Socialist Staggs speaks from soap box

By Sam Fran Scavuzzo
Collegian Editor
November 14, 2007

Walking down to the subway stop recently, La Salle students may have noticed a 60 year-old literally standing on a soap box, shouting Socialist slogans. Although sometimes cast aside as another “crazy,” that man was Socialist Workers’ Party candidate for mayor John Staggs.

This mayoral candidate didn’t have a secretary, ran his campaign with less $1,000 and worked a day-job before hitting the campaign trail nightly.

Garnering 1,000 votes (0.03 percent), the 60 year-old resident of Germantown was proud to represent his party and provide an alternative viewpoint in the Philadelphia mayoral race.

Aside from running for office, Staggs holds a full-time job as a machine operator at the Smithfield Beef Group in Souderton, Pa. Normally, Staggs campaigned on weekends and after work. His boss let him take a few days off to hit the streets close to the election.

Running a campaign on a shoestring budget while working a steady job had its problems. Staggs felt other hindrances were worse, though.

“It was difficult. With no equal time provision, we did the best we could.”

Staggs, however, is not disheartened and looks for his party to make gains in the future.

“There is a great injustice in our current system. I’m involved in trying to get people to look for a Socialist alternative,” Staggs said.

“More and more workers are realizing that they need to get involved or else their daily conditions will not improve.”

Running against eventual winner Democrat Michael Nutter and Republican Al Taubenberger, Staggs accused his opponents of being in bed with big business and oppressing the working man.

“Our program really speaks for the working people. We are not a part of the Democratic-Republican big business platform,” Staggs said.

“We need rulers from the working class, not the billionaires’ class. I want a government run by farmers and workers.”

Originally from Illinois, Staggs moved to Philadelphia in 1991. This was not his first foray into politics, as he unsuccessfully sought a bid for mayor in 2003, losing to Democrat John Street. In addition, Staggs ran for a seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives last year and previously failed to obtain the position of city council member in 1995.

Staggs’ most successful political endeavor may have occurred in his bid for state house last year when he successfully petitioned for a loyalty oath to be ignored as a requirement for office. In 2006, Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett discontinued the law, the Pennsylvania Loyalty Act of 1951, largely due to Staggs.

A typical Staggs’ Saturday stumping for himself involved a lot of walking.

A loyal band of supporters, usually numbering 20, would meet at his campaign headquarters located in Northeast Philadelphia at 188 W. Wyoming Ave., off the Roosevelt Boulevard at around 9:30 a.m.

Staggs, Socialist Workers candidate for city council at-large Osborn Harte and campaign manager Ellen Berman would discuss plans for the day with the group before breaking up into small teams.

Some would go door-to-door in West Philadelphia, Staggs’ neighborhood in Germantown or close to campaign headquarters. Staggs joined the group and personally greeted the voters.

“I have fun talking and working with young people,” Staggs said.

Others spent time on the phones getting the Socialist message out.

Unlike his opponents, Staggs did not feel constricted to keep his message inside the city’s limits. Staggs’ Socialist message stretched to Georgetown, Del. and even as far as Jena, La.

“I didn’t see Michael Nutter at the Jena 6 rally and I know Al Taubenberger wasn’t there,” Staggs said.

Staggs sometimes would set up a soap box at a corner of Broad Street and Olney Avenue going over the agenda of his party and the faults of the other candidates.

Ideas promulgated by Staggs for Philadelphia and the nation included giving labor unions a greater deal of power in negotiating, getting the troops out of Iraq and encouraging people, in general, to become more involved.

“I think we have to get people involved in fighting for better conditions in the workplace, fighting against police brutality, rebuilding our homes and our schools…rebuilding our city.”

Staggs stated that if people became more involved, the city’s crime situation would change and jobs would be more available.

“You would see a totally different city.”

Recently, Staggs has criticized mayor-elect Nutter’s “Stop and Frisk” policy and remains against the further arming of Philadelphia Police Officers.

“They are like an occupying army. The police can do no wrong,” Staggs said, adding that Nutter, current Mayor John Street and District Attorney Lynne Abraham give the police far too much leeway.

On the recent death of Philadelphia Police Officer Charles “Chuck” Cassidy, Staggs felt a more serious issue was not being attended to.

“People are crying over the death of one cop, whereas 20 other individuals” are being abused by police, Staggs said.

Staggs also spoke out against Street’s plan to train thousands of African American men in order to prevent crime.

“We don’t need an army of 10,000 thugs.”

In the end, though, no matter what his opinion, Staggs did not win the mayor’s race. With nearly 83 percent and more than 22,000 votes, Nutter won.

However, this Socialist has one request for the mayor-elect.

“I hope Michael Nutter lets his influence allow people to hear all the different points of view in the next election,” Staggs said.

As Nutter goes off to City Hall, Staggs will remain in the meat-packing plant.

scavuzzos1@lasalle.edu