HomeNewsLanni announces candidacy for City Council

Lanni announces candidacy for City Council

Center City businessman Lou Lanni last Friday entered the race for an at-large City Council seat, declaring his intentions at Tailhook Tavern, at 3522 Cottman Ave. in Mayfair.

A Republican, Lanni grew up in the Far Northeast and graduated from George Washington High School in 1977. He became a Philadelphia police officer in 1981, but had to leave the force because of an injury. Today, he works in real estate.

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In 2011, he entered the 1st Councilmanic District race, but eventually dropped out.

The primary will be May 19.

Lanni was introduced by veterans activist Joe Eastman and Tom Matkowski, Republican leader of the 65th Ward. Among those attending the event were state Rep. John Taylor, Republican City Committee executive director Joe DeFelice and former state House and Senate candidate Mike Tomlinson.

In prepared remarks, Lanni mentioned the dropout rate and violence in public schools; the city’s almost 30-percent poverty rate; public corruption; population loss; high business taxes; and an out-of-control pension fund.

“I believe we can do much better,” he said. “I will never go along to get along.”

The Democratic and Republican parties each will nominate five at-large candidates in the primary. The top seven finishers in the general election win seats. The Democratic Party for more than six decades has captured five of those seats because of its voter-registration advantage.

Other Republican candidates will likely be incumbent Councilmen Denny O’Brien and David Oh; lawyer and ward leader Matt Wolfe; and Al Taubenberger, president of the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, who almost defeated Oh in 2011.

Meanwhile, a “Draft Joe DeFelice for City Council At-Large 2015” page on Facebook has 423 “likes.” DeFelice is chairman of the Mayfair Community Development Corporation.

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Former District Attorney Lynne Abraham has a big lead in the Democratic primary for mayor, according to a poll commissioned by her campaign.

The poll gave Abraham 31 percent of the vote, followed by City Council President Darrell Clarke (12 percent), state Sen. Tony Williams (9 percent), former state Sen. Milton Street (5 percent), former city solicitor and Common Pleas Court Judge Nelson Diaz (3 percent), former city Redevelopment Authority executive Terry Gillen (2 percent) and former city solicitor and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken Trujillo (1 percent). Some 36 percent were undecided.

In the Northeast and river wards, Abraham takes 40 percent of the vote, with Williams at 8 percent and Clarke at 5 percent.

Doug Oliver, a former spokesman for Mayor Michael Nutter who is considering the race, was not included in the poll.

Clarke, Street and Diaz have not announced their candidacies.

The Mellman Group polled 600 likely voters from Nov. 12–16.

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State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams released a statement upon the decision to not charge police officer Darren Wilson following the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, declaring that frustration and anger are natural and understandable emotions.

“As a grandfather, I hope that my grandson will grow up and feel safe — not threatened — around the police in his neighborhood,” said Williams, who announced his mayoral candidacy two weeks ago.

Many black people in the St. Louis suburb looted, burned buildings, overturned cars and smashed windows in response to the decision by a grand jury to not recommend criminal charges against the cop.

“For those who are angry and looking for meaning and a place to channel their anger into a constructive path forward, we should heed the call of Michael Brown’s parents to ensure police have access to body cameras,” Williams said. “In addition to avoiding situations like Ferguson, since 2009 Philadelphia taxpayers have spent more than $40 million to settle police misconduct lawsuits. These cameras will protect both taxpayers and police through increased accountability.

“This is why I wholeheartedly support police chief (Charles) Ramsey’s body camera pilot program. We should be studying the recommendations of the Police Executive Research Forum on implementation of the body camera program, and the experience of other cities such as Cleveland who have implemented these programs already.” ••

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