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Wednesday, October 21, 2009
City election officials stay silent on report of costly Philly elections

A yet-to-be released study that ranks Philadelphia as the most expensive county in the state when it comes to per-voter election costs garnered almost no attention this morning during a meeting of the City Commissioners.

As reported today in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the study found that Philadelphia spends $9.18 per voter, which is nearly double the median figure - $4.68 - spent by Pennsylvania's 15 most populous counties.

No matter, for now, to the three City Commissioners who oversee Philadelphia elections. "We will respond when we are good and ready... and you'll be surprised," Commission Chairwoman Marge Tartaglione said.

Referring to the Nov. 3 general election, Commissioner Joe Duda said, "Right now we are focused on this election."

Indeed, the commissioners spent more time at the meeting placing nickel bets on the percentage of voters who will cast ballots Nov. 3. So far, a total of 35 cents was raised "toward our struggling budget," Tartaglione said.

Here are some of the projections:

Commissioner Tartaglione - 20 to 21 percent voter turnout

Commissioner Duda - 20 percent

Commissioner Clarke - 13 percent

Bob Lee, voter registration administrator - 24 percent

Fred Voigt, deputy city commissioner - 23 percent

Click here for Philly.com's politics page.

Posted by Marcia Gelbart @ 12:06 PM  Permalink | 6 comments
Comments   
Posted 12:57 PM, 10/21/2009
CleanupPhilly
It's very sad, really. You couldn't make this up as biting satire.
Posted 12:59 PM, 10/21/2009
CleanupPhilly
Of course Tartaglione is going to come out with an audit that points out the patronage and overpayment in the office, when she is "good and ready." Personally, I think that she was killed and stuffed, and is a robot that signs checks.
Posted 02:28 PM, 10/21/2009
phillyccgwm
Didn't Steve Lopez years ago refer to Marge as one of the "boom-boom" girls who went on city junket to Las Vegas?
Posted 04:11 PM, 10/21/2009
bill at
Madge certainly isn't going to have a problem with this waste, fraud and abuse. She's the matriarch of a Democrat organized crime family and is entitled to taxpayer money.
Posted 05:37 AM, 10/22/2009
FJG JR
Love her "DOO".
Posted 03:04 PM, 10/22/2009
fryb
our commissioners. council members, the brt, etc, are a disgrace. we let them buy our votes w/their patronage and keep them in office to the point of hopelessness. so many of fumo's defenders wrote about the good he had done and never considered the harm. we all pay for their largesse with higher taxes, unfunded necessities, and/or other hidden costs. we really need a citizens' revolt.
6 comments
About Inquirer City Hall Staff
The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff Shields, Marcia Gelbart, and Patrick Kerkstra take you inside Philadelphia's City Hall.
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