Photo by LAUREN M. WAKSMAN
Comedian/marijuana activist Nikki Allen Poe announced his candidacy yesterday for the at-large seat on Philadelphia City Council during a press conference in front of the Rocky statue at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Given that Poe is running as an alternative to the corrupt Democratic party machine politics that have maintained a chokehold on city politics for far too long, Phawker is full on endorsing this dude. The event wasn’t very formal (the candidate was surrounded by supporters dressed up in cannabis-themed outfits), however after a few minutes of hearing the guy speak, it was clear that he’s serious about this run for City Council, even if some of his ideas do sound like jokes. His biggest issue is decriminalizing marijuana, which explains why his campaign slogan is “Spark a Change.” Poe also talked about how he would work to put video cameras on every police officer in the city to hold them accountable for their unconstitutional stop-and-frisk actions. He also vowed to re-name Broad Street “Allen Iverson Boulevard.” And if elected, Poe says he will donate half of his salary to charity. And that’s no joke. — LAUREN M. WAKSMAN