2013 ADA Membershp Meeting

Controller – Brett Mandel
Traffic Court – Inja Coates & Robert Tuerk
Court of Common Pleas – Giovanni Campbell, Stephanie Sawyer, & Vince Guisini

I know that I have said before in this space that we face a “must win” election.  This has never been more true than it will be on November 6, 2012.  At stake not only is the presidency but also both houses of congress and our future  Supreme Court.  If we lose these, our already imperiled democracy may cease to exist as a democracy and our identity–as a nation with opportunity for every citizen and equal justice for all–lie in ruins.  

In Southeastern Pennsylvania, we strongly urge you to vote for the following candidates and encourage like-minded voters in your community to do the same.

Updated By-Laws

Mark Cohen ADA Questionnaire & Numa St. Louis ADA Questionnaire

James Roebuck ADA Questionnaire

Babette Josephs ADA Questionnaire & Brian Sims ADA Questionnaire

Daylin Leach ADA Questionnaire

Will Sylianteng ADA Questionnaire

Mike Hays ADA Questionnaire

Manan Trivedi ADA Questionnaire

The second answer however, is that you do have to prepare for the general election in November and here is the information you’ll need.

In order to vote under the new voter ID law, you must present one of the following forms of ID:

 A current Pennsylvania driver’s license, or one that expired after November 2011;

 A current Pennsylvania photo ID card issued by Penn DOT, or one that expired after November 2011;

 A current U.S. passport;

 A U.S. military or Pennsylvania National Guard photo ID (note: it must include “a designation that the expiration date is indefinite”);

 A U.S. government-issued photo ID, e.g., agency employee, armed services, etc.;

 A current employee photo ID issued by a Pennsylvania county, city, town, township or borough;

 A current photo ID issued by a Pennsylvania college or university (note that only ID’s containing an expiration date can be used. For instance, University of Pittsburgh’s IDs are accepted, but Penn State, LaSalle and Drexel’s are not.); or

 A current photo ID issued by a licensed nursing, personal care or assisted living facility (note that only ID’s containing an expiration date can be used);

If the person does not have one of these ID’s, they will have to obtain an ID from Penn DOT. In order to do so, they must produce an official Social Security card and one of the following types of identification:

 An original birth certificate, i.e., one that has a “raised seal.” (You can’t use a photocopy or a hospital registration. );

 U.S. citizenship certificate;

 Naturalization certificate; or

 Valid U.S. passport.

In addition to the identification documents described above, the applicant for photo ID must present two forms of proof of residency from the following list:

 Tax records

 Lease agreement

 Mortgage documents

 W 2 form

 Current gun/firearm permit

 Current utility bill

If you have any questions or comments regarding the types of photo ID that meet the requirements of the Commonwealth Election Code and what types do not, please contact the City Commissioners Office at 215-686-3460 or HYPERLINK “mailto:vote@phila.gov” jorge.santana@phila.gov.

City Commission, City Hall Room 130, Philadelphia, PA 19107
PH. 215-686-3460 FX. 215-587-9107 http://www.phila.gov/commissioners

Office of the City Commission Chair, City Hall Room 130, Philadelphia, PA 19107
PH. 215-686-3460 FX. 215-587-9107 http://phillyelection.com/

MARK COHEN AND NUMA ST. LOUIS –  State Representative of the 202^nd District. Both candidates in this race were endorsed

MIKE HAYS – State Representative of the 26^th District.

BABETTE JOSEPHS AND BRIAN SIMS – State Representative of the 182^nd District. Both candidates in this race were endorsed.

ANDREW KLEEMAN – State Representative of the 195^th District.

DAYLIN LEACH – State Senate from the 17^th District.

JAMES ROEBUCK – State Representative of the 188^th District

WILL SYLIANTENG –  State Representative of the 151^st District.

MANAN TRIVEDI – Congress in the 6^thDistrict

ADA Endorsement Questionnaire State Office

ADA Endorsement Questionnaire Federal Offices

In a time when we are increasingly worried about party polarization and the Republican Party’s extreme rightward swing, ADA is pleased to endorse good government candidates from both the Democratic and Republican parties.

The reign of Commissioner Marge Tartaglione is finally coming to a close after many decades. But reform will not be accomplished unless Democrat Stephanie Singer, who beat Tartaglione, replaces her as chairperson. The only way that can happen is if Republican Al Schmidt is elected instead of Republican incumbent, Joseph Duda. Otherwise incumbent Democrat Anthony Clark, a supporter of Tartaglione, will likely become Chair since Duda and Clark will vote for him.  ADA has found Al Schmidt to be intelligent, thoughtful, and dedicated to ensuring that registration and voting in Philadelphia proceed in an accessible, transparent, and accountable manner.  Vote Singer and Schmidt.

For City Council at- Large, we have endorsed the five Democratic candidates and Republican Dennis O’Brien.  Seven At-Large Councilpeople will be elected and we think that O’Brien, who served 16 terms in the State Legislature, recently working with Democrats on legislative reform proposals, will be an excellent addition to City Council.   O’Brien will bring a wealth of legislative experience to City Council, and a passionate concern for the city of Philadelphia and for public education.

We also endorse Mayor Nutter for a second term, both District Council candidates Maria Quinones Sanchez (District 7) and Cindy Bass (District 8), Katherine Boockvar for Commonwealth Court, and Diana Anhalt and Barbara McDermott for Philadelphia Common Pleas Court.

You will be asked to vote to retain sitting judges for another 10 years. All judges at the state level have been recommended by the Bar Association, but three Philadelphia judges have been rated unqualified: James M. Lynn and Robert Rebstock for Common Pleas Court and James DeLeon for Municipal Court.

The growing attacks from the right against abortion rights, gun control, immigrants, and environmental regulations need your vigilant attention and weekly contacts with your elected officials in Congress.

And we urge you to contact your State legislators and the Governor to oppose school vouchers, fracking and cuts in the staffing of state agencies that make it increasingly difficult for people in need to access services such as food stamps and energy assistance. Find your elected officials at: http://guide.seventy.org

ADA supports the Occupy Philadelphia movement across the nation and globe in opposition to growing income inequality, unemployment, foreclosures, and cuts in human services. People of all ages and ethnicities have joined this protest on the west side of City Hall in Philadelphia. Come and show your support.

It is sad to see how relevant these quotes from the FDR Memorial are today—some 80 years later:
“No country, however rich, can afford the waste of its human resources.
Demoralization caused by vast unemployment is our greatest extravagance.
Morally, it is the greatest menace to our social order.”

Please go to the polls on November 8th and demonstrate using the ballot box!