by John Coleman
This week Warren Bloom Candidate for City Commissioner for the May 15th Spring Primary will appeal the Judgment made by Court of Common Pleas Judge the Hon. Lillian Ransom decision to have 21 of his petition sheets disqualified, voiding 960 signatures. Bloom who was not represented by counsel turned in more than 1,950 signatures 950 above the amount required.
City Commissioner Edgar Howard made the challenge on March 13th the last day to file in order to remove any potential challengers. Samuel C. Stretton counsel for Commissioner Howard challenged 960 signatures, leaving Bloom just 40 shy out of the one thousand needed to remain on the ballot. Judge Ransom agreed that Bloom's notaries were not dated properly therefore violated the circulation clause that states signatures shall not be listed beyond the prior date of the latest endorsement. Bloom chargers that he signed off on each sheet at the end of the day using the date he began the sheet with instead of the reverse and did not mean to place a date in the area reserved for the notary only. Bloom argued that even though he made an obvious error, her Honor Ransom even agreed that all of the 41 sheets submitted were consistent with the same respective sign off dates. Bloom argued that this should not be grounds to remove his name from the ballot but that he should be given the grace and allowed to make the corrections, since the integrity of the names were not the issue but a date placed on the petition incorrectly.
Bloom commented afterward that "On behalf of all the candidates challenged, he will seek to have a Federal Judge invalidate these entire proceeding due to the only one day notice given and the "No Continuance" factor by the City Commissioners office and the Court of Common Pleas. "This will also speak to the high level of corruption present throughout this current administration."
Ref: Please Contact: Warren Bloom / Police Clergy 618 Brooklyn Street Philadelphia, Pa. 19104 215-222-7595 Or cell 215-939-7462 E-mail votebloom@hotmail.com or visit Myspace.com/bloominthespring
