democratic party: Philadelphia Metropolis

The Custodial Mayor

Michael Nutter will be sworn into a second term as mayor of Philadelphia this week. In this Cover Story, senior editor Tom Ferrick offers an appraisal of Nutter's first term and looks forward to the next four years. In Part Two, we examine the broad forces at work that will define Philadelphia during Nutter's second term. (Comments)

Scandal at Traffic Court

What a shock.  It seems there is politics involved in Traffic Court. If you are politically connected you get treated one way; if you are not shut up and pay your fine. Did money change hands as part of the... (Comments)

Election 2011: The Curious Case of Karen Brown

There was a point during my interview with Karen Brown, the Republican candidate for mayor, when the conversation turned from the mundane to the strange so quickly I had to stop -- to make sure I heard what I just heard. "Wait a minute," I asked her, as she munched on a sandwich and fries at Darling's Diner. "Are you telling me your car has been vandalized eight times? She nodded. (Comments)

The Other Shoe Drops

The other shoe dropped at Philadelphia School District headquarters this week. With Arlene Ackerman gone, the folks responsible for hiring her fired themselves. Robert L. Archie Jr., chair of the School Reform Commission, announced he was stepping down.  His departure... (Comments)

I Try to Be Cynical...

As the malaprop-prone Gov. James Duff once told a reporter in Harrisburg: "There's nothing mysterical about the electrical college." But, it looks the Republicans intend to make it mysterical. Senate Republicans have suggested a do-over in the way we count... (Comments)