Without State Law Change, Supermarkets Will Keep Bidding Up the Cost of a Restaurant Liquor License

(St. Benjamin Brewing | Photo: Drink Philly) Last year, the Pennsylvania legislature passed some changes to the state liquor code that had the (perhaps unintended) consequence of making R liquor license prices rocket to queasy new heights.  Continue reading

Ed Rendell Endorses Term Limits for City Council, Row Offices

Former Governor Ed Rendell is on something of a 'No Fucks Left to Give' tour lately.  Continue reading

Controller Alan Butkovitz Endorses His Primary Challenger Rebecca Rhynhart For Congress

At the end of Claudia Vargas's piece on Ed Rendell's endorsement of Rebecca Rhynhart for Controller, incumbent Controller Alan Butkovitz previewed a devastating new line of attack on his primary challenger: she's too good for this! Continue reading

Jim Kenney: Release the Block Captain List!

(Philadelphia Less Beautiful Than It Could Be Without Discoverable Block Captains | Photo: AxisPhilly) Imagine if Philly held thousands of elections for hyper-local seats like committeepeople or board of elections, but then refused to let anybody know who won. Continue reading

Bob Brady Hates Ed Rendell's Ward Reform Ideas, But They're the Shot in the Arm Local Politics Needs

(Congressman Bob Brady | Photo: Philadelphia Inquirer) This week former Governor Ed Rendell gave Democratic City Committee chairman Bob Brady some unsolicited advice about cleaning up the city's party organization via an article at City & State--advice that didn't go over so well.  Continue reading

Larry Krasner Wins Our Ranked Choice Poll of the District Attorney Primary

The results of our 'ranked choice' poll of Philly's Democratic primary for District Attorney are in, and Larry Krasner won decisively, garnering 53% of the first-choice votes in a 7-way contest. Continue reading

Council Report Card: Week of April 11

In which Derek Green proposes giving the Human Relations Commission the ability to shut down repeat civil rights offenders; Mark Squilla and David Oh propose capping their electric vehicle charging station moratorium at 2 years; and Councilmembers Cherelle Parker, Maria Quinones-Sanchez, and Blondell Reynolds-Brown introduce a bill requiring developers to provide more project information (or ammunition, depending how you look at it) to Registered Community Organizations when they seek zoning variances. Continue reading

Worlds Collide as Greens and GOP team up on a federal lawsuit over 197th District shenanigans

(The 197th House District) As everyone knows by now, the special election to fill the seat left vacant by the resignation of felon Leslie Acosta (who filled the seat left vacant by the resignation of felon JP Miranda) was less than kosher.  Continue reading

How Badly is OPA Going to F*ck Up Commercial Property Assessments?

(Philadelphia Central Business District | Photo: Jon Geeting) If you liked last year's big land reassessment drama, get ready because the sequel--commercial property reassessment--is going to be even more action-packed.  Continue reading

To Keep Philly Affordable, Legalize More Small Apartment Buildings

(The Claridge | Photo: Al Shapiro) In Philadelphia, discussions about affordable housing tend to assume a binary world with "affordable housing" on one side, and "market rate" housing on the other. "Affordable housing," as the term is commonly used, assumes some form of public subsidy is going to be required, while "market rate" housing is assumed to be too expensive for the average person to afford, just by definition. Continue reading