POLS ON THE STREET: Teamsters’ DC 107 Fuels Tony Williams’ Campaign For Mayor

TEAMSTERS Joint Council No. 53 President William Hamilton tells Teamsters at imported new-car lots at Front & Oregon their endorsed candidate for Mayor is State Sen. Anthony Williams. Both addressed crowd of Teamster drivers from union trailer on Monday.

by Joe Shaheeli
Making it official, the state and city’s Teamsters Unions endorsed State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams’ mayoral bid at the huge imported new-car lot located at Front & Oregon early Monday morning.

Standing on the back end of a huge Teamsters Union trailer surrounded by scores of Teamsters Union members, Teamsters Joint Council No. 53 President William Hamilton endorsed Williams for before a crowd of his membership working at the PRPA’s huge holding lots for thousands of Kia automobiles arriving regularly by ship from Korea.

“We need a job-creator, not an apartment-builder Mayor,” said Hamilton. “We need industrial jobs that pay decent wages. After a thorough study of the candidates, we Teamsters find Williams to be the man for the job.”

He pointed to the fact “Williams was raised in a union family and has voted against anti-union provisions of the paycheck-protection bill in the State House. Williams has also been a public supporter of raising the minimum wage and of pay equity for women.”

Both of Williams’ grandparents were members of the American Postal Workers Union.

The endorsement includes the power of over 40 locals belonging to the Joint Council.

Williams is running in the May 19 Democratic primary against former City Councilman Jim Kenney, former District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham, former Common Pleas Court Judge Nelson Diaz, former city spokesman Doug Oliver, Rev. Keith Goodman and former State Sen. T. Milton Street.

Kenney Is First Target Of Record-Bashing

The time has come for the mud to fly in the mayoral campaign. With all of the stronger candidates seemingly committed to this primary race, it looks as if the easiest mark to target is former Councilman Jim Kenney.

After a long career in elected office, Kenney has cast votes or taken stands at a time when they were logical and, he believed, the right ones to make. He has compiled a long record of thousands of votes in the course of his duties as Councilman. The vast majority were perfunctory on mundane city ordinances.

CITY COMMISSIONER candidate Ward Leader Carol Jenkins and mayoral candidate Jim Kenney were two of many candidates for office who sought good graces of Elaine Tomlin’s 42nd Ward at public meeting at Olney Charter HS last Saturday.

Now beginning to heat up, this Mayor’s race has campaign teams digging into their competitors past records looking for snowballs to fling.

The Nelson Diaz campaign spokesman Harry Caro last week did so, criticizing former Councilman Jim Kenney “for a growing pattern of hypocrisy on the campaign trail. Kenney has strongly supported school vouchers for years, yet has repeatedly attacked State Sen. Anthony Williams for being pro-voucher.”

“This behavior raises serious doubts about Jim Kenney’s campaign regardless of whether he’s flip-flopping or just hoping no one calls him out on the hypocrisy,” said Caro. “Kenney has a long record, much of which stands in direct opposition to his current campaign rhetoric. Jimmy-come-lately may have found religion on progressive issues late in his career, but he needs to account for what he once proudly called a ‘moderate conservative’ Council record that only ends curiously close to his decision to run for Mayor.”

At a campaign appearance last Wednesday night, Karo noted Kenney was critical of the stadium deals and Convention Center expansion for diverting funding from things like universal pre-K – even though Kenney supported the stadiums and the Convention Center. Kenney even defended cost overruns at the Convention Center, he charged.

Coffee Can Holds Key To Destinies

Many political candidates had their futures decided by on how they pulled ballot positions from this coffee can, used since back in the early 1960s by Registration Commission. Supervisor of Elections Tim Dowling said nominees for every city office will pick their ballot position by what number they pull from this venerable Horn & Hardart coffee can Mar. 18 in City Hall Court Room 676 beginning at 11 a.m.

An empty Horn & Hardart coffee can, vintage from the mid-’60s, has made or broken candidate nominees from both major parties for over half a century. It sits in the registration office in City Hall, locked up in a little key safe.

Guardian is Tim Dowling, supervisor of elections, who will bring it up to Courtroom 676 in City Hall on Mar. 18. There, starting at 11 a.m., candidates will pick numbers from the can. The lowest number goes to the top of the ballot and the others follow in order.

With history showing a top ballot position can mean as much as several thousand unsolicited votes, the competition is important. Pulling a number that takes you to the bottom of the ballot for any position can be disastrous for even popular incumbents.

Vying for low numbers will be all those in the citywide races for Mayor, Council and row offices.

Judicial candidates aren’t involved. Their destiny lies in Harrisburg with the Dept. of State’s Elections Division. They go to the ’Burg and pick, or a state trooper will do it for them in their absence.

If Seth Wins Case, What Happens Next?

Of course, those legislators found guilty will have to resign if DA Seth Williams successfully prosecutes numerous present and former State Representatives. Depending on when trials end, the question will arise when special elections should be called. Democrats on the Hill will call for them as soon as possible.

Since those elections will be sending a new crop of Democrats to the Hill as replacements, would the Republican leadership hold off until a more convenient time for them or will they accede to the inevitable?

Sestak Starts Hiking Now Toward 2016

Admiral Joe Sestak has embarked on a long overland journey – one he hopes will eventually take him to Washington, D.C.

Sestak set off from Independence Hall last week to walk across Pennsylvania, spreading the word about his candidacy for US Senate in 2016. He plans to wind up in Beaver, on the Ohio border, by the end of this month.

The Republican Party of Pennsylvania has been flooding the media for a couple of weeks with releases slamming Sestak, highlighting in particular some of negative responses by Sestak’s fellow Democrats to his campaign and casting doubts on his ability to beat incumbent Republican Sen. Pat Toomey in a rematch. Sestak beat incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter in the 2010 primary and came within a few points of then-Congressman Toomey that year, which saw the Tea Party wave take over numerous Democrat-held seats across the nation.

Sestak should take all this attention from the RPP as a compliment. It tells us Republicans fear him.

RAISING funds – and media attention – by walking across Penna. is Admiral Joe Sestak’s first major effort to fire up his campaign to challenge Republican US Sen. Pat Toomey.

Interviewed Saturday as he was walking across Delaware County, Sestak dismissed the idea the Democratic Party would stand in his way, or that he was unsupportive of the party.

“Three times party leaders came to me asking me to run for Senate in 2010 and I said no,” he related. “The fourth time I said yes.”

Then followed Specter’s last-minute conversion to the Democratic Party. (He had always run for the US Senate as a Republican.) At that point, Sestak simply declined to drop out.

“In the end, I believe in the people, not the party,” said Sestak.

Sestak is confident of his ability to connect with people in a bipartisan manner and get results. “I was called the most productive freshman in Congress in 2008. I got more pieces of bipartisan legislation passed than anyone else in my class,” he asserted. “I work very well with people.”

And he prides himself on being a worker. I kept my congressional office open until 6 p.m. seven days a week,” he said. “I took down a 30-year incumbent, outspent by him 3 to 1. A lot of work went into that.”

Since 2010, Sestak has attended 400 events for other Democrats across the state. As he winds his way westward this month, each evening stopover will generate a flurry of attention in local media. Sestak has planned positions on a fistful of diverse issues – domestic abuse, human trafficking, seniors, working-class voters, rural residents – you name it, each day a different topic.

To get himself over the hump in his second go-around with Toomey, he says he plans to double down on his key theme: that people don’t trust their leaders. “I am willing to be held accountable for what I do, not for what I say,” Sestak said.

Toomey, he charged, claims to be for veterans yet voted against 12 straight VA appropriation bills. Toomey voted against therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder, an affliction common among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Toomey claims to be opposed to human trafficking yet he voted to shut down a federal task force on human trafficking.

Toomey, noted Sestak, voted for the Iraq War, which Sestak called “a tragic misadventure.” As the highest-ranking military officer ever elected to Congress, Sestak brings expertise to military policy unusual for a Democrat – or even a Republican these days. Only a small percentage of sitting Congress Members have ever served in the military, he noted.

“The US military can win wars but it cannot fix international problems,” insisted Sestak. “There has to be a meaningful, long-term, well-invested civilian strategy to stabilize a nation we dispatch troops to afterwards.” Absent such a strategy – which most observers agree has been missing in all our military actions since 2001 – “we are suffering the consequences of ISIL today,” he said.

Sestak hopes to win the trust of frustrated citizens by listening to them and earn their trust by figuratively “walking in their shoes”; thus the hike.

Sestak said, “the biggest deficit in America is that of trust. But to build trust, our leaders must both understand the world as ‘We the People’ see it and be accountable for their words and deeds to the people. That is why I am walking across Pennsylvania. I ask your support in my walk to earn the people’s trust.”

He has started his campaign early, more than a year in advance of the 2016 primary. This may make it hard for late starters to gain traction. And it gives him time to make maximum contact with voters and build awareness before the general-election campaign begins in earnest.

You can follow Joe Sestak on his 422-mile walk at www.JoeSestak.com. He is hoping many donors will kick in.

Candidates’ Petitions Are In – Here Is The List!

With filing petitions over at 5 p.m. Tuesday, District Council Members facing a primary fight were:

GATHERING at 18th & Market fundraiser for Democratic at-large City Council candidate Isaiah Thomas were union supporters and friends. From left were SEIU and 1199C union leaders, Omar Sabir, Gabe Morgan, Sharif Street, Thomas, Chris Woods, Wendell Royster and Sulaiman Rashman.

2nd Dist., Kenyatta Johnson challenged by Ori Feibush; 3rd Dist., Jannie Blackwell challenged Tony Dfax King; 7th Dist., Maria Quiñones Sánchez challenged by Manny Morales; 8th Dist., Cindy Bass challenged by Greg Paulmier; 9th Dist. (open seat), Sabriya Bilal, S. Archye Leacock, Cherelle Parker and Kevin Strickland.

For City Commissioners: Republicans will vote in primary for two – Commissioner Al Schmidt and Ella Butcher. Democrats filing for two seats include Lisa Deeley, Dennis Lee, Donna DeRose, Tracey Gordon, Carol Jenkins, Commissioner Stephanie Singer, Omar Sabir, Commissioner Anthony Clark and Hiram Will Mega Ashante.

For at-Large Council Members: Choosing five – Republicans filing were Daniel Tinney, Councilman Denny O’Brien, Matt Wolfe, Alfred Taubenberger, Councilman David Oh, Terrence Tracy, Jr. and James Williams.

ATTENDING nominating petitions for S. Phila. leader Barbara Capozzi’s campaign for Council at Large in Democratic primary were judicial candidate Chris DiCicco, former Councilman Frank DiCicco and judicial candidate Vince Giusini. Event drew scores Saturday to Popi’s Restaurant.

Democrats filing were Frank Rizzo, Derek Green, Councilman Ed Neilson, Councilman W. Wilson Goode, Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown; Thomas Wyatt, Councilman William Greenlee, Paul Steinke, Isaiah Thomas, Jenne Baccar Ayers, Barbara Capozzi, Sherrie Cohen, Helen Gym, Marnie Aument Loughrey, Joseph Guerra, Allan Domb, Bill Ivery, Karen Gordon, Lillian Ford, Carla Cain and Wilson Alexander.

For Mayor: Republican – Melissa Lynn Bailey; Democrats – Lynne Abraham, Sen. Anthony Williams, Nelson Diaz, James Kenney, Douglas Oliver and T. Milton Street.

For Register of Wills: Democrat – Register of Wills Ronald Donatucci; Republican – Ross Feinberg.

For Sheriff: Democrat – Sheriff Jewell Williams and Larry King, Sr.; Republican – Christopher Sawyer.

65TH WARD Leader Councilman Robert Henon hosted at Ashburner Inn. From left are Deborah Cianfrani, Kai Scott, Tom Martin, Rainey Papademetriou, Anthony Kyriakakis, Marissa Brumbach, Betsy Wahl, Chris McCabe and Dan Sulman. Photo by Joe Stivala

For Judges:
Supreme Court: Three seats open. Democrats – Kevin Dougherty, Christine Donohue, Dwayne Woodruff, Anne Lazarus, David Wecht and John Henry Foradora. Republicans – Michael George, Anne Covey, Judith Olson, Cheryl Allen, Rebecca Lee Warren and Justice Correale Stevens.

Superior Court: Democrats – Alice Dubow and Robert Colville.

Commonwealth Court: Democrats – Richardson Todd Eagen and Michael H. Wojcik. Republican – Paul Lalley.

For Common Pleas Court: Democrats – Ourania Papademetriou, Betsy Jo Wahl, Anthony George Kyriakakis, Leon King II, James Berardinelli, George Twardy, Jr., Judge Abbe Fletman, Marissa Joan Brumbach, Daine Grey, Jr., Kai Scott, Judge Stephanie Sawyer, Joffie C. Pittman, David Conroy, Deborah Ann Watson-Stokes, Lucretia Clemons, Judge Michael Fanning, Christopher I. McCabe, Sherman Toppin, Judge Vincent Melchiorre, Christine Marie Hope, Wayne Bennett, Edward Zawrotny, Joseph Steward, Christopher Mallios, Thomas Martin, Mia Roberts Perez, Dawn Tancredi, Lynne Summers, Jodi Lynn Lobel, Lyris Younge, Deborah Cianfrani, Daniel Sulman, Joshua David Hill, Tangie Boston, Shanese Johnson, Vincent J. Giusini, Brian Ortelere, William Ciancaglini, James Crumlish III, Franklin Bennett III, Starr Marshall Cash, Scott DiClaudio, Roman Tracy Brandeis, Leon Goodman, Matthew Perks, Rania Marie Major, Zachary Shaffer, Judge Kenneth Powell, Jr., Kimberly Boyer-Cohen, Frances Fattah, Sharon Williams Losier, Jennifer Schultz, Jon Marshall, Sean Stevens, Edward Louden, Jr., Sandjai Weaver, Gary S. Silver, Vincent Furlong, Lopez Thompson, Mark Moore, Stella Ming Tsai.

Republicans – George Twardy, Jr., Vincent Furlong, Christine Hope, David Conroy and Hugh McGough.

Municipal Court: Democrats – Judge Roger Gordon, George Twardy, Marissa Joan Brumbach, Daine Grey, Jr., Kai Scott, Stephanie Sawyer, Joffie Pittman, Deborah Watson Stokes, David Conroy, Christopher McCabe, Judge Michael Fanning, Judge Vincent Melchiorre, Christine Hope, Christopher Mallios, Jr., Edward Zawrotny, Joseph Steward, Thomas Martin, Mia Robert Pérez, Daniel Sulman, Joshua Hill, Vincent Giusini, Franklin Bennett , Scott Claudio, Tracy Roman, Matthew Perks, Rania Major, Zachary Shaffer, Judge Kenneth Powell, Jr., Christian DiCicco, Sharon Williams Losier, Sandjai Weaver and Gary Silver.

Republicans – George Twardy, Jr., Christine Hope and David Conroy.

Numbers Of Petition Signatures Reported

State Sen. Tony Williams (D-W. Phila.) led the parade of candidates submitting petitions for citywide offices. His petitions for Mayor included over 10,300 signatures of potential Democratic voters.

Neck and neck with him was Jim Kenney with 10,070 petition signatures. The petitions were collected by a volunteer team of over 250 circulators. Kenney 2015 Communications Dir. Lauren Hitt said, “We are humbled by the number of Philadelphians who volunteered their time to put Jim Kenney on the ballot. Since launching the campaign just one month ago, Jim has received overwhelming support from Philadelphians of every walk of life, and we look forwarding to working with them to elect a mayor that will strengthen every neighborhood.”

Councilwoman at Large Blondell Reynolds Brown, serving her fourth term, was in early as well, with 5,300 signatures on her petitions.

Sherrie Cohen, making another run for at-large Council seat on the Democratic ticket, submitted close to 5,000 petition signatures to the Board of Elections. She also announced Malcolm Kenyatta would be her campaign manager.

‘Big Boys’ Attempt To Dry Up Abraham Money

In most campaigns, candidates perceived to have limited access to big money, who are now evident if PACS aren’t listed among their contributors, are considered vulnerable. Today’s election laws limit contributions – but not who can get away with skirting those laws.

TO HER CREDIT, mayoral candidate Lynne Abraham, far right, showed up at more events than most other candidates, circulating her own petitions as her volunteers attended other parties.

So Lynne Abraham, renowned as one of the city’s legendary DAs, can be one of those seen vulnerable as she pursues her efforts to win the Democratic nomination for Mayor.

Her campaign has seen some efforts aimed at drying up major funding sources. But the money keeps rolling in, according to one of her close campaign advisers, Eleanor Dezzi, herself a tough cookie.

“Few realize Lynne’s long public career has endeared her with thousands who are now supporting her many fundraisers, almost one a day in some weeks. They are fed up with the direction in which this city is going. They know and strongly believe she is the last chance to truly change this city’s direction and restore a creditable government,” Dezzi insists.

In the meantime, Abraham’s answer, when asked if she may quit the race, is “I’m in to win!”

Independents Give Primary Vote Powers

Independents now number about 43% of the eligible voters in this country. That’s what is being reported by a Gallup telephone poll. Democrats outnumber Republicans by 4%, 30% to 26%.

Since 2008, the percentage of political independents – those who identify as such before their leanings to the two major parties are taken into account – has steadily climbed from 35% to the current 43%, exceeding 40% each of the last four years. Prior to 2011, the high in independent identification was 39% in 1995 and 1999.
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HON. NELSON DIAZ received Justice Sonia Sotomayor Diversity Award at Phila. Bar Association luncheon at Park Hyatt on Tuesday. Seen here on dais are, from left, immediate past
Chancellor Bill Fedullo; Judge Karen Simmons, who chaired committee; Judge Diaz, proudly displaying award; keynote speaker Ari Melber, Esq., host of MSNBC’s “The Cycle”; and Al Dandridge, current Chancellor of PBA.

HON. NELSON DIAZ received Justice Sonia Sotomayor Diversity Award at Phila. Bar Association luncheon at Park Hyatt on Tuesday. Seen here on dais are, from left, immediate past
Chancellor Bill Fedullo; Judge Karen Simmons, who chaired committee; Judge Diaz, proudly displaying award; keynote speaker Ari Melber, Esq., host of MSNBC’s “The Cycle”; and Al Dandridge, current Chancellor of PBA.

So what is it that drives voters to the independent column? Dissatisfaction with parties? Or a wish to show up their dissatisfaction at the whole government system as it looks to them and how we look to the world? They express disappointment as a group about the quality of candidates.

According to the Gallup Poll, the decline in identification with both parties in recent years comes as dissatisfaction with government has emerged as one of the most-important problems facing the country. This is likely due to the partisan gridlock that has come from divided party control of the federal government. Trust in the government to handle problems more generally is the lowest Gallup has measured to date, and Americans’ favorable ratings of both parties are at or near historical lows.

So why have they given up their ability to decide which candidates in the primaries of both parties should run the race in the general? Registering as independent eliminates their power to do so. That leads us to question their intelligence level.

However, seen in the registration office Friday was a young lady, switching from independent to Democrat, because she was “going to do petition circulating for a friend.” An interesting primary it has become, especially when you can flip an independent to a major party.

Wolf Appreciates LDC, Appoints Ron Boyer

Gov. Tom Wolf does appreciate organized labor.

He showed that last week by appointing Ryan Boyer, business manager of Laborers’ District Council of Metropolitan Area of Philadelphia & Vicinity, to the Delaware River Port Authority. Others named included Elinor Haider, Antonio Fiol-Silva, Rohan K. Hepkins, Marian Moskowitz and Whitney R. White.

“These qualified appointees will bring important expertise and diverse perspectives to the Delaware River Port Authority,” said Wolf.

He named to the PRPA Electricians’ Union Leader John Dougherty a week earlier.

St. Patrick’s Day Events Golden Opportunities

St. Patrick’s Day celebrations provide great opportunities for Irish candidates and their supporters, especially if they’ve been prominent year around in affairs celebrating the history of Irish Americans since their earliest arrival to America.

Obviously claiming that distinction is union leader John Dougherty, who is campaigning with all his might for his brother Judge Kevin Dougherty, who is running for State Supreme Court nomination in Democratic primary.

So when John becomes the principal speaker for the Greater Pittston Friendly Sons of St. Patrick 101st annual banquet on Mar. 17, know full well Kevin’s name will be mentioned.

VP Joe Biden was last year’s guest which is being held at the Woodlands Inn in Plains, Pa.
John’s role as an Irish American spokesman includes being named Grand Marshal of the 2012 Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade and being instrumental in building and maintaining the acclaimed National Irish Famine Memorial at Penn’s Landing. John was recently named one of the “Top 50 Irish American Labor Leaders” in the United States by the Irish Echo national newspaper.

GOP’s Pa. Judges Are Now On-Line

Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason announces the creation of PAGOPJudges.com, a new website dedicated to educating voters about Republican Party of Pennsylvania Supreme Court candidates Judge Mike George, Judge Judy Olson and Judge Anne Covey; Superior Court candidate Judge Emil Giordano; and Commonwealth Court candidate Paul Lalley.

“PAGOPJudges.com will serve as a great resource for voters who want to learn about the Pennsylvania GOP’s great team of judicial candidates,” Gleason said. “With just a little more than two months to go before the primary election, PAGOPJudges.com will serve as a one-stop shop for voters looking to find out more about our qualified teams of statewide judicial candidates.”

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