Lindsay Doering
Sep 3, 2018 · 2 min read

Hi Tom — you wrote:

“ The Review reached out to the Democratic and Republican ward leaders in each of the voting wards that are not considered open wards for comment as well.”

I am the ward leader for the 8th Ward — I was not contacted. I have always had an open ward — I was ward leader from 2010–2014 and from 7/1/17 to present. I generally give Committee People the franchise on endorsements in municipal elections and most state or national. Your article states repeatedly that this does not happen anywhere on the GOP side.

Your article hints at — but does not go into — the real problem. There is a widespread perception that Dem Ward leaders accept donations from candidates presumably in exchange for the support of the ward. This completely skews the political process — allowing a large early donation from a George Soros type person to a DA candidate to decide the election before it ever started.

I am not aware of this happening on a large scale on the GOP side. I AM aware of numerous instances of Wards throwing fundraisers for candidates and even making donations directly to candidates. This is a great way of bringing new voices into the political process.

As far as having an “open ward” — this is window dressing. There are plenty of ways to pay-off a ward leader or a ward or political party and telegraph telegraph to the committee people who the “preferred” candidate is. Open wards are a good practice — which is why we do it in the 8th Ward GOP — but it will not solve the pay-to-play problems at the heart of the Democratic party in Philly. The only thing that will clean up the Dem party in Philly — is the GOP.