In 2021 alone, we've lost over 500 of our own to gun violence. Our trash sits on the curb uncollected. Our students, parents, and teachers are having to navigate a public school system that fails to deliver the promise of educational attainment and achievement. This is a time when our city and state are calling out for competent leadership in the aftermath of a pandemic. And while our elected officials should be focused on solving these critical issues, the John Dougherty and Bobby Henon corruption trial revealed that some are focused on meeting the needs of entrenched interests.

Our communities face serious challenges. We must choose people over politics and end the culture of corruption. Please join us in advocating for:

Public Financing of Elections: The use of taxpayer dollars to amplify the influence of small-dollar donors is a promising reform to level the playing field against well-heeled special interests and disperse political power among regular people. A public financing program can diversify the funding base of every participating candidate while also subjecting them to additional rules and reporting requirements.

Eliminating Dark Money in Politics: Special interests exert outsized power in government because they can spend unlimited funds through super PACs to influence political races. The sources of this money are often unknown because contributions can be shielded from public scrutiny through shell games with nonprofits or other entities. This must stop now. City and state campaign finance law should be modernized to require more frequent reporting and restrict the ability to hide the sources and uses of money in our elections.

Restricting Outside Employment for Public Officials: Limit the impact that outside employment has on policy decisions. If an elected official has outside employment, the public should know how much time they devoted to their outside work, what they are working on, what meetings they are taking, and who those meetings are with.