New political group's secret donors hope to shape City Council
Term limits and taxes, pension reform and development projects, school funding and "low-wage workers" -- these are the issues of interest to a new political nonprofit that hopes to shape City Council in this year's election and for years to come. Just don't ask where the money is coming from.
Term limits and taxes, pension reform and development projects, school funding and "low-wage workers" -- these are the issues of interest to a new political nonprofit that hopes to shape City Council in this year's election and for years to come.
The group wants answers from Council candidates. Just don't ask where the nonprofit's money is coming from.
Philadelphia 3.0 went live Wednesday with a web site featuring a questionnaire for candidates seeking support.
Alison Perelman, the nonprofit's executive director, said the group will not disclose the names of any of the donors who help influence the Council election.
"We think it distracts from our mission, which is to talk about these issues that no one is discussing," Perelman said. "As an organization, we're not about individuals."
A 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling allows nonprofits to spend unlimited amounts of money to influence elections, as long as they don't coordinate with any candidate or campaign. That means Philadelphia 3.0 can ignore the city's campaign contribution limits for $2,900 for individuals and $11,500 for political action committees.
Perelman said Philadelphia 3.0's attorney determined that asking City Council candidates to answer questionnaires and then sit down for interview to seek support does not amount to a coordination of efforts.
Philadelphia 3.0, originally called Philly Rising, was born last year in the boardroom of Parkway Corp., a real estate and parking garage company run by Joe Zuritsky and his son, Rob. The original mission was to find and support business-friendly candidates for Council.
A spokesman for the Zuritskys in January said "120 leaders in the community" had been briefed on the nonprofit's goals and plans.
Philadelphia 3.0's secrecy now covers that too. Perelman refused to comment on the Zuritskys or say how many people have been briefed by now about the nonprofit.
"We can't confirm or deny the involvement of anyone in the organization," she said.
Philadelphia 3.0's new web site opens with this question: "How does a city that paved the way for political change fall so far behind?" It calls for "new voices," lamenting the longevity of many Council careers.
The nonprofit's questionnaire quizzes candidates, asking for specific proposals on nine issues. Perelman said the group is "not looking for specific answers" about those issues.
The questions are:
Should Council pass laws to increase funding for the Philadelphia School District?
Should Council change the city's wage tax or business tax structure?
Should Council pass laws to change the wages paid to "low-wage workers" or the amount of taxes they pay?
How would the candidate help the city's pension fund become solvent?
Should new Council members be limited to three terms in office?
Should Council close a "campaign finance loophole" that currently allows members to exceed fundraising limits for "non-campaign" or "pre-campaign" activities?
Should Council pass legislation to stagger elections so that at-large members are elected during the cycle when the City Controller and District Attorney run for office? At-large and district Council members currently run together in the same year as the mayor's race.
Would Council candidates vote on development projects "on the merits," rather than adhering to the "Councilmanic Prerogative," an unwritten rule that says district Council members have the ultimate say on projects in their districts.
What should the city prioritize when improving its "outdated" technological infrastructure?
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