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Longtime CP staffer Isaiah Thompson jumps overboard
The Web site for the award-winning alternative weekly, the Philadelphia City Paper.
Longtime CP staffer Isaiah Thompson jumps overboard
Today's a great day and a sad one for City Paper: We put out the culmination of reporter Isaiah Thompson's six-month-long investigation into the civil asset forfeiture program that allows the Philly District Attorney's Office to keep millions of dollars police confiscated on Philly streets from alleged criminals — whether or not they were convicted of (or, indeed, charged with) any crime.
And, we also said goodbye to Isaiah, who has officially left CP after four years of paddling around in his inflatable kayak, enraging the city administration, bringing light and perspective to undercovered issues, disappearing into the Pine Barrens, playing his home-made banjo around the office, sampling mysterious cuts of meat and winning numerous awards for investigative reporting and news writing along the way.
Fortunately, Isaiah will still be inciting havoc in Philly: He's heading to the Philadelphia Public Interest Information Network.
In addition to penning the beloved (at least, to him) column, Man Overboard!, Isaiah's reporting here also included exposing the issues around police shootings of people with mental illnesses; the potential impact of casino gambling on the city; and the daunting problem of the wasteland that is the Lehigh viaduct. It also includes one of my all-time favorite moments in Q&A-style article, with Mayor Nutter.
CP: Let's talk about casinos. You didn't ask for the casinos, you didn't pass the law establishing casinos. But as mayor, you have the power to lobby — [At this point Nutter — suddenly and loudly — crushes his plastic water bottle between his hands, slowly twisting the plastic and mashing it between his palms into a ball which, finally, he tosses on the table. Nutter does all of this without blinking.] — uh, you have the power to lobby to influence these laws. For example, the current table game bill lets casinos extend credit to slots players. Why not lobby against that?
MN: I have a fairly regular amount of contact with our Philadelphia leaders.
Please join CP in wishing Isaiah good luck.
(You can keep in touch with him on Twitter).
There's too much I'll remember and appreciate Isaiah for than to be able to post here. But there is one story I'd like to single out - and that was the award-winning piece he wrote called "The Fall Guy." In the midst of the worst of District scapegoating around the South Philadelphia High racial assaults, Isaiah wrote a remarkably courageous piece about one Vietnamese immigrant boy blamed by the District for helping instigate racial violence there. In fact, the boy had been severely beaten in a racial assault and was a victim. Isaiah managed to poignantly tell his story and systematically unravel the District misinformation and lies that acted as a microcosm of their overall refusal to address the situation at the school. Isaiah's piece ended up winning a state award for his writing, but I'll never forget the clarity with which he spoke truth to power and so clearly articulated what many of us at the ground level were trying to say. Thanks for the great reading at City Paper Isaiah and look forward to much more greatness from you in Philly.— Helen Gym
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