http://www.nbc10.com/politics/2547052/detail.html

If the party is talking about it ... isn't it time the citizen talks about it?

http://mayorsforum2003.com

From Monday's Daily News:

"Not likely at all, for two reasons. The main one is procedural. The legal date for replacing candidates was back in August. A candidate can withdraw up to the last day - something hard to imagine Street doing - but adding a new candidate now would require a judge's approval.

Fred Voigt of the Committee of Seventy said yesterday the major impediments are mechanical ones. It's just too late, he said, to reprogram the city's 3,500 new voting machines. Said Voigt: "It would be a logistical nightmare."

The second is political. For the Democratic machine, nothing is more important than keeping it lock on City Hall and the many jobs that come with it - and Street is still its best chance of winning.

Replacing Street would be a tacit acknowledgment of corruption. And the new candidate would just have three weeks, or less, to make himself known to voters in a race against a familiar candidate, Sam Katz, who's been seeking the job for more than 12 years.

It's far from clear who a replacement candidate would even be. Michael Nutter, the city councilman who is both black and a ward leader, would seem to have the edge over Councilman Jim Kenney, who is white, or state Rep. Dwight Evans, who is not as popular with the ward-leader crowd."

It is so time for change and reform in City Hall.

VOTE SAM KATZ FOR MAYOR ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2003!
www.sam2003.com

[quote="niksiz"]It is so time for change and reform in City Hall. [quote]

AMEN.

But, if any of this was done by the GOP, then that's just rotten, and both parties need to be swept away and down the sewer. That's my only worry - that this is just political. Part of me thinks it is, part of me not.

No way. These investigations have been going on for 2 years. That's the facts. I can't say I trust the GOP Ashcroft types - no chance, but Sam Katz is about Phila. just the same as Street (and the Dem's) used to be ...

The GOP conspiracy theory is hogwash, a desperate stunt cooked up by a desperate Democratic leadership that is now finally realizing what a cr*ppy candidate Street is.

I don't trust Bush/Ashcroft et al any further than I could throw them, but this investigation has, as has already been pointed out, been ongoing for some time; the allegations that seem to have spurred it (about shady dealings in awarding city contracts) are old news - Street has said from day one he ran a pay to play administration, so why are we surprised it's catching up with him? And finally - since when has the national Republican party given a single thought to a city like Philadelphia. For so long the complaint was that the GOP didn't care about cities, now all of a sudden Philly is such hot property they're willing to frame the mayor to "capture" us? Bunk, pure bunk. If any office in PA was important to the GOP, it was the governor's office. So why didn't they try any dirty tricks on Rendell last year?

No, I don't think he should step down. I just hope the voters of this city can see behind the Democratic theories of this investigation being politically or racially motivated and see Street for what he really is... a poor decision maker. Look at the contraversy that surrounds him and understand it could've been avoided.

I find it disgusting that Chaka Fattah is out there playing the race card and likening Street to Jesus Christ.

I'm a registered Democrat, but I'm sick of the Democratic party's nonsense. I'm also sick of the nonsense surrounding the Republican party. I'm no fan of the Republican party, but I think Katz is as about bi-partisan we can get in this city. My vote goes to Katz.

Election day is about 22 days away. I can't wait!

Who cares about the party affiliation, just vote for the best candidate, whomever you feel that to be. Race should not be an issue, unless you are racist.

agreed. the conspiracy bit is a load of horsepuckey. not only hnas it been going on for two years, but STreet has known about it for six months. it's only a coincidence that STreet found out about it now. i think there is at least as great a chance that Street intentionally called for the sweep knowing it was there to stir up controversy. don't buyu that, then we shoudln;t buy anything else. i hope we can get real change. an di have a hard time beleiving that having katz as mayor is going to swing philly into a republican stronghold.

Yes, and if Katz wins, his best strategy would be stand up on election night and say "This city was a Democratic city yesterday, it's still one today, and it will be one tomorrow. I'm here to work with the Democrats, but maybe in doing so, some of you will come back to the Republican party."

If Street does step down and Nutter steps up, Katz loses my vote. Every time I read anything about Nutter, I'm alwasy impressed. He seems very down to earth, concerned about his job and the people he serves. He's not afraid to speak up for what he believes in and is very inclusive.