Rise Conference 2015, How Communities Are Being Changed by Civic Innovation on December 3-4
Civil servants, economic development officials, and community leaders will come together at Technical.ly's 2nd Rise Conference in Philadelphia to focus on civic innovation and the future of cities. The conference will take place December 3-4 at the National Museum of American Jewish History. Seventy, along with Comcast, the City of Philadelphia's Office of Innovation & Technology, Blackstone LaunchPad and the Fels Institute of Government are sponsoring the event. Register online to learn how to become a leader in your community!
2016 Presidential Politics & Election Webchat on November 6
Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, managing editors of Bloomberg Politics and New York Times best-selling authors of Game Change and Double Down: Game Change 2012 joined area high school students online to discuss 2016 presidential politics and the upcoming elections. Seventy was able to make this opportunity possible through the generous support of Brandywine Realty Trust. Students and teachers from around the region were invited to participate with the help of the Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools, School District of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Council for the Social Studies. Thank you to Mark, John and students (and teachers!) for a great discussion!
The Future of Elections in Pennsylvania on October 29
Pennsylvania Secretary of State Pedro A. Cortés talks about his department, with a focus on new technologies and tools being implemented to make the voter-registration process more accessible and efficient. The event at the Pyramid Club(1735 Market St.) was sponsored by AL DÍA, joined byIndependence Blue Cross, and The Next Majority.
No Holds Barred City Council Minority Seat Debate on Oct. 27
The five Democratic candidates for at-large Council seats had a comfortable 7-1 voter registration advantage in the general election. Republicans, independents and third party candidates, however, were vying for the other two at-large seats in the legislature. Watch these folks face off in an unmoderated debate on Tuesday, October 27th (5:30-7:00 pm). Seventy and Young Involved Philadelphia were co-sponsors of the forum which took place at the Philadelphia Citizen’s office at Industrious, 230 S. Broad St. (17th floor).
Ward Politics 2.0: An Inside Perspective from Freshman Committeepeople on October 22
Newbie committeepeople---young folks recently elected by their neighbors to Philly’s lowest-level political posts---demystify the city’s opaque political structure, share war stories of rowdy ward meetings and discuss their motivations for entering the fray. Longtime political reporter Dave Davies of WHYY Newsworks moderated the panel, providing an overview of the old, yet powerful ward system that, for many local elections, determines winners and losers. This event, part of Young Involved Philadelphia's State of Young Philly series, took place at Ladder 15 (1528 Sansom Street) from 5:30 to 7:00 pm.
The Next Mayor Debate: Kenney & Bailey on October 19
Philadelphia Media Network, the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce's Roadmap for Growth campaign and Temple University's Center for Public Interest Journalism hosted Democrat Jim Kenney and Republican Melissa Murray Bailey for a forum focusing on economic issues at Temple’s Performing Arts Center (1837 N. Broad St). Philadelphia Inquirer City Desk editor Chris Hepp and business reporter Diane Mastrull were the moderators. The debate ran from 7:30 to 8:30 pm.
Pennsylvania Intermediate Appellate Court Forum on October 15
The candidates vying for seats on Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court and Superior Court fielded questions posed by journalists and students. Lynn A. Marks from Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts moderated the forum at Widener University Commonwealth Law School in Harrisburg. It was open to the public and sponsored by Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, Seventy, the Pennsylvania Women’s Forum, Common Cause of Pennsylvania, Widener's Law and Government Institute, and the NAACP Pennsylvania State Chapter. The event was also be telecast live on the Pennsylvania Cable Network from 12:00 to 1:30 pm.
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Debate on October 14
All seven candidates vying for the three open seats on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court fielded questions posed by journalists. Lynn A. Marks from Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts moderated the forum at Widener University Commonwealth Law School in Harrisburg. It was open to the public and sponsored by Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, Seventy, the Pennsylvania Women’s Forum, Common Cause of Pennsylvania, Widener's Law and Government Institute, and the NAACP Pennsylvania State Chapter. The debate was also be telecast LIVE on the Pennsylvania Cable Network, 5:00 to 6:30 pm.
Leading Questions: Philadelphia Mayoral Debate on October 12
Seventy joined WHYY/NewsWorks, Young Involved Philadelphia, NAACP Millennials, Influencing Action Movement and the Urban Philly Professional Network in hosting Democrat Jim Kenney and Republican Melissa Murray Bailey at WHYY (150 N. 6th Street). WHYY’s Katie Colaneri and Kevin McCorry asked the questions. The forum ran from 6:30 to 7:30 pm and was live-streamed.
The Future of Philadelphia: A Mayoral Town Hall Debate on September 29
The United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey partnered with the Urban Affairs Coalition and Economy League of Greater Philadelphia to host the fall campaign’s kickoff debate, featuring all five candidates on the ballot---Independent Jim Foster, the Socialist Workers Party’s Osborne Hart, Democrat Jim Kenney, Independent Boris Kindij and Republican Melissa Murray Bailey---at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Philadelphia (237 S. Broad Street). Tamala Edwards of 6ABC was the moderator.
Meet and Greet with Local Judicial Candidates on May 12
The Committee of Seventy, League of Women Voters, Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts and our event partners (Asian Pacific American Bar Association of PA, Barristers Association of Philadelphia, Hispanic Bar Association of PA, and South Asian Bar Association of Philadelphia) hosted candidates and voters for a meet and greet at Ladder 15 one week before Election Day. With 40+ choices for Common Pleas Court and 8 for Municipal Court, there are a lot to consider!
Show Me the Money Discussion on May 11th
Seventy and Young Involved Philadelphia hosted a panel at Ladder 15 to discuss how campaign contributions are shaping the 2015 city elections. The discussion was moderated by Seventy's CEO David Thornburgh and featured Tom Ferrick of Philly.com's The Next Mayor project and Holly Otterbein from Citified. We also took a look at Crowdpac, a new tool to evaluate candidates, make (and track) donations, and complete a ballot to take to the polls.
The Next Mayor Debate on May 4
The Committee of Seventy and The Next Mayor project, a collaboration hosted by philly.com, hosted the biggest debate of the spring at the Temple Performing Arts Center.
Supreme Court Debates in Harrisburg April 29 and 30
Candidates for the three open seats on Pennsylvania's top court debated campaign issues (Democrats on April 29; Republicans the following night) at the Widener University School of Law's Harrisburg campus. Seventy was a co-sponsor, along with Widener, the League of Women Voters, Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, Pennsylvania Women’s Forum, the Law and Government Institute and Common Cause of Pennsylvania. The forum was televised on the PA Cable Network.
City Commissioner Candidate Discussion on April 28
Seventy hosted the only forum featuring the candidates for the office of City Commissioner---the three elected officials who oversee elections and voter registration in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Inquirer's Chris Brennan and Citified's Patrick Kerkstra moderated the discussion at Ladder 15.
Democratic Mayoral Candidate Forum on April 27 at WHYY
Leadership, with a focus on how it relates to nurturing innovation and economic growth, was the theme of this forum at the studios of WHYY, which was broadcast live on 90.9 FM at 8:30 am. Seventy CEO David Thornburgh, Philadelphia Business Journal editor-in-chief Craig Ey and WHYY's Katie Colinari are the questioners.
Missed the forum? Watch it here: www.whyy.org/hamiltoncommons
Fox29 Democratic Mayoral Candidate Debate at St. Joseph's University on April 23
The Philly mayoral candidates in the Democratic primary squared off at St. Joseph's University, telecast from 6:30 to 8:00 pm on Fox29. Seventy co-sponsored the debate, along with Fox29, St. Joe's, Al Dia and Billy Penn.
Intuitive Voting - A Panel on Designing the Future of Elections on April 21, 2015
Discuss and debate the future of Philadelphia’s elections, the role of modern technology, and the new Intuitive Voting app. Hosted by Intuitive Company and the Committee of Seventy at the Intuitive Company office. Read about the discussion or watch it here.
The Mayoral MillenniaLab at Benjamin's Desk on April 10, 2015
Hosted by The Philadelphia Citizen, Young Involved Philadelphia, Pattison Leader Group and Seventy, this forum connected candidates with highly engaged millennials to collaborate on innovative ideas to spur economic growth. Click here to see WHYY's coverage.
GetSchoolED: An Insider's Look at Education and the 2015 Elections on April 8, 2015
Several longtime observers discussed the complex challenges facing the school system and what impact local officials can actually have. Seventy partnered with PhillyCORE Leaders, The Next Mayor and others, to host this event at the Free Library Parkway Central. Click here to view Education Voter Cheat Sheet.
City Council Candidate Convention on April 2, 2015
The award-winning City Council Candidate Convention, co-sponsored by Seventy and Young Involved Philadelphia, and hosted by WHYY, drew hundreds of attendees to meet the slew of candidates running for City Council. See coverage by WHYY's NinetNine blog.
Mayoral Debate at Central High School on March 31, 2015
Students at Pennsylvania's oldest public high school took part in the Power of Student Voices Mayoral Forum on Central High School's Olney Ave. campus in Philadelphia. The Committee of Seventy and the PA Cable Network co-sponsored the event, which featured a student panel and moderator. Check out the coverage by KYW Newsradio and WHYY NewsWorks.