POLS ON THE STREET: From Paddy Whacks To GOP Chair

The Philadelphia Republican Happy Hours once a month First Tuesday gatherings at Paddy Whacks, 2nd & South, and sponsored by 5th Ward GOP Leader Mike Cibik, have given the State GOP’s version of Republican City Committee a most-welcome opportunity to compare notes, plan strategy, and to communicate. Growing in significance as more than a happy hour, is the fact the time serves as a way of comparing notes and strategy. Its evolution now features guest speakers.

The group heard Joe DeFelice, the Philadelphia Leadership Council’s Philadelphia State GOP Director, at a Tuesday gathering, discuss Philadelphia election fraud and the impact of the new Voter-ID law in the coming general election. DeFelice, an attorney, who has served as the Philadelphia director of the State Republican-sponsored Philadelphia State GOP Committee since 2008, also has been the group’s election-day operations director as well. This last Tuesday night, the group spent deciding who they would support for the leadership, a unique opportunity. The next evening, Republican City Committee and Philadelphia State ward leaders met at St. Michael the Archangel Orthodox Church Hall, 3rd & Fairmount, to officially elect a new chairman.

Vito Canuso, who has held that post for years, was not recognized by the State Republican Party at the last reorganization of the City Committee. Subsequently the post was declared vacant. But it took a lot of behind-the-scenes maneuvering to finally arrive at a consensus meeting time and place to elect his replacement. The meeting last night was to decide his replacement, with the result long after we had gone to press for today’s print edition. For sure, the winner had to be someone who has the blessings of Republican State Chair Rob Gleason. Rick Hellberg, who was a 2010 congressional candidate and is a 21st Ward committeeman, was unanimously voted by 20 ward leaders to become the new Republican County Chair. Attorney Matt Wole, the 27th Ward Leader, stated at the meeting only 36 wards are organized with uncontested leadership, thereby setting the quorum at 18. According to one of our insiders in the talks preceding the meeting, it’s believed DeFelice would become the RCC’s executive director.

Still the succession to Vito Canuso as chair may not be settled, according to a letter sent to all Republican ward leaders from Michael Meehan, Esq. He charged the meeting called by Cibik was invalid since  Cibik holds “no elected officer position with City Committee,” adding the ruling “from State Committee only effects the Chairman’s participation in the proceedings of Republican State Committee” and that ruling “did not address the Elections of the other officials of Republican City Committee which were concluded with the same participants  during that same meeting.” In essence, he states, “There is no vacancy in the Republican City Chairmanship.” In his letter he noted  the challenge to the leadership “before the Credentials Committee of State Committee did not challenge the election of city committee’s officers. All challenges to ward leaders were decided in June, 2010.” He also cited the meeting notice as “invalid because Cibik failed to notify all ward leaders.” Meehan asked City Committee ward leaders not to attend.

A local Republican  historian noted, “This could be the first time in 134 years the Republican City Committee will have a democratically released City Republican Chair. The Grand Old Party in Philadelphia has long been dominated by bosses. Starting first with the infamous Gas Trust in 1865, the first GOP boss was Matthew Quay at least since 1878, when he relocated to Philadelphia the serve as the County Recorder of Philadelphia. Israel Durham then took over as the GOP boss from 1890 until Jan. 9, 1906, according to the New York Times, under the headline ‘Abandons Claim to Leadership of Philadelphia Machine.’ Durham was briefly succeeded by North Philly GOP James McNichol, who was never able to consolidate his power due to long-time challenges by South Philly GOP machine set up by the Vare Brothers, George, Edwin and William. However, Boies Penrose filled the vacuum and served as the city Republican boss from 1904 until 1921. ‘Yes, but I’ll preside over the ruins,’ was Penrose’s famous reply to a Republican Party reformer’s accusation that Penrose was ruining the party’s prospects for victory by putting up a slate of party hacks with no chance of winning.

“After Penrose’s 1921 death, domination of the Republican City Committee passed onto the Vare Brothers, until William Vare lost his political muscle when he was refused to be seated by the US Senate. Then the City GOP was dominated by William F. Mead, the nominal head of the Republican City Committee, Sheriff Austin Meehan, and to a lesser degree, City Commissioner Morton Witkin.

“Mead was soon ousted after the Democrats succeeded in taking over City Hall under the newly enacted 1951 Home Rule Charter. Since then, according to former Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Tom Ferrick, the Meehans have run the city GOP for over 75 years. First, it was Sheriff Austin Meehan, then his son, William Austin (‘Billy’) Meehan, which the Philadelphia Inquirer labeled as ‘the last of America’s old-fashioned political bosses; certainly its last big-city Republican boss.’ (Sep. 14, 1994). Then since 1994, it was Michael P. Meehan, not as chair, but as counsel to the Republican Committee.”

The factions will continue with more division and the Republicans seem intent on destroying an opportunity to build registrations toward the Presidential election.

PRODUCE ON WADSWORTH AVE.

State Sen. LeAnna Washington (D-Northwest) this week announced the weekly Friday farmers market with farmer John King has returned outside of her office on the 1500 block of Wadsworth Street. It’s a fun time, providing a chance to meet the Senator, who initiated the Friday sales three years ago, and farmer John King. The farm market hours run from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Washington noted while the market is a wonderful place for the community to socialize, it also helps families on budgets stock up on healthy food choices. She said she hopes the market will promote better eating through providing access to inexpensive, nutritious options as alternatives to the cheap and highly-processed food that many local corner stores stock. “Remedying urban food deserts is not about politics, but about helping the people in our community who cannot get affordable fresh fruits and vegetables,” Washington added.

JUSTICE ORIE MELVIN HIT WITH FELONIES

State Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin has been barred from hearing cases by her fellow justices though she has entered a not-guilty plea concerning charges she used state staff for political work. Justice Melvin said will vigorously defend “these politically motivated charges.”

Melvin, 56, said, “The voters overwhelmingly sent me to the Supreme Court, and I will not resign.” But she did this week.

Pennsylvania Bar Association President Thomas G. Wilkinson, Jr. has issued the following statement regarding the developments in the Orie Melvin case: “Every citizen is entitled to the presumption of innocence and has the right to defend against charges and present evidence on his or her behalf. Having said that, the pending criminal charges, if proven, represent a troubling pattern of criminal misconduct that is incompatible with the high standards of professional conduct the organized bar and the Commonwealth have a right to expect of any judge, let alone a member of this state’s highest court.

“It is also important to lawyers and litigants that the Supreme Court return to its full complement of seven Justices when hearing cases as soon as possible. We express the hope that the pending proceedings are resolved promptly so that tie votes on pending appeals can be avoided and the public’s confidence in the integrity of our highest state court will be maintained.”

LEGISLATIVE SURPLUS UNDER PUBLIC PRESSURE

It was much more, but now the size of the Pennsylvania legislature’s budget surplus has shrunk greatly down to $120 million. Pressure is building up via media editorials and public activists the money should be used to aid public education and public-welfare programs that are suffering budget cuts.

According to Assembly leadership, they say their budget surplus keeps them independent. Lawmakers defend the surplus as the price of independence in case a Governor threatens to veto the legislative budget to get leverage in a budget dispute.

G.O.P.’S TOM SMITH NAMES P.R. DIRECTOR

The Tom Smith for United States Senate campaign has tapped Megan Piwowar as communications director. “I’m excited to bring such an energetic professional to the team. Megan will make an immediate impact in our efforts to turn things around in Pennsylvania and across our nation,” said Smith.

As communications director, Piwowar will serve as chief contact for members of the media. Piwowar has a strong background in media relations and public affairs with success in leading statewide efforts in strategic communications development, message implementation, and social media. She has served as communications director for Congressman Dave Camp; the Kasich-Taylor Inauguration Committee; the Ohio House Republican caucus, and spokeswoman for Ohio House Speaker Bill Batchelder. Megan has also served the Michigan Republican Party and Michigan statehouse.

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