Mayoral hopeful Rocks speaks at GOP meeting

In a cramped law office at 44th Street and Baltimore Avenue, Joe Rocks, the Republican candidate for mayor of Philadelphia, addressed about 20 members of the University City Republican Committee last night. Rocks -- who grew up in a house at 58th Street and Baltimore Avenue -- is running unopposed in the May 16th primary. "I have stepped forward to carry your banner," Rocks said. Many political pundits have already said that Rocks faces an uphill battle in the November election against incumbent Mayor Ed Rendell, a Democrat. Rocks, however, believes he has new ideas to bring to the table. He said rebuilding neighborhoods is one of his priorities. He also said that although he respects Rendell's accomplishments, fixing neighborhoods is more of a pressing issue than the Avenue of the Arts in Center City. Rocks said he believes the city's police and fire departments are inadequate and some of the various city taxes -- like the wage, business and occupancy taxes -- are too high and unjust. Rocks said that if elected, he would fight the Democrat-controlled city government which he described as laden with political infighting, wheeling and dealing, patronage jobs and a large bureaucracy. "You and I pay everyday of our lives a political tax that, if you'll make me mayor with a new team, new faces, new ideas, new imagination and new direction -- will change Philadelphia overnight," Rocks said. "Everything in our lives in Philadelphia has become a deal," he added. "And Ed Rendell's rapped into this. He sounds right, he looks good, he's got a nice public personality, someone's given him the tag 'America's Mayor,' but he's in the deal. And he'll never change our future." Rocks' voice grew passionate when he discussed electoral reform in the city, citing last year's corrupt Second State Senate District election, in which Bruce Marks challenged William Stinson. "The Second Senate District of last year was a national disgrace that was hoisted on the city of Philadelphia by a Democrat machine in this city that attempted to take away from the people of this city their basic freedom, their right to vote," Rocks said. "Rendell's campaign spent $50,000 to get Stinson elected and the rest of the money came from [State Senator Vincent] Fumo," he added. "That's who funded that race." Rocks said one of his first priorities would be to revamp the city's afflicted school system and increase law enforcement, especially in West Philadelphia. Wharton senior Raul Madrigal came to hear the mayoral candidate with four other students for part a political science class. "I think Joe Rocks was wonderful," Madrigal said. "I thought he was a great speaker." Event organizer Matthew Wolfe -- also leader of the city ward which includes the University -- said Rocks is a very viable candidate for mayor. "I think Rendell should take Rocks seriously," said Wolfe, a University alumnus. And Bill Roper, vice chairman of the UCRC agreed, saying Rocks is a "real threat" to the mayor. "I would not want to be a Democrat running for anything, anywhere in the country," Roper said. Other Republican candidates who spoke at the ward meeting included Councilwoman-at-large Joan Specter, Michael Barrasse and Sandra Schultz Newman, both candidates for the State Supreme Court, and city controller candidate Joe Duda.