Grisafi is ready to put
City Council back on track
By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer
Gary Grisafi is sick of watching City Council debate issues such as whether supermarkets should use plastic bags or bakeries should be prohibited from using trans-fats.
Grisafi was outraged when Council declared Philadelphia a "pro-choice" city on abortion and voted to evict the Boy Scouts from its headquarters for refusing to put gay men in leadership roles.
If he wins the 7th Councilmanic District race, Grisafi vowed to be a prominent voice on hot-button issues.
"Who’s raising hell?" he asked. "I’ll do that."
Grisafi, a Republican, is running against Democrat Maria Quinones-Sanchez and independent Luis Pineda. The incumbent is Dan Savage, but Savage lost in the Democratic primary to Quinones-Sanchez.
This is Grisafi’s fourth run for office. He twice challenged state Rep. Mark Cohen (D-202nd dist.) and also faced Savage in a special election last November. An underdog in this race because of the overwhelming Democratic voter-registration advantage, he hasn’t ruled out a challenge to Cohen in next year’s Democratic primary.
A resident of Wellington Street in Castor Gardens, Grisafi is married with a 14-year-old daughter, Paige. He plays in a band and teaches music.
"I’m the real outsider in this race," he said, alluding to government jobs that Quinones-Sanchez has held.
On the campaign trail, he knocks on 800 doors a week in a district that stretches from Second and Diamond streets to Grant Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard. His 73-year-old dad, John, often accompanies him.
The candidate has also attended various neighborhood forums and anti-crime rallies.
When he knocks on a door, he likes to have a dialogue with the resident. He even chatted with Quinones-Sanchez’s parents at their Juniata home.
"I think it’s important for the candidate to interact with the people face to face," he said in a meeting last week with the
Times editorial board.
On the issue of crime, Grisafi wants better police deployment, additional beat and bicycle patrols, more surveillance cameras and greater cooperation with Town Watch to erase Philadelphia’s reputation as the nation’s "murder capital." He thinks prisoners should receive education and job training before they’re released.
Before the city implements a stop-and-frisk policy to crack down on illegal guns, he wants to make sure the police are trained.
Only by lowering the crime rate and educating the work force will businesses want to come to Philadelphia, he argues. He also would eliminate the gross-receipts portion of the business privilege tax.
To balance the budget, Grisafi would cut spending. He’d start by declining the use of a city-issued car. His Ford Focus is good enough.
"Just give me a parking spot," he said.
Grisafi labels Quinones-Sanchez as "extreme" in her views, many of which were outlined in a questionnaire issued by the Liberty City Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Democratic Club.
In the questionnaire, she backs same-sex marriage, a needle-exchange program to prevent HIV infections, condom distribution in prisons, funding for sex-change operations and the city policy on the Boy Scouts.
If elected, he would promote more after-school programs that teach children music, art and dance.
When he lived on the 800 block of Anchor St. in Oxford Circle, he was a fierce opponent of a new Samuel Fels High School on the grounds of the former JFK Hospital. The site was up the block from his home.
In his opinion, the project is too costly and the plans have not been adequately detailed. He is also concerned about the students roaming through the neighborhood.
"They’re worse than the ones at Lincoln," he said.
Grisafi, who makes a little more than $20,000 a year, makes the financial sacrifice to send his daughter to a Catholic elementary school because of safety concerns in public schools.
"I’ll eat peanut butter and jelly every day for her to be safe," he said. ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or
twaring@phillynews.com
http://www.northeasttimes.com
