Where I Stand on the Issues:

Crime and Public Safety

Philadelphia just elected a new District Attorney. Seth Williams is committed to a new way of meting out justice for those accused of committing crime, victims of crime as well as to those individuals who are convicted. However, the looming challenge is that the DA represents only a single point on the criminal justice continuum. The police, the courts, the prisons, the schools, health and human services, victims’ advocacy groups, re-entry programs and community organizations all play a meaningful role. I am committed to being a strong and vocal advocate in Harrisburg for the funding of these institutions and will use the power of my office to support them and foster coordination between them.

We have an epidemic of easily obtained illegal handguns in our city. Regardless of what hunters in more rural parts of the commonwealth say, the reality is that no deer are being shot in North Philadelphia, people are. If it were not for the city's multiple, Level 1 trauma hospitals, we might be counting deaths by illegal handguns in thousands rather than the hundreds each year. I shall advocate for more state funding so that police and prosecutors can be better equipped to stop the people who are profiteering from the illegal handgun trade, or commit crimes where illegal handguns are involved.

Ultimately, handgun violence must be prevented by choking-off the supply of illegal guns on our streets. I will be a strong and effective voice for common sense gun violence prevention laws such as closing off the “Florida Loophole” that circumvents local law enforcement, severely increasing penalties for “straw purchasing” of handguns, limiting the purchase of guns to one-a-month, creating provisions for the mandatory reporting of lost or stolen handguns, and raising the penalty for individuals who supply weapons used in the commission of a crime, and for those who allow handguns to come into the possession of minors either willfully or by way of negligence.

Economic Development and Jobs

Job training is important, but without also creating real jobs with real, family sustaining wages, we fail to address the problems represented by skyrocketing unemployment and poverty in our neighborhoods. We must also create incentives for entrepreneurs who are eager to create jobs for neighborhood people that will strengthen a struggling local economy. In the midst of the most difficult economic times perhaps since the Great Depression when banks and private business interest often choose to stay on the sidelines, government must lead the way with real public investment in order to spur job growth and economic recovery –through direct investment in public works projects like rebuilding Pennsylvania’s crumbling infrastructure, expanding and vastly improving our investment in public transit. Ultimately, small businesses that provide basic goods and services will be positioned to once again be a vibrant engine that our neighborhoods need and deserve.

We must also confront the ugly truth that like Greater Philadelphia, the communities that make up the 195th Legislative District represent “two Philadelphias”: one with opportunity and one without.

Everything we do to grow a vibrant economy and reinvigorate commercial corridors and their surrounding communities must be done with the express purpose of engaging all our communities to participate and share in the benefits of progress. Revitalization should not displace, nor marginalize but rather it should empower and enrich so that a rising tide lifts all boats.

Education and Families

Funding is the beginning, but not the end of the discussion on what the Commonwealth must do to support education in Philadelphia. I will fight for our urban schools so that they can maintain and grow their share of the education funding pie. However, more money isn’t enough.

The goal should be to target those resources to identify and support the programs that work: small class size; full day kindergarten; fully funded pre-school; supporting community-based innovation that works; and maintaining standards of accountability for the variety of educational options that are available, whether public, private, parochial, and alternative.

In addition, through tax credits and subsidies, I will advocate for a variety of childcare options for parents, especially women, who are attempting to return to the workforce in order to provide for their families. I will champion local, community based programs that provide guidance, support and healthy recreation alternatives to young people, such as the Scouts, the Police Athletic League, and faith-based afterschool programs.

Health Care

It’s no secret that the debate for national health reform is the main concern in Washington. No matter what happens in Washington the health care system in Pennsylvania needs immediate reform. Under Governor Rendell’s Cover All Kids initiative, CHIP was expanded to cover more of PA’s children up to the age of 19. Almost 30,000 children in Philadelphia County are now covered by CHIP. Rendell’s administration took the first step, but there are still thousands across the state who are suffering because they can’t afford health coverage.

Even with government programs like CHIP, Medicaid and Medicare there are still people across the Commonwealth who fall in the middle and are left uninsured. Any legislation that comes out of D.C, no matter how bold, or progressive, will take years to affect the people of Philadelphia; therefore the state must take the lead and address this urgent need.

No matter what path the policy for national health care coverage takes, the system in Pennsylvania must provide equal accessibility for treatment, research, and resources to people and communities of color and stronger health services in low-income communities. As one of the 46 million Americans who are employed but still left without affordable health care options, I am passionate about working to make changes in Harrisburg that will immediately bring changes to Philadelphians.

Social Justice

These ideas will mean little unless they are ground in the principals of mutual respect, dignity and fairness towards all. We must be committed to the true meaning of our city’s name Philadelphia: the city of brotherly love. To that end, our laws, words and deeds must respect all equally, regardless of race, creed, gender, nationality, ability, sexual identity, or sexual orientation. This is true whether we are talking about the environment, economic justice, marriage equality, fair housing, or equal pay for equal work.