Mark Cohen- The Snake and the Map
In case you missed it (which I’m guessing you did), Mark “The Snake” Cohen was on PCN this week discussing the redistricting issue with Rep. Samuelson. (Take a look at the map below to see why he is appropriately referred to as “The Snake”) To give you some background, Mark Cohen is the son of late the lat Councilman David Cohen and has been serving in the House of Representatives for over 34 years, in a primarily Democratic district “snaking” from Olney up into Rhawnhurst in Northeast Philly. Most folks in his district couldn’t even tell you who their State Rep is, let alone anything he’s accomplished. And then there’s this…
A bi-partisan effort has finally been launched to take the redistricting process away from the Party leadership like Mark Cohen. Rep. Cohen states on the PCN show, that YES in fact Party the part leadership has previously reshaped districts if someone is a “thorn in their side.” Even if this has only happened but a handful of times, this is criminal behavior. Given that most people (even in his own district) don’t know who Mark Cohen is, who makes him the Judge and Jury of who will represent Pennsylvanians? Mark Cohen has been the source of numerous embarrassments to good government including the $28,200 bill to taxpayers for books for his personal collection. This is the same Representative who used to FLY from Philly to Harrisburg over a 150 times on the taxpayers dime in 20 months. And yet the argument Rep. Cohen makes is that a non-partisan redistricting commission would be out-of-touch? GIVE ME A BREAK!!!
Cohen, who hasn’t had a Democratic Primary challenger in over 25 years is the epitome of why people beg for a change in the culture of Harrisburg. He’s been so comfortable in Harrisburg, he’s forgotten what’s going on in his own backyard. Maybe he needs to spend a little more time in his district and little less time with his head in the clouds.
Chris Satullo’s May 10 article regarding the pitfalls of the harmful status-quo.
<http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/18826164.html>
To watch the entire clip of Mark Cohen go to
http://www.pcntv.com/
Click on the “Streaming” link on the top menu.
Click on PCN Call-in on the left hand side
Scroll Down to Wednesday, May 14- Legislative Redistricting
You can also read the abbreviated transcription by Above Average Jane at
http://aboveavgjane.blogspot.com/2008/05/redistricting-on-pcn-call-in-show.html
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Babette is holding it up too!!!! @#$%^@#%%^$
Anne and the Democracy Rising crowd have 90 cosponsors on 2424, it would be huge.
We’d also get rid of Gerlach and that bizarre district in the southwest.
Anonymous
May 18, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Ummmm…I think maybe you missed the whole point of the legislation. It’s not about “getting rid” of anyone, regardless of what their personal beliefs are. Its about drawing up fair districts based on population, not voter party registration. Wake up!
Don
May 18, 2008 at 6:58 pm
The incredible anger here obscures an important point of agreement: we both agree that it is wrong to use the redistricting process to purge incumbents who are a thorn in anybody’s side.
Those who take the time to read House Bill 1420 will find that it specifically bans efforts to help any incumbent or prospective candidate, but does NOT BAN any effort to purge any incumbent or prospective candidate. That is bad news for anyone who values independent thought in Harrisburg.
The legislation is “about” creating districts more compact districts, no what the governmental consequences are. It’s roughly analagous to “fixing” the Social Security problem by mailing all senior citizens a box of cigarettes each week. In either case, it is the use of governmental policy to create “random” casualties.
Those who want to defeat legislators can take political actions to do so. As I said on the program, at least 109 of the 203 House members elected in 2008 will be people who were not in the House at the time of the 2001 redistricting. But incumbents ought not to be defeated by a process in which behind the scenes manipulations will rule, and only obscure bureaucrats that no one heard of outside the Capitol Building will be considered to be responsible.
Rep. Mark B. Cohen
May 19, 2008 at 3:33 am
Corrections to the above: the bill I oppose is House Bill 2420, not House Bill 1420. And the first line of the third paragraph should read: The legislation is “about” creating districts more compact than current districts, no matter what the the governmental consequences are.
Rep. Mark B. Cohen
May 19, 2008 at 3:40 am
the bottom line here is “what did Mark Cohen know, and when did he know it?” Rep. Cohen, you said on the program that you know of party leaders pushing out “thorns in their side.” Who were these party leaders and why didn’t you attempt to stop this from happening? furthermore, if this has happened in the past why are you so adamant in your defense of this corrupt system?
Don
May 20, 2008 at 12:09 pm
The party leaders were the members of the Legislative Reapportionment Commission. Their names are hardly secret. I am trying to prevent those rare actions with I disapprove from becoming the norm. House Bill 2420 can be well-entitled the “Purge the Dissidents Act” because it will create many times more purges than all four legislative redistrictings under the current system combined.
I would strongly support a constitutional amendment that prevent any two incumbents from being placed in the same House or Senate district, unless at least one of them is the process of vacating his or seat; that would be raising the issue of preserving freedom of speech to the highest priority, going in the directly opposite direction of House Bill 2420.
Rep. Mark B. Cohen
May 20, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Rep. Cohen-
Thanks for sticking to your guns! The last thing we need is more Harrisburg career-ocrats muddying the waters. Couldn’t you put up an amendment to leave it in the hands of the legislature but ban party affiliation as a factor?
Best,
Chris O.
Chris O.
May 20, 2008 at 11:32 pm