Primary Countdown

by Mary F. Patel

There are less than two weeks to go until the May 17 primary. The Democratic races are the only interesting ones since there are no Republican contested primaries.

Seth Williams hopes to unseat District Attorney Lynne Abraham. In a tough race against an incumbent woman, will he fare better than former City Commissioner Alex Talmadge, who in 2001 resigned his seat to run against Abraham in the primary? Talmadge was promised money and support if he ran but, getting neither, he lost — receiving 72,807 votes to Abraham's 101,943 — and hasn't been heard from since.

Williams claims that he is no Talmadge because he has prosecutorial experience as an Assistant District Attorney under Abraham. Also unlike Talmadge, Williams is not an elected official, so if he loses, he can return to private practice no worse for the experience. He might even wind up with a longer client list. Regardless, Williams' profile doesn't seem to be high enough despite his valiant efforts. He has just a short time to gain the strong citywide name recognition he needs to win a race with an expected low turnout.

The playing field is more level in the Democratic primary race for city controller: With potential 2007 mayoral candidate Jonathan Saidel not seeking re-election, there is no incumbent.

John, We Hardly Knew Ya

It's probably safe to start referring to Alan Butkovitz as city controller. His opponent in the primary, John Braxton, is off the Democratic ballot.

In a development that surprised even his own campaign staff, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that Braxton's failure to fill out his financial disclosure forms properly is a fatal error that strikes him from the ballot. The development was a stunner because his staff was not told that the Commonwealth Court decision allowing Braxton, a Common Pleas Court judge, to remain on the ballot was being appealed.

Braxton failed to disclose income from his rental properties and identify who holds the mortgages on those properties. Butkovitz, a state representative, knew about the omissions and challenged Braxton's financial statements in Common Pleas Court, which ruled that Braxton could amend his documents. Butkovitz then appealed to the Commonwealth Court, which upheld the lower court's decision.

Butkovitz will face Republican Hillel Levinson in the general election, but the Democrats almost always win citywide offices. Butkovitz and Braxton could not be reached by press time.

Dems Dis Party

Democratic Common Pleas Court candidate Ira Shrager was feted last week at a $250-per-person fundraiser in South Philly with highfalutin names on the invite that included IBEW Local 98 Business Manager and potential mayoral candidate John Dougherty and City Commissioner Margaret Tartaglione.

The event served as further evidence that Democratic City Committee endorsements hold no weight. Shrager was not endorsed by the committee of which Dougherty is the treasurer. Tartaglione is the leader of the Democratic 62nd Ward, which she rules with an iron fist. Shrager has handled the legal work for Local 98 for a few years now, which explains the Dougherty connection.

Joining the labor movement in support of Shrager and on the invitation to the fundraiser are Philadelphia Building Trades Council Business Manager Patrick Gillespie and Philadelphia AFL-CIO President Patrick Eiding.

"My fundraiser," reports Shrager, "was a huge success."

You Are Here

If you see what looks like a lunar module being towed around Center City, don't be alarmed. NASA is not planning a launch from Philadelphia — it's part of a mapping project from GeoSim, an Israel-based company that is using the latest technology to create a virtual tour of parts of Philadelphia.

Philadelphia is the first American city to be mapped. GeoSim uses 3-D modeling to create a photorealistic virtual environment that makes you feel like you are moving through the real thing.

"Pictures are taken from the air and by car," said GeoSim CEO and Founder Victor Shenkar from his office in Tel Aviv. "We will be finished by next year."

The hope is that the 3-D visualization will enhance the city's image and possibly increase tourism.

The Center City District/Central Philadelphia Development Corporation has partnered with GeoSim to map Center City only.

"The project costs about $1.5 million and other areas are not in the budget," explained Shenkar, a former top official with the Israeli Air Force's Research Division who founded GeoSim Cities in 1999.

Among the uses foreseen for GeoSim are aiding in the study of urban infrastructure and city planning; helping visitors plan a trip, book tickets for shows and make restaurant reservations; assisting real estate developers in locating sites and properties and examining neighborhood characteristics; planning security and escape plans in case of a national emergency; enabling video game designers integrate the city streetscape; and pinpointing sites for movie and TV productions.

GeoSim has also mapped Tel Aviv and Lucca, Italy.