Candidates Debate at the Y

The four candidates for the Pennsylvania Senate seat being vacated by Vincent Fumo spoke last night at the Gershman Y on Broad Street in a forum sponsored by the Crosstown Coalition of Civic Associations. TV newsman Steve Highsmith moderated, asking questions to each candidate for the 1st District Senate seat on a range of issues and then reading questions submitted by the audience of 100 or so, from a stack of index cards.

Highsmith opened by asking each candidate whether he or she favored limits on campaign contributions. Jack Morley, Jr., the lone Republican candidate for the seat, was the only one to say no outright. The three Democrats -- John Dougherty, Anne Dicker and Larry Farnese -- all said in principle they favor limits, but not for this particular race.

On casinos, Dicker was the only candidate to oppose them completely. Farnese, a Center City lawyer, said he was "not 100 percent against" the casinos but would "fight to re-site" them and work for compliance with community needs if that effort fails. Dougherty, head of the electricians' union, said that he would only favor the casinos in their proposed waterfront locations if the neighborhoods were to approve. Morley said he fought against gambling when the state was working to legalize it several years ago ("casinos make weak people weaker," he said) but insisted that now it's too late to change what the casinos are planning.

"The time to oppose gambling was in 2003," he said. "It's time to support the developers."

Highsmith asked about the South Street Bridge and tort reform and universal healthcare (Dicker says it can be done, Farnese favors cutting out insurance companies, Dougherty says he would support it, and Morley says state taxes would increase too much to if we try to insure everyone). Only Dicker said she would support a gasoline tax; only Morley said he would oppose new gun laws.

Morley is a fire-protection contractor by trade, and his introduction to government came in the 1990s when he lobbied the state to create better building codes. In introducing himself, he said he favors "limited government, free markets and personal responsibility" and is "pro-choice and pro-environment." Morley was the only candidate to bring a prop -- a hardbound copy of the Pennsylvania legal code. On a couple of occasions he opened to pages he had marked with little yellow stickies and read passages aloud to point out that we already have existing laws governing certain things (such as guns) and don't need new ones. Morley, who in November will face the winner of the April 22 Democratic primary, said he is best positioned to bring back to the district the kind of generous funding that Fumo did, because Morley would be joining a Republican majority in the senate.

Any of the four candidates will go to Harrisburg as a first-term legislator. But Dougherty seemed especially eager to build the impression that he already is the State Senator. His campaign staff handed out flyers detailing civic projects he has helped foster within the district (mostly due to his leadership of the electricians' union) such as helping to keep Boathouse Row lit up. He said he had "spent the morning with Barack Obama" (Obama had addressed a union meeting in Center City) and said his experience combined with the clout of the district itself "will allow me not to be a freshman senator" in Harrisburg.

Dougherty also got off the funniest line. When Highsmith asked if candidates would support a ban on using cell phones while driving, they all answered yes. Answering last, Dougherty said "yes -- but I'll have to start walking."