Taxes
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 […]
Philly Councilmembers Unveil Proposal to Tax Philly’s “Ultra-Rich”
When it comes to Philadelphia and wealth, the statistic that first comes to mind probably doesn’t have to do with having money, but rather with […]
Malcolm Harris on Abatements, Developer Extortion, and Philadelphia’s Role in the Revolution
The Rundown Age: 31 CV, abridged: Editor, The New Inquiry (2011-present); author, Kids These Days: Human Capital and the Making of Millennials (2017); coordinator, Philly […]
All the Drama Over the 10-Year Tax Abatement Bill, Explained
Ah, the holidays: that ever-so-busy time when we’re tasked with reflecting on the end of the year while rushing through our gift shopping, party planning […]
Say Goodbye to Cash Tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike
Long, idling car lines at Pennsylvania Turnpike tollbooths (and tollbooth attendants) could soon be a thing of the past. By late 2021, tollbooths on the […]
The So-Philly Tale of How the City Nearly Sold My House Without Telling Me
In July of 2017, when I was eight months pregnant with my second child, my husband and I learned, rather by chance, that the city […]
Will Tax Abatement Reform Trade Short-Term Gain for Long-Term Pain?
Just about all of the declared candidates for Philadelphia City Council seats next month have proposed changes to the 10-year tax abatement on new construction […]
You Pay Lots of Philly Taxes. But Do You Know Why?
America and taxes have always had a fraught relationship. You may recall a certain Revolutionary War that was fought over the subject? But that didn’t […]
The Moral Case for Why We Must Repeal Philadelphia’s Soda Tax
“The Philadelphia beverage tax — I know it has people angry about it, but it’s like Obamacare,” Mayor Jim Kenney told a crowd of Black […]
The Top Real Estate Stories of 2018
What developments in real estate and development were the biggest ones this year? Here are my picks for the top real estate stories of 2018: […]
Black Clergy Soda Tax Criticism Leaves Wide Opening for a Kenney Challenger
In case you missed it, something epic happened last week that could possibly shake up next year’s mayoral race. On November 26th, 20 local Black clergy leaders […]
Penn Medicine to Stop Serving Sugary Drinks at Its Facilities
Penn Medicine does not want to buy the world a Coke — or sell it one, either. The University of Pennsylvania healthcare system has announced […]
Harrowgate Playground Selected As First Rebuild Project
Renovations for Harrowgate’s Heitzman Rec Center will be the first project funded by the city’s contentious soda tax, PlanPhilly reports. The revamp sees the first […]
New Jersey Lawmaker Wants the State to Tax Tap Water
A New Jersey lawmaker wants to tax tap water. State Senator Bob Smith, a Democrat from Middlesex County, has introduced a bill that could leave […]
Soda Tax Haters: You Still Have One Fighting Chance
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld the legality of Philadelphia’s controversial “soda tax” on Wednesday, leaving legislation as the only remaining option for opponents to strike […]