It’s trite, but vote

Every Election Day you hear the same helpful wisdom from do-gooders: Your vote counts. Voting is important. Voting is not just a right, it is a duty. All of that is trite, but true.

Everybody has an opinion, most everyone anyway. The difference between my opinion and yours is I get to share it here, but you have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and God knows what else.

High on the things that are important to me is the law, because without law, we have chaos. I also am for justice as it applies to the accused, but also to their victims, who often are disrespected. Looking at you, D.A. Larry Krasner.

So last week I laid out my case for doing the unthinkable and voting for a Republican for mayor. Yeah, crazy, I know.

The reasons are simple: Billy Ciancaglini opposes Sanctuary Cities and “safe” injection sites (which are not safe) because they are illegal. He has a three-prong plan to deal with the opioid crisis.

Mayor Kenney’s plan is to support public shooting galleries, which are illegal. It is surprising — but maybe not — that he is opposed by liberal Councilwoman Maria Quinones Sanchez. Why? The shooting gallery would be in her district, already staggering under the burden of drug abuse.

And when YOU have to pay the price for liberal policies, that can change your mind pretty fast. The “who pays” is what separated some other Council members from the mayor on the regressive and unpopular soda tax.

Sanctuary Cities, injection sites and the soda tax are three issues Ciancaglini would have brought up in a debate with Kenney, but the cowardly, arrogant mayor refused to face him, not even once.

What a gutless wonder. Chicken to debate even with a 7-1 registration edge. Once he is in his second term, what further nonsense might he dream up? Under Kenney, the city budget has increased 25%, from $4 billion to $5 billion. Has the city improved 25%? We know the 25% poverty rate hasn’t budged, the infrastructure is a mess, the homicide rate in rising. But the freedom-crushing Communist China was saluted by City Hall on its anniversary because Kenney is so, um, diverse.

He might have had to answer for these policies in a debate, but no.

You would think in a mayoral election year, turnout would be high. Not this year. Nor when Krasner got elected. Elections have consequences.

Here is the good news: When fewer people turn out to vote, the weight of each vote is increased. If Kenney’s people stay home, Ciancaglini has a shot, if a poor one.

If you don’t like where Kenney has been leading Philadelphia, send a message, even if we can’t defeat him.

On the other hand, some right-thinking Council candidates might be elected. I wish I could endorse a Democrat, but I can’t find one who sides with the law on Sanctuary Cities, and the addict-enabling injection sites.

Two Republicans strongly oppose them: Matt Wolfe and Bill Heeney. I suggest you vote for them, and ONLY for them for Council At-Large, even though you have five votes. Using only two magnifies their impact.

Finally, there are ballot questions. One is for Marsy’s Law, expanding victims’ rights. Send a message to Krasner and vote YES, even though one court put a hold on enactment should it pass.
The city wants to borrow more for parks and rec centers. I thought the soda tax took care of that. Vote YES so Kenney won’t tax cheese steaks next.
Vote YES on a charter change that amends contract bidding procedures. It might not really fix things, but it couldn’t hurt.

Same thing for your vote.