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REPRINTED FROM THENEXTMAYOR.COMFebruary 8, 2007 press release, (submitted via e-mail) |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2/08/07
CONTACT: Susan Madrak, Press Secretary
215-636-0660 ext. 19
Cell: 267-879-9789
madrak@knoxforphilly.com
PHILADELPHIA – Hundreds of Northeast Philadelphia residents turned out Wednesday night to eat pasta and ask questions of Tom Knox, the newest face on the city’s political scene. Knox is running in the Democratic mayoral primary.
The event was held at Moonstruck Restaurant on Oxford Avenue, and so many people showed up, restaurant employees were scrambling to squeeze in additional tables and chairs.
After the dinner, the candidate was introduced by Moonstruck owner Toto Schiavone, who talked about his long-term friendship with Knox and his wife Linda and his support for a Knox administration. Knox then took the microphone, thanked his host and proceeded to tell diners who he was and why he wanted to be mayor. “There’s a For Sale sign on City Hall, and I intend to take it off,” he told the enthusiastic crowd. He then took questions from the audience on topics ranging from taxes and education to the city’s culture of pay-for-play politics.
As mayor, he said, he would invest in our children through education and career training. “I keep saying this: People who have jobs don’t shoot people,” he said. “We need quality, high-paying jobs and we need to train students to fill them. I’ve talked to a lot of these big companies, and the reason they won’t move to Philadelphia isn’t the wage tax. It’s that we don’t have a quality, trained workforce. I intend to change that.”
Many of the attendees stayed to talk to Knox, expressing their appreciation for the chance to listen to him.
This was the first in a series of community dinners to be held around the city, Knox said.
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