Josh Cohen Issues Final Debate Plea
Sunday, 09 May 2010 11:10 | 
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DEMOCRATIC STATE REPRESENTATIVE CANDIDATE JOSH COHEN ISSUES FINAL DEBATE PLEA TO FOUR CHALLENGERS
Cohen Calls Out Challengers For Their Unwillingness To Publicly Debate The Issues
PHILADELPHIA, PA -- Josh Cohen, Democratic candidate for State Representative in Pennsylvania’s 194th legislative district, which includes Roxborough, Manayunk, Wynnefield Heights, West Parkside, and parts of Wynnefield and East Falls in the City of Philadelphia, as well as Lower Merion, Belmont Hills, Bala Cynwyd, Merion, and part of Merion Station in Montgomery County, today issued his second and final debate challenge to his four Primary challengers - Lou Agre, Billy Morris, Pam DeLissio and Keith Newman. Cohen first issued a debate challenge to the entire Democratic Primary field back on March 16, 2010 - with no takers.
"It's really a sad commentary on the character of my challengers that they refuse to engage me in a public debate on the issues that matter to the people of the 194th legislative district,” said Cohen. “We have had a handful of candidate forums in which we have had limited opportunity to share our viewpoints, but the format does not allow for an open, honest, and spirited exchange of ideas and counterpoints to our respective positions. As a result, my challengers have been afforded the opportunity to take credit for accomplishments for the district that they had no real involvement in and to talk in empty platitudes, as opposed to presenting actionable legislative priorities and real solutions for the problems we face in the district. Today marks exactly two weeks until Primary Election Day. We are quickly running out of time to give the voters of this district the opportunity they deserve to hear the five Democratic candidates participate in a meaningful debate. I repeat my challenge to debate my four opponents anywhere in the district at any time before the Primary.”
For more than a decade, Josh Cohen has played pivotal roles in Philadelphia’s city government and has been a progressive, involved community member. A lifelong Democrat who is the son of two career Philadelphia public school teachers, Cohen’s first political experience was as a Committeeman in the city’s 52nd Ward. He served for three years as Assistant Press Secretary for former Mayor John F. Street before accepting a position as Deputy Chief of Staff to former City Councilman Juan Ramos, a position he held for four productive years. In 2008, Cohen’s sterling reputation for providing highly responsive and effective constituent services attracted the attention of newly-elected City Councilman Curtis Jones, who hired Cohen as his Deputy Chief of Staff, a position he held until he resigned to run for state representative.
Pennsylvania’s Primary Elections will take place Tuesday, May 18, 2010.
Cohen Calls Out Challengers For Their Unwillingness To Publicly Debate The Issues
PHILADELPHIA, PA -- Josh Cohen, Democratic candidate for State Representative in Pennsylvania’s 194th legislative district, which includes Roxborough, Manayunk, Wynnefield Heights, West Parkside, and parts of Wynnefield and East Falls in the City of Philadelphia, as well as Lower Merion, Belmont Hills, Bala Cynwyd, Merion, and part of Merion Station in Montgomery County, today issued his second and final debate challenge to his four Primary challengers - Lou Agre, Billy Morris, Pam DeLissio and Keith Newman. Cohen first issued a debate challenge to the entire Democratic Primary field back on March 16, 2010 - with no takers.
"It's really a sad commentary on the character of my challengers that they refuse to engage me in a public debate on the issues that matter to the people of the 194th legislative district,” said Cohen. “We have had a handful of candidate forums in which we have had limited opportunity to share our viewpoints, but the format does not allow for an open, honest, and spirited exchange of ideas and counterpoints to our respective positions. As a result, my challengers have been afforded the opportunity to take credit for accomplishments for the district that they had no real involvement in and to talk in empty platitudes, as opposed to presenting actionable legislative priorities and real solutions for the problems we face in the district. Today marks exactly two weeks until Primary Election Day. We are quickly running out of time to give the voters of this district the opportunity they deserve to hear the five Democratic candidates participate in a meaningful debate. I repeat my challenge to debate my four opponents anywhere in the district at any time before the Primary.”
For more than a decade, Josh Cohen has played pivotal roles in Philadelphia’s city government and has been a progressive, involved community member. A lifelong Democrat who is the son of two career Philadelphia public school teachers, Cohen’s first political experience was as a Committeeman in the city’s 52nd Ward. He served for three years as Assistant Press Secretary for former Mayor John F. Street before accepting a position as Deputy Chief of Staff to former City Councilman Juan Ramos, a position he held for four productive years. In 2008, Cohen’s sterling reputation for providing highly responsive and effective constituent services attracted the attention of newly-elected City Councilman Curtis Jones, who hired Cohen as his Deputy Chief of Staff, a position he held until he resigned to run for state representative.
Pennsylvania’s Primary Elections will take place Tuesday, May 18, 2010.