I got an interesting email from Sheila Ballen today. She has heard about the draft-Sheila "movement" and asked if I could post this on her behalf:
Dear friends,
I recently got wind about these posts. I am humbled that there are people who want to draft me into running against Senator Fumo. It is a great responsibility to be asked and while I am flattered this is something I never really considered and the time is not right so I will not be running for the senate seat. Please allow me to thank the folks who have dedicated their time and effort in trying to draft me into running. I am incredibly gratified by your grassroots effort. I feel fortunate that right now I am able to devote my energies to ensuring that every child receives a quality education in Pennsylvania.
Thank you again,
Sheila Ballen
Poor pebbles!
Poor pebbles!
And Philadelphia media eats itself
And Philadelphia media eats itself.
why does soc hill towers hate dicker?
glad to hear Ballen is not running.
I supported her against Lederer and I tried to help Anne the last cycle since I live in the 175th.
Both seemed great and I would have been happy with either but seriously, Anne had a lot more success with her effort than Ballen did with hers...
Dicker has worked to form a new movement starting with the Dean thing. Now there is an infrastructure of activists and workers for Anne and she has been laying the groundwork to knock off Fumo for quite some time.
Dicker's campaign staff made such a splash that many of them went on to work for other important Dems in the region so there should be some goodwill/chits floating around out there.
And of course, the "Alpacas stunt"-- as Ms. Flinstone puts it, was a great idea that got a lot of press. That was a good move just like Dicker putting in the bid on Fumo's house at its assessed value was a good move. You need to be creative to get free press if you are going to make a splash these days.
I suspect that the Flinstone "progressives" of the city are still pissed that Grayboyes got smoked by Dicker and her army of door knockers and thus they will be looking for any excuse to push her aside now that Fumo is vulnerable.
Again, Ballen was a good candidate and would have been better than Lederer, but she obviously doesn't want it and she has now confirmed this herself to Ray Murphy.
I am excited that Anne Dicker is already working to defeat the corrupt Fumo--and she didn't need anyone to mount a fake "draft" to get her into the race.
so wait a minute
after all those "draft ballen" posts here and at philly blog, Ballen's not even INTERESTED in running?
way to jump the gun there. Anything else I have to say can be boiled down to "what steve said."
Anne has the support, experience, and background to take down Fumo. And like Steve said, i think there's some lingering bitterness after the Greyboyes defeat.
That doesn't matter
Pebbles thinks that doesn't matter. She doesn't think Anne has the "pedigree" or "gravitas" to take on Fumo.
so sad. so very, very sad.
We are all very saddened by this email. I received the same email this morning. We have been on the phones all day calling the supporters who showed up at various events, signed our petition and pledged their support. In little more than a week, we gathered the names, addresses, phone numbers and emails of nearly 400 people -- all who believe Sheila Ballen has the experience to deliver change.
Sadly, Sheila is so committed to her work in education, that she cannot give it up. She is a role model for many young people.
Mourn not for me, Dan U-A. Mourn for the children, the seniors and the families who need a champion in the 1set Senate District. Mourn for those who wish Fumo would be stopped. Mourn for the 400 people who are a constituencey without a leader. The search continues. We will not rest. We may be old and gray, but we grannys still have some fight in us. The mission continues and the movement presses on because the dream will never die.
no mourning necessary
Dicker will do a fine job as state senator and Fumo will be gone next year.
The leader you need is already running for office and has been leading a revival of progressives in the city for @5 years now.
no one hates
No one hates anyone. We want to defeat Vince Fumo and we're looking for a qualified candidate to do it. I mean no disrespect to anyone. But if she's been leading a revival of progressives, as you cliam, why have most of them decided she is unfit to be state senator? Nearly 20 of them joined us at an event last week. And the "towers" does not hate anyone. We simply want to find an extraordinary candidate with an extraordinary grasp of issues and an extraordinary ability to raise money and take Fumo down once and for all. The Alpacas press was not very flattering in the newspapers as it showed your campaign to be on the attack immediately and without substance. You are repeating mistakes of other reform candidates of last sping's primary. Stunts and attacks don't win. This only plays into the preconceived notions of the candidate and only hurts a viable candidate's chance of beating Fumo later on. Casinos are horrible but Fumo has taken that issue away from Dicker. We need a candidate with credentials, a pedigree or at the very least an impressive resume. I respect Ms. Dicker and so do many of my neighbors in the towers. We wish she'd run against OBrien for State Rep. We would gladly support her. But she is not by any stretch of the imagination State Senator material. At least not now.
Well now
The last time I checked, there were thirty-seven progressives in the city of Philadelphia. So, if you had 20 at the event, then you would have had "most of them." But "nearly 20"? My bet is that you had seventeen, eighteen, tops. Which means that "most" of Philadelphia's progressives stayed home. During a TV writers' strike! That shows you where their hearts are.
--Tim (aka Short Schrift)
I read somewhere that Joe Vignola is running against
the Senator. Where's the love?
Pebbles didn't like him either.
Actually in several places less polite than YPP echoed the "he's a coward, he hasn't declared because he's afraid to run" line that a lot of the Fumo mudslingers are fond of which kind of makes you "hmmmmmmm".
19 to be exact, of the 32
19 to be exact, of the 32 proressives in the city. Ok, maybe not as many as most but more than a few. This is very serious. Right now, we are looking at four more years of Vince Fumo.
Just stop now pebbles.
Pebbles, I've watched you embarrass yourself for quite a while now, and I think it's time you stopped. You pissed off everyone at phillyblog.com, and managed to look like a fool talking smack about Dicker. You and you're 19 hardworking friends would be well advised to hop on the already crowded Dicker bandwagon. You've only ever managed to convince me that you don't know what you're talking about and that you're not worth listening to.
If you're really so eager to be rid of Fumo, start working for Anne.
Shouldn't the circular firing squad cease when one of the candidates declines to get in the race?
lack of understanding
Again, John, my only concern is electing a qualified individual who can a) beat fumo resoundly and b) be an effective state senator. Dicker is a very nice person but she is unqualified and not viable. She has already proven to be uninformed on most issues outside casinos and hasn't the pedigree or resume, in my opinion, to be an effective state senator. This is why we look for people like Sheila Ballen or Andrew Hohns or even Happy Fernandez. Liberals with records, experience and know-how. And people who can raise money to take on Fumo. If you don't understand that, then I'm afraid you don't understand philadelphia or its politics.
Sorry lady
Proven? I'm sorry, I guessed I missed where she was proven to be uninformed. I can see how that would bias you against a candidate. Everything I've ever seen from Anne has been impressive, and not because of her "pedigree." The fact that you even consider pedigree when evaluating a candidate tells me that you aren't someone who should be taken seriously.
This is Young Philly Politics. Not Bitter Old Philly Politics.
Has anyone confirmed Pebbles isn't a Fumo staffer?
Hmm...
Andrew Hohns? How could he possibly be more qualified than Anne? Andrew and her basically did the same thing-- They both ran for state representative and lost. As far as I know, Andrew has not at all been involved in any type of community organizing or activism since losing for the second time.
---
Check out my website!
You nit-pick at my words but
You nit-pick at my words but no one can disagree in good conscience that Anne, who is a very nice person, is wholly unqualified to be a State Senator. At the very least, she is certainly not the best candidate to challenge an indicted public servant. Mr. Hohns created an urban planning foundation and is an experienced banker with a deep understanding of fiscal matters. Happy runs a school and serves on many boards. Sheila is an expert on education matters and the envorinment. There is marked difference between those people and what Anne offers, which is quite spare. I have identified myself on this and another forum. To insinuate that I am working for Vince Fumo is absurd. If we want to vote for anybody but Fumo, then by all means, you already have a candidate. But if you want someone who can actually beat Fumo and his surrogates and then, competently serve the people of the 1st Senate District, you should join us in looking for the best qualified candidate. Otherwise we are in serious trouble as Fumo's trial has been postponed until September or October.
With respect to Ballan,,,
She served as the "Communications Director for Good Schools Pennsylvania," which if I'm not mistaken is PR, not policy. I don't know why you insist on distorting everyone's record to try to make your point.
why "unqualified"?
you keep saying Anne Dicker's unqualified to beat Fumo, but you never say why.
Or have you forgotten that Dicker came in second for Lederer's seat, beating the machine candidate Greyboyes, and spending FAR less than Greyboyes?
She worked as a field director for Pat Murphy and was invited to the Advisory Board of DFA, which is all about grass roots politics.
She helped get the Legislature to repeal the pay raise through public awareness campaigns, has been insturmental in the anti-casino movement.
Specifically, why is she unqualified?
Can't lack of experience be a good thing?
Was Vince Fumo qualified to be Senator when he was elected? Wasn't he the youngest senator ever elected?
This whole notion that you must have extensive political experience to be "qualified" to run against an incumbent benefits the corrupt party machine politics that has long dominated Philadelphia. It supports this air of entitlement that incumbents like to use to justify their continued employment, despite any ethical failings. And in Fumo's case, it's like saying. "Yeah, I may be a crook, but anyone who wins has to start over." OR "Yes, I've had some ethical problems (like using state money to pay an investigator to follow my girlfriend), but I bring him more money to my constituents than my opponent will."
Does anyone see a problem here in this logic?
Sometimes lack of experience (political) can be a very good thing. I am willing to take a hit on the WAM money to get someone with honesty and integrity in there.
As my friend Bernice says, I
As my friend Bernice says, I don't mind a political novice but I do have comfort issues with a political novice who has no substantive backround in law, business or legislative process. Why should we be forced to choose between an indicted self serving crook and an unqualified but well meaning novice. A State Senator needs to know every nook and cranny of the district; the budgeting process forwards and backwards; the rules regulating finance and the constitutional barriers to passing lesilation; they need to know people across the state to build new coalitions that Fumo did not build; they need to know how to operate in the modern world, not the world of 1980 when Fumo was elected. The world is very different. The issues are far more complicated. They need a liberal heart but an Al Gore-like command of every issue. And they need a history, a following, a true base of support. This doesn't mean migrants or young people shouldn't seek office. Is the State Senate really the office that best fits Dicker? No one believes that. I doubt Anne believes that.
Al Sharpton ran for president but that doesn't mean he should have.
Is this more about losing a high profile race to boost name recognition for later races? In the end, she'll be fine, but we loose. At some point, if we can find a viable and credible challenger, we will have to ask that she withdraw. If she doesn't, lord knows what happens once Fumo is convicted. Are we going to allow Dicker to give the seat to Fumo, only to have him and his ward leaders give it to someone they can control? Think about that, won't you. What did Dougherty say? If Fumo doesn't run...only then? Don't you think a deal may have been made? Nothing stops the ward leaders from picking Dougherty in exchange for half the power in 2009 and a primary win in April 2008.
Many of us wonder why Dicker refuses to challenge Mike Obrien in the 175, a far more entry-level joib for someone like Anne. She could beat him. Why isn't she? Has Dougherty got something to do with this? OBrien is Dougherty's man.
And for those who know politics, a state legislative seat is not a senate seat. Getting 31% of the vote in a state assembly race does not make you qualified. If you want to talk issues because "Anne is a candidate", I say the issue is putting one's own ego aside for what is best. Because many of us know that a portion of the voting populace would vote for Donald Duck if he were to run, Anne's existence in this race becomes the most important issue.
But I digress. My point is Fumo can be beaten and serious progressives should seize this opportunity and find the best possible candidate to defeat him. If there is no one credible who will run against Fumo, then by all means, we pick the well meaning novice and hope for the best, I think.
they need to know people
they need to know people across the state to build new coalitions that Fumo did not build
What you're describing is a person a lot like Anne Dicker, who forged a number of coalitions with Phily for Change. What is the anti-casino movement but a coalition.
"they need to know how to operate in the modern world, not the world of 1980 when Fumo was elected. The world is very different."
I know: which is why I like Anne Dicker, who uses new technologies like the Internet to organize and build coalitions.
You're undermining your own case pebbles.
I am sorry we don't agree,
I am sorry we don't agree, Brendan.
Anne hasn't built any large coalitions of elected people across the state. When you are a Senator, you need relationships with other lawmakers to pass policies. Fumo is going to exploit that. She is an unknown entity to most. She will be mistrusted and seen suspiciously. This is why we tried to recruit a leading member of Rendell's cabinent for the race. Sadly, they said a fringe candidate like Dicker makes it too difficult to beat Fumo, who still has a solid base.
Even Ballen has limited experience in this aspect. Dicker has none. The anti-casino coalition is hardly a united coalition anymore and as I have said, many do not support and/or trust Dicker but are looking for a viable candidate who can beat the man responsible for casinos. Also, this coalition is hardly state-wide.
The world is different and therefore, we require someone who knows what they are doing beyond turning on a computer or blogging. We're talking about new job creation, wealth sustainment, environmental hazzards, growth opportunities and fiscal strategy. Anne has no experience with any of these items.
Again, neither do I but I am not asking the world for a job that I am unfit to have.
Not that it matters, because
Not that it matters, because she says she will not seek the office, but Sheila is an education expert who not only works at the Dept of Education in the position you describe but whom also worked for Good Schools Pennsylvania. The Ballens have also opened award winning school sin NYC and she has the know-how to reform education here.
Additionally she ran an Environmental organization and worked on the Empowerment Zone staff for quite some time.
If the differences are not apparent between Dicker and the potential list that I posted in an early posting, then you are blind. Activism is important but you actually should do something of substance if you are to be a State Senator. Especially if you want to beat the most accomplished democrat in State government. Look up the word Gravitas, John. If we don't find a Fumo challenger with it by February, I dare not think who will enter the race.
I looked up "gravitas"
And there was a picture of Chris Matthews gushing over Fred Thompson. How'd that work out?
pebblesbambam19103, who are you worried about?
No, think. Who are you so worried about?
---
Check out my website!
I never supported Grayboyes
I never supported Grayboyes. What in balzes are you talking about?
This is my only point: We must defeat Fumo. No one honestly believes Dicker can run a campaign and do that. Anne lacks the solid support of much of the politically involved progressives and Dicker has little backround on any major policy issue or area of lesilative expertise. Sheila had that.
To pretend that she is qualified does everyone a disservice and will ultimately lead to Senator Fumo again. I think we all have a responsibility in this important race to set ego aside and do what is best for the district. Help me find a credible candidiate to beat Fumo.
To answer clout's question on Vignola, he won't run. I hear he has personal issues as they were discussed at length at our caucus in Society Hill.
WHAT?!?
"Anne lacks the solid support of much of the politically involved progressives and Dicker has little backround on any major policy issue or area of lesilative expertise. Sheila had that."
What on earth are you talking about? I suppose it's that lack of support that helped her beat Greyboyes? Or got her a field director's position for Pat Murphy? Or helped derail the pay raise? Or got her on DFA's advisory board? Or for that matter helped her establish Phily for Change?
"To pretend that she is qualified does everyone a disservice and will ultimately lead to Senator Fumo again."
There's that "unqualified" line again. Specifically, HOW is she unqualified? She beat the Fumocrat, who had $200,000K to spend, with less than $10K and no paid staff. At the very least, that shows a tenacious campaigner, who spends her money effectively, and who has some pretty dedicated volunteers.
Just saying someone's "unqualified" doesn't make it so.
Welllll
Wellll, being qualified/capable to run a pretty effective campaign (particularly at a moment where she was able to harnass strong feeling about casinos) is not the same as being qualified/capable to govern in a particular elected office.
I respect a lot of Anne's positions, but all things being equal, I would prefer someone with those positions who has experience with policy and lawmaking and budgeting. Her background is mostly as an executive with Spencer Gifts. According to her own bio, it doesn't appear that she was politically or civically active until going to a Howard Dean meet up at Standard Tap during the '03/04 election cycle.
also from the bio
Sometimes (and this may be my nativist radar going off) I worry that all of this stuff about "pedigree" really boils down to "psst -- she isn't from Philadelphia."
--Tim (aka Short Schrift)
Not to derail the summoning of a favorite bete noire
but come on. She came to Philly in 1998 and did not get involved for the next five or so years after that.
Point to something substantive in what you excerpted. I sure want Fumo to be defeated, and I want Anne to have a good job where she can contribute and learn. And I'd vote for her. But I'd pick someone with experience if I had that choice.
Hey, some criticism is fair,
Hey, some criticism is fair, and I generally think that a State Senate seat is a little high to jump for someone without legislative experience. But it's not fair to act like nothing you have ever done before you've moved to Philly matters. And I don't know Anne, but I doubt she was sitting on her hands for five years.
Generally, though, I think your concerns are valid; Pebbles' are a little murkier, and I expect that Anne's Philly-migrant status will become a sticking-point in the campaign.
--Tim (aka Short Schrift)
Yeah but it's not discounting what she did before Philly
if she didn't do anything relevant. I don't want to be mean or anything, but: if she had been active before Philly or those meet-ups, wouldn't that be in her (very lengthy) bio? She talks about family friends she respected and jobs teaching swimming.
If she had done ANYTHING politically or civically oriented before, you'd think that'd have made it in.
I hope we get a good and viable candidate (and viability against Fumo is an issue, right?) because it'll suck if we end up with some appointee once the conviction comes.
I agree..
...if she had done anything else you would think it would have been on her bio.
Finding a viable candidate? I just took a look at Fumo's bio just to see what he had on there when he started out and (I'm sorry to say) it's very impressive. Too bad he's a little too self serving. In any case, I think it will be difficult to find someone with a comparable resume.
In my opinion though, Anne focuses a little too much on attacking Fumo and not enough on establishing her own position on a broader array of issues.
EPU'ed
Apparently my comment was epu'ed, but one major accomplishemnt is shaming the legislature into returning the pay raise. that alone was pretty big.
I confess to being perplexed by this whole "she's not from Philly" parochialism. "She came to Philly in 1998 and did not get involved for the next five or so years after that." So what? She's been highly involved and highly successful since 2003, and for all the right reasons.
You "heard" about Vignola?
Who was in the caucus? Did any of you think to talk to Joe Vignola himself?
Assuming you are even vaguely sincere about your complaints with Dicker's lack of legislative, budget and state-wide government experience, Vignola would be a seemingly logical alternative. He's served as a Councilman for a good chunk of the State Senate District. He's won a statewide hotly contested primary for US Senate (not just State Senate) - though he later lost to the Heinz family fortune in general. As the head of PICA, he's worked helping city governments across the state get back on track fiscally and he's debateably one of the top two or three fiscal experts on state and municipal bond issues in the state. You really could not find a better "experience with governmental budgets" candidate for any state office than Joe Vignola and he just so happens to live a few blocks from where you held this supposed "caucus". And he's listed in white pages to boot.
But somehow despite the fact that Vignola recently gave me and several other potential volunteers what I considered to be a most convincing pitch, you "know" he won't run. By the way, I posted about my meeting with Vignola right here on YPP before you publicly launched this whole Draft Ballen campaign. At the very least, it seems your caucus didn't bother to do a routine search in the same place you later came pitch your campaign. Strange.
Do you "know" this the same way you claimed to "know" that Ballen would agree to run till she made it abundantly clear that she wouldn't? Just curious.
Activist from birth?
Generally, I'd agree with Tim on the point about a history of activism. I mean, essentially, I don't think that our litmus test should be she's only been active for five years. I mean, not everyone is bred from birth to be an activist. We need to get out of the process of discouraging new folks from entering politics. I think it's fair to assume that sometimes people have different career tracks and sometimes people have conversions that are meaningful. One of the inspiring things about the past spring's primary is that so many new folks ran for office.
At the same time, I understand a general sentiment Anne's style may not be as pragmatic (for better or for worse) as some 1st District residents would prefer. The plus side is that the Philly delegation could us some backbone. The minus side is that it might aggravate the process of building statewide coalitions.
The way to resolve this is to focus on the issues. I'd like some more posts. Anne is a candidate. If there are any others--let's see their issues.
--Mike
Weeds in the Sidewalk
Sheila
Sheila is a great person, but she's NOT a member of the Governor's Cabinet. Secretaries of the various agencies, as well as the selected members of the Governor's staff are considered members of the Governor's Cabinet.