MARKETING COCAINE TO KIDS

The Hershey Chocolate Company has decided to use a new controversial item to aid in drawing attention to their products, cocaine. The company known for producing tasty treats for children was under fire by many judges, police officers and parents in Pennsylvania for distributing a new product that resembles cocaine.
The candy, pictured above, is actually two thin breath strips with a dissolvable powdered mint sweetener in the center. The mint melts on the tongue similar to breath strips that are currently on the market. Hershey’s reps state that the product was not intended to simulate anything at all. They have emphasized that the PACS are properly noted as being mints. However many police officers have been fooled by the product. Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector William Blackburn said” Being in narcotics the majority of my career, I thought it was the real stuff.” A veteran police officer actually cried when she saw the product; the police officers daughter died of a heroin overdose over six years ago.
However, Hershey insists there was no bad intent in the design of the product and that it was just a large coincidence. Another shocking coincidence is that the plastic packaging used for the product looks remarkably like the magnetic key cases drug dealers use to hide their drugs underneath cars.
Many are afraid that children will begin to mistake nickel bags of drugs for the candy and ingest them. Others are afraid of the false arrest that could take place in many urban communities. One officer even suggested the scenario of a drug dealer being killed because the candy-look alike is being mixed with the real thing in a drug trade.
What also makes it shocking is that this product comes from Hershey, a company dedicated to providing treats for children. Company founder Milton Hershey spent most of his life helping children. Now for the purpose of increasing their bottom line, they have risked the lives of hundreds if not thousands of children.
The strips and powder could have taken different shapes or colors. The plastic packaging did not have to look like the magnetic key cases often used by drug dealers. The reps at Hershey probably knew that its design would cause controversy and draw attention to the innocent brand, and possibly increase their sales. Hershey’s has never been considered edgy and one can be sure some dimwitted marketing rep thought it would be “hot” to distribute a product that kids would think is “cool.”. They probably also figured that parents and community leaders wouldn’t catch on right away and that the buzz throughout schoolyards and playgrounds would have every urban child saving their money to buy some. One young man actually wrote into the Philadelphia Daily News and stated that he thought it might help his “street cred”. What the Hershey’s Reps probably didn’t bet on was that many of the parents and community leaders in our city would mobilize. Councilman Juan Ramos was the first to take issue with the candy and introduced a resolution in City Council on December 6, which Council unanimously adopted, “Denouncing the Hershey Company for their marketing and distribution of Ice Breaker Pacs and urging the company to immediately remove the product and repackage the product in a more responsible manner.”

Since the outpouring of letters and phone calls from parents, police officers, teachers and shocked consumers, as well as the numerous newspaper articles and television news items, Hershey’s has issued a statement saying that they would repackage the product.
So some questions remain; with the poor earnings this year, did they gain the sales they thought this stunt would provide or did they lose valued customers who could just as easily enjoy a Nestle Crunch bar? And we wonder, did this experiment in stupidity have anything to do with the drastic shakeup at the top of the company?

Governor Rendell’s Gun Control Proposal Shot Down

Governor Rendell recently gave three proposals to the house Judiciary Committee. He intended to enact three bills that would aid in regulating gun control laws in Pennsylvania. The first bill would have limited the amount of guns one could purchase in a month. Another would require gun owners to report lost or stolen guns immediately. The other bill would allow local governments to enact their own gun control regulations.

Governor Rendell, a former mayor of Philadelphia used statistics about the homicide rates in the city as a foundation for his plea to the House Judiciary Committee. He also noted the increase in gun violence in Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and other major Pennsylvania cities.

Governor Rendell’s proposal was important to many in the City of Philadelphia. The rejection of this bill has lead many to wonder, why were these gun control bills shot down?

To many Pennsylvania is known as a hunting state. With the various parks and wildlife areas found within the state the large number of hunters in Pennsylvania continues to increase. Additionally PA has a large NRA chapter, moreover many NRA members and gun lobbyists have political ties in the state.

In an article by Democratic Representative Daylin Leach in the November 28, 2007 Inquirer, he mentioned that he received hundreds of emails from people citing that the bills would be a violation of their second amendment rights. Representative Leach brought out that the bills did not violate citizen’s rights to bear arms but rather that these bills regulate the ways in which citizens observe these rights. He presented an example that focused on our first amendment rights. Although we have the freedom of speech we are restricted from doing many things with that freedom. For instance we are restricted from leaking classified information, or from giving terroristic threats. These restrictions and regulations were put in place with the purpose of maintaining public safety.

Similarly, the gun control bills were to be put in place not with the intent of impeding on ones rights to bear arms but rather with a grand concern for public safety, in particular the citizens of many of the major cities in Pennsylvania. The bills would not restrict one from bearing arms. Rather, they would regulate the amount of handguns that a person would be able to purchase. The bills would also move gun owners to move swiftly to report a stolen or lost weapon. Moreover, the bills would allow municipalities, particularly ones with severe crime rates, to adjust gun laws in the area to uphold public safety.

If a person purchases one handgun a month every month, they would be able to own 12 guns a year in addition to the guns they may already own. This amount of weaponry is more than enough to protect ones family or shoot an animal for sport. However many still feel that these bills do encroach upon their constitutional rights.

Rejecters of the bills also feel that allowing the gun-control bills will not have any effect on the crime rates in many of the major cities. Representative Beverly Mackereth (Republican from Spring Grove) was quoted as saying ”It’s not a quick answer to the problem, but then again I don’t think gun control bills are an answer at all.”

Many have also stated that having local gun ordinances would make it difficult for citizens to comply with the laws in place. One Gun lobbyist stated that the enforcing of the bills could make thousands of different gun laws in our state. Thus, it would make it impossible to comply with these laws.

Although various reasoning and rationale has been given as to why the bills regarding municipalities governing their own laws has been given, very little reasoning as to why gun lobbyist and many legislators rejected the other two bills has been given. In terms of the bill enforcing a one handgun-a-month limit it has been said that this “rations individual liberties”. However the reasoning for the rejection of the one handgun a month bill and the reporting of lost or stolen guns, seems to be more a matter of convenience than a violation of one’s constitutional rights. Keeping in mind the increasing murder rates in many cities as well as the threat to Pennsylvania citizens, one would think that it would outweigh the minor inconvenience of waiting an extra thirty days to purchase a handgun or reporting that your handgun isn’t in the closet you usually keep it in.

We wonder if the gun lobbyist in this case were concerned that these bills would violate citizens’ right to bear arms or whether there would be a slippery slope scenario that would lead to stronger gun control laws and eventual bans on certain weapons. The bottom line in this case was whether or not keeping guns accessible to the average citizen was of more importance than making them inaccessible to criminals. The Judiciary Committee has made their choice.

Post Election Day Analysis

In this entry the staff at Ross Associates would like to Comment on the Elections that took place on November 6, 2007. Below you will find discussion of the Mayoral, City Council and Judicial races for this year. The staff was asked to respond to the 17 questions listed below.


Mayoral Election Day


1. Was the general election for mayor of Philadelphia a mere formality? Did Al Taubenberger have a chance?

Billy: It was a mere formality but Al did better than expected.

Heidi: Michael Nutter’s experience as a Councilman, his vision to make Philadelphia safer, his ability to stay above the food fight during the Primary, and his deep love for Philadelphia catapulted him into Room 215 City Hall. Al Taubenberger’s slogan “Vote for Al…He’s a good guy,” is quite true. Al is a good guy. But 21st century Philadelphia needs more than a good guy to survive the problems that face 21st century urban environments. Philadelphia is getting crushed under the weight of our own citizens playing Jesse James, Wild Bill Hickok (and any other gun-toting outlaw you’ve seen in the movies) running amok with handguns and anger…..a proven deadly combination.

Sharell: I have to agree with Heidi, with his vast experience and his excellent campaign it easy to see why Michael Nutter won this election. I really appreciated the advertisements with his daughter in them. I'm guessing that due to a lack of funding, Al Taubenberger wasn’t able to promote himself as adequately as many would have liked. We really didn’t hear a lot about Al, and his website was terrible. Philadelphia needs a mayor that will take our issues seriously and I think Michael Nutter reflected that he was the best candidate for the job.

Darisha: It was a mere formality. AI has a pleasant disposition, which at one point I thought he was really going to take his candidacy serious. Michael Nutter was the best candidate. He was a serious candidate.

2. What do you think are the top five priorities Mayor-elect Michael Nutter needs to address upon entering office?

Billy:

1. Address joblessness
2. Increase regional business opportunities
3. Declare war on illegal guns and violence
4. Deal with Union hiring of minority citizens and Philadelphians
5. Increase his personal security


Heidi: Contrary to what most people think, Philadelphia does not have a crime epidemic, it has a murder epidemic. So, obviously public safety must be the priority. Following that, public education, economic development, job training and civic pride/morale.

Sharell: Definitely the murder rate. I think that in terms of economic development and any other progress in the city, the murder rate really hinders everything. I don’t think that Businesses are going to create major operations in a city with one of the top murder rates in the country. Once the Murder rate is addressed, everything else can be addressed.

Darisha:
1. Jobs
2. Retaining graduates to remain in the city after graduation
3. Addressing the recession in the city. Crimes are rising because poverty is rising.
4. City Contracts expiration: Police, Fireman & City workers are demanding contract renewal & benefits.
5. Creating an economy for Philadelphians to live, work & feel safe.


3. In an interview with the Philadelphia Daily News Mayor-elect Michael Nutter stated that an audit of the Philadelphia School District would be called and that he plans to return the school district to city Control. Do you feel this audit is necessary and that it will benefit the children of Philadelphia?


Billy: I believe an audit of the school and every other agency that receives public and private money is necessary. We must find better ways to support public education and minimize corporate waste.

Heidi: For full disclosure, Ross Associates represents the School Reform Commission for strategic communications purposes.
With that said, audits of public agencies are never a waste of time and money. But the City Controller is charged with auditing the School District on an annual basis so unless the audit is new and different or more in-depth, why do it?

Sharell: I think an audit might aid the school district in reaching its economic goals and pushing more of the funding to go to the needs of the students.

Darisha: The Mayor will have a full plate during his first three years in this administration. It’s a public agency but I don't want to see an audit at this present time. The city is not in any position to regain control of the district at this time.

4. What message would a republican need to communicate in order to have a chance at winning the next Philadelphia Mayoral election ( please keep in mind that it has been nearly 60 years since a republican ruled city hall and city democrats outnumber republicans 4 to 1)

Billy: A message of inclusion and explain that party lines many times stifle the best ideas. If a candidate can restore hope, people will vote republican. Just look at Arlen Specter.

Heidi: While Philadelphia is mainly a Democratic city, we’ve seen in 1999 and 2003 a Republican candidate come very close to winning City Hall. Many voters today look at the individual and not so much which political party he or she represents. Voting the party is more about saving patronage than it is about the individual running for office.

Sharell: I think that a republican would have to take a page out of the Democratic candidates for president’s book and emphasize change. Regardless of the political party or affiliations that one might have, in the end we all want our city to change for the better. A republican candidate would have to emphasize the deficiencies a lot of the democrats have had in the past and show areas in which he or she would make it better.

Darisha: The republican would need to communicate how business gets done effectively under our leadership. But they would have to trim access salaries, spendings & some of the perks under their leadership. Individuals are tired of Democrats & despise Republicans because of the state of the Country.

5. How would you describe the organization and execution of each of the mayoral candidates’ overall campaign? In what areas were they lacking? In what areas could they have improved their campaign strategies?

Billy: Al's campaign was all fluff and no substance…………Nutter should not change his campaign strategy at all.

Heidi: Michael Nutter never stopped following his Primary win. He spent every weekend with a coalition of volunteers cleaning sections of the city. He was the chosen victor and it was assumed by voters that the November election was just the formality.
On the other hand, no one got to know Al Taubenberger during the Primary and he never had the money to reach most voters during the General. He was never able to increase his name recognition to the level that a Mayoral candidate needed.

Sharell: Although he had limited funding, It really seemed as if AL Taubenberger had a nonchalant attitude when it came to his campaign. Overall Michael Nutter’s campaign strategy was extremely effective.

Darisha: Nutter's campaign was great. I received daily emails with updates, events, fundraisers, & when he was going to be in my neighborhood. I listened to his message all of the time & he was a serious candidate who fulfilled his dream. He's wanted to be mayor for at least 5 years. Al is a great candidate & he's not serious about what he believes. I didn't feel like laughing I want to feel what he stood for and believed and he didn't display it at all.

6. Will Mayor-elect Michael Nutter, be able to live up to the promises that were made prior to the election?

Billy: I think Nutter will be great and exceed expectations

Heidi: Michael Nutter is a doer. He never came to City Council unprepared, and will absolutely have a plan for working with City Council, the General Assembly and the citizens of Philadelphia to turn his promises into realities.

Sharell: I think that if his plans are as thought out effectively as he made it seem prior to becoming Mayor, then he will be able to live up to them.

Darisha: Nutter had been working like an elected official before he was elected to City Council. He's a very hard worker. He's bright, strategic, and he pays attention. He must convince Philadelphians to change the way they think and get things done. That's the thing that concerns me, Philadelphians adjusting to change and he's an out of the box thinker. He'll be able to get things done.

City Council
7. A large concern for a number of the members of City Council is the Business Privilege tax. Do you feel that changes to the business privilege tax will increase the amount of business growth in Philadelphia and allow businesses to employ more citizens of Philadelphia?

Billy: I think this will help Philly. I think Nutter’s plan for hiring ex cons will do wonders for our business climate………….can you say Out Of the Box………..this type of thinking always attracts the best and brightest

Heidi: Yes. And it may actually get done now under Mayor-elect Nutter.

Sharell: Philadelphia has the potential for so much growth I think that altering the business privilege tax will greatly benefit the city.

Darisha: Yes and since Nutter was involved with Tax Reform Commission in the early stages and that's been his platform it'll be successful.

8. Was it surprising to see which candidates actually won an at large seat?

Billy:I was pleasantly surprised to see David Oh

Heidi: No. The Democrats were a done deal. We knew the race for one of the Republican seats would be between Jack Kelly and David Oh. The fact that the race is too close to call surprises me.

Sharell: I would have to agree with Heidi, in researching the candidates I found that most political experts had already made up their minds on who would take what position. With the slight exception of David Oh, most of their predictions were right.

Darisha: I was surprised about David Oh & the close race.


9. In an interview with the Philadelphia Daily News Councilman James F. Kenney, stated that his main priority in his first year of office as a member of council would be to create the 311 call center in Philadelphia. Additionally CouncilmanFrank DiCicco mentioned a need for the 311 system. Do you feel that this call center would be an effective way to improve the quality of life in Philadelphia?

Billy: I agree we need this desperately.

Heidi: Absolutely. You can’t be a world-class city without utilizing technology to more efficiently and effectively service its citizens. A 311 call center should have been done years ago. The benefits would pay for the cost tenfold.

Sharell: I'm interested to see how that would work. I think it would benefit the city to a small degree.

Darisha: Yes, I just want to see how much its going to cost and that also means more jobs. I would love to see how long its going to take. I don't want the Council persons to drag their feet with this system.

10. Is there a Councilman or Council woman whose campaign really emphasized a dedication to increased police and increased economic opportunities? Many of the candidates for City Council have supported an increase in police patrol throughout the city as well as providing economic opportunities for ex-offenders and those living in poverty.

Billy: Not really but Michael Nutter emphasized this.

Heidi: I couldn’t say. I didn’t attend any of the Council forums and didn’t see any ads except for Jack Kelly and David Oh. I imagine all the candidates emphasized the need to increase police presence. The ex-offender bill was Wilson Goode, Jr.’s with support from Mayor-elect Nutter.

Darisha: I couldn't say. I'm aware that Nutter wants to increase police presence throughout the city.

11. Out of the two issues, increase police patrol and increase economic opportunities for citizens, which issue do you feel should be of greater priority to City Council?

Billy: Increase economic opportunities

Heidi: If you increase real economic opportunities for people, the crime rate is likely to decrease proportionate to the number of people who have sustainable income.

Sharell: Id have to agree that economic opportunities will make a serious difference in the community, however more support for the police department will be needed in order to grab hold of the murder epidemic.

Darisha: I feel if you increase the economic opportunities for individuals, the crime will decrease. It's opportunities of employment with benefits that's the key insurance and how will an individual take care of their family if there's no potential for growth in a company.

12. In terms of advertising and print campaigns which of the Councilmen do you feel ran a successful campaign and implemented an effective marketing plan?

Billy: David OH was the best hands down followed by Green and Kelly.

Heidi: As a challenger, David Oh had to increase name recognition, define himself and give people a reason to vote for him. He advertised early with full-page ads and a clear message. Jack Kelly skillfully used third party endorsers in his print ads, and I have to say, the one with the cat was wonderful. Jack defined himself in Council as a protector of animals, but even if you didn’t know that, the little cat’s face with the words “Jack saved my life” told a strong story about him as an individual.

Sharell: I liked the Jack Kelly ad with the Cat too but in the end David Oh was victorious.
Darisha: Jack Kelly, Bill Green & David Oh because I read there messages daily.

City Commissioner

13. What strategies should the elected city commissioners implement to ensure a large number of voters turn out for the next election?

Billy: They should work all the time to support grassroot voter education initiatives. That office needs to have a presence on more than election day.

Heidi: That’s a great question and one that many of us have been asking. I have no idea what motivates people to go to the polls. Clearly it’s not a priority for Philadelphians.

Sharell: I was surprised to hear how many voters didn’t even know when the election took place. An article in the Inquirer mentioned that one woman thought that the primaries in May were the only elections she had to worry about. I think creating better awareness would aid in an increased voter turnout.

Darisha: The City Commissioners would be effective if they purge the voter file. There needs to be an updated informational database of Philadelphian voters. Voters rights, responsibilities and legal should be addressed a monthly or weekly city wide forums with block captains, committee persons, neighbors and ward leaders. There communicative message needs to be if you don't want the following to happen to you....You should vote and here's where you can do it...Please call....


14. What do you think are the reasons for the record low voter turn out in Philadelphia?

Billy: Voter apathy and turned off by government

Heidi: Much the same as I stated above. Many people checked out after the Primary because they assumed that no Republican, let alone one with a low profile and no public record, could beat Michael Nutter. It’s still our responsibility as citizens to vote. Perhaps if the government threatened to revoke that right, people would take notice.

Sharell: I do think that that many of the people in Philadelphia thought that Michael Nutter had pretty much won, so there was no need to turn out.

Darisha: Individuals don't care about anything but themselves so why vote or become a part of a process that's doesn't affect them. Voters are reading articles about political scandals, pay-to-play, salaries patronage and are fed up. There's no pride or sense of urgency to vote for anything these days.

Judges

15. In terms of Retention for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court judges do you feel that the controversy surrounding law makers pay raises in 2006 affected Saylor’s campaign? How do you feel about him being retained?

Billy: I actually did not follow his campaign at all and know nothing about it

Heidi: The pay raise issue was such a long time ago that no one was really focused on it this election. I don’t know much about him so I can’t comment.

Sharell: The pay raise issue really didn’t seem to come up at all when it came time for the elections. Saylor received 66 % of the vote so it really showed that a lot of the citizens of Pennsylvania either forgot or didn’t pay attention to the pay raise issue.

Darisha: I don't know much so I can't comment

16. Are you surprised or disappointed by the results of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court elections? Which candidates did you think would more than likely take the seats: Michael L. Krancer, Republican Maureen Lally-Green, Democrats Seamus P. McCaffery and Debra Todd of Butler County, and why?

Heidi: Democrats were worried that if the city turned out a low percentage of voters, the statewide Democratic candidates would suffer. It’s interesting that the two Democrats won rather easily.

Sharell: Yes the city turn out was a concern but in the end I guess that didn’t matter, because the democrats still won.

Darisha: I looked at the primary results, so I wasn't surprised at any of the results.

17. Are you surprised or disappointed by the results of the Pennsylvania Superior Court elections? Which candidates did you think would more than likely take the seats: Christine Donohue, Ron Folino , John Milton Younge, Cheryl Allen, Bruce Bratton or Jackie Shogan, and why?

Billy: I was disappointed by John Milton Younge’s loss…..it was terrible that our turnout was so low that Philly did not help in a statewide race…………

Heidi: Now you’re asking details that I can’t answer. I don’t know any of the judges. I’ve looked at some literature, but have to rely mostly on the Bar Association’s and the media’s endorsements for assistance. I’d much rather have merit selection and not elect judges at all. Most individuals don’t know enough about the judicial candidates’ qualifications and records to elect judges.

Sharell : Yes, once again it seems like the political experts guessed this one correctly as well, so no surprises here.

Darisha: I wasn't surprised at John Younge results because of the position and its county wide. Philadelphian voters ie: African American voters had to participate in the election in large numbers and since its not the Presidential I assumed it was not going to be favorable for him. The interesting thing about Cheryl Allen is she's an African American woman and she's been working and advocating for years so I wasn't surprised she won.

Voters in the general election are able to vote for both parties while in the voting booth, but many individuals still just pull the straight Democrat or Republican lever. That is why I enjoy November election because I have the chance to participate in both Democratic and Republican.

Are we really that far from Little Rock?

On September 17, 2007, In honor of Constitution Day 2007, Elizabeth Eckford, was honored at the National Constitution Center. Ms. Eckford joined 100 other history-making Americans featured on the American National Tree exhibit at the Center. Ms. Eckford was one of the "Little Rock" nine escorted by the government who attempted to desegregate an Arkansas High School in 1957. She faced persecution in her efforts just to receive an education and equality for black students. Even now 50 years after that historic day, Elizabeth Eckford gets emotional when talking about the daily attacks by white students who slammed her against lockers; and the students that pushed their desks away so they wouldn't have to sit next to her. In an interview with the Philadelphia’s Inquirer, Eckford mentioned that many come to her to laud the progress that America has made with regards to prejudice and racism in this country. However, Eckford quickly pointed to many of the incidents taking place in America today, Eckford stated, “There is so much unfinished business”.



Many people feel that America has come a long way since the civil rights movement. Many feel that a great deal of the segregation, the injustices and stereotypes about African Americans has died down since pioneers like Elizabeth Eckford made their stand. However in looking at the networks that portray blacks in the media, the justice system that has unequal standards in rendering judgment for blacks as well as the numerous cases of cruelty and brutality towards blacks many wonder, has much of anything changed?


An incident that is drawing a great deal of media attention at this time ( finally) is the Jena 6 case. The incident started in September 2006 when a black student asked to sit under a tree that was usually occupied by white students. The next day three white students hung three hangman’s nooses from the tree. School officials ruled this incident as a harmless prank and students were given in-house suspensions.
A number of racially charged incidents took place after the nooses were hung from the tree. At a party, one black student was attacked by a number of white students. The next day a heated argument involving both white and black students led to an altercation between a white student and 6 black students known as the Jena 6: Robert Bailey, Carwin Jones, Mychal Bell, Theodore Shaw, Jesse Beard and Bryant Ray Purvis.

One of the white students was knocked unconscious in the altercation and because of this these young men are now being charged with murder and conspiracy.

There are many marches and protests taking place because of this case, and rightly so. (The boys should have tried to stick to a non-violent approach (given the circumstances, few of us can say it would be easy to control our anger). However to charge these boys with murder and conspiracy as adults is just insane. Justin Barker the young “victim” in the fight not only walked away with minor injuries but also attended a ring ceremony later on that evening. The district attorney is trying to ruin these boys’ lives over a minor scuffle. Or as he told the boys before the event took place, “I can be your best friend or your worst enemy. I can take away your lives with a stroke of my pen."

Another incident happened in West Virginia. A 20-year-old young black woman, Megan Williams, was held captive for more than a week by six suspects, among them a mother and son and a mother and daughter. They took turns torturing Williams, using racial slurs, stabbing her repeatedly, assaulting, choking and even forcing her to eat rat droppings, all because she was black.

One cannot begin to speak about how shocking and horrific this crime is. The police assigned to investigate were horrified and sickened by what they had seen. What can possibly possess a human being to treat another human being this way?

The images and stereotypes that we have been fighting for decades still seem to be popular images in mainstream culture. The over sexualized and violent black man and black woman stereotype is still being perpetuated down to our day. An entire network that is supposed to be for Black Entertainment has been severely criticized for its constant portrayals of black men as "pimps" and "gangsters" as well as sexually exploiting black women. In frustration, more than 500 people demonstrated Sunday in Washington D.C. outside the home of Black Entertainment Television's (BET) chief executive. The music videos and shows that run on the network 24hours a day 7 days a week reinforce the stereotypes that we have tried to fight for so many years. One program recently aired on the network was entitled "Hot Ghetto Mess," however after much public uproar it was changed to: "We Got to Do Better." An extremely controversial and infuriating cartoon/Public Service Announcement (PSA) was aired on BET. The PSA entitled "Read a Book" has even been debated and criticized on CNN. More than 500 members of the Enough is Enough Campaign are demanding that the network stop showing these negative images of black people. The group says it will return every weekend until BET chief Debra Lee addresses their concerns.

More than 50 years ago African Americans in this country were persecuted and oppressed by those in society who hoped to eliminate any chances of them having a life in this country. Through the political and justice systems, as well as through the media, African Americans were rejected and abused by this country. It has been said that this country has come a long way since the fights of Dr. Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy and Elizabeth Eckford. However in looking at just some of the cases we see blacks face daily in the media, one is left to ask, “Really has anything changed?” In an effort to bring attention to these cases, as well as the overall lack of change in this country with regards to race relations, many protests and marches are scheduled to take place. On September 20th a march will take place in Jena, Louisiana. Additionally the protest in Washington DC against BET will continue until changes to the network and its images are made. Realizing how crucial this time is for African Americans, the question is, ‘What are you going to do?’
Will September 20th be the last day of solidarity? Will African Americans stand up and organize on a daily basis? Is September 20th the last time you'll see 60,000 marching for civil rights? Are we still celebrating the Million Man or Woman March? Are we going to keep depending on politicians to address issues that we should have been handling all along? When is our next movement for change? We know that many people wore black on September 20th but what color are you wearing today?

The New Gray Movement Right or Wrong Quickly Becoming a Gray Matter

Governmental authorities and celebrities in the media are starting a new trend. An increase in immoral, unethical and illegal behavior has manifested a new paradigm within the United States. Despite being caught in the act, many celebrities and politicians have avoided the blowback associated with their actions through a form of spin and plausible deniability that even many PR professionals are amazed by.

The line between guilty and not guilty is not as clear as it used to be. For the first time ever one can be sorta kinda guilty. Gone are the days in which a person would admit they were wrong, accept responsibility for their actions and petition for forgiveness. Today a person needs only to apologize to those he or she has offended as well as anybody they “might have” let down because of their actions and it is considered to be an apology.

Rosie O’Donnell - At the time of her being a co-host on on The View attempted to imitate people in China that were talking about celebrity gossip. She was quoted as saying "You know, you can imagine in China it's like, “Ching-chong, ching-chong. Danny DeVito. Ching-chong, ching-chong-chong. Drunk.” She later gave a public apology that seems to follow the same format as many celebrities, "To anyone who was offended at my Chinese, Asian, pseudo-Japanese, sounded-a-little-Yiddish accent that I was doing, you know, it was never [my] intent to mock, and I'm sorry for those who felt hurt or were teased on the playground." Can this be considered an apology? Rosie gave neither an admittance of wrongdoing or a statement that these words were wrong. Her apology didn’t even reflect some remorse or regret for her actions.

Pacifico And Springfield Ford Dealerships- Despite settling out $363,166 and $94,565 with interest to African-Americans whom the dealers charged higher rates to, Springfield and Pacifico Ford never officially apologized or admitted to any guilt. According to the consent order both dealerships were quoted as saying “We deny that we have violated ECOA or engaged in any discriminatory practices against African-Americans or other consumers.” So I guess they just felt like handing out over $400,000 to their African American customers for fun.” I hope I get a phone call the next time they decide to have a fun “free money day”. I wonder if it will be advertised? Ford’s annual free money hand-out sales event, for a limited time only African Americans can receive thousands of dollars for no good reason.

Michael Vick- It seemed that only after Vick realized that there was no way out of being punished that he admitted to being guilty of financing the dog fighting operation and killing numerous dogs. He said his actions were immature. This phrasing really takes away from the gravity of his crimes. I think hiding someone’s lunch at the office on April fool’s day would be an example of acting immature. Setting up an illegal dog-fighting ring and killing dogs is just plain wrong. Vick was also quoted as saying that the dogs “all died as a result of collective efforts” of himself as well as the other co-defendants. Not only did he not admit to guilt initially but after being caught he deflected some of the blow by indirectly admitting to killing the dogs. I wonder if you can apply this reasoning to other things. For instance he might say that he makes millions of dollars a year due to collective efforts or he is the father of his children due to collective efforts.

President George W. Bush – The president was quoted as saying “that mistakes had been made in the course of the Iraq war” and although mistakes were made "our troops are seeing progress on the ground!" Many questions arise after hearing his speech. For instance what mistakes were made, who made them and what is being done to ensure that they will not happen again? It seems the audience focus was shifted toward the progress and not toward the many mistakes that the president kind of glazed over in his speech.

It’s interesting how in most of these examples the definition of what was the right thing to do was never clearly defined. To be honest it was all a bit gray.

These celebs, politicians and authorities are encouraging this new era of plausible deniability. They admit to a sorta kinda guilt and expect everyone to accept it and move on. One can imagine the repercussions of a person following their examples. Picture the irresponsible taxi cab driver that hits a bunch of pedestrians on Broad street and says, “I apologize to anyone I let down at the depot, mistakes were made and due to a collection of efforts people got hit. It wasn’t my intention and I deny that I hurt anyone.”

There are so many other examples in the media of people that never admit to guilt and have a remarkable new ability to spin the situation. We advise those people to leave the spinning to the professionals and learn when to fess up.

No Cheesesteaks, No Peace!

Here in Philadelphia, there are a few things that are absolutely sacrosanct. These are no mere icons or idols, but irreplaceable symbols of our history, life and tradition in the City of Brotherly Love. Among them, The Liberty Bell, the Philadelphia Eagles, William Penn’s statue atop City Hall, and the city’s official sandwich, the Cheesesteak.

And now, horror of horrors, Rick’s Steaks is being unceremoniously ousted from it’s 25-year home at the Reading Terminal Market. The Market’s board voted to replace Rick’s, who was on a month-to-month lease, with Tony Luke’s, rival cheesesteak tycoon. Tony Luke’s, the board said publicly, was a bigger name and a better “fit” for the Market than the popular Rick’s, and demanded that Rick vacate by July 31.

Rick’s owner, Rick Oliveri, is the grandson of cheesesteak inventor Pat Oliveri, who made Pat’s King of Steaks a South Philly landmark for generations. Having grown up with grease and onions in his veins, and in South Philly no less, Rick is one tough hombre, and wasn’t about to give up without a fight. He hired a lawyer, and filed a complaint in Common Pleas Court seeking a temporary restraining order that would allow the sandwich maker to stay put until a judge decides if Rick has a valid lease or not.

“As far as I’m concerned, my lawyer thinks I have a lease,” Rick Oliveri told the Philadelphia Daily News. “I’m staying.”

Oliveri has vowed to fight the good fight, and says he’ll be there frying cheesesteaks until someone comes to drag him out. Several of his fellow Reading Terminal merchants have joined him in protest, and now the annual Dutch festival, scheduled for early August, has been cancelled.

Rick Oliveri says the board’s problem with him is more personal and political than commercial. Oliveri has been acting as the advocate for his fellow merchants (at their request) in their various grievances and negotiations with the Reading Terminal Market Board. Oliveri says it was that vocal advocacy that got him the boot, not the prospect of a “bigger” name sandwich shop.

For now, on this last day of Rick’s authorized stay at the Market, he’s there at his usual station, making sandwiches for the masses. The board looks like the villain in the court of public opinion, and the stalwart entrepreneur is the put-upon hero. Cheesesteak eaters from all over Philadelphia, (and you cannot imagine how many there are) are rallying to the cause, and join Rick and his fellow merchants in their protest of the board’s callous treatment of a Reading Terminal Market anchor.

We have nothing against Tony Luke’s, and in fact, have praised his roast pork sandwiches as among the best we’ve eaten. But even Tony would have to admit that he didn’t want a spot at the Market this way. Political retaliation should never be at the expense of Philadelphian’s stomachs. It’s in the city charter.

We cheesesteak eaters here at Ross Associates, (and yes, that’s ALL of us) join the chorus of support for Rick’s, and hope he gets to stay put right there at the Reading Terminal Market, and close to our offices.

Long live grease! No cheesesteaks, no peace! The gluttons united can never be defeated!

(Okay, so we’ll come up with better protest slogans. Give us time. We’re still eating lunch.)

PA Again Open For Business

Tuesday, July 10, 2007 - As we predicted, the ink wasn't even dry on our last post about the PA government shutdown before we had to print this update.

Not that the below post isn't timely and relevant, it is. But in today's 24-hour news cycle, what happened yesterday isn't just old news, it's ancient history. So here's what's going on today.

Late last night Governor Ed Rendell and members of the state legislature held a news conference in Harrisburg to announce the end of the budget standoff, the end of the forced furloughs, and the end of the short-lived government shutdown.

Lawmakers agreed to stop disagreeing, and the new budget will be on Rendell's desk by the end of the week. Although both sides claim victory, the agreement reached is based on good old fashioned compromise. There will be funding set aside for the expansion of the Pennsylvania Convention Center in downtown Philadelphia, $900 million for highways and mass transit, and a new arena for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Still up in the air is the governor's energy initiative, which would have amounted to a $5.40 surcharge on your monthly electric bill to pay for alternative energy research. Lawmakers have announced plans to meet on the energy bill in a special session.

In all, 25,000 state employees were affected by the less-than-24-hour furlough, and lost more than $3 million in the process. Still, the governor and legislators are smiling, and for now, all's well in the Keystone State.

Tomorrow, as the poet said, brings its own fresh Hell.

PA Budget Impasse Forces State Shutdown

Monday, July 9, 2007 – At 12:01 AM today, most Pennsylvania state offices and services shut down, and thousands of non-essential employees were furloughed. The fight, as you may have heard, is over the legislature’s failure to pass a state budget which includes several key provisions on energy, mass transit and highway funding that Governor Ed Rendell considers deal breakers.

One of the major sticking points is a $5.40 surcharge on residential electric bills to support an $850 million fund to explore renewable and alternative energy. GOP lawmakers consider this a new tax on Pennsylvania homeowners, especially, they say, since the state is currently enjoying a surplus, and have drawn a line in the sand.. The Governor stood firm, reiterating his claim that finding alternative sources of energy will pay dividends for everyone in the long run.

“The energy policy should not be holding these people hostage,” said Republican State Representative Bill Adolph of Delaware County. “We have a $650 million surplus. There is no budget crisis.”

Similar cries have risen from GOP quarters throughout the state, blaming Rendell for not giving in, and essentially denying 25,000 state workers a living, albeit temporarily. Roughly 52,000 state employees, whose positions are deemed “critical” will continue to work. State police, prison guards, veteran’s services, the PA National Guard, health and welfare departments are among those critical jobs.

Interestingly, the shutdown will not effect the state’s five slot parlors, liquor stores, and lottery system, which are open for the duration. A quick rundown:

Open

Food and animal safety inspections

Birth and death certificate processing

Food stamps, cash assistance, and health care for the poor

Unemployment compensation and workers compensation processing

Hospital and nursing home inspections

Slot parlors

State police patrols

Liquor stores

Lottery

Closed

Permits for mining, oil and gas well drilling

State parks and campgrounds

Driver’s license and motor vehicle registration offices

Grant programs

Museums and Historic sites

Civil service testing

As the story changes hour by hour, we’ll keep you up to date with addendums and post scripts on the developments. Check out our blog, Watercooler Whiners, for updates. Until then, go buy a bottle of booze and a lottery ticket, and drop a few quarters in the local slot machines.

Next Time, Get It On eBay

Philadelphia made the national news reports once again; and once again, not for anything good. John F. Street, our beloved lame duck of a mayor, bless his heart, spent last Friday sitting in the rain since 3 AM, in line for a new iPhone with the rest of the techno geeks.

Big deal, right? Wrong. While in the larger scheme of things, Street’s gadget vigil doesn’t affect the city’s crime rate or tax base one iota, the public image of a chief executive in a city besieged with troubles sitting around waiting for a new phone got under many Philadelphians’ skin. To the mayor’s surprise, ordinary citizens got up in his face and gave him an earful, in full view of local and national news cameras.

One woman read Street the riot act for not being at his post during business hours. Identifying herself as a former city employee, she said that when she worked for the city, she couldn’t even leave her desk to run out to the dollar store, and yet he can sit here all night and all day on the taxpayers dime. Street seemed genuinely shocked that the woman would confront him face-to-face, and mumbled a lame-sounding defense about working while sitting in line, having sent his first official city-related e-mail at 4 AM.

The problem is that the mayor is right, but completely misses the point. Of course, he can do work from anywhere - using his handheld device to make calls, send and answer e-mails and faxes, and keep up with his appointment schedule. It’s perfectly logical that he could be productive and engaged in city business while sitting in the rain three blocks from City Hall. But we’re talking about public perceptions here, not practical reality.

In a city where the murder rate is rising faster than the summer temperatures, and where residents and tourists alike fear venturing anywhere outside of Center City, perception is reality.

Primary Election Day Analysis

Comment and analysis of the May 15, 2007 Election Day results with your round table of Ross Associates political insiders: Daryl Gale (black), Heidi Gold (blue), Billy Miller V (green), and Darisha Miller (red).

Best and Worst of the Mayor’s Race

Michael Nutter ran the best campaign, and I don’t say that because he won. He’s been talking about and preparing to run for mayor for years. He had a local expert doing his media - someone who knew the city, its people and how they think. I, like many people, underestimated Michael's relentless pursuit of the things he wants. He was the last to launch his television ad campaign, which lulled people into a sense that he was disorganized, broke or both. Looking back, it was probably calculating. While many laughed at his ad attacking John Street, it actually worked well, as most people were disgusted with the pay-to-play culture that was rampant during his administration, his perceived lack of taking any bold action against the escalating homicides plaguing the city, and his arrogant attitude – perceived or otherwise. People wanted something, but I’m not certain they knew what they wanted. When Michael defined it as change from the status quo, it stuck like crazy glue.

Couldn’t agree more. Neil Oxman, his local expert, was masterful. I honestly think that’s what made the difference for Nutter – Oxman’s institutional knowledge of the city and the political players allowed Nutter to get his message to exact demographics. He knew where and when to spend, making maximum use of the money Nutter had. Plus, as an added bonus, he raised every dime in accordance with the new, stricter campaign finance laws – and shot holes in the theory that Tom Knox would be able to buy City Hall outright.

[Nutter’s campaign] was organized, visible, and there was a solid team effort. The volunteers were consistent, and friendly on the telephone. I received emails from his campaign daily, more than all the other candidates combined.

Michael Nutter started slow, but he gradually introduced his issues, built momentum and stayed on message. His best moment was the “Olivia” commercial.

The Olivia ad was brilliant. The commercial showed a personable Nutter. He's a policy
wonk but he's a part of a family who supports him.

Kudos to Olivia. She even got into the fundraising end of the campaign when she wanted to charge me for her autograph. And let’s not forget Olivia’s robo calls leading up to Election Day.

I thought the Olivia ad was a stroke of genius. Not only did it humanize him as you say, it also subtly pointed out that Nutter was the only candidate to send his child to public school. He went from numbers nerd to good old dad in thirty seconds.

Michael also consistently performed the best in the debates. He had succinct, well-thought answers and didn't get into the fray that the other candidates did. He acted like a leader and never wavered.

Chaka Fattah ran the worst campaign by far. The rumors of his arrogance prevailed during the Mayor's race.

Rumors? Hell, his arrogance itself prevailed!

Every innuendo, rumor, perception and stereotype about him proved to be true. This was his election to lose. While he was waiting to be crowned the next mayor, his opponents were outworking him. When he dropped so far in the polls that he became desperate: the Barack Obama fundraising letter, the campaigning celebrities (if that's what you want to call them), and ultimately the racial attack on Michael Nutter showed his true personality and ultimately cost him the election.

Let’s just say it: Congressman Fattah blew it on a number of different levels. He was awful, and I agree with Heidi – the cheap Uncle Tom shot on Nutter backfired, as it should have. I think he knew it as soon as he said it. You could see the “I [fouled] up” look on his face.


I disagree with you guys on this one. State Representative Dwight Evans ran the worst campaign. He had the experience, the accomplishments, high positives and low negatives, but never energized people until it was too late. With his pedigree this should have been a slam dunk, but Philadelphians are more concerned with being comfortable and watching good commercials than actual substance.

Dwight Evans simply did not relay his message well. He began to show his frustration when he was asked questions during forums. He blossomed during the last 4 weeks in the campaign, but by then it was too late. He had a good head start, and he never shined. He never told his story.

I still don't understand why someone as bright as Dwight Evans who had been preparing to run again for the last eight years never caught on. Well, I guess I actually do - too long-winded, too cerebral (especially that table ad that no one understood), he didn't answer questions... His presentation got better at the end of the campaign when voters had already written him off. That, and the fact that many voters believed we are better off with him in Harrisburg where he really shines. Did he ignore his campaign advisors or did they give him bad advice? You can’t be the campaign manager AND the candidate, and that I believe was one of the flaws in his campaign.

It’s a close call, no doubt about it – but the question on the table here is the absolute worst campaign, and for that I have to agree with Darisha and Heidi – it’s Chaka Fattah hands down. Billy’s right in everything he said about Evans’ campaign, but because Evans was always in last place it can be said that he never gained traction. Chaka, on the other hand, was way out front with a comfortable lead, which he just sat on until it dwindled down to nothing. He fell a lot farther than Dwight. Even now, look at the guys who lost. Dwight is greeted with a hero’s welcome in Harrisburg, Bob Brady is still party chair, and the Mayor of Capitol Hill. Only Chaka lost in terms of power and reputation. Now I hear rumblings about his house seat being vulnerable.

Funniest Moment

The funniest moment came during a debate when Paul Vallas, the school district’s CEO, was called a bean counter by Tom Knox. Congressman Brady said, “Well, with a 200 million dollar deficit he didn’t count them beans very well did he, Dwight?”

I laughed my [you know what] off when Congressman Brady & Tom Knox were arguing during the debate with Chris Matthews. I loved when Tom Knox stated, "If I'm elected Mayor the first thing I'm going to do is kick your butt."

Actually, Knox said “I’m going to City Hall to kick some bureaucratic butt and yours will be the first one!” But point taken. To me, though, Brady’s comeback was twice as funny. The mock fear, and asking Matthews if he could move his chair was classic, and made Knox look even more like a donkey.

I loved the televised debates that got way out of control of the moderators. Poor Marty Moss Coane yelling “stop”was a scream! It was Rock’em Sock’em Robots personified. Brady's shots at Knox were the best.

A close second for me was when Dwight Evans called Chaka Fattah’s plan to lease the airport “voodoo economics”. First, I hadn’t heard that one since Reagan was alive, but the real hoot was the reaction shot from Chaka. He looked like someone stole the surprise out of his Cracker Jacks.

Didn’t Dwight steal the “fuzzy math” line from Al Gore? Thank God he didn’t talk about putting the airport in a lock box!


City Council Races

The fourth district race was a surprise. I just knew that Matt McClure was going to win.
I was also sure Sharif Street was going to win an at-large seat. He had advertisements on Septa, the Sunday Inquirer, radio, and community newspapers. He's raised money for over three years and lost.

Yeah, well that just goes to show you. He raised money, he got the ads, but he couldn’t change his last name. And to be honest, I just don’t think voters were willing to put another Street in office. He was also screwed by his goofy uncle Milton being on the ballot. Once that happened, Sharif was deader than General Custer.

Blondell Reynolds-Brown’s [at-large] squeaker was not so much a surprise to those of us who have been keeping score the past four years, but perhaps to outsiders it was. She pretty much always aligned with the mayor – and a lame duck one at that , cast some bad votes on tax reform and lost the support of the Chamber of Commerce and the business community. Four years ago she came in first I believe in the Primary, but fifth in the General Election. She spent most of her time campaigning for John Street rather than for herself. So much for lessons learned. This time she was hawking Chaka Fattah.

The fact that Bill Green won is a surprise to me since he's so universally disliked. I didn’t come across one Council at-large candidate who said anything positive about him. Nothing! Nada! Zip! Zilch! ZERO! And then I met him – or tried to. He approached a group I was with at an event and when I tried to talk to him, he couldn’t be bothered. He looked over me, around me, through me, obviously down on me, and was totally disinterested in what I had to say. So I was totally disinterested in voting for him. But chalk that win up to the Ed Rendell factor.

I think insiders totally underestimated Bill Greenlee, but in his own quiet way, he worked hard for his win and I think insiders may have underestimated his link to his boss and mentor, the late Councilman David Cohen and the voters love for him.

I thought Blondell was going to lose. I changed my mind when I looked at the candidates
and she was the only black woman in the race.

Well, she was the only black woman in the at-large race. District council dinosaurs Marian Tasco, Donna Reed Miller, and Jannie Blackwell are black and won all their races going away. You couldn’t get them out of those chairs with dynamite. It was easy work for the white women on council as well: Joan Krajewski and Anna Verna sailed to easy victory.

Speaking of Jannie Blackwell, her shotgun wedding to Tom Knox didn’t seem to sit well with her colleagues, and doesn’t bode well for her chances to unseat Verna as Council President.

I knew Curtis Jones was going to win in the Fourth. Matt was energetic but he was unknownb - he has not worked in the district long enough to prove that he deserved the seat. Curtis, although a lightning rod for controversy, has been in West Philly helping citizens for years. Blondell Reynolds Brown got the win that she needed for her independence. She showed that she can win without ward leaders or the party.
Regarding Blackwell, she is still in the game, but the deal’s over the summer.

Correction. She was in the game.

Political insiders believe that hell will freeze over before Jannie Blackwell wins the Council presidency. She alienated her colleagues by aligning with Tom Knox, who took unkind shots at the classy Anna Verna. The newspapers have it wrong when they break down the votes for her. In the end, I don't believe some of those Council members who the press assumes will be with her, actually will be. From what I hear in inside circles, Blackwell lost all credibility.

I’m with you. At this point, I don’t think Jannie Blackwell could muster the votes to be elected president of her bowling league. In the long run, it probably doesn’t pay to cross swords with Anna Verna. She looks like a sweet little old lady, but she’s an old school South Philly politician and could cut your throat, watch you bleed to death, and then go have a nice lunch.

With a smile on her face.

Councilmen Kenney & DiCicco had to work their tails off because the feds are on State Senator Fumo's indictment.

I thought the scent of Fumo was all over this election from start to finish. You’re right, Darisha – Kenney and DiCicco were probably scared, but in the end, they sailed through with no problem.

In the end, Council will continue to do its work, but I do believe that the relationship between Council and the mayor will be better - hell, it couldn't get worse. Many people who know Michael Nutter, including his former Council colleagues, believe that he is more like John Street than he realizes. He is a maverick, not a consensus builder, and he burned some bridges while he served in Council. I do think that our elected officials now understand that change is in the air and I think they will all try to work together for the good of the city. Michael will have a bumpy first year, much like Ed Rendell did in Harrisburg, as he tries to get his arms around the Chief Executive role. Being a legislator is far different from being the Chief Executive. He’ll have to negotiate labor contracts and figure out if Street left him any money in the coffers to deliver on his campaign promises. It’ll also take a while for Mayor Nutter and City Council sort out their new relationship with each other. Brady stays as party chair because Michael needs him. Of course, all this is assuming that he beats Al Taunbenberger in the fall.

I’m hoping that City Council sessions will be more productive. I'm looking forward to the new members of Council reforming the city under the helm of Mayor Nutter.

Please. I mean – I ‘d like to hope you’re right, of course – but this is Philadelphia City Council we’re talking about here. Those couple of new Council members will spend the first six months trying to figure out the telephone system. But I think their competence, intelligence and willingness to immerse themselves in budgetary matters will distinguish the legislators from the player haters.

Judges Races

Judges don't campaign like the mayor and City Council candidates do. They rely heavily on paying the party to do their work for them. Sadly, there are no televised debates because there are too many candidates. Voters rely on direct mail and word of mouth. Those who had a photo with Ed Rendell gained credibility simply because no one knows who they are, but if Ed Rendell says they’re good people, that’s good enough for us. If Ed sent a mailer endorsing Bozo the Clown, Bozo would now be a judicial nominee.

Sad but true. There’s no better example of the insanity of our judicial selection process than Willie Singletary, who won a seat as a Traffic Court judge despite having an outstanding $11,000 in unpaid tickets, several convictions, a warrant for his arrest, and the fact that his own license is revoked until 2011. Now, come on folks. That’s just a damn shame.

I always call my lawyer friends and ask questions about the candidates who are running for judgeships. I don't have any interactions with judges or attorneys until elections.

People just don’t care about judges races, and don’t pay attention to them. I admit that I tend to be one of them. It’s the corrupt ward system of putting judges on the ballot that turns people off.

I agree, ward politics sucks. As long as we allow candidates to pay ward leaders for votes, the best candidates may not win. Ward leaders extort (did I say that out loud?) money from everyone then cut who they want off the ballot anyway. And don’t get me started about ballots. Every Tom, Dick and Harry had a ballot this Election Day. There has to be a better system. No wonder Philadelphians don’t vote.

If merit selection becomes a reality, then our judicial system will no longer be a laughing stock.

Predictions and Prognostications

My predication of hope for the future: Willie Singletary is thrown out. He sends the wrong message of leadership in the Democratic process. The hope is that "Good Government" is restored to the City of Philadelphia. Small and Minority businesses will have opportunities to conduct business in and outside of the city, and college graduates will have the opportunities to seek employment in the City of Philadelphia.

Willie winning that seat really sticks in your craw, doesn’t it? I go back to the tongue-in-cheek summary of the democratic process put forth by Aristotle, “In a democracy, the people get exactly the government that they deserve.’ Okay, somewhat less cynically, I think that both Michael Nutter and City Council have made promises on ethics reform and good government that now they’ll have to live up to. Without John Street to kick around, there won’t be anyone to pass the buck to.

Well, my wish for the future of this city is that people realize the importance of voting, and maybe more than 40 percent of our citizens will actually do so. It’s a few days after Election Day, and already the naysayers are jamming the talk radio phone lines telling their sob stories about why they didn’t vote. It’s time to hang up on those people.

In November, voters elect Michael Nutter the next mayor of Philadelphia and he brings the same work ethic and determination to reforming city government that he did to issues when he was in City Council. What we learned: Perception is reality.

Operation Exit Iraq

It's been an exceptionally busy week here at Ross Associates.

There was the big primary election for mayor, city council, judges, commissioners and a couple of other minor offices, which we'll all be blogging about later. We are a team overloaded with political junkies, and each of us served in various capacities for the election effort, various candidates, and the local media, so the entire analysis is taking some time to assemble. It will be available for your viewing pleasure next week, but in the meantime, have a look at one of the other projects that occupied our efforts this past week.

On Thursday, May 17, our intrepid Director of Communications Heidi Gold, Queen of Events, put together a fabulous forum on behalf of our client Girard College. The kids of Girard had put together an eight-point foreign policy plan to begin the strategic withdrawal of our troops from Iraq a couple of months ago. That plan so impressed the administration (and us) that we decided to put together a forum as a means for the students to hash out the plan, and have it heard by important experts on foreign policy.

Girard College, it should be mentioned, is a grade 1 through 12 private boarding school here in Philadelphia for children from single parent households with limited finances. If yesterday's forum was any indication, the only limitations these kids have are financial. They were brilliant! They invited students from other schools to help flesh out the plan, and presented each of the plan's eight points to a distinguished panel that included CN8 TV anchor Greg Coy, Professor of Islamic Studies Adnan Zulfiqar, State Representative and Iraq War veteran Brian Lentz, and congressional staffer Ron Goldwyn. The forum was moderated by Ozzie Wright, principal of West Philadelphia High School and himself a veteran of both Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The students broke up into individual groups to discuss their particular point, then came together to present their findings and recommendations to the panel, and the packed room.
It wasn't an easy pat on the head, either. The panel, Middle East experts all, asked tough questions of the students, and treated them as serious scholars - which, it turns out, they are.

There was also a guest speaker, United Nations representative Hamid Abdeljaber, who kept the audience riveted for 45 minutes, no easy task when the subject is foreign policy and about 75 percent of the audience is made up of high schoolers. Abdeljaber's mix of humor, horror, and interesting anecdotes were a hit with young and old alike. Having spent much of his career in the Middle East, narrowly escaping death at the hands of terrorists, and watching U.S. policy unfold in Iraq firsthand, Abdeljaber made the war human for the students - that wars aren't casualties, body counts and collateral damage, but people, mostly regular people just like them, caught in the whirlwind of politics, nationalism and self-interest.

It was a great day for Girard College, their partner schools who participated in the forum, and everyone who attended. The panelists and the audience were blown away by the students' level of research and critical thinking, and came away thinking differently about the war, and about U.S. foreign policy. As one of the students said so passionately, "We have to begin to see with eyes of hope, not eyes of hate." Amen to that.

Anyway, our heartfelt thanks as an organization go out to the Honorable Dominic Cermele, President of Girard College; to Zuki McLaughlin, without whose tireless assistance the forum would not have been possible; to the panelists and participants kind enough to donate their time and expertise, and of course, to the students who became teachers and foreign policy experts.

Privately, we would be remiss without yet another hearty slap on the back to our Director of Communications. Heidi really takes these projects to heart, pouring every ounce of herself into these events, and for weeks until the big day arrives she frets, worries, paces the floor and regularly sets her hair on fire over every little detail. She routinely does the most work while accepting the least amount of credit, and Ross Associates would probably crumble to the ground without her.

If you're looking for more information about Operation Exit Iraq, have a look at the Yahoo! Groups list serv, which kept everyone informed about the goings on: Operation Exit Iraq List Serv

And please check out this article by noted Daily News columnist Elmer Smith, who attended the forum pretty much from start to finish. Elmer's Column

Bigotry Is Alive and Well in the United States

Did anyone else find it repulsive when you heard that U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Barack Obama is now under Secret Service protection because of threats to him and his family? Although later news reports claim that there were no specific threats, I frankly don't believe that for a New York minute.

You might think it's 1957 instead of 2007 and he has to move to the back of the bus. We've come a long way, baby - NOT!

Americans pride ourselves that we're open-minded and intermingling quite well in this 230 year old Democratic melting pot. We criticize leaders when we hear about the civil wars and atrocities occurring in Africa, parts of Europe, and of course, the Middle East. We're quick to point to other groups of people who can't seem to live peacefully with each other. Isn't that why we're still in Iraq? Until the Sunnis and Kurds get along, we have to play peacekeeper. But, of course, that's there and we're Americans. We would never act like they do. We're above all that. Or are we?

Handicapping the Mayor's Race

Last week we had a kooky idea: with two weeks left in Philadelphia's Democratic Primary for Mayor (and a bunch of other offices and judgeships that have gotten zero attention), there still seems to be plenty of wiggle room for any one of the five major candidates to make a bold move and take this thing. The latest poll (April 27) as of this post was taken by Susquehanna Polling and Research, and commissioned by the Pennsylvanians for Effective Government (PEG), and lays out the field like this with 15 days remaining:

Tom Knox 20%
Michael Nutter 18%
Chaka Fattah 14%
Bob Brady 9%
Dwight Evans 7%

So our idea? The Great Ross Associates Mayoral Sweepstakes! Give us who you think the winner will be, and the vote percentage, and you could win a prize. The person who correctly predicts the winner, and comes closest to the winning vote percentage without going over, will win a prize that our boss guarantees will be worth at least $100. While that may not sound like very much to you, getting $100 out of our CEO represents a real accomplishment, so enter now before he changes his mind.

Entry is simple. Just reply to this post, or send an e-mail to ross@rossassociates.biz with the following information: your candidate of choice, his percentage total, your name, address, phone number and e-mail address. Sample:

John Doe
1212 Philadelphia Street
Philadelphia, PA 19100
(215) 555-0000
jdoe@anything.com

Dwight Evans 44%

We'll collect and tally all entries, and on Wednesday, May 16th (the morning after), we'll pore over the entries and find out who wins! In case of a tie, well... we'll flip a coin or pull the names out of a hat, or some other unbiased tiebreaker. We'll then inform the winner, and deliver the loot. Simple as that. Nothing to buy, no long term obligation.

There's still time to support the candidate of your choice. Forget the polls. It's close enough statistically that a stumble by any one of these guys could sway the race in another direction, but more likely our fearless leader Bill Miller is right when he says that it comes down to Election Day and the effectiveness of each candidates' street machine.

Philadelphia's elections almost inevitably boil down to Election Day and the street machines. It's the way elections are won and lost in this town, and this one probably won't be any different. So get out there on Election Day and vote, or even better, volunteer at the polls. And meanwhile, send us your prediction of who and by how much, and you could win a cool prize worth at least $100.

And hang in there folks, it's almost over.

Starting the Dialogue

(Author's note: This post is dedicated to the memory of the late Rotan E. Lee, Esq., lawyer, educator, philosopher and friend. His spirit continues to encourage us to talk to, instead of about, each other.)

It's now noon Thursday, April 12, 2007, and the Don Imus public execution is in full swing. Imus, in case you've been in a cave for the past week, is a nationally syndicated radio talk show host who made cruel, unflattering, and racially offensive remarks last Wednesday about the young women of Rutgers University's basketball team.

While showing footage of the previous night's championship game, which Rutgers lost to Tennessee 59-46, Imus and a sidekick referred to Rutgers' team as "hardcore hos" and "nappy headed hos". Noting the girls' toughness and numerous tattoos, Imus also compared them to the Memphis Grizzlies, an NBA team. Also mentioned was a comparison of both teams players to the Jigaboos vs. Wannabees from the Spike Lee movie "School Daze."

The fallout from Imus' comments was a bit slow in coming. Scattered complaints and protests prompted an on-air apology from the longtime host on Friday, but over the weekend, Reverends Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson had picked up the banner calling for Imus' ouster, and by Monday morning the "Crucify him!" tsunami was flooding the offices of MSNBC, which simulcasts the 5 AM to 9 AM show for television. Calls for Imus' firing were also made to CBS and Viacom, the parent company of the show's radio syndication.

Imus went on Reverend Sharpton's radio show Monday afternoon, still apologizing profusely and vowing to change the tone and tenor of his on-air banter. Contrite and chastened, the 67-year old Broadcasting Hall of Famer spent the next 48 hours sincerely kissing the butts of any and all who could have possibly been offended, especially the Rutgers team and their coach. If he though the act of penance was going to save his position, if not his standing, he underestimated the depth of ill feeling generated by his comments.

Both MSNBC and CBS made the decision to suspend Imus' show for two weeks, seeking to quiet the discontent while giving themselves a chance to re-evaluate how they'd go forward. That evaluation was made for them, and rather immediately, by the show's sponsors, who pulled out in droves starting Tuesday afternoon. Once Staples, Proctor & Gamble, SmithKline, Geico and the other advertisers informed the network of their intent to abandon their sponsorships of Imus' show, MSNBC's course was clear. Imus was removed from the network immediately. Reverend Jackson has vowed protests of CBS until the network follows suit. So far, CBS has promised to wait until after the two-week suspension to make a further evaluation, but the situation is changing minute by minute. Perhaps between the time this post is written and published, new developments will have occurred. One interesting side note is that on the very day Imus was given the boot, all charges were dropped against the three white Duke University lacrosse players accused of raping and assaulting a stripper hired to entertain at their frat house. The stripper's story finally unraveled, and while the college students' lives were returned to them, their reputations can never be fully restored. There is little doubt that these stories will be linked for the next several weeks.

The situation, such as it is, is a lot bigger than Don Imus, or one crude and unkind comment from a radio host who has made a long and lucrative career out of crude and unkind comments.

The hope, expressed by most people who have made their opinions known on the subject, is that Imusgate will produce a long-needed national dialogue on race relations in America.

A few questions white folks have been asking in the wake of the Imus uproar: Why is it that African-Americans, from comics to rappers to the guy in the street, can denigrate black women in public forums while other races must constantly censor their language for even the most unintentional slight? Does not this degree of hypocrisy call on the African-American community to take steps to clean up its own house in regard to the use of derogatory language? Does equality mean acceptance of a double standard of public behavior when the subject is race?

African-Americans, on the other hand have a few questions of their own: How is it possible that in 2007 we're still dealing with the same ridiculous matters of simple human dignity that were called for (and mostly won) 40 and 50 years ago? How long will the still-overwhelmingly white media bombard the airwaves with the Imuses, Limbaughs, and Savages without providing a forum for the other side? When will the majority accept and admit to the institutional racism that has become the subtle replacement for Jim Crow?

So today, on television and radio stations all over the country, the clarion call goes out for a national dialogue on race and race relations - members of races talking to each other instead of at or about each other. A serious dialogue among critically-thinking adults, as opposed to a Jerry Springer-like shoutfest, which is a lot easier to pull off.

Can we do it? Should we? Are white people prepared to face serious truths about their continued, if subconscious, role in the subjugation of minorities for fun and profit? Are black people willing to hold up a mirror to their own communities, admitting that for years they've been complicit in their own destruction? Can the races ever view each other without suspicion, and what would it take just to get to that point? Is honest dialogue even possible?

It's a huge undertaking. There will be more hurt feelings, and more anger. Is America ready?

Daryl Gale
Ross Associates, Inc.

William R. Miller, IV Op-Ed on PA Gaming Board decision (as told to D. Gale)

Naturally, I was quite disappointed in the state gaming board’s decision earlier this month to award casino licenses to the SugarHouse and Foxwoods applicants. As a member of the Pennsylvania Partnership Group (PPG), the local investment group backing the Riverwalk Casino proposal, I won’t pretend that I wasn’t hurt by the board’s decision. Speaking for the other members of PPG, we devoted more than two years of our lives, and an extraordinary amount of money and effort in what we felt was a unique and winning proposal. Our disappointment in not being selected however, is not based on sour grapes or the loss of personal revenue. Our own investment aside, we are far more chagrined that once again Philadelphia’s minority communities were shut out of the process once real money was on the table.

In a city where less than one percent of municipal service contracts are awarded to African-American businesses, and where the lack of educational and employment opportunities hit minority communities hardest, the action of the board in refusing a license to the only applicant comprised of Philadelphians from those very neighborhoods is appalling. Remember, early in the application process, the board made a point of emphasizing the need for local minority participation, and that the level of such participation would weigh heavily in the board’s final decision. Considering the outcome, one questions the board’s sincerity in seeking the maximum minority inclusion. SugarHouse is owned by a Chicago billionaire and several politically connected local millionaires, and Foxwoods is owned by local investors and the Native American Pequot tribe of Connecticut.

Neither winner demonstrated a significant level of minority participation in its ownership structure, and gave no concrete assurance that a substantial portion of future profits would be used to fund worthy programs in Philadelphia’s most troubled neighborhoods. Simply put, the rich will get richer, and the poor will get what the poor always get.

In its decision, the gaming board cited Riverwalk’s “confusing” management structure as a major impediment, implying, among other things, that while the black and brown faces of PPG would be the public persona of Riverwalk, the real power and decision-making would lie with the white faces of our partners at BHM Gaming and Planet Hollywood. After extensive testimony and explanation of our management structure by industry experts, the gaming board was well aware that with our 51 percent share, PPG would control all general and casino related decisions. We are insulted that the gaming board would accuse us of risking our well-earned good reputations by misleading and selling out the communities where we live, work, and conduct business.

Knowing the impact gaming will have on Philadelphia’s economic future, Mayor Street appointed a blue ribbon panel to carefully study the applicants and make recommendations based on the best interests of the city. That panel enthusiastically endorsed Riverwalk’s proposal, and rated Foxwoods and SugarHouse last. The mayor relayed those recommendations to the state gaming board in December, adding his voice to those supporting Riverwalk. Unfortunately, the gaming board chose to ignore the mayor’s endorsement.

Let’s not mince words here. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board made a political decision. Their ultimate choice of licensees was based not on who had the best proposal, the best location, or who would best benefit the citizens of Philadelphia. The desires of the politically well-connected few overrule the needs of the many, even overruling the mayor of the country’s sixth largest metropolis.

We are now exploring ways to best avail ourselves of the 30-day appeals process. Rest assured that the goal of our appeal is not to recoup our investment, nor to line our own pockets, but to make public the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s bias, and expose the process as flawed at best, and corrupt at worst. Either way, we will not let this grievous insult to Philadelphia’s minority communities go unanswered.

Murder and the Next Mayor

With five weeks to go in the campaign for the mayoral primaries, the entire city of Philadelphia is focused on crime, particularly the city's skyrocketing murder rate, which as of April 2 stands at 104. A 24 percent increase from last year this time, the nation's sixth largest city is on track to become the new undisputed Murdertown, U.S.A.

If the present rate of carnage continues unabated, Philadelphia's murder count will top 500 in 2007, eclipsing last year's total of 406, and the highest in 15 years. But even the raw numbers, as horrifying as they are, pale in comparison to the climate of fear and exasperation experienced by city residents. Philadelphians are sick and tired of the homicides dominating the evening news, and lately, making national headlines.

It is into this charged environment the candidates for mayor must press forward with a plan that distinguishes itself from politics as usual, and satisfies an increasingly cynical populace. In poll after poll, crime and crime related issues are the number one concern of the voters, who will decide on May 15 between Democrats Bob Brady, Dwight Evans, Chaka Fattah, Tom Knox, and Michael Nutter. (We here exclude minor candidates Jesus White and Queena Bass, whose numbers are too low to calculate, but in a large field, every vote counts.) The Republican candidate, Al Taubenberger, is running unopposed, but in all honesty, is not given much of a chance in this overwhelmingly Democratic city.

For an excellent insight into the Mayor's race, and a closer look at the candidates, click here.

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to the Ross Associates' blog. As communications professionals, we are keenly aware that the art of communication is a two-way street. For any strategic communications, public relations or damage control plan to work, both the client and the consultant must be fully aware of each other's goals, ideas and methodology.

This blog is our opportunity to more fully engage with our clients and interested parties in real time, at the speed of the Internet. Feel free to comment, backtrack or link our content (within the bounds of common decency and fair trade, of course).

We welcome this chance to dialogue with you, and the continuance of a mutually beneficial relationship between you and Ross Associates, Inc., the strategic communications professionals.

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