What if they held a war and nobody came?

A similar sentiment seemed appropriate during the Northern Liberties Neighbors Association "candidates night" last week.

Just two of four invited candidates showed up to address only 17 residents.

"Everyone must be home nursing back to health after last night," NLNA president Matt Ruben joked during the meeting conducted Thursday, Oct. 22, the day after the Phillies clinched a return to the World Series.

Only the Republican candidates for city controller and district attorney were there to discuss their platforms. Elections are scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 3.

First to speak, Republican city controller candidate Al Schmidt opened the evening with his distaste for the tax burden on all Philadelphians.

"We have the highest total tax burden of any city in the United States and the highest city debt per capita of any city in the U.S.," the 38-year-old Schmidt told the audience. "There's a serious disconnect there. It's not a problem with the city getting enough revenue, but it's about the city not spending wisely."

Schmidt said that, in practically all levels of city government, he sees waste under the current administration of Mayor Michael Nutter.

Schmidt said the city is spending money like someone who leaves a window open in the winter while cranking up the furnace.

He said waste like that - spending to solve a problem that could be solved otherwise - is evident in almost every part of City Hall.

He sees it, he claimed, and so should his opponent.

But, Schmidt said, he doesn't think the incumbent Democrat, Alan Butkovitz, is looking hard enough at how the city spends its money because Nutter and Butkovitz are in the same political party.

"It's difficult to eliminate fraud when you aren't looking for fraud," he said.

Schmidt then took his time before the audience to talk about his personal history as a former senior analyst with the non-partisan U.S. Government Accountability Office.

A member of the audience asked, seemingly jokingly, why Schmidt would even attempt to run as a Republican in Philadelphia, where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 6-1.

As a number man, that was one ratio Schmidt isn't focusing on.

"The number I'm focusing on isn't the six to one; it's the one hundred percent of funding in this city that has been mismanaged," Schmidt replied. "I can't imagine that anyone thinks a one-party controlled government is good for any city."

Citing reasoning similar to Schmidt's - in that he might lend an independent eye to a Democrat-controlled City Hall - the Philadelphia Inquirer endorsed Schmidt's candidacy in an editorial published this past Sunday.

During the meeting, Ruben said Butkovitz was unable to attend the meeting due to previous commitments.