After the City and Penn Praxis invested so much time, effort, and resources into putting together a publicly-supported plan for the Central Delaware waterfront, prospective waterfront tenant Steve Wynn, who wants to buy the Foxwoods project and its much criticized South Philly site, sent the wrong message yesterday in Harrisburg:

"The waterfront is horribly ugly in that place," said Wynn, who walked the casino lot on Tuesday night. "You couldn't do any more damage to it if you set it on fire."

Mr. Environmental Sensitivity also said the only way he'd agree to build the hotel that was part of the approved Foxwoods deal was if he got access to even more waterfront property, suburban sprawl-style. Seems like he doesn't believe that urban architecture should build up instead of out.

The funny thing is this makes it easier for the Gaming Control Board to do the right thing.

You say you want to change Harrisburg?

You want the Democrats in DC to show some backbone?

Come out to Philly For Change Meetup tonight and meet some of the candidates we may be asking to represent us and do just that.

For the price of admission (free), you'll also get a rousing speech from progressive activist turned two term State Representative Tony Payton Jr, who can tell you how important are the support and canvassers from the progressive community, PFC included.

You'll also get an update from the campaign of Philly For Change's choice for governor (we endorsed him two months ago) JOLTIN' JOE HOEFFEL!

You'll also get a pitch for your next Democratic Committeeperson, YOU, as we tell you how to change the party by being the party in your neighborhood!

Take a deep breath, here's who's confirmed for tonight:

***From the hotly contested 6th district Congressional race***

Famed local writer
DOUG PIKE

Physician & Iraq War vet
MANAN TRIVEDI

Harrisburg should figure a lot in progressive politics in 2010... since we need to win there in order for things to get better in Philly.

That makes the governor's race priority #1.

Philly For Change is voting to endorse a gubernatorial candidate tonight at 7 at Meetup.

You know the players: local former Congressman Joe Hoeffel, former Philly mayoral hopeful Tom Knox, Pittsburgh's presumed frontrunner Dan Onorato, big vote-getter Auditor General Jack Wagner, and Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty.

Come out tonight and help set a progressive agenda for the next governor. For the price of admission (free), you also get Brady talking about Marcellus Shale, Friends of the Free Library's Amy Dougherty with a Libraries Update, and a big talk about that other big 2010 race, the one for U.S. Senate.

Here's today's Elections 101 lesson: when some candidates are desperate, they'll say anything.

Hence Michael Untermeyer Republican for District Attorney (formerly, Democrat for Sheriff), unwilling to go gently into that good night, burns and raves:

There is no racial profiling regarding death penalty sentencing in Pennsylvania."

The PA judiciary, that pristine priesthood, blemished by racism?

Say it ain't so! So, facts be damned, Untermeyer did.

Thus, at a news conference outside the Constitution Center, state Sen. Anthony Williams, NAACP president J. Whyatt Mondesire and the Rev. Audrey Brunson, president of the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity stated the obvious common sense that most Philadelphians are evolved enough to understand:

Sen. Williams cited a 2003 study by a blue-ribbon commission that was appointed by the state Supreme Court to investigate race and gender issues in the criminal-justice system.

Dear Marge,

I was reading a Marcia Gelbart story about a PICA report on elections, and I couldn't help noticing this comparison between City Commissioners and your peers in the burbs:

Among other points, (PICA board member William) Leonard focused on a chart that compared the 15 counties' number of registered voters and the annual spending by their election administrators.

In Philadelphia, where the city commissioners and a staff of 97 oversee everything related to elections, including training poll workers and preparing ballots and voting material, that figure is $9.18 per voter.

That amount is nearly twice as much as the median spending in the other counties, $4.68, and nearly three times the $3.26 per voter spent in Montgomery County, which has half as many residents as Philadelphia.

So I was thinking: Couldn't the School District and City Health Centers use that extra $6 per Philly voter that your office wastes on dozens of patronage "workers" aimlessly hanging out on Spring Garden Street spends on elections?

Apparently the idea that City Commissioners might waste precious Philly tax dollars so shocked the Nutter Administration, they were struck speechless:

That prompted Leonard, an appointee of Democratic state House Speaker Keith McCall, to question Philadelphia's efficiency and suggest the creation of a five-county regional authority to run elections.

"The mayor has always talked about regional efficiencies," Leonard said.

Then, turning to Philadelphia Finance Director Rob Dubow, an ex-officio PICA board member, he added: "Rob, I think we ought to do that, I really do."

Dubow did not respond.

Huh. Good thing the mayor's not protecting patronage. He's always saying he wants to promote regional cooperation too.

Oh, and understandably, you were similarly dumbstruck:

A spokeswoman for Margaret Tartaglione, the city commissioners' chairwoman, said she had no comment since she had not seen the report.

Hmmm.

I guess those of us who've started noticing that extra cent we're paying on every dollar we spend in town should probably just suck it up and not read that PICA report that's scheduled to be released in a few weeks.

That might lead us to return to that Committee of Seventy report called "Needless Jobs" that recommends

City Council should pass a proposed amendment to the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter to eliminate elected City Commissioners, and submit the amendment to the voters for approval.

But then we'd have to go somewhere else to find those jaw-dropping examples of stereotypical patronage waste that we bloggers love to go on about (like, for example, the offices of the Clerk of Quarter Sessions, the Register of Wills or the Sheriff).

And whatever office replaces yours might forego those cool secret passwords that you gave Dan and just make election results available to the general public.

Ugh. Where's the fun in that?

If the political class stops owning elections, who will own them? The people? In Democracy's Hometown?

Already missing the easy targets,

Sam

More than a few Philly progressives are wondering what's going to happen to Harrisburg politics when Ed Rendell -- disappointment that he may have been -- retires to the broadcasting booth, or the cheese steak franchise, or wherever he and Midge plan to spend their golden years.

Can the Democrats hold the Governor's Mansion? In the wake of the still-ongoing budget fiasco, can Harrisburg become a healthy functioning place of government any time in the near future?

How bad can state politics get if the Republicans win?

One candidate with progressive credentials who's seeking to answer these questions is Montgomery County's former Congressman Joe Hoeffel. He's running for governor, and he's speaking at Philly For Change Meetup, which starts tonight at 7:00 at Tritone, 1508 South Street (wheelchair accessible).

Some years we need it to beat the heat. This year we need it to get away from the evil State Budget and the idiotic politics and discourse related to health care.

The 2009 Live Arts/Philly Fringe arrives tonight, not a moment too soon and wow, does this year’s festival look amazing. Mad art, frequently in mad spaces. World class performers, international and local performers, at their best: good art is its own kind of health care.

But it looks to me like a lot of the really great shows from reliable artists are early.

So I’ll make some suggestions now, and then you check out the site to make some further choices. When you see something great, post about it. Ok?

Wednesday night's Philly For Change Meetup offers a chance to meet, talk to, and show your support for an important leader working on a huge Civil Rights issue as Congressman and Iraq War vet Patrick Murphy stops by to discuss the legislation he's sponsoring to end the nation's bigoted Don't Ask/Don't Tell policy.

State Senator and Appropriations Committee member Larry Farnese explains the biggest local issue of the moment -- the State Budget -- from the inside and answer questions about what we can do the get the best possible State Budget.

That other huge issue -- Health Care Reform -- gets an update from Health Care for America Now's (and YPP's) Marc Stier, who'll discuss Thursday's big event and plot the preservation of the public option and what we can do to help get it to the finish line.

On June 23, the Daily News editorial "We want the bad news too" requested details from the Nutter administration regarding its infamous "Plan B" budget that would take effect if the State failed to okay the City's proposed sales tax increase.

Fifteen days later, Harrisburg has yet to act, and the "Plan B" option -- described by sources in and out of City Hall as "apocalyptic" -- looms ever closer to reality. And still we know nothing more about the apparently services-blasting details.

Worse: unless I missed it, during the intervening days, there's been no echoing call from City Council, or anywhere else in government, to make Plan B public.

Well, it's time to make the Daily News' original request a demand.

As Ben Waxman's column rightly states, "It's Our Money" too, so we demand that Mayor Nutter lets us know how it's going to be spent, or not spent.

We demand to see Plan B.

Hate reared its ugly heads this past week.

The cowardly terrorist’s murder of Dr. George Tiller Monday coincided with the Right’s disgusting smear campaign on Judge Sonia Sotomayor, reminding us that even in Obama’s America, we still must grapple with hate’s hydra heads of intolerance, sexism, and racism.

Here in Philly, we remembered Dr. Tiller at a vigil in Love Park that Jennifer announced. In DC, a candlelight vigil at Dupont Circle was assembled by star AFSCME organizer Tanya Tarr.

Over the weekend, Tanya asked hundreds of progressive folks to post an answer to the week’s tragedy and outrage in an online event she calls We Can Do Better.

This is my contribution.

Harrisburg serves up an especially vexing mix of sweet and sour at tonight's June Philly For Change Meetup, that you won't want to miss.

The Sweet: State Senator Daylin Leach's Legislative Aide Zach Hoover on how we can support his boss's historic/heroic/just plain fair proposed Marriage Equality Bill.

The Sour: The annually-gruesome summer PA budget war is aiming for Armageddon this year, with school budgets, SCHIP funding, and whole state parks on the block. Silver lining: House Appropriations Secretary/Good Guy Josh Shapiro is asking PFC for input.

Reason Not to Miss: Dan U-A graciously agreed to come out and talk about Draft Sestak and make the case for the campaign.

Congratulations to City Controller candidate Brett Mandel who last night joined District Attorney candidate Seth Williams on the Philly For Change Reform Ticket for the May 19 Democratic Primary, winning the vote for endorsement with 85% of ballots cast.

Congratulations too to the victorious Philly For Change Judicial Slate including Court of Common Pleas candidates Christine Adair, Dan Anders, Greg Coleman, Joyce Eubanks, Angeles Roca, and Diane Thompson, Municipal Court candidate Dawn Segal, and Delaware County Court of Common Pleas candidate Nancy Rhodes Koons. The judicial slate was unanimously approved for endorsement at last night's meetup.

In a spirited and competitive contest that featured substantive addresses and answers to tough questions (see: www.PhillyForChange.com), Seth Williams last night won Philly For Change's District Attorney endorsement vote, getting 70% of the ballots cast. Candidates must get at least 60% of ballots in order for PFC to issue an endorsement. We're very pleased to be able make an endorsement, and to endorse Seth, in this critical and competitive race.

Seth Williams is a longtime member of Philly For Change, who has made regular appearances at meetups over the years, not just at those where he was scheduled to speak. This is his second PFC endorsement.

You have an opinion about the District Attorney's race, no?

You want a chance to express it?

Philly For Change gives you an opportunity Wednesday night at 7:00 at Tritone, 1508 South Street, as we vote on our important endorsement for District Attorney. If you've attended two meetups between April 2008 and March 2009, you're an eligible voter.

All of the Democrats, except Michael Turner who is not seeking endorsements, will be on the ballot.

You want an independent view of the city budget and ideas on going forward from one of City Hall's newest and most vocal Councilpeople?

You want to hear about the year's hottest political race from the candidates themselves?

You want to hear about bridging the digital divide from one of the top organizers on the issue?

You want to talk about the latest in the casinos saga and brainstorm about the Daily News?

You want a shot and a PBR for $3? (You may need it.)

Then do what Bill Green, Seth Williams, Dan McElhatton, Dan McCaffery (confirmed thus far), Todd Wolfson, and I, among others, are doing.

Come on down to Philly For Change Meetup @ Tritone, 1508 South Street (wheelchair accessible) tonight at 7:00.