What Failed Leadership Looks Like

[White 6]

Last week, we came face to face with the ol’ Philly Shrug. The day after 55 shots rang out on a Spring Garden playground, killing two, we found the mayor and City Council president holding a press conference…about President Trump. To them, it was just another day in Philly, where the murder rate, year over year, is up 35 percent—the second worst in the nation.

Well, around the same time, Council President Darrell Clarke received a heartfelt plea via email from a constituent to do something to stop the violence, or just to say or do something. The constituent has asked to remain anonymous; reading his letter, you can feel his love for his city. The dude doesn’t want to run off to the suburbs—he’s just looking for some help in the form of a government that does the basics, providing services like keeping the streets safe and picking up the trash.

Darrell Clarke fails to show up for a constituent's plea about gun violence

An email exchange between Council President Clarke and a constituent shows that not even a murder epidemic can prompt empathetic leadership

thephiladelphiacitizen.org

I don't care what you believe or whom you are voting for. There is something for everyone in the above piece. For myself, it's the very basic this is the job you were elected to do and this is the part where you address the issues and talk about ideas/plans/or even a holy crap that sucks.

And maybe address the issue of guns and gun violence instead of Trump.

The issue is FAILED DEM LEADERSHIP in these cities. Many have been controlled by Dems for decades.

Could be that at local level, party partisan politics is self defeating, as party politicians get party support just because they are in a particular party. At local level, forget party and vote for somebody you can trust, that won't just lie to you and stay in tight with party faithful to keep party control. We got a new mayor last year. I voted for him. Good man. His party was not even on the ballot. Come to think of it, parties suck in general. I will not support one for the same reasons that apply locally. Guess that is why I am an independent.

I'm an independent...but I despise the Republicans at this point in time. I wish I had stronger alternative parties. Our governors race last time SUCKED - a Republican jerk and an even worse Dem jerk. I looked closely at the candidates and there was a really good Mountain Party Candidate (who was also Green Party) and I voted for her - she didn't have a chance. But she was really good. The Dem won. And Turned Coat. I am looking more to the Mountain and Green Parties.

Both parties are self enriching at our expense. They suck, period. Best you can do is change them out regularly and they will both give valid reasons for doing it, unless you are tied to a party and are some starry eyed believer that the part stands for something. They really don't.

I look at positions - I am unapologetically to the left on many things. I try to look at who aligns best to my positions.

At this moment I would not mind government swinging a little more to the left, but that is just because of the guy in office now. I would just like to keep this a representative republic. George W. Bush once said,
“If this were a dictatorship it would be a heck of a lot easier... as long as I'm the dictator. Hehehe.”
The SonovaBush was joking. I think the guy we got now, would like to try it.

This is something I don't understand...but for some reason, your post reminded me - these have become expletives:
centrist
moderate
bipartisan

Not to me.