If Philadelphians had to use only one word or phrase to describe their city government, neither "ethical" nor "free from corruption" would be front runners.
Philadelphia has long been plagued with corrupt city officials and a city hall known for imposing miles of red tape before anything gets done.
In an effort to combat this, the Committee of Seventy released a 28-point ethics agenda last week, and called on the six potential Democratic candidates for mayor to sign it.
While response from the candidates has been mixed - two have supported it fully, three say they plan to release their own ethics agenda and one has flatly rejected it - hopefully Philadelphians will take their cue from the Committee's actions and make government reform a priority in the upcoming election.
Signing a document or releasing a statement about ethics is simply not enough. Philadelphians should demand action from whomever is elected, and hold them fully accountable if they don't produce results.
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