GOP ward leaders back Brown for mayor
Campaign Bits
By Tom Waring
Republican ward leaders last week endorsed Karen Brown over John Featherman in the race for mayor.
Brown, who was preferred by Republican City Committee bosses Vito Canuso and Mike Meehan, prevailed by a vote of 34-7, with 17 abstentions.
"She didn't get a slam dunk," said Featherman, who called for no endorsement and contended that the ward leaders who abstained support him.
The two addressed ward leaders on March 24 at the United Republican Club. Featherman said a ward leader with ties to the city committee conducted a coin flip to decide which candidate would speak first. Brown called "heads," but the coin came up "tails."
Featherman said he'd speak second, but the ward leader informed him that the winner of the coin toss had to talk first. He protested that seemingly absurd rule to no avail.
During the campaign, Featherman will mention that he thinks it's time for changes at city committee.
"They better hope I don't win because it will be the end for those two," he said of Canuso and Meehan.
Meehan said Brown won handily.
"The largest wards in the city voted for Karen Brown," he said. "In a weighted vote, she probably had eighty percent."
Featherman and Brown are tentatively scheduled to debate on April 20.
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In a surprising twist, well-funded and party-endorsed candidate John Giordano dropped out of the Republican primary for an at-large City Council seat.
That leaves nine candidates. Mike Meehan, the Republican City Committee's general counsel, said Michael Untermeyer and Councilman Frank Rizzo have asked to replace Giordano on the endorsed ticket, which now includes four candidates.
Dennis O'Brien, Elmer Money and Steve Odabashian are the other unendorsed candidates.
"We'll probably endorse a fifth one," Meehan said.
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Councilman Rizzo continues to take heat for his participation in the Deferred Retirement Option Plan.
Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 pointed to the DROP issue in deciding not to endorse the four-term incumbent and son of the former police commissioner and mayor of the same name.
Matt Wolfe, a lawyer and Republican ward leader, announced he will continue to pursue a lawsuit intended to keep Rizzo off the ballot. The suit argues that Rizzo is ineligible to run since he signed up for DROP, which requires a city employee to retire within four years of enrollment.
Rizzo is relying on a ruling by the city solicitor's office that said an elected official can retire for a day and then return to office. A Common Pleas Court judge ruled in Rizzo's favor, but Wolfe will take his appeal to Commonwealth Court.
Malcolm Lazin, a Republican at-large candidate, held a news conference on March 23 outside Rizzo's City Hall office to call on him to retire at the end of his term. He said it's "unconscionable" for Rizzo to run again, take a "194,517 payday," then return to office.
"It's well overdue," he said of Rizzo's retirement. "Philadelphia City Council should step up for Philadelphia rather than stepping on our taxpayers."
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Marty Bednarek, a Democrat running in the 6th Councilmanic District, held a fund-raiser on March 24 at Glen Foerd on the Delaware, while primary opponent Bobby Henon is reaching voters in a variety of ways.
A real estate broker and certified appraiser, Bednarek worries about a possible rise in property taxes once the city assesses homes at 100 percent of their market value. That hike would replace a two-year "temporary" 9.9-percent increase in property taxes.
"I think it has the potential to hurt a lot of Northeast property owners," he said.
Meanwhile, Henon's campaign has already done newspaper advertising, a literature drop and a mailing. The candidate, political director of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98, has also appeared on television commercials during the St. Patrick's Day Parade and the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
Bednarek wrote a letter to union boss John Dougherty to complain about Henon's visibility.
"Dougherty's always been the face of 98," Bednarek said.
Sandra Stewart is the Republican candidate.
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FOP Lodge 5 last week announced its endorsements for various races.
The FOP is backing the following candidates in district Council races: Jeff Hornstein (1st), Darrell Clarke (5th), Bobby Henon (6th), Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez (7th), Councilwoman Marian Tasco (9th) and Councilman Brian O'Neill (10th).
For at-large Council seats, the police union is supporting Democratic incumbents Bill Greenlee, Wilson Goode Jr., Bill Green and Blondell Reynolds Brown and challenger Andy Toy and Republican challengers David Oh and Dennis O'Brien.
Lodge 5's endorsed candidates for Common Pleas Court are Ken Powell, Fran Shields, Joseph O'Neill, Jim DiVergilis, Anne Marie Coyle, Sayde Ladov, Roger Gordon, Joe Waters, Chris Mallios, Diana Anhalt, Maria McLaughlin and Sean Kennedy.
For Traffic Court, the union recommends Fred Mari, of Fox Chase.
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While Jeff Hornstein is backed by the FOP in the Democratic primary in the 1st Councilmanic District, Joe Grace has the support of former Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson and Bob Eddis, a former Lodge 5 president.
Grace worked with Johnson and Eddis in his role as spokesman for then-Mayor John Street.
"I know Joe Grace. I worked with him frequently during my time as police commissioner, and Joe was always someone who understood the hard and difficult job of being a police officer in the city of Philadelphia," said Johnson, police commissioner from 2002-08.
Eddis was Lodge 5 president from 2002-07 and credits Grace for his three years as executive director of CeaseFirePA, a gun violence-prevention organization.
"I've been involved in law enforcement in Philadelphia for thirty-five years, and I know Joe as a passionate advocate not only for gun violence prevention and stronger gun laws, but as a public official and advocate who always stands up for the rank-and-file Philadelphia police officer on the streets," he said.
Mark Squilla and Vern Anastasio are also seeking the Democratic nomination.
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@bsmphilly.com