Dear Friends,
I’m writing to urge you to vote for Sherry Cohen for City Council at Large in Tuesday’s primary.
There are a number of good candidates for Council at Large, including the incumbents. But Sherrie could bring something special to the office—a real commitment to building support throughout the city for progressive causes. Sherrie’s done that already, especially as a leader of the Coalition for Essential Services. With the resources of a Council, Sherrie could be even more effective in this role.
Why is this so important?
Philadelphia politics is conducted in the typical fashion of one party town—and that is the main reason politics remains broken in Philadelphia. Most decisions are made by the Mayor and Council in private discussions. Members of Council go to great pains to reach consensus and avoid public dispute.
Two bad consequences are the result. First, it is very difficult for new, innovative ideas to come before Council or to receive the kind of debate that will enlighten the public. Second, Council is very resistant to public pressure. Indeed, members of Council, are less open to public sentiment than our state legislators and members of Congress.
(As you know, I’ve run a few grassroots issue campaigns. I’ve never had a member of Congress or of the General Assembly yell at me for doing so or turn down an offer to build support for legislation they support. Council members have done that to me more than once.)
Sherrie will help change this dynamic. She will be a Council member who not only cares about the interests of the public but will work hard to work with progressive activists to build pressure on Council to make sure the public interest is served. That’s what her father—one of my role models—did on Council before her. That’s what we can expect her to do as well.
We all have five votes for Council. I’m going to use my first one to vote for Sherrie Cohen. I hope you do as well.
Marc Stier