• How big an advantage do incumbents have in elections? Very big, in Philly at least. In fact, it's statistically more likely in our town to lose your incumbency by dying or going to prison than it is to lose it to a political opponent. That being said, Mariano just resigned to head off to jail himself, which means a special election might get called to fill his seat on City Council...
• Turns out Philly holds high ranks in an unfortunate category: we're the highest taxed major city in America (with the possible exception of New York). We have the highest wage-tax rate, as well as "one of the highest overall state and local tax loads for residents," "the steepest combination of state and local business taxes," and "the highest overall tax burden for commuters." We're also "the most expensive place in the United States for a business to operate in terms of taxes and fees," and we place the highest tax burden on households. Um, that sucks.
• And while you're paying your ridiculously high taxes, make sure you don't have a heart attack or anything, because the city's EMS might not get there in time. Double suck! We love our town and all, but this makes us want to engage in one of Philly's most beloved pastimes: booing.

Image Credit: A David Dodge Companion