Or at least that’s what Rep. Bob Brady PA-01 thinks. I’ve shared on these pages my interest in politics and my quest to take more ownership of the politics that swirl around me here in Philadelphia. I decided to get involved at the lowest level and run for committeeperson [an explanation of why committeepeople matter and what the hell a committeeperson is for those who don’t know at my personal blog]. After all this, I was forwarded two letters from local party leadership calling people who want to get involved for the first time, like me, “outsiders” “polarize[rs]” and “republican[s]” [sic].
If I’m a Republican, well, I’ll eat my shorts. I’ve been a Democrat since I turned eighteen eight not so long years ago. I’ve voted accordingly. Read on for the letters and some more analysis.
First off, the two letters I was forwarded.
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30th Ward Democratic Committee
2213 Naundain Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146
P xxx-xxx-xxxx F xxx-xxx-xxxx
Terry Gillen, Ward Leader
James Burks, Ward Chair
March 12, 2006
Dear Fellow Committeeperson:
I wanted to pass along a letter from the Chairman of our Democratic Party, Bob Brady. He is concerned that many committeeperson throughout the City are being challenged by outsiders who are trying to created division within the Democratic Party and within some of our wards and divisions. I personally believe that some of the people who are doing this are working hand in hand with the republican [sic] Party.
This week, some committeepeople may receive a notice that their petition is being challenged in court. If you receive this notice, let me assure you that Bob and I and the Democratic Party will go to court and fight to make sure that you can run for reelection. Democratic Party lawyers will argue your case for free in order to keep your name on the ballot. We will do this because we all need to stick together and fight these people who want to divide us.
Let me know as soon as soon as possible if you receive a legal challenge of if you believe that someone is trying to remove your name from the ballot.
If we stick together we can stay strong. We won’t play into the Republicans’ hands and allow anyone to divide us!
Regards,
signed
Terry Gillen
TG/
Enc.
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The Democratic County Executive Committee of Philadelphia
Executive Offices: 1421 Walnut St
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102
Telephone: 241-7800
Robert A. Brady
Charmian
Terry Gillen
2213 Naundain St
Philadelphia, PA 19146
March 8, 2006
Dear Terry,
It has come to my attention that there is an organized effort to file petitions to become a Democratic committee person in many wards in the city. It is clear that this effort has been started by forces that seek to polarize and destroy this party. I strongly urge you to oppose their efforts. I suggest that you immediately notify me at City Committee of the divisions where this has occurred. I will have the petition reviewed to determine if it is defective. If it is, I will assist you in filing a petition with the Common Pleas Court to have the person stricken from the ballot on behalf of your designated candidate in that division.
We are a family united. As your leader and friend, I will fight to make sure we remain united.
I will also prepare withdrawal slips for these individuals that filed and I will try to have them withdrawn.
Very truly yours,
signed
ROBERT A. BRADY, CHAIRMAN
Democratic County Executive
Committee of Philadelphia
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This is not what I call a democratic process by any means.
Rep. Brady’s contacat info in PA: 1907-09 S. Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19148 | Phone (215) 389-4627 | Fax (215) 389-4636 and his info in DC: 206 Cannon House Office Building Washington DC 20515 | Phone (202) 225-4731 | Fax (202) 225-0088.
Last I checked Philly for Change and Neighborhood Networks were not Republican groups. I am, however, a member of both outstanding groups. The Committee of Seventy is a non-partisan group. Those, to my knowledge, were the groups who were leading the push to get newbies involved in the process.
Now where is all this hostility coming from? Partly from party infighting at the top. The Philadelphia County Chairan is Brady. He’s currently duking it out with the head of the Electrician’s Union, the Local 98. The Local 98 kicked off a nationwide effort to get their members involved in local politics encouraging members to fill up the empty committeeperson seats across the country. Here in Philly, the Local 98 members filed. And they also filed for seats that were already occupied which would result in contested races, something Brady did not / does not want.
Committeepeople represent small Divisions. They vote for Ward Leaders who represent large groups of Divisions. The Ward Leaders in turn come together to vote for the County Chairman, currently Brady. So, groups of Divisions with newbie committeepeople could be less likely to vote for their Ward Leader. If Ward Leaders get ousted [a very very tough process that Chris Bowers from MyDD accomplished out in West Philly] then Brady could ultimately lose his seat as Chairman.
There are some 3600 committeeperson seats. The Philadelphia Inquirer estimates that around 100 people affiliated with various “polarizing” groups filed. I think the number is much higher. I hear that the Local 98 got 100+ by themselves. The Chairman is freaking out over an estimated 5% change in power at the lowest level and trying to quash the uprising.
I called into the Board of Elections on the 13th to see if my petition was A-okay and that I was on the ballot. I was told everything was okay and that I would indeed be on the ballot. I was later informed that I would have the third position on the ballot out of four. After receiving these letters, I called up the BoE this morning at 8a to double check. Before I could tell the lady my name, Ward and Division, she told me that she could not tell me whether or not I was on the ballot. Why? Because the petitions were in court and she would not know who was on and who was off until the petitions were delivered back to the BoE in City Hall later on in the week. This thing gets more fucked up with each hour it seems.
And what’s going on in the courthouse? Apparently, yesterday, it came to fisticuffs, well, more like a sucker punch. From the Daily News:
Lou Agre, Democratic leader of the 21st Ward in Roxborough, slugged attorney Ira Shrager, of Electricians’ Local 98, in the head outside a hearing room yesterday, witnesses said, leaving Shrager unconscious on the floor for several minutes.
Local politics in a dirty city at it’s worst. Philadelphia is notoriously famous for it’s dirty local politics and the very powerful Democratic machine. Now I’m experiencing it first hand.
And for some reason, this just makes me want to get involved even more. I don’t want to divide and polarize this party of mine. I want to hold it accountable.