Philadelphia Online | Citizen Voices

On October 17, the Citizen Voices group questioned the candidates in a live televised debate from the University of Pennsylvania's Annerberg School on Channel 6. Read the story about what happened, then watch video clips from the candidates' answers from 6 ABC WPVI.

Convening for the future

The Citizen Voices group met on October 2 at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School to prepare their agenda for the next mayor of the city, and to prepare their questions for the upcoming debate. Read project leader Chris Satullo's report about what happened.

Street, Katz file their frameworks for Philadelphia

Mayoral candidates Sam Katz and John Street prepared for meeting with the Citizen Voices group by reading up on the group's agenda and filing their own frameworks about their stances on these issues. Read what they have to say by clicking on their name.

The race card in Philadelphia

In July, a group of Citizen Voices participants met at the Inquirer to discuss the issue of race in their lives and how it plays out in the political arena Read a summary of this dialogue.

Spring 1999

Dems duke it out at Citizen Voices debate

The Citizen Voices finally got to face off with the Democrats running for mayor in a televised debate on May 8. Get the full story.

What's on the agenda?

So exactly what are the issues that need to be solved to make the city a better place? That's what the Citizen Voices groups have been researching since the project began in January. Click one of the isses below for the full discussion of each stance, and links to research sites where you can get the facts. They will be the basis of discussions in the Fall before the general election..

Education

Government Reform

Jobs

Neighborhoods / Quality of Life

Public Safety

Race and Diversity

Essays from the neighborhoods

Residents and former residents tell us what the next mayor should do to make all of the city's neighborhoods places where people want to live and raise their families.

City must become more friendly to small business

Strong organization

Should we stay or go?

Hire neighborhood czar

Do for ourselves

Also see:

Citizen Voices letters and essays recently in the Inquirer's Opinion Pages....

Issue Guides

We've combined the issue frameworks listed below with research links to help Citizen Voices participants and other interested parties get the facts.

Framing the issues facing the city

A key part of the Citizen Voices project is developing "issue frameworks" on the five key issues selected by project participants: education, jobs, public safety, neighborhood quality of life and government reform.

These frameworks give an overview of each issue as it plays out in Philadelphia, describing three or four different choices, or strategies, for dealing with the issue. For each issue, a set of proposed policy actions, arguments for, arguments against, and a list of the values underlying the choice are offered.

The frameworks formed the basis for deliberation at the Citizen Voices Issue Conventions held on Saturday, April 24, and will be used again in thae Fall before the general election.

Issue Grids

Group leaders took the issues a step further, and refined them into stances on issues in March. See how they've narrowed the positions down. (password required)

Issue Framing Workshops
In half-day workshops in February citizens proposed broad remedies for the city of Philadelphia's pressing issues. Read their ideas.
Community Voices Essays
Citizen Voices participants speak out about the issues.
Neighborhood Forum Summaries
Find out what people are talking about uptown, downtown, across town . . .
Are you a participant?
Check the schedule for upcoming forums. (password required)

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