POLS ON THE STREET: Onorato Keeps Pumping Philly

Dan Onorato, Allegheny Co.’s Executive and the Democrat candidate for Governor, seems to have a leg up over Republican nominee Tom Corbett, who is being kept busy by his prosecution roles against Dems and Reps as Attorney General.

Corbett hasn’t made the Philadelphia scene much, save for fundraisers (some bringing in mighty big dollars). Onorato is pumping the Philly pump, hoping to gain voter allegiance and can be seen everywhere and anywhere, since he knows at least three of the four voters with whom he shakes hands will be Democrats.

Corbett’s schedule, for sure, will include an afternoon visit with Republican rank and file at Cannstatter on Aug. 25. Local Republicans are pressing for more appearances at major shopping centers, since they don’t believe Philadelphians are totally sold on a Democrat’s filling Rendell’s seat for another four years.

Onorato worked Malcolm X Park at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Then is was off to the Bob Brady Beach Party in Wildwood that afternoon, followed by the Sam Staten, Sr. Memorial at Convention Hall that evening, where he met up with Gov. Ed Rendell. Shepherding him through that event was Laborer’s political guru Ken Washington.

Onorato also toured Local 1199C’s Breslin Learning Center during the week and addressed its students and faculty on his plan to boost jobs and focus on workforce development. On the tour, Onorato observed both youth and adult learners preparing for careers in the health care industry.
“I am the only candidate for Governor who has experience turning around a region and a plan for getting Pennsylvania’s economy back on track,” said Onorato, who has served for six years as Allegheny Co. Executive. “I know how to make our state more competitive for businesses and to ensure that our workforce is well-prepared for good-paying jobs with the skills that businesses need.”
Allegheny Co.’s unemployment rate is lower than both the state’s and the nation’s. There are more people working in Allegheny Co. than in any other county in Pennsylvania.
“One of the reasons that Allegheny Co. is doing so much better than the state and the nation is because we help workers adjust to the changing economy,” Onorato said. “We’re making it possible for people get back on their feet, while encouraging businesses to create jobs – and that is exactly what I will do as Governor.”

JET PILOT KELLY SHOT DOWN AGAIN
Kevin Kelly, who can turn a fighter jet on a dime and does so regularly, found he couldn’t hold on to his newl-found ward leadership of the 22nd GOP Ward, as far as the Republican City Commitee is concerned. He held a meeting on Jul. 21 at the United Republican Club at 7:30 p.m. and was elected ward leader. He notified the Republican City Committee by email and hard copy of that effect, along with the newly elected officers of the ward. This was his second meeting for that purpose. He had won at the first reorganization meeting which was contested.

The next evening, the Re-publican City Committee’s Contest Committee scheduled a meeting of the 22nd Ward. Kelly lost and veteran Ward Leader Aaron Finestone won. Since the ruling of the outcome of Contest Committee-sponsored elections holds sway, Kevin has officially lost his leadership in the eyes of the RCC.

Offering legal advice to Kelly, GOP 27th Ward Leader Matt Wolfe, Esq. believes two of the contest committee members have challenges of their own from the State-run organization led by Al Schmidt and, according to City Committee rules, are ineligible as members.

The same scenario, Wolfe states, occurred in the 65th when Philp Innamorato was ruled out by a Contest Committee. He has produced court rulings going back to 1966 to support his contention.

Whether or not he continues to fight for the two in court remains to be seen, though there is some doubt the courts will intervene in a battle within a private Party battle which has its own rules governing such activity.

With campaign time now under 100 days, City Committee Chairman Vito Canuso, Esq. remarked, “We look forward to the time when all our Republicans realize we need to get down to basics, get new Republican registrations, and begin expending their energies to get our candidate for Governor elected.”

WILL ELMER BE ON THE MONEY?
In 2011, Republican candidate Elmer Money hopes to challenge the status quo. The Friends of Elmer Money committee has begun building support for his campaign as a Republican candidate for City Council At Large.

Money stated, “Our two Republican At-Large Councilmen, Frank Rizzo and Jack Kelly, have enrolled into the ethically questionable Deferred Retirement Option Program. The expectation is that they will retire after their term expires in 2011. As participants within the DROP, Frank Rizzo is scheduled to receive a payment of $188,873 while Jack Kelly receives $299,163.”

Contributions to Elmer’s campaign can be made at http://elmermoney.com/donate.html or, if you would prefer, checks can be mailed to “The Friends of Elmer Money” at 3651 East Crown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19114.

SOUTH PHILADELPHIAN RISES TO PENNA. SECRETARY
Long-time Philadelphian and a former Committeeman from the 48th Democrat Ward Basil Merenda now holds two hats in the cabinet of Gov. Ed Rendell.
He has held several positions within the Rendell Administration. These include deputy secretary for regulatory programs at the Dept. of State, since joining the department in 2004.

Rendell named him Commissioner of the Dept.’s Bureau of Professional & Occupational Affairs in 2004. He has now named him Secretary of the Commonwealth.

“I have known Basil for nearly 30 years, first as an undergraduate student and then as a summer legal intern when I was Philadelphia’s district attorney,” said Rendell. “It has been a real pleasure seeing Basil grow and develop into an accomplished attorney with a passion for public service. I fully expect Basil to bring the same work ethic and passion to his duties as secretary.”

Rendell noted Merenda has strongly improved consumer protection in his former position with a series of improvements in regulations and the formation of two new boards regulating massage therapists and crane operators.

Merenda is now leading a 500-employee agency that oversees a diverse collection of an administrative and regularity bureaus. Prior to his work with the Dept. of State, he served as deputy attorney general for the state of New Jersey. Earlier he served as legal counsel to United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1776.

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