The Pandering Guide

So, you want to be the Democratic nominee for president? How badly?

Michael T. Regan THEY COME BEARING GIFTS: Or at least, they should. (CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION)

Pay up

Now that Pennsylvania has become the Next Big Prize in the Democratic primary (which will never end), we got to thinking: How can Philly benefit? After all, every four years, presidential candidates touch down in Iowa and make promises about corn ethanol subsidies — surely they'll be willing to make similar commitments to the Keystone State. So, Barack and Hillary, forget all that talk about the "right way" to order sandwiches, and behold the true path to Philadelphians' hearts: cold, hard cash, and some serious political promises. And hey, unlike corn ethanol, these panders have the benefit of being worthwhile.

Urban Crime

The problem: Everyone knows (thanks, CNN and NPR) that Philly has a homicide problem that terrifies and demoralizes the city. (The same can be said for other urban areas of Pennsylvania: State Police numbers show upticks in crime in Reading, Lancaster, Allentown and Chester.) Philly is taking a hard-nosed approach to the issue, installing security cameras, hiring more police and going after people with outstanding warrants. But these are costly tactics, and manpower and money are limited.

What you've said before (if anything): Let's start with Obama's 64-page "Blueprint for Change." There's not one mention of urban crime-fighting therein, other than four sentences about ex-offender services. The word "police" appears just twice, and only in relation to racial profiling. Clinton is no better. Violence isn't a main topic in any of the 14 issue plans on the senator's Web site. And even though both candidates had a chance to bring the issue to the national stage during an October debate in Philadelphia, neither mentioned violence at all.

What we want to hear from you: First off, don't wait for the legislature to work out some half-baked mandatory minimum sentence or gun control law. Instead, promise to direct your army of federal prosecutors and law enforcement bureaus to crack down on crime: hard drugs, weapons offenses and, in the smaller Pennsylvania cities, gangs. For issues that are too local for federal involvement, there's always money: Philadelphia could use federal grants to install those surveillance cameras and absorb the costs of additional police officers. The more lives you save, the more votes you win.

—Tom Namako

Infrastructure

The problem: Our bridges are falling down! After the Minneapolis bridge collapse in August 2007 resulted in the death of 13 commuters, Gov. Rendell looked nervously around the commonwealth and admitted that more than 25 percent of PA's bridges are structurally deficient. That means you should worry when that bridge you're driving on starts to whine. Now, this isn't just a PA problem — it's always sexier to build new infrastructure than to repair the old, and municipalities usually do. But according to Rendell's report, our state is first in the nation in bridges over 75 years old.

What you've said before (if anything): Aging infrastructure, not surprisingly, doesn't rise to the level of the Iraq war or the threat of recession in the rhetoric of Sens. Obama and Clinton. But on the occasion of the Minneapolis collapse, Clinton released a statement calling for $10 billion over 10 years to modernize all sorts of infrastructure, from roads to bridges to seaports. She would also release $250 million in emergency assistance grants. Obama has transportation listed on his Web site (under "additional issues"), and says he will "make strengthening our transportation systems, including our roads and bridges, a top priority." But he doesn't offer any specific proposals or quote any numbers.

What we want to hear from you: Rendell estimates that it would take $8 billion to fix all of PA's bridges in one fell swoop. That's only about a month's worth of what we spend on the Iraq war, which I hear you two are planning to end. Hand it over, Clinton! Yes you can, Obama! And with the rest of that spare change, how about throwing in a dedicated line item for mass transit? PennDOT, SEPTA and PATCO can thank us later.

—Andrew Zitcer

Agriculture

The problem: Each year, the federal government doles out billions in farm subsidies across the country, but Philly barely sees any coin for its handful of urban farms. Most subsidies support agribusinesses that grow corn, wheat and soy, rather than small, family-owned fruit and vegetable farmers. Jade Gleaner, co-director of Mill Creek Farm in West Philadelphia, says that more subsidies to urban farmers could help farms like hers distribute locally grown produce across the city, as well as lower the price of fresh produce.

"There's not access to good, healthy produce in the corner stores," she says.

What you've said before (if anything): Sen. Obama, you've said that you want to limit subsidies to agribusinesses and support the efforts of rural family farmers — ignoring the millions of city-dwellers who might want to buy lettuce that doesn't have a carbon footprint the size of Pennsylvania. And Sen. Clinton, you've said you want to see a Farm Bill that supports local, healthy food systems, but failed to mention where you'd like to see those systems.

What we want to hear from you: According to nonprofit The Environmental Working Group, Pennsylvania farmers were given more than $129 million in subsidies in 2005. Our great city, however, was dead last in the list of monies given statewide over a 10-year period. What we want to hear from you, dear senators, is a promise to provide subsidies not just to farmers, or even family farmers, but to urban farmers. We have just as much right to fresh food as our rural neighbors.

—Lori Litchman

Equality

The problem: Gay marriage is illegal in Pennsylvania. And the situation might get worse. Two years ago, a bill was proposed in the State House that would amend the state constitution to outlaw same-sex marriage and civil unions. The House is voting on Bill 1250 this month. If it passes, there could be serious side effects in Philadelphia, which has concocted a slew of marketing campaigns to attract LGBTQ folks (and their money).

What you've said before (if anything): Gay marriage isn't a favorite subject for either Democratic candidate, both of whom tend to get bogged down by semantics. Neither supports gay "marriage," a term carrying religious significance. They do support same-sex civil unions, though they don't advertise it: When a New York court upheld a state law barring gay marriage in 2006, Sen. Clinton was mum. During a speech that same year to the Illinois House, Sen. Obama said he believed marriage is between a man and a woman. Neither of the candidates' Web sites openly addresses the issue, though both said they supported gay rights last year during a televised debate on the TV network LOGO.

What we want to hear from you: That gays and lesbians are not second-class citizens, and that any attempt to legislate discrimination will not be tolerated on a state or federal level. While you're stumping for votes in PA, our House will be determining the fate of the "Marriage Protection Amendment." Keeping in mind that 65 percent of Pennsylvanians support civil unions for gays and lesbians, according to a recent poll by the Value All Families Coalition, how about taking a public stand against the bill?

—Natalie Hope-McDonald

Poverty

The problem: From the defunct steel plant in Bethlehem to the near-deserted American Street business corridor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania still hasn't recovered from the departure of middle-class jobs. Since the late 1970s, the state's poverty rate has only risen, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture; new generations of poverty-stricken families aren't doing any better than their parents. And this will be a hard cycle to break: A recent University of Pennsylvania study found that growing up in poverty can harm a child's brain development.

What you've said before (if anything): Both candidates have already been through Ohio and (to some extent) Michigan, where the decline of the manufacturing industry has wrought damage similar to that in Pennsylvania. Clinton said she wants to cut child poverty in half by 2020: "There is so much waste and giveaways that go to people who are wealthy and well-connected or are a result of the government, frankly, not being held accountable and being very efficient," she said in February. Obama wants to pump billions into "green-collar" jobs developing eco-friendly energy sources, and into construction work repairing the nation's infrastructure.

What we want to hear from you: Bring it right here, to Pennsylvania. As noted above, there are plenty of bridges and highways that need fixing across the Keystone State — how about thinking big with a public works project? And for those green gigs, Sunoco is based right here in Philadelphia. Poverty hasn't taken center stage in this campaign since John Edwards dropped out. Our ears will perk up when you say you'll put Pennsylvania back to work.

—Tom Namako