Month: May 2005

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Political posters, incumbency, and the colors of Fall

  By Politics, Published op-eds

Philadelphia Inquirer, May 19, 2005 For the first 47 years of my life, I was a law abiding person who never saw the inside of a courtroom. Recently, however, I deliberately violated the law, just as I did last spring. What is this great crime I committed? I put up posters on utility poles for a community festival, Mount Airy Day. Last year, in addition to violating the law with posters for our annual community day, I put up posters for my campaign for state representative in the 198th district. I also was a witness in federal court for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which convinced a judge to issue a temporary restraining order prohibiting the city from enforcing its poster ordinance on the grounds that the law likely would be found unconstitutional. Continue reading

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Vote yes for reform

  By Philadelphia, Progressive Politics

After a year filled with the trials and convictions of political officials and bankers for political corruption—and the recent indictment of Councilman Mariano—one might think that the worst ofPhiladelphiapolitics is almost behind us. One would be wrong. For the most serious problem with politics inPhiladelphiais not what’s illegal. It is what’s legal. A great deal of political activity in this city is both entirely legal and morally corrupt. After all, our former treasure Corey Kemp, and his late partner in crime, Ron White, were primarily guilty of impatience and bad timing. There is nothing illegal about trading campaign contributions for government contracts, provided that neither our politicians nor our contractors—whether they are business owners, real estate developers, or lawyers—ever explicitly make such a deal. Nor is there anything illegal about a former political official benefiting from the contractors in return for past favors after he leaves office. Had Corey Kemp… Continue reading

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Renewing Coalitions: Labor, Community Groups and the PTC

  By Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Politics, Published op-eds, Transportation, US

Published in the Philadelphia Public Record, May 2005 Someday—I hope it won’t be long—we will be talking about how, where, and when political activists associated with the Democratic Party revived first themselves and then their party. When we do, I would not be surprised if we point to the victory for advocates of public transit in Pennsylvania last years as one important step towards this revival. Continue reading