The Larry Kane Report

So the Committee of Seventy watchdog group lost its first court battle to force potential Philadelphia Mayoral candidates Chaka Fattah and John Dougherty to adhere to city campaign limits. The committee’s attorney, the brilliant John Harkins, plans to appeal. Both Fattah and Dougherty say they are not announced candidates so why do they have to live up to city guidelines? it is a good point, and I am surprised that the Committee went after two POTENTIAL candidates, who might not even be in the race.

The positive side is that the watchdogs have sent a clear message to all candidates - someone will be watching you. And someone should. U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan has uncovered a trail of corruption in Philadelphia government that makes you want to clean up City Hall fast. The Mayor, who has been charged with nothing, neverthless has not expressed the anger and outrage that he should express. He says he has but I find his message lacking. Money talks in Philadelphia politics. It is critical that next year’s mayoral election be squeaky clean, lest some other officials in a new administration exchanges favors for cash.

I’ve had enough of this embarrassment. Have you?

Taxes are too high and so are the stakes in preventing corruption.

The Committee of Seventy should be applauded. But my advice is — save your energies for next year when the announced candidates are trying to skirt the laws.

A final item. Councilman Wilson Goode wants legislation passed that would allow campaign caps to be raised if a millionaire enters the race. Goode points at Mayor Bloomberg in New York whom he says bought the election. The councilman should read about events more carefully. Bloomberg was elected Mayor based on his program, not his money. In fact the Democratic candidate running against him was well financed.

Goode is trying to stop businessman Tom Knox from using his financial advantage, about 5 million dollars of his own money in next year’s race in Philadelphia.
First of all, Goode is off base. If a millionaire wants to use his money, so be it.

Councilman - this is not a Socialist state. This is a democracy. I have not seen any corruption arrests reported in New York in the Bloomberg administration.
The Councilman and his colleagues should spend more time worrying about the needs of the city’s poor than trying to stop one affluent man from deciding what to do with his own money.
To use Bloomberg as an example is a bad way of making his point. Bloomberg worked hard for his wealth. He used a lot of it in a bid for office. If Tom Knox wants to possibly waste 5 million dollars of his own money there should be no penalties.

If Councilman Goode wants to increase the cap on spending he will be setting the stage for something he doesn’t want - the possibility of more cash-laden influence peddling.

And one more thing. Why use Bloomberg as an example when Democrats like Jay Rockefeller, John Kerry and Mark Warner have been putting cash into their own campaigns for years.