News Analysis: 8th District Debate Largely a Study in Personalities

There was someone missing from the Wednesday night in Germantown.  

As the seven candidates for the Democratic nomination for City Council from the 8th District debated at the First Presbyterian Church of Germantown, just one mention was made of her name. There were references to communications, constituent service, and behind the scenes deals with developers, but neither the candidates nor the audience went out of their way to specifically identify her.

Only moderator Chris Satullo said the name of Donna Reed Miller, who has been the 8th District's councilwoman since 1996, and that was telling. Nobody claimed her mantle or pledged to continue her work.

"This idea of elected officials working on the sides without transparency ... it's everything that's wrong in the 8th District," said candidate Howard Treatman, a sentiment all of the candidates more or less agreed with. "And we have suffered here."

As for the issues, the candidates were largely in agreement. They spoke about the need to have communications with their constituents, their desire establish an office within the district, their opposition to making Martin Luther King High School a charter school and their hatred of backroom, hidden deals with developers.

But Cindy Bass, who has  of any candidate, set herself apart on three questions:

- She refused to support term limits for council members, saying the voters should decide which incumbents they want to keep in office.
- She refused to commit to vote against Marion Tasco for Council President. Tasco is participating in the DROP retirement program, which will allow her to collect a retirement bonus of $478,057, retire for a day, and then begin a new term in Council. Bass wanted to keep her options open.
- She did not support returning control of the School Reform Commission, which governs the School District of Philadelphia, from the state to the city.

The debate was a study of personalities more than a demonstration of ideology.

- Bass, the presumed front-runner, has served on the staffs of Rep. Chaka Fattah and former State Senator Allyson Schwartz, who is now a congresswoman. Nevertheless, Bass said she has always been an independent thinker and advocate.

Bass has poise and presence, speaking as if she were already in office. She said she would address violence by young, African-American men, and said she would use the resources of District Attorney Seth Williams and the Fraternal Order of Police (who have both endorsed her) to reduce crime.

- Bill Durham has been in politics for 15 years and works at LaSalle University in community relations. Though he has been a member of the Democratic State Committee, he claimed not to have sought the support of ward leaders and elected officials.

He was the only candidate to mention his military service. When he was about term limits, Durham said he “would not stay in City Hall until I am carried out,” saying he would work to train his successor. Durham also proposed tax free areas to bring in companies, said he would address bullying in schools and criticized development done in secret.

- Andrew Lofton works for the Urban Affairs Coaltion and described the district as being in crisis as he spoke about its decline in populaton and pointed to how bad things can sometimes be in the district.

The candidate often used colorful language.

“If heads need to roll, let heads roll,” he said at one point. And when he was asked about guns, Lofton used a rhyme. “Educate, rather than incarcerate, our children,” he said.  He opposed cuts to art, music and wood shop programs in schools.

- Greg Paulmier, who is the former Democratic leader of the 12th Ward, is making his fourth run for City Council. He stressed the importance of housing renovation and generating new revenue throughout the district, and used the debate to publicize a community meeting about the shuttered Fresh Grocer supermarket on Chelten Avenue. (That meeting will take place Thursday at 7 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of Germantown, 35 W. Chelten Ave.)

He urged city councilmembers agree to “volunteer reform in campaign finance" and proposed the establishment of a centralized building that would hold the police department and district offices for the city councilperson, state senator and state representative.  

- Robin Tasco has fire.

She had an energetic, no-nonsence, cool demeanor throughout, and was the only candidate to really describe herself as blue collar. The certified electrician and business agent for her local stressed the need to create blue collar jobs.

Tasco used religious language like “praise to the Most High” when introducing herself and used colorful terms such as “puppet master.” When she was asked about guns, Tasco said she has four sons, and said she does not let them use water pistols or play video games involving violence. “Mentoring starts at home,” she said.

- Howard Treatman was the intellectual on the platform.  He talked like an executive, often using terms like "entrepreneur," and continually cited position papers on his website.  

He is clearly the outsider, and he made a point of presenting himself as one, saying his lack of political experience makes him a total independent in this very independent district. He spoke of an “ossified City Council,” where members serve too long.  

When the candidates were asked if they would join  which violate the industry’s code of conduct, all of the other six candidates replied with a simple "yes," while Treatman said he "would be honored” to join them.

- Verna Tyner also used religious language, saying “I thank God and thank you” at one point. To demonstrate her opposition to the DROP program for elected officials, Tyner stood up on the stage, saying she wanted to "show my whole entire body” against it.

Satulllo, the moderator, described her move to stand as an “altar call.”  

Tyner, a community activist from Tioga who has served on the staffs of Councilman David Cohen and Councilman William Greenlee, said she has always been the voice of the people. Tyner wants the City Planning Commission to remap zoning, forcing developers to come to the community before seeking support from the councilmembers.

No Republican has filed for the 8th District Council seat. Unless a Republican gets 750 write-in votes in the primary or independent candidates file their petitions in August, the winner of the May 17 primary will be unopposed in the November election.

Aaron Finestone is the former Republican Ward 22 leader.