I don't have much time to write the blog post that I want to write today, but I do want to clear up a few things. (Simon and I are cleaning up the campaign office and want to leave it sparkling for the next tenant.)

1. I want to thank all of the 200+ volunteers that worked so hard on election day on my behalf. You did a fantastic job, and I've heard from many "professional" committee people that you made a huge difference. Summer BBQ announcement to follow soon!

2. I ran an independent campaign and an independent campaign to win. I believe that I had more donors in the campaign than any other candidate (over 500) - and only a handful of them gave $500 or more. In the end I raised over $130,000, which under other circumstances, might have been enough.

I just sent this letter to the Inquirer's Editorial Board:

To the Inquirer Editorial Board:

In the Inquirer's endorsement of Larry Farnese dated Sunday April 13, 2008, the Editorial Board states that "...Farnese hasn't accepted donations from Fumo, and is campaigning on the kind of ethics reforms that might have kept Fumo out of trouble."

But on the very next days, April 14, 2008 and April 15, 2008, Larry Farnese accepted two $50,000 contributions from a PAC controlled by Vince Fumo, Public Service PAC. Their treasurer is publicly listed as Rosanne Pauciello - Fumo's self-styled "under-boss" (see scanned image below) and th PAC is registered at 1225 Shunk St. Philadelphia PA 19148.

"Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it." - George Santayana in Reason in Common Sense

Is history repeating itself?

Thanks to overwhelming grassroots support, my campaign was able to go on the air today with our first television ad.

We've been busy knocking on thousands of doors, talking to neighbors around the 1st Senate District, and sharing our plan for an honest and efficient state government that funds working schools, effective law enforcement programs, and universal health care for all Pennsylvanians.

Our supporters are energized and our campaign is picking up steam, but for many voters this ad will be their first introduction to me and my campaign.

To see the new TV ad, go to my website www.AnneDicker.com

Best,
Anne

Now that Anne's on the ballot for the primary, she needs your help getting the word out in every community, registering new voters, and telling people where they can vote.

This Sunday, her campaign will be holding its first "bring your own phone" phonebank and lasagna party. We hope to see you there!

When: THIS SUNDAY, March 2
Where: Campaign HQ 806 E. Passyunk (near S. 6th and Catharine)
When: From 4pm to 8pm
How: Bring your cellphone and we'll teach you the rest!
What else? Bring a friend!
RSVP: info@annedicker.com

Matt Goldfine
Anne Dicker for State Senate
www.AnneDicker.com
215-625-2717

Right now 1.2 million Pennsylvanians lack basic health care coverage. Those of us who are insured face rising premiums, shrinking coverage, and bureaucratic obstacles to treatment. Prescription medicines are too expensive and preventative health care has become a thing of past. Those families that are unfortunate enough to be struck with a serious illness or a health emergency often face financial ruin and bankruptcy.

We’ve entered an ugly phase in the fight against casinos. Our lame duck mayor has tried to paint the city into a corner through backroom deals. The casinos, desperate to break ground before Mayor Nutter takes office, have their public relations machines beating the drums of inevitability in the hopes that the citizens will simply give up. Furthermore, a recent spate of articles have attempted to brand those of us who continue to oppose these casinos as a bunch of crazies who care more about traffic congestion or saving the “soul” of the city than cutting property taxes and creating jobs.

Today, my reform campaign ran the second of a series of full page ads in the Daily News where I poked fun at State Senator Vince Fumo's alleged misuse of taxpayer and charity money for personal and political purposes. (The Daily News is 60 cents - go buy a copy. They have a nice comics section.)

Though the fraud and corruption detailed in the Fumo indictment are dramatic and infuriating, the issues in Harrisburg are much larger than Fumo himself. The problem is that our legislature is broken, unwilling to operate in the light of day, and unable to reform itself.

For too long, Pennsylvania government has been corrupt and content, and the voters have grown frustrated. When the General Assembly gave itself an illegal pay raise in a late night vote on fourth of July weekend in 2006, voters of all political stripes joined together in a populist revolt and threw out dozens of lawmakers from around the state.

On Saturday, Pennsylvania's elected officials will receive their annual cost of living adjustment (COLA), and many lawmakers will be receiving substantial raises to keep their salaries in line with inflation. The base salary of a legislator in the General Assembly will increase approximately $2,550 to $76,163 and Governor Rendell will receive pay bump of nearly $6,000 and will collect $170,150 in 2008.

This annual cost of living increase was signed into law in 1995 and kicks in every year. The U.S. Congress passed a similar law in 1989 that automatically raises their salaries each year to account for inflation and rise in the cost of living, unless they vote otherwise. Unsurprisingly, Congress has only twice neglected to give itself a pay raise since then.

Bruce Schimmel from the City Paper gives out his endorsements for Mayor, Sheriff, District Council 5, and At-Large

Read the whole thing:http://www.citypaper.net/articles/2007/05/10/raids-against-the-machine

*Disclaimer, I am supporting and volunteering for Caryn Hunt and Matt Ruben.

Is City Commissioner - which is elected every four years, including this one!

There are three elected City Commissioners. Two are from the majority party, one from a minority party. Decades ago, City Commissioners held mayoral-like powers, but now the office has been restricted to running elections. Commissioners are in charge of maintaining a list of registered Philadelphia voters, buying and maintaining voting machines, printing ballots and most important: running election day - making sure that everyone gets to vote and tallying up those votes.

The first time I ever had a reason to go to City Commissioners was to ask for the Philadelphia voter file on behalf of Philly for Dean back in 2003. Not even knowing what I was asking for, I naively walked to the City Commissioners Office, chaired by Marge Tartaglione.

I just got home after spending the morning in a hot, packed, and tense City Council Chambers. After waiting in line for 30 minutes with my husband and then waiting through a bunch of unrelated city council business, Philadelphia's City Council voted 17-0 to place a referendum on the May 15th ballot.

17-0 is a veto-proof majority. I'm very, very happy that City Council unanimously voted to do the right thing: to give Philadelphian's the chance to vote on the single most important land-use issue in decades.

It was a very, very tough fight to come just this far: every which way, for over a year, ordinary Philadelphian's have been booted out of the process: whether it was simply "done deal" rhetoric, or not being allowed to speak at public meetings of the Pennsylvania Gaming Board, or being refused public documents concerning casinos, the cards seemed to be stacked against us.

If you live along the Riverfront neighborhoods of Pennsport, Queen Village, Northern Liberties, or Fishtown -- you know that nearly everyone is worried about casinos moving into the backyard. But what about the rest of the city, does everyone care?

That's why Casino Free Philadelphia commissioned a scientific poll conducted last week, surveying 500 registered voters in Philadelphia (71% of whom stated they would definitely vote in the primary). National political polling firm Global Strategy Group created the poll and yesterday released these results:

79% of registered voters SUPPORT a law prohibiting casinos from being built within 1500 feet of a residential neighborhood, school, playground, or place of worship.

65% STRONGLY SUPPORT such a law.

If you haven't heard, SugarHouse casino (in collaboration with Foxwoods) is challenging the hard work and labor of volunteers, civic organizations, and unions throughout Philadelphia. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, "The fight over development of two casinos on the Philadelphia waterfront turned nasty yesterday, as SugarHouse Casino claimed 'widespread and pervasive fraud' in the petition drive to ban slots parlors from Delaware Avenue."

Here's what petition volunteer Ken Gregory wrote about the challenge:

This morning, after only 20 days of petitioning, Casino-Free Philadelphia delivered 27,254 signatures of Philadelphia voters supporting a referendum to vote on casinos in neighborhoods.

WE MADE IT!!!

I'm exhausted, but not nearly as exhausted as the volunteers who took off work, stood out in the freezing cold all last week, or stayed up to 4:30 this morning copying and counting signatures.

If you were part of the effort: THANK YOU for making this the largest binding petition drive in Philadelphia in over 30 years.

Our next move: Getting 9 City Council members to vote "YES" to putting our charter change referendum on the May ballot. If you aren't sure where your City Council member stands on the issue, why not give them a call?

My mother- and father-in law have been dying for one for years. But their not so subtle hints like hand-sewing lace Christening gowns have all amounted to naught, until now.

Pennsylvania Gaming Board Chairman Tad Decker has finally pushed me over the edge: I’ve decided that its time to have a baby!

Why? Because yesterday Tad Decker ruled that its perfectly fine to use your baby the to get around those pesky Casino regulations -- you know, the one's that says that if I'm a big time donor to a political candidate, then I can't also be in the running for a mega pay back like being awarded a license by the Gaming Board. All you have to do is create a million dollar foundation in the baby's name, and make the baby an investor in a slots parlor...then make sure to keep up your generous political contributions to all the correct "players" -- and voila -- watch the money come rolling in.