PR-510-P

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Ron Panepinto Jewelers

Jim Stevenson

700 Sansom St. 215-923-1980

9371 ROOSEVELT BLVD. PHILADELPHIA, PA 19114 215-698-7000 JStevenson@ChapmanAutoGroup.com

Vol. XI. No. 45 (Issue 510)

www.PanepintoJewelers.com We Buy Gold & Diamonds

Serving Citywide Political, Labor, Legal and School Communities of Philadelphia “The good things we do must be made a part of the public record”

Value 50¢

Dems Win City, Lose Statewide

Where Do We Go From Here? PICA, ‘70’ At It Again

CITY Controller Alan Butkovitz discusses with press at his victory party his continuing efforts to cut Photo by Harry Leech city costs.

LEGENDARY District Attorney Lynne Abraham congratulates her successor, incoming DA Seth Photo by Bill Foster Williams.

by Joe Shaheeli Those who claim to know what’s best for government in this city often don’t know what they are talking about. Fresh from killing off the Board of Revision of Taxes, the government watchdogs are now looking to rid the City of its County government offices: the City Commissioners, the Sheriff, the Clerk of Quarter Sessions and the Register of Wills. Yapping away this time are the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority and the Committee of 70. They insist on reinventing the wheel, without advising voters of SIGN OF THE TIMES! Worry over voter discontent may have caused party designations to be missing from the better system they wish to install statewide candidate posters such as these three. in our municipal government. PICA has issued a report calling for the elimination of the independently elected offices. This is the State-created agency that oversees Slowly, but surely, the political voters went to the polls on Tuesday. Both were expensively made, dethe City’s finances and its report folparty label seems disappearing from Save for a few inexpensively made, signed to withstand inclement lows one released by the Committee the election scene. Seth Williams signs, promoting the weather. They were, no doubt, the of 70 last March which also recomEvidence of this was obvious as Supreme Court candidacy of Judge product of the campaign gurus, who (Cont. Page 4) Jack Panella and himself by urging might have been sensing a discontent voters to vote straight Democrat, among voters. Was it because they were worried none of the statewide candidates bothered to label themselves as Democ- President Barack Obama’s dwindling rats. support would hurt their candidates if Two examples were that of Judge identified as Democrats? That didn’t Teresa Sarmina for Superior Court make sense especially with a millionand Judge Panella for Supreme voter edge in Democratic registraSee Pages 17-21 Court. (Cont. Page 2)

What’s With The Party Label?

Learn How To Cope With An Ailing Heart

November 5, 2009

Despite a very disappointing turnout of a little more than 12%, the city’s election results were as

expected. Seth Williams, on his way to a well-deserved rest in Florida, is District Attorney-Elect and incumbent City Controller Alan Butkovitz returns to his task of keeping an eye on City government. Vote returns are available on Page 28. The Republican Party failed to generate much interest in this campaign, despite the fact its candidates put up a fight. The addition of the Loyal Opposition to the Republican ranks did not make a difference, despite valiant attempts to build a fresh voting base. Butkovitz beat Hillel Levinson, garnering 72% of the vote in 2005. His percentage of victory over Al Schmidt this time once again was 72%. Williams received a vote total of 75% over Republican DA candidate Michael Untermeyer, which should be the benchmark high by which his future campaigns will be judged. Dispassionate observers had been predicting a turnout of at least 15% in the city. The surprise transit strike called by Transit Workers Union early Tuesday morning appears, in retrospect, to have depressed the vote total by about 30,000 as voters, faced (Cont. Page 2)


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