For decades, our city has run its budget process under the myth that there is no money — no money to fully fund our schools or expand services like affordable housing, public library hours or street sweeping.
But in reality, we live in the richest region in our state, in the richest country in the world. Our region is home to 15 Fortune 500 companies, ten billionaires, and the biggest concentration of millionaires in the state. Pandemic profiteers in the state have increased their wealth over the last year.
COVID has exposed the deep racial and economic inequalities that are ingrained into how we fund public budgets and to where that money goes. Now is the time to require the very wealthiest Philadelphians — billionaires, corporations, developers and mega nonprofits — to pay their fair share for a true just recovery for our city.
The Revenue For a Just Recovery Plan provides sustained funding for the city, funding that allows all Philadelphia residents and their communities to thrive. We are calling on our elected officials to take swift action to support bold policies that fully fund recovery and mitigate the lasting impact of the virus on working families throughout the city.
We are asking the Mayor’s office and City Council to champion legislation around: