Since last week when longtime City Councilman Thacher Longstreth decided to finally pack it in at the ripe old age of 82, there have been whispers around town that maybe 88-year-old colleague David Cohen should follow suit. An e-mail sent to news desks all over the city Monday by 24-year-old Northeast Philly resident and political junkie David Kushner makes it plain.

"That position would be much better served by a younger, more vibrant, energetic and physically able person to be the voice of our working families, union members and the regular people of our great city," Kushner writes. "[Cohen] has been an excellent public servant but his time is up." Contacted at his home Tuesday, Kushner says he's willing to stand by his missive.

"I have been to many, many Council hearings and meetings, and I rarely see Cohen," Kushner says, "and when he does show he rarely speaks."

"My colleagues will tell you that I'm the most active member of City Council," the octogenarian insists. "For years people have been saying I should step down, but it's not because of my age, it's because of my politics."

Cohen, who calls himself a "true Roosevelt Democrat," says that because he's the champion of the poor and politically disenfranchised, he's been the target of some -- even within the Democratic party -- who believe the poor are nothing more than a burden on society.

"I believe that the government must help people to a better life, to see to it that everyone has an equal chance at the American dream, no matter what their economic background. That may not make me popular with some people, but the voters have elected me to Council six times, so I must be popular with someone," Cohen laughs.

Contrary to Kushner's observations, Cohen gets in his fair share of speeches on the floor, according to www.hallwatch.org. In fact, in 2001 only the famously verbose Michael Nutter, at 49,229 words, and the equally talkative Jim Kenney, at 38,285, spoke more words in Council than did David Cohen, with 22,954. By the way, during that period the official count from Thacher Longstreth was just two words. The jokes pretty much write themselves here, but we'll leave it to you to speculate on what those two words were. And while Cohen's attendance record of 58 percent for 2001 is near the bottom of the pack, it's still better than Joan Krajewski's 44 percent or Thatch's pitiful 16-percent attendance record.

"I'm going to stay as long as I'm capable and enjoy what I do," Cohen says. "I have more zest now than when I first started. When I leave is up to the Lord and the voters." — Daryl Gale

Vernâs Yearn

Just a few weeks ago, Bella Vista resident and activist Vernon Anastasio claimed that despite the persistent rumors, nothing short of "an incredible alignment of the moon and the sun and the stars" would get him to run for City Council this year. Well, guess what? With the heavens conspiring to change his mind, Anastasio has decided to challenge First District Councilman Frank DiCicco in the primary.

City Paper's recent cover story on the Reasons to Stay movement ("We The People," Feb. 13), Anastasio said he'd been encouraged by various community activists to run for office, but had politely declined. After the article was published, however, "Almost immediately, the same people started saying, Look, this is our time to get behind a candidate and go to City Hall.'"

Except officially, they won't. The members of Reasons to Stay -- a network of community groups that recently released its agenda in a document it calls the Neighborhood Bill of Rights -- have decided not to endorse candidates and Anastasio says he has "stepped back" from the organization "to insulate it from politics as usual." (He also says he has resigned his position as chief of staff for State Rep. Babette Josephs.)

Still, a handout found on a sidewalk in Bella Vista this week suggests that Anastasio may, intentionally or not, blur the lines between his campaign and the Reasons movement. Under the heading "Anastasio's Blueprint for Positive Change," the handout offers a snapshot of his platform that could double as an outline of the Neighborhood Bill of Rights.

"Of course it does," he says. "I'm not going to be anti-neighborhood all of a sudden" just to avoid the kind of criticism DiCicco has leveled, alleging that RTS is a front for Anastasio's political aspirations. As for the website www.votevern.com being registered on Feb. 8, almost a week before the City Paper article, he points out that he'd never ruled out a run. (And at press time this week, the site still had not been posted.)

Anastasio may not be the only challenger in the First. Henry Levandowski, a young attorney from South Philly, also plans to get on the ballot, according to Ed Kirlin, an associate of labor leader John Dougherty. Levandowski, who could not be reached before press time, appears to have Dougherty's support, though Kirlin suggested it was not out of the question that Anastasio could win Dougherty's favor, depending on how the campaign plays out. And if Anastasio were to ask for it.

March 11 will be the last day to circulate nominating petitions. The primary election is May 20.— Frank Lewis