Show Us the Money Plan

Jim Kenney got his soda tax. But his Chamber of Commerce address leaves unanswered where the economic growth is going to come from

By Larry Platt

Answering Trump

In the first of a series about responding to Trump's election, a Drexel professor imagines three local game-changing initiatives. First up: Change the City Charter

By Richardson Dilworth
The Citizen Recommends

Feastival

The premiere foodie event is more than a great party; it’s also a sign that dining out has become a socio-political movement

By Larry Platt

The National Anthem Conundrum

An evening out with Charles Barkley sparks some ruminations on an absurd American ritual

By Larry Platt
Ideas We Should Steal

College Savings For Every Baby

Joe Torsella, candidate for State Treasurer, wants to give every newborn in Pennsylvania a college savings plan. That makes him a politician actually running on an innovative idea

By Larry Platt

Is the Soda Tax Legal?

It’s likely to pass City Council on Thursday. But will it amount to nothing?

By Stephen St. Vincent

Pension Paralysis

Center City businessman and philanthropist Richard Vague continues to challenge economic orthodoxy. Now he’s got pensions in his sights—and, yes, it is a crisis

By Larry Platt
The Citizen Recommends

Feastival

The foodie party of the year is not just a culinary event. It’s a way to build a better Philadelphia

By Larry Platt

The Job Interview

Something’s been missing from this mayor’s race: The questions an employer would ask a job applicant

By Larry Platt

Is Richard Vague a Prophet?

In 2014, the Center City venture capitalist and philanthropist wrote a book arguing that widespread debt forgiveness is the best cure for what ails the economy. Someone might have been listening.

By Larry Platt