Protecting Philadelphians Against Fraud
Also check out YPP's piece on Seth's policy to protect Philadelphians from fraudulent and predatory business practices here.
Research 2000 Poll
Yesterday Young Philly Politics ("YPP"), a blog about progressive Philadelphia politics, published some encouraging Research 2000 poll numbers on the DA race:
Research 2000 Poll for the Seth Williams Campaign
400 voters, 5% MOE
Seth Williams: 37%
Dan McElhatton: 15%
Dan McCaffery: 13%
Michael Turner: 2%
Brian Grady: 2%
This is great news for the campaign -- it shows that Philadelphians are embracing Seth's candidacy and platforms.
That doesn't mean the work is done; in fact, the opposite -- Seth is the candidate to beat and the remaining four candidates are still in it to win it. The campaign needs your help -- if you have the resources to volunteer or contribute, it will help Seth's campaign and it will help make Philadelphia a safer place to live, work, and grow up in.
Live Blogging Dan McElhatton's Video Web Chat
This has been going on for almost an hour...I'm going to stop watching now but overall, I would say that the theme or thread I picked up after an hour is that McElhatton has some new ideas, but I can't pinpoint one that will fundamentally change the way the DA's office operates. I see many platforms that will rearrange the deck chairs (so to speak) but can't determine what platform will specifically reduce crime. Seth is proactive on crime and is focused not only on prosecuting criminals, but on preventing crime and repeat offenses all together.
Seth wants to prevent crime by assigning prosecutors to specific neighborhoods, making it easier to identify local crime patterns. In addition, he wants to get the most dangerous criminals off the streets by focusing on the criminal rather than the crime. He will concentrate resources on repeat offenders who have previous weapons offenses.
For more info on his platforms you can view his Where Seth Stands page.
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9:01. What sets you apart from your candidates? Pretty much says he has the most experience...everyone is entitled to their opinion, but it's pretty widely believed that Seth has the most relevant experience. Check out the Phila Inquirer endorsement for more on that.
9:00. The campaign manager just said there are several dozen people watching...chat room list reports 16 people watching.
8:56. He's answering a question from a UPenn Student. What will be the first issue he tackles? People should expect a vigorous leader advocating for gun control and for the ability of the city to control its future.
8:48. Someone asks question about an opponent's platform to call out and publicly shame lazy judges. This is McCaffery's platform. The idea was specifically criticized in the Inquirer's endorsement of Seth. DM has a point...if people are dissatisfied, they should not re-elect the judge.
8:46. "Deb" asks what community can do to assist DA's office. He's now taking Q's directly from the chat feed. He wants to set up a hotline for folks to call in and provide information.
8:44. Refers to exec loan program from Rendell era, recruiting city execs to DA office on rotating basis to try to get ideas from private industry. I'm all for innovative ideas but want to hear him speak more about how he will stop crime.
8:39. DM says he'll do these webchats on a "regular basis." Nothing revolutionary has really been said yet, in my opinion. I haven't been able to find a clear theme through his proposals yet.
8:26. Campaign manager asks question about how DM will increase effectiveness of DA's office. He wants community groups to come and talk to city gov. "We need to listen to them in a much more aggressive way, and if we do this we'll be able to get as much information as possible." How will this stop crime?
8:21. The campaign manager is reading questions submitted before the debate. I'm not sure if this qualifies as a candid interview (yet).
8:19. Open for questions. Maybe not -- his campaign manager chimes in with first question. How did he first get involved in politics? Questions are being submitted via a chat box on the side of the page.
Tuesday April 28, 8:13 PM. It starts a few minutes early, about 9 people watching. He's sitting next to a man I assume is his campaign manager. A Dan McElhatton backdrop.
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Philadelphia Inquirer for Seth
This morning, the Philadelphia Inquirer endorsed Seth for District Attorney, saying, "Williams has the know-how to improve the D.A.'s office and a good grasp of strategies to make neighborhoods safer places to live."
Some highlights:
- Williams has the know-how to improve the D.A.'s office and a good grasp of strategies to make neighborhoods safer places to live. He would attack the prevalence of guns in the city with a "holistic" approach, including more aggressive targeting of illegal straw purchasers and working with community groups to dissuade young men from the gun culture.
- The city's police union has endorsed Williams - a strong and telling vote of confidence.
- He would attack the prevalence of guns in the city with a "holistic" approach, including more aggressive targeting of illegal straw purchasers and working with community groups to dissuade young men from the gun culture.
- To limit the large number of cases that now get dismissed, Williams would assign teams of assistant district attorneys to neighborhoods throughout the city. He said that will enable experienced prosecutors to make smarter decisions about what charges to bring in a given case, and encourage witnesses to come forward.
23 days until May 19th! The campaign needs your help -- sign up volunteer!
Welcome to the Blog!
Good morning from the Campaign! We've got just under 1 month (26 days to be exact) until Philly residents have the opportunity to cast a vote for a District Attorney with a vision for community-based prosecution that will reduce costs to Philadelphia taxpayers and make our community a safer, better place to live and grow up in -- and who has the experience and commitment to turn platforms into policy. I'm excited to have the opportunity to chronicle the final month of the campaign by way of this blog. I hope to share some news, insight, and dispatches from the campaign with Seth's supporters.
This campaign is about more than just electing a new D.A. It's about electing a candidate who will use new and innovative strategies to combat crime and who will be proactive in enacting the change Philadelphia needs. Most cases pursued by the DA's office are dismissed at preliminary hearings, criminals who should remain behind bars are released back into the community, and an inefficient office has not lived up to its potential or, arguably, its responsibility. Seth will use his extensive experience in the DA's office (he has served 10 years as an Assistant District Attorney, more than all of the other candidates) to improve our community. It's what he's fought for his entire career; it's what he'll fight for when he's D.A.
Thanks for visiting the blog and be sure to check back regularly for updates. If you have any comments, feel free to let me know! I'll update regularly from now through May 19th. And if you are so inspired to lend a hand, this campaign relies on its supporters to spread the word, come in and phonebank, and canvass neighborhoods. Please stop by any of the campaign offices (Center City: 1500 Sansom; NW Philly: 7102 Germantown Ave; NE Philly: 5100 Ditman) to get involved.