"Not only are there regular reminders that ethics are a forgotten art in Philadelphia, but the side effects of rampant waste, fraud and abuse are impacting the lives of working-class Philadelphians each day." – A. Benjamin Mannes, The Hill
The truth of the matter is that the City of Philadelphia is so deeply entrenched with the Democratic Party that it's nearly impossible for a Republican or independent to win a district seat on the city council, and there hasn't been a Republican mayor since the signing of the Home Rule Charter in 1952. Two At Large seats are reserved for minority party or independent candidates, and one of those is currently held by the Working Families Party. The consequence of this one party rule has been predictable. Decades of waste and corruption have resulted as city contractors receive sweetheart deals and no-bid contracts while the trade unions and developers cozy up to familiar politicians, bankrolling their campaigns and pet projects in exchange for access, concessions, and contracts.
Despite having one of the highest per capita tax burdens in the nation, Philadelphia's public pensions are facing a $5.3bn shortfall. And with money pouring in from federal, state, and municipal government the Sheriff's Department of Philadelphia somehow managed to "misplace" over $53 million dollars. The streets are a shambles, bridges are crumbling, the city's parks are deteriorating rapidly, and despite politician after politician, union leader after union leader, cop after cop being caught, outed, prosecuted, and punished? There is always a successor in line waiting to fill the void and exploit the power it offers them.
A movement is rising within the city's working class, however. Groups like Philly Socialists, the Working Families Party, Black Lives Matter Philly, and the Philadelphia Tenants Union have rallied behind candidates outside of the political mainstream, seeking to deliver urgently needed change to city hall.
Rules and System
Status in City Hall is all about what you can make happen or stop from happening. Sure, it's easiest to enact change if you sit on the city council, but it's also enough to have a city councilor in your back pocket. Politicians in Philadelphia are, as a rule, available for purchase or for rent at modest prices. They depend heavily on the local trade unions and land developers, allowing each to profit off the exploitation of Philadelphia's working class and the gentrification of its poorest neighborhoods. Status in Philadelphia's government can rise and fall overnight as elections, criminal investigations, investigative journalism, and the voice of the people all seek to right the listing ship of city hall.
Status 1: Campaign Operative, Party Delegate, Union Rep, Connected Activist, City Employee
Status 2: City Administrator, Office Manager, Campaign Advisor, Union Chief
Status 3: City Alderman, County Election Board Member, County Sheriff, City Attorney
Status 4: City Council President, Party Leader, Corrupt Union Boss
Status 5: The Mayor, District Attorney
Joining the Sphere
Status in City Government can be acquired at character creation or during play. PC's are forbidden from holding elected office at the moment, but status can be acquired in other ways. One can work in the offices of the city or county, organize with one of the local activist groups, take part in a local union that funds a corrupt politician, or represent a political party's interests in court or before the press. Money and favors are the typical currency in Philadelphia politics, and most politicians fear only the District Attorney's office and the lenses of the Action News Team. What are they going to do? Vote Republican?
While one can theoretically acquire status in Government without the following stats, one would be hard pressed to hold it for long without them.
Manipulation, Resolve
Politics, Subterfuge, Persuasion
Allies, Contacts, Resources
Theme and Society
Since the signing of the Home Rule Charter consolidated Philadelphia County and the City of Philadelphia, the Democratic Party has ruled in Philadelphia. So much so that seats had to be reserved for minority parties to at least lend the city a veneer of bipartisan rule. People still remember with cold hatred the tenure of Frank Rizzo as Mayor and how his racist policing policies and handling of the MOVE standoff where over 1,000 uniformed officers surrounded the home of black activists. Or in 1985 when a city manager colluded with city police and fire to drop a satchel charge on the roof of a MOVE building, killing numerous people and setting an entire neighborhood on fire. The jailing of Black Panther member Mumia Abu-Jamal for allegedly murdering a police officer, or the ongoing saga of Meek Mill's probation for a single drug charge all tilt the scales of public opinion away from support for the city's leadership.
Within the halls of power, there is no partisan gridlock. There is no effective resistance, no honorable opposition. Just what the powerful want done and what they don't. Inroads are being made in certain parts of the city as activists successfully force progressive candidates onto the At Large seats of council and swallow up much desired airtime on local news with tales of single party corruption. Philadelphia remains a city where you will absolutely receive a parking ticket if your meter expires for even a minute, but where the pot hole in front of your house won't be filled for months unless you spray paint a penis around it.
