Gutter Politics

My dad is shining a spotlight on a much larger national problem-the dominance of big money in our elections. Campaign spending in 2024 will likely top $14 billion, and more than half that money will be deployed by PACs of various kinds spewing falsehoods and negative messages. Excessive political spending used to be a national story. It's now becoming a local one, and that's why Naples is a cautionary tale in a larger reality. But it's a story we, the people, can rewrite in the coming years if we reach across the political divide to reduce the undue influence of money over our politics.

Nicholas Penniman V, Founder, Issue One (www.issueone.org)

My grandfather brings it to the local level. It all started when Citizens United allowed wealthy people and corpo- rations to come together to funnel their money into campaigns for candidates who will directly benefit them. I feel solidly that the word "corrupt" comes to mind when I think of it.

Linda Wittenberg, Digital Director,

Allan Domb for Mayor of Philadelphia 2023