POLS ON THE STREET: City Congressional Caucus Will Skip Trump Inauguration

by Joe Shaheeli

VALERIE VITELLO looks at a Trump campaign van driven to the local GOP inaugural celebration in S. Phila. from Pittsburgh and wonders how long it would have lasted on Philly streets without a police escort. Photo by Wendell Douglas

Tomorrow’s inauguration ceremonies in D.C. won’t have many Philly Democrats in attendance. Especially noticeable will be the absence of Congressmen Bob Brady, Brendan Boyle and Dwight Evans.

Led by Philadelphia Democratic Party Chairman Brady, the three worked hard and long to successfully deliver to Hillary Clinton a record-setting over-half-million votes. This was far and above what Clinton’s campaign team told them was needed to carry Pennsylvania into her win column. But surprisingly, it wasn’t enough to withstand the huge turnout throughout the rest of the state’s 50 counties to make that happen.

Their absence is more to signify their dismay at what Donald Trump is doing, especially his efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. Congressman Bob Brady led a protest rally Saturday defending the milestone legislation.

In the interim, Congressman Boyle has been appointed to the House Budget Committee for the 115th Congress. He said, “This committee impacts individuals, families and businesses in every part of America.

“I will also use my position on this committee to protect important safety-net programs like Social Security and Medicare from Republican attacks, and oppose detrimental cuts to the Affordable Care Act.”

Philadelphians, mostly Republicans, will follow Philadelphia Republican Party chair Joe DeFelice, Esq., to Washington to take the VIP seats assigned to them. “It’s one of those genuinely memorable days we will celebrate for some time to come,” he said.

Last weekend, local Republican leaders, led by Vince Minniti, 6th GOP ward leader and founder of group called the New South Philadelphia GOP, staged a Trump inaugural celebration at a warehouse under I-95. The enthusiastic crowd ignored the fact the place was cold, despite attempts of portable industrial heaters to the contrary.

There is a bright light for Democrats this week, since their statewide candidates survived the Trump vote. Sworn in this Tuesday and dropping the “elect” from their titles were Attorney General Josh Shapiro, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale (for a second term), and Treasurer Joe Torsella. Torsella will be happy to know the Commonwealth is getting $19.4 million in a settlement pay as one of 21 states following allegations Moody misrepresented its independence and objectivity in rating mortgaged backed securities.

D.A. Candidates Spend Time Raising Money

It’s bragging rights now for DA candidates who are announcing the amount of money they have been raising.

HELPING State Rep. Joanna McClinton at her community seminar on how to save money by becoming energy efficient were Officer Tramline Montague, Capt. Deshawn Beaufort and Officer Arnold Mitchell, all of the 12th Police Dist. Photo by Wendell Douglas

First to raise the bar was Michael Untermeyer, who kicked in $200,000 to start his campaign. Following him was former federal and local prosecutor Joe Khan, who raised more than $200,000 since announcing his candidacy for District Attorney of Philadelphia in late September, and ended 2016 with that same amount of cash on hand. Khan said more than 70 of his donors are former or current federal, state or local prosecutors who believe it is critical to restore integrity and confidence in the city’s top prosecutor’s office. Judge Teresa Carr Deni, who has resigned her court seat to run for DA, philosophically noted, “Instead of three hours a day on the phone raising money, it’s now eight hours!”

DA Seth Williams’s reelection campaign is already in high gear, with a course being set by vaunted campaign strategist, Dan Fee.

SugarHouse Pays Hefty State Fine

Make enough noise, generate good will via sponsoring the Mummer’s Parade on television and perhaps the good citizens will ignore what is happening that SugarHouse did that is not so good.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has again levied a fine against SugarHouse HSP Gaming, LP. This time, the Gaming Board hit the Casino for $100,000 for five instances of failing to prevent underage gambling involving 10 persons under the age of 21.

High Courts Draw More Candidates

Judge Carolyn Nichols is among Philly aspirants in the race to fill a Superior Court vacancy. Judge Frederica Massiah-Jackson is sending signals she may soon announce. And sure to announce is Judge Maria McLaughlin, who will be mentored by former City Controller Jonathan Saidel. Allegheny County Judge David Barton made his effort official last week. Also announcing is Altoona Judge Wade Kagarise.

Eyeing a seat on the Commonwealth Court is Judge Ellen Ceisler, because she knows that court “profoundly impacts all citizens of this state on a wide range of important social, economic, and governmental issues.”

Alan Kessler, a partner at Duane Morris in Philadelphia, and Steven Irwin, a partner at Leech Tishman in Pittsburgh, are co-chairs of Judge Ceisler’s campaign.

Here are the judicial seats up for grabs:

JUDGE Jacqui Frazier-Lyde and her husband Pete Lyde, R, honored several youth groups at 73rd-birthday celebration of boxing champ Joe Frazier. Among them were Arvon Thompson, Samiyyah Staten-Thompson and her son, Safee Staten-Thompson, daughter and grandson of late labor leader Sam Staten, Sr. Photo by Wendell Douglas

The terms of Supreme Court Justices, Chief Justice Thomas Saylor and Justices Debra Todd and Sallie Mundy are ending. Justices Saylor and Todd must stand for retention in order to serve further terms. Justice Mundy is a 2016 appointee who must stand in a partisan election in order to serve for a full term.

Pennsylvania Superior Court Judges Jacqueline Shogan, Lillian Harris Ransom, H. Geoffrey Moulton, Jr. and Carl Solano’s terms are ending. Judge Shogan must stand for retention; Judges Ransom, Moulton, and Solano are 2016 appointees who must stand in a partisan election in order to serve full terms.

Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Judges Joseph M. Cosgrove and Julia Hearthway’s terms are ending. Both are 2016 appointees who must stand in a partisan election in order to serve full terms.

Locally, our Court of Common Pleas has nine openings. Holding down six of those openings in the Court of Common Pleas as appointees who have to run for a full term are Daniel Sulman, Roger Gordon, Vince Melchiorre, Stella Tsai, Lucretia Clemons and Vince Furlong.

The Municipal Court bench has two openings.

Reportedly seeking primary slots are judicial candidates Zac Shaffer, Leanne Litwin, Lynne Summers, Mark Goodheart, Dawn Tancredi, Anthony Kyriakakis, Lawrence Bozzelli, Joseph Russo, Jr., Christian DiCicco, Victoria Kristiansson, Gary Silver, Wendy Barish, Carmella Jacquinto, Angelo Cameron, Michael Grasso, Jon Marshall, Crystal Powell, Betsy Wahl, George Twardy, Ted Vigilante, Rania Major, Betsy Brumbach, Deborah Canty and Mark Cohen.

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