Deliberation Days 2007

Deliberation Days offered citizens an opportunity to speak up about the issues that matter to them regarding leadership in Philadelphia.

Each forum provided a chance for participants to discuss the 2007 mayoral and City Council elections, take part in a straw poll, and question Council candidates. (Find your district.) The poll asked people whom they would vote for in the mayoral race and whether they want site restrictions for casinos. Michael Nutter took 51 percent of the vote, and the "yes" votes to the casino question won with 75 percent. Get the details here.

If you missed the events, you can listen in on podcasts of the debates (below), starting with a welcome by Inquirer Editorial Page Editor Chris Satullo.  

DISTRICT 1
May 4, 2007; Independence Visitors Center

Debate Podcast: Part 1 and Part 2 or see a video clip
(Due to technical difficulties, the first half of the first question was not recorded. The podcast begins midanswer with Frank DiCicco responding to a question about his ties to State Sen. Vince Fumo. To here more on that topic, listen to the Inquirer Editorial Board endorsement interview, Part 2.)
Candidates: Vern Anastasio and Frank DiCicco
Moderator: Inquirer Columnist Tom Ferrick Jr.

DISTRICT 2
May 5; Greater St. Matthew Baptist Church

Debate Podcast: Part 1 and Part 2 or a video clip
Candidates: Damon Roberts and Anna Verna
Moderator: Inquirer Editorial Page Editor Chris Satullo

DISTRICT 4
May 5, 2007; High School of the Future

Debate Podcast: Part 1 and Part 2
Candidates: Curtis Jones Jr. and Matthew N. McClure 
Moderator: Chris Satullo 

DISTRICT 5
May 6, 2007; Honickman Learning Center

Debate Podcast: Part 1 and Part 2 
Candidates: Darrell L. Clarke, Halle C. Johnston and John J. Longacre 
Moderator: Chris Satullo 

DISTRICT 7
May 5, 2007; Kensington CAPA High School

 Debate Podcast: Part 1 and Part 2 
Candidates: Marnie Aument-Loughrey, Maria Quinones-Sanchez and Daniel J. Savage
Moderator: Harold Jackson, deputy editor of The Inquirer Editorial Page

DISTRICT 8
May 2, 2007; Lutheran Theological Seminary

Debate Podcast: Part 1 and Part 2 or a video clip 
Candidates: Irv Ackelsberg, Cindy Bass, Greg Paulmier and Donna Reed Miller
Moderator: Chris Satullo
(At right, Editorial Board member Russell Cooke, Chris Satullo and project manager Holly Kirksey count sample ballots.)

DISTRICT 9
May 6, 2007; Albert Einstein Medical Center

Debate Podcast: Part 1 and Part 2 
Candidates: Raymond T. Jones Jr., Cecil A. Hankins Sr. and Marian B. Tasco 
Moderator: Wendy Warren of the Philadelphia Daily News 

DEMOCRATIC AT-LARGE, Group 1
May 3, 2007; Enterprise Center

Debate Podcast: Part 1 and Part 2
Candidates: W. Wilson Goode Jr., Bill Green, Caryn Hunt and Andrew Toy
Moderator: Chris Satullo

DEMOCRATIC AT-LARGE, Group 2
May 5, 2007; Holy Family University

Debate Podcast: Part 1 and Part 2
Candidates: Derek S. Green, William K. Greenlee, Benjamin Ramos, Juan Ramos, Matt Ruben and Marc Steir
Moderator: Inquirer Editorial Board member Dave Boyer

GOP AT-LARGE
May 3, 2007; Klein JCC

Debate Podcast: Part 1 and Part 2
Candidates: Jack Kelly, Phil Kerwick, Patricial A. Mattern, David Oh and Frank Rizzo
Moderator: Inquirer Deputy Managing Editor Carl Lavin