Does anyone have input on who I should vote for State Treasurer and State Representative District 186, and why? From http://seventy.org/hot-topics/election-information/on-the-ballot, the races are as follows:

Treasurer
Jennifer L. Mann (D)
Robert McCord (D)
John Cordisco (D)
Dennis Morrison-Wesley (D)

District 186
Harold James (D) (Incumbent)
Kenyatta Johnson (D)

Thanks. Go Obama!

Updates:
Daily News endorses Kenyatta Johnson in 186th.

Philly Inquirer endorses McCord for Treasurer.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette endorses Cordisco for Treasurer.

Michael Nutter is getting a lot of heat for his support of Stop-and-Frisk. It seems that some of this heat is coming from Chaka Fattah and his supporters. Isn't Chaka Fattah in favor of stop and frisk, as indicated in this thread? [More words needed....] Or is Fattah double-talking on this just like he is on taxes?

Here are the ballot questions and then Committee of 70's recommendations (Question 1 about casinos was struck by a court):

BALLOT QUESTION #2
Bill No. 060617: Eliminating Resign to Run Rule
Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended so that, effective January 1,
2008, City elected officials may become candidates for nomination or election to any
public office without first resigning from their City office?

According to Fight for Room 215:
"Tom Knox and Mike Nutter want to reform government. What's their answer? Massive Budget Cuts which would put neighborhood schools and services at risk."

That is completely and utterly false. Neither of them is planning massive budget cuts. Fattah may think that their plans are unrealistic, but the commercial is patently false. Given that his budget plans rely on "fuzzy math" (as Evans has called it) and the unrealistic airport plan (as almost everyone has called it), I guess he has to resort to lies.

I'm putting together a list of candidates that I plan to vote for. This is mostly for my own use, but thought I'd share it for discussion and disclosure purposes. I will update as I learn more or change my mind. I don't pretend anyone cares.

Mayor
Michael Nutter

5th District Council
John Longacre

The Metro blog has posted a list of all candidates submitting petitions for mayor and city council. The mayor's race has Queena Bass, Bob Brady, Dwight Evans, Chaka Fattah, Tom Knox, Michael Nutter and Minister Jesse White.

I posted the following is another thread, and I'm kinda proud of it:

A lot of people here reject any causation between excessive taxes and displaced growth. They don't believe that if taxes make running a business in Philadelphia significantly more expensive than running a business outside Philadelphia, that businesses will locate outside of Philadelphia. Economists, controlling for other factors, have shown that "the wage tax [which increased from 2% to almost 5% from 1969 to 1992] can directly explain the loss of roughly 100,000 jobs from Philadelphia over the period 1969 to 1985." Yet, some people here deny that excessive taxes played a role and think that schools and crime drove all these jobs out of the city.

It seems that the BPT craps up on crops up on every thread. I hope to use this thread to spell out points of agreement and disagreement.

Things we agree on, or undeniable facts:
* We want what is best for Philadelphia.
* The BPT rates have decreased every year since 1995.
* The wage tax rates have decreased every year since 1995.
* Tax revenue has increased every year but two since 1995.
* Philadelphia has either the highest or second highest taxes in the country among the largest cities.
* Philadelphia taxes are regressive.
* Philadelphia taxes need to be reformed. Like big time reformed.
* Taxes have some effect on where businesses locate and how they operate.
* Taxes have some effect on total economic growth.
* Many, many non-tax factors have some effect on where businesses operate and how they operate.
* Many, many non-tax factors have some effect on total economic growth.
* Philadelphia's economy has grown since 1995.

A friend got a $76 parking ticket last night where there were no signs posted or any other indication that it was no parking. Snow might have covered marking on the curb or street. The website says as follows:

"2. What if I don't agree with my parking ticket?

"If you desire a hearing to contest a parking ticket, you must request it in writing. If you request a hearing within eight days, late payment penalties will not be added to your original fine. All hearings requested after eight days will have penalties assessed and due if you are found liable."

Is there any chance to fight it by mail without taking time off? If not, this is just another example of the bureaucratic crap that is part of this city.

The posts about Philadelphia's inability to clear the roads with 3 inches of snow reminds me of something I once heard.

"With the coming of a new year, incumbent Michael Bilandic had a seemingly insurmountable advantage in Chicago’s mayoral election, with underdog Jane Byrne given little more than the proverbial snowball’s chance. Ironically, it was Chicago’s snow that gave her the opening to unseat Bilandic and the mighty Chicago political machine."
http://press.weather.com/index.php/press_releases/55.html

If Street were running for reelection, I bet the snow would be a hotter topic in this race.

I am dreading the prospect that the next mayor of Philadelphia will have 65% of the people vote against him in the primary. This reminds me of the recent 2006 Texas governor election. The incumbent was reelected with 39% of the vote in a four-way race, even though he would probably would have lost head-to-head to any of the three other candidates.

Many localities use nonpartisan elections. Chicago has non-partisan elections and if no candidate gets %50, there is a run-off between the top two vote getters. I would prefer this system and a run-off between the top two Democratic candidate, rather than the anticlimactic general election between a Dem, R, and the Green candidates.

I would also prefer instant run-offs, where voters rank their choices, ensuring no candidate can squeak in like Gov. Perry did in Texas.

Here are my impressions of the candidates so far. I am not affiliated with any candidate or organization. I'm just a guy who has read a lot about this campaign so far. I have decided that Michael Nutter is the best candidate.

I think that all claims that X candidate or candidates are the only candidates that are viable are bunk. All five candidates are viable and can be elected. Knox has the money and a strong showing in the poll. Nutter led the other candidates in fund-raising, is ahead of Brady and Evans in the polls, and has experience campaigning successfully in this city.

All Democratic mayoral candidates pledged to support the Committee of 70's ethics agenda. I just looked over that agenda and did not see anything related to campaigning. Should the Committee of 70 draft a plan calling on every candidate to run clean campaigns and urge their supporters to?