's Garden - May 10, 2017 by The Spirit

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – April 27, 2017

THE

local lens BY THOM NICKELS

t’s primary election time again in the city of Philadelphia (Tuesday, May 16), which means that all registered voters should do their duty as citizens and vote. The big race in May’s primary is the race for District Attorney of Philadelphia. This race is especially important, given the current DA’s fall from grace. The whole Set Williams saga still leaves me a little dazed, especially considering his holier-than-thou attitude when he first took office. This year’s crop candidates for DA are a curious bunch. Let’s consider Teresa Carr Deni. Her name, at least for me, carries a lot of emotional baggage. Teresa was my mother’s name, so I can’t help but like it; then there’s “Carr,” the last name of some marvelous childhood friends of mine. With this said, she stands to get a five-star rating from this writer, but that’s not the case at all. Perhaps if we were to use language, as in a name, as a base “determiner,” her last name, “Deni,” is what does her in. Sound ridiculous? I’m not so sure. If life is the best teacher, I’ve often found that people born with common names but spelled in an inverted, “difficult” manner (like Judi for Judy) are often difficult people in some ways. It is as if over time the offbeat spelling of their name has worked to create a distorted image, like what you get when you look through cinder block glass. I’ve had too many coincidental life experiences confirming this fact and I’ve found the coincidence or adverse serendipity of this to be odd and mesmerizing. On the surface, Deni has good credentials — Temple Law grad, a judge on Philadelphia’s Municipal Court. Yet the truth goes deeper than resume statistics, which can always be misleading. I witnessed a blatantly unfair Judge Deni ruling when a good friend of mine was hauled into court by his dysfunctional family for something that he did not do. Her eventual ruling was shocking to me. She continues to leave a bad taste in my mouth, like the taste of sour buttermilk left out of the refrigerator for a week during the month of July. Sometimes just looking deep into a person’s face can seem to unlock secrets. Really sensitive people know what I am talking about. An armchair visual analysis like this must be handled with extreme care, but when it’s on target you can sense character flaws, weaknesses and even “see” certain propensities. Such is the case with DA candidate Tariq El-Shabazz. While lots of tough-looking guys are really gentle giants, you don’t get that feeling with El-Shabazz, who is so rugged-looking that he was often mistaken as part of Seth Williams’ security detail when he worked as first deputy to Williams. El-Shabazz served as assistant DA from 1988 to 1993. As a kid in Brooklyn, NY, he was a Golden Gloves champion. Maybe that’s why he’s always punchy and on the defensive, especially after a particularly damning article about him came out in late April. While the article was well written and reported, El-Shabazz called the piece racist. Candidate Joe Khan has the slick look of a professional politician. Former Governor Ed Rendell, in fact, has endorsed Khan for the office. Khan went to one of the most politically correct colleges in the nation, Swarthmore, which doesn’t mean it is a bad school, but perhaps just a little myopic in how it sees the world. Khan is also a graduate of the prestigious University of Chicago Law School. He’s an Assistant U.S. Attorney and teaches at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, the perfect resume for a guest spot on Marty-Moss Coane’s Radio Times. Khan’s TV ads tell us little about what he will do if he is elected DA. All they do is talk about how much he hates President Trump. I hate President Trump much more than the other candidate, so vote for me. Please Mr. Khan, tell us what you can do for Philadelphia. Lawrence Krasner jumped into the race late, but has made a big splash. A defense attorney and a public defender, Krasner has defended protesters arrested at the RNC in Philadelphia some 16 years ago and protesters arrested at last year’s DNC. His candidacy is supported by former Occupy Philly leaders and current Black Lives Matter leaders. Krasner also recently caught the eye of Hollywood’s Susan Sarandon, who endorsed his candidacy on Twitter. Krasner has also been singled out by megalomaniac billionaire globalist George Soros, a fan of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, for a $1.4 million cam-

paign gift. The money will go towards television campaign ads, brochures and door-to-door Krasner cheerleaders. Soros has been obsessed with DA and sheriff races around the country and has donated millions to various races. The Soros connection sours me on Krasner. For many people, Soros is a mystery, but a little research will reveal that he was born in 1930 in Hungary. His father changed the family name from Schwartz to Soros in an attempt to hide from the advancing Nazi armies, but this did not prevent son George from working with the Nazis. Soros’ job in 1944 was to confiscate property from the Jewish population even though he was Jew himself. Here’s a snippet from Soros’ 1998 interview with TV journalist Steve Kroft about Soros’ role as a Nazi collaborator: KROFT: I mean, that sounds like an experience that would send lots of people to the psychiatric couch for many, many years. Was it difficult? SOROS: No, not at all. Not at all. I rather enjoyed it. KROFT: No feelings of guilt? SOROS: No, only feelings of absolute power. DA candidate Jack O’Neill might as well be the stepchild of the great Philadelphia Democratic Party Machine. At 35, he looks like a second-tier Hollywood actor who might star in a film alongside Tom Cruise. O’Neill is a 10-year veteran of the DA’s Office. He went straight into the DA’s Office from law school. He resigned as Assistant DA in 2016 and has been in private practice ever since. O’Neill was recently endorsed by eight building trade unions, and if elected, he promises to create a Deputy Labor liaison. One might say that O’Neill is Labor Pope John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty’s candidate. After Hillary Clinton’s loss to Donald Trump last year, Johnny Doc wrote that the “Democratic Party is too fixated on cultural liberalism and not focused enough on the populist economy. Wake up, Democratic Party leaders. You can no longer expect us to pay all the bills, but seldom get a seat at the table. You can no longer expect to receive our financial contributions, borrow our members, and count on our votes if you’re not going to give us jobs. Those days are over.” The question is: Can O’Neill triumph over Soros’ money? DA candidate Michael Untermeyer, a New York native, is an attorney and real estate developer. He ran for the DA’s Office in 2009 and for City Council-at-Large in 2011 as a Re-

THOM NICKELS IS A PHILADELPHIA BASED AUTHOR, JOURNALIST, POET, FILM CRITIC & FEATURE WRITER FOR SPIRIT NEWS.

publican. Untermeyer’s chances look slim. Rich Negrin, former City Managing Director and Deputy Mayor under Mayor Nutter, was endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police. Much has been written about Negrin, the most common being that for the FOP-endorsed candidate he is amazingly liberal, although he has not come out completely against “stop and frisk.” Daily News columnist Will Bunch, for instance, believes that even if Negrin were to win, he would still “move the DA office in a more progressive direction on criminal justice.” Happily for Negrin, his name will be listed first over and above the other Democratic candidates on the May 16th ballot. This is considered a major blessing because, as Bunch reported, “Philadelphia voters have the attention span of a hormonal gnat during gnat mating season.” As for the only Republican DA candidate, Beth Grossman, a prosecutor for over 20 years, it’s unfortunate that this candidate is such a huge champion of the city’s civil asset forfeiture program. As Philadelphia Magazine put it in March 2017, “Grossman is proud of her time in charge of the city’s civil asset forfeiture program. She says she used the law to seize drug dealers’ homes and improve the quality of life in neighborhoods.” Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has stated that asset forfeiture programs have led “to egregious and well-chronicled abuses.” You don’t need to take someone’s home, or their car, or their pocket cash after a drug arrest. That’s called stealing. •

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – April 27, 2017

S E V E N D AY F O R E C A S T F O R T H E R I V E R WA R D S

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ast week was chilly and raw much of the time. It felt more like March than May! Some areas to the north got to freezing or below at night! That is some very impressive cold for this time of year. We are not out of the chilly and rainy pattern yet. We will stay on the cooler side this week, though it won’t be as chilly, and we could even end up wetter than last week. We start the week comfortably in the 60s before two threats of rain could really put a soggy damper on everything. The first threat of rain is late on Friday from a frontal boundary that has showers trailing along it just to the south. If this frontal boundary punches north and a storm forms along it, we will be in for a 48-hour period of wet weather. I know, just what you wanted to hear for your

weekend. Now, there is a chance the storm will graze us and only bring us a brief period of rain and some cloudy weather, but not a washout for the Friday and Saturday. Stay tuned to the daily updates on social media for the final outcome of this forecast. Either way, showers and thunderstorms will come through on Sunday. Wednesday is a nice start to the week with temperatures in the 60s and plenty of sunshine. It will be cool in the morning, however. Thursday is also nice and sunny as temperatures jump to near 70 in some places. After all, it is May, and 70 degrees is normal for this time of year! Friday is when the big rainstorm may begin for the region. If the storm forms, it’s going to rain for about 48 hours. If

it grazes us, we will just get some cloudy weather and a few showers. We stay on storm alert for Saturday, so at the very least, expect clouds and showers. Notice temperatures will only be in the upper 50s or lower 60s at best! A round of showers comes through on Sunday afternoon as temperatures flirt with 70 degrees again. We round out the seven-day period with sunshine and temperatures getting past 70 for both. Even if the big storm comes, at least we have something to look forward to on Monday and Tuesday, both of which will be much nicer. As always, check us out on social media for daily weather updates! •

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – April 27, 2017

W R I T T E N B Y P TA H G A B R I E

26th District awards P O L I C E D I S T R I C T A D V I S O RY C O U N C I L C E L E B R AT E S L O C A L C O P S , R A S I E S F U N D S F O R 2 6 T H D I S T R I C T

he goal of every police force in every American city is to find a balance between maintaining the safety of the public and engaging the community in a positive manner, with the intent to foster a positive experience between officers and citizens. Unfortunately, finding this balance is often hard and requires police officers to make split-second life-or-death choices that have far-reaching consequences. Building a three-way partnership between the community, police and the District Attorney’s Office is the best way to foster open dialogue and address specific community issues with the people they affect. In Philadelphia, the Police District Advisory Council (PDAC) has been working as a bridge between law enforcement, business owners and the community for more than 25 years. Nearly all of the police districts in Philadelphia have a PDAC program that works specifically within their district. Last week, the 26th District PDAC threw an awards banquet and fundraiser to honor outstanding citizens and officers who have performed above the call of duty. This was the second year that the event was held inside the SugarHouse Event Center. The event is the only way that the PDAC gets funds to support their district throughout the year. The PDAC uses funds they acquire through ticket sales for the event to assist families of fallen officers in the 26th. They also hold parties and events for needy and at-risk children in the community. The night is special for the officers because they are awarded for outstanding service and are given a chance to mingle

and catch up with old friends on the force and in the neighborhood. Spirit News spoke to Sgt. John Massi of the 26th District and he told us why this event is so important to him and his officers. “We’d like to thank all those in attendance and the continued support from our various stakeholders,” Massi said. “With an increasingly negative portrayal of law enforcement throughout the country, our banquet is an opportunity to recognize our officers and community members together in a positive way.” The event featured special guests, including Police Commissioner Richard Ross, who delivered a few remarks to those in attendance. “Thank you for what you do for this city each and every day,” Ross said. “From the bottom of my heart, you really make us proud. You make me proud to wear this uniform.” The award ceremony began with awards for outstanding members of the community. The Small Business Support Award went to Morhaf and Kathleen of Quick Stop. Kawa Trading, Inc. received the Corporate Support Award. The Sister Carol Keck Community Leadership Award was given to SCG Barbara Redman. The Benjamin Moody 26th PDAC Award was given to community leader Pablo Mateo. Other awards were distributed to members of the 26th Police District for outstanding service and positive interaction in the 26th District. The Stephen Sauka Award was given to retired P/O Rita Devlin for her 24 years of service. The Michelle Winkis Award was presented to P/O Doreen Napper. The Wallace Chapman Award was presented to Cpl. Erica Montanez. The Daniel Boyle Award, which highlights a strong commitment to the community, went to P/O

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John McBride. The Leadership Award was presented to Lt. John McDonald. Finally, the Gennaro Pelligrini Award for officer of the year was given to P/O Jason Seigafuse. •

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – April 27, 2017

WRITTEN BY ANDREW MARK CORKERY

larry krasner P H I L LY ’ S P R O G R E S S I V E C A N D I D AT E F O R D I S T R I C T AT T O R N E Y

arry Krasner, longtime defense and civil rights attorney, announced his candidacy for Philadelphia District Attorney in early February. Since then, he’s proven to be a clear-cut progressive voice in the Primary race. Krasner graduated from Stanford Law School in 1987 and began his career as an advocate and defender of indigenous rights, homeless people, and the poor. He lived in Fishtown from 1988- 89 with his wife and started his own law practice in 1993, where he continues his work in criminal defense and civil rights cases. Since then, Krasner has made his name partly by holding police officers accountable in a number of high-profile cases, including 75 civil rights lawsuits against the police for corruption and physical abuse. He also took on work defending, mostly at no cost, protesters at RNC 2000 and DNC 2016, which generated some national attention. If elected he would be one of the the first defense attorneys to hold the position of District Attorney in decades. Krasner believes this puts him in a unique position to radically transform the District Attorney’s Office. “For years we have followed this formula for chest thumping, longer sentence advocating ex-prosecutors who have become DA,” Krasner said. ”Former prosecutors running [the DA’s office] have perpetuated a culture that has become disastrous. On the one hand, it’s totally unjust because of mass incarceration, and on the other hand, it clearly has not made us safe. So you need an outsider to come in and fundamentally change the system.” Krasner’s policy platform focuses on ending a number of what he characterizes as “disastrous” policies. At the top of his agenda is ending mass incarceration, cash bail imprisonment, stop and frisk, and civil asset forfeiture, just to name a few issues. In relation to mass incarceration specifically, Krasner wants to implement a “de-incarceration policy.” “For example, the United States Supreme Court has said that juveniles that have been given life sentences as juveniles must be resentenced,” Krasner said. “And there is a very large number of juveniles in Philadelphia who must be resentenced by the next DA that comes into office. The Seth Williams [former DA] approach was to offer them all 35 years, a cookie-cutter approach.” He added: “This makes no sense… If you are going to be a DA that believes in ending mass incarceration, it means you believe in looking carefully at who really needs the tough sentences based on their actions, and the ones who should have their sentences greatly reduced. Look at all the cases and the entire record of each person.”

Krasner has advocated for a staunch rejection of “the failed War on Drugs” that has predominantly affected racially and economically disenfranchised communities. In response to communities like Kensington and its longstanding drug woes, Krasner would impose a “treat addiction as medical problem, not a crime” policy. “When you work in civil rights and as a criminal defense lawyer, you have conversations with people the prosecutors don’t have. And some people in poverty who I have represented have been telling me for years about how they developed their addictions,” Krasner said. “Through that, I have come to understand how they got there and what mistakes were made. And at every level, including with the drug companies [and overprescription], there are improvements that need to be made.” Krasner has had a number of events in the Riverwards during the course of the campaign. Some citywide organizations with local connections have been taking notice. Reclaim Philadelphia, a citywide progressive policy advocacy organization with local ties in Northern Liberties and Fishtown, has been canvassing for Krasner in the run up to

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the election. Spirit News caught up with Jason Donahoe and Dominic Falcone, two former Bernie Sanders volunteers and Reclaim volunteers who live in the Northern Liberties. They see Krasner as their choice for the Riverwards. “People want change, especially with the reputation this city government has with corruption and money passing hands,” Donahoe said. “So I think Krasner’s platform definitely can resolve a lot of the cynicism people have about city politics in Philadelphia.” •

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – April 27, 2017

W R I T T E N B Y B O B S T E WA R T

Joe Khan

C O R R U P T I O N B U S T E R WA N T S T O B R I N G H I S F E D E R A L E X P E R I E N C E T O P H I L LY ’ S D A O F F I C E

n some small Pennsylvania cities, about a hour or so outside of Philly, you’ll find minor league hockey and baseball players trying to make it to the bigs. You’ll also find minor league mayors, councilmembers and political puppet-masters running their corruption rings too. The federal prosecutor striking them out for part of the last decade has been Joe Khan, and now he thinks he’s ready for the double-dealing, grafting big league in Philly. After a few years at Philly’s DA office under Lynne Abraham, Khan served as an assistant United States district attorney where he took down corrupt politicians in Reading and Allentown. Now he seeks to take over an office he could have just as easily been prosecuting himself if he stayed on with the Feds. He says his federal experience sets him apart from his opponents and helped him understand what he can accomplish as a DA. “We really got to fully realize the awesome power that a prosecutor’s office can have to change society for the better,” Khan said. A lifelong Democrat, Khan said, “Government is there to make people’s lives better, to solve problems that we can’t solve on our own.” In that vein, Khan’s goal is to tackle bigger issues. “Tackling problems like gun violence, not just one gun case at a time, but dealing with a larger issue of gun violence in Southwest Philadelphia,” which Khan did as a coordinator of the Violent Crime Impact Team when he began his time with the Feds. That holds true for government corruption. “Not just dealing with one corrupt official in Allentown, or one corrupt official in Reading, but entire corrupt administrations and systems in each of those cities,” he said, adding that human trafficking is another issue to take on this way. Khan is familiar with Philadelphia’s DA’s office too, having served under Lynn Abraham. Now he says the office is currently in crisis. Part of his solution is accountability and transparency. “[One problem] is our current DA’s refusal to create a publicly accessible manual that states certain principles and policies of the DA’s office,” he said. “We did this at the U.S. Attorney’s office. There was no resistance to it. We welcomed the opportunity for the public to know what we were doing.” Another ethics initiative of Khan’s is open file discovery, which is basically sharing evidence with defense attorneys. “The final piece is making sure you have a DA who’s accountable,” Khan said. “We can’t have a situation anymore where the DA is running away from the press.” Khan added he would be interested in a weekly radio show. (Hey, Joe, Spirit News has one on Wednesdays at 6PM on 106.5 FM!) Of course, many Philly residents, beaten down and long used to corrupt officials and secretive, unresponsive government offices, would just like a clean, crime-free community to live in. Khan is proud of his Philly roots and

connections. He lives in Roxborough with his wife and two young sons, in an area with some of the city’s lowest gun violence rates. His parents raised him in Bustleton, another relatively safe Philly neighborhood (he joked that his Muslim dad and Catholic mom did the best thing they could and moved to a Jewish neighborhood). All of his pre-college education came in Philadelphia public schools. Problems in the Riverwards range from property crimes in Northern Liberties to human devastation due to the opioid crisis in Kensington. How does a Philly DA attack a major problem like heroin and still make people in relatively safe neighborhood feel like they matter? In terms of neighborhoods that see a lot of folks looking to get high, Khan thinks the DA’s Office should be out of the loop. “While that is bad for our neighborhoods and bad for our city, I see that as more of a public health issue than a criminal justice issue,” he said. He pointed to a new process being tested in the 22nd and 39th Police Districts in which those caught buying drugs for themselves are taken directly to treatment. The plan could save the courts and DA’s Office time and resources on prosecutions that essentially end up in the same place — treatment. Khan wants to focus on dealers and “stopping people from bringing that poison into our [neighborhoods],” he said, adding that doctors illegally prescribing drugs — also known as Pill Mills — are a big problem. “We need to start taking those cases… [and] not be afraid of losing” due to the difficulty of such cases, which he says the current DA fears. Khan says he would even include pharmaceutical

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companies as defendants if necessary. For summary offenses that other neighborhoods experience, Khan said, “We need to have a balance. We’re not condoning that kind of behavior, but when the police make arrests… seeking the maximum sentence” doesn’t necessarily “achieve the deterrence you want.” Khan also wants to reform civil forfeiture by eliminating the financial incentive the DA’s Office has in doing that. Currently the office can keep the proceeds obtained when someone is accused of a crime, which presents a conflict of interest. He also wants to reform the bail system so that poor people are not stuck in jail awaiting trial simply because they can’t afford bail. In maintaining fair elections the District Attorney can be in an awkward spot. He or she may need a ward leader’s support to get reelected, but see election irregularities on Election Day. “The first thing you have to do is be fearless and focused in your approach to all issues, whether it’s election fraud or anything else,” he said. “You can’t be afraid to… make difficult decisions just because you could create political vulnerabilities for yourself. If that’s how you conduct yourself, you have no business being in public service.” •

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – April 27, 2017

WRITTEN BY ANDREW MARK CORKERY

Richard negrin F O R M E R C I T Y M A N A G E R A N D D E P U T Y M AY O R A N G L E S F O R E T H I C S R E F O R M S

ichard Negrin, the Former Philadelphia City Manager under the Nutter administration, has cast himself into the race to become Philadelphia’s next District Attorney. Negrin began his career in 1995 in the DA’s office working to prosecute various hate crimes and violent crimes. Now a partner at Obermayer, Rebmann, Maxwell & Hippel, he gained citywide attention in 2010 when he led the then newly founded independent Philadelphia Board of Ethics, serving as Vice-Chair for a number of years. His profile on the Obermayer, Rebmann, Maxwell & Hippel Law’s website states that while heading the Board of Ethics he helped “promote greater transparency in government by overseeing financial disclosures by city officials and by having oversight related to campaign finance limits and disclosures.” Even after ethics changes helped brought about by Negrin and others within the leadership of city government, Philadelphia still remains one of the most corrupt cities in the country. A recent piece in Vice News put it even more bluntly, “This is Philly: machine politics, pay to play, and blatant nepotism are the norm in this jawn.” Negrin has been criticized for his perceived ties to Philly’s party machine-driven establishment. He hits back at the naysayers and emphasizes that he is looking to continue his work on implementing ethics reforms in the city, amongst other policy initiatives. While in the midst of bringing his message to the people, he recognizes it’s been

a crowded and contested campaign thus far. “It’s been a bizarre and interesting, unique race, which means a lot can happen,” Negrin said. “But it’s going to be a sprint to the finish line.” The bizarre nature of the DA race comes into focus under a cloud of corruption. Former District Attorney Seth Williams announced in February that he would not seek another term in office due to a then ongoing corruption probe regarding $160,000 in gifts that he failed to report. Williams was later charged with bribery and corruption and is due to stand trial next month. Negrin sees his past work as the head of the Ethics Board as tantamount to what he would bring to a DA’s office plagued by scandal. He wants to implement a number of policy changes within the office to fundamentally change the current culture of corruption left by Williams into one of transparency. “You can’t work together with different agencies in the city and solve big problems like the proliferation of guns and a massive heroin epidemic when there is no trust,” Negrin said. “You build trust by being personally involved in the hands on work of reforming, and being a partner in the community directly, not by telling people to trust you.” Negrin’s policy platform includes a number of changes to current DA Office practices, including “being smarter on nonviolent crime,” providing second chances to firsttime nonviolent criminal offenders, and seeking to end the school-to-prison pipeline by working directly with kids in

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the community at a young age. In terms of the opioid epidemic, Negrin has advocated for a geographically targeted approach that focuses on rehabilitation first, rather than incarceration. When it comes to the the issue of gun violence, though, for Negrin it’s personal. At the age of 13 he witnessed firsthand the overwhelming tragedy of violent crime when he watched his father get shot to death on the streets of Newark in a random act of violence. “My journey to become DA really began then, when I was sitting in the back of that police car with my dad’s body bleeding out in the street,” Negrin said. “That’s also the first time I ever met a lawyer, the prosecutor, who prosecuted the gang members that killed my father.” This experience, he says, has profoundly impacted his perception on how to handle violent crimes and led him to develop a more holistic plan for combating the issue. Negrin supports improving both community and citywide initiatives at combating gun violence and most importantly its root causes. In that same sense, he is a proponent of policies like increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour and equal pay for women. Negrin believes that while these policies are not directly related to the role of DA, they are pivotal initiatives in creating a culture of crime prevention. “If you look at what’s happened to the middle class over the years and areas where they pay a living wage, there are lower crime rates,” Negrin said. “I really think there is a direct correlation between us being one of the poorest big cities in the country and also having one of the highest incarceration rates.” Negrin has recently enjoyed a number of endorsements, including ones from the Fraternal Order of Police, the Guardian League of Black Police Officers, and the Spanish American Law Enforcement Association. Negrin recognizes the limitations he will have if elected to become the city’s next DA, but stresses that he wants to bring back integrity to the office above all else by directly reaching out to communities. “You must demonstrate a commitment to communities in a way that has credibility. I know many of these communities, I know many of the block captains and leaders, heads of the CDC’s,” Negrin said. “So for me, that trust is already there. It’s just about activating that network to help start making a difference on these huge issues affecting our city.” •

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – April 27, 2017

Rebecca Rhynhart Looks to Challenge Incumbant Alan Butkovitz as City’s Fiscal Watchdog By Ptah Gabrie The district attorney race isn’t the only big race in the upcoming primary election. On May 16th, voters will have the chance to choose between two Democrats running for the office of city controller. Rebecca Rhynhart is challenging incumbent Alan Butkovitz in the primary election. She seeks to oust Butkovitz from the post he has manned since 2005. Rhynhart has a Master’s in public administration and a public sector background in municipal finance and as a credit analyst. She was hired by Mayor Michael Nutter in 2008 and worked as city treasurer and budget director during his administration. The Kenney administration decided to keep Rhynhart on and created a cabinet position for her. Rhynhart served as chief administrative officer and was in charge modernizing city government by overseeing 11 city agencies and 1,000 employees. Rhynhart resigned from the position in order to run for controller and wants to bring an overhaul to the office in charge of auditing and identifying financial waste in city government. “I’m running because I want to have a greater impact on the city,” Rhynhart said. “I realized after working in various senior positions that if I was going to lead the change that I want to happen to make this city run better, then I need to run for office.” Rhynhart believes politics and loyalty to the local party machine are influencing the controller’s office. “[Butkovitz] is someone who has been part of the political machine for some time,” Rhynhart said. “I feel like Philadelphia deserves more, and I’m not going to let that sort of old party machine run what our city is going to become.” She added: “He’s been in office since 1990 as a ward leader, and I think that prevents him from really taking the tough stances that are necessary.” Rhynhart supports the Philadelphia Beverage Tax. However, she believes proper spending and accountability will keep the city from having to raise taxes in the future. “We shouldn’t be in the position where the only option is to raise a tax,” she said. “We will save millions of dollars and that’s money that will be available for priorities instead of just raising taxes.” Rhynhart believes modernizing the city government is a key way to help streamline politics in Philadelphia and save large amounts of money. “There’s so much opportunity to improve how the city is doing things and to save so much money,” Rhynhart said. She also wants to tackle the city’s pension and delinquent tax problems, two issues she says are costing the city millions. Rhynhart wants to start auditing immediately and cites the Philadelphia Parking Authority as audit number one. Rhynhart told Spirit News the PPA’s budget surplus is intended to be distributed to the school district, and when the state took over the PPA in the early 2000s, estimates projected $40 million per year for the district. Rhynhart says last year they received around $10 million and cites political motivations as the reason the office hasn’t been audited. “I would audit the Parking Authority, and I think it’s a real shame it hasn’t been audited,” Rhynhart said. “One of the biggest concerns is being able to have a quality education for their kids here, and it’s not okay to let politics as usual in Philadelphia get in the way of money going where it should go.” Incumbent Controller Alan Butkovitz served in the PA House of Representatives for 15

years before becoming controller in 2005. He’s earned a reputation as a fiscal watchdog who isn’t afraid to directly butt heads with the mayor from time to time. According to his website, his office is responsible for identifying approximately $800 million in potential revenues and savings for the city. He also successfully audited the sheriff’s office, which uncovered millions of dollars’ worth of questionable financial transactions, and ultimately led to the U.S. Attorney’s office filing charges against people connected to the Sheriff’s office. Butkovitz made headlines earlier this year when he publicly asked former Mayor Nutter and former City Representative Desiree Peterkin Bell to pay back money to the Mayor’s Fund for Philadelphia, which Butkovitz says was improperly spent. The former mayor denied the allegation and told reporters Butkovitz was “desperately fabricating an issue.” According to Butkovitz, he’s the right person for the office. “I think we’ve built a very strong team in the office,” Butkovitz said. “We are able to get more into the meat of things — the content of the economic growth strategy for the city of Philadelphia — and I think we are doing an increasingly strong job as the leading anti-corruption local agency.” Butkovitz agrees the PPA needs to be audited and says he would be willing to do it, but he is more interested in auditing the Philadelphia Development Investment Corporation (PDIC). “The PDIC has never been audited, and they are the agent for most of the city’s economic development policy,” Butkovitz said. According to Butkovitz, his relationship with Mayor Kenney is less volatile than with the Nutter administration. “The Kenney administration has been more receptive and open to dialogue, even criticism, than even the Nutter administration was,” Butkovitz said. “I think the Nutter administration decided early on that if they had 100 percent dominance of the news cycle, they would maintain high popularity. They would fight tenaciously to avoid any kind of critical remarks.” Continued from Page 10.

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – April 27, 2017

WRITTEN BY JOHN HENRY SCOTT

Jack O’Neill

F R E S H FA C E B R I N G S F R E S H I D E A S T O T H E P R I M A RY W I T H L A S T M I N U T E C A M PA I G N

ack O’Neill is the most recent candidate to enter to race for Philadelphia District Attorney, having formally declared his intention to run in the middle of March. Born in Philadelphia and educated at J.R. Masterman High School, O’Neill entered the District Attorney’s Office (DAO) straight out of law school. He spent next decade in the DAO, concentrating on issues involving domestic abuse, sexual assault and homicide before going into private practice in February 2016. O’Neill feels his recent tenure and close relationships in the DAO is what separates him from his fellow candidates. “I have tremendous respect for everybody in this race,” O’Neill said in an interview. “I know them all. But we’re running for District Attorney in a District Attorney’s Office that is in serious crisis. The next person who comes into the District Attorney’s Office needs to understand the office in detailed, intricate ways. They need to know what is needed to fix that District Attorney’s Office right away. There’s not going to be time for someone to come in and learn how things work and get caught up on all the changes that have happened over the last 10 years.” The changes O’Neill is referring to include a litany of reform programs, implemented in the DAO in the last eight years, many of which deal with the way the city handles people that have been incarcerated for nonviolent offenses. O’Neill believes incarceration rates are one of the biggest problems facing Philadelphia at present. “There are currently over 20 diversionary programs aimed at getting people out of jail and avoiding putting people in jail,” he said. “They’re great programs that need to be improved and expanded. They need the full support of the

next DA. Not only do we have too many people in jail, we have a lot of people in jail that just don’t need to be.” Examples of these programs include: 1) Accelerated misdemeanor programs: geared toward getting treatment for people arrested for personal-use levels of drugs. 2) Drug treatment court: provides help for people who deal drugs because they are addicted to drugs. 3) The Choice is Yours: people who deal drugs because they don’t have a better way to make a living. 4) Future Forward: offering college degrees at CCP rather than prosecution for nonviolent felony arrests. “I love this program and would want to see it expanded by additionally offering training for skilled labor jobs,” O’Neill said of the Future Forward program. “We can offer these people a better choice than jail time.” Bail reform is a big issue in this race, and it’s an issue that O’Neill is passionate about. He believes that the current bail reform program needs to be expanded dramatically. “[We need to] make sure we don’t have people sitting in jail simply because they don’t have enough money to pay for bail,” he said. “I would take this program a lot further, in which the DAO would just reccomend zero bail for most of the people who fall under the current qualifications for ‘bail review.’” O’Neill believes that reforming our penal system will have a direct impact on Philadelphia’s communities. “It does a great thing for communities as a whole because they can see that the DAO and the police department and City Council are doing what’s best for people rather than just ware-

housing them in jail,” he said. “This promotes confidence in the criminal justice system. These programs direct people toward positive things rather than towards more jail. It’s devastating to a family when a relative ends up in jail. It’s so much better for these families if their relative is directed toward something positive.” O’Neill says that over the last eight years, the sexual assault unit and the domestic violence unit has been deprioritized within the DAO. “As a person who worked in both units it has been my platform, it has been my passion and intention to make sure that we give the support back to these units so they can work with organizations like Women Against Rape and Woman Against Abuse as well as working with City Council and the police to make the DAO where survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault feel safe, feel supported and feel like they have a strong ally in the DAO.” •

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – April 27, 2017

W R I T T E N B Y B O B S T E WA R T

Beth Grossman

G E T T I N G T O K N O W T H E L O N E R E P U B L I C A N I N T H E D I S T R I C T AT T O R N E Y R A C E

onsidering where Beth Grossman grew up, it would be easy to call her a suburban girl. Lower Moreland has great schools, single homes, low crime — the works. It’s the type of place where you’re guaranteed to see a white picket fence somewhere. But during that time her parents owned and operated a candy store on the 3100 block of Kensington Avenue. “My parents bought the store when I was six [years-old]. I grew up playing in there. When I was in high school I worked there on my school breaks,” Grossman said. But as the neighborhood started to change in the 80s, her family made a tough decision. “My mom sold it in 1987 when Crack was really beginning to hit,” she said. “She had a lot of concerns because it really would’ve been an easy place to rob. It was all women, it was cash. My mother didn’t have a gun, [so] she sold it.” It wasn’t until after college and law school, though, that the changes really hit home. “I started my first year in the DA’s Office. That’s when preliminary hearings were at the police districts. I remember being assigned to Front and Westmoreland.” Grossman decided to take a trip down memory lane, a.k.a. Kensington Ave. “I hadn’t been there in ages. And as I drove down it, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, what happened here?’” So earlier this year, when Grossman decided to announce her candidacy, she knew where to go. “I bought my prom dress on the Avenue. I would go shopping up and down there,” she said. “And now it’s the epicenter of so much addiction, and so much is going on, and it just breaks my heart because there are still businesses there. There are still residents who live there who are devoted to their neighborhood. It needs so much from the DA’s Office and from city agencies. That’s why I wanted to announce [my candidacy] there.” Grossman is also a familiar face in the DA’s Office. “I spent 21 and a half years there under two administrations [those of Seth Williams and Lynne Abraham],” she said. “I actually served in [all six] divisions. For two years I served as the assistant chief for the Municipal Court unit where you train the new [ADA’s] who come in, teach them the laws and how to try cases and how to navigate Philadelphia’s unique criminal justice system,” she said. That unit handles the bulk of cases, between 40,000 and 50,000 a year. “It is controlled chaos,” Grossman added. Grossman is known for handling the controversial civil forfeitures for the DA’s office. “For eight years I was chief of the public nuisance task force unit, which deals with the forfeiture of drug houses, drug businesses, nuisance bars,” she said. “Dealing with drug houses and civil forfeitures is really about how buildings themselves can create public safety issues. And a lot of times it may not have ended up being a drug house but something L&I-related.” Grossman said the high-profile civil forfeiture cases may give folks a bad impression. She agrees that due process is not guaranteed in these cases. “[All cases] are to be looked at for what its merits are, what the issues are, what types of drugs, who was the owner, what I can tell you is yes, you’re not entitled to have counsel appointed but we always made sure to treat pro se re-

spondents fairly to make sure that they understood what was going on,” she said. “The majority… were really those where there was no viable owner… or it became a squatter’s property. [Most] worked out into settlement [if the owner was involved] with an agreement to certain conditions for better management of the property.” Part of the problem many people have with civil forfeiture is the incentive aspect. The DA’s office itself gets the proceeds of the assets it obtains. “The goal was never to see how much money we could rake in,” Grossman said. “It was never a numbers game. We want people to be responsible owners and/or managers of their property.” Her ideas for the future on that are more of what Abraham did. “During Lynne Abraham’s time [in office], we’d donate a forfeited house for a dollar to a community group,” she said. “We donated a house on Allegheny Ave. that opened up as a residential home for women who were recovering from drug addiction with their children, another was donated to a high school who had students rehab it and converted into a computer lab.” Grossman also sees potential to donate solar lights to areas experiencing open-air drug dealing. In terms of balancing out the needs of residents in relatively safer neighborhoods with those in crisis, Grossman wants to build on community connections. “I would like to expand the public nuisance task force and have a very, very

strong community engagement group and support staff that would be connected to that neighborhood, say, Northern Liberties,” she said. “Then we can inform the community about what is happening and focus on preventative measures… I don’t want to be a Rudy Giuliani where we’re arresting everybody for low-level crimes.” For fair elections, Grossman wants to “focus on data, where problems were before, and to be [properly] staffed, because once [the ADAs] get out there [the problem is] gone, so you need to have people close by,” she said. “And then be really aggressively investigating it.” Grossman added that she’d even convene a grand jury if necessary. Can a Republican win in the city? Grossman says it’s time. “I don’t see Democratic public officials really caring about constituents and that’s why I switched,” she said. “It’s a heavy lift to be a Republican in the city… But when you have one-party control, it leads to complacency and corruption. There’s been, what, a dozen democratic judges, at least half a dozen state reps, our U.S. Congressman, in fact my law school classmate Kathleen Kane, who was the AG, obviously not in Philadelphia and the fact that Democratic corruption landed in the DA’s office, in its almost 107-year-old history is heartbreaking to me. Enough is enough. It’s time to restore [political] balance.” Grossman is running unopposed in the Republican Primary. She looks to take on who ever wins the Democratic Primary in November. •

Continued from Page 8. Butkovitz also believes there is room for modernization and brought up many aspects created in the controller’s office during his tenure, such as video auditing and apps that allow people to take pictures, and report waste directly to the office. He was quick to point out that Rhynhart has had some troubles with modernizing city services during her previous role in the Kenney administration. “As chief administrative officer, she invested over $1 million dollars in a new CGI computer system, then had to back out and cancel it after six months and abandon it,” Butkovitz said. Butkovitz also says Rhynhart took money away from L&I during a time when the department was struggling to ramp up efforts to combat dangerous buildings and demolition practices and instead put the money into programs like 311 that have yielded questionable results. According to him, the price tag is very high to completely upgrade the city systems to more modern programs. “No administration has been willing to commit what is estimated to be $125 million or more to do a full implementation of a new system,” Butkovitz said. “The technology in Philadelphia is more of an obstacle than a help.” Butkovitz also wonders why Rhynhart would leave a position within the administration where she had the power to make the changes she talks about, to become a watchdog of fiscal expenditures done by the mayor’s office.

“Rhynhart was the chief administrative officer where she had the mandate to do these things and she quits mid-stream without having any credits to her resume, and before that she was the budget director where she made these critical decisions.” Butkovitz describes Rhynhart as an insider and told Spirit News he believes she was set up by Nutter to oppose him. “It sounds like the things Rhynhart is talking about are aspirational to the job she left,” Butkovitz said. “The controller audits. Under the city charter it’s the finance director that’s got control of the city’s accounting. She’s part of that team, so why would you go from the inside to the outside so that you could criticize when you have the power?” Butkovitz says that he has a passion for the controller’s office and has established a department full of talented people looking for new solutions to save the city government and taxpayers money by eliminating waste. “I think I’ve got a real aptitude and passion for this job and have developed a lot of expertise about how to do it in creative ways,” Butkovitz said. “I’m really excited and engaged. We’ve attracted an extremely smart [group] of young people and we’ve found new ways to approach things.” •

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – April 27, 2017

WRITTEN BY PTAH GABRIE

Michael Untermeyer F O R M E R R E P U B L I C A N WA N T S T O T R A G E T W H I T E - C O L L A R C R I M E S I N P H I L LY

ichael Untermeyer is a Democrat running for Philadelphia District Attorney, but he wasn’t always an outspoken lawyer and veteran Assistant District Attorney (ADA). When he was 18 he started driving an ambulance in Harlem, NYC. Untermeyer is a graduate of Rutgers Camden, and was hired as an ADA under Ed Rendell. He spent 15 years as a prosecutor in Philadelphia and also worked in the Philadelphia Office of the Attorney General where he achieved the position of Senior Deputy Attorney General. Untermeyer also worked as a judge pro-tem during the mortgage crisis of the early 2000s, where he helped homeowners take on the banks that had foreclosed on them. He also helped Hurricane Katrina victims in Mississippi through volunteer work with the American Red Cross. Now he wants to overhaul Philadelphia’s DA’s Office to better serve the citizens of Philadelphia. Untermeyer sees the future of the DA’s office as becoming an advocate for fairness and to stand for the well-being of every Philadelphian. “The criminal justice system is broken,” Untermeyer said. “Our DA’s office is spending time going after the wrong people. We need a district attorney that is committed to reform.” Untermeyer believes the DA needs to focus more on going after violent criminals and the organizations they are a part of. Untermeyer touts himself as an expert on white-collar crimes, specifically money laundering. According to him, you are more likely to be prosecuted in Philadelphia for stealing hub caps than stealing money through fraudulent business practices. Untermeyer cites his time prosecuting these types of crimes at the Attorney General’s Office as being helpful in addressing this problem which he believes is being overlooked. Untermeyer also worked hard to help victims of domestic violence have their day in court. “We really fought to stand up for the rights of people who were victims of family violence,” Untermeyer said. According to Untermeyer, when he first joined the DA’s Office, no one was interested in prosecuting or even investigating these types of cases. “The judges didn’t want to hear the cases. The police didn’t want to investigate the cases,” Untermeyer said. “People didn’t consider domestic violence to be a crime.” Untermeyer says he spent 11 years going after big-time drug dealers whom he believes need to be the focus of investigation, rather than low-level drug offenders. “I investigated major drug dealers and their organizations,” Untermeyer said. Untermeyer wants to go straight to the pharmaceutical companies and work with them to curb the opiate crisis in Philadelphia. “It starts with the pharmaceutical companies,” Untermeyer said. Untermeyer says it’s very easy for people addicted to prescription opiates to slip into taking hard street drugs like heroin. He doesn’t see this as a criminal issue and hopes to take a more rehabilitative approach to opiate addiction. Untermeyer cites Seattle’s Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program as a possible way to address low-level drug offenses. The program takes people who are charged with minor drug and prostitution crimes and puts them into community-based services as opposed to incarceration. “They’re given a choice. They can go to the police station, or they’ll take them directly to a program, in the squad car where immediately that hour they’re put in a program where they can have help. It gets them out of the system.” According to Untermeyer the cost of something like this is comparable to the $120 a day it costs to house inmates. “You take the money out of the prison’s and move it over,” Untermeyer said. Untermeyer does support stricter gun laws in Philadelphia. According to Untermeyer, if you are caught walking down the street with an illegal handgun, there is a possibility that you could walk away with probation. Untermeyer wants stricter punishment for people who are caught carrying illegal firearms in Philadelphia. “The first offense, I think there should be real punishment beyond probation,” Untermeyer said. No one wants to be labeled corrupt like Seth Williams has

been, so the bar is set very high for whichever candidate takes this office. “I am not for sale,” Untermeyer said. According to him, he is paying for his campaign largely out of pocket and he says he will hold his staff to the highest level of ethics. Untermeyer also says that he does not and will never take money from criminal defense lawyers. It is not uncommon for lawyers to donate to political campaigns for elected judiciary officials. The practice is legal, however it puts a cloud over whether the official would be impartial should that attorney be on the other side of the courtroom. “I believe I’m the only candidate that’s gone on record saying that he or she is not taking any money from criminal defense lawyers,” Untermeyer said. “As district attorney I vow to not take any gifts from anyone, anytime,

TUITION SAVINGS.

anyplace.” Untermeyer hopes to use the 300 or so ADA’s as his own liaisons to the community and create a dialogue between residents, police and the DA’s office. “There are 300 [Assistant] District Attorneys in Philadelphia and I think every Assistant DA, every lawyer in that office better be assigned to a neighborhood or a community and he or she will be responsible for being that community’s advisor for any matters that come before the District Attorney’s Office or the Police Department.” Untermeyer said. “What I hope to do is lead by example. I want to fundamentally make changes to the city. I want to fundamentally serve the people of this city.” •

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – April 27, 2017

WRITTEN BY SHARON ISABEL CURLEY

Spirit Astrology YOUR DOSE OF HYPERLOCAL SPIRITUAL ADVICE

Aries: Last night I had a dream that I was pregnant. I got pregnant, and right away it was showing. I had all of these challenges throughout the dream, which included me building a giant structure, falling down, and trying to find clothes that would fit me. All the while, I was trying to protect this baby from getting hurt. Here’s what I think this represented for me: I think I have some sincere love growing quickly in me that feels like it’s being tested. In my dream, I got through every challenge, although I was afraid of each. When I woke up today, I channeled that love. I recognized the challenges it gives me. I decided, as I had to in my dream, that there is no way I can let go of this love, I just must protect it, despite the challenges it gives me. This knowledge is making me feel righteous and good about protecting my love. I’m not just going to let it get hurt or die because I have a giant structure to build, I am going to treat it with care. Aries, we all have such challenges, and the only way we can pass through them is to protect what we have within us. Cherish what you have, and be strong with it. Taurus: I went out for First Friday this past week, and I visited a spot on Girard. The old Keys To The Attic building is now some design firm. They had these delicious margaritas they’d made, and the folks who own the place were incredibly friendly. It was a nice experience for me, to do something like this, which I would have not ever done, had their event not taken place. Taurus, if you’re feeling like there is a part of you that wants to try something new, you should really take the opportunity. You won’t know what’s out there for you, unless you give yourself the chance. Open your mind to new things, try new things, and if you’re in need for a design for a business, I recommend giving this place a try. Gemini: When you don’t have a safe place to be, it can feel like you’re stuck in time. I had a pretty rough year recently, and in January, I finally found a safe place. I found a place that is familiar, and full of dreams - made and in the making (or so it seemed). I’ve stayed in this safe place, experiencing for the first time in a long time - ME. I was in control. I developed a routine, I practiced yoga, I was cooking again. I had moments in the day where I felt so light and free. This place has felt like safe place for quite some time. Most of my desires lie in this safe place. That’s a funny word for me to use there. “Lie”. You see, they don’t just lie here, rested and creating, but they lie here. To me. It has recently been implied to me that this safe place is not that at all, and maybe never was. It has been implied to me that all of the thoughts I’ve developed here in my safe place have been untrue. And now, I am left in some dangerous places. Gemini, you never know what life may bring you. Wherever your heart lies, be sure it’s not being lied to. Cancer: I’ve got a few issues that require some decent brain candy for fixin’. One of these things is a debilitating anxiety disorder. A strange overwhelming thoughtless struggle that I can not control on my own. It grows on its own against my wishes. It’s like a cancer (not you) that lies dormant and suddenly - BOOM! - you’re life expectancy has just been drastically cut down, via the news of a doctor. I will be living a happy life, and then walks in anxiety. Like an unknown storm. I didn’t know it was going to be this windy. Anxiety is the kind of sickness that causes an upset stomach, trembling hands, dry mouth, uncontrollable tears, paralyzation of the mind, etc. I try to take deep breaths, but the fear of it not going away or creating itself a worse way of affecting me keeps me from letting it go. It takes over me. I try to make sense of it, but there’s no use in that. So, I take a daily medicine that subsides the daily pain, and makes it more sporadic or localized by a trigger. Cancer, we all have something we can’t control. I guess we just have to treat this with the only ways we know how. Seek guidance, help, and comfort when you need to. Don’t let this thing be your master, let it be your enemy. Leo: Why is it that when you’re sick with a fever, no one is telling you to get up and do something? Why does a fever allow rest to recover, but when you’re depressed, you’re told to snap out of it. You can’t snap out of food poisoning or a severe case of colitis. Yet, depression is a thing you’re supposed to be able to control on your own? It makes little to no sense to me. Lately, friends of mine with greater life success stories than I (currently, anyhow) keep telling me I just need to get myself under control and figure things out.

What I am hearing is,”Dude, get out of your wheelchair and WALK already!”. They say, “You got this. Just wing it.”, but if I could wing anything, it would be my arms, and I would fly away. I may be in a cataclysmic state in need of a paradigm shift, but I need to recover before I can move forth. Leo, “Don’t sweat what you heard, but act like you know” -ATCQ. Virgo: I don’t remember a time in my life where I have hurt someone that much. The times I have hurt people, has been when they have hurt me first, and my poor case of reacting has led me to say mean things about them or me. I’m a hard working person. The thing I work hardest for in this life has been succeeding in my relationships with people. I try to be a good sister, a good daughter, a good friend, a good employee, and a good girlfriend. I grew up in a tiny row home with three brothers, and I shared a room with one brother or another until I was about 18 or 19 years old. In our house, my brothers and I fought a lot with each other, and we fought a lot with our parents. My parents, on the other hand, never fought at all with each other, really. Perhaps this is how my brothers and I (with otherwise no option anyway) learned forgiveness. Of each and every of those 5 household members, I don’t think that one of us has an enemy. I don’t think us all to be perfect, but we are kind and caring people. In my life, whenever I have been wronged, I have forgiven and I have moved on, trying to remain in a friendship with this person. Some of these people have wronged me very much, and I still try to at least remain an affinity for this person. Virgo, you’re a grudge holder, and I think this to be a burden on your soul. I think it’s time to try to open up, to reach out to at least one of the people you hold a grudge against, and apologize to them for the distance. It’s will lift the weight that holds you back. Libra: As I get older, I leave the house less and less. I am often in the state of, ”all dressed up and nowhere to go”. My wardrobe, despite this newfound change, is still full of great clothes dying to be worn. So I wear them anyway, just around my house. I would like to have a place to wear these clothes, but when I am home, I am often alone. I have a new goal that is to try to get out at least once a week to wear these clothes. I enjoy things like a nice dinner out, an evening with my girlfriends, or what if I bit the bullet and went out dancing? Gettin older shouldn’t control my life, except everyone around me is getting older, too. Libra, if you’re feeling in a state of stagnation, I say follow me on this journey! Go buy yourself a new little outfit that you feel great in, and make a plan to get out there and have some fun. I don’t know where people can go dancing, but I, myself, have been craving something as simple as an evening seeing some music after dinner and maybe even a few drinks. If you’re my friend, and you are reading this, please invite me somewhere! If you’re not, invite your friends somewhere! Let’s get this party started!

ber sweat appearing out of nowhere, and I remember the dress I wore. I remember the uneven eyebrows we looked at, the weightlessness, the freedom, the joy. I remember it all. It’s as if the day came, and I only made one cup of coffee, and I’ve since regretted not making two - one for you. I remember someone else’s heart, and I remember the snow falling so much. I remember the fear of the first time, and I remember never feeling fear at all. Scorpio, you’re a sentimental being. It’s easy to live in the past especially when life seems elsewhere now. Perhaps you have moments where you say to yourself, “This isn’t living”, and perhaps you are correct. What changes can you make to solve this? You’ve already miss the kite festival in Penn Treaty, you’ve already been judged to believe who you are isn’t who you should be. So what’s next? Remember the hole in the tree branches. Remember the ice we slept on. Remember the little bird, and remember there was a future then. If you can get with that, you might just see one now. If you don’t, call me, we can figure it out together. Sagittarius: As often as I can, I go to Danger Salon to get a little grooming. I went last week, and was yet again satisfied with my experience. My dog friend Simone came along with me, and was treated like the Queen Beast that she is. Afterwards, I took Simone to two separate parks, and a long walk. Simone is a sweet girl, who has been my constant companion for the last few months. She let’s me know when she wants to sunbathe, she heads to the fridge when she wants a treat, and she lays on the couch with me when I am feeling like a rest. A dog really is a (wo)man’s best friend sometimes. I don’t know what my life would have been like over the past little while had she not been my housemate all the while. She is affectionate and sweet. If you’ve got a little Simone like creature in your life, Sagittarius, you better be treating that little thing like the magical beast it is. The more love you give, the more you get (or so they say). Capricorn: It is currently Sunday morning, as I write this. My social media feeds are full of happy faces, post the Broad Street Run. Running a marathon like that takes practice. Normally, you don’t just wake up one day as a marathon runner. Perhaps you’ve ran in the past, so you think you are capable, but you need to get back into it in order to succeed. Some days you may run and feel great and empowered. Other days, you may not have the energy to run at all. You know inside of you, you want to stick to running and one day be the winner in a marathon. So you must keep trying. To give up on this challenge could later make you feel like a failure. If you’re currently in a challenge of sorts, use this metaphor to get where you want to be: you can succeed with what you have in your means. You can win this particular marathon. It just takes patience, it takes care, and it may take hard days of getting out there to try. However, you can not give up. You may have the best running

Scorpio: I remember the smell of a dead mouse. I remem-

Continued on Page 16.

Page 13

The Spirit of the Riverwards – April 27, 2017

WRITTEN BY STEVE BOHNEL

Tariq el-shabazz

C A N S E T H W I L L I A M S ’ R I G H T- H A N D M A N D I S TA N C E H I M S E L F F R O M T H E PA S T A D M I N I S T R AT I O N ?

s Seth Williams leaves the District Attorney’s office amid federal charges, Tariq El-Shabazz, a former first assistant to Williams, wants Philadelphia voters to know his experience and work in the DA’s office are what set him apart from a packed field in the May 16th Primaries. He understands people are concerned about several issues — ranging from his tax liens to a recent report of former clients complaining about his services — but warns that drastic change in the city’s prosecuting office could undo years of progress. “A ship as big as a 650-person vessel can’t turn on a dime; it has to turn slowly,” El-Shabazz said. “So what are you gonna do? Blow it up and do what? You’re firing everybody? You can’t fire everybody. You can’t make massive improvements all at one time.” In a roughly 80-minute-long interview last month, El-Shabazz spoke with Spirit News about the most pressing issues in this district attorney race, along with his past experience and what he believes his current perception is due to his taxes and connection to Seth Williams. The 53-year-old Brooklyn native believes in “common sense” reform — he used the phrase 11 times during our discussion. He’s also a fan of using analogies to illustrate a point. “Not throwing the baby out with the bathwater” is a saying he used three times. That being said, El-Shabazz believes he has the experience to actually create meaningful change in the DA’s office, given his more than 30 years of experience in law as a prosecutor and defense attorney. He also has been outspoken about race relations in the city and the United States, arguing change must occur from hard conversation between both sides of the political aisle. “I put my clothes on the same way and I look the same way,” he said of his upbringing. “I can change my name to John Smith and I’m still a black man.” One policy that falls under the race umbrella is stop and frisk. El-Shabazz adamantly opposes this type of policing, along with arresting low-level drug offenders and offering more non-cash bail in court cases. He’s also against excessive use of mandatory minimums and the privatization of the prison system. He wants voters to know, however, that some aspects of the system work: probable cause, reasonable suspicion and other constitutional rights and personal liberties. “What can’t get lost in all this reform talk is public safety,” El-Shabazz said. “There are some people you’re going to have to prosecute and lock up. Everybody’s not getting a pass. That’s the nature of it. That’s why you have to be balanced with discretion and understanding.” Some of the challenges El-Shabazz faces have to do with his credibility. Concerning his tax debts, he said he owes about $74,000 out of an original $137,000, which accumulated over the past four to five years. He emphasized these are civil debts and that he has never been criminally charged regarding tax collection previously. More troubling, perhaps, is his connection to District Attorney Seth Williams, who has been indicted with more than 20 counts involving corruption, bribery and other charges. El-Shabazz worked as First Assistant under Williams before he announced his candidacy for the position of District Attorney last fall. “I agree that you bare your soul when you run for public office, no doubt about it,” he said about his taxes and connection to Williams. “The question can be asked and I answered those questions. It’s just there are questions,

with all due respect, that definitely distract from what we’re talking about and what this race is.” Ultimately, it’s unclear how much these issues will impact El-Shabazz until Philadelphians vote on May 16. He will, however, be battling six other Democrats to face Republican Beth Grossman in the general election this fall. El-Shabazz added that he most aligns ideologically with Larry Krasner, the civil rights attorney, but stated Krasner goes “farther” on some issues than himself. He declined to clarify what he meant, directing Spirit News to ask Krasner

about his platform. Regardless of his opponents, restoring credibility to the office and creating trust within the community is imperative, El-Shabazz said. “We spend too much time on the issues that we shouldn’t; we’re distracted,” he said. “I can do that through working with people and continuing to work on reform and it’s earning the trust and bringing the dignity and ethics back to that office, to the people in it and to the surrounding community.” •

The Philadelphia Kite Festival 2017 at Penn Treaty Park Photos by Roman Blazic

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – April 27, 2017

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The Spirit of the Riverwards – April 27, 2017

SATURDAY, MAY 20 noon — 6pm

TRENTON AVENUE

from Norris to Dauphin

Page 15

Page 16

The Spirit of the Riverwards – April 27, 2017

WRITTEN BY PTAH GABRIE

Teresa Carr Deni

JUDGE DENI BRINGS MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF LEGAL EXPERIENCE TO THE TABLE

udge Teresa Carr Deni is a Democrat running for District Attorney. She recently retired after serving 21 years on the Philadelphia Municipal Court Bench, but Deni wasn’t always part of the system — she was once an activist. A graduate of Temple University, Deni once opened a feminist bookstore called Alexandria Books at 20th and Walnut Streets in Center City and was active in the gay and feminist rights movements. “We published a feminist newspaper called Hera,” Deni said. After Temple, Deni began a legal career spannig over 30 years. She practiced law for 10 years prior to becoming a judge and served as chair of the criminal justice section of the Philadelphia Bar Association. This position allowed her to work with other attorneys and facilitate open discussions between lawyers to become better at performing their jobs. “We put on programs every month in different aspects of criminal justice for the lawyers,” Deni said. She has also served as counsel for the Democratic City Committee, the Board of Revisions of Taxes and the Office of Housing and Community Development. She’s also served as defense counsel on several death penalty cases. Deni fought to change the system of how court-appointed attorneys are paid. According to her, the pay was low and the caseload was tremendous. “Even for death penalty cases, the pay is totally inadequate for court-appointed attorneys,” Deni said. “They haven’t come up with a good system making sure that competent people are appointed and paid appropriately.” According to Deni, the opiate crisis is a major contributing factor to all the crime that occurs in Philadelphia. She has had a change of heart on how to approach this epidemic. “Before this particular crisis, I did not agree with the idea of methadone maintenance,” Deni said. “In a lot of cases, medication therapy for addiction is the most appropriate way for people to function without committing crimes to support their habits. It really [made] a major change in my mind on how these things need to be treated.” She cites a conversation with a friend after visiting the infamous Mascher Street bridge where addicts hide from sight below the structure to take drugs. She believes addiction alters the brain chemistry to the point where these people are no longer in control of their actions and need drugs like methadone to lead normal lives. “At least [methadone is] legal and you’re not under a bridge injecting yourself like a troll,” Deni said. “If people physically need medication to transition, then I’ve changed my mind and that needs to be offered.” Judge Deni believes drugs are fueling the gun violence in Philadelphia. “The basis for most crimes is [either] mental health, drugs, poverty or evil,” Deni said. “The drug craze is the basis for people feeling the need to carry guns.” One of the biggest reasons she believes people are likely to be involved with illicit drug sales is the fact that in an increasingly saturated field of job applicants, anyone convicted of a felony is less likely to be hired. “If you can’t get a job, if you have no economic hope, you land in these situations,” Deni said. “I’m not excusing this in any way, but we have to try to understand where it’s coming from.” Deni told Spirit News she does not support mandatory minimum sentencing and is willing to support diversionary programs to take the burden off the court system with regard to minor offenses. “Once you are convicted of a felony, you can’t get a job,” Deni said. “That’s a pretty harsh penalty to pay, and to have half the city ineligible for em-

ployment — it’s just a losing battle. We need to build people up, not tear them down.” This isn’t the first time Deni has thought about running for District Attorney. She believes there is a time and place where every DA’s office needs to be purged. She says she felt this way when Lynn Abraham decided not to seek another term, and she feels the same way today. “I wanted to run eight years ago when Seth [Williams] was first running,” Deni said. “There’s a culture of every District Attorney and I found that could benefit from a change in culture. That’s still my argument today.” Deni is only one of two DA candidates who has not served in any District Attorney’s office. She believes this is key to a fresh start. “Anyone else would bring in the culture that they learned under prior District Attorneys,” Deni said. “I think it needs a fresh start completely.” Deni told Spirit News that she looked at the DA’s office budget and noticed some troubling issues regarding the demographics of the DA’s office employees. “One thing I did take notice of when I looked at the budget was that there were twice as many whites as minorities hired, twice as many men as women,” she said. “The whites were paid more than the minorities and the men were paid more than the women.” She hopes to diversify the office as a better way to serve diverse communities in Philadelphia. “I want to hire more multilingual people,” Deni said. “People are talking about how they want to hire people from the top law schools. I don’t think we need the top law schools as much as we need diversity in the office.” She also wants to take proactive steps to reach out to the community and break down language and trust barriers between the DA’s office, the police department and the community. “Part of my DA’s office is going to be involved in the schools. You’ve got to go into the schools and interact so that people are not afraid of law enforcement,” Deni said. “It would be helpful to have multilingual attorneys, and I also like the idea of hiring local. I love homegrown.” •

Continued from Page 12. shoes, and the coolest gear, but they mean nothing unless you teach yourself to run. Don’t give up, Capricorn. Put on those running shoes now, look at yourself in the mirror and be okay with where you are now — a future winner of this very marathon. Aquarius: The theme song from The Fresh Prince Of BelAir starts with this lyric, “Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped, turned upside down.” We all have moments like this and mine was just recently (for the many-ith time). I was having a regular day, things seemed pretty good. I was enjoying the moments of joy within this day, and a sudden conversation arose. I had no idea of what was really happening, as it put me into a state of shock. Shock, as we know it, can make us behave in uncertain ways. Ways we didn’t know we had in us. Sometimes, the shock makes you strong, and you get up and act like a hero. Other times, the news can put you into a state of shock that shuts down any rational movement your entire being might otherwise know. My reaction to the shock was of the latter. I’ve since been trying to process this. A life of joy, of love, of happiness and stability went from a seemingly high percentage, to the lowest low I have known in a long time. My heart and my body have been suffering since then. As that theme song goes along with the TV show, the Fresh Prince gets a second chance. My second chance was taken away. Aquarius, if you’re with me in a similar feeling, I suggest you fight for your chances. Be true to yourself, be true to your needs and take this knowledge into your way of swaying others to join you. If you don’t try your hardest to get what you want, you may never succeed in seeing the success you deserve. Pisces: I say Peanut Chews are my favorite candy. I buy them by the bag at the grocery store. I am not sure if it’s true anymore that these are my favorite, but I do know that I like them. I know that, as a vegan teenager, they were basically the only acceptable candy to eat. I wonder if I should give up the nostalgia and try something new? Eliminate the “favorite”, and see if I miss it. This is a good motto to have with many things in life. I have been recently trying the elimination diet of life by way of pros and cons lists. Peanut Chews remain on the pros list, as it were, among other things I feel uncertain about. Other things are set in stone. The cons list for me is always little or questioned, because I don’t like to not like things. Whatever truth you need to challenge, I think now is the time. The weather is rainy a lot, the skies are grey, and a heavy weight of change is upon you. Be prepared, Pisces. •

Big Changes For Cione Tot Recreation Program Starting September 2017, our tot program will be expanding to four days a week, five hours a day. Our days will be Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 8:30AM-1:30PM. Breakfast will be available at the start of the day, also snacks will be provided. Lunch can be brought from home: cold sandwich, hot thermos, beverages, etc. We will have a designated lunch time. School hours can be altered according to your needs, but total weekly school free must be paid. Your child must be 3 years of age by September 2017 and be toilet trained to start the program. School fees will be $60 per week (20 hours) and fees need to be paid by check or money order. Rules issued by the city. Receipts will be issued. As of now, the above information as the basic changes to our program. We understand these changes will not fit everyone’s needs, but talk with us see to see if somethings can be changed. More information will follow as soon as it’s available.