Endorsements

Philly For Change Governor’s Questionnaire


1.  If elected, what will be your top three priorities, and how will you achieve them?

    As Governor, my top three priorities would be the following:

1.    Provide a HOPE Scholarship Program to help families afford higher education
I have been a longtime advocate of offering a HOPE Scholarship Program in Pennsylvania.  HOPE is an acronym for Helping Our Pupils to Excel.  Under my program, students who graduate from high school with at least a 3.0 grade point average would have their tuition paid for at a state-owned university.  Students choosing to attend a state-related institution, a private institution, a community college, or a vocational-technical school would receive a grant valued at the average cost of a state-owned university.  The program would be funded by excess profits from table games at Pennsylvania casinos.

2.    Reform the operations of state government
The taxpayers deserve a government that puts their needs first and that addresses those needs in the most cost-effective way possible.  I know firsthand where the waste, fraud, and abuse is in government programs from the thousands of audits that I have conducted as Auditor General.  I will implement my recommendations for saving money in state government programs in order to maintain vital government services without raising taxes.  I will also pursue fundamental reforms such as eliminating bonuses and vendor favoritism in state government, reducing the size of the General Assembly, and ensuring that the state budget is passed on time every year.

3.    Create high quality, family sustaining jobs to grow our economy
As Governor, I will work with the private sector to improve the employment situation in the Commonwealth, so that all Pennsylvanians who want to work hard and pursue the American dream have the opportunity to do so.  I will use my experience as Auditor General to fix the state’s economic development programs and hold the recipients of state assistance accountable for creating and retaining the jobs promised.  I will also use my experience to bring transparency and competition to the state’s own awarding of contracts for goods and services.  Finally, as further discussed in my answer to Question #6 below, I will maximize the state’s new Marcellus Shale energy resources to create jobs and reduce the cost of natural gas in an environmentally responsible way.
2.  What steps will you take to improve Pennsylvania's economy and raise Philadelphians out of poverty?
 
As discussed in my answer to Question #1 above, I will invest in education, economic development, and social services programs to benefit Philadelphians and all Pennsylvanians.


3.  How will you assure economic stability for Philadelphia's public schools? Will you propose a new funding formula?

I am a graduate of a public high school and my children have attended public schools.  I have always been a strong advocate and supporter of public education.  I believe that the education of our people is one of the most important responsibilities of public officials and that every public school should have the resources needed to provide our children with the best possible education.  The current system of funding education has clearly been the biggest weakness of our public school system, and I have fought to improve the system of funding public education in the Commonwealth in a fiscally responsible way.  My audits have identified hundreds of millions of dollars that could be saved in the state budget by improving the management of various programs and services.  As Governor, I will implement my audit recommendations and other ideas in order to generate significant savings that could be used to provide stable and sufficient funding for public education in all 500 school districts.


4. Summarize briefly your positions regarding abortion and emergency contraception.

I am a pro-life Democrat.  I support public funding and access to family planning and contraceptive services that do not include abortion.  

Because I strongly believe that the right to life must also mean the right to a decent life for both mother and child, I have always placed a priority on strengthening health care, education, social services, and other important programs.  I have also been a strong proponent of adoption.  I served on a statewide adoption task force and I have chaired the annual Genesis-Riverside Run for Adoption in Pittsburgh since 1994.  This event has played a major role in promoting adoption as an alternative to abortion.  My wife Nancy and I are the proud parents of two adopted children, Luke and Sara.



5. What steps will you take to protect the LGBT community from discrimination?

I would continue to support efforts to strengthen state anti-discrimination laws to protect the LGBT community.  As a State Senator, I introduced, co-sponsored, and voted for many such bills.  My administration will also lead by example in hiring and working with members of the LGBT community.


6. In light of Pennsylvania's expanded natural gas drilling, will you commit funds from mineral extraction for environmental protection?  How will you protect our environment from problems associated with such drilling and assure that Pennsylvanians economically benefit from this growing industry?

Yes.  The new Marcellus Shale energy resources give the Commonwealth an unparalleled opportunity in the coming years to create tens of thousands of good paying, high quality jobs to our communities and bring in much-needed revenues to state government.  However, while I am committed to maximizing these new resources, I am equally committed to ensuring that it be done in an environmentally responsible way.  As Governor, I will make sure that the industry understands that these resources belong to all Pennsylvanians, that we – not outsiders – intend to reap the benefits, and that we will not tolerate any harm to our precious environment.  I will insist that the costs of the increased government oversight necessary to build and monitor this new industry be borne by the industry itself.

 

Philly For Change Governor’s Questionnaire
 

1.  If elected, what will be your top three priorities, and how will you achieve them?

My top three priorities are creating jobs and building Pennsylvania's economy; strengthening our educational programs at all levels; and providing health care for all Pennsylvanians.

My plan for Pennsylvania's economy will create jobs, build a strong workforce, help small businesses, and bring together our farms, suburbs, and cities. I will increase access to community college programs so that today's workforce can learn new skills and take on new roles in our changing economy; and improve our early childhood programs, K-12 schools, and state system of higher education to ensure future generations are fully prepared. We must create a diverse economy, investing heavily in green industries but also in healthcare, infrastructure, and environmental management, both in the long-term and through a "Jobs Now" initiative to fast-track key projects. I will help small businesses by pushing for health care reform, beneficial loans, and new partnership opportunities with universities. Finally, I will encourage smart development strategies which will foster symbiotic relationships between communities: revitalization of urban centers to complement open space preservation programs, transit-oriented design to combat suburban sprawl, and farm-to-city initiatives to bring Pennsylvania's number one industry and its population centers closer to one another.

Pennsylvania's schools are on the right track, showing tremendous recent gains following a redesigned state funding formula. I will ensure that this progress continues, providing full support and funding for this formula to balance the playing field by ensuring adequate funding for all students. I'm also strong advocate of expanding early childhood education programs and full-day kindergarten; and as I believe higher education must remain an affordable option for everyone, I will develop a comprehensive and responsible tuition relief program that will allow every Pennsylvanian the opportunity to further their education.

As Governor, I will support and work to achieve insurance coverage for every Pennsylvanian. I will explore ways to create a publicly financed, publicly administered, and privately delivered health insurance program -- similar to the Medicare model -- for the commonwealth. I support establishing minimum nurse-to patient ratios in hospitals to ensure that the quality of care improves and the number of medical errors decreases, increasing the minimum nursing home staffing levels at nursing home facilities in our commonwealth, and improving long term home health care options that ultimately empower consumers and the workers who care for them.

2.  What steps will you take to improve Pennsylvania's economy and raise Philadelphians out of poverty?

For improving Pennsylvania's economy -- my number one priority as governor -- please see my answer to question (1).

I believe education is the best path out of poverty for Philadelphians (and all Pennsylvanians, for that matter). Please see my answer to question (1) which addresses how I will improve our education system.

3.  How will you assure economic stability for Philadelphia's public schools? Will you propose a new funding formula?  

I support our existing school funding formula. With full funding from the commonwealth, this plan will protect Philadelphia's schools and provide them the stability and resources necessary to make them the equal of schools across Pennsylvania.

4. Summarize briefly your positions regarding abortion and emergency contraception.

I support a woman's right to choose. I trust women to make their own personal, private decisions regarding reproductive health issues -- the government should not be involved. Moreover, we must not allow healthcare reform to prevent a woman from selecting a healthcare plan that covers abortion. I have issued a statement that as governor, I will veto any bill presented to me by the state legislature that attempts to prevent Pennsylvania's healthcare exchange from including a plan which covers abortion (as the Senate's version of the healthcare bill would allow to happen).

I also support access to emergency contraception for all women in Pennsylvania, and specifically the CARE Act (Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies) which requires emergency rooms throughout Pennsylvania to provide emergency contraception to victims of rape.

5. What steps will you take to protect the LGBT community from discrimination?

I support amending the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act to include "sexual orientation" and "gender identity or expression" as protected classes, and expanding the definition of a hate crime to include crimes motivated by malicious intent toward an individual’s or group’s ancestry, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, or gender or gender identity. Both of these proposed laws will extend critical protection against discrimination to the LGBT community.

I also believe that we must end the discrimination preventing couples in love from marrying because of gender. I support full marriage equality for all Pennsylvanians.

6. In light of Pennsylvania's expanded natural gas drilling, will you commit funds from mineral extraction for environmental protection?  How will you protect our environment from problems associated with such drilling and assure that Pennsylvanians economically benefit from this growing industry?

I support an extraction tax on natural gas, and some of the funds from that tax will be directed towards renewing the highly successful Growing Greener programs (scheduled to expire in 2012 and 2011). The extraction tax on natural gas will ensure that they have a sustainable funding source going forward.

I have already begun urging the Department of Environmental Protection to strengthen their limits on chemicals in wastewater produced by the natural gas industry, and have called on all my competitors in both parties to join me in this. I am calling for a comprehensive environmental impact study to be conducted before the commonwealth issues additional drilling and wastewater permits. But I maintain my belief that with responsible regulation, this industry can still thrive in Pennsylvania and we can derive maximum benefits from our Marcellus Shale resources without compromising the health or safety of the commonwealth.

PFCMay09ballot

Please click above or below to download this handy printable list of PFC's endorsements for the May 19 primary. Its set up two on a page to save paper and saved as pdf or jpg for your printing convenience. Feel free to distribute to a few hundred of your closest friends and neighbors. And remember to vote, May 19th.

In a spirited and competitive contest that featured substantive addresses and answers to tough questions (see: below), Seth Williams last night won Philly For Change's District Attorney endorsement vote, getting 70% of the ballots cast. Candidates must get at least 60% of ballots in order for PFC to issue an endorsement. We're very pleased to be able make an endorsement, and to endorse Seth, in this critical and competitive race.

Firstly thanks to all three Democratic candidates for Controller coming out to the April meetup - Alan Butkovitz, John Braxton and Brett Mandel. The lively exchange was appreciated.

Also as part of the endorsement process a series of endorsement questions was sent to all three candidates. Unfortunately, only one candidate was able to complete the questions within the set deadline. Fortunately, that candidate's answers reflect an impressive depth of thought and consideration.

That candidate was Brett Mandel. Please take time to review his answers not just in consideration of your endorsement vote, but also because several of the answers are quite timely in consideration of the current local budget crisis.

Name: R. Seth Williams

Office Sought: District Attorney of Philadelphia

Campaign website: www.votesethwilliams.com

Contact person: Daryl Gale

Email: daryl@votesethwilliams.com

Phone: (888) SETH4DA

1) If elected, what will be your top priorities? Specifically, how will you make Philadelphia’s criminal justice system work better and, if possible, more efficiently?

1. Fixing Philadelphia’s broken, revolving-door system of justice.
2. Identifying and targeting the worst repeat offenders.
3. Strengthening partnerships with neighbors and communities, the police department, courts, parole board, and various law enforcement agencies.

My priorities in addressing these are, first, to streamline the systems and communications that stall the justice system. Sixty percent of all felony cases, including a third of all gun cases, are dismissed at preliminary hearing because the prosecution is not ready to go forward. The District Attorney’s Office must take advantage of the latest research, technology, and best practices to fix the system, and bring the Office into the 21st century.

Second, I will target hardened career criminals for long prison sentences, while taking advantage of proven programs to keep first-time offenders from becoming repeat offenders.

Third, through Community-Based Justice, I will forge new partnerships with neighbors and communities hardest hit by violent crime. Under this system, prosecutors and judges work directly with the police and neighbors in the community in identifying the neighborhood’s crime problems and formulating solutions. This model has proven effective in large cities throughout the country.

2) Do you support the death penalty? If so, what would be your criteria for seeking it?

Ideally, I envision a criminal justice system in which we don’t need a death penalty. That day is not today, and the death penalty is a matter of Pennsylvania law. As such, I recognize its usefulness in certain cases, but unlike our incumbent District Attorney, I do not think the death penalty should be used as a “catch all” tool for prosecutors.

The ultimate penalty should be reserved for ultimate crimes: serial killers, or unrepentant multiple murderers for example; people who by both the heinous nature of their crime and their lack of remorse dictate a penalty even greater than life in prison.

The prosecutorial habit of throwing the death penalty at any defendant who even remotely qualifies is costly, ineffective, and risky. The District Attorney’s Office was highly criticized in 2002 after it charged four innocent men with one of the worst mass murders in city history, then the charges were dropped after the men spent 18 months in jail.

The goal of the District Attorney should be to see that murderers are taken off our streets, not just rack up death penalty convictions.

3) What steps do you support to help reduce gun violence in Philadelphia?

We need to stop the rampant gun violence in Philadelphia, first by targeting the sellers of illegal weapons, then by changing the state’s laws to allow for commonsense restrictions and then lastly by fully and aggressively prosecuting those who use guns in the commission of a crime.

As District Attorney, I will institute a system of community-based justice, in which prosecutors will work directly with neighbors and local police districts in identifying the community’s illegal gun merchants and putting them out of business. Felons who use a gun in the commission of a crime will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, whether that gun is fired or not.

Weapons offenses should be prosecuted swiftly and consistently, with the goal of keeping guns off our streets, and sending a clear message to those who traffic in illegal guns that Philadelphia is a bad place to do business.

4) What steps do you support to help reduce overcrowding in Philadelphia’s prisons?

Philadelphia’s prisons are overcrowded because of the inefficiency of the criminal justice system. Defendants unable to raise even minimum bail are often kept for months, through continuance after continuance, until their hearing. First-time offenders are housed with hardened criminals, increasing their chances of recidivism. Prosecutors often don’t get the case file until the day before trial, and witnesses, victims, and even the arresting officers are often not notified, or notified at the last minute.

By eliminating the systemic breakdowns, improving communications, sharing information and resources, and by targeting the worst offenders for long sentences while helping first-time offenders mend their ways, the District Attorney can play a major role in reducing Philadelphia’s prison overcrowding.

5) Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for first-time non-violent drug crimes, such as marijuana possession?

For some first time or nonviolent offenders, justice is better served through alternatives to incarceration. Young offenders, once exposed to the prison environment, are more likely to become recidivists upon release, earning progressively longer sentences. The chances that a young nonviolent offender can be turned around are greater when exposed to work camps or work release programs with an educational component. When I become District Attorney, our office will take full advantage of these programs, freeing the much-needed prison space for offenders who belong in prison.

6) Crime results from poverty, and lack of jobs and educational opportunity. Summarize briefly how you think the District Attorney’s office should fit in Philadelphia’s crime prevention efforts, including youth programs and re-entry programs for ex-offenders.

Not all crime results from poverty and a lack of jobs and educational opportunity and it is important for the District Attorney to recognize the difference between someone who is committing a crime because they have no options and someone who is a hardened criminal.

Under my direction, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office will work with business and community stakeholders to implement an alternative to incarceration called Back on Track. Designed by San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, Back on Track couples strict accountability and close supervision with education, employment support and health care. Back on Track has drastically reduced recidivism rates in San Francisco by focusing on public safety, economic and social efficacy of offering career development alternatives for young adults who otherwise face felony conviction and incarceration.

7) What steps do you support to protect women in Philadelphia from discrimination and abuse?

The abuse of women, including spousal abuse, will not be tolerated by my District Attorney’s Office. All assaults will be prosecuted and the abusers of women and children will face the stiffest penalties allowable by law. Period.

As a husband and father of three daughters, I fully understand the importance of protecting women from abuse and discrimination, and my office will never fail to do so.

8) What steps do you support to protect the LGBT community from discrimination and abuse?

Discrimination must never be tolerated, and members of the LGBT community have every right and privilege afforded to all citizens, including the right to freedom from discrimination. Discrimination, abuse, assault and hate crimes have no place in a free society, and my District Attorney’s office will take these crimes seriously.

No one is above the law, and all are equally protected by it.

9) Philly For Change supports reform in government. How can the District Attorney’s office discourage corruption and promote transparency in government?

As the former Inspector General of the City of Philadelphia, I have first-hand experience with investigating the entrenched fraud, waste, and corruption of Philadelphia’s employees and public officials. Government corruption on any level is a cancer to the entire system, and must be vigorously prosecuted when proven. As District Attorney, I will no longer allow corruption to erode the public trust in our system of justice, and will treat municipal employees, civil servants and public officials no differently than any other defendant. In addition to the cases investigated and prosecuted by our special investigations unit, I will assign an assistant district attorney to act as liaison with the Office of the Inspector General.

10) Philly for Change supports candidates who share our members’ ideals; however, we have limited resources. To maximize our effectiveness, tell us how—should you receive our endorsement—we can help you win.

I would be honored to receive the endorsement of Philly for Change, and I appreciate your generous offer of support should I receive that endorsement.

Any volunteer support would be appreciated as well as donations from your members. From phone calls to leaflet distribution to get-out-the-vote efforts to Election Day workers, my campaign would appreciate your members’ time, resources, and leg work. Please go to my website, www.votesethwilliams.com and click the “Get Involved” button to contact our volunteer coordinators.

Philly for Change Candidate Questionnaire
Name: Dan McCaffery
Office Sought: Philadelphia District Attorney
Campaign website: www.mccafferyforda.com
Contact person: Danny Bauder
Email: dbauder@mccafferyforda.com
Phone: 215-856-3761

1) If elected, what will be your top priorities? Specifically, how will you make Philadelphia’s criminal justice system work better and, if possible, more efficiently?

I promise to bring courage, common sense, and compassion to every case.  The District Attorney is chief gatekeeper to the criminal justice system.  So we must make certain that we arrest the right people, charge them with appropriate offenses, and – after they are convicted – ensure that the sentences imposed fit their crimes.

First and foremost, my top priority shall be an unrelenting crackdown on gangs, drugs, and all forms of violence.  The core mission of the DA’s office is to do everything it can to keep all Philadelphians safe.  To that end, I have proposed the creation of an Anti-Gang and Narcotics Strike Force.  Currently there is no unit in the DA’s office specifically designated to go after organized drug gangs, who are largely responsible for turning too many neighborhoods into shooting galleries.

Another top priority of mine will be renewing the fight against domestic violence – the number one cause of homicides against women.  We simply cannot wait until another woman goes missing or gets shot (as happened twice just last week, according to news reports), before we take action.  I will step up prosecutions against the violent men who beat and attack woman and children in these domestic disputes.  Additionally, I will coordinate with appropriate agencies and non-profit groups to improve communication and better coordinate our efforts.  I will personally lead a public relations effort to educate women where they can turn for help.

I also believe that the time has come to hold weak judges accountable.  Too many judges appear more responsive to the party machine that helped elect them than to providing true justice to Philadelphians.  They often show up late for work and then take extra-long lunch breaks, leaving our prosecutors, victims, and subpoenaed police personnel sitting around the courthouse waiting … and waiting … for their proceedings to occur.  Weak judges are responsible for dismissing too many cases, allowing too many continuances at the request of defense attorneys seeking to delay justice, and setting bond too low, which has caused a glut of fugitives who now owe our financially-strapped city a billion dollars in forfeited bail.  

When I become DA, I will name names by asking my assistant DAs to keep track of when judges show up in court.  We will track sentences, dismissal rates, continuances, levels of bail, and other quality-of-fairness indicators.  I will put all of this information on a publicly accessible website, so that Philadelphians will have no trouble knowing which judges earn their tax-funded salaries, and which do not.

Finally, I believe law enforcement has been failing our young people.  We must stop taking a cookie-cutter approach to juvenile crime.  All kids are different, each with a unique background.  Simply arresting, prosecuting and detaining children – without intensively investigating and addressing the circumstances and family life of each and every individual child we encounter – remains a failing strategy.  A better strategy will require us to invest more time, compassion, wisdom, and resources into our juvenile system.

2) Do you support the death penalty? If so, what would be your criteria for seeking it?

I must and do support the law on the books.  Until the state legislature and governor change that law, I would be duty-bound to pursue the death penalty under certain aggravating circumstances.  I personally support capital punishment as society's ultimate right to self-defense, but only for the most egregious of first-degree murderers.

That said, I believe the DA's office currently spends far too much time and money seeking death penalties and litigating subsequent appeals.  The District Attorney does have broad discretion in these most serious matters.  I have said publicly that, once installed as DA, I will divert millions of dollars currently spent upon capital cases in order to help reform our juvenile justice programs.  Most death row inmates began their relationship with the criminal justice system as juveniles, so this is where the problem begins.

3) What steps do you support to help reduce gun violence in Philadelphia?

The first step is for the DA's office to stop offering plea bargains for criminals who use guns.  In my administration, hoodlums carrying guns will be charged with the mandatory sentence for firearm possession and for all crimes they committed at gunpoint.  I will establish a specialized unit to handle the prosecution of juvenile gun crimes and prosecute all adults who furnish guns to minors.  We will send a clear message to the criminals, the cop-killers, those who would destroy our neighborhoods: if you possess an illegal gun, or use one illegally, you shall go to state prison.

I will also continue working with the attorney general to fund and promote our illegal firearms task force, which so far has taken nearly a thousand illegal guns off the streets, as well as locked up dangerous and irresponsible gun dealers.

4) What steps do you support to help reduce overcrowding in Philadelphia’s prisons?

The DA’s office has a great deal to do with alleviating overcrowded conditions in both Philadelphia’s and Pennsylvania’s prisons.  For one thing, the DA should be pressing the governor and general assembly to implement those changes required under the Second Chance Act of 2008, so that city and state agencies can access the large amount of federal money annually available under that Act to fund rehabilitation projects and re-entry programs for prisoners.  Included among the required changes would be the establishment of a statewide task force to deal with the overall problem, and to develop a five-year statewide budget for the programs.  Increasing the number of rehabilitative and re-entry programs should, after all, help to alleviate inmate overcrowding.  

As of now, the state’s re-entry program is solely run by the Department of Corrections.  It is far from effective and has, in fact, been labeled a complete failure.  Many other states have created separate departments to deal with rehabilitation and/or re-entry issues, as they typically involve programs administered and provided by other social agencies, and are not related to the core function of the DOC – which is to provide secure housing for dangerous offenders in a manner that protects the safety of both the surrounding community and the guards who work within those facilities.  

The DA can also work with courts and other agencies (such as the county probation office and state parole board) to implement programs tending to shift the current focus of the criminal justice system from punishment of convicted criminals to rehabilitation of those  offenders, and to prevention of crimes in the first place.  Despite the fact that over 75% of all recidivists in the Keystone State come from Philadelphia, the DOC does not yet coordinate or work with Mayor Nutter’s Office for the Re-Entry of Ex-Offenders, or even the DA’s office, to develop and administer programs for preventing crime in the first place, instead of merely punishing those convicted.  

Finally, the DA needs to work with the court system to eliminate continuances and other pre-trial activities which keep those charged with crimes in our local jails longer than is necessary.  

5) Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for first-time non-violent drug crimes, such as marijuana possession?  

No.

6) Crime results from poverty, and lack of jobs and educational opportunity. Summarize briefly how you think the District Attorney’s office should fit in Philadelphia’s crime prevention efforts, including youth programs and re-entry programs for ex-offenders.

I will use my relationships with the building trades unions and other labor organizations to create re-entry employment programs that work in conjunction with the parole board and probation department.  I will establish a DA's re-entry initiative which will work to get offenders off the streets through close supervision, coupled with real employment and educational opportunities.  The program will provide ex-offenders with the job training, education, and guidance they need to reintegrate successfully into their families and neighborhoods, thereby dissuading them from criminal activity.  Better yet, these programs can be created at no additional cost to the taxpayers, since they will be paid for by the participating unions.

7) What steps do you support to protect women in Philadelphia from discrimination and abuse?

Domestic violence is one of the leading causes of death among women.  This is a tragic fact, and I will combat domestic violence by creating an aggressive public awareness campaign, and by making an example of abusers prosecuted by my office.

8) What steps do you support to protect the LGBT community from discrimination and abuse?

Hate crimes and all hate-based incidents are serious offenses; they shall get prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.  Recognizing the fear and stress typically suffered by victims of hate crimes and the far-reaching negative consequences that they have on our community, we will vigorously commit to enforcing hate-crime laws and will ensure proper and effective prosecution of them.  Indeed, I plan to create a specialized LGBT Unit as part of the Victim Services Division.  I hope to comprise this new unit of a lesbian and a gay man who will serve as victim advocates, assisting all LGBT victims of crime.  These two advocates will be experienced in serving LGBT victims of sexual assault.  We will use the full power of the District Attorney’s office to influence legislators to pass laws that better protect all citizens of Philadelphia, including the immediate restoration of mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity to the commonwealth’s Ethnic Intimidation Act.

I am the only candidate for District Attorney who has specifically mentioned that we need to treat all people – regardless of race, age, religion, or sexual orientation – with respect and dignity.

9) Philly For Change supports reform in government. How can the District Attorney’s office discourage corruption and promote transparency in government?

As DA, I will prosecute corruption whenever and wherever we find evidence of it. Pay-to-play politics remains an enduring stain on our city.  I will hold my supporters to the highest ethical standards.

I was pleased that other candidates have followed my call to create an anti-corruption task force to clean up city government.  I will look for an experienced corruption prosecutor to lead such an effort.

10) Philly for Change supports candidates who share our members’ ideals; however, we have limited resources. To maximize our effectiveness, tell us how—should you receive our endorsement—we can help you win.

Having grassroots support is a "must" for any winning campaign.  I believe your organization can help me with direct voter contact.  With your support, we could work together to identify voters who share our goal of a safer city, and persuade them to vote for my candidacy.