Philadelphia, PA – Matt Wolfe, Republican Candidate for City Council At Large, denounces City Council’s decision to declare March 15-17 as “Meek Mill Weekend.”
“This is a disgrace on so many levels,” stated Wolfe. “This is a slap in the face to Philadelphia’s Irish community. I am proud of my Irish heritage, and St. Patrick’s Day is our day.” Wolfe has been a long-time member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and an AOH chapter which is no longer active. “Council either did not care about the conflict, or did not even realize there was a conflict. Either way, it shows that City Hall gives no consideration to the Irish community when making decisions.”
The resolution creating this “holiday” weekend was sponsored by 14 of the 17 Council members and stated, in part “Robert Williams, known to the world as Meek Mill, is a critically-acclaimed multiplatinum hiphop artist, songwriter, entrepreneur, actor and criminal justice reform advocate that hails from North Philadelphia.”
“Even putting aside the conflict with St. Patrick’s Day, should City Council be spending their time honoring a convicted felon? Philadelphia has real problems – high taxes, unemployment, crime, drugs etc. – and the fact that they spend their time honoring a rapper is ridiculous. But it is obvious that this is an attempt by incumbents on Council – each of whom will have an opponent in the upcoming elections – to appear ‘hip’ to what they perceive as a younger voter base. Simply put, City Hall is using their positions to increase their chances of reelection – which is a betrayal of the public trust – but has also made Philly a national embarrassment, again, in doing so.”
Meek Mill has been arrested for illegal firearm and drug possession, assault and parole violations.
“And if City Hall is going to honor somebody, why select an individual who has repeatedly committed crimes over the past decade? He is not Nelson Mandela. Just two years ago he assaulted two people in an airport. Regardless of how you feel about how he was treated by the criminal justice system, we can all agree that there are more deserving people from Philadelphia who we can promote as a role model to our youth. Guion Bluford – the first African American in space and Philly native – is someone who is much more accomplished and could serve as a role model for our youth. Sadly, City Council cares more about reelection than setting a positive example for our children.” Wolfe concluded.
About Matt Wolfe: Matt Wolfe is a former Deputy Attorney General. He also served in the administration of Governor Tom Ridge as the Chief Counsel of the Department of Labor and Industry, which played a key role in helping Pennsylvania’s economy grow and attract new jobs. Before that he was Assistant Counsel at the Department of Transportation and he was appointed a Special Assistant District Attorney and Special Prosecutor in several counties. In Philadelphia, former District Attorney Ron Castille appointed him a Special Assistant District Attorney to represent the city to close down nuisance bars in his neighborhood. He helped close down the notorious Times Café and the Purple Fox. He also served with Sam Katz when Sam was on the School Board as a member of the Philadelphia School Board’s Task Force on Scholastics and Sports, which developed academic standards for public school students to meet in order to be eligible for sports and extracurricular activities.
Matt Wolfe has been a community activist in West Philadelphia since he was in college. He was a long-time member of the Board of Directors of the Spruce Hill Community Association, also serving as its Vice President. Matt has served as a member of the 18th Police District Neighborhood Advisory Committee and was Vice Chairman of the Woodland District of the Boy Scouts of America. He is active in his parish, St. Francis DeSales, and has served on the Parish Pastoral Council and as a Eucharistic Minister.
Matt Wolfe has been an active Republican since college, is the Chairman of the University City Republican Committee and has served his community for years as a ward leader and committeeman. Wolfe is a lawyer, having graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and Villanova Law School, practicing election law and has taught other lawyers in continuing education classes in the area. He currently maintains his own law office, understanding the challenges that a small business owners face. His law office is in West Philadelphia where he lives with his wife, Denise Furey. He has two adult sons, Jay and Ross.
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