The Democratic District Attorney nominee received the support of Guardian Civic League, which represents more than 2,000 active and retired police officers.
The Guardian Civic League last week endorsed longtime civil rights lawyer Larry Krasner, the Democratic nominee for district attorney.
The Guardian Civic League represents more than 2,000 active and retired Philadelphia police officers. It is the local chapter of the National Black Police Association.
“We have always been on the side of the fight for our civil rights,” said Rochelle Bilal, president of the League. “The Political Action Committee of the Guardian Civic League formally endorses and supports Democratic nominee Larry Krasner for district attorney for the city of Philadelphia.”
In the primary, the Guardian Civic League endorsed Rich Negrin.
Krasner won the seven-way primary with 38 percent of the vote and will face Republican Beth Grossman in the general election.
The Guardian Civic League has publicly criticized what it sees as the excessive use of force by some Philadelphia police officers and spoken out against what it views as racial discrimination within the police department.
“The Guardian Civic League has not just stood up for the rights of African-Americans and people of color, it has stood up for the rights of all people,” Krasner said. “I look forward to working closely with the Guardian Civic League and with the rank and file of police. I am a huge fan of good police officers and I will stand by them. Like good police officers, the Guardian Civic League stands for equality and it stands for what’s right, and that is what I stand for as well.”
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The Philadelphia Young Republicans are criticizing Mayor Jim Kenney over the beverage tax, arguing that consumers are leaving the city to buy sugary drinks and other groceries.
“While there may be a dropoff in sugary beverage consumption due to the tax, the failure to meet revenue projections is largely based on citizens leaving Philadelphia to purchase their soft drinks,” said Bryan Leib, treasurer of the Philadelphia Young Republicans. “When people leave the city to purchase their drinks, they are also purchasing milk, bread and other groceries, as well as gas and cigarettes, two other products that are taxed here in Philadelphia. And this hurts the grocery stores, corner stores and small businesses throughout the city. The sad part is that these numbers do not even accurately represent the financial burden the beverage tax has placed on Philadelphia. When people leave the city to purchase their groceries, Philadelphia is losing out on the sales tax revenue, which would have otherwise been collected had people stayed in the city to purchase their groceries.”
Ross Wolfe, chairman of the Philadelphia Young Republicans, said the tax places the economic burden of paying for pre-kindergarten and other initiatives on low- and middle-class families.
“For all of Mayor Kenney’s talk about his middle-class roots, he seems to have forgotten that low- and middle-income families live on a tight budget, and when the cost of everyday products like soft drinks and iced teas goes up, these families must sacrifice in other areas to make up the difference,” Wolfe said. “And many lower-income households are unable to travel outside the city to purchase their soft drinks, and therefore cannot avoid the tax.”
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Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Val DiGiorgio is criticizing Dwayne Woodruff, the Democratic nominee for Supreme Court, for his campaign finance disclosures.
PoliticsPA reported that, on April 4, Woodruff reported $282,203 on hand.
On May 3, he amended the report, saying the actual figure was a mere $17,250.
“In a functioning democracy, we must have judges with the highest levels of integrity and respect for the law. By playing fast and loose with its campaign finance disclosures, Judge Woodruff’s campaign has demonstrated an appalling lack of both. This egregious misstatement of campaign contributions and deception of voters clearly calls into question Judge Woodruff’s candidacy to serve on Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court,” DiGiorgio said.
Woodruff faces Republican Sallie Mundy.
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State Sen. Scott Wagner, a Republican candidate for governor, is knocking Gov. Tom Wolf’s financial management and signing of a pension-reform bill.
“The first two years that Gov. Wolf was in office, he advocated for billions of dollars in new taxes because he didn’t want to do the hard work of addressing the issues that are driving costs skyward,” Wagner said. “Now that Gov. Wolf is concerned about getting re-elected, he’s taken tax increases off the table, but he’s still not addressing the cost drivers. Gov. Wolf can’t have it both ways. Pennsylvania state government is in dire need of a leader, and Gov. Wolf has been a complete failure.”
Wagner pointed to recent comments made by two global credit rating agencies, expressing concern about the state’s financial solvency in light of the recently passed SB 1, legislation that advocates are touting as “pension reform.”
“I voted ‘no’ on SB 1 because I knew it was a half-measure, and credit rating agencies are now proving me right,” Wagner said. “The General Assembly passed real pension reform in 2015, and Gov. Wolf vetoed it. Now he’s trying to save his political future, but he’s failing — just as he has failed time and again as governor. It is time for Pennsylvania to elect a proven leader so that we can get our finances in order.”
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Mike Tomlinson, the Republican candidate for city controller, is vowing to audit the School District of Philadelphia to identify what he believes is corruption, waste and mismanagement.
“As a former school district teacher and a career CPA, I will set up my office of city controller in the Philadelphia school district and eliminate the waste,” he said.
Tomlinson said eliminating the waste will pay for the full teachers’ contract, with millions left for school improvements.
Tomlinson, of Holmesburg, will face Democrat Rebecca Rhynhart in the general election. Rhynhart upset Controller Alan Butkovitz in the primary. ••
