To the Folks at Phillyblog.com

THANK YOU!!!

From the very bottom of my heart, I want to personally thank each and everyone one of you who went out and voted for me in the Tuesday election! It has been a long, tough, and well-fought election and I did my best to make sure I won. Sadly, I didn't.

Through it all, I had people who supported me and wanted to see me win! It was thrilling to wake up on some mornings and see e-mails from supporters from not just Philadelphia, but around the world! Even today, I have messages pouring in wishing me good luck and that I did something great. There are quite a few people who would even say I was an inspiration, that I did something large and positive, and that the effect I may have in future elections may be great.

None of this would have been possible without my good and close friends and family, so I want to extend another thank you to them.

Finally, thank you all for taking me seriously and realizing I wanted noting more in this election than to help the citizens of Philadelphia. The results won't be in for me for a few days, but I will post them as soon as I can.

Once more, thank you all for your help! I couldn't have done this without you!

-Larry West

Some quick notes:

There is an interview with me on Danish TV airing in a week or two.

I also plan on writing a book about this soon.

What Every Other Candidate is Afraid to Talk About: SEX

I think it's safe to say that not one person running for office in this city has even mentioned the dreaded 3-letter word during this election; SEX. Despite what has happened in this city during the last 4 years, I could only assume that it isn't something they either feel comfortable talking about, or something that they feel isn't an issue.

It is, and I just want to point out why it is an issue.

In 2004, one out of 12 teenage girls in the city of Philadelphia had Chlamydia. The result was a massive outbreak in our cities high school of multiple STD outbreaks. Despite this, there is still a lack of overall good sexual education in our public high schools and the availability of free condoms to promote safe sexual health is lacking.

Despite the fact that there are 10 clinics run by the Philadelphia Health Care Center, only 2 of them offer STD testing.

There is no federal website informing citizens of STD rates in Philadelphia, or just what STD's are around. If there is, they've made it incredibly difficult to find!

In my platform, and when I'm elected, I plan on reforming this and making sure that Philadelphia becomes a national leader in safe sexual health! To simply ignore our most basic instinct and to hope it works itself out is not going to work.

1. In order to help stop the spread of STD's in the Philadelphia among not only our youth but also our adults, I will start by funding OPERATION: SAFE SEX. Free condoms will be given out at high schools, colleges, all government buildings, and will be given to any business requesting them. And business willing to hand out the free condoms will be given a small tax break.

2. There are 10 clinics run by the Philadelphia Health Care Center, and only 2 of them offer STD testing. When elected, we will make sure that all clinics have specialized treatment in STD testing and treatment. This will encourage more people to be screened and tested!

3. The City of Philadelphia will have a mandatory Sex Education course in all Philadelphia High Schools, with no one being allowed to miss it. All students will be taught the basics of human sexuality, encouraged to practice abstinence, and taught about both proper use of condoms and other contraceptives, as well as STD's that can result of unprotected sex. This will give teenagers a fair and balanced look at sex and allow them to make what they consider to be the proper choices in their lives regarding their own personal sexuality. In addition to that, all students will be given mandatory classes on how to properly raise a child.

4. Currently, the Philadelphia does not have much in terms of information about STD's in the City of Philadelphia, and very little to help educate citizens of STD's. We need a web site that has information and reports about reported STD's in both high schools, colleges, and the overall health of Philadelphia.

All of these measures are NOT to encourage sex out of wedlock, and they are NOT here to encourage people to have sex. Myself? I am not afraid to admit that, yes, I am a virgin. I went to Catholic School for 13 years, and I never received what I consider a proper education in terms of sexual health. It is because of this that I want to educate all high school students on proper sexual health.

We can not always rely on parents to do this job. Sex is one of the most difficult topics to discuss, but it is essentially a basic human function. We need to encourage those in this city who are most at risk and most likely to have unprotected sex to learn ways to protect themselves, their partners, and everyone else.

Without a doubt, what I want is controversial; not everyone is comfortable with having condoms in high schools, let alone a mandatory class in Sexual Health. I am the man who fights against the government telling us how to live, and that they are here to be a safety net. In essence, that is exactly what this is. The education is to teach everyone what sexual reproduction is and what it means. It is to educate teenagers of the risks involved in sex, and to encourage them to practice abstinence, but to ensure that they learn proper sexual health in the case they fall.

My policy is here to help, not legislate, sexual health in the City of Philadelphia.

This is a platform developed by talking to educators, parents, high school students, college students, and countless members of the community. I believe this is the best way tackle this issue, and I sincerely hope you will all join me in this.

I thank you very much for your time, and I sincerely hope you have a wonderful and productive day!

-Larry West

In the Unlikey Case I Don't Win the Election...

NOTE: This post is meant to be tongue-in-cheek. There is some truth to what you read, but not everything is a fact! Please proceed with caution!

Well, it's about 2 weeks before the election, and so far, I haven't been invited to one debate, forum, etc... It's enough to make you wonder what I'll do in case I don't win. I have sat down and thought about it. The answers may not shock you, and wind up pleasing you:

1. Get a REAL Job. It seems a lot of people are intent with me doing this and don't consider running for a mayor a "real job". I can only assume because you don't get paid to do this... and I haven't had any luck with fundraising or getting on the ballot. I should have taken Stephen Colbert's idea and gotten sponsorships. I have a few places interested.

2. Go head-first into my Art Career. I've had some luck getting freelance work during the election, and I just finished re-designing my website and MySpace page to get new clients. If running for office falls through, I don't mind just drawing again. I did go to school for it.

3. Audition as the lead vocalist of DAATH. Daath is a relatively new Death-Metal band. they just lost their old vocalist and it would be awesome to see the country, maybe the world, with these guys. But do we really need another major (OK, maybe not MAJOR) musician out there spewing their political beliefs?

4. Finally Start my own band! I've been trying to start one for a while now. I'm no Jello Biafra, but...

PHILADELPHIA: Leading the Way for Taking Away Your Freedoms!

Sometimes this city makes me sick.

In the last two years, the citizens of Philadelphia has seen what can only be called “Too Much Government!” I have always been aware of the fact that we as citizens must constantly ask ourselves some rather basic questions about our government, namely this: What is the roll of government in a democracy? To some, the roll of government is meant to be nothing more than a “thing”, something that sits as an obelisk and sometimes intervenes. To others, it is a constant babysitter.

But to me, and to those who want freedom and liberty, the roll of our government is to simply be there when we need them! The roll of these employees of ours, the roll of those we hire and have decided to put in charge, the people we are in charge of... their job is to be our safety net. They are here to enforce OUR laws and OUR ideas. They are not here to tell us what to do and when to do it! We all live in a constant fear of a Big Brother Government, where those in the government can look up anything and everything we do, that they track our every move.

Yet, we allow them to do just that!

No, there are not cameras in your houses. No, there are no bar codes on your neck. And, no, your not forced to stand in front of a TV screen for 5 minutes and told to hate the enemy or face ridicule from everyone and possibly be called a terrorist. But we ARE allowing our government to control us, and we are simply letting it happen!

In the last two years in Philadelphia, the rights of citizens have been stripped away! Layer by layer, pound by pound, we are falling prey to our fears of criminals, of murders, and allowing those fears to govern our ways of thinking and our politics! Yes, Big Brother is here, and the signs have been there for you to look out for!

The smoking ban. A lot of people supported this as a way to clean up the air in Philadelphia, to make our city a shining example of what a pro-health law can do! But the reality is that it was just the beginning of a slippery slope, one that many who opposed the ban warned us of but many chose to ignore. Lets consider this fact: A large number of restaurants and businesses have taken it upon themselves to ban smoking. Before the ban, it was nearly impossible to smoke in most restaurants in Philadelphia. If you did, you were put in an uncomfortable and awkward smoking section. That alone should make you want to quit but, at the very least, you had the freedom and your right to smoke.

But City Council with Nutter at the helm said that wasn't enough. They decided, not us, that there needed to be a large ban on this. That this ban must apply to bar and outdoor restaurants. They, not us, decided what was better and healthier for us. We, as grown adults, were declared too foolish to do so. They decided that businesses were inept at deciding their own policies. Thus began the slow decay.

Since then, we have seen the TransFat ban, a ban that is hypocritical in and of itself. While many fast food restaurants and bakeries have begun to eliminate TransFat from their food, City Council decided that these harmful fats must be banned! THEY decided that we can't make sensible health decisions for ourselves and, like your parents, they must regulate what you eat! And, of course, the ban doesn't effect local restaurants and bakeries, so the ban really targets corporations. I sincerely hope that McDonalds sues City Council and whoever voted for this legislation for discriminating against corporations in terms of public health, especially since local businesses tend to be very fattening. Cheese steaks, Tasty cakes, pretzels... the list goes on.

Taking the lead and these bands is Councilman Darrel Clark. The man is a step away from declaring himself Czar of Philadelphia at this point. First he ignores the Anthony Reilly case. For those not familiar, Anthony Reilly was the young man who was arrested for singing in Rittenhouse Square, leading to a city-wide debate on the right of performing music in public without a permit. Anthony was found not-guilty. While decrying gun violence, he has gone on to suggest that the City of Philadelphia should TRACK purchases of cigarettes and alcohol. He wants you to have to scan your ID every time you purchase either item.

Most recently, he now wants to start tracking sales of spray paint. Why? He reasons that most graffiti is being done by adults. The bill neglects that most graffiti artists don't buy their paint, they steal them. At the same time, there is already laws and rules in effect for not allowing minors to buy any spray paint.

The Licenses and Inspection Unit has now begun a seemingly unprovoked attack on artists in Philadelphia. First Friday in Center City, when peaceful artists gather on 2^nd Street to sell their artwork, play music, and enjoy the new art galleries opening. In recent months, the department of L&I have begun sending officers to arrest people for this practice, declaring they now need Permits to do so, namely a vendors license. Myself? I was told to leave while a homeless person next to me continued to beg. Again, the City of Philadelphia is slowly draining the arts and culture from Philadelphia.

Let us not forget that Nutter is proposing we have a Crime Emergency declared in Philadelphia. This is, without a doubt, the boldest solution to the crime problem out there. And as much as I like the guy, this is the deal breaker. The Crime Emergency would limit or prohibit gatherings in public on sidewalks or elsewhere. It would halt or limit cars and trucks within targeted areas, establish a curfew, and take away the right to legally carry a weapon. It is, in essence, putting away the U.S. Constitution and deciding that the freedom of the citizens of Philadelphia is only secondary to safety. The fact that this has not been made into a major issue is something that makes me wonder just what the citizens of Philadelphia considers "progress".

Add into this his "Stop and Search" program, and it paints a rather bad picture. It would give officers the power and authority to stop anyone who "looks suspicious" and search them. One of the problems in Philadelphia is that the citizens in these high-crime areas do not like the police. It isn't simply the criminals; a lot of good citizens feel the police simply don't care about them, and many of them feel that quite a few officers are biased in these assessments. I don't believe that, and I don't agree with that viewpoint, but the sad fact of the matter is that this is a stigma that a lot of people have. Add into this that in most high crime areas the response time is rather slow, and you have a public with an overwhelming negative viewpoint of the people who are suppose to protect them. T

he program is in effect in other high-crime areas in other cities, and the criticism has always been that the officers doing these are doing it based on, sadly, racial lines. One thing Nutter has done to defend this is state a fact; Most of these crimes are being done by a specific group, in this case, young black men. It's a sad, terrible fact, and since I happen to fall into that category myself, I am worried about being targeted for no real reason. But he does make a point, but this could very well become a stumbling block in the very progress he wants. If this program makes law-abiding citizens feel as if they are being unfairly targeted, then they may leave this city.

The program, overall, severely limits the civil liberties and constitutional freedoms that this city fought long and hard to attain and defend in the first place. Nutter's plan would strip a large portion of our law-abiding citizens of these freedoms in order to capture and target the criminals that roam the streets. We, as citizens, need to decide now if this is the step we want. It may seem like a tired cliche these days, but the so-called "police state" that we fear would come with this to Philadelphia. More cameras, more officers, stop-and-search, a curfew for adults, a limit to your right to assemble! In fact, more than anything else, the very fact that this would limit the right of citizens to assemble should be looked at more intensely! This could possibly limit the right protest, the right to perform in public, and the right to simply enjoy our city. This is, in essence, just two steps away from martial law.

To add to this, this isn't entirely plausible. This would require a few thousand more officers; First more officers in the high-crime areas, and then more officers to take over the shifts of the officers that have been moved. Most likely, this will also require more overtime pay at first since it takes about 1 year to train a new officer, and of 1000 that may enter, only half will make it. I'm not 100% sure how Nutter is planing to do this, and who knows, I could be wrong on that. If I am, I don't mind being corrected. But from where I stand and from what I've seen, this isn't going to happen. If it does, we will need to see a reduction in other city services to help counter the cost.

This was reported in January in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Since then, there has been very little press about it and the only people mentioning it are the occasional blogger and message board poster. He has mentioned it before in some detail, but the current TV Ad's do not describe what this "Crime Emergency" would mean. But it seems that the virtual tidal wave of support for Nutter is overshadowing this, and any other criticism, that could be given to Nutter.

I think it's safe to say that Nutter's Crime Emergency, which would limit our civil rights, is a much more urgent issue to take note of. Like I said, I like Nutter personally and think he's a good man, but this is going to limit our rights. I know I am going to come under fire for this, and I don't mind. A wise man once said, "The time to ask questions is when no one is asking questions," and with the rise of support and endorsements, no one is asking questions about Nutter when they should. No one, and I mean NO ONE, should be given a pass on criticism when it comes to running for office. Everyone else has been grilled, and now I am simply asking that we look into what Nutter wants now before it's too late and the primaries are over.

I'm sure Nutter's supporters are simply going to dismiss what I am saying as mere propaganda, or go on about how this is needed right now due to the rising murder rate. The issue then becomes is this all we have left to defend ourselves? Is the last act of defiance against criminals a limit to all of our rights and civil liberties? Isn't there some other, more reasonable way to solve this problem? These are the questions that we as citizens must ask ourselves before as we decide the faith of not just ourselves, but the very future and destiny of Philadelphia.

In all of this, we need to realize that these are people we can stop! We can vote them out of office, and we can stop them from getting INTO office! We can stop this!

Pennsylvania Needs Clean Elections, and you can Help!

Hello again, everyone.

While I was on the train today, I happened upon this article in the Philadelphia Metro. It was very refreshing to read it, and I would like to point it out to all of you:

My View: Time to clean up elections

By Thomas Keown

Imagine if the best candidate could get elected no matter how little money they had. Imagine if the best arguments and not the best lobbyists delivered the best decisions. Fundraising for next year’s presidential elections is at nosebleed levels. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are already shattering Democratic records, and Mitt Romney has practically bought television in Iowa and New Hampshire. A wit once quipped that “in America, anyone can become president — that’s just one of the risks you live with.” Not anymore. You need a fortune.

But at state level we have started making inroads into the money that decides which laws get made and which don’t. Clean — or publicly funded — election legislation has been passed in seven states with significant results. In Maine, 83 percent of senators are “clean” candidates. In the legislation’s first year, a woman was elected from public housing to the Senate, as was a fresh graduate. Neither had a bean and neither would have thought the door to politics would open to them without clean elections. Now Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., wants to see it at the federal level, too.

It’s a simple premise. Candidates qualify for funding by raising a specified number of $5-$10 donations varying by the office — more for gubernatorial races than for state representative, for example — and agreeing not to accept any private donations. The state then funds their campaign roughly equally to the average spending for the same campaign in the last two to three years. If an opponent is not a clean elections candidate and raises more, the state matches it. But there is no incentive to do so and the mad money stops.

The result is that the smart — not just the rich — can run, more time is spent on issues than fundraising and, once elected, you are beholden to no one. Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano has said she was able to provide prescription subsidies for seniors on the day she was elected because, as a clean elections candidate, the pharmaceutical lobby had no claims on her.

Opponents argue they don’t want their money spent on candidates they dislike. But that’s naive unless you don’t mind having your tax dollars continue to cover corporate subsidies and tax breaks to the industries with big lobbyists instead. Imagine your elected representatives accountable to you and not their donors. Imagine democracy.

http://ny.metro.us/metro/blog/my_view/entry/My_View_Time_to_clean_up_elections/9674.html

For all the hype and demand we have for campaign finance laws, this would be THE law to help quell all of it, not just in Philadelphia, but in the entire state of Pennsylvania! I don't want to merely parrot the writer, but clean elections can, and will, ensure that we have not only the best candidates, but also an election process that is actually fair to all candidates running. I won't miss the obvious; if this law was in place, it would have helped me a lot.

So what I want to do is to begin to lobby to have this placed into effect here in the state of Pennsylvania. I want this to become a law within, at the most, the next 4 years, if not before the next gubernatorial election.

I will need help to do this. If anyone out there is willing to help me in this, please offer your tips and suggestions here! If you want to help me change this by offering your services, even better!

For more information, please go to the following websites:

Public Campaign:
http://www.publicampaign.org

Wikipedia Article on Clean Elections:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_elections

News on what is happening in Pennsylvania to make this happen:
http://www.publicampaign.org/state/pennsylvania

With that said, I look forward to your replies, and together, we can make this commonwealth even better!

-Larry West

SKATEBOARDING IS NOT A CRIME!!

First, thanks to Brian Howard of The Clog for posting this:

NO SKATEBOARDING IN KONRAD SQUARE PARK?

As I always say, skateboarding is NOT a crime, and it's sickening that attempts are made by the Philadelphia Police to practice "Selective-enforcement" of crimes. In this same park, there are people dealing drugs, desecrating the area with vandalism, and the park is left in an overall bad condition. To have a group of young people who are dedicated to keeping the park in decent shape, all while enjoying themselves in a manner that hurts or harms anyone, is sickening.

I ask that the Philadelphia Police begins the long-overdue crackdown on cyclists who constantly are allowed to break the established traffic laws and banning in various parks. If I almost get run-over by a cyclist at City Hall again, someone is getting a REALLY angry letter!

Yes, Bootlegging is a Crime

When I saw this, I immediately was shocked and glad to hear it:

Bootleg Bust Nets $225k in Merchandise

I'm glad to see this happen, and honestly, the bootleg DVD market in this city is sickening. More than anything, it pisses me off because I buy all my DVD's legally, and I used to work for a music/movie store myself. While many simply write it off as nothing more than a simply matter of the RIAA and MPAA need to take care of themselves, obvious acts concerning this activity are widely ignored.

The first, and most important example, is the fact that this IS a form of organized crime. It is a very rare situation that your average bootlegger is just one person in their basement constantly making and printing bootleg DVD's and CD's to sell. Instead, it is normally a broad system of various people committing this crime. Just like with real DVD's, these operations have a manufacturer, a distribution center, and people to sell the product themselves. This tends to be on the street or on-line at auction sites. This all adds up into a form of organized crime.

My question to those who scoff at me for making this an issue, I have to ask; Are you so willing to turn a blind eye to organized crime? If your so willing to end this epidemic, wouldn't help to go after these incredibly large bootleg operations? Isn't one form of organized crime normally linked to others?

The next thing that needs to be stressed is the very simple fact that this IS a crime. It isn't about if you think the police should spend their time on it or not, it's just about basic enforcement. Part of my platform calls for a crackdown on minor crimes. While many may see bootlegging as just a minor, the reality is that it falls into a few different categories of federal law. Organized crime, copyright infringement... The list goes on.

If nothing else, let's just ignore that the MPAA and the RIAA are normally the faces of these crackdown. The reality is that that the people being hurt most are the actual writers, directors, actors, layout artists, storyboarders, and all the countless other people who work on these films. Let's not forget all the musician's, graphic designers, and engineers who work and create their music. They all lose money and they all have their work devalued by this.

In the end, it isn't a victim-less crime; YOU pay. You pay because you decide to tolerate crime. You pay because your paying more money for buying music and movies legally. When revenue is lost, it needs to be made up, and most of the time, it's us, the people who buy our movies and music legally, that wind up paying for it.

I am simply advocating that the Philadelphia Police Department no longer turns an overall blind eye to this and begins to start going after these criminals as well as all the others. This massive bootlegging bust is a step in the right direction.

How the Media can Help Lower the Murder Rate

Wow, what a title, huh? The NEWS MEDIA lowering the murder rate? Frankly, this is the post I've wanted to write for a LONG time!

Today, there were ARRESTS made in the Killing of a 15-year-old for a Dirt Bike. The story got a lot of press immediately, and there was a large sense of outrage from the community about it. Again, no one was coming forward. Finally, someone saw 3 teenagers walking down the street with the bike covered.

What did this person do? THEY CALLED THE POLICE!

http://www.nbc10.com/news/13789091/d...l?dl=mainclick

Yes, someone in Philadelphia did the right thing and alerted the police of this, helping to get a 16-year-old killer off the streets! It shows that there are people, even young people, who are taking steps to make sure Philadelphia is safe for everyone. Insult to injury? "Adult Told Teens To Get 'Dead Kid's' Bike Out Of House"

Unfortunately, it seems this story is getting buried a bit. It's late night, 10PM+, and Fox 29 had this on about 20 minutes into their cast. CBS 3 had it on at about 5 minutes in, and only for 30 seconds. 6 ABC? Nothing.

NBC 10 did lead with it, so kudos to them!

I've seen some sincere passion from these TV reporters when it comes to these murders. Jim Garner of 6ABC always seems to be especially annoyed with them, and honestly, I doubt any of us can blame him. So just what can the media do to change this?

This story. THIS is what we want! We want people to come forward and give this information to the police! We need to start showing, and supporting, people who do come forward and the positive impact it has! It shouldn't be buried behind another murder; THIS IS FRONT PAGE NEWS! THIS IS RARE! IT'S INTERESTING! IT'S IMPORTANT!

It seems easy to me, really; If the news outlets focus more on the positives that are happening, if they show the same results they always say they want, we can see a reduction in violence! We will see more people come forward because we'll see that other people have and this can encourage more people to do just that.

If the media outlets really care about reducing this violence, I ask them to please start reporting more and more about people coming forward with information and have it lead.

The Future of the Larry West for Mayor Campaign: The Speech

First and foremost, thanks for coming out today!

Quite frankly, there is no short and easy way for me to state this. I did not get the 2000 signatures needed to get on the ballot; I only collected 200. It was not because I couldn't get people to sign; to the contrary, I've had a great chance of getting the 2000 I needed in only a month. I stopped getting them. I really saw little choice not to.

Despite the best efforts of the voters of Philadelphia, Philadelphia City Council has not even begun talks to change their archaic age requirement for office! Despite the state law stating otherwise, the city of Philadelphia refuses to lower the requirement age for mayor and city council to 18 instead of 25. We are the only major city to have this silly law! I rarely admit defeat, but I must admit that I have not won in my battle to have this changed in order for me to run.

Now, I guess the question that everyone is left asking is just what am I going to do now? What is my plan of action?

I'm not giving up. No, not by a long shot! I, Larry West, will be running as an Independent Write-In in this election!

So just how will this election be won? How will I become the one sitting in Room 215 come January? It won't be easy. I will go to every house I possibly can and introduce myself and my platform to as many people as possible. I will teach them how to write in a candidate. I will show them that there IS a choice in November and that this election is FAR from over!

No, this will not be easy. Democracy is, by it's very nature, difficult. It is an institution, a form of government, that demands that anyone and everyone is allowed to participate in it. It is because of this that we must constantly be vigilant, not by those who reside out it, but from those who would wish to destroy it from within. Every election is another in a battle as old as civilization itself. Who will be the conquering hero? Who will be the one to triumph? It is the classic struggle of good versus evil, played out election after election. Will we elect someone who will strive to keep our democracy in tact, or will we elect someone who wishes to undermined it and establish their own personal tyranny, putting into power underlings that will till their wretched soil for years, if not decades, to come?

While so often it comes to those on the ballot, it is more a choice of “The lesser of two evils,” I say today that there is now a third choice. Depending on how you look at my candidacy, I am either fighting for the greater good, or I truly am the result of the evils of the infected government that we currently live under.

I have a dream for Philadelphia. I see a Philadelphia where your not afraid to leave your house! A Philadelphia where stores are opened later, there are more jobs, and we honor and trust the police! A Philadelphia where we don't live in fear, and the civil rights of all are not lost in the name of what some may call “Safety!” A society where you are happy and allowed to live freely is a society that prospers!

I want you to know who your police officers are and trust them! I want the children of Philadelphia to grow up to be smart and be among the smartest and brightest students in the country! I want us to drink cleaner water, have a public access channel, clean up the disgusting mess in most SEPTA Subway Stations, and give the young people of Philadelphia hope for the future! I want to fix and improve our Recycling program, and allow the citizens of Philadelphia to recall ineffective leaders! I want to provide condoms in our high schools, help the homeless and the poverty-stricken to get back on their feet, and legalize same-sex marriage! I want to bring skateboarding back to LOVE Park and Dilworth Plaza, have more after school programs, and give the youth of Philadelphia someone to talk to when they need help!

The Philadelphia I want is one where we live happily and in peace! I want to give people back their rights, not take them away! I want a Philadelphia where your not afraid of what could happen to you, but a Philadelphia where you can't wait to see what comes next! My campaign is a campaign of hope.

This November, I ask that you remember this:

NO MORE BULL! VOTE LARRY WEST!

Mayoral Candidate Larry West: THE SHOW MUST GO ON!

Despite all the odds, Larry West hopes to pull a stunning upset and victory this coming November and emerge as the youngest mayor in the history of Philadelphia! Larry West, who is running as an Independent, will be at the Philadelphia County Board of Elections with his petitions to announce that, yes, he IS a candidate and he WILL provide for one of the most important Mayoral Races in decades!

The event will take places at Tuesday, July 31st at 10AM at, as stated before, the Philadelphia County Board of Elections office in City Hall. BE THERE!!!!!

OK, did that catch your attention? Good, I hope to see you there and we can write the next chapter on Philadelphia history together!

-Larry West

Letter to the Philadelphia Metro!

Another day, another murder. John Street is, for the first time in his entire mayoral career, doing something realistic about crime in Philadelphia. At the same time, the police is pushing for more witnesses to come forward. Oh, and Lest I Forget, Cindy Sheehan has announced she's running against Nancy Peloski next year, and made it in our own city!

But instead of seeing ANY of that on the front cover, I see Lindsey Lohan's acne-covered face discussing her most recent D.U.I.!

Please, relearn that this isn't a tabloid, but a NEWSPAPER. I rather read about what can be done to help stem the murder rate then what some annoying celebrity I don't even care about is doing!

NEVER MIND THE NUTTERITES! HERE COMES LARRY WEST!

In what is guaranteed to be the single greatest political announcement press conference in the history of Philadelphia, Mayoral Candidate Larry West will make a press conference concerning his run for mayor on Saturday. The announcement is to be held... on his front lawn. To add an even greater twist to the event, Larry West plans on throwing a small party as well, BBQ-ing burgers for anyone interested. And to top it all off, a concert.

Simply put, Larry's plan is as follows: At 12PM, he will start by giving a short, 5 minute long speech detailing what happened at the Green Party Meeting when he asked for their support, what this means for his mayoral bid, his feelings on the primary election, his feelings on the next 5 months, and talk about his platform. He is expected to mention policies of his opponents as well, but has not been available for comment on that. After the speech, a Q & A session with the press and anyone in attendance will be held where Larry will answer any and all questions concerning his election. Following this, Larry West will put on a short, 3-song set of songs. The full set-list will be revealed at the show, but Larry does hint at one song. "I may not have a band backing me up, but I do plan on singing and playing as much of Megadeth "Peace Sells" as possible." Why that song? "Who says I couldn't be the President of the United States of America/ It's still we the people, right?" The lyric speaks for itself.

The event will be Saturday, June 2nd at 12PM and, sadly, not open to the public.

Giant Billboards at 1234 Market St and Why They're Good!

Oh here we go again! The PA State Legislators refuse to give SEPTA more funding, and Ed Rendell is going to try to make sure SEPTA can still survive without raising prices or cutting services. Commuters are outraged at the idea of those cuts and price hikes happening, and everyone in this city can agree, it would be a disaster for either one, let alone both, to happen.

So why is the city fighting so hard to make sure SEPTA doesn't allow for advertising?

SEPTA is trying to get permission from The Philadelphia Licenses and Inspections (L&I) Department to erect a 2-story ad on their 1234 Market st Building. This has drawn some complaints.

Mary Cawley Tracy, president of SCRUB, and someone I admire, is leading the charge, stating, "They think they can stick ads wherever they can just to make a few more bucks." My problem in this case is that the ad revenue from this is going to cover SEPTA expenses and help them stay in good financial shape.

In May 2006, they had an ad up for Dunkin Donuts. L&I fined them nearly double what they got for the ad and they were forced to take it down.

Now, when I saw this ad back then, I have to say, I was shocked. But, at the same time, I had a smile on my face. While some people saw this as blight, I saw it as a step forward for Philadelphia. The ad was cool, the ad was interesting, and the ad was practically made for a city like Philadelphia. For all the belly-aching I may do about how much I wish Philadelphia was more like New York City, it was a step towards their Times Square. To me, it was a sign of progress.

Add into that the ad is in a very smart location; Between the Lowes Hotel and the Wanamaker Building, and it's close to the PA Convention Center, which is about to expand.

The ad that is coming soon most likely is for a bank, since Citizens' Bank, located in the building, is against it because it would advertise one of their rivals.

In all honesty, this isn't an urban blight issue for a change. Considering that Market St is constantly being barraged by ads, both on buses, bus stops, billboard trucks, wrap-around bus and car ads, the occasional car or truck stopping to give away free stuff... it's hard to go down Market Street without seeing at least 20 ads. It's a hot business district.

So why stop SEPTA from making money so we don't have to face service cuts and higher fares? As long as the ads (I sincerly hope there are more!) are kept tasteful and sophisticated, I don't see a problem.

And, to beat the rush, no, at this time I do not believe there should be any other new ad ventures in Center City. City Hall already advertises as well, and no, I don't want to see ads on Independence Mall or the Liberty Bell.

Photo by Matt, aka twoeightnine

Ineligible? NOT FOR LONG!

I've been talking about it for a while, and the progress is minimal, but it is happening. The petition drive, which amassed 300 signatures in 4 days, was given to my council woman, Donna reed Miller. They were promptly ignored. I wrote everyone on City council about this, and aside from Frank Rizzo's office actively trying to help at first, no one else has tried to help or contact me.

So what's next?

I am currently talking to a lawyer, and we are looking at the issue as, quite simply, an age discrimination issue. As the only major city in America with an actual age requirement for office (New York City, the nations largest city, has none), and since the state has said that being registered to vote is old enough to run for office anywhere else, we have a lot working in our favor.

Trust me when I say this; In the next few months, this is not only going to become one of the biggest issues in Philadelphia, but this will happen sooner than later! If your reading this and wondering what you can do, please CALL CITY COUNCIL AND COMPLAIN!!!

If I'm old enough to fight and die for this country I love, why am I not allowed to even run for office legally? If I am old enough to vote, drive, and own my own house, why can't I run for office?

NEVER SAY NEVER!

You can only imagine how aggravating it is to wake up and see people declaring Nutter "Mayor-Elect"; that, despite the fact the actual mayoral election isn't for another 6 months. All the local media outlets began to join in the chorus, Fox News calling him just that, and all the other stations reminding viewers that Philadelphian's have not elected a non-Democrat in over 50 years. But trust me when I say this, I intend on changing that.

When I announced I was running, it was done staring into the face of modern day Philadelphia Corruption in the form of Milton Street. I started out by demanding a change to the way things were done in this city, and I am still going to continue doing so today! I intend on fighting to the end!

There are still 6 months left in this election. I intend on making sure every single day is a day that you learn more about Larry West and my campaign for mayor! I want you to know I intend on making this election one to remember, and one you will tell your children and your children's children about. The story of a young man with a dream, and that dream was to make Philadelphia the single greatest city in America, if not the world. Many have told me that my youth will lead to fresh ideas, fresh takes, and it is a benefit, not a burden, for running for office. I have been through much in my short life, and every single time, I have come out on top, ready to fight until the end and prove myself the best!

A lot can happen in 6 months. I know I've seen my life change in a heartbeat. Being robbed on the street, losing my mother, and becoming the center of the media's attention when I announced I was running... the entire view on something can be changed so much so shortly. I am going to make the most of it all, and even if I can't get TV ad's, you will know the name Larry West by November.

While many may see Nutter's victory as a sign of change and reform in Philadelphia's Democratic party last night, I did not. When you look at the City Council races, it become painfully clear and obvious; the normalcy of corrupt City Council officials already in office remains intact. The reformers, the progressives, the people new to this field of politics, those who had experience elsewhere and those who had the same enthusiasm and want for change that I did, largely lost last night. It is a major disappointment, and one that should give many pause. Just how, exactly, is the next mayor going to clean up city hall if the voters are not with him eye to eye?

The Council Races remind me of commentary relating to the 2006 Mid-Term elections. Everyone in this country demanded change and an end to the glad-handing the President was getting from those in the Senate and Congress. But as someone put it, "People may hate the people in the Senate, but they think their Senator is doing great!" This is, in a nutshell, what we saw last night; No one is content with the people in City Council now, but they like the person they have.

I said it before, and I will say it again; I am the Dawning of a New Age for Philadelphia! An age where we do end corruption, where we can live in peace and harmony, and an age where we can live in a clean and safe city. We will fix our education system, we will fix our neighborhoods, and we will make Philadelphia great together!

To quote a great man, "Do not go gently into that goodnight. Rage, rage against the dying of the light."

Larry West Makes KRAFT DINNER!- Annihilator

What better way to show Larry west is serious about becoming mayor than with a video paying homage to one of his favorite foods, Kraft Dinner! Well, actually, he's making Mafalda Pasta by San Giorgio and adding Kraft Cheese on top of that... This video was inspired by my love of Annihilator's song "Kraft Dinner." This instructional video will teach you everything you ever wanted to know about how to do this, with an awesome tip or two, too!

How I'm Spending my Time Until after the Democratic Primaries are Over

It's a bit boring right now. I'm talking to people, a lot of people, about just what the plan is after the primaries are over. I know I won't make an official announcement until May 29th, but I'm sure I'll make some sort of announcement of what I want to do. Until then, I'm mainly working on revisions to my platform. The primaries are great for Independents; It let's us look at what everyone else is doing and learn from their mistakes! I'm also working on a strategy to help get out the Larry West vote between June and November, as well as a way to get on the ballot.

Ah yes, the ballot in November. Well, let me say thank you to Sam Katz for dropping the GOP when he did. At this point, I now know how many signatures I need to get on the ballot: 1,967. Not bad, huh? That doesn't seem to hard for me, and I'm sure I can do it. But, oh yes, the age requirement. I'll be frank; If any lawyer is willing to work Pro-Bono, I plan on fighting for my right to run for office. If it has to, I will go to court for this.

Other than that, it's still is dead overall. As you can see, fund-raising is low right now, so please give to my campaign. Everyone else have tons of cash, and we don't. I've been playing the guitar a lot, playing Super Paper Mario for the Wii (Which is AWESOME! Get it if you can!), and watching Reno 911. I've been reading a lot, too; Mostly comic books, like Preacher, Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing, and Hellboy. Oh, and Noam Chomsky, the book Fixing Broken Windows, and some other things here and there. I've done some spring cleaning, mowed the lawn, and started getting ready for, brace yourselves... to take my driving permit test.

Also, I just want to extend congrats to the 2007 graduating class of Hussian School of Art! The Senior Showcase was incredible and I sincerly hope you all get work soon in your respective fields! Thank you all for the support, and good luck!

Larry Reveals his Endorsements

Over the last few months of running for office, I've met a lot of really nice people... and I also learned about the true nature of some other people. As a registered Independent, I can't vote for anyone this time around, let alone in the heated Democratic Primaries. But since most people in this city are Democrats, I'll leave it to just the Dem's.

1st District: Vern Anastasio - OK, I have a reason for Vern. I first heard about him through a YouTube video called "The Anastasio Team". I had a good laugh but I didn't know much about him. After a while, I went to his site, and simply put, the man is a dedicated reformer. I met him before the Shame of a City preview and he genuinely is trying to make Philadelphia better. He wants to make the streets safer, clean up City Hall, and redo the zoning code. Plus, he's running against Frank DiCicco who has been caught up in the Pay-to-Play Scandal. 'Nuff said!

2nd District: Damon K. Roberts - I heard of Mr. Roberts through MySpace. I got a Friend Request from him. Normally, for politicians, I always have to look at their MySpace page and after seeing that he considers mental health on the same level as other diseases and he is also looking at different solutions to the crime problem. He's running against Anna Verna, who has seen her district become the most crime ridden since being elected in, and I kid you not, 1975.

8th District: Irv Ackelsberg - Irv? A poster named clivden on the Phillyblog.com board, sums the reason to support Irv Acklesberg better than I ever could:

Only Irv Acklesberg so far has actually gone on the record that he would end the relationship between the "protected and connected" and named the Germantown Settlement as the front for much that is wrong with 8th District politics - - and he is absolutely correct. Irv's background as a community legal services attorney working in the most neglected and politically manipulated section of the District (Germantown from Chelten Avenue to Wayne Junction - interestingly this is Paulmier's ward) gives him insight into what his challenges will be, but they must be amplified to all voters in the entire district in order for folks to focus on the fact that the 8th district, just like the city government at large, has wasted and misappropriated millions and millions of dollars and fallen way short of serving its constituents.

Irv, on top of all that, has 30 years experience in fighting corruption. He stood up to SEPTA and demanded fair customer policies, led the fight against casinos from building next to schools, cleaned up slumlord properties, and helped families avoid foreclosure. After speaking with him personally and hearing what he had to say, I support him! And, he also is in favor of changing the age requirement to run for office!

City Council At-Large:

Frank Rizzo: In the 2 months I have been crying out and trying to change the age requirement to run for office, Frank Rizzo is the ONLY person to respond to me and offer support. The man cares about the citizens of Philadelphia, and he deserves another term!

Music: BANNED IN PHILLY!

Rittenhouse Square/Philadelphia -- Last week, we told you about a young man arrested in Rittenhouse Square for singing. He refused to stop singing when a police officer ordered him to do so. No he faces possible jail time for the musical offense. As FOX 29's Gerald Kolpan reports, Anthony Riley says public singing is everyone's right, so he returned to the square. So did the cops.

Read the Full Story Here

I know these guys pretty well; They started supporting me the day I told them I was running for Mayor, and when I heard about this and the protest, I was more than happy to help. Anthony is a great singer, and the link has a video that explains everything.

I went over to Delworth Plaza at 3PM Wednesday, May 2nd, to go out and play my guitar a little bit. To my knowledge, there is no law stating you can't play there. After about 20 minutes, an officer came over and told me to leave, and I did.... and went across to the little island across from the plaza to play instead! It was only another 5 minutes there, but it was fun and there was support for the right to play in public. Later that day, after speaking to some officers, they said that it is permitted in certain places, and the place I was playing was perfectly legal.

So, there you have it; The police have been stepping-up efforts to enforce the arbitrary Musician Ban in what I call "Operation: Silence is Golden". And, my friends, it blows!

So, what can YOU do to help? EASY! CONTACT CITY COUNCIL!



CALL CITY COUNCIL! - Admittedly, this is a link to my "Refuse to be Denied" site, so PLEASE tell them about the age requirement, too! But, seriously, we now have 2 stupid laws that need to be changed! LET'S GET TO IT!

Also,fell free to call 5th District Councilman Darrell L. Clarke's Office about this: (215) 686-3442, (215) 686-3443.

...And Equality for All.

Sunday, April 15th, I went on 900AM WURD. I would like to thank both the host, David Barnes, and the people in the studio for being so great! They were wonderfully polite people and I have to say, it offered me some new insight into my current platform! I always love hearing new ideas, and I heard some good ones yesterday. Congressman/Mayor Candidate Chaka Fattah was supposed to be in the studio with me, but instead phoned in. I would like to extend my gratitude to Congressman Fattah for being part of the show. It was nice to hear from him again!

But I must publicly state that I am displeased with a comment that was made by one of the callers, Queen Nzinga Ratibisha Heru, International President of The Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations, or ASCAC. While she made some great points and comments, namely about focusing on helping the poor and the youth by giving them hope and a chance, something I agree with and consider a cornerstone of my platform, the Imus controversy was brought up. Along with the fact that she felt felt bad about the comment Imus made, she said this:

"...this brings to light that, deep down, all white people feel this way."

I asked her, "Did you basically just say that all white people hate blacks?" "Well, " she replied, "I'm sure you could play the tape back, but yes, I do believe that."

Let's all just stop and step back for a moment and reflect on how I felt when she said this. I'm 1/4th white. The bassest in my band is white. Some of my best friends are white. But all that aside, more importantly, the people who support me includes whites. To say something as hurtful, mean, and ill-informed as "all white people feel this way," that they all hate blacks... that is highly disrespectful! Not just to me, my friends, or the people I know and love, but also to all the people, no matter what race, who support me.

I am 100% in favor of trying to have more African-American / Black studies in school and to integrate them with overall high school curriculum. If high schools wish to have African-American / Black History courses, I believe they should. I don't agree with it being mandatory because we live in an age where we strive for equality, and to integrate it with the rest of the history courses does allows all of American History to be taught. But I can not believe that this is what the leader of this organization truly thinks about whites! It is racist, bigoted, and shows a lack of respect, let alone tolerance, towards whites and possibly other races as well.

I will never demand an apology for someone using their god-given right to express themselves and I do not want an apology, nor do I speak for anyone other than myself (right now; when elected, I speak for the people of Philadelphia), but I am asking that she resigns as International President of the ASCAC for her comments. How could someone who wants to promote African American History make her point or further her cause when she does not show toleration for other people's history's and culture's?

This is exactly the type of thinking that made me want to run for office in the first place. The antiquated ideas that one race is better than another is another example of how those of our nations past simply wish to stay content with the way things are and, despite cries for progress, would rather see things remain the same. We need to look forward and realize that if we are to move ahead that instead of focusing on our differences, we need to all focus, instead, that the future of not only Philadelphia, but our country, depends on being able to work together towards our goals instead of constantly fighting amongst ourselves.

I'm asking everyone to contact this organization and tell them how you feel:

ASCAC Contact Page
E-mail Nzinga Ratibisha Heru Directly!

Larry West Still NEEDS YOUR HELP!

First, THANK YOU!

If you added me as a friend, thank you! If you put me as one of our Top Friends, Extra Thanks! If you added one of my banners to your MySpace page awesome! If you reposted one of my bulletins, awesome! If you posted your own bulletins and blogs about me, INCREDIBLE!!!

But the support shouldn't, and can't, end there! We're getting ready to make and sell, if not just give away, t-shirts, buttons, and flyers! Right now, the estimated total to do all of this is $500; We found Punkbuttons.net who will make 500 buttons for $55, a deal so that we can give them away! We plan on silk-screening our own shirts, and the cost of that is around $200 for 100 shirts (ROUGH estimate), and we're looking at YoFlyers.com for our Flyers, and that's $170.00 for 2500 flyers, CHEAP!

We're looking at Stickerguy.com for stickers. We can get 500 stickers for $60, and that's pretty sweet! That, along with buttons, are the cheapest, and COOLEST, things to give out!

PLEASE Donate to the campaign! We REALLY need your help! Our web fees right now are $15 a month for both the web site and online store, and we need more cash to help pay for the freebies!

Please donate whatever you can to the campaign!

If you can spare $10, $5, or even $1, that would help!

Again, thanks for all of your help thus far! Keep up the great work!

NOW, if you can't afford to give, but you do live in Philadelphia, here's what you can do:

http://www.larrywestformayor.com/refuse/index.html

You can call, write, and e-mail everyone on City Council to change the law stating only 25-year-olds can run for Mayor and City Council and lower it to 21!

Want more? PRINT OUT A PETITION AND START GETTING SIGNATURES!!

We need as much help as possible with that!

So, again, thanks a million for all the help thus far!

-Larry West

I Shoveled Sidewalks for Campaign Contributions!

Someone on a message board I go to recently asked which Mayoral Candidate they should give money to. Since I tend to post on that board a lot, I thought I would chime in:

Everyone else running for office already have a million and a half contributors. Nutter is a great guy and I wish him the best! But me? I'm just a normal guy, just like everyone else, and I have no real way of getting funds for my campaign right now short of stuff like this; Being very direct and asking people for it. I've raised about $200, and $100 of that is from shoveling sidewalks this weekend! So I literally work for campaign contributions! Lol!

I'm trying to hold rallies and demonstrations and have giveaways, but I just don't have the funds for it. So if you could contribute even $10 to my campaign, I would be incredibly grateful!

Again, thanks in advance if you do, and if you don't, then I wish the person you did give money to the best of luck!

So, there you have it. I'm not asking for much, but I would love to get something! Right now, the plan is to raise $500 ina week. $100 will help pay for buttons to give away, and I'm looking into ways to get t-shirts. I know how to silk screen and a screen wouldn't cost too much, maybe $50 at the most, and another $50 for the 3 cans of ink I would need. T-shirts could be bought for about $5 a shirt, if not sheeper. They may need to be sold until we raise enough funds to allow us to do it for free. Again, thanks to everyone who has shown their support thus far! I really need it, and any possible money you can contribuite will greatly help!

http://www.larrywestformayor.com/contribuite.html

-Larry West

...And it Just Get's Stranger...

Mohawks and Megadeth

Seeing how he's too young to even get on the ballot, Larry West's chances of getting elected mayor are worse than both Queena Bass and Milton Street. Still, Philadelphia seems to love the Mt. Airy 22-year-old, who burst onto the scene at last week's Milton Man March.

Metro's Brian X. McCrone has an interview with the mohawked West today. West hopes to run as an independent in the November general election. He said he plans to lobby City Council members to start into motion a charter change to lower the age to run for mayor from 25 to 21.

While West has some serious ideas — he wants to reinstate the power to recall a mayor and provide public access TV — our favorite part of his candidacy is that it's driving traffic to the blog from a forum dedicated to Megadeth,where West posts as LuvataciousSkull.

Meanwhile, I got a message from Good Day Philadelphia this morning — they're trying to track West down. This kid's about to go big time.

UPDATE: A Philly Blog poster points to the City Charter's rules for recalling elected officials.

READ THE POST!

Mayor with a mohawk?

PHILADELPHIA - Larry West knows all about Roosevelt’s New Deal.

Larry West still needs to find a way around the Philadelphia law that requires the city’s mayor to be at least 25 years old. (Photo: Rikard Larma/Metro)

He’s versed in the “broken windows” crime-fighting tactics championed by Rudy Guiliani.

But West also knows his death metal.

Destined to be mislabeled as a political outsider because of his age — he’s 22 — and his hairdo — a thin mohawk — the well-spoken Mount Airy man who declared his intent to run for mayor last week even has to explain his cultural stylings.

Described by some as “the punk rock candidate,” the well-spoken, heavy metal fan running as an Independent has a long way to go in knocking down stereotypes.

Let’s start with the basics. How much is in the campaign coffers?

Currently about $101, about one more dollar than the Republicans. [Laughs.] Actually, I almost have about $4,000 to $5,000 to go toward the campaign.

Really. What do you do for a living?

Well, currently I manage my mom’s estate. In 2004, when I was only 19, [Judith West] suffered a brain aneurysm. In June 2005, she passed on.

What about if someone were to say you’re the punk rock candidate?

I’ve heard that quite a bit already on MySpace. I was added to someone’s friend list called Punks for Politics or something along those lines. They said, “Punk rock mayor coming through.” If it works, it works. I mean, the reality is, I’m more of a metal guy myself, but I like the mohawk.

What are the first initiatives you would take as mayor if elected?

The first thing is reinstate the right to recall the mayor. No one can do that now. The Rizzo recall incident some 30 years ago was unconstitutional. ... I want Philadelphia to have a public access channel. Channel 48 got bought out by TBN and I would like Philadelphia to own that station so people can get on the air and televise their opinions.

This is the tough one. You’re 22, right?

Yes, I am.

I have some bad news for you —

You have to be 25 to actually get on the ballot.

Right.

Yes, you have to be 25. ... I plan on doing things to challenge that. I’m going to knock on doors at City Council, see who’s there, and ask them to lower it to 21. Because honestly, the policies and politicians of the past have failed.You have people in their 30s, 40s, 50s, running for office. And most of them have lost their drive.

----

READ THE FULL METRO ARTICLE HERE!

I Accept Your Challenge to a Debate!

Hello!

My name is Larry West. You may remember me from yesterday; I was the guy with the sign that said "Stop Milton Street" and the mohawk. Mr. Milton Street took me by the shoulder and asked me, "Why do you hate me?" Within that, I told him I was running for mayor as well. He then challenged me to a debate, and I am more than happy to do it! I told him "any place, any time," and I will now hold him up to it, only I have chosen the place and time!

March 10th, City Hall, Delworth Plaza at 12PM.

It's a debate and a battle of the bands! Mr. Milton Street, please come down! I will pay for the stage and permits, all $425, myself and we can get as much media out there as possible! We debate for 30 minutes to an hour, then we face in a battle of the bands! Your keyboardist and your vocal chops against me and my guitar! You can sing gospel and I'll shred away with something special on my guitar!

Again, I'LL pay for the stage so you don't have to worry about the bill. I'll organize everything myself, but I just need you to help with contacting the press to show up. I just need you to show up.

So, I look forward to this debate! I really do! REALLY! I need to know by Saturday, though, so I can start making and posting flyer's, as well as file for the permit first-thing Monday!





-Larry West
http://www.larrywestformayor.com

Well, a funny thing happened on the way to a protest...

Milton Street was suppose to have this huge rally today, stating that if 5000 didn't show up, he would not run for office. Since I believe that we as citizens have the right to protest and peacefully assemble, I took my right to go out there and protest. I had a sign, still wet after an hour, stating "No Criminals in City Hall! / Stop Milton Street!" Since he currently is under indictment for $2 million and was arrested 2 weeks ago for unpaid parking tickets, I think my sign was more than appropriate.

After getting to the rally, I held my sign high and proud and reporters and camera people began to come over to take photos. I was, as it seemed, the only person protesting. There were only 100 people there, and only 10 of them were there to support Milton; the others were reporters, people interested in his policies, and people making fun of him. From what I could tell, the later of which was the majority.

Then, Milton Street himself took me by the shoulder and asked me, "Why do you hate me?" I had a massive smile on my face and felt a little humbled; it takes courage to ask someone that type of question, and I was more than happy to tell him why. "No offense, Mr. Street, but your currently under indictment for $2 million, and if we're trying to end corruption, I just don't think you should run." He then asked me about my idea for stopping crime, and went straight to point #1 on my Anti-Crime policy: Putting into effect the same ideas of Rudy Guiliani, namely having the CompStat program put into effect."

At the same time, about anyone and everyone there from the press gathered around. I took this chance to do exactly what I wanted; "I, Larry West, am officially running for Mayor."

For the next hour, I was surrounded by reporters asking various questions, namely why I was running, why I was against Milton, what my platform was, and what motivated me to run. Someone even asked me if someone put me up to this, and I could only laugh! Interviews and video is forthcoming, as well as any and all articles.

So the race of Larry West for Mayor begins! I didn't plan this, I didn't think it would get this big, but it did. I guess all that's left is waiting to see what happens.

Philadelphia Weekly Article:
http://willdo.philadelphiaweekly.com/archives/2007/03/milton_man_marc_1.html

Philadelphia Inquirer/ Philly.com Blog:
http://blogs.phillynews.com/inquirer/live/2007/03/street_rally_im_staying_in_the.html

Quickie on CBS3

Philebrity.com Does an ARTICLE!

Wherein the Philadelphia Mayor's race is decided with a Battle of the Bands

THE Assosiate Press Writes one line about me:
A man with a mohawk held a sign that read "Stop Milton Street."

Official Announcement: Details Changed!

Due to circumstances that I did not foresee, the announcement on Independence Mall is canceled. The reasons are as follows:

After speaking with the Managing Directors Office of Philadelphia, I learned that they did not control that property (something I somewhat knew) and I had to speak with the parks department. Since the announcement was for Wednesday and it was Monday, there was nearly no possible way to get a hold of them since the person needed was out of his office.

A short trip back to the office, I told them I had decided to hold the Press Conference at Delworth Plaza at City Hall.

The cost for a demonstration permit, which is what I tried to file, is $20. The cost to hold a press conference is $1000. And, mind you, the only people there, hopefully, would be the press, and that's a long-shot in and of itself due to low name recognition, something I know and acknowledged before even wanting to try.

So, sadly, we can not have a large number of people at the actual announcement as I had planned... at least, not in the way we had planned. I am now trying to change this so that the announcement is instead made over the Internet, something I planned on in the first place, and working hard to get it put on local TV.

Details are sketchy. I will post the details once I know what's going on.

-Larry

22-YEAR-OLD RUNNING FOR MAYOR OF PHILADEHIA: "Well, the older candidates are acting like kids..."

Philadelphia, PA, Feb. 28th 12 P.M. - The dawning of a new age of Philadelphia Politics will dawn that morning as a young 22-year-old man get's ready to take the stand to run for mayor of Philadelphia! His reasoning? If the people running for office are acting more childish than him, why shouldn't someone who actually is mature run for office? The announcement is to be held at Independence Mall around 6th and Market St.

The main question being asked is what chance does someone so young have at running for office? “Michael Sessions of Hillsdale, Michigan, ran for Mayor in 2005 when he was only 18 and still in high school, and won! And he ran as a write-in!” says Larry West. “People did it because they were sick and tired of how things were being run in their city. So, yes, in honestly think I have a chance here.”

There will be signs and banners to indicate where the event is taking place, as well as a crowd of people. It will take place on the large grassy area next to the Constitution Center. "I picked Independence Mall because this is where the first revolution was held," said Larry West, "And this is where the second one will begin!" For more information on the event, please visit our website at http://www.larrywestformayor.com.

ABOUT LARRY WEST:

Larry West is a 22-year-old Independent running for Mayor of Philadelphia. His platform includes ending corruption by having all city contracts and city appointments past through City Council, limit all campaign contributions to only $1000, and instate a change to the City Charter to ban anyone currently under indictment or federal investigation for running for any public office! He will take into call the ideas of Rudy Giuliani and implement CompStat to pinpoint and treat all crime areas, crack down on minor crimes with zero-tolerance policies to deter would-be criminals, and give victims of crime more rights! Above all else, he wants the citizens of the city to be given more say and hope in their government, and he hopes to do just that.

Larry West is NOT Endorsed by the following: John Street, Milton Street, Vincent Fumo, Corey Kemp, Rick Mariano, and Frank DiCicco. Larry West is endorsed by anyone who wants Philadelphia to improve over the next 4 years.

Contact Information:
Larry West for Mayor
larry@larrywestformayor.com
http://www.larrywestformayor.com
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