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The Slavery of Today

  By Philadelphia, Urbanism

Activism and Serendipity I sometimes ask activists I know how they chose to get involved in a particular issue. Often the answer is serendipity. An activist had a friend who got them involved in an issue or were working for an organization that took a new issue. That is more or less how I got involved in public transit activism. SEPTA threatened to close the R8 train line, which is vital for West Mt. Airy and, at the time, I was the President of our civic organization, West Mt. Airy Neighbors. So I jumped into the frey not because I played with toy trains as a kid but because I had to do something to save the train line around which Mt. Airy grew. Continue reading

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The reforms we need now

  By Philadelphia, Politics, Progressive Politics

The Reforms We Need Now I wrote this essay in June 2005, as a way of delineating my vision of the goals of Neighborhood Networks, the grass roots political organization I helped found. I have revised it from time to time. But the basic thrust of the essay remains the same and is described in the first paragraph. I should add that the ideas in this essay have never been officially adopted by NN. But I do think they described why NN is devoted to a broad idea of reform. In light of the corruption scandals in Philadelphia, reform is in the air. But people mean very different thing by reform. As I see it, there are two kinds of reform we need in Philadelphia politics today. For want of better terms, I will call them progressive or good government reforms, on the one hand, and liberal or social justice… Continue reading

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A First Step to Public Financing

  By Elections and Voting, Philadelphia

A few days after the November general election, and the tremendous victory for the Ethics Reform Charter Change, I started talking to other members of the Ethics Reform Coalition about public financing of our political campaigns. Many of us had talked on and off about public financing of campaigns as our ultimate goal. But few thought that we had any real chance of adopting this dramatic reform anytime soon. First there was the business of creating an independent Ethics Board and strengthening limits on campaign contributions for those who receive contracts and other benefits from the city. Legislation to accomplish these tasks was adopted by City Council in early December of last year. Even when that was done, most reformers thought we were in for a long wait before public financing of campaigns came to Philadelphia. Continue reading

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Take that, Mr. Steffens: We are content no more

  By Pennsylvania, Progressive Politics, Published Op-Eds

Published in the Daily New, Mon, Nov. 14, 2005 THE BIGGEST loser in Tuesday’s election wasn’t on the ballot. It was Lincoln Steffens, the muckraker who coined the phrase “corrupt but content” to describe Philadelphia politics. We can now retire the phrase. We may be corrupt, but the election returns show that we are not content anymore. When almost 87 percent of the voters support a proposal that takes a step toward cleaning up politics, you know we’re not content with politics as usual. (Ballot proposals generally win with about 70 percent of the vote. And the ethics question won a higher percentage of the vote than popular DA Lynne Abraham who ran against an seriously underfunded opponent.) When an election without a single race whose outcome was in doubt draws not the expected 9 percent but 14 percent of the voters, you know people want things to change. And when… Continue reading

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Another perspective on the pay raise

  By Pennsylvania

When the pay raise issue first arose, commentators thought that after, after a week or so of outrage, it would go away. Why are we still so focused on it? To answer that question we need to put the pay raise issue in some political and economic context. One reason political scientists and journalists thought that the issue would die is that we know that people don’t pay much attention to politics. Another reason is that many of us think there is a case to be made for a well paid legislature. Much research shows that well paid legislators tend to be better informed, more interested in policy innovations, and more resistant to special interests. They also tend to spread power from legislative leaders to the backbenchers. These tendencies are hard to discern in our General Assembly now. But if we are ever to see reform inHarrisburg, it will be… Continue reading

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Cherelle Parker is the right choice

  By Philadelphia, Politics

Chestnut Hill Local, September 8, 2005 In a special election on Tuesday, September 13, voters in the 200th district will be electing a new State Representative to fill the seat of recently elected State Senator LeAnna Washington. I am writing to urge progressive and liberal citizens everywhere in the city to support Cherelle Parker. (Please note that I am writing for myself alone. Neighborhood Networks has not endorsed a candidate in this race.) I have never been as proud of the community in which I live as when I heard the three candidates for State Representative in the 200th district speak at the WMAN-EMAN Candidate’s Forum last week. All three are residents of Mt. Airy and all three have powerful and progressive voices. All three are also personal friends of mine, which makes it especially difficult for me to recommend one over the others. But I do think that Cherelle… Continue reading

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Neighborhood Networks: Our Aims and Goals

  By Philadelphia, Progressive Politics

Neighborhood Networks is a new political organization that aims at liberal political reform. Any time a new organization that talks about reform comes about, established groups get nervous. So I am grateful to the Public Record for giving me an opportunity to set the record straight about Neighborhood Networks. Continue reading

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The kind of WMAN We Need

  By NW Philly, Philadelphia, Published Op-Eds, Urbanism, West Mt. Airy Neighbors

Published in the Mt. Airy Times Express, June 2005 West Mt. Airy Neighbors (WMAN) is just beginning our annual membership drive. This, year, our membership drive is more important than ever. The results of the membership drive will determine the kind of organization we will be in the next few years and beyond. Continue reading

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Trolleys, the public good, and political will

  By Published Op-Eds, Transportation

Chestnut Hill Local, June 16, 2005 Many of us involved in public transit issues in Northwest Philadelphia are eager to see the return of the 23 Trolley on Germantown Avenue. Indeed, public transit activists around the world are seeking to create or recreate the trolley systems, which now go under the name “light rail.” Trolleys are much more energy efficient than buses. Each trolley can carry far more people than a bus, while at the same time giving each rider a bit more room and a much smoother ride. Most people prefer riding trolley to buses and evidence from around the world suggests that transit ridership declines when buses replace trolleys.   Ridership has declined on the 23 line by at least a third since the buses started running in place of trolleys on Germantown Avenue. Reviving the 23 trolley would be particularly beneficial in Northwest Philadelphia where the trolley could… Continue reading