Our Philadelphia

WHYY and the Inquirer reported yesterday that superstar casino creator Stephen A. Wynn has signed on to at least a 51% share in the troubled Foxwoods casino project planned for South Philadelphia on the Delaware waterfront. Wynn, who runs Wynn Resorts and has built casinos in Atlantic City, NJ, Macau, China, and the Mirage, Bellagio, and Treasure Island casinos and resorts in Las Vegas, will most likely add his name to the upcoming project, according to the Inquirer.

A look into campaign finance reports shows that Stephen A. Wynn made three donations to state candidates between 2001 and 2008. All three were to Governor Ed Rendell and each was for ...

The Sunlight Foundation, our partner in Washington, DC working for open and accountable government, has today debuted a new graphic to stand for their mission and purpose.

Public=Online is an idea that lies at the core of Sunlight's work, and their tireless efforts in Washington have laid a foundation for what open government truly means. As they gear up for a national campaign in March, this new emblem may serve to represent not only their work, but the efforts of all organizations and individuals who believe that citizens deserve a government that both communicates openly and listens attentively.

From Jake Brewer's post: "This mark...is a very ...

Philadelphia Daily News columnist John Baer wrote today about our coverage of campaign contributions at the state and local levels.

"Any wonder there's no appetite for campaign-finance reform?" Baer asks.

You can read the column here.

With the opening of City Council's 2010 session, W. Wilson Goode Jr. introduced a resolution to limit Councilmembers to three four-year terms in office. The bill, co-sponsored by Bill Green, is intended to give more citizens an opportunity to serve on the Council. Goode Jr. began his third term in 2008, while Green was elected for the first time in the same year. Philly.com posted a useful infographic detailing how long each Councilmember has held office.

Incumbents are traditionally very difficult to unseat in all levels of elections, as they benefit from name recognition and an established voter and donor base. Stark evidence of the famed "incumbency advantage ...

The Supreme Court's recent decision in Citizens United v. the Federal Election Commission turns a century of election law on its head by giving corporations the right to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence elections. Voters and the media alike are up in arms about the Court's decision. What can be done to counteract what has been called "the worst Supreme Court decision since the Dred Scott case"?

Empower candidates who wish to fight for the rights of the American public rather than those of the big corporate donors who already dominate the debate over health care, the environment, and nearly every other aspect of public policy ...

A joint venture between Philadelphia political watchdog The Committee of Seventy and software design group Avencia has launched today an interactive online project meant to help citizens understand the process and consequences of electoral redistricting.

The premiere of Redistricting the Philadelphia Region could come at no better time. In March 2011 the U.S. Census Bureau will release its data collected in 2010, and from these numbers Philadelphia City Council, Pennsylvania General Assembly, and Pennsylvania U.S. Congressional districts will be reassessed and realigned to form an updated system of equal constituent representation. The representative and legislative effects of this redistricting will persist for the following ten years, until 2021 ...