I don't know why this issue has caught my attention. In some ways its a dumb thing to talk about, and an easier thing to avoid.

But I want to highlight a slightly different slant than the "boss worker cozy relationship politics, odd signs at Council hearings, odder denials" view that the DN has taken.

Latrice is a staffer. And staffers are not typically subject to media attention. That's kinda the deal. The elected official has decided to allow their lives to be subject to the media and the incessant demands of the public. But not staffers.

That's what is a little disconcerting to me. Should Councilman Goode (who grew up in the public eye) have allowed this story to continue this long (or not be aware of the fact that it would be a story), probably not. But I am not sure what a staffer could have done to avoid the media attention. That's what's troubling.

Although she may have considered a bid for public office, and she and her mother have been active in the Democratic Party, that's not really the kind of resume that lands Fox chasing after you for a couple of months. (I am assuming that is true.)

The real concern is that it is hard enough to get capable smart people to involve themselves in public service. And while the private lives of politicians may be fair game (I am not even sold on that premise), I don't think that the person who works as a staffer, be it constituent service, policy or otherwise, should be subject to intense media scrutiny.

Now of course we have a bizarre and recent history of staffers for elected officials accepting all sorts of illegal payments. (Miller, Longstreth, -- I know he was for Kelly, Mariano, etc.) And that's just recent memory.

So staffers do deserve some attention. Some are interested in higher office and a disproportionate number of current elected officials were once staffers. So the attention is not completely unwarranted.

But this isn't about Latrice's ambitions for higher office. This is about casting her as a romantic object. (Pictures don't help the story.)But given that nothing more unethical than not filing accurate time sheets during the summer has been raised (and handwriting odd signs accusing the press of being members of hate groups, after being followed around), this is an insane story to get this kind of attention.

I understand what is interesting about the story. But I am slightly concerned that the way that it has been reported has reduced the perception of Latrice as Wilson Goode's "cozy" friend. And since I don't see how knowing who Wilson Goode dates (or doesn't) affects his role as a Councilman, I am a little troubled by the attention. Even if I think he may deserve it, I am not sure she does.

Having said that, this is a bizarre PR disaster. It is extremely easy working for an at-large Councilman to justify your hours in the office I imagine. After all, talking to anyone in the City is pretty much your job. Plus, the idea that a staffer is off during the summer is ridiculous. Not because the City Council President -- who can fire and hire all Council staff says so -- it's because the Summer is when Council is not in session and you can get out into the neighborhoods and get a real sense of what is happening. Plus, if you are at all known for what you do, people will inundate you with requests (and you don't have the excuse that Council is in session.)

While it is popular belief that the entire City moves to the Shore during the Summer, in fact most of political Philly can be found working block parties, beef and beers, etc. So, it's odd to take the stance that Summer is off, when you can do a lot of good political work, and have fun too. So, she could have just claimed that she works all around the City. That would probably be true.

But the larger point I want to make is that if heretofore anonymous staffers will have their lives examined by news agencies, you will get much less qualified folks working in City government. And that's not a good thing.

This is probably too long of a post, given much more important issues, but I thought that the story would die not be the gift that keeps on giving.

(It also bothers me that the DN is active in the story by filing complaints. That's not quite public journalism. If journalists are going to be participants in the story, they should be subject to the same critiques that the subjects of the stories are. Dan Gross's refusal -- from what I have seen -- to discuss his involvement in the Mendte-Lane story is emblematic of this.

Ordinarily gossip columns don't affect politics, until politics is covered in gossip columns. It cheapens the process and takes the public's eye off of important issues. But many times those wounds are self inflicted.

One person's longwinded view.

Ultimately the alleged beach pics are nobody's business but the people in the pics - period.

I will say however that in terms an awkward time to rile up grouchy, white working-class voters of Philadelphia - i.e. "those bums in City Hall are wasting my money" types, this whole brouhaha could not have been timed more poorly. It really shouldn't matter but sadly it does at least a little for the Obama campaign in PA, for Philly Against McCain's efforts to reach out to disaffected Clinton voters in city, for Nutter and City Council's efforts to scramble and make up for the budget shortfall the slowing economy has put the city in. Its never a good time for a councilperson to have their alleged dirty laundry put on display but in terms of a whole host of other issues, this could not have come at a worse time.

Again, A does not have anything to do with B, but sadly in many of the voters who are very important to this election minds they are in some way obliquely related. Thats all.

-Sean
MrLuigi, my cat, actually only types half as badly as I do.

You had Phillies tickets?!

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Check out "It's Our Money"

Can anybody, with insider knowledge or otherwise, explain why hardly any state legislature candidates' "six week" campaign finance reports are available on the Commonwealth of PA Web site, well past the filing deadline?

I'd like for there not to be bathrooms on regional rail lines. They'd be disgusting. There are some old bathrooms on some of the older trains. It still smells even though the bathrooms haven't been used forever.

Go before we leave--even if you think you don't have to. Mommy said so :P

In all seriousness, what is with the British voice on the Subway? Crazy.

I don't know what Dan U-A's trying to transcribe, but I think his phonetics need to be checked out. All that's really there at that Broad St. stop is a heavier accent on the second syllable than "philly english" might put on it. Anyway, I dig the BBC sound. Reminds me of Cleopatra 2525, I don't know why.