Bass, Democratic City Machine and Rudnick Join in Inquisition

One can only conclude that the thought of a competitive election with choice was far too much for anointed Democratic primary candidate Cindy Bass, the city Democratic Party machine, and self-appointed Green Candidate Brian Rudnick to tolerate.

 

Minority party candidates are rarely the recipients of ballot challenges in general elections where the voter registration is so far skewed to the Democratic Party (about 85% in the 8th District) that the victor in the primary becomes anointed in the general election.

 

But my 11th hour entrance in the contest must have been to much to bear as the idea that there might be informed discussion of issues, debates around challenges in the district with someone who has first hand experience sent fear through all who might have interest in keeping the public in the dark and ram-rodding Bass through to a November victory.

 

While I knew gathering the required 750 signatures 6 days from the deadline was a long-shot, my contact with the community through these newspapers told me of the general disgust the residents of the 8th District already have with Cindy Bass’ seeming lack of interest and participation since her May primary victory.  “Are we getting more of the same - - or worse” was the comment from folks all the way from Chestnut Hill to Nicetown.

 

Bear in mind that four terms with Donna Reed Milller, the absentee council person with no office in her district, has worn a path of frustration with the voters and they were expecting a whole lot more in visibility and participation even before being sworn in after the November election.  Ms. Bass has been generally unreachable and unavailable for all but the most perfunctory of functions, and it shows.

 

So a team of high-paid lawyers join Cindy and her staff to attend the all important challenge hearing last Friday ready to spend whatever time and money it cost to go over signatures line by line until they find enough minor discrepancies to get “Formidable Foster” off the ballot. The judge said “you may have to spend the weekend here” and all the lawyers said “no problem” (Is that time and half, or double-time @$500/hr?)

 

Letting the voters decide is the last thing these manipulators of the political destiny would want to happen, and why should they - - outcomes are always pre-controlled in this city where money buys decisions and squashes public outcry.  Well, they found that there were enough signatures where the date was not clearly written after the name and address and in this city that is “not amendable”.  But if that was not enough, four attorneys, with the seasoned candidate-killer Bob Vance at the helm, were ready to spend the whole weekend going over all 875 signatures I filed until they found “enough”.

 

So, the faux-Green Party candidate happily joins the machine and takes down a challenger that garnered all of 550 votes as an Independent in the last 8th District race.  Wow - - that is just too much democracy to handle in a city and community that have been run by corruption from the top down for over 20 years.

 

Jim Foster

Publisher/Editor, Germantown Newspapers Inc

 

Editor’s note:  The Green Party of Philadelphia forwarded a news release prior to the hearing making it clear that Brian Rudnick was not their endorsed candidate despite his writing that on each of his 51 petitions. The judge refused to recognize that document claiming it was hearsay and left Rudnick on the ballot as the Green Party candidate.