Hard to believe, but I agree with Fumo

Well, this must be a first. For the only time in memory, I find myself in agreement with outgoing Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Fumo, whose recent message during a meeting at the 200 people at St. Andrew Lithuanian Church, was to not vote for John Dougherty, the business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

I couldn't agree more - I've written many times recently how I firmly believe that "Johnny Doc" represents the backward, brutal, thuggery politics of Philadelphia's past, and it's my hope the city can move past that. The outgoing Fumo agrees, calling Dougherty "a bully, a thug and evil." Wow, how do you really feel, Senator?

From Philly.com:

"I am not endorsing any candidates, but do not elect John Dougherty," Fumo said at a meeting of the Spring Garden Civic Association. "I do not want that to be my legacy. He is a bully, a thug and evil. Please vote against him."

[Snip]

"I got 16 members of the Senate to endorse Farnese and raise money for him," Fumo said. "Any kind of logic would lead you to vote for Farnese."

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is reason #1 (and numbers two and three) why I hope and pray that Farnese does not prevail in Tuesday's three-way race for the Democratic nomination in the election to replace Fumo this fall. The last thing I want the First District's new state Senator to have is any owed favors to the ethically challenged Vincent Fumo.

The only logical choice is Progressive Anne Dicker (above right). I'm disappointed but not surprised that The Philadelphia Inquirer's editorial board has endorsed Farnese. Considering that former Republican activist and hack Brian Tierney is running the Inky, and that he considers Rick Santorum worthy of a regular column on the paper's editorial page, it's no shock the paper doesn't recognize a true Progressive when there's one right in front of our noses, and that's Dicker.

Dougherty is under federal investigation for a myriad of ethical lapses, so the last thing we need is another state Senator being investigated; we've got that in Fumo now. And since Fumo is endorsing Farnese, he gets painted with the "guilt by association" brush. Hey, if you sleep with dogs, you're gonna get fleas.

We have supported Dicker a little bit by attending one of her fund raisers, and I'm trying to find time to be a poll worker this Tuesday, but that sort of activism is not the approach the Dougherty campaign is taking, and I found out about this by accident. Get this - the Dougherty campaign is paying people $150 to turn a shift as a poll worker. Hey, nothing buys sincerity like $150, right?

Yesterday, a vehicle rolling down our street with a loudspeaker extolling the virtues of Dougherty, and I wish I would have been on street level when it rolled on by. What's more, I wish I had one of those electronic megaphones so I could drive after it and shout out the virtues of Dicker. Okay, I probably wouldn't, but I'd be tempted. I'm not above a good 'ole metaphorical political street fight.

Please visit Dicker's Website to donate time and/or money to try and help her get elected to the state Senate.

Johnny Doc... what a crock

I've been following my state senate race very closely this spring, and I'm still crossing my fingers that Progressive Anne Dicker (right) can beat out the well-funded, ethically challenged John Dougherty and the outgoing Sen. Vince Fumo's hand-picked successor, Larry Farnese, a week from this Tuesday.

This morning, Philadelphia Inky columnist Monica Yant Kinney had some interesting things to say about Johnny Doc in her column:

It's 2005. You earn $175,000 that year and decide to renovate your home.

Do you (a) rent a place for the duration of the messy six-month project or (b) live for free at a luxury waterfront apartment building owned by a prominent developer?

John Dougherty chose b.

Personally, if I wore as many hats as Dougherty does and wanted to hold office, I'd jump into the Delaware before taking a gift like that.

Dougherty, business manager for Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and Democratic candidate for the First District's state Senate seat, seems to have no problem with sweet deals that to voters may taste sour.

In 2003, according to federal authorities, he bought a North Wildwood condo from an electrician pal for $24,000 less than what you or I would have had to pay because he could, never mind that the law forbids contractors from plying union leaders with gifts.

Investigators are also concerned whether, a year later, the same contractor did work gratis on Dougherty's home in South Philly.

Now we learn that during the renovation, developer Peter DePaul gave Dougherty a key to a $3,000-a-month unit in the Dockside Luxury Apartments.

Inside the complex - which resembles a cruise ship and boasts of offering "a sea of amenities" - Dougherty had granite counter tops, a private terrace, and the use of an indoor pool.

This was a freebie, Dougherty freely acknowledged. Now if it was only clear why he had taken it in the first place.

This is one in a seemingly endless examples of why Dougherty should be shown the door, not given the keys to the First District's state Senate seat. I've said it many times, and it certainly bears repeating - Dougherty represents the sleaziness and questionable ethics that have stained Vince Fumo's tenure in the state Senate. In order to move forward, I really do hope and pray that voters send Dicker to the fall election with a primary victory, not Farnese or (heaven forbid) Johnny Dougherty.

There seems to be a good amount of money to throw around (and away) on the part of Farnese and Dougherty - in the past few weeks, I've gotten more mail fliers from these two than Publisher's Clearing House. I don't mind receiving it, because we are already casting our votes for Dicker, so they're simply wasting their money.

Probably my favorite piece of direct mail came from Larry Farnese, boasting about how when his father got cancer, he successfully fought his dad's HMO about one thing or another. Hmm - that's a pretty honorable thing to do - using your father's cancer on campaign literature. I guess it didn't occur to his campaign handlers to include a picture of Farnese helping an old lady across the street.

The irony isn't lost on me that Farnese has gained the support of the Liberty City Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club, either. Farnese and Dicker both support gay marriage, so I give Farnese credit for that, but I'm unsure why Farnese has otherwise received the club's support.

Dicker, open bisexual, has amazingly been derided by some critics as making that fact public for political reasons. I guess I must be living in an alternate universe, because I must have missed the political development when it became political advantageous to be anything other than straight, in Philadelphia or any other city. My guess is that Dicker did it for two reasons - so her opponents couldn't dig up that dirt on her, and to indicate to voters of all sexual orientations that she can appreciate some of the issues they face today. In one of the Philadelphia weeklies that one of the leaders of a Philadelphia gay group slammed Dicker for never having been a member or being vocal about her sexual orientation before running for the state Senate. In a word - preposterous. I'm a straight man, so perhaps I cannot totally appreciate what gays go through, but since when is anyone who is gay obligated to be actively involved in gay community groups? Just a thought.

Anyway, I urge all Democratic voters in Philadelphia's First District to cast their vote for Dicker. She has received a very high number of endorsements, including The Philadelphia Inquirer. Drop by her Website to find out more.

You can print out Dicker window signs like the one at left, too - I have two on my car.

Get a color sign Here (PDF for download).

Get a black and white sign Here (PDF for download).

Dicker appeared on WHYY's Radio Times to debate Farnese and Dougherty last week. Clearly, she was on her A-game, while Dougherty and Farnese didn't sound as good to me. Click Here to listen to the debate.

In fairness, I liked several things about all of the candidates, and it's safe to say that whomever wins the April 22 Democratic primary, I will vote for in November (although I'd hold my nose voting for Dougherty).

It's little wonder that Dougherty only wanted to spend a half hour on the show, because he virtually spent the entire half hour of the debate on the defensive, and he has a lot to answer for. Scheduling conflict my ass. I find it OUTRAGEOUS that Dougherty wants to remain on in his post with IBEW Local 98. Dicker was spot on when she said she doesn't believe that IBEW Local 98 deserves its own Senate seat. It does not, and it had ought to be a much bigger campaign issue than it is been thus far.

Another thing I love about Dicker is that she is vehemently anti-casino, as the founder of Casino Free Philadelphia. Good on her, because I firmly believe that casinos are the last thing we need in Philadelphia.

Nine days to go 'til the primary, and we must support and elect smart, bright, determined and motivated Progressives like Anne Dicker. Please support her campaign with time or money - every little bit helps.

Yes! Dicker gets key endorsement

Anne Dicker, a candidate I'm whole-heartedly supporting for Pennsylvania State Senate in my home district, the First District in Philadelphia, picked up a key endorsement today. The national board of Democracy for America gave Dicker its first non-federal endorsement in the mid-Atlantic region, and I'm very happy to hear it. Dicker needs all the support she can get - not because she's a weak candidate - not at all - but it's that she's up against big labor in Philadelphia, and that can be tough to beat. But, I'm very confident she's going to do it. Between Dicker, Johnny Dougherty and Larry Farnese, she's easily the strongest candidate of the three. Take a minute to visit her Website when you have a minute and see what she's all about, and go to one of her local events in the coming days and weeks. Tomorrow it will be exactly three weeks until the Democratic Primary - click on her Website to donate, if you can - even $5 will help if that's all you can spare.

Of course, the Democratic battle between Hillary and Obama is getting most of the local and regional press, but who wins and controls the Senate in Harrisburg is at the very least as important to all Pennsylvanians. We need new, Progressive blood in Harrisburg, and Anne more than fits the bill.

Even better news - I received a fundraising letter in the mail from the Dicker campaign today, and according to her letter, she's very close to Dougherty and well ahead of Farnese, which I'm happy to hear, because Farnese, by most accounts, is the departing Senator Vince Fumo's man, and Fumo puts the sleaze in sleazy.

I'll be blogging plenty about this race in the coming days, so stay tuned. My wife and I also hope to be doing some volunteer work for the Dicker campaign as well - we've signed up and we're waiting to hear from them.

My wish list for my next state senator

I've mentioned before how my wife and I support Anne Dicker (left) for the Pennsylvania State Senate. We live in the First District, which encompasses parts of south and west Philadelphia.

Dicker's opponents in the April 22 Democratic Primary are Johnny Dougherty and Larry Farnese. I won't even consider voting for either one, however. Dougherty is disqualified because he represents the thuggish ways of Philadelphia's labor politics, a time period I can only hope is fading into history (but not nearly quickly enough). Farnese gets my immediate disqualification because, by all appearances, he is the departing Vince Fumo's choice, and I despise Fumo, so Farnese loses by association. I've been receiving a lot of junk mail campaign literature from both Dougherty and Farnese, and I barely give it a look. I have to mention that I think it's funny that Farnese's flier that arrived yesterday didn't mention anywhere that he's running for State Senate. How funny is that? Talk about amateur hour.

Anyway, here is my wish list for the candidates in the First District (and I will e-mail this to all of the candidates).

Mass Transit, Traffic & Infrastructure
It's amazing to me how this is not much of an issue at the state and national levels. With rumors of gas prices rising to $4 per gallon, federal and state governments have basically yawned their collective mouths toward mass transit. Put simply, mass transit must be a much larger part of our multi-plan goal of energy independence.

For instance, here in Pennsylvania, the oft-discussed and nearly abandoned Schuylkill Valley Metro would make a world of sense. Of course, the federal government has denied funding, and Governor Rendell has been less than helpful. A few years ago, he announced the funding would not be forthcoming and that the project should be considered dead. Lots of anger ensued, so Rendell backpedaled somewhat, blaming the federal government for lack of funding. I'd take that at face value, except that in light of the federal government's tax deferment rebate checks economic stimulus plan, it was reported that the powers that be in Harrisburg are considering a similar plan. Of course I'd like another rebate - who wouldn't? But, as I sit in a traffic jam on I-76 tomorrow morning, thoughts of being able to take the train to work will be dancing in my head. Instead of the politically beneficial yet fiscally stupid decision of giving a few hundred dollars four tanks of gas back to taxpayers, how about addressing congestion and traffic issues? Better yet, how about elected officials in Harrisburg do what they are really elected to do - look out for out best interests? Since Pennsylvania has so many infrastructure issues, it sure would be refreshing to hear all legislators make a promise not to vote themselves a pay raise for five years. Better yet, maybe a pay cut to finance some of our needed infrastructure improvements? Yea, I know, fat chance.

There have been numerous proposals to expand routes 422 and I-76, and each and every time, the word "funding" gets in the way. There have been numerous proposals to add an upper deck to I-76, with light rail on top (part of the Schuylkill Valley Metro) in the middle and four new lanes on I-76. Route 422 should also be expanded. And if anyone reading this thinks I'm off my rocker, try getting from Pottstown to Philadelphia at around 7:30 in the morning. Then do it again. And again. And again. Do it for a week, and you'd be as frustrated as I am. My point is that expanding either I-76 or 422 won't get it done, because both of these highways are extremely congested. I'd really like to see the SVM get built AND see expanded highway capacity. The Philadelphia area needs both to serve current needs, much less to allow for growth in the area. The city is always saying how it wants to attract businesses, and I wonder how many have looked at the traffic situation and said, "No thanks"?

This decade, I've written dozens and dozens of letters to my federal, state and local representatives, begging for some solutions, and I mostly get nothing in return. Andrew Warren, when he was the Philadelphia region's PENNDOT director, finally called me on the telephone one day while I was working for Lucent, explaining that PENNDOT is pushing mass transit as a solution to Philly's traffic problems. Fine, but it sounded to me like he was passing the buck a little bit, too. I basically got the impression that he was irritated with all of my letter writing, which made me even more irritated than he was. I was crestfallen that Warren ended up running for public office after I moved from Bensalem, because I was looking forward to voting against him. He lost anyway.

I also heard from Senator Roger A. Madigan, the chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, who wrote me a letter saying that I was basically proposing a bridge from King of Prussia to 30th Street Station in Philadelphia that would cost several billion dollars. As I read the letter, I smiled, and said out loud, "Yep, that's exactly what I'm proposing."

Anyway, mass transit must be at the forefront of the energy independence and climate crisis debates.

Closely related to that is the need to upgrade our infrastructure. It angers me that so many of our bridges and highways have been neglected for so long. I just heard on the radio the other day that over 20 percent of Philadelphia area bridges are "structurally deficient," but PENNDOT states they are "still safe." I guess I need to go back to grade school, because I learned that "deficient" means lacking in some way. Quickly now, are any of you comfortable knowing that one quarter of our area bridges need attention? I'm no engineer, but there certainly is an unpredictability factor to these issues as well, as evidenced by the sudden I-95 closure last week because large cracks began appearing in a critical support column. I suppose we should all be thankful that it was caught in time to avoid catastrophe, but that's another thing that won't be too comforting as I travel over and under dozens of bridges on my commute tomorrow.

Speaking of I-95, that needs major upgrades as well. I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. Here's a very real hypothetical, however - imagine two critical closures happening at once in Philadelphia? For instance, I-95 has another structure issue, and there's a bad traffic accident on the collision-prone Schuylkill Expressway (or worse, a simultaneous structure issue) - can you imagine what it would be like in the Philadelphia area? Forget about work, errands or entertainment - staying home would be the only sane option for anyone who commutes. But, if we had more mass transit options...

Gay Marriage
Dicker has solid credentials on this issue, since she is openly bisexual. I'm not interesting in exploring her sex life, unlike many on the radical religious right who go on a self-righteous crusade against people who have choices that differ from theirs. Sadly, it takes courage to be open about such things in our society, and definitely in our state. We may have a Democratic governor, but it wasn't all that long ago when we had a Republican governor and two Republican U.S. Senators. My point here is that Pennsylvania is a moderate state on many issues, but conservative on many social issues.

I'm really hoping that Pennsylvania gets on board the tolerance train and passes a civil union law. I'm not holding my breath, but I'm not giving up, either. Dicker has plenty of leverage on this issue. Any people in the GLBT community who are voting for anyone other than Dicker in the primary really ought to rethink their choice.

Casinos
Dicker has been in the anti-casino fight for some time now, and I've got absolutely no problem with that. I see very little benefit to having casinos in Philadelphia - history has shown that there are as many disadvantages as advantages to having them in a city. Yes, we would receive more tax revenue, but also increased traffic, crime and all of the other unattractive things that come with casinos. What's more, Farnese is openly pro-casino, and for the life of me I can't find anything on Dougherty's Website about casinos as of this writing, so it's another reason to cast your ballot for Anne Dicker.

Healthcare
Anne Dicker has talked openly about getting universal healthcare for all Pennsylvanians, and there's nothing wrong with that at all. What's more, she isn't hiding behind the pipe dream of the federal government enacting uni healthcare, which may never happen.

Transparency
I'm skeptical whenever I hear politicians talk about openness and transparency in government. Usually, it's a nice campaign meme, but I believe Dicker more than the others; Dougherty is old school Philly, and as I've written on numerous occasions, we need to do away with that; and Farnese is Fumo's hand-picked successor, and I've never confused Fumo with someone who uses his best judgment.

~~
More about this Pa. State Senate race in the coming days.

Anne Dicker's TV ad

Earlier today, I received an e-mail from Anne Dicker's campaign about her first television commercial. Check out the YouTube version of it above to take a look.

Anne is running for Pennsylvania State Senate in Philadelphia's First District, and as I've mentioned before, my wife and I are giving our unqualified support and votes to her. She's running against the smarmy John Dougherty, who represents the "Philly way" in politics of 25 or 30 years ago. Recently, the incumbent, disgraced Sen. Vince Fumo announced that he is retiring, and that's the first step to cleaning up politics in Philadelphia. The next step is electing a smart, motivated, dedicated Progressive like Anne Dicker. Philly can ill-afford another state senator like Fumo, and that's precisely what Dougherty is; electing him will do nothing to cover up the stench of the Fumo era.

I'll be writing more about Anne in the coming days and weeks, but in the meantime, click on Anne's Website to learn more about her, and to donate money. Anne has a serious fight on her hands; big labor in Philly is tough to beat, but if anyone can do it, Anne can.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, she supports Barack Obama - another reason to give her your vote.

Please support her campaign in time and money - there's less than a month to go until the Democratic State Senate primary.

Anne Dicker fundraiser pix & thoughts

Last night we attended a fund raiser for Democrat Anne Dicker (above), a candidate for Sen. Vince Fumo's soon-to-be-vacated Senate seat in Philadelphia's First District, at Johnny Brenda's on Frankford Avenue. The event was pretty well attended, and there were some people there from the Obama campaign as well, which was good to see. (Dicker is supporting Barack Obama for president.)

It's not an overstatement to say that I came away pretty impressed. Vandra went to a Dicker meet and greet last week, and she came home singing her praises. Turns out she was right.

Dicker's platform is one of cleaning up corruption, getting additional money for the Philadelphia school system, getting the guns out of the hands of criminals, and doing something about the casinos in Philadelphia. That last point was good to hear, because I think casinos in Philadelphia is an ill-conceived notion that should never have been passed in the first place. I have no proof of this, but I believe that some people are getting paid for bringing casinos in, specifically Ed Rendell and some other Philadelphia politicians.

Last night, Dicker also mentioned universal health care by expressing the hope that the next president, whether it's either Obama or Clinton, must get universal health care passed. More importantly, however, she believes Pennsylvania should pass its own universal health care plan even if Congress does not. I'd almost vote for her based on that position alone.

Dicker also uttered a word last night that I'm yet to hear any presidential candidate say: infrastructure. What a novel concept - fixing our aging and crumbling infrastructure. I strongly feel that this must be a priority in the coming decades, but so far it seems to be a dirty little secret that very few candidates for elected office are talking about. So, I was happy to hear Dicker give it a mention.

As I attend more Dicker functions in the coming weeks, I will share the news. I urge anyone in Philadelphia, regardless if you live in the First District or not, to support Anne, and volunteer if you can, because she's got a fight on her hands in the Democratic Primary on April 22 against fellow Democrat Johnny Dougherty, the electrical union boss. Organized labor has its tentacles around many aspects of Philadelphia politics, so Dicker needs all the support she can get.

However, don't read what I just wrote the wrong way. She has an excellent chance in winning, but it's going to take the effort of a great deal of people, and also donations in time and money. As the Philadelphia Inquirer so sagely stated in an editorial today, we can't afford to take a step back with Dougherty's thuggish, South Philly ways. Anne represents new and vitally needed change, so please support her. Learn more at her Website Here.

As an aside, the group Philadelphia Slick was at the benefit last night, and we enjoyed hearing their music. To me, they have a Beastie Boys sound, with some brass, including the trumpet and sax. Check 'em out if you can. Oh yea, and a bonus - they support Anne and Progressive candidates. It all seems like a good combination to me.

See ya, Vinny - thanks for... nothing

I was heartened to hear yesterday that Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent J. Fumo is ending his re-election bid for Philadelphia's First District.

He will not be missed.

In Philadelphia's corrupt political system, Fumo is part of the problem, not part of the solution. I won't even get into all of his alleged improprieties - I don't feel like wasting the time by listing all of them here.

Recently, his health has been in decline - two back surgeries and a heart attack have taken their toll - but yesterday, he claimed that his health had nothing to do with his decision to retire from the Pennsylvania State Senate. He cited his 139-count federal indictment as his reason for stepping down.

Whatever the reason, I'm happy that he has decided to call it a day in the Senate. Now, Philadelphians who live in the First District (I am one) have another product of the city's political machine to oppose - electrical workers union boss Johnny "Doc" Dougherty.

In short, forget it. No way will I support another thuggish character from South Philadelphia. This morning, I read one of the most poignant editorials I've read in a long time in today's Philadelphia Inquirer. It is nothing short of a spot-on assessment of Dougherty and his corrupt, thuggish brand of politics; the kind of politics that may have been effective or at least desirable in this city 20 or 30 years ago, but those days have long passed in Philadelphia (I hope). The editorial from the Inky:

An old pol for a new day

State. Sen. Vincent J. Fumo's decision to not seek reelection leaves union boss John Dougherty as the clear front-runner.

That's good for Dougherty, but troubling for reform-minded voters. In some respects, Dougherty is a junior version of Fumo - though without the Mensa membership.

Both are brash, colorful, South Philadelphia characters.

In fact, Dougherty was once a Fumo acolyte. Like Fumo, he can be pugnacious and charming. Dougherty also does lots of good work, but he and his union buddies at times have acted like thugs.

Also like Fumo, federal prosecutors have a thick file on Dougherty. But unlike Fumo, Dougherty hasn't been accused of any wrongdoing. Dougherty's attorney said yesterday that prosecutors had told him that the union boss wasn't the target of any investigation.

In launching his bid for state Senate last week, Dougherty scoffed at the hint of any federal investigations into his dealings.

"I've been subpoenaed for 15 years, being a labor leader," he said. "It's a tough environment when you're aggressive and take on business."

Right. Just ask Jimmy Hoffa.

Johnny Doc's union tough-guy shtick might sell well with Johnny Friendly, the character Lee J. Cobb played in On the Waterfront. But that act is old.

Dougherty is a throwback in a town trying to move forward. He argues he gets things done. Fine. But it's also how things get done.

Mayor Nutter's election demonstrated that Philadelphians are fed up with the old-style politics of pay-to-play, cronyism and nepotism. Even lawmakers in Harrisburg are dragging themselves out of the Dark Ages.

Dougherty was a big supporter of former Mayor John Street, whose administration was marred in a broad corruption scandal. He also backed former City Councilman Rick Mariano, now in prison after being convicted of bribery.

Dougherty was never linked to either of those probes, but his choice of political allies is worth noting.

For example, his good friend Donald "Gus" Dougherty was indicted last summer on 100 counts of fraud and tax evasion. Gus is accused of making illegal payments to John by selling him a house at the Jersey Shore below market value and of doing $115,000 worth of work for free on Johnny Doc's Philly home.

John Dougherty denies any wrongdoing and says he wouldn't be running for public office if he faced legal trouble. He says all the poking around by the feds has been a good vetting process.

Yes, but that the feds are always hovering is disturbing.

For the record: Dougherty wants to replace Fumo, who is under indictment. In 1978, Fumo replaced Buddy Cianfrani, who was also indicted - and convicted.

Voters don't need a three-peat.

Amen to that. Normally, I don't have much love for the Philadelphia Inquirer these days, especially considering who runs it - the über-partisan, Republican hack Brian Tierney - but I certainly agree with the Inky's assessment of Dougherty. I was bummed about this editorial for one reason, though - it didn't mention Dougherty's opponent in the Democratic Primary, which is about five weeks away.

It's awfully tough to overcome labor politics in this city, but we are sure going to try. By "we" I mean supporters of Anne Dicker, (right) who is vying to knock off Dougherty in the April 22 Democratic primary.

Last night, we attended a fund raiser for Dicker at Johnny Brenda's. More on Dicker in a minute in a separate post.