James Kenney Stops Tax Payer Waste but Snubbed by Tea Party
Written by Richard Kane
Saturday, 18 June 2011 16:27
Councilor James Kenney exposed the Deferred Retirement Option Plan and got Frank Rizzo voted out of office and several other politicians taking tax payers for a ride didn't run again.
However Kenney almost lost as well getting less than 1/2 1% of losing (1,600 votes), when last time he came in first.
The main reason he managed to win was that Philadelphia Gay News even though they badly wanted Sherrie Cohen to win, refused to join the game of endorsing only one City Council at Large candidate to bump out another.
The Philadelphia Tea Party demanded that politicians oppose the Drop Program, chiding politicians for being fearful of doing what is right. But they didn’t put their votes where there mouth was spending all their efforts supporting former Libertarian candidate John Featherman for Mayor, totally ignoring James Kenney’s venerability. When push comes to shove the Tea Party stands for tax loopholes for the rich,
http://phillydecline.com/2011/06/tea-party-invites-all-council-candidates-to-drop-hearing/
Unfortunately the illusion that someone is minding the store against government waste allows waste and corruption to get worse than before the Tea Party claimed to be coming the rescue of the tax payer.
City Councilor Kenney,
http://www.metro.us/philadelphia/local/article/865946--councilman-james-kenney-first-to-nearly-worst
http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2011/06/09/why-on-earth-are-we-still-talking-about-the-drop-program/
http://www.phila.gov/citycouncil/kelly/index.html
Philly Gay News’ low-key article saved Kenny’s seat,
http://epgn.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Primary+endorsements%20&id=13240490
Tea Party favorites,
http://phillydecline.com/2011/05/dirt-sheet-endorsements-billboards-and-drop-oh-my/
I admire Sherrie Cohen, but not her campaign to urge her supporters to only vote for one Council At Large Candidate. She is a warm and compassionate person, who cares very much for the poor and down and out and did a lot to support the public library system and learning opportunities for Philadelphia children. I want to be impressed that someone so progressive managed to win the support of somewhat conservative unions and public officials.
It would have been wonderful for the country if the Tea Party meant it, that they were against government waste.
At any rate Philadelphia has story about Tea Party hypocrisy that could greatly affect the future if the story got out across the country. Progressive politics is about coalitions and no one wants to offend hard working progressive union activists that support DROP. However at this point Philadelphian progressives and honest conservatives can enlighten the nation about the true Tea Party colors. Perhaps others in other areas around the country could spread their own local stories of Tea Party hypocrisy as well. Please post links following this story.
Thomas Drake was a government worker who exposed millions in government waste. Instead of a medal he was convicted of mismanaging government documents, threatened with much more unless he pleaded guilty to those charges. He was meticulously careful only to reveal unclassified information to the press. Where are those complaining about government waste, coming to his defense?
Edmund F. (Ted) Kelly exposed 27 million in worker compensation fraud, fired for his efforts,
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/05/30/18680750.php
Kerry Beal exposed sleeping while on duty at a nuclear power plant, his job downsized to where he was no longer needed,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/03/AR2008010304442.html
Remember Tom Delay?
http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=1122979
How about someone adding other stories of people being punished for trying to save the tax payer's money and rewarded for wasting it, as the Tea Party yawns.
More detail,
http://youngphillypolitics.com/james_kenney_stops_tax_payer_waste_snubbed_tea_party
Richard Kane in Philadelphia PA
However Kenney almost lost as well getting less than 1/2 1% of losing (1,600 votes), when last time he came in first.
The main reason he managed to win was that Philadelphia Gay News even though they badly wanted Sherrie Cohen to win, refused to join the game of endorsing only one City Council at Large candidate to bump out another.
The Philadelphia Tea Party demanded that politicians oppose the Drop Program, chiding politicians for being fearful of doing what is right. But they didn’t put their votes where there mouth was spending all their efforts supporting former Libertarian candidate John Featherman for Mayor, totally ignoring James Kenney’s venerability. When push comes to shove the Tea Party stands for tax loopholes for the rich,
http://phillydecline.com/2011/06/tea-party-invites-all-council-candidates-to-drop-hearing/
Unfortunately the illusion that someone is minding the store against government waste allows waste and corruption to get worse than before the Tea Party claimed to be coming the rescue of the tax payer.
City Councilor Kenney,
http://www.metro.us/philadelphia/local/article/865946--councilman-james-kenney-first-to-nearly-worst
http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2011/06/09/why-on-earth-are-we-still-talking-about-the-drop-program/
http://www.phila.gov/citycouncil/kelly/index.html
Philly Gay News’ low-key article saved Kenny’s seat,
http://epgn.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Primary+endorsements%20&id=13240490
Tea Party favorites,
http://phillydecline.com/2011/05/dirt-sheet-endorsements-billboards-and-drop-oh-my/
I admire Sherrie Cohen, but not her campaign to urge her supporters to only vote for one Council At Large Candidate. She is a warm and compassionate person, who cares very much for the poor and down and out and did a lot to support the public library system and learning opportunities for Philadelphia children. I want to be impressed that someone so progressive managed to win the support of somewhat conservative unions and public officials.
It would have been wonderful for the country if the Tea Party meant it, that they were against government waste.
At any rate Philadelphia has story about Tea Party hypocrisy that could greatly affect the future if the story got out across the country. Progressive politics is about coalitions and no one wants to offend hard working progressive union activists that support DROP. However at this point Philadelphian progressives and honest conservatives can enlighten the nation about the true Tea Party colors. Perhaps others in other areas around the country could spread their own local stories of Tea Party hypocrisy as well. Please post links following this story.
Thomas Drake was a government worker who exposed millions in government waste. Instead of a medal he was convicted of mismanaging government documents, threatened with much more unless he pleaded guilty to those charges. He was meticulously careful only to reveal unclassified information to the press. Where are those complaining about government waste, coming to his defense?
Edmund F. (Ted) Kelly exposed 27 million in worker compensation fraud, fired for his efforts,
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/05/30/18680750.php
Kerry Beal exposed sleeping while on duty at a nuclear power plant, his job downsized to where he was no longer needed,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/03/AR2008010304442.html
Remember Tom Delay?
http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=1122979
How about someone adding other stories of people being punished for trying to save the tax payer's money and rewarded for wasting it, as the Tea Party yawns.
More detail,
http://youngphillypolitics.com/james_kenney_stops_tax_payer_waste_snubbed_tea_party
Richard Kane in Philadelphia PA
|
THE NEW STREAMLINED RSN LOGIN PROCESS: Register once, then login and you are ready to comment. All you need is a Username and a Password of your choosing and you are free to comment whenever you like! Welcome to the Reader Supported News community. |
ARTICLE VIEWS: 1946
MOST RECENT ARTICLES
|
We are certainly living in the midst of a dark and very troubling period in American history. This is a nation that is not advancing, it is regressing; it is no longer growing, it is in a state of Monday, 20 May 2013 |
|
Am I paranoid? Do I worry that the State of California will take my vehicle, since it is registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles? After all, I bought it in another state so I must have Monday, 20 May 2013 |
|
There is nonsense everywhereThere is nonsense in the airThere is nonsense on TVThere is nonsense on radioThere is nonsense in printThere is nonsense on the ‘netThere is nonsense everywhere.There is Monday, 20 May 2013 |
|
Although elections 2013 were free and fair, yet isolated incidents of rigging which are very common in South Asia are creating uncertainty in Pakistan where terrorists continue their subversive Sunday, 19 May 2013 |
|
Julia Trigg Crawford of Direct, Texas, is the manager of a 650-acre farm that her grandfather first bought in 1948. The farm produces mostly corn, wheat, and soy. On its north border is the Red Sunday, 19 May 2013 |
|
Proposition: The most likely doomsday scenario we face is not the one we are constantly being force-fed by dissembling politicians and the corporate-controlled media. The right-wing strategy aimed Saturday, 18 May 2013 |
|
When Barack Obama was running for president, he promised an administration that would be the most transparent of all time, one that would make sure the public was aware of how its government was Saturday, 18 May 2013 |
Comments
We are concerned about a recent drift towards vitriol in the RSN Reader comments section. There is a fine line between moderation and censorship. No one likes a harsh or confrontational forum atmosphere. At the same time everyone wants to be able to express themselves freely. We'll start by encouraging good judgment. If that doesn't work we'll have to ramp up the moderation.
General guidelines: Avoid personal attacks on other forum members; Avoid remarks that are ethnically derogatory; Do not advocate violence, or any illegal activity.
Remember that making the world better begins with responsible action.
- The RSN Team
http://www.whistleblowers.org/storage/whistleblowers/documents/1777whistle-blowers.pdf
An inspirational bit of history
With all Sherrie Cohen's friends she should have no problem getting 4000 signatures by July 1. The Philadelphia Green Party agreeing to have her as a candidate is far from automatic. However she is good friends with Cheri Honkala who is collecting signatures to run for Sheriff under the Green Party banner. And Honkala could encourage the Philly Green Party to accept Cohen’s nomination.
When gay marriage is on the ballot, people who vote Republican show up to vote in other races. However when pot was on the ballot in California even Democrats who opposed legalizing pot won, because progressives aren’t single issue voters. Thus if progressives show up to vote for Honkala for Sheriff, and Cohen for Council at large, progressive Democrats will also end up with a lot more votes.
I like the more ignorant voters felt I had to vote no somewhere on the ballot in the last election. I almost voted for Tom Corbett for Governor but why would a Pennsylvania official want to praise Arizona’s anti immigrant laws? And voted down some ballot questions instead. Others I talked to voted straight Republican as a protest vote without any idea of what State Reps they were punishing. The Green Party gets people to vote no and yes at the same time
http://youngphillypolitics.com/sherrie_cohen_consensus_now_includes_organizations_committed_economic_growth_0#comment-37689
A review of what happened, a once extremely popular Republican City Councilor was booted out by Republican voters after a lot of argument and accusation, while without fanfare other politicians lost Wilson Goode, or almost lost Jim Kenney, for not playing ball and causing trouble. Philadelphia Gay News blinked by reminding voters that DROP was an important issue even though it didn’t affect their endorsements.
Politicians and others quietly get in trouble for “not being team players”. People rise up in angry when wrong is exposed, while those doing the exposing get snubbed, ostracized or worse.
Why hasn’t anyone posted examples of politicians punished for avoiding or exposing waste elsewhere in the country?
RSS feed for comments to this post