POLS ON THE STREET: Will Green Party Ballot Hurt Obama?

If Green Party Presidential nominee Jill Stein and her running mate Cheri Honkala’s 35,000 signatures survive challenges, and their Party makes it to the Pennsylvania ballot, they may well have an impact on the outcome of the presidential race in this state.

What is raising serious concern for Obama Team leaders here is the fact the Green Party presidential ballot could siphon away at least those many petitioners and possibly more. This has proven to be the case in states where George Nader appeared in the last presidential race. In fact, Obama strategists say, “Nader took away votes we should have had and we, thereby, lost the state.”

The Public Record has learned they expect to challenge those petitions in court to offset that possibility.

To win a spot for their name on the Pennsylvania ballot, independents and third-party candidates have to garner enough signatures to equal 2% of the highest number of votes received by a candidate in a state election the previous year. Signatures can be collected from any voter, regardless of party, so long as he or she has not signed for another candidate for the same office.

This year the Green Party of Pennsylvania was required to submit 20,601 notarized signatures. The number equals 2% of those received by David Wecht during his 2011 run for State Superior Court. Democratic and Republican candidates must submit only 2,000 signatures. To avoid being struck from the ballot by a court challenge, the Green Party submitted about 15,000 extra signatures. It is common practice for candidates to submit twice as many signatures as are required.

“In contrast to Republican and Democratic candidates who are doing everything they can to avoid bringing substance into this campaign, we are giving Americans the alternatives and solutions they have been clamoring for,” said Stein. The nominee, who is also a physician, teacher of internal medicine and environmental-health advocate, described the current polarized state of American government with pressing urgency. “Current campaigns are confining themselves to details that are not at the core of the problems Americans are facing,” she stated.

Green State Party Chair Carl Romanelli’s failed attempt to run for US Senate in 2006 demonstrated the extreme challenge Pennsylvania law presents to third-party candidates. Romanelli, who was required to turn in 67,070 signatures, handed in over 100,000, but was still kept off the ballot by lawyers representing the Democratic Party and candidate Bob Casey. These candidates also run the risk of having to pay the legal fees of challengers if their signatures fail to hold up in court. Due to this part of Pennsylvania law, Romanelli currently owes and refuses to pay over $80,000 in legal fees to the Democratic Party.

CITY COUNCILMAN Mark Squilla, Drexel University Basketball Coach Bruiser Flint and Syracuse University Basketball and former Sacks Playground native Scoop Jardin treated youngsters to some good coaching at Sacks Playground, 4th & Washington Avenue.

WHO’S BEHIND LOTTERY PRIVATIZING?

Officials at the Pennsylvania Lottery celebrated record profits last week. The new Pennsylvania profits report show a $100 million increase in net revenues over the previous year, for a total of $1.06 billion in the fiscal year ending Jun. 30.

So who can figure why the Corbett Administration says the record figures aren’t altering the steps they’re taking to pursue a private manager? What big money is coming up with the pressure needed to keep Corbett on a stupid path?

Traditionally in America, and particularly in Pennsylvania, one can expect government to screw up a good thing … trying to get rid of an efficient organization of dedicated state workers whose costs are minimal. A saving grace could be the new figures could impact the burden on applicants, who must show how they’ll be able to improve the current system.

SUPREME CT. PUTS REDISTRICTING ON T.V.

The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania will allow its oral argument session on the state’s second legislative redistricting plan to be televised live by Pennsylvania Cable Network from Philadelphia City Hall Courtroom 456, starting at 9:30 a.m. today. A schedule for the 13 appeals has been set.

Observers will be admitted on a first-come-first-served basis. Once the courtroom is full, those not admitted may wait in line to take a seat as those who were seated leave.

LABOR WEIGHS IN ON DISENFRANCHISED

New information compiled by the AFL-CIO belies the original estimate given by the Corbett Administration, which said initially only 1% of people would be affected by voter-ID law and later amended it to 9.2%, or 758,000 people. The AFL-CIO said the number is closer to 20%, or 1.6 million.

The information came from compiling and cross-referencing people who don’t have driver’s licenses and people whose licenses will have expired before Election Day.

BRADY ADDRESSES VOTER PHOTO-I.D. GRIPES

US House Administration Committee Ranking Member Bob Brady, House Democrat Whip Steny Hoyer, and House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers convened a meeting of Congress Members and representatives from youth, student, and voting organizations to focus on the escalating attempts to prevent students and young people from casting ballots this November.

They convened the meeting on Capitol Hill, at the request of Our Time, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to promoting civic engagement. Other organizations participating in the meeting included Hillel, Campus Progress, Rock the Vote, Politics 365, the Advancement Project, the National Campus Leadership Council and others.

“It’s no coincidence young people played an important role in the last election, and now Republican controlled legislatures are making it harder for them to do it again,” said Brady. “We should be encouraging a new generation to vote, not discouraging and disenfranchis ing them.”

Nineteen states across the country have passed laws to restrict voters’ access to the polls. Many of these laws specifically target students and make it more difficult for students to vote.

ANOTHER WAY AROUND NEW VOTING RULES

Pennsylvania’s new voter-ID law requires anyone showing up at the polls in November to produce an approved photo identification, except if they cast their vote with an absentee ballot or by alternative ballot (used when the voter is 65 years old or handicapped and has an inaccessible polling place).

TWO FORMER Democrat 27th Ward Leaders, Mary Goldman, left, and Nancy Ruane, join current Leader Carol Jenkins, right, at ward dinner party at Walnut Hill Restaurant School. Ruane received appreciation award that night.

DUNBAR CHALLENGE WILL NOT FIND TAKER

William F. Dunbar, Democrat candidate for State Representative in the 177th Dist., has sent a formal request to his Republican incumbent State Rep. John Taylor (R-Kensington) proposing a series of three debates to be held in public spaces in three different neighborhoods within the 177th district in the weeks between Sep. 10 and Oct. 26. He argues public debates are an essential part of elections, addressing the issues of the community and providing voters with the necessary information to make informed decisions.

Odds are against this happening, since there is little political history to show well-known office holders will agree to give lesser-known challengers any forum as public as a debate.

311 APP MAY APPEAR SOON

The city is planning to introduce a 311 mobile app soon and is testing the project. An email has been sent out by Marc Dreyfuss, GIS analyst for Philly311, looking for volunteers.

Those wishing to get involved can reach him at (215) 863-0867 or his cell, (708) 710-1173, or by email at marc.dreyfuss@phila,.gov. This could be a way to increase community effort in combating the present crime epidemic.

YOUNG REPUBLICANS CONFAB IS ICED

The Philadelphia Federation of Young Republicans Leadership Conference which was to take place at the Lowes Hotel this Saturday has been cancelled. The morning session was to have featured Commissioner Al Schmidt and veteran election attorney Joseph J. DeFelice, Esq., and afternoon appearances by Councilman David Oh, State Representative candidates Dave Kralle and Nick Mattiacci and Attorney General Candidate David Freed.

YRs around the state reported conflicting schedules would keep them away.

CONGRESSMAN Bob Brady congratulates President Dan Grace on upcoming 70th birthday of his Teamsters Local 830, which will be celebrated Sept. 9 on lawn at headquarters, Townsend & Southampton Roads, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Photo by Joe Stivala

TOM KNOX’S NAME ON GUV HORIZON?

We had promised not to mention Tom Knox as a serious contender for Governor until the time is ripe, but the fall in Gov. Tom Corbett’s popularity among both Democrats and Republicans seems to be making Corbett an easy target. Add to that a recent poll showing Knox ahead of Corbett 45% to 39% and you get the Knox bandwagon leadership being forced to rev up its engines a bit earlier than it had planned to position their candidate.

COMPLAINTS ON RISE ABOUT JUDICIAL CONDUCT

The Judicial Conduct Board of Pennsylvania’s 2011 Annual Report, which is available on line at the Board’s website: www.jcbpa.org, reports 711 complaints during the 2011 calendar year “reflecting a greater scrutiny of judicial conduct.”

The Report provides comprehensive information on the Board’s authority and procedures, statistical data on Board cases, summaries of disciplinary action, and an index of all pending case filings, identified only by case number. The increase in complaints should alert some judges.

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