Dwight Evans Goes Public in First Town Hall Mtg.

CONGRESSMAN Dwight Evans endeavors to persuade W. Phila. 6th Ward Leader Pete Wilson that his neighborhood’s voice has been heard, at Evans’ precedent-busting first town meeting.

BY TONY WEST
“This is my first town-hall meeting, but it won’t be my last.”

Congressman Dwight Evans (D-Phila.) ended his first community meeting, at Drexel University, on this “see you later” note. Throughout a two-hour engagement largely devoted to fielding citizens’ questions, the new 2nd Dist. representative kept stressing that his mission is to cover every inch of his far-flung and diverse district, to listen to its voices – and then to take what he hears to Washington.

It was an unstated but clear contrast to his predecessor, Chaka Fattah, who had represented the district for 21 years. Fattah was an insider’s insider. He would show up for state occasions, and at fundraisers for his protégés. He was effective in quiet meeting rooms with a dozen select attendees. But he was seldom seen at face-to-face community meetings in Philadelphia wards or Montgomery townships.

Not Evans. The new congressman vowed to wage a “50-state strategy” in every neighborhood, ranging from comfy Cheltenham and Lower Merion; to struggling working-class reaches of Philadelphia; to dynamic Center City; and to hip inner-city neighborhoods like the one he was addressing on Apr. 2. “I try to visit as many communities, universities and hospitals as possible,” he said.

This meeting drew a crowd of 100, heavy with University City eds-and-meds workers and passionate progressives. But there was a fair sample of articulate blue-collar Black West Philadelphians in the audience as well.

While Evans signed on to easy progressive commonplaces in his highly Democratic district – most Philadelphia politicos advocate the same causes – he made clear he will not be a dogmatic voice of total opposition to the Republican Congress and President Donald Trump. What he wants is to get things done.

That will require bipartisan wangling in the Republican-ruled US House of Representatives where he serves. And Evans takes pride in his ability to work across the aisle in a legislative body. He worked well across the aisle in his 35-year career in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, rising to the chairmanship of the godlike Appropriations Committee until he was overthrown in a coup.

Still, Evans aims to sniff out Democratic opportunities in a Republican agenda. He didn’t get assigned the Ways & Means Committee, his pivotal dream gig. But he has embraced his two committee assignments, Agriculture & Small Business. In both, he has moved to make an early mark.

“Farm policy is foreign policy,” Evans said. It is pivotal both to international trade negotiations, to Pennsylvania farmers and to low-income food consumers in his district. He has come down in favor of urban gardens, organic and locally sourced foods.

With two Republican congressmen, Evans has introduced HR 1702, the Small Business Development Centers Improvement Act.

Both subjects invite Evans to dialog across the aisle in the Pennsylvania delegation. He has already chatted up his colleagues Lloyd Smucker (R-Lancaster), Bill Shuster (R-Blair) and Glenn Thompson (R-Centre) on numerous causes.

There is much overlap of practical interests between parties, he said. Midstate farmers need urban consumers. Small businesses in Sullivan County need as much help as small businesses in Swampoodle.

Evans has already said he will not sign onto blanket opposition to President Donald Trump’s agenda. His strategy is always to get something accomplished.

He also indicated he would work closely with senior Congressman Bob Brady (D-Phila.).

He sees opportunities in Trump’s vaunted infrastructure plans – if they come to fruition. Evans’ hook here is to attach inner-city schools – often 75 years old – to the infrastructure to be rebuilt.

Where does the Democratic Party stand today? Evans was blunt. “I do not see a coherent message on policy” at the national level, he said. “We haven’t figured out the pathway.”

But he praised the current enthusiasm in the Democratic base, urging it to dig in for the long haul.

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