The 2011 Mayors Race: More At Stake then you Think!

John Street: Not MY Mayor!

The 2011 election season in Philadelphia is a hot one, and it promises to do something we haven't seen in Philadelphia since the Renell Administration: A Chance at some real change and good times. Now, keep in mind, I'm not saying Ed Rendell's administration was without problem, but his leadership did a lot of good for Philadelphia. This time around, we can see something even more: Real and Dynamic Change!

For starters, a bunch of establishment City Council members are no longer running for re-election. Frank Dicicco (1st District), and Anna Verna (2nd), Donna Reed Miller (8th District), Jack Kelly (At-Large), and Frank Rizzo (City Council-at-large) are out, each of which have served no lest than 14 years on City Council. With them go a lot of the establishment politicians and politics of the past, and the chance for change on the 17-member City Council.

Not only that, but the level of discontent with Mayor Nutter has been growing steadily over the past 3 years, and with nearly 20 years in Philadelphia Politics, he seems to have become subject to the same culture and establishment he fought against on City Council. His only opponet in the Democratic primary is Milton Street, who has racked up endorsements with the Firefighters Union and Local 33 (the sanitation workers union), both of whom are disgruntled at Nutter.

So when we see a Nutter Primary win, what do we have to look forward to?

Tom Knox, who came in a close second in the 2007 Democratic Primary, has stated he wanted to run against Nutter as an Independent in the fall. To me, this is the best thing possible to happen to Philadelphia. We've been under one-party rule in Philadelphia for the last 30 years, and no non-Democrat has won the office of Mayor in over 50 years. Something like this would shake up the political landscape and, along with a lot of new blood and faces in City Council (hopefully progressive!), a lot of good can be done NOW to start shaping Philadelphia in the years to come!

Then there's THIS asshole: John Street has changed his voter registration to "Independent". All arrows point to him wanting to run for a 3rd term as mayor.

Here's the bare-bones problem: Right now, there's a large portion of the city who is against Nutter and, if given a clear alternative to him, will gladly vote against party lines for them. In this case, that's Tom Knox. John Street running would do nothing more than split the anti-Nutter block and cause Nutter to win!

For starters, NO ONE thinks Philadelphia was better off under the reign of the idiotic, corrupt, and immoral Street Brothers. NO ONE. Well, except everyone they wound up helping when they were in office. It took 4 years to clean up their mess, and neither one of them think they can win. Milton ran in the hopes of getting the Street's their power back, and John is positioning himself to run as a back-up. In the end, their only goal is to try to get back into office and start up the old Democratic Machine.

Here's what I think is going to happen: If John Street runs, he's going to assure a Nutter victory. That is, unless Tom Knox can do a LOT to kick up the dirt and fight back!

As for the Republican nominees... well, I wish them well. I sincerely do. I'll have more on them in the upcoming days.

Mayor Street Steals my Idea: Will Perform a Same-Sex "Marriage" Saturday

Outgoing Mayor John Street will "Officiate" at a Gay Union this Saturday at City Hall. The move, of course, will be met with the usual bunch of assholes (no pun intended) who will claim it is evil, a sin, yadda yadda yadda...

The move is a bit surprising since John Street has been considered an enemy to the Gay community for years. Street said he was asked to officiate at the ceremony for Ryan Bunch and Micah Mahjoubian, a longtime colleague, this Saturday.

I'd just like to say I'm glad he used my idea. OK, maybe not, but from my own campaign lit:

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: Philadelphia has an incredibly large homosexual population, and I believe in the right of two consenting adults being allowed to marry if they please. If elected, I will allow the City of Philadelphia to marry same-sex couples. For those of you oppose this plan, think of this; Philadelphia will see an expanded revenue base thanks to more money from marriage licenses, marriage taxes, and the like. I rather call it marriage, though; Civil Unions doesn't really have the same benefits and it almost makes homosexuals seem like second-class citizens, and I don't like that. The City Government will recognize these marriages and give them full benefits.

I'm still calling this another win in the "Larry West actually DID something positive by running", although I'm more likely than not am wrong for doing so. But, damn it, I'm still smiling about this!

Or not.

"Micah is my friend. He has been in my campaign and has been in my administration for eight years," Street said. "I've come to respect him as a person, and if this is something he would like for me to do, then I'd like to do it for him."

About 125 guests are expected at the ceremony, which will have no legal weight since Pennsylvania prohibits gay marriage.

"It's not marriage. It's not real marriage. They can't be married," said Street, a Seventh-day Adventist. "It's not a religious ceremony. I mean, it's not really marriage."

OK, so not really a win for same-sex couples, either, but I guess it's a bit of a start. I can only hope Mayor-Elect Nutter decides to do this, and then some, by just legalizing the thing, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania be damned (Some pun intended)!