Paging David Cohen
If your name is David Cohen and you live in Philadelphia, I have a suggestion: Why not run for City Council next year?
There are hurdles – the highest is collecting the signatures of 1,000 voters on your nominating petitions. But once you get a spot on the 2007 Democratic primary ballot for an at-large seat, the odds are you will win.
I am serious. Ask any bona fide political operative and they will tell you the same thing.
With a little luck (such as drawing good ballot position), you could win without spending a dime., You'll get a job that pays $102,292 a year and has top-shelf health and pension benefits. If you keep your nose clean, you can have it for life.
David Cohen did. He served in Council for 38 years until he died last October at age 90.
The telephone book tells me there are 15 David Cohens in Philadelphia and another 11 D. Cohens. There's got to be another dozen David Cohens with unlisted numbers.
Surely, among these 30-odd David Cohens there has to be one David Cohen with a desire to succeed David Cohen on City Council.
Besides, if don't run, some other Cohen will. David's widow, Florence, is already pressuring Council President Anna Verna to call a special election to fill David Cohen's seat. Verna nixed the special for the primary, but I'm betting she will call one for November. If she does, Florence Cohen will run and she will win.
Florence, who is 88, said she just wants to fill out David Cohen's unexpired term. But, her daughter, Sherrie Cohen, has announced that she wants to run for the David Cohen seat on Council in 2007.
Why should Sherrie Cohen get the David Cohen seat when a David Cohen can get the David Cohen seat?
Isn't it time to spread these jobs among other Cohens?
Consider: There was David Cohen, who served on Council. There is Florence Cohen, who worked for many years as his chief of staff.. There is Mark Cohen, their son, who is a state representative. There is Denis Cohen, another son, who is a Common Pleas Judge. There is Sherrie, their daughter, who now wants the David Cohen seat.
This isn't a family. This is a dynasty. It's Philadelphia's answer to the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the tiny German duchy which has provided princes and princesses for European thrones for three centuries. (Queen Elizabeth II of England descends from the Saxe-Coburg line, though they wisely changed the family name to Windsor during World War I.)
So, David Cohen, if you are out there, I encourage you to step forward and claim the David Cohen seat.
I've even got your campaign slogan figured out. Put this on about 10,000 posters (without your picture, please) and you will lead the pack of at-large candidates.
Continue The Tradition
Vote for David Cohen
There are hurdles – the highest is collecting the signatures of 1,000 voters on your nominating petitions. But once you get a spot on the 2007 Democratic primary ballot for an at-large seat, the odds are you will win.
I am serious. Ask any bona fide political operative and they will tell you the same thing.
With a little luck (such as drawing good ballot position), you could win without spending a dime., You'll get a job that pays $102,292 a year and has top-shelf health and pension benefits. If you keep your nose clean, you can have it for life.
David Cohen did. He served in Council for 38 years until he died last October at age 90.
The telephone book tells me there are 15 David Cohens in Philadelphia and another 11 D. Cohens. There's got to be another dozen David Cohens with unlisted numbers.
Surely, among these 30-odd David Cohens there has to be one David Cohen with a desire to succeed David Cohen on City Council.
Besides, if don't run, some other Cohen will. David's widow, Florence, is already pressuring Council President Anna Verna to call a special election to fill David Cohen's seat. Verna nixed the special for the primary, but I'm betting she will call one for November. If she does, Florence Cohen will run and she will win.
Florence, who is 88, said she just wants to fill out David Cohen's unexpired term. But, her daughter, Sherrie Cohen, has announced that she wants to run for the David Cohen seat on Council in 2007.
Why should Sherrie Cohen get the David Cohen seat when a David Cohen can get the David Cohen seat?
Isn't it time to spread these jobs among other Cohens?
Consider: There was David Cohen, who served on Council. There is Florence Cohen, who worked for many years as his chief of staff.. There is Mark Cohen, their son, who is a state representative. There is Denis Cohen, another son, who is a Common Pleas Judge. There is Sherrie, their daughter, who now wants the David Cohen seat.
This isn't a family. This is a dynasty. It's Philadelphia's answer to the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the tiny German duchy which has provided princes and princesses for European thrones for three centuries. (Queen Elizabeth II of England descends from the Saxe-Coburg line, though they wisely changed the family name to Windsor during World War I.)
So, David Cohen, if you are out there, I encourage you to step forward and claim the David Cohen seat.
I've even got your campaign slogan figured out. Put this on about 10,000 posters (without your picture, please) and you will lead the pack of at-large candidates.
Continue The Tradition
Vote for David Cohen
posted by Tom Ferrick Jr. at 7:58 PM
5 Comments:
Enough with the Cohens living off of the public tit! It is time for a new name and new ideas and fresh energy. There are those out there that have the passion for Philadelphia, and some newer ideas on how to help it, but feel stymied by legacies of names or an unwillingness to deal with some of the unpleasantness of the process (ie-unions, paying to play, you name it) any of the issues which will ultimately leave one "handcuffed" to be an effective new breed of city leader.
I know someone from high school named david cohen, and he lives in the city. I'm going to try to get him to run
Well, it would be interesting if the second most famous David Cohen in Philadelphia decided to run for council.
The Street family is likely to increase the number of family members on the public payroll, when the Mayor's son Sharif attempts to cash in on his family name and Philadelphia voters' nepotistic history when he runs for City Council later this year (open Cohen seat) or next spring.
Maybe some day - or century - this town will elect leaders based on ideas and qualification rather than family name or incumbent status.
While the thought of another David Cohen running for City Council is novel, keep an eye out for a fresh face named David....David Hall that is . Come the 4th quarter of 2006, you are going to hear a lot of buzz about the guy...and you heard it here FIRST!
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