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What experience and/or personal background qualifies you to hold this office? If elected, what would be your top three policy goals for this office?

Philadelphia needs an authority on addiction and homelessness on City Council, one who has experience with them first hand, one who has worked in both of those fields and has the experience to recognize what needs to change. Philadelphia needs someone who knows the ins and out of city government. It needs someone who already has extensive working relationships with its commissioners, electeds, and civil servants. Philadelphia needs someone who is just as sick and tired as its people. Someone who sees what they see and fees what they feel. They need someone who listens to them and knows the difficulties they face every day, and knows how t o make a change. This city needs someone who isn’t afraid to point out the inadequacies and someone who isn’t afraid to do something about it. Philadelphia deserves candidates who give a damn. I am that candidate.

If elected I will revamp how our city works to combat the opioid crisis addiction and homeless. And how it budgets the city’s response to those two epidemics. What we are doing is not working.

I will immediately begin to work with my fellow council people to pass legislation that strengthens workers’ rights bills, such as the $15 Minimum Wage and the Paid Sick Leave Bill, ensuring Philadelphians have a living wage and giving the Paid Sick Leave Bill enforcement powers and proper funding, and removing all of its minimum employee requirements.

I will immediately begin to work with my fellow councilpeople and the cities government departments to change the way we treat our small businesses. To make the city a friendly more conducive place for small business owner both current and future.

Our city has a major inequality problem: 26% of Philadelphians live in poverty, making us the poorest big city in the US. If elected, how will you address the issue of poverty, through legislation and other means? In your response, please address our tax structure, programs to support and invest in neighborhoods and small businesses, workforce training, and engaging businesses and non-profits to address this issue.

We are often told Philadelphia is the city on the rise, but too many Philadelphians do not see this. Workers can’t find a job that pays more than minimum wage, jobs in the trades go unfilled, and small businesses are often taxed out of business.

Philadelphia needs to create more programs to help fledgling Philadelphia small businesses, and we need to start exploring tax reductions on them.

Philadelphia also needs to raise the I’m on wage to $15 an hour. Too many Philadelphians are working jobs at simply do not pay a living wage. And we cannot wait
around for the state or the federal government to catch up. We must pass legislation
increasing minimum-wage to $15 an hour immediately.

We must also work to partner training programs for jobs in the trades with city funded
programs like the Philadelphia Youth Network, or with private community centers and non-profits, to start to train Philadelphians at the high school level for jobs in the trades.

Philadelphia lacks sufficient affordable housing and programs to help address homelessness. What actions will you take to combat this? Please be specific and consider land disposition (Councilmanic prerogative, land trusts, land banks, etc.), tax laws, zoning regulations and assistance programs in your response.

Philadelphia must implement a “housing first” policy. Cities like Helsinki have all but eliminated street homelessness through these programs. Philadelphia wastes millions of taxpayer dollars on dangerous, ineffective homeless shelters that do more harm than good. That money should be spent on exploring new ways to treat Philadelphia’s growing problem of street homelessness.

The City Of Philadelphia would be better served by diverting funds spent on shelters to the creation, or purchasing, of homes for homeless folks.

I support the creation of legislation requiring all new apartment buildings include affordable housing. And the creation of incentives to building housing for homeless people.

Through a mix of a properly funded Housing First program, increased legislation supporting affordable housing, we can eliminate street homelessness in Philadelphia.

If elected, do you plan to reduce or increase taxes, and which ones? Do you support the creation of any new taxes and, if so, what would be your plan for the revenues generated?

I plan explore a reduction of taxes for small businesses.

I support increased taxes on high income Philadelphians and businesses.

If elected, what would you do to ensure our public school system is fully funded and provides an equitable education experience for all Philadelphia students? What is your perspective on charter schools?

First, we must repeal the 10 Year Tax Abatement. The losses in potential tax revenue for Philadelphia schools is outrageous, and a problem we can literally no longer afford.

We must keep pressure on the state legislature to pass legislation that updates the
current funding formulas that currently rob the Philadelphia School district of what it’s rightfully owed. Council must also demand an audit of the Philadelphia Parking Authority to see what funds from the PPA are actually being directed to our schools. Finally, Council must start to work more closely with the Mayor’s Office, and the Board of Education, to formulate new tax revenues (for example through taxes on sports betting) and to revamp our education budget.

In my experience working to educate teachers, staff, and students in Junior High Schools, High Schools, and Universities on LGBTQ competency – and of course through my own experiences as a Trans Woman – I am always reminded of the importance of equity agendas in our schools. Students must feel respected and heard; if not they face higher rates of stress, depression, low grades, and drop outs. I pledge to use my office to continue to push for more equitable education experiences in our schools, at all levels.

There is no doubt that some Charter schools have done good, and given students a quality education that they couldn’t find in some public schools. But too often, charter schools have been for profit, under regulated, and scandal ridden. I believe Charter schools are the wrong solution to the problem. Akin to Private Prisons being used to make up for over crowded, underfunded government correctional institutions. We need increased Charter school oversight and a moratorium on further Charter expansion.

Do you support any reforms to current policing practices in Philadelphia, including stop and frisk? What programs would you advocate for to assist returning citizens, including post-release counseling for jobs, housing, and other support services?

I absolutely support the immediate end to stop and frisk. It’s an unnecessary a violation of our rights, and it’s effectiveness in reducing crime is disturbingly low. It needs to end immediately.

The Office of Adult Probation and Parole is in desperate need of change, both regarding culture and policy. That is the day-to-day source of a large portion of recidivism. The culture of the office is not conducive to returning citizens.

What is your opinion about the increasing privatization of city public spaces and institutions, including Dilworth Park and Franklin Square? What steps would you take to protect or expand public spaces in Philadelphia?

Public space, parks, and are naturally egalitarian and open to everyone, regardless of class. That’s what makes the he selling off of public spaces to businesses like Starbucks (Dilworth) so wrong. I oppose the proposed Starbucks at Dilworth, not only because of its insultingly close vicinity to Philly-based competition like LaColombe, but because it’s a perfect example of what’s wrong with the privatization of public space. To parcel off pieces of public land to for-profit businesses for a quick profit is misguided and puts profit over the public, and sets a dangerous precedent for the future. Where does that rabbit hole end? With corporate businesses in every park? With no public spaces left that aren’t saturated with advertisements?

I pledge to work with my fellow council people and the Mayor to fund more public art, more public parks, the renovation of our current spaces, and to work together to pass legislation protecting all public spaces from being sold off by the City.

How will you advance immigrants’ rights?

The root of discrimination against immigrants is a lack of education of the subject. We all must work together to promote immigrant voices and stories to educate the greater public. I will use the office of Councilperson At Large as a bully pulpit to educate the public of immigrant issues and make sure that immigrant stories are told and immigrant voices are heard.

If elected, what will you do to advance environmental justice in Philadelphia? Specifically, how will you advocate for greater residential and commercial energy efficiency and support efforts to eradicate lead poisoning in schools and households?

The City of Philadelphia has a chance to be a shining beacon on a hill for a green future. Philadelphia must elect council people who know that climate change is real, and that immediate action is paramount. That means funding for solar panel programs, strict regulatory legislation for building and construction city-wide, and increased focus on inspections of existing properties.

City Council must take bold steps to advance that environmental justice.