Can't believe that the candidate who had to drop out of the presidential race before she got even a single vote -- despite huge media adoration and being from the largest state -- is not popular even in the administration's quasi-honeymoon stage. #KHive pic.twitter.com/Koq8UQHCaM
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) May 13, 2021
Dear Neighbor,
Did you catch this open letter? We are being told it's the most moving and important piece for voters who are undecided to read. Think you might support Krasner for District Attorney, but have heard some bad things about him? Make sure to read the below.
My name is Tom Mandracchia. Back in 2017, I supported Larry Krasner for Philly District Attorney. I even worked under him as a prosecutor from 2018-2020. He promised much needed criminal justice reform. He claimed we could stay safe in Philadelphia. I considered him a man of courage and integrity. And even up till a few months ago, I thought I would support him for re-election again come the May 18 Democratic primary.
I now need to apologize for ever having supported Larry Krasner. Everything I believed about him was wrong: he is not a reformer, he is not a good person, and he has categorically failed to keep Philly safe.
Working under Larry Krasner in his office for two years, I saw how arrogant, elitist, aloof, and impersonal he is. This is not a unique perspective; even many who "like" him for his policies find him unlikable. I also learned first hand that his office is dysfunctional. There was poor training for incoming ADA’s (to the extent it even existed), little concern for employee well-being, and few-to-no consequences for the countless mistakes his prosecutors made due to their lack of training, guidance, and experience.
To be clear, I don't blame the attorneys. I love so many people from that office: those with passion, talent, and drive. I blame Larry Krasner. Larry Krasner sets his people up for failure.
Larry Krasner’s D.A.’s office was not just an awful place to work. These mistakes are getting people killed. Real people, across Philadelphia’s most marginalized neighborhoods, are suffering. Crime, including murder, is on pace to be the highest since the mid-1990s. You read that right: mid-1990s. While Krasner takes zero blame for this due to the pandemic, he knows he is responsible for much of this increase. His office is in shambles, and people like me were unable to do our jobs effectively under him.
Larry Krasner’s conviction rate for serious crime is below 50%, far worse than the office’s rate has ever been. Think of the victims involved in these crimes, living a life without any justice or closure for their loss and trauma. No prosecutor's office that is led like this can effectively enforce laws OR create lasting reform. The state of Krasner's office plainly contributes to the violence and death in our streets. But he lacks the leadership skills to claim any responsibility.
What's worse, Larry Krasner is trying to win reelection through blatant lies.
Carlos Vega, his opponent, is a former homicide prosecutor with an exemplary record. Carlos has never once had a misconduct action brought against him. Carlos has never even had one of his convictions overturned on appeal for misconduct. Carlos has always represented the interest of victims and the people of Philadelphia in the courtroom, as well as hold bad cops accountable when few others were willing to do so. Larry Krasner fired Carlos due to a personal grudge.
But Krasner will say that Carlos tried to prosecute a man he knew was innocent, Anthony Wright. This is a shameful lie because Krasner knows the Innocence Project never recommended Carlos for disciplinary action in that case. Krasner has the Wright case file in his own office, but has never recommended Carlos for disciplinary action. Larry Krasner will not retract the lie because he lacks any integrity.
Krasner has pushed the disingenuous accusation that Carlos will bring Philadelphia back to the days of police commissioner Rizzo, when Carlos was a child and many of us were not born yet. Krasner supporters are calling Carlos’ supporters evil and racist for supporting a Latino man -- the first Latino homicide prosecutor in all of Pennsylvania -- who worked to exonerate George Cortes as recently as 2016. Carlos has also put two dirty cops behind bars -- something Larry Krasner has failed to do as D.A., despite needlessly antagonizing the law enforcement agencies he needs to work with to stop violence.
Here’s what I’ve learned from working as a prosecutor: real progressives listen to people who are marginalized. Of course, the people of the City want criminal justice reform. But while Larry Krasner downplays the crime spike, Black, Hispanic, and Asian people in Philadelphia are deeply concerned with the violence they face and the way this violence ensures economic inequity and decline. To the rich folks supporting Krasner from California, shootings and homicides are statistics. To Philadelphians, they are brothers, sisters, parents, and children.
Carlos listens. He understands that reform and ending violence are coequal priorities. Safe communities will not take a back seat in his agenda, the way for elites like Larry Krasner who already live in safe communities. That’s why I’m asking you: please listen. Please consider the voices of real people who are crying out more and more for reform and safety when you cast your vote on May 18th.
I understand why some want to hold out hope that Krasner is the answer. I know that feeling well.
But even putting the violence aside and focusing on reform alone for a moment, we must grapple with the fact that Larry Krasner is simply bad at what he does, making many believe that reform itself leads to chaos. In reality, he himself leads to chaos. He has already harmed the reform movement’s image so much with his personal incompetence. Not only will the reform movement survive if we reject Krasner; we need to reject Krasner if anyone is to take the reform movement seriously moving forward.
I know Carlos Vega. He is a real, responsible reformer. You can read his reforms and ideas here. Also, he understands how to run an office and bring justice for serious violent crimes, which people across Philadelphia are calling out for.
I need everyone in Philly to do three things. And, if you don't live here, tell your Philly friends to do these things:
Too often, elections feel like the lesser of two evils. Not this time: a vote for Krasner is a vote for an out-of-touch elitist who has failed in so many heartbreaking ways. A vote for Carlos Vega is a vote for a man with an incredible reputation for integrity, competence, and compassion.
Thank you for reading this.
Thomas C. Mandracchia, Esq.
Former A.D.A under Larry Krasner
Don't miss our chat with New Jersey Assemblyman Jay Webber. This in depth conversation hosted by Save Jersey's indefatigable Matt Rooney, is revealing, animated, informative and wonderfully candid.
You'll learn much about Assemblyman Webber who's one of the most accomplished, determined and principled members of the state legislature. Webber not only looks the part of a distinguished and focused public servant but he fully inhabits the role. With unquestioned character, high standards and tireless service, he honors his constituents.
New Jersey State Senator Holly Schepisi said Governor Phil Murphy should follow updated guidance issued yesterday by the CDC to remove mask and social distancing requirements for those who are vaccinated.
Sen. Holly Schepisi said Gov. Phil Murphy should follow updated guidance issued yesterday by the CDC to remove mask and social distancing requirements for those who are vaccinated. (Pixabay)
“The CDC offered clear guidance yesterday that there’s no need from a public health perspective for people who are vaccinated to wear masks or social distance indoors or outdoors, even around unvaccinated people,” said Schepisi (R-39). “The CDC says they are basing their new guidance on scientific studies that demonstrate vaccinated people are protected from the virus and incapable of transmitting it to others. There’s absolutely no justification for Governor Murphy to maintain burdensome restrictions that are not supported by science.”
In response to questions about when he would lift New Jersey’s outdated restrictions, Governor Murphy was quoted by NorthJersey.com today as saying, “I would guess in a matter of weeks we’ll get to the point where we can comfortably say inside, no matter what, you’re okay.”
Schepisi questioned the governor’s reasoning for maintaining unnecessary mandates for weeks longer.
“Governor Murphy’s level of comfort has nothing to do with science and it shouldn’t be used as the measure for maintaining restrictions that impact nine-million New Jerseyans,” Schepisi added. “According to the CDC, the science doesn’t support waiting weeks, it supports lifting unjustified mandates today.”
New Jersey State Senator Joe Pennacchio issued the following statement after Governor Phil Murphy refused to follow CDC guidance by removing unnecessary mask and social distancing requirement that the federal agency says are unnecessary:
“Governor Murphy promised that he would lift mask and social distancing requirements when the CDC said it was safe. He said science and data would always drive policy. Despite the CDC saying yesterday there’s no scientific basis or need for vaccinated people to continue wearing masks or social distancing in most situations, Governor Murphy still refuses to eliminate restrictions. He said it could be ‘a matter of weeks’ before he changes the rules in New Jersey. If the CDC says the science supports unmasking today, Governor Murphy cannot claim that maintaining these restrictions serves any legitimate purpose. Frankly, he’s lost all credibility on the matter.”
In response to the worsening labor crisis devastating Pennsylvania's economy, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Jeff Bartos called for the end of the federal enhanced unemployment program. Bartos also called on Gov. Tom Wolf to follow the lead of Republican Governors around the country and immediately suspend payment of the federal subsidy of unemployment, given that it is disincentivizing workers to reenter the labor force.
Bartos slammed Wolf's contribution to the labor crisis, making it impossible for businesses to recover from Wolf's lockdowns, and called on politicians to get serious about getting our commonwealth back to work:
Biden is slipping in the polls as problems pile up: gas shortages, disappointing jobs numbers, inflation and Israel under attack, to name a few.
Meanwhile, Biden appears to be MIA.
Anyway, the Rasmussen Reports daily presidential tracking poll for Friday shows that 49% of likely U.S. voters approve of President Biden’s job performance. Fifty percent (50%) disapprove.
But here's the important part: the latest figures include 30% who strongly approve of the job Biden is doing but 40% who strongly disapprove. This gives him a presidential approval index rating of -10.
Approval of Biden's presidential performance peaked in mid-February, when his total approval reached 53% versus 43% total disapproval. It's pretty much been downhill ever since.
