Anna Verna must be scared. Or else, why would I be thrown out of the 40th Ward meeting? After all, as someone on YPP said, it would take an act of God for Damon Roberts to beat Anna Verna. Well, maybe God is getting ready to act.

After finding out that the 40th Ward Democrats had a luncheon meeting and candidate's forum at 64th and Paschall, I decided to show up with my nine year old son and one of my supporters. After all, South West Philadelphia, with its stark crime problem, its high school dropout rates, its trash and its overwhelming political and economic neglect from City Hall, is certainly important to me - as a community activist trying to make a difference and as a candidate for the 2nd Councilmanic District.

My name is Damon K. Roberts and I am a candidate for City Council in the 2nd Councilmanic District of Philadelphia.

Over the last couple of days, I got a taste of what Al Gore must have felt like in 2000, getting differing and often opposing pieces of advice. You try to listen to people, to accept advice, to have a big enough tent to listen constructively, but ultimately you have to be your own man and make up your own mind.

I sat in Courtroom 425 much of yesterday, and then walked out of City Hall into the kind of weather that shuts Philadelphia down. As I paced back and forth in my own head all day, I had the rare chance on the campaign trail to stop long enough to redefine for myself what this campaign is all about.

In my last post, Gaetano P. encouraged me to outline how my candidacy would be beneficial to the entire second district and not only to the sections of the 2nd District that are overwhelmingly neglected. So, here is a start.

The second district is certainly the City's most diverse district. We have the poorest and most vulnerable areas and some of the richest and most secure. We have Sigel Street and Delancey Street. So yes, when I talk about my ideas for reducing our high crime and dropout rates, it has resonance in some places more than others.

My name is Damon K. Roberts. I am candidate for City Council in the Second Council.

Yesterday, I stood with other City Council candidates and criticized Councilman-at-Large Jim Kenney for what I called his "proposed legislation which flies in the face of the people's desires." I warned that,"When government officials think that they are above the will of the people, that the broom of reform will swiftly sweep them out of office." Facing sharp opposition from many fronts, Councilman Kenney has wisely withdrawn that legislation.

Today, we learned another reason why Philadelphia needs change and needs it bad.

Today's proposal to repeal the existing Campaign Finance Law was an abomination to fair elections and democracy. It tells the voters of the city one thing: Forget fairness. Forget democracy. When faced by a serious threat to the entrenched power of the political machine, City Council will just change the rules.

Today's message was the exact wrong one to send voters, especially to young voters, who want to trust their elected officials again, who want to believe that City Government can actually represent their interests and not just the interests of those already in power.