4 questions with Jane Fonda about the Philly mayor’s race
We talked to the longtime actor and activist about public utilities, why she's getting involved in local elections, and the Philly teens she'll never forget.
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Philadelphians are often a little skeptical when Hollywood is involved.
It’s not that we can’t appreciate the arts — but there’s something about a big-time actor endorsing a candidate in a local election that makes us wonder: Why?
So when Jane Fonda said she was backing former City Councilmember Helen Gym for Philadelphia mayor, we wondered if she was in touch with issues facing Philly voters. These days, the Grace and Frankie costar is running a PAC that supports candidates who vow to move their jurisdictions away from fossil-fuel reliance.
The PAC donated $25,200 to Gym’s campaign — the maximum contribution allowed under the city’s campaign-finance rules.
We chatted on Zoom last week with Fonda about why she’s dipping into a city mayor’s race and whether voters should care about environmental justice when crime is roundly seen as the top issue.
Here’s our conversation, which was edited for brevity and clarity:
What role does a mayor play in this issue that is often seen as very nationalized?
City governments have enormous power to reduce fossil-fuel consumption, to regulate fossil-fuel polluters, and to either approve or reject new fossil-fuel projects. By focusing on climate policies that are in cities, we can halt the effects of climate change and we can protect the majority of the people affected by it.
Philadelphia has a terrible track record of allowing environmental hazards to go unabated. It’s had lead in the drinking water. Chemical plants in the surrounding areas routinely dump hazardous waste in the water sources. Everybody’s focused on Detroit, but Philadelphia is right up there with Detroit.
Why are you backing Gym?
Helen has said that she’s going to support a Green New Deal for Philadelphia. She’s been on record challenging Philadelphia Gas Works, and she opposed the construction of a liquefied natural-gas facility in Southwest Philadelphia.
In 2019, when we were having a civil disobedience every Friday in Washington, we had young people from Philadelphia speak. The stories that they told about refineries exploding, about having to do lockdowns in their homes because of pollution in the air, having to shutter their windows, it was really shocking. Supporting Helen, I feel like I’m doing something for those young kids.
How do you sell the issue of climate justice to folks in Philadelphia who see public safety as the biggest issue?
We know that cleaning up heavily polluted areas is good for fighting climate change. It’s also good for reducing violence. Research has shown that simply putting green space in some neighborhoods can reduce shootings. Public health, public safety, and environmental justice are all really linked.
What’s your message to Philly voters who might say: What does Jane Fonda want with us?
We are all inhabitants of one country and one planet, and we have to fight with everything we have to keep our cities, our towns, and our planet healthy for human beings.
It’s important for people to understand the importance of voting down ballot. Every single position matters. When you go to the polls, along with all the other things that you care about, carry climate in your heart.