The Committee of Seventy urged Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Ron Castille to immediately release the findings of the investigation of the Family Court building project he ordered in June 2010. Seventy’s call comes in the wake of reports that the documents gathered during the still-under-wraps investigation, which has apparently cost $780,540, are being used in a legal malpractice lawsuit filed on behalf of the First Judicial District by Chief Justice Castille. Read More
The Committee of Seventy challenged the 2011 candidates for Philadelphia City Commissioner to declare their positions on 19 specific reforms designed to provide a better experience for city voters. Seventy sent the Reform Agenda to the four candidates – Democrats Anthony Clark and Stephanie Singer and Republicans Joseph Duda and Al Schmidt – on October 14. As indicated on the attached chart, Singer is the only candidate who has responded.
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Tenth District Republican incumbent Brian O’Neill and Democratic challenger Bill Rubin exchanged sharp words over pensions, DROP and city cars last night in a heated debate at the Klein Jewish Community Center in Northeast Philadelphia. Click here to read about the fireworks. Read More
City Council’s Finance Committee reached agreement with Nutter administration officials and advanced a pair of bills proposing once-in-a-generation changes to the city tax code Monday. The first bill, sponsored by Council members Maria Quiñones-Sánchez and Bill Green, would enact major exemptions in the gross-receipts portion of the business-privilege tax. The second bill, sponsored by Councilman Jim Kenney, would eliminate fees for new small businesses when they open in the city. Read More
The Committee of Seventy and Philadelphia League of Women Voters will sponsor a debate Monday, October 24 at 7:00 pm at Klein Jewish Community Center featuring candidates running for City Council's Tenth District seat. Republican incumbent Brian O'Neill and Democratic Challenger Bill Rubin are both confirmed to attend. The event is free and open to the public. Click here for more information. Read More
Feather Houstoun, the former head of the William Penn Foundation, was appointed today by Governor Corbett to the Philadelphia School Reform Commission. Houstoun replaces Denise McGregor Armbrister, who resigned resigned yesterday, saying she thought naming her replacement now would help stabilize the district. Houstoun and Pedro Ramos, another Governor-appointee who has been named the board’s next Chair, must be confirmed by the Senate. Read More
The Daily News Editorial Board calls out many City Council candidates on the November 8 ballot for yawning through the election season. Only two of five Democrats for City Council At-Large (Blondell Reynolds Brown and Bill Green) and all five GOP At-Large candidates responded to the Committee of Seventy’s Ethics Agenda. Click here to see who else responded – and who didn’t. Read More
Fourth District Councilman Curtis Jones has endorsed Darrell Clarke for Council President – the city’s second most powerful position. Clarke’s primary competitor for the job is Marian Tasco. Jim Kenney is also rumored to be in the mix. Council members will vote for President at the first meeting of their new term in January. Read More
Philadelphia novelist, educator, and arts advocate Lorene Cary has been named Mayor Michael Nutter’s second and final appointee to the Philadelphia School Reform Commission. Cary, a nationally heralded author and winner of the 2002 Philadelphia Award, will join the Mayor’s other recent pick – Rutgers-Camden Chancellor Wendell Pritchett – and three gubernatorial appointees on the five-member city-school oversight board rocked by scandals that caused two members to step down last month and triggered the resignation of former Superintendent Arlene Ackerman. Read More
Soon-to-be SRC Chair Pedro Ramos, in an effort to rebuild public trust at the embattled Philadelphia School District, said his top priority is to make sure city schools are run ethically and that finances and major decisions are not veiled from the public. "There's some opportunity for this to be a watershed moment,” said Committee of Seventy President and CEO Zack Stalberg, “but it's going to take some time." Read More