Game of inches
in Seventh District

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

City Councilman Dan Savage likens his primary race to a football game.
Savage, a Democrat who has represented the 7th Councilmanic District for five months, said he’s carrying the ball and that his two opponents are trying to tackle him.
The incumbent was playing some defense on Friday afternoon when he and his opponents appeared in front of the Times editorial board.
Challengers Maria Quinones-Sanchez and Marnie Aument-Loughrey both think they’ll do a better job than Savage, who won a special election last November to replace Rick Mariano, who is serving a federal prison sentence for corruption.
"We’ve fought for the last twenty years in our neighborhoods," Aument-Loughrey said of herself and Quinones-Sanchez.
Savage, who worked for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission before being elected to Council, said he’s lived up to his campaign promises.
"I said I’m going to work 24/7, and I do," he said. "I’ve been working my tail off. I love serving the people."
Savage, who turned 36 on Wednesday, will find out next Tuesday if voters approve of his short tenure in office. The winner of the primary will face Republican Gary Grisafi.
The district includes neighborhoods such as Frankford, Northwood, Oxford Circle, Castor Gardens, Rhawnhurst, Bell’s Corner and Bustleton.
Savage, who lives on Haworth Street in Northwood and earned a degree in business administration from Holy Family College, is positioning himself as the favorite son.
"I’m the only candidate who was born, raised and still lives in the Northeast," he said.
Quinones-Sanchez and Aument-Loughrey view Savage as a "favorite son" in another context. They complain that ward leaders selected him for the special election because his dad Tim is a former ward leader and now a federal judge.
Aument-Loughrey, whose mom Donna is Democratic leader of the 33rd Ward, described the endorsement process as "(party chairman) Bob Brady beating up ward leaders."
While the district includes seven Northeast communities, its base is in Juniata Park and poorer communities to the south.
The district’s boundaries are basically Grant and the Boulevard to Fifth and Girard. Avencia Inc., a Philadelphia geographic software development firm, recently released a study calling it the most gerrymandered local district in the country.
Quinones-Sanchez, a 38-year-old Norris Square resident who finished a distant second to Mariano in the 1999 primary, is regional director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration. She’s a veteran activist and former Council aide and deputy elections commissioner.
Describing herself as "outraged" at the corruption convictions of Mariano and former Councilman Harry Jannotti and the performance of recently retired state Rep. Bill Rieger, she thinks the district needs strong leadership.
Over the years. Quinones-Sanchez has worked with community development corporations and looks forward to strengthening CDCs across the district.
"I care about those neighborhoods," she said.
Aument-Loughrey, 41, who works for the Board of Revision of Taxes, is a proud resident of Willard Street in Kensington. She’s raised her two children in the working-class community.
A longtime committeewoman, she is a member of the 25th Police District Advisory Council, a board member of the Kensington Independent Civic Association and vice president of Franklin Towne Charter Home and School Association.
Aument-Loughrey has played a role in stabilizing the Kensington Avenue business strip and surrounding neighborhood, in part, by pressing for a moratorium on barber shops, nail salons and other businesses. She’s participated in numerous anti-drug vigils.
One of her ideas is to hold hearings of the Zoning Board of Adjustment — which meets weekdays in Center City — at night in neighborhoods.
Also, Aument-Loughrey has helped bring new activities to Scanlon Recreation Center, including the reopening of the ice rink. She also worked with the developer who’ll be building 50 twin homes to the area near Castor Avenue and Wingohocking Street.
The representative for the 7th Councilmanic District must focus on stabilizing neighborhoods, in her view. Absentee landlords are a big problem, she believes.
"You need somebody to say, ‘This area is worth saving and worth fighting for,’ " she said. "I’d like Council to enact a landlord responsibility act."
Savage is a former Democratic committeeman and now leads the 23rd Ward. In Council, he chairs the Committee on Licenses and Inspections.
So far, he’s held a hearing to address what he sees as understaffing in the city Adult Parole and Probation Department. He’s also calling for mandatory carbon monoxide detectors in homes. And he’s developed relationships with the 7th and 15th police districts.
Those views have earned him the endorsements of District Attorney Lynne Abraham, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 and firefighters Local 22. He’s also backed by the local AFL-CIO, Councilwoman Joan Krajewski and former City Controller Jonathan Saidel.
Aument-Loughrey, who ran a strong race against state Rep. John Taylor in 2000, has the backing of Laborers Local 332 and Patricia Hughes, who represented the 7th district in Council for one term in the 1980s.
Last week, Quinones-Sanchez picked up a major endorsement from Gov. Ed Rendell, who said ward leaders should have endorsed her. He predicts that she’ll win the race.
As for Savage and Aument-Loughrey, he said, "There’s no way they can stack up to Maria."
Savage dismissed the endorsement, calling Rendell "misinformed."
Quinones-Sanchez has also been endorsed by AFSCME District Council 47, the Northeast Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News and an array of liberal organizations.
On the campaign trail, Quinones-Sanchez has unveiled an action plan for Frankford that includes rehabbing vacant properties, strengthening the Frankford Avenue business corridor, opening a charter school, expanding recreation and after-school programs and giving tax incentives to businesses that hire newly released, non-violent prisoners.
If elected, she’ll be proactive, recruiting new businesses and maintain existing ones.
"You need a champion," she said.
Savage said he’s already doing that, along with working with civic associations to identify problem businesses that might need a visit from the Department of Licenses and Inspections. A better version of his opponent’s action plan already exists, he said.
Saying that, "The little things add up," Savage has arranged for more trash cans on the avenue, along with a regular sweep, and expanded hours for parking without being ticketed.
His plan for improving Frankford includes adding sports and other activities at playgrounds.
"If anybody understands Frankford, it’s me," he said.
Calling Mariano "incompetent," Savage said he’s brought integrity to the office. He returned a Starbucks gift card given to him after his election, supports ethics training for Council members and staffs and uses his city car only for official business. ••