Opinion
5 Big Predictions for Philly Politics in 2024
The election victories of 2023 — divisive as they were — proved at least one thing: 2024 will be a historic year for Philly politics. […]
A Wawa for the Coming Dystopia
Look, it’s not often that I get to quote a paper from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology here. It’s not often that I […]
Why Cherelle Parker’s Choice For Police Commissioner Is Great for Public Safety — and the Economy
For six and a half years, I was privileged to serve on Philadelphia’s City Council. It was a great vantage point from which to get […]
These Are the Worst Thanksgiving Guests You’ll Encounter This Year
The turkey’s been basted. The pies are all baked. The bar is fully stocked. And the house is in tip-top, immaculate, sparkly clean shape. The […]
There’s a Solution for Lifting People Out of Poverty In Philadelphia. Why Don’t We Try It?
A few weeks ago, the U.S. Census Bureau released a new set of figures about poverty in America. Unfortunately, the takeaway was one that’s all […]
The Winners and Losers in Philadelphia’s 2023 General Election
Philadelphia’s election on Tuesday was historic for a number of reasons. For the first time ever, the mayor of Philadelphia will be a Black woman: […]
What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Looting
At the end of his life, Dr. Martin Luther King was unpopular in the eyes of the public. This was because King was opposed to […]
5 Big Ideas for Improving Public Safety in Philadelphia
In the late summer of 2022, after six and a half years in office, I resigned my seat on Philadelphia City Council in order to […]
In Defense of the Ice Cream Cone
Philadelphians have strong opinions. We get heated over politics and football, and even when it comes to something simple like ice cream, we have no […]
Who Wants a “Grown Up” Pod?
The best thing about Pod — back in the days when anyone cared at all — was that it didn’t take itself at ALL seriously. […]
Philly Teens Need to Be Included in Our Public Spaces
This past April, the Fashion District mall imposed a 2 p.m. curfew on “unaccompanied minors.” A South Philly carnival banned minors just after that. Walk […]
Why Philly Needs to Close More Streets to Car Traffic
As anyone who regularly traverses it knows, 9th Street as it runs through the Italian Market is chaos. The 47M bus squeezes its way north, […]
How to Make a More Kid-Friendly Philadelphia, and Why We Absolutely Should
Eleven summers ago, the Center City District unveiled a newly renovated Sister Cities Park. Embedded in the midst of the buzzing Ben Franklin Parkway, the […]
The I-95 Rebuild Was Local Politics at Its Best
Here’s something you don’t hear often: Politicians recently did something remarkable at rapid speed, with efficiency and determination. The astounding reopening of I-95 in Northeast […]
We Always Thought We’d Have More Than One Child
My phone rings a little after 5 p.m., just as I’m sliding enchiladas into the oven. I know without looking that it will be my […]