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Serving our Communities-Overview
(Click on the links for details)
Northwest
Philadelphia needs a State Representative who
will be a vigorous and engaged advocate on our behalf.
Many citizens do
not realize that State Representatives are the political leaders closest
to the people. Their districts are much smaller than City Council
Districts in Philadelphia. (City Council members have about 250,000
constituents. State Representatives have about 60,000) Our State
Representative should be the first person you turn to when you need help
from government. And our State Representative should be actively
involved in every aspect of life in our communities.
If you elect me as
your State Representative, you will have every once of my energy at your
disposal—and I have been blessed with a lot of energy. You will see at
your civic meetings and on your streets, at your schools and in your own
homes. By the time my first term ends, I will be so much a part of the
life of your par of Northwest Philadelphia
that you will think I live just down the block.
Connecting with the
District
Our State
Representative should have a strong voice, close relationships community
and civic associations, religious leaders, non-profits organizations,
businesses, and other elected officials, and an effective staff. We need
a Representative who will take the lead in recognizing problems and
finding solutions to them. We need a Representative who helps everyone
in the Northwest work together for the common good.
Bringing State
Resources to our Communities
The Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania has wide variety of programs that support the projects and
services that can build better communities. Playgrounds, parks, job
training programs, senior centers, after-school programs, community
organizations, non-profit groups and businesses are all eligible for
state assistance of different kinds. But to get them, resources, we need
a State Representative who will find out what is available and fight for
our fair share.
We also need a
Representative who will also protect what we have. The greatest threat
to the 198th District right now is the loss of our public transportation
lines, the R8 train and the C bus
and others. I have been fighting for the R8 for the last nine months and
will do so even more effectively as your State Representative.
Helping Constituents
A State
Representative also has to serve individual constituents who have
problems getting the government to respond to their concerns. Most often
a State Representative will help with problems in state government.
But they should be knowledgeable
about the City of Philadelphia and the
Federal Government as well. As a civic leader in Mt. Airy, I have worked
with our Councilwoman, Donna Reed Miller, and other members of City
Council. I have worked with Congressman Fattah. I won’t need training
time to serve the citizens in Northwest Philadelphia.
I am ready to go to work for the 198th District right now!
Major Developments
There is, however,
one area to which I want to give some special attention, because it has
the potential to benefit all of us. The 198th district has a
potential gold mine in it, if only we had leadership that could see it.
There are empty, dilapidated factory buildings on both sides of
Wissahickon Avenue at Hunting Park Avenue as well as a great deal of
vacant land. Right now, this is a decaying area. But the potential for
development is enormous. One job of our State Representative is to dream
about what Northwest Philadelphia can be,
and then work to realize that dream.
This year, vote
for a State Representative can
who provide leadership on issues big and small every single day.
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