This is a post worth reading. Here's the salient part:

how does one explain this reaction from someone we once -- emphasis on the word "once" -- expected more from, Mayor Michael Nutter?

"I do not generally condone what someone might consider vigilantism out in our streets, but it’s indicative of the anger and the compassion that many of our citizens have," Nutter said. He went on to call the episode a "demonstration" of the fact "that Philadelphians care passionaltiy about this city, about our quality of life and certainly about our children."

...

Which is why I think Nutter's cowardly statement is much worse than whatever the mob did. Here's a guy who -- in my opinion -- is seeing his popularity and maybe even his re-election floating down the tubes because of his halting responses to a very real fiscal crisis, and so now he may think he's getting back into Philadelphia's good graces by playing to the mob, in the Roman tradition. That's pretty low, not to mention a poor calculation.

Great news today for transit-oriented economic development: the Franklin Square PATCO station is to re-open. The problem is they plan to remodel it. According to the Inky:

Franklin Square Station has been preserved much as it was when it closed. PATCO riders can still glimpse its shadowy platforms and green-and-white tiled walls on their way to and from New Jersey.

But the gaudy orange foyer, with its 1970s-era fare lists (35 cents to Philadelphia stations, 75 cents to Lindenwold) and multilingual instructions on "How to Go PATCO," have long been hidden from view.

People love time-capsules (remember the Phantom Fountain that used to be on South or Pine Street in Center City west?) and modern design is in. And PATCO's design aesthetic now is only marginally better than SEPTA's. So add some elevators and ramps and stuff, but save the 70's orange!

Before I write one more word, I need to gush some: Seth Williams won! It is such a relief and such a victory, as Seth said last night, "of hope over fear." And really it is mutual admiration of Seth Williams that shaped and built the YPP community that's emerged since Dan's founding in 2004. So, it's just really a big and exciting deal.

But anyway, why was turnout so low? Lot of reasons. One, we have too many elections. There has actually been research done on this, and the more elections a place has, the lower turnout gets to be. Two, the zeitgeist was not activated as much this year as in others. Sometimes ideas and messages bounce around (like, I dunno, say getting rid of George Bush) and sometimes they don't. Three, directly related to the last point, newspaper circulation and staffing budgets keep getting smaller. And TV news does not do politics well. So it's harder and harder to read about local politics. Four, the economy is bad and it was harder than ever to raise money for local races. I am sure there are lots of other reason.

But one reason turnout was low that we all have some control over: Our voting system sucks.

Last primary, I worked a divisions in the 5th ward for my friend Rue Landau. She was running as a delegate for Obama and I wanted to know how well I did getting out the vote for her. So I called the City Commissioners’ office to ask for a password to log in to their online database. They said no. Dan and Jennifer wrote some letters and dealt with a city solicitor, and millions of dollars later we have online election results.

But the day after another low turn-out primary election, that victory is bittersweet. Because when it comes to the basic operations of the City Commissioners’ office, not much has changed.

I wrote about this a year and a half ago and there are at least two more posts lurking on the site in which similar points were made. Here are some of my favorites ideas for reform:

1. The Commissioners could send a postcard in the mail or an email reminding voters about Election Day. It’s been done before, but not in Primaries and not in every General. That’s one way to drive up turnout.
2. Same-day voter registration is another concept that has helped boost voter turnout in other states. This will require a change in state law, but how can we ever expect a change in state law to occur if election officials in Philadelphia and other large counties don’t get more aggressive and ask for one?
3. Vote by mail. Again, requires state law, but a huge boost to turnout in Oregon and Washington and some other states in low-information races (like the one we just had).
4. How about public advertising, partnering with utilities to print election info on bills (do you know how easy it would be to print your polling place location on your gas or water bill?), an updated website, and many other ideas are all available to the Commissioners to use to boost turnout. A stream of TV ads sure wouldn’t hurt.
5. Here’s an easier one: Notify people by mail if their polling place changes. And make sure all polling places are accessible and—call me crazy—in or at least close to the division they represent.

Now I know not all of these changes can be made by the city alone. But one really has to wonder if the city has ever asked for any of them. (Which is why Dan, myself and others have all made the argument that the Commissioners’ office should be taken out of the charter and put under the office of the Mayor or set up like the OIG or something.)

I know I am a broken record on this point. And I know that turnout is not determined solely, or maybe even mostly by voting reform (ie, good candidates with good networks of people and inspiring ideas are what count the most), but jeez, making some pro-active changes sure couldn’t hurt.

After four very long years, this man will be our next DA:

(From Dan): Hey Philadelphia, ready for something different?

Wow.

It's not quite time for the post-mortem, but it is so dead out here in election land that I thought I would point your attention to a post on PhillyClout about Lynne Abraham where she talks about women in Philadelphia politics:

Women really have to be tough, Abraham said. This is not a tea party.

Now you may not know this about me, but I don't like Lynne Abraham. Not personally of course. I don't know her. But I don't like her as our DA.

However, one thing I do admire is that she has won many city-wide races as a woman. Now I have heard all kinds of explanations as to why this is the case--often from folks who have a grudge against her--but no matter how you slice it, aside from a handful of city councilwomen at-large in maybe the last 20 years, she's held on to her post for a long time in a city and state that has a truly pitiful record of electing women. That is worth noting.

And the fact that is has happened so little is really a problem for "progressives." And even though I am glad to see her go, when Abraham leaves she will be replaced by a man which means a loss for local women in electoral power.

As such, I refer you to my golden oldie post asking which woman will run for Mayor in 2015. Let's not let that die:

http://youngphillypolitics.com/electing_woman_mayor_2015.

I would love to see us organize around a woman early on for Mayor in that race. It'd be a real coup to elect a woman Mayor and it is the kind of thing we could all get behind. And statewide races are tough in PA, but are we ever going to find a progressive woman who can run statewide and win? If not, maybe we all need to do more to help support emerging leaders.

(Which makes this a good time to acknowledge some interesting activity from the PA Women's Campaign Fund lately, not to mention the steady work of groups like Philly NOW and CLUW, and to toot my own group's horn, Liberty City which has a gender parity requirement for its board: Something other groups might want to consider as a practical way to create new women leaders.)

And of course some of that change could start right here as this is a blog too often dominated by male-ego driven...stuff.

So, women, please write.

As important as an election always is, and as exciting as it is to watch Sean and Stan go on and on and on, I think there is time to recognize a big moment: Today Dan graduates from law school. Eat it all you corporate law firms, this one is ours! After all, this city can never have enough kick-ass, loud mouthed, socially-justice oriented lawyers.

So Congrats Dan!

Last week, Dan posted an interview we did with Brett Mandel (you can see it here) who is running for City Controller. The Butkovitz campaign (Alan Butkovitz is the incumbent Controller) saw the piece and expressed an interest in doing their own YPP interview. We sent over some questions to the campaign (composed with the help of some regular writers) over the course of a few days. You'll find the results below absent a 4th question which the Controller has not yet answered. He is of course welcome to post it in the comments. Just as with Brett, we tried to come up with the toughest questions we could that would get to the heart of progressives' thoughts on this race.

YPP: There are a growing group of voters who identify as progressives or reformers (or both) and are skeptical of anyone involved with the party machine. As an incumbent, a former ally of Sen. Fumo and a current friend of John Dougherty, you have been cast in the role of "machine" candidate. How do you respond to this and why do you think progressives should vote for you?

Butkovitz: While I understand the reservations that some progressive activists may have over my association with the so-called Democratic "machine," I reject the notion that a person cannot be a progressive solely because he or she is a part of the Philadelphia Democratic Party.

I strongly reject the Fumo connection. I stood up to Vince Fumo when he tried to stop an investigation I was conducting of the School District where I uncovered a $200 million deficit when Paul Vallas was telling the public his books were balanced. Fumo not only threatened my "political" life, he tried to have legislation drafted taking away my authority to audit the School District of Philadelphia.

I have stood up to both John Street and John Dougherty in the past and will continue to stand up to anyone or any political entity that tries to interfere with any audit or investigation I am conducting.

Not to stray off the topic of Fumo, it should be noted that Brett Mandel, one of my opponents is now the Fumo Organization candidate, having been endorsed by Frank DiCicco who was named in the Fumo indictment, as well as having been brought up during Fumo's corruption trial.

While I am a ward leader, so is Mayor Michael Nutter and so too are so many other dedicated individuals who share a common progressive philosophy, and identify with the ideals of the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party is about inclusion and moving all of society forward - leaving none behind. We are a party that believes in equality and equal rights and standing up for those who can't stand up for themselves.

After eight long disastrous years under George W. Bush, President Barack Obama is now leading our rebirth and the fight for a progressive reform agenda throughout our country, yet didn't President Obama come out of the Chicago political machine?

While we may have our differences, I believe the overwhelming majority of Democratic committee people in Philadelphia are good, dedicated neighborhood activists who care deeply about their communities and their neighbors and our city as a whole - just as so many progressive activists do.

It takes all kinds of people and opinions to make a community strong. I believe Philadelphia's best asset is our diversity - our diversity of peoples and opinions. I have always viewed myself as one who believes in progress and believes in a progressive agenda.

As City Controller, I led what was called a "groundbreaking" investigation of MBEC (Minority Business Enterprise Council) and exposed numerous barriers confronting minorities, women and disabled owned businesses in fully participating in city work and contracts. I also outlined clear steps to remove those obstacles and provide for the full participation of minorities, women and disabled-owned businesses in city work.

I also took criticism for successfully divesting the city's pension fund from companies doing business with the Sudanese government because of their genocide against the people of Darfur. I am a citizen of Philadelphia, but I am also a citizen of the world and I will not stand by and do nothing while this "holocaust" continues. As a Jew we promised the world that never again would we allow another holocaust. I stand committed to that ideal and reject those who would criticize me on this critically important issue.

On the financial side, I have tripled the number of comprehensive performance audits conducted by the Controller's Office each year - over 120 audits to date. My audits have identified over $700 million in revenue and savings for city taxpayers.

In endorsing me for re-election, Mayor Michael Nutter cited our work together on a number of issues, as well as my audits and recommendations to save taxpayers millions. Progressives have stood with Mayor Nutter despite the fact that he came from the ward structure, and remains a Ward leader, because they support the progressive policies he has fought for throughout his career.

ACORN recently endorsed me because of my progressive philosophy and history. I would ask that progressives keep an open mind - and open the lines of communication between us. I would ask that progressives join Mayor Nutter and ACORN and support me in the Democratic primary on May 19th.

YPP: It’s been almost 18 months since your office promised a full accounting of the Philadelphia Parking Authority. Why has there been such a long wait and do you expect your findings will lead to significant change at that agency?

We got a press release today from the Mayor's Office of Sustainability:

MAYOR NUTTER TO UNVEIL GREENWORKS PHILADELPHIA

Mayor Michael A. Nutter will unveil Greenworks Philadelphia, an ambitious, comprehensive framework to make Philadelphia the greenest city in the United States of America by 2015. It sets goals in five areas — energy, environment, equity, economy and engagement — and encompasses more than 100 initiatives.

Following the speech, Mayor Nutter and others will return to City Hall traveling on a new ‘green’ diesel-electric hybrid SEPTA bus.

[And Van Jones be introducing the Mayor]

I am curious to know what this is all about. I went to the website for the Sustainability office and found out that they seem to have three main areas of focus: 1) Getting city departments to conserve energy 2) Locating some solar energy plants in the city and getting consumers to use solar 3) Encourage construction/renovation projects to use green building practices.

That all sounds great, though it is a bit amusing that the Mayor's office is promoting its green cred when just last week Deputy Mayor Andy Altman said the Mayor would oppose making the tax abatement go green. From the Inky:

The abatement is one vehicle in Philadelphia that’s very clear, very certain. It’s not discretionary. You know what it is,. you put it into your pro forma ... Let’s not touch that."

Beyond that (I mean we sort of all know why the tax abatement is a hot button issue right now), I am hopeful that the announcement tomorrow will mean the creation of some new jobs via stimulus money.

And I hope that those jobs will be created primarily in neighborhoods, serving homeowners and renters, especially in low-income areas, for whom weatherization (what Van Jones says in his book are the most numerous kind of "green jobs") will save money next winter while also reducing the need for heating fuel and thus reducing emissions.

A lot of the focus of the MOS website is on commercial, municipal and institutional energy conservation. I understand that working with large scale consumers of natural resources is probably the fastest and most direct way to reduce emissions, but creating high-wage jobs that serve neighborhoods is an idea that has a lot of merit. We'll find out when the details of the new goals are revealed tomorrow.

And one other suggestion I have for the MOS: Natural gas is a relatively clean-buring fuel. Not all cities have the ubiquitous access that we have here in Philly. Yet when I go to the PGW website to investigate converting to gas service from oil, not only does it take me multiple clicks to find the right section of the site, but there is no sense of cost or any offer of assistance for conversion. Making this part of the site clearer and thinking about providing more support to homeowners who want to make the switch seems like something MOS might want to take on.

I saw this headline today on a Daily Pennsylvanian op-ed and laughed. The author is making the case in his piece against a Philadelphia ban on the use of cellphones and PDAs while driving, biking or skating.

I mean it's a good point that you can't legislate away bad decision-making, but in regard to this issue, I think it's worth a shot.

Sure people get distracted doing other things than using phone while driving too, but anecdotally it makes sense to me that driver distraction has gotten worse with the rise of phone and text use. I have certainly talked and driven many times and sometimes done dumb stuff as a result. It's kind of pathetic, but this kind of incentivization (ie the stick) will work to get me to stop.

And if one more biker or skater runs a stop sign or plows down a Center City sidewalk while I am walking, well, I can only do my Dustin Hoffman impression so many times. Bikes are great for our environment and relieve congestion, but distracted bikers are challenging to pedestrians just as much as cars are. So applying the rules about phone use to them as well seems fair.

Anyway, I am just curious to hear from the people who do have a beef with the new ban that Mayor Nutter is expected to sign into law. I am inclined to support the ban, but is there some angle I am missing here?

So there was an interesting article in the CP about Independents Hall this week. Check it out.

Independents Hall is a co-working space in Old City. You pay $25 or $50 a month and you can camp out with your laptop and work. It's great for contractors and self-employed folks. You have a desk, a place to go, people to talk to, but you are still on your own. I was actually a full-time employee at MoveOn.org most of last year, but got to work from home so I had seriously considered joining up...but...my cat needed me at home. Nonetheless, it is a great idea.

The upshot of today's article is that Independents Hall might move because the demand for their services has grown so much. The data in the article isn't that helpful in terms of a real local number, and I am too lazy to look for more info, but it seems likely that the number of independent contractors in Philadelphia is growing. And it made me think a little bit about real tax reform.

See I just paid my taxes and for the little bit of independent contracting I did do last year, I have to pay BPT. And the rate of taxation on the money I earned is 10% (that rate varies for different people depending on how you offset net profits and gross receipts). Whereas if I had earned my money in a "normal" W-2 style, I would have just paid the 4% wage tax. So that's pretty obviously unfair. But the answer is not to do away with business taxes or even to abate them. The answer is an income tax filing process.

If we had an income tax and a return that captured all forms of income, I could still pay my fair share but at a better rate. Not to mention that I suspect there are a lot of people in Philly who get maybe one or two 1099s from work that they do on the side of their main job. And I bet many of them are not filing business tax returns or even know that they need to. Which means the city is losing tax revenue.

If all Philadelphians had to do an income tax return though, people'd be forced to list contracting and other sources of income. Which means the city would make more revenue. New York City does this and they save even more money--and make it easier for folks--by just piggy-backing off the state income tax reform. I am not totally sure how it works, but my guess is that the state just writes the city a check for whatever portion of tax revenue is allocated to the city.

If more and more people begin to earn money from independent contracts (and we all know a lot of employers are outsourcing work this way) it'd make sense to have a fairer tax that the city collects from more people.

A local income tax would help.

I am checking out the Go Green Expo tomorrow. I wish I had gone to the one in LA because Ed Begley Jr. was there. And he's cool. Who doesn't love St. Elsewhere or Veronica Mars? But I digress...

Yeah so the Go Green Expo is a chance to see a ton of vendors and speakers offering info and selling products for a greener life style. I am interested in going to see what I can learn about the possibilities for green public policy. I firmly believe green building and weatherization and other green ideas can drive Philadelphia's economy forward. So this should be cool.

And back to celebrities-or the Philly equivalent at least-Mayor Nutter is cutting the ribbon at 10 AM tomorrow on the Expo at the Convention Center. For more info, click here: http://www.gogreenexpo.com/

As more and more details about the Mayor's budget plan leak out, cost-cutting and revenue are on the minds of a lot of Philadelphians. And there are of course a gazillion ideas about how we could save money and raise additional revenue.

This got me to thinking about 1992. Now I was like 12 or 13 then, but I do remember newly elected Mayor Rendell tackling the city's bankruptcy and terrible budget mess. And one thing that stuck out was his plan to remove traffic signals and replace them with stop signs. Does anyone else remember this?

As I learn about more about how the city budget works, I am struck by how big it all is. $4 billion a year. Which got me to thinking, how much money could Rendell have possibly saved by getting rid of traffic lights? I mean what is the cost involved in operating a traffic signal? Just electricity? How long do signals and changers last?

I didn't find much about this online, although I did find 2003 testimony from the then Streets Commissioner who said that a new traffic light costs about $40,000. And a recent Inga Saffron column talks about the installation of $12 million worth of digital traffic signals east of Broad in Center City.

But what Rendell did was take down old traffic signals--that presumably were working--and put up stop signs in their place. (I did not get out of the neighborhood as much back then, so the only two I can remember were at 48th and Chester and 46th and Chester, but I presume this happened all over the city). Do you think that saved much--even over the course of five years?

It's a minor point of course--especially when there are such big conversations to have about property and sales taxes and such. But it got me wondering about the small stuff that might come up in the next few months as the budget is debated. Especially the kind of (probably) symbolic shared-pain type of items a la traffic signals.

A few years back, I decided that old-school gay show queens were a dying breed. And I decided to reinvent myself as one--for the sake of my cultural heritage. Of course, every other gay had the same idea to the extent that there was even an article written about “new old gays” and Tavern on Camac’s piano bar is one of the hottest gay night spots in the city. I guess I wasn’t the only one to want to keep torch singing alive.

Nonetheless my love of show tunes has stuck. And when one takes on an appreciation for shows and tunes, it’s a logical next step to want to actually be in one. But it’s way too late for me to do so professionally.

I blame my parents for the course my life has taken. Why did they ignore my plea to enroll in dance class after a riveting performance of the Nutcracker when I was 12? Yes, there’s not much call for pubescent, slightly chubby and male ballet dancers in Philadelphia, but still. Politics? Policy? Organizing? What a mistake! I wish I was on Broadway.

At least if I lived in Peoria or somewhere like that, I could join an amateur theater company (I checked. They have one there. I Googled.) But not in Philly. I mean sure there is the Theater Company of Port Richmond at the Lithuanian Music Hall. And there are opportunities for kids (why do kids get all the good stuff?). But on the whole, there aren’t many community theater options for adults around the city.

Local politics should not be the only opportunity in this city to get involved in amateur theater. But I digress.

My point is not so much to go on and on about the need for crazy people like me to act…I mean I’d only be in the company or chorus at best anyway…and once I have children I can work out all this stuff through them…just call me Mama Rose…

No, my real point is that whether it is theater or dance or sewing or music or writing or painting or whatever, I would not be surprised if there are other Philadelphians—like me—who have some extracurricular desire to do something creative. And it seems to me there might not be enough ways for folks—especially those without money to join the University City Arts League, or the Fleischer or the Allens Lane Art Center—to do so.

Is there a role for government to fill here?

Sure the city funds many of our cultural organizations. And there is access to creative arts and performances in our public schools. And we have the 1% for art fund and lots of cool public arts and free Sundays at the Art Museum. But, on a larger scale, I am not confident that we treat this kind of enrichment as a priority for all Philadelphians.

An example: An interesting facet of the debate on library closures was the infrequency with which it was mentioned that libraries are important simply because it’s nice for Philadelphians to be able to read books and look at DVDs for free. Of course there are more practical services the library system provides—like afterschool activities, access to the internet and help for job-seekers. But the most exciting thing to me about libraries is that they represent city government’s commitment to creating fulfillment of lives of Philadelphians far beyond the capability of weekly recycling or comparable city services. Libraries and other cultural funding represent the right to “happiness” as in life, liberty, and the pursuit of.

It might be trivial to discuss this kind of abstract notion of “happiness” in a city where 1 out of 3 people lives in poverty. Where our schools are, on the whole, in terrible shape. When gun violence is still such a huge problem. And when budget deficits are the talk of City Hall.

But...Not to get all deep on you, but what is the point of living life if all you do is just survive? I mean don’t all of us want to enjoy our lives? Life's a banquet after all.

This pure and simple fact sometimes gets lost in the big and important conversations we have about the city budget or elections or whatever. We as progressives and as Philadelphians need to manage our priorities.

It is certainly a priority to make city government work better. And specifically to figure out a solution to the problem of the budget deficit and its underlying causes. But whether its defending libraries just on the merits of the pleasure they provide citizens, or fighting for more art classes, or the creation of community theater companies, we as progressives and as Philadelphians need to move beyond triage.

This might not be the budget year to do it, but we can and should set our expectations about the role of government higher.

After all, don’t we all deserve happiness? Don’t we deserve to have libraries open just because it is nice to lose yourself in a book? Don’t Philadelphia school children deserve art and music teachers? Don’t I deserve a part in an amateur production of “Anything Goes?”

Philebrity has a funny post about the YPP fundraiser for Seth tomorrow. And it inspired me to share some back-story on this blog's relationship to Seth Williams. First here's what Philebrity had to say:

YPP is throwing [a dance party] for Williams at the Khyber, and the more we dig around on Williams, the more we feel like, what do they know that we don’t? To be fair, we’re sure it’s a lot.

Yes Joey, we do know more than you (including the little known fact that Seth is actually a lost Debarge brother). Here's the deal: Way back in December of 2004, two months into YPP's existence, Dan and I did not know each other. But we both read a great Kia Grgory article about Seth in PW and were intrigued.

Fresh off my first stint working for MoveOn.org, I emailed Seth and offered to help write his emails and organize votes online. And Dan started blogging about him. A lot. I'd already read YPP by that point and written some, but Seth's campaign is what really brought us together: The campaign helped grow this blog into the community it is today.

You can actually just read any one of many 2005 posts, but in a nutshell here's why we supported Seth in the first place:

• Seth believes in community-based prosecution. More or less the way it works now is that felony preliminary hearings and misdemeanor trials are handled in localized courtrooms located in police districts. The Assistant DAs who work these districts rotate all the time. So repeat offenders end up getting prosecuted by multiple ADAs and there is no continuity. And repeat offenders commit the vast majority of crimes. That means the root causes of problem--lack of wages, addiction, mental illness whatever--get obfuscated. Community-based prosecution change that. It would keep ADAs in the same courtroom with the same local police and in the same the neighborhood. This'd give DAs a chance to get a sense of the bigger picture, track trends and identify the real needs of repeat offenders.
   
• Seth believes in sentencing and charging reform. More often than not, Assistant DAs are directed to throw as many charges at arrestees as possible and to seek the most punitive sentence available for them. Coupled with a lack of neighborhood continuity, DAs end up throwing the book at offenders who maybe need a less punitive punishment to help them straighten out. There are lots of folks who'd have a better shot of changing their ways if they could get a GED, sober up or go to some counseling sessions rather than jail.
   
• Seth wants to use the DA's office to tackle big problems. Seth thinks the DA's office can be doing a lot more to end political corruption and tough problems like the sale of illegal handguns. DA Lynne Abraham has created special units in her office to tackle specific crimes. But she has focuses on things like car insurance fraud rather than handgun control. And Lynne--despite many opportunities to get involved in prosecuting city corruption--has always stayed away. Seth would change that.
   
• Seth is one of us. Seth is a young, Philadelphia progressive. He is not a part of any political legacy, yet for the most part he has managed to stay friendly with almost every Philadelphia Democratic party camp. He eschews factionalism. He is the future of Philadelphia progressive politics.

So that's what we liked about Seth in 2005. And it's what we like about him in 2009.

That said, the race is different. It's not Seth vs. an incumbent. With Lynne Abraham's pending retirement, there is an open field this year. And I don't know a ton yet about the other candidates, but I am hard pressed to imagine that any of them know so much already about the DA's office and have thought so carefully about the kinds of reform they could enact if elected to lead it. Whereas Seth has. And he has an amazing vision not just for the DA's office but for the city that it serves.

And Seth is just a really fun and cool guy.

But it's not cheap running against the machine in Philadelphia and Seth can use your help. Yes, Seth came closer to beating Lynne Abraham in 2005 than any other challenger ever had (without the support of ANY Philadelphia elected official except Councilman Goode). And yes he does have a tremendous amount of support now from local electeds. And he was endorsed by the Inky in 05. BUT. Seth still has his work cut out for him.

So...that's why you should shell out the $20 it takes to get into our fundraiser happy hour tomorrow night. Seth needs you. The city needs you. Plus Dan is a lot nicer when he is drunk. Donate online now and RSVP here.