Philadelphia just got a new zoning code, but there’s an unwritten
development rule that hasn’t been changed. It’s called Councilmanic
Prerogative, and it makes its presence felt all across the city. Read
this How Philly Works to learn what it is and what it does.
At
its final meeting of 2011, Philadelphia City Council passed the city’s
first new zoning code in nearly fifty years. Like many tasks in this
town, overhauling the code was not easy, requiring four years of
planning and $2 million in spending. Did we mention the work is not
quite done yet? This "IN THE KNOW" from the Committee of Seventy
explains what changes are in store.
The Philadelphia polls closed at 8:00 p.m. last night, but a fiercely contested City Council election is still undecided. We’re talking about the race for the next President of Philadelphia City Council, who will be chosen by the 17 people who were elected on November 8th after they are sworn into office in January 2011. Read Seventy's latest "IN THE KNOW" to learn who wants the job and why it matters.
Tuesday, November 8 is general election day in Philadelphia, and who wins really matters. There are a lot of candidates running – too many to list here, in fact – but this “IN THE KNOW” is about you, the voter. And the things you need to know in order to have the best possible voting experience on November 8.
If some legislators in Harrisburg have their way, there will be major changes to how Pennsylvania casts its Electoral College votes for President of the United States that could swing the outcome of the 2012 Election. As the debate plays out, Seventy uses its "IN THE KNOW" series to help you - and us - better understand the pros and cons of changing the state’s Electoral College process. You can expect more installments as this all unfolds.
The PA House passed a law in June requiring all voters to show a government-issued photo ID every time they go to the polls. The law now awaits action by the PA Senate. Since photo IDs are needed to fly and to get into many office buildings, some think requiring a photo ID to vote is no big deal. Others worry that it would drive away people who can’t afford or don’t have an acceptable photo ID. Seventy’s latest IN THE KNOW explains how the proposed law would work, as well as arguments on both sides of the Voter ID debate that is happening all across the country.
With a $905,000 buyout – almost half from private anonymous donors – the School Reform Commission and Superintendent Arlene Ackerman have parted ways. Who decides what happens next? The Committee of Seventy uses this IN THE KNOW to help you better understand who is making decisions about the city's schools (it’s more complicated than you might think) and why some are questioning whether the state should still control the schools.
It’s City Council’s job to draw the boundaries of its 10 districts. Council members have only six months after the census population figures are released to come up with a redistricting plan – or they stop getting paid. (This really happened in 1991 and 2001.) On June 23 City Council will vote on a resolution to get the redistricting ball rolling. This IN THE KNOW explains the traditionally behind-closed-doors and complex redistricting process in simple terms.
DROP caused five City Council members to retire this year and ruined Councilman At-Large Frank Rizzo’s bid for a fifth term. When the official votes are counted, DROP could also end Marge Tartaglione’s 25 years as a City Commissioner. Can we finally stop talking about Drop? Not quite, here is why: Some elected officials are still eligible for DROP, DROP could decide the next Council President, and DROP could stick around for non-elected city workers. Read this IN THE KNOW to see what this means.
Tomorrow (May 17) is Election Day in Philadelphia, and
who wins really matters.
Despite all the TV attention and hoopla around presidential and
congressional races, the people who hold local offices make more
decisions that affect your everyday life, from the taxes you pay to the
city services you get to the laws you live by. It’s up to you to learn
as much as you can about the candidates before you head to the polls.
Our IN THE KNOW is here to help.
With candidates coming out in large numbers in the run-up to the key primary election, on May 17, the Committee of Seventy looks at why these elections make a difference and what it takes to win a Council seat. And by "what it takes," we do in part mean money - sometimes lots of it.
It's the gift-giving time of the year and you may be tempted to send a little token to your favorite city employee. But wait - there are rules that public employees have to follow in accepting gifts (and sometimes there are rules that apply to the people giving the gifts too). The Committee of Seventy's IN THE KNOW outlines the rules to keep you and your public employee friends out of trouble.
Taxing businesses is a complicated issue, but it matters to everyone in Philadelphia. City Council is eying a plan to change the way the "Business Privilege Tax" is structured, a debate that may have long-term implications for the economic health of the city - and implications for candidates in next year's election for mayor and City Council. To help understand what's going on, the Committee of Seventy's IN THE KNOW looks at what the Business Privilege Tax is and explains the clashing ideas for reforming it.
The process of voting can be confusing at the best of times, but for the teen just turning 18, or the new citizen trying to understand American political customs, it can be particularly difficult to know where to turn and what to do. To help first-time voters of all sorts navigate the process, the Committee of Seventy's IN THE KNOW examines what you need to do to get involved in this most fundamental of American rights.
Competitive elections mean lots of TV ads, but this year seems to be crazier than most. Why? A Supreme Court decision earlier this year freed corporations and unions to spend as much as they want on campaign-related ads. And they're taking full advantage of that freedom in Pennsylvania's nationally-watched congressional races. We'll have a closer look at what's behind this flood of ads. Prepared for our Election 2010 collaboration with Philly.com.
With less than two weeks to go until Election Day, polls show that Republican voters are excited about the races and Democrats aren't so much. Democratic leaders are scrambling to make sure that "Enthusiasm Gap" doesn't translate into a majority of their supporters staying home on November 2. This week, we look at what's at stake in the election and what the "Enthusiasm Gap" is really all about. Prepared for our Election 2010 collaboration with Philly.com.
How safe voters feel in their homes and neighborhoods can have an effect on who they pick on Election Day. Despite falling crime rates, voters seem jittery this year and among all the crime-related issues, one stands tallest: guns. Should we aim to cut the number of guns available on the streets? Or should we enforce existing laws to target criminals and let law-abiding gun owners exercise their rights? Prepared for our Election 2010 collaboration with Philly.com.
With all the problems voters are confronting in 2010, education seems to be a nearly lost issue this election season. But the quality and cost of education matters to all voters and taxpayers, whether they have children or not. We'll explain why. Prepared for our Election 2010 collaboration with Philly.com.
Energy companies from around the globe are jostling for a piece of the new gold rush in Pennsylvania’s rich natural gas fields, known as the Marcellus Shale. Rural towns see jobs and new business, cash-strapped lawmakers see new tax revenue to balance the budget, and candidates see a potent election issue. Environmentalists, however, worry about the safety of the state’s water supply. Prepared for our Election 2010 collaboration with Philly.com.
The economy is topic number one in Washington and Harrisburg. With unemployment high and the recovery painfully slow, candidates are talking about how to get people back to work and push the economy back toward strong growth. Prepared for our Election 2010 collaboration with Philly.com.
City Council faces a tough choice after the release of a report showing that the controversial Deferred Retirement Option Plan for city workers has cost $258 million over 10 years. The Committee of Seventy looks at Council's sticky political situation, caught between the public that doesn't like the program and city workers who do, and explains how it will be particularly difficult for the six Council members who are themselves enrolled in DROP.
The agency that runs the bridges across the Delaware River has long had a reputation for being secretive and being a hotbed of patronage jobs and no-bid contracts. Now a series of unflattering stories in local media has officials on both side of the river asking questions about lavish salaries, expensive perks, and the peculiar way the DRPA does business. The Committee of Seventy explains the recent turmoil at the Delaware River Port Authority and what the agency is supposed to be doing.
With continuing questions about how and why the state Supreme Court's Chief Justice handled the project to replace Philadelphia's aging Family Court facilities, the Committee of Seventy tries to untangle the complex story so the public can understand what's at stake: The credibility of the Chief Justice and his court, the reputation of major city lawyers and law firms, the well-being of the thousands of people who use the Family Court every day, and the fate of $200 million in taxpayer money to build the new courthouse.
With just weeks left to work out its version of the city budget, City Council is getting serious about whether Philadelphians will have to pay more in taxes. On May 13 at noon, Council will hold a hearing on a plan to hike property taxes by as much as 9 percent. It is also considering imposing a new tax on some tobacco products.
With just weeks left to work out its version of the city budget, City Council is getting serious about whether Philadelphians will have to pay more in taxes. On May 13 at noon, Council will hold a hearing on a plan to hike property taxes by as much as 9 percent. It is also considering imposing a new tax on some tobacco products.
Philadelphia has it pretty bad budget-wise this year. But if it is any consolation, we’re not alone. Just about every city, county, and state government is facing budget problems brought on by the bad economy. In fact, a few places have it far worse (including talk of bankruptcy in Los Angeles and our own capital city, Harrisburg). But one thing is clear – lots of places are doing things differently than Philadelphia, where city leaders seem intent this year on raising taxes while avoiding potentially painful service cuts. We're taking a look at how other governments are handling the budget crisis and highlighting some cases where their approach is both creative and far-sighted, making changes that will have a positive effect for years to come.
City Council has just one month to hammer out its version of the $3.9 billion budget. The decisions that Council and the mayor will make in the days ahead will determine the kind of city we live and work in far into the future. The Committee of Seventy is starting a special series of our “IN THE KNOW” feature to help Philadelphians understand the issues, the politics, and the consequences of this year’s budget process, the third year in a row with the city facing a major budget deficit. We’ll look behind the seemingly dry facts and figures of the budget to help those that live and work in the city understand how and why their tax money is being spent.
After months of Philadelphia Inquirer reports on decades of gross mismanagement and political deal-making at the Board of Revision of Taxes (BRT) – the independent agency responsible for setting the value of all properties in the city, which in turn dictates how much you pay in property taxes – Philadelphia voters will decide whether or not to abolish the agency altogether when they go to the polls on May 18, 2010. What is being proposed to replace it? That’s what the Committee of Seventy explains in this “IN THE KNOW.” This is the information you WON”T SEE when you read the 65-word ballot question on the May 18th ballot.
During these lean times, most of us are figuring out what to cut from the family budget and ways to put a little more in the piggy bank. Imagine making these choices when nearly 60% of what has to go out the door is still a question mark. That’s what Philadelphia is now facing. As of publication, contracts for three of the City's biggest unions on issues including employees’ wages and benefits – which make up almost 60% of the general operating budget – are still unresolved. This Q&A explores strong connection between labor costs and the budget.
On Tuesday, February 16, 2010 a big, but little understood, political decision will be made. It involves the Republican City Committee, a group whose choices aren’t often heard about in a town where Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 6-1. This In The Know is designed to provide background information on the local GOP.
On March 4, 2010, Mayor Michael Nutter will make his Annual Budget Address to the city. Between now and the July 1 start of Fiscal Year 2011, Mayor Nutter and City Council will have tough decisions to make. This In The Know is the first installment in a series that will highlight issues that will surface during the budget discussions.
At Philadelphia City Council’s first formal session of 2010 – January 28 – Philadelphia City Councilman W. Wilson Goode, Jr. introduced a Resolution to limit City Council members to three consecutive terms. Council members can currently run for reelection as many times as they want. Like other Philadelphians, we will be weighing the pros and cons. This In The Know provides some background information to get the debate moving.
On January 21, 2010, the United States Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision to allow corporations and unions unprecedented freedom to fund ads that directly support or oppose political candidates. This In The Know installment helps you understand the ruling and give you more background on what to expect from it.
In the depth of the Great Recession, Philadelphia faced a growing crisis - after having struggled to close a budget gap of more than $1 billion over the next five years, the continuing drop in tax revenue opened the possibility of yet another $1 billion-worth of deficits. The mayor and City Council had difficulty agreeing on budget cuts and new taxes. Meanwhile, the city continued to struggle with a growing problem with the underfunded pension system and the city's four labor unions kept working without a new contract, which was already a year overdue. The Committee of Seventy launched what would evolve into the "In the Know" series to explain the complex crisis.