- Hey Ben: Questions about tax amnesty
- US Rep. John Murtha, June 17, 1932 – February 8, 2010
- Getting Real Answers from Gubernatorial Candidates
- It is always a good thing when our government works well
- Courtfighter: Delaware County Judge Maureen Fitzpatrick A Bigot? You Judge How Often Bigotry Occurs In Media, PA
- We'll Get You Ready for State Budget Release Tuesday
- ONE Praises U.S. Treasury Announcement to Work with International Partners to Relieve Haiti’s Debt
- A giant toxic monster is coming your way OR no rigs before regs!
- We Need Immigration Reform Now! Why Stu Bykofsky got it wrong.
- Stop losing the war on health insurance reform
Help Draft Sheila Ballen to Run for State Senate and Challenge Vince Fumo
Submitted by pebblesbambam on Tue, 11/27/2007 - 11:23am.
I confess I am not young, but I do live in Philadelphia and ever since the casino issue, I have been getting involved in politicking.
After a long and loud meeting of local community activists last week in my neighborhood of Society Hill, a group of vocal activists and voters who would like to see an end to the era of indicted State Senator Vince Fumo has decided to begin a DRAFT SHEILA BALLEN internet campaign for the Democratic Primary for the 1st Senate District of Pennsylvania.
So far, over 250 people have signed up. Our goal is to have enough pledged support/volunteers to present this to Sheila at the end of December. It is our hope that once she sees the grassroots support, she will do what we all ask of her and run for the State Senate.
We believe she is the perfect person to take on and win against Fumo and we hope to convince her to run.
Why Sheila Ballen? Sheila Ballen has worked on the single most important issue we as a society face-- failing schools. She is a Director in the PA Department of Education, a former director of Good Schools Pennsylvania, a leader in student mentoring and a vocal supporter of equitable distribution of State resources to fully fund city schools. Her family started some of the best charter schools in New York City and she could help make it happen here in Philadelphia.
A better school system will result in lower crime rates and higher jobs numbers. Sheila Ballen has spent her life working to improve the quality of our schools. Fumo has had 30 years to help the schools. Since he took office, he presided over massive cuts in State funding to schools.
A progressive member of the GLBT community, Sheila Ballen's a civic leader, a former Director of Penn Environment, and a vocal member of Planned Parenthood and NOW. She believes in democracy that works. She even went to a former soviet nation to fight for democratic reforms there. If she did it in former soviet Russia, she should be able to do it here. She'll go after the NRA. She'll go after insurance companies. She'll go after casinos. She'll do all the things Fumo won't do.
Competence, compassion and change. Sheila Ballen is uniquely qualified to save the Democratic party from the embarrassment we must now suffer.
If you would like to sign up for the DRAFT SHEILA BALLEN movement, please contact me at pebblesbambam19103@yahoo.com
Draft Sheila Ballen for State Senate in 08!
"uniquely qualified"?
What about Anne Dicker, who (1) is already in the race, (2) is young, progressive, and activist (on the casino issue most recently), and (3) has some name recognition citywide? I don't understand any effort to "draft" somebody who's not jumping in on their own, when we have a good standard-bearer already in the race, with an organization, fundraising (and even some strategic polling) underway, etc. etc. I'd hate to see progressives divide their vote as has happened in the Reed-Miller district, so that the despised (and in this case, embarrassing) incumbent gets returned to office with a fraction of the vote . . .
acm
see here if unaware of her campaign: http://www.annedicker.com/
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
— Margaret Mead
Last week a very large
Last week a very large number of us gathered to go over this race and the wonderful potential we have to rid ourselves of Vince Fumo.
When we say Sheila is uniquely qualified, we mean (1) she is a life-long Philadelphian who understands the needs and concerns of all district residents, old-timers as well as new comers. (2) she has a proven record of experience working in the department of education, directing for Good Schools PA, running Penn Environment, as a GLBT member and in her local community group as a board member. Sheila's credentials are stellar. (3) Sheila has long-time support from residents with deep Philadelphia roots and considerable resources. Sheila can raise money competitively based on her experience and history in Philadelphia. Though she will not raise the million dollars that Fumo can raise, she certainly will come closer than anyone else. And if we demonstrate large grass roots support, she will challenge him.
We are not here to cast aspersions on any other candidate. Our focus is Vince Fumo and getting rid of him. We believe the best way to do this is to have the best possible candidate challenge him. Sheila Ballen can run on her own record and her own history and her own vision. Sheila can do that because she has the experience to bring about change. Based on what we're seeing from the alternative, we are very pleased that we stand behind Shiela. We won't beat Fumo by running a dirty campaign focused on Fumo. We will be him with a competent alternative that can talk about her plans and vision. Only Sheila can.
If you force me to answer your question, I can speak for the various people in our Society Hill caucus when I say Ms. Dicker seems very nice but this is the Pennsylvania State Senate we are talking about. And this is a very important seat. We need to get serious. We need a competent alternative. We need Sheila Ballen.
Here we go again.
That's all I can say. Is there a place left for me in the circular firing squad? I wouldn't want to miss out on the fun. Fumo must be having the best laugh he's had in a long while.
Repeat questions
You have brought this up twice in other forums and consistantly avoided this question but I will repeat it. Have you consulted with Sheila Ballen herself? Is she ready for the punishing attacks on her character, the vague threatening phonecalls, etc. that go along with running against Fumo?
Is everyone on the same page here?
Everyone knows that Sheila ran in the 175th two years before Anne right? Sheila got over 2,000 votes in that race against the incumbent Marie Lederer, a firm Fumocrat.
I agree with ACM that her entry into the race would require some explanation, especially as Anne has started to raise money.However, does anyone remember how mad some of us were when Anne entered the 175th race later than Terry Graboyes and some pretty prominent "progressives" told her to get out?
I am definitely not taking a side, but progressive hypocrisy (while inevitable) scares me.
Since Sheila herself has not not far been publicly attached to this draft campaign, I sure hope folks will be polite in what they say about her.
If we demonstrate that
If we demonstrate that Sheila has the grassroots support we believe she will have, yes, she will fight for us and take back the seat from Fumo and cronies. We are less than a week into our effort to draft her and we have received the support of more than 250 people who live in the First Senate District. These people have pledged time, money and support if she stands up to Fumo. She's doen this before in her bid to beat Lederer. She withstood the mud and will do it again. Her character is unimpeachable. Dare I ask why Messers Dorn and Shapiro care so much about a district in which they do not live? I represent 250 homeonwers who pay taxes in Fumo's district. I represent eligible voters who want a candidate they can believe in; a canididate who will do more than attack Fumo or take out ads like that foolish Alcapas stunt. We need a candidiate with credientials in their own right. If you both care so much, perhaps you should tell the candidates you support (Vignola and Dicker, respectively) to do what is good for our party and remove themselves from the race.
DRAFT SHEILA BALLEN HAPPY HOUR THIS THURSDAY
ARTFUL DODGER
COME ONE! COME ALL!
Reminder: There are no runoffs in PA.
This will be my last comment on this until Neighborhood Networks takes a stand on this race. But I do want to remind people that Fumo only needs to get one more vote than whoever is second. And it's true that I don't live in the District, but no one can seriously think that I and every other resident of the State doesn't have a major interest in this race. If you don't understand that, I'm not going to explain it.
So here's a piece of information I became all too familiar with based on my living in another District: Donna Reed Miller 32%, Cindy Bass, 27%, Irv Ackelsberg, 25%, Greg Paulmier 14%. The next Councilperson from the 8th Councilmanic District? Donna Reed Miller despite the fact that 68% of the Democratic voters in the District wanted someone else.
what are you getting at stan?
it's november it's not unusual to hear a lot of names so early on. what exactly are you trying to say/upset about?
What's happening now may not be unusual but
it will take something unusual to beat Fumo, despite all of his problems. For instance, some kind of process to solidify his opposition around one candidate. It never happened in the 8th Councilmanic, and we all see what happened. I have no brilliant insight into how to do that in this case in the absence of a unified progressive movement which we all know we don't have. So I let off a little steam, that's all. But you're right, it's just November, and I'm moving on.
Well "keeping it focused on
Well "keeping it focused on Fumo" didn't last long I see. :)
guys--it is november
can everyone call a truce right now with the personal stuff?
I have not heard anything about the personal lives of Anne Dicker or Joe Vignola to justify any mud slinging. And Sheila's entry to the race seems like a long shot.
And there are months to go. Can everyone be nice? Like, right now.
QUESTION: Who has the
QUESTION: Who has the experience and the competence to beat Fumo in April?
This is the only question we in the Society Hill caucus were concerned with.
We came to the conclusion that Sheila Ballen is best situated to beat him. Again, this is not a statement on anyone else. The focus is beating Fumo. And we will gather as many names and addresses as possible to send to Sheila with the hope of drafting her into this race.
This isn't about the individuals who may or may not challenge Fumo. This is about being best suited to beat him. Ballen's long, native record speaks for itself and we believe no other comes close.
To join the DRAFT SHEILA BALLEN campaign, please send an email to pebblesbambam19103@yahoo.com
Learn about Sheila: From
Learn about Sheila:
From bluelinenetwork:
Sheila Ballen is an independent consultant who specializes in political campaigns, media communications and non-profit management. For the past year, Ballen served as the Kazakhstan Country Director and Chief of Party on behalf of the National Democratic Institute. Previously she was a candidate for Pennsylvania State Representative, served as the Executive Director of the University City Arts League and Pennsylvania PIRG and as the Communications Director for Good Schools Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Empowerment Zone. She also worked as the Campaign manager for Philadelphia Council Member Happy Fernandez and the Statewide Field Director of US Senate Candidate Allyson Schwartz. She holds a MA in Urban Studies from Temple University.
As a resident of Society Hill towers said during the caucus, "give me a Fumo challenger with this kind of perdigree and then we'll consider ending our DRAFT BALLEN campaign".
We should put our egos aside and all be focusing on defeating Fumo with the best possible candidate. Can you honestly say Sheila is not the best?
Thank you, Mr. Shapiro, for
Thank you, Mr. Shapiro, for that analysis. I suppose then, you'd suggest we not try and draft Sheila Ballen to beat Fumo because there's a declared candidate? Does this mean Fattah should not have announced once Nutter announced? And didn't Larry West announce before Nutter?
This is about the best possible challenger who is capable to beat Fumo and then competent enough to run the district.
Our Society Hill caucus concluded Mr. Vignola will not run and Ms. Dicker, though a very nice person, is probably the least qualified of any State Senate candidiate in recent memory. We do wish them both the very best though.
We just think Sheila Ballen actually has the experience to deliver change. A candidate's announcement date should not be the factor here. Ballen wouldn't need to announce so early because she comes with a built-in fundraising mechanism. Dicker does not. She needed to announce early because she has no real money to go to. That is no reflection on her, however. This is reality.
If you can't understand that, Mr. Shapiro, then I am not going to waste my time explaining it to you.
When you purcahse a home in the 2nd senatorial district, I'll start to consider your opinion more seriously.
yo pebbles
what did i say about being nice? you have posted comments like a gazillion times on your own post. we all get your point.
why don't you just sit back and let people mull over what you suggested rather than repeating the same points about your candidate while getting closer to talking smack on the others?
like i said, it is only november. we are not going to tolerate this level of bitter back and forth on ONE race in the city.
Don't you mean . . .
First Senatorial District?
I am working to elect Larry Farnese to the General Assembly. Unless otherwise expressly stated, this and every comment or blog I post on YPP and any action I take hereon is solely attributable to me and not Farnese or Friends of Farnese
I think you meant the 1st
I think you meant the 1st district but don't let me stop you if you are on "holier than thous" roll. ;)
Ray, I am sorry if I was
Ray, I am sorry if I was harsh. I believe in praising the virtues of my choice for the race and would rather avoid talking "smack" about anyone else. On a serious note, however, Mr. Shapiro is right. It will take an extraordinary individual to beat Fumo, even with his problems. And that person will need an extraordinary background and an extraordinary resume and an extraordinary ability to work with people across the state. It will take a deep and extraordinary understanding of the issues such as education, healthcare, criminology and taxes. It will take an extraordinary understanding of the budget process and the legislative process. And it will take an extraordinary number of progressive activists and individuals to get behind one candidate, not two or three. One candidate. We are running out of time, Ray. This is the most powerful, most important seat in the State Senate. The engine of our state's entire economy and its richest history and most precious real estate is in this one district. We as a community must identify that extraordinary someone and get behind them. I believe that someone is Sheila Ballen and, judging by your posts, I think you'd agree. It may be only November but we face an incumbent with millions. We must start this conversation now before it is too late.
Hey all, I live in the
Hey all,
I live in the district and have no preference.
A few observations though -
Sheila will not be able to genuinely comments about this race since she is employed by Dept. of Education. It would be grounds for dismissal - That's why it's only in a draft stage.
All candidates should be allowed to receive a fair and genuine assessment by the voters.
It personally grates me when folks state emphatically that they represent and speak for a whole community - society hill or not.
Thanks,
AM