Sycamore vs. the PLCB

[elSicomoro]

Click here for the pic...it's a bit big and I didn't want to bog down the server with it.

Since Rho and I aren't moving now, I finally decided to hook up my scanner...after being here 10 months.

This isn't exactly mind-blowing...but I feel it to be a public service for the liquor consumers in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. I decided to grab a comment card when I was at the liquor store last week and fill it out. I also included my address on the card to see if the state actually replies to my complaint. Not like they'll actually do anything about it, but hey, you never know. In any case, when/if I get a reply, I'll put it up.

(Those unfamiliar with this, or not from PA: The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board runs the liquor stores throughout the state. This is the only place you can buy bottles of wine or liquor in the state, unless of course you're buying shots at a bar or wine at a restaurant. The whole setup for buying beer and alcohol in the state is, in my opinion, beyond ridiculous. But I'll stop for now.)

NOTE: After originally posting this, a few folks noticed that Tripod no longer allows remote loading. (Since it's been so long since I've done something like this, I had no clue. Thanks guys!) The above link is now correct as of 10pm EDT 7/21.

[alphageek31337]

Side note: Because Tripod is absofuckinglutely horrible, you need to copy the shortcut and paste in into the address bar.

[Undertoad]

Thank you for doing that...

The PLCB system has remained in place for one reason only: the 3000 or so unionized employees have lobbying power, and the 11 million consumers don't.

[elSicomoro]

You've inspired me Tony...

I've been thinking about running a campaign as an independent candidate for City Council. Sounds crazy? Sure...BUT...hear me out!

I believe that I have what could be a powerhouse constituency here in the far NE:

--Young adults who just became old enough to vote, and aren't so fixed in the old school ways.

--Minorities (particularly African-Americans and Hispanics) who are starting to trickle into the far NE in more respectable numbers.

--Democrats who may view the current City Council and administration as somewhat corrupt.

--Somerton Republicans who tend to lean liberal.

Although I tend to vote Democratic, and I'm in fact registered as such here in the city, I've decided to move away from the Democratic party, as I feel it's become a bit too centrist. Without sounding arrogant, I believe that the city needs people like myself (and my fiance as well): Young twenty- and thirty-somethings who have no desire to live in the suburbs, do not want children, and have more disposable income to put into city restaurants and shops. Not to mention, we're apartment dwellers who take a sincere interest in keeping our beloved Torresdale (and Philadelphia as a whole) safe. Furthermore, I'm a migrant, from a city halfway across the country. Though I am not from here, I know the general background of the city and could bring a fresh perspective to things.

*rat runs around wheel in brain*...it's all a pipe dream for now, but you never know...

[GarlicQueen]

I think you should go for it. I've been doing the text editing for Hallwatch.org (featuring in Tom Ferrick's column a couple of weeks ago) and gosh, the things I've learned. Tell the webmaster you're a friend of mine -- he'll help hook you up with all sorts of people!

(Community garden folks like upseting the political apple cart! :-D)

[Undertoad]

Somehow I missed your reply, don't know why...

Anywho, having run a few campaigns m'self, I would recommend against it!

Running for an office that large as an independent would require a ton of money. I don't know how much. A state house run could be done for $50k. To actually win requires much more though. But as an independent you need twice as much, because you don't have the strength of the entire ticket. You have to fight off the "big lever" pullers. That takes an awful lot.

And you can pretty much forget about that young disaffected voters bloc; even if it's there, which it probably isn't, especially for something like city council you won't even get name recognition amongst them. There's no way to reach them, for one thing.

The only way to win as an independent or third party is to have name recognition already solved. If you're a celebrity or otherwise known figure, you might be able to pull it off. Otherwise, there are too many hassles, too much to know, too much to overcome.

Sorry, but that's my opinion...

[GarlicQueen]

Originally posted by Tony Shepps

Anywho, having run a few campaigns m'self, I would recommend against it!

Gosh, Tony is getting as cynical as Jag -- guess it's up to the old folks around here to "keep hope alive"! ;-)

I'm not so sure that with the rallying of community groups in Philly (many of which have their own mailing lists now) that it wouldn't be possible to at least affect change, if not to upset the apple cart completely. Sycamore doesn't have to affect the entire city of Philadelphia (at least right off the bat! ;-)) -- just Torresdale. And if Torresdale is like South Philly, all the groups that he's a "natural" for can probably be reached through those e-mail lists (followed up with RL visits).

Traditionally, 3rd parties in the US haven't won in the traditional sense (getting the most votes in an election), but they HAVE given new ideas and methods an airing such that they've been co-opted by the major parties and thus utimately changed US society.

So, the deal for Sycamore at this point is to not quit his day job, but nose around and see if he can affect change (until the major parties like him so much they make him an offer!). Considering how geniunely *frightened* City Hall seems to be of Hallwatch.org, I think there is more potential out there than first appears.

Talk to Edmund, the Hallwatch webmaster and see where the path takes you, Sycamore. . .

[Undertoad]

Hah. It's not cynicism if you've actually tried it. I've run one third-party campaign for statewide office (my wife, for Auditor General in 1996), and one for extremely local office (1997, an Abington township commissioner race with only two precincts).

So I know first-hand the futility of such efforts. A double-digit result should be considered victory. Second-place would be a miracle. Just don't expect to win, or you'll be on Prozac after the final results come in.

[elSicomoro]

Tony and GQ, you both brought up some good points, and I appreciate the advice from both sides. GQ, I will definitely check out that website.

Given that I was unemployed for 6 weeks, I have NO intention of quitting my new job, except if I hit a good lottery jackpot.

As I originally stated, at this point, a run at City Council is still a pipe dream. I live in the 10th District, which pretty much covers the entire Far Northeast (except for East Torresdale) and Rhawnhurst. The councilman is Brian O'Neill, which oddly, is the only council member I'm unfamiliar with. Not to mention, looking at the at-large members--Goode, Rizzo, Longstreth, Ortiz...well-known names in the city. Truth be told, Torresdale (and for that matter, Somerton and Bustleton can be included) is the exact opposite of South Philadelphia--90% white, upper middle-class, no rowhouses or tiny streets, other than little courts or plazas. I'm just another face in the crowd, albeit the goofy looking one walking around the neighborhood late at night. But I DO believe that the constituency is there. If not in Torresdale or the Far Northeast, then certainly in the city as a whole. But Tony makes a valid point--it takes $$$...and in a city where a bloc can make or break you (and I don't like unions), it's about the dead presidents. Not to mention, I have a bit of an aversion to politics, as it involves backslapping and ass-kissing...things that I can do very well, but very rarely do b/c I hate them.

I think you can reach the young voters...you have to be where they're at. Do a voter registration drive at a high school or college (which I think is possible...so long as you're not pandering too hard). Lord knows, when I was away at school, all the political juggernauts in Southeast Missouri were trying to get people to register to vote at SEMO. They'd have booths and tables set up all over campus trying to get people signed up.

And Tony, I'm already a celebrity...now I just have to convert it away from the net.

I figure at this point, I can start very locally by getting involved in the neighborhood. From what I've seen, there isn't a neighborhood association per se, at least in my part of Torresdale (and granted, Torresdale is a relatively large area).

But in a way, I feel I have already started. Granted, it would seem that no one on this list lives in the area, but I hawk the place like it's on sale. It's a nice, suburban-like area, conveniently located to schools, churches, I-95, the Boulevard, the Turnpike, Franklin Mills, Neshaminy Mall, and other shopping areas. Several SEPTA routes run through the area, including the R7 regional rail, and bus routes 14, 20 and 66 offer 24-hour service to and from Frankford Terminal. A wide variety of housing is available, from small apartments to free-standing homes (which appear to be extremely rare in the city). The crime rate is very low and walking around late at night is very safe. (Am I sounding like a pitchman yet? )

So, at this point, it would seem that my best bet would be to find residents who share my enthusiasm as well as my concerns (the aging population of the neighborhood, keeping small businesses alive in the community, fostering good communication and neighborliness among all people). Not to mention, getting to know more about State Sen. Stack, Councilman O'Neill, and the other players in the area.

I may have a bit too much idealism going through me, but I have a strong drive in that I want to continue to better myself, my family, and my community. I don't want to become a cynic (and Tony, I didn't find your comments as cynical, but realistic), but I obviously have to keep a realistic perspective, which I have always tried to do.

[Hubris Boy]

...it involves backslapping and ass-kissing...things that I can do very well, but very rarely do b/c I hate them.

Better get used to it, Syc. If you're serious about this, you'll be doing a lot of it. And you'd better be convincing, too. Remember the old story about Harry Truman? This happened in 1924, just after he lost his reelection campaign for judge in Jackson County, MO. Truman was talking to one of his mother's neighbors, an elderly woman who had known him all his life.

"Well, at least I know you voted for me," Truman said.
"No, Harry. I didn't," replied his old friend.
"Really? Well, why not?"
"Because you didn't ask me to, Harry."

People won't vote for you if they don't know who you are, or if they think you're taking them for granted. So, go out... get involved in the community... join civic groups... volunteer... meet lots of people... whatever. I don't know anything about the vagaries of local politics in Philadelphia, and I wouldn't presume to advise you in any case. BUT...

...I'm from Maryland, and down here our political memory contains a figure of almost legendary proportions, even if the rest of the country has already forgotten him. Remember Spiro Agnew? Agnew went from president of the Loch Raven High School PTA to Vice President of the United States in just a little more than 10 years, thanks to a conscientiously applied program of back-slapping and ass-kissing. Never mind that he was a vicious, lying, treacherous, embezzling little weasel who destroyed almost everything he touched... the point is, back-slapping and ass-kissing WORK, if you do enough of it!

If you need something to perk you up, grab of copy of The Great Shark Hunt by Hunter S. Thompson and read chapter XII: "Freak Power in the Rockies". It's about a grass-roots voter registration campaign by a bunch of hippies, and their attempt to get their own candidate elected mayor of Aspen, CO. Very funny, and very uplifting.

[GarlicQueen]

Originally posted by sycamore
I figure at this point, I can start very locally by getting involved in the neighborhood.

This is definately the way to start -- and with your website and talking up the neighborhood, you're definately going in the right direction. As you get more invovled in the community, you'll see where you need to be to actually effect change -- sometimes that place is through formal politics and sometimes, you end up somewhere else where you can make things happen WITHOUT having to deal with the glad-handing that goes with political office in the US.

Here in Phoenixville, most of the *real* work gets done in the non-profit sector -- there's no real point in running for town council as it's ineffective and nothing gets done. So, even though I have a certain amount of "social capital" through the community garden, Communities That Care, etc, there's no point in entering the polictical arena -- I can accomplish what I need to accomplish where I am. But each community is different and by getting yourself out there and seeing where change need to happen and how best to accomplish that, your path will become more clear.

Good luck!

[Undertoad]

I will say, that if your offline personality is similar to your online one, you do have the sort of personality that a candidate needs: outgoing, friendly, honestly pleased to meet people, actually caring, etc.

The dark side is handled by the campaign managers of the world. The hired assholes. (Remember, I was one twice.) These are the folks who decide on the correct wording of the attack piece. These are the folks who come up with devious schemes, like calling the old-folks' home in the district at 12 midnight and pitching the opposing candidate. These are the folks who give bribes to the black ministers to have them not talk about the election, who brag about it after the win.

[elSicomoro]

I assure you that I am just as obnoxious in real life as online.

I watched the State Senate election here in Torresdale between Hank Salvatore and Mike Stack. The two have apparently been battling each other for years now, with Stack finally coming out victorious in November. There was a bit of mudslinging between the two, particularly by Stack against Salvatore. But about the biggest noise it made was in the Northeast Times.

So let me ask you Tony...did YOU pull any mudslinging tactics...or was it generally low-key? Not that I would hold that against anyone...just curious.

[Undertoad]

In the Auditor General campaign, we ran on merit alone. My wife was the only one qualified to do the job, with a direct background in accounting management. The Republican was a nice enough guy, but he was tired of his job as a state assemblyman and ran basically as the sacrificial lamb. The Democrat was the eventual winner, Robert Casey Jr., who had no accounting background whatsoever.

One of my wife's positions was that she would look into privatizing as much as possible of the audit work. On that basis, the Inquirer called her views "wacko". This enabled us to write a very solid letter to the editor, KNOWING that it would be published, reprimanding them for describing her views as such without having offered to interview her for their endorsement recommendations. In every following election they HAVE invited third-party candidates to the endorsement interviews, so that was our big moral victory. My wife got over 100,000 votes though, which was nice.

In the township commissioner race I ran, we expected to win. We developed a very strong attack piece directed at the Republican, who was the incumbent. It attacked him for voting to raise the salaries of the commissioners 25%. In that race my candidate walked the entire precinct, was invited to a civic association event, we had signs, etc. got 11% partly because our guy was not really the ideal type of candidate. To win as a third party or independent, at those kinds of levels, you really have to be a "neighborhood sort". Be a little league coach, know everybody on your block, have friends at the fire hall or whatever, etc. etc.

The R opponent that we attacked was a gruff, bitter old dude and it didn't bother me at all to attack him. Our piece had a picture of him with a big ol' circle and a slash through it, etc.

[elSicomoro]

I've recently become a "wino" lately, partaking in the consumption of wine every Saturday. So, for the past few Saturdays after work, I head over to my local Wine & Spirits Shoppe.

As much as I dislike the setup for buying alcohol in this state, I actually enjoy going in to shop. The selection is always great, the prices are reasonable (at least for Pennsylvania), and (*gasp!*) the ladies that work at the store are very friendly...not what I would expect from state employees.

I even considered trying to get a job with the PLCB, but I couldn't afford to make only $8 an hour as a clerk. :-b