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INSIDE Special Edition Voters Guide—Primary Election
Pittsburgh Courier NEW
www.newpittsburghcourier.com Vol. 112 No. 19
Two Sections
MAY 12-18, 2021
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LET THE VOTING BEGIN Primary Election is May 18; Rep. Gainey seeks to make history as Pittsburgh’s first Black mayor by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
Four years ago, there wasn’t this type of hype heading into the Pittsburgh Democratic mayoral primary. Four years ago, current Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto wasn’t spotted doing the “two-step” or the “Wobble,” but he was all Eat ‘n Park smiles at his campaign party at The Boiler Room on Banksville Road, following his landslide victory over challengers Rev. John Welch and Darlene Harris. He won the Democratic primary with 69 percent of the vote, crushing Rev. Welch’s 17.5 percent and Harris’ 13 percent, on his way to easily taking the mayoral crown in November 2017 to ensure a second term. But this time, this coming Tuesday, May 18, the forecast seems to be calling for a closer election. From Westinghouse High
School, to WTAE-TV, to the African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pa., to WPXI-TV this past Sunday, there have been mayoral debates all over town. The interest in just who will be Pittsburgh’s next mayor is real. It’s palpable. What’s got the kettle whistling is state Rep. Ed Gainey’s run for mayor. Representative Gainey is poised to become the first African American mayor in the storied history of the Steel City. He’s got popularity all over the East End, where his state House District (24) encompasses. He’s front-and-center at pretty much every Black community function, and he for years hosted a Christmas toy drive, where more than a thousand people would come to the former Homewood Coliseum and receive toys, food, etc. There’s a heightened awareness about African American empowerment since the death of George
‘A vote for Ed Gainey is a vote for unity,’ State Rep. says DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR PITTSBURGH MAYOR ED GAINEY is the primary reason there’s so much attention on this year’s Primary Election. He’s looking to unseat Mayor Bill Peduto, who has been Pittsburgh’s mayor since 2014. (Photo by Rob Taylor Jr.) Floyd, and corporations all across the country have tried to hire more African Americans, re-commit to a diverse workplace, and rid of any discrimination or racial biases. When it comes to Pittsburgh, however, it’s going to be up to the people, the 300,000 residents, to deter-
Census: 7,000 Blacks have left Pittsburgh between ‘14 and ‘18
mine whether Rep. Gainey gets the nod, if Mayor Peduto gets a third term, or maybe they want a newcomer, like retired Officer Tony Moreno or ride-sharing employee Michael Thompson (Will Parker, who is Black, is running as an independent in the November general election).
From a demographic point of view, the percentage of African Americans in Pittsburgh is declining. It’s now at under 23 percent. At one point, Pittsburgh had a 28 percent Black population at the turn of the century. That may not bode well for Rep. Gainey. On the other hand, young-
er, more progressive individuals are moving into the city (though many believe at the expense of African Americans), and many of those individuals have proven to be more liberal, more accepting of African SEE VOTING A4
KENTUCKY DERBY WEEKEND IN PITTSBURGH
Community leaders want change now by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
RANDALL TAYLOR, with Penn Plaza Support and Action Coalition.
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From summer weekends in Downtown Pittsburgh (pre-COVID), to the heart of East Liberty, to the Strip District, the trained eye has known for years what recent U.S. Census data just confirmed—less and less African Americans call Pittsburgh home. Between 2014 and 2018, the City of Pittsburgh lost 7,000 Black residents, leaving the city, as it stands in 2021, with less than 23 percent of the city’s residents as Black. Pittsburgh City Council held a special hearing about the topic on May 6. “Black displacement has been going on for 20 years but has really picked up over the last few years,” voiced Randall Taylor, with the Penn Plaza Support and Action Coalition, in an exclusive interview with the New Pittsburgh Courier, May 11. “Shameful. We believe it’s due to rising rents. We know the people didn’t leave for Atlanta or SEE CENSUS A7
MARGARITE GARNER, MICHELLE WATSON AND LATAUJA STRINGER GARNER, part of those who attended Gary White’s annual Derby celebration, May 8. This year it was held at Fogo de Chao, in Downtown Pittsburgh. To see more photos of the event, see Page A3. (Photo by Dayna Delgado)
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NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
Moore Added to Michigan Staff as Assistant Coach, Recruiting Coordinator
University of Michigan women’s basketball head coach Kim Barnes Arico announced on May 7 the addition of Michigan native Carrie Moore to her coaching staff as an assistant coach and the recruiting coordinator. Moore starred at Detroit Country Day and Western Michigan during her playing days and has had coaching stops at North Carolina, Princeton and Creighton. She is also the niece of New Pittsburgh Courier assistant to the publisher Stephan Broadus. “Carrie is a star in the business and will help us continue to elevate Michigan women’s basketball,” Barnes Arico said. “She is one of the best players to come through the state, helping Detroit Country Day to two state titles and leading the nation in scoring as a senior at Western Michigan. Carrie has shown that she can both recruit the best in the country and develop players to be successful at the highest level. I am so excited to bring Carrie back home to Michigan.” “I am thrilled for the opportunity to continue doing what I love at argu-
ably the greatest university in the world,” Moore said. “Michigan is committed to excellence in every way and represents all that I believe in regarding a true student-athlete experience. Coach Arico is a proven winner and someone who I have admired for years. Working with her to elevate our women’s basketball program to even greater heights, and to come home while doing so, is the opportunity of a lifetime. I can’t wait to get to work!” Moore comes to Michigan after spending the last two seasons as an assistant coach and the recruiting coordinator at North Carolina, helping the Tar Heels to the 2021 NCAA Tournament. She was instrumental in spearheading UNC’s recruiting efforts, helping sign the No. 10-ranked recruiting class in 2019 and the No. 3-ranked recruiting class in 2020 that featured three McDonald’s All-Americans. Prior to her time in Chapel Hill, Moore spent the previous three seasons (2016-19) as an assistant coach at Princeton as part of two different stints with the Tigers. During
her three seasons as an assistant, Princeton won back-to-back Ivy League regular-season and tournament championships (2018, 2019) while making a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and one WNIT appearance. She also served as the director of operations for two seasons (2008-10), as she was part of Princeton’s first NCAA Tournament team (2010). Moore was an assistant coach at Creighton from 2010-15, helping the Bluejays to postseason appearances in all five seasons, including back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in program history (2012 and 2013). Moore starred at Western Michigan, scoring a school-record 2,216 points during her career, with 813 of those coming during her senior season. Moore was named the 2007 Mid-American Conference Player of the Year after leading the NCAA in scoring with 25.4 points per game, marking the first time a MAC player won the scoring crown. She also was named to the Academic All-America second team and was a Senior CLASS Award nominee during her senior campaign. She set nine school records and four MAC records as a Bronco and graduated magna cum laude from WMU in 2007 with a degree in journalism. Moore signed WNBA free agent contracts with both the Phoenix Mercury and Chicago Sky. She played professionally for one season in Poland following her collegiate career.
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KENTUCKY DERBY WEEKEND IN PITTSBURGH
BRENDA TATE, ROSEMARY CRAWFORD, DEBBIE NORRELL, at Gary White’s annual Derby celebration, May 8, at Fogo de Chao in Downtown Pittsburgh. (Photos by Courier photographer Dayna Delgado)
MR. AND MRS. GEORGE ROBINSON, WITH RALPH WATSON
MR. DUPY, WENDY AVERY AND GARY WHITE
MARC LITTLE, MARGARITE GARNER, WRENNA WATSON, KEVIN MACON, LATAUJA STRINGER GARNER, MARGARET GARNER
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NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
Ed Gainey looks to make history VOTING FROM A1
American upliftment. This may bode well for Rep. Gainey. Representative Gainey’s message is simple — over the past eight years, he believes nothing has been done to improve life for African Americans in Pittsburgh and make this city a city for all. He feels he’s the man who can turn it around. “This is not a new issue. We understand that Pittsburgh is not a great place for the Black community and we (Peduto administration) have done nothing over the years, absolutely nothing,” Rep. Gainey said during the WTAE-TV (Channel 4) debate on April 28. Representative Gainey said there needs to be more city contracts made available to minorities, and to work with
women “to make sure that we’re building them up to get some of these contracts so that they can hire people that look like them and stay here.” Also, Rep. Gainey said there needs to be more affordable housing in Pittsburgh. “They say we expanded the tax base in Pittsburgh, but 7,000 African Americans were forced or pushed out,” he said. “We can do better than that as a city, but you have to have a mayor that has a vision of inclusion, not exclusion.” Mayor Peduto, in the WTAE debate, said that he understands that African Americans have it much worse than Whites do in the city. However, he said he has worked hard to create equity in the city, with, aptly titled, the “Office of Equity.” “We provided the model in order to provide equi-
ty in everything we do,” saying that it starts with kids in Pre-Kindergarten and “it continues to our seniors.” During the debate at Westinghouse High School on March 26, Rep. Gainey and Mayor Peduto sparred over the issue of gentrification in Pittsburgh. “‘Market rate’ hasn’t brought anybody that looks like us back to our neighborhood,” Rep. Gainey said about the new apartments in East Liberty erected over the years and the dismantling of the former Penn Plaza apartments. “He (Mayor Peduto) knows like I know that we (African Americans) don’t have the means (finances) to do it... the truth is people have been gentrified out of those communities... inclusionary zoning, we need that, that helps keep us in our com-
DEBATE MODERATORS
munity. We have to focus on affordable housing, because mixed-income housing as ‘market rate’ hasn’t worked for every- SENIORS ROBYN ARRINGTON-EPPERSON AND DUANE COOPER moderated the Westinghouse High School Mayoral Debate, body to make this a city held March 26. (Photos by Rob Taylor Jr.) for all. It hasn’t. Just look at it. We don’t need somebody to tell us a fact. The truth is, we can look and see how it’s been gentrified. That’s why we need a new mayor. One that is going to tell you the truth, not the rhetoric. Eight years of rhetoric, without a plan of action. Leadership is not a position, it’s an action, that’s why we need to move forward. And if it hasn’t been done in eight years, please believe, it will not be done in the next four.” Mayor Peduto, in numerous debates, said that the city didn’t have an affordable housing SEE VOTING A5
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
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MAY 12-18, 2021
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as Pittsburgh’s first Black mayor VOTING FROM A4
plan prior to his becoming mayor, and he worked with City Council, specifically Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle, to start a Housing Opportunity Fund which helps fund housing initiatives in the city. Mayor Peduto has also worked closely on the initiative with Councilman Rev. Ricky Burgess. Both Councilmen are Black; both have endorsed Mayor Peduto in the mayoral race. Candidate Thompson said during the WTAE debate that affordable housing should be placed in neighborhoods like Lawrenceville, which he called a safe, peaceful neighborhood. It helps everyone, he said, when those classified as living in affordable housing can live in places that are more affluent. He also wants those building luxury apartments to set aside 25 percent of the units for affordable housing. Candidate Moreno directed most of his ire at Mayor Peduto during the WTAE debate, saying that while Pittsburgh has been ranked as one of the worst places for African Americans, “your answer was to create a policy that we’re not going to discriminate against hair. It makes no sense. Make sure that we have jobs programs that directly affect that Black community. They are suffering, they’re crying out for help and we’re just ignoring them, and right now, it’s election time, so we’re coming up with answers that should have already been done.” “I want a Pittsburgh where everybody feels welcome and we know
right now they don’t,” Rep. Gainey said at the WTAE debate. “I want to make sure that we fix our police/community relations. Sixty-five percent of the people getting arrested (in the city) are Black,” but only 23 percent of the residents are Black, he said. And, “75 percent of people being arrested as a result of traffic stops are Black. We can do better than that,” Rep. Gainey said. When WTAE allowed the candidates to give their closing comments, Mayor Peduto said that “Pittsburgh has changed dramatically since my days in the 1980s and 1990s and the only way we are able survive is by working together...through all of the crises that we’ve faced these past seven years, Pittsburgh, it’s been that attitude and that way that we’ve been able to work together to get through it. I see our time ahead very optimistically and I want to finish the job I started and to serve out to build a Pittsburgh for all.” DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR PITTSBURGH MAYOR REP. ED GAINEY speaks with 90.5 WESA repoter Ariel Worthy. (Photo by Rob In Rep. Gainey’s closing Taylor Jr.) comments, he said that “we need to make this city more welcoming, we can do that, but it’s going to take all of us...I’m looking forward to being that leader. I’m asking for your vote because a vote for Ed Gainey is a vote for unity. No more broken promises, just getting the work done. Making Pittsburgh feel as one again. We can do that. We can have a city for all. I thank you for your support on May 18, and I’ll show you the next day, I’ll go right to work.”
“I want a Pittsburgh where everybody feels welcome and we know right now they don’t. I want to make sure that we fix our police/community relations. Sixty-five percent of the people getting arrested (in the city) are Black, (but only 23 percent of the residents are Black). “Seventy-five percent of people being arrested as a result of traffic stops are Black. We can do better than that.”
- REP. ED GAINEY
Candidate for Pittsburgh mayor
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NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
The Pirate Parrot! With the Paulson Junior Pirates!
THE PAULSON JUNIOR PIRATES got a surprise visit from none other than the Pirate Parrot! It all happened at Paulson Field in Lincoln-Lemington on May 3. He came bearing gifts, too! Such as T-shirts and other baseball equipment. Paulson Coach Jeff Marion, who is also pictured below in the middle, told the New Pittsburgh Courier the divisions of the Paulson Junior Pirates are: Tee-ball (ages 5-6), Coach Pitch (ages 7-8), ages 9-10 and Pony League. “It’s a community project,” Marion said. “It’s strictly about giving these kids another outlet.” (Photos by Rob Taylor Jr.)
RELIGION/METRO
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
MAY 12-18, 2021
Save the date: August Wilson African American Cultural Center reopens May 22
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Praise & Worship ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH 91 Crawford Street Pgh., PA 15219 412-281-3141 Sunday Mass 10:30 A.M. www.sbtmparishpgh.com
The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that the August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC) will reopen to the public on Saturday, May 22, with the group exhibition “Minding My Business (i said what i said).” The exhibition will feature works by Rabea Ballin, Krista Franklin, Deun Ivory, Tonika Lewis Johnson, Pia Love, Natalie Lauren Sims and SHAN Wallace, in the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation Gallery. The exhibition is free to view. The AWAACC’s new hours are: Thursdays and Fridays, 3 to 8 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Upon reopening, all patrons will be required to submit to a temperature check. Additionally,
capacity in the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation Gallery will be reduced to 10 percent, the AWAACC said, to allow all guests to remain socially distant. As required by Pennsylvania state regulations, staff and visitors to the AWAACC are required to wear protective face masks while inside the building regardless of vaccine status, and new cleaning procedures have also been implemented. “After months of being closed to the public, we look forward to reopening our galleries with the work of seven incredible women artists from around the country. The dynamic works speak to some of the most pressing questions of our time facing not only women, but society as a whole, and we are thrilled to share their works with the
Pittsburgh community,” said Janis Burley Wilson, President and CEO of August Wilson African American Cultural Center, in a May 5 statement. Curated by Janice Bond and Sadie Woods of Selenite Arts Advisory, a multidisciplinary art advisory and curatorial consultancy, “Minding My Business (i said what i said)” will explore self-authorship as means to a liberated future through photography, video, and works on paper. Selenite Arts Advisory will also expand AWAACC’s visual arts programming throughout the AWAACC, activating spaces beyond the dedicated galleries, advancing Black artistic voices through exhibitions, educational programs, and original publications, the AWAACC release said.
East Liberty Presbyterian Church Rev. Dr. Randy Bush, Senior Pastor 412-441-3800 Worship Online on Facebook/YouTube www.ELPC.church Journey Worship...........8:45 a.m. Sanctuary Worship...........11 a.m. Taize -Wednesdays.........7 p.m.
Quakers in Pittsburgh are meeting online for worship! All Are Welcome! www. pittsburghquakers. org
TONIKA LEWIS JOHNSON
Census: 7,000 Blacks have left Pittsburgh between 2014 and 2018 CENSUS FROM A1
Charlotte, we know they left for the eastern parts of the county. They could not afford to live in Pittsburgh.” “One of my B-PEP Planning Council members received an increase in rent in Crawford Square (in the Hill District) and ended up moving to Wilkinsburg,” echoed Tim Stevens, Chairman and CEO of the Black Political Empowerment Project, in a letter to City Council, dated May 5. “She, however, wanted to stay in Pittsburgh, but she felt she could not longer afford to do so, even though she was a retiree from a supervisory position in her previous employment.” Both Taylor and Stevens agree that a push to have permanent affordable housing within Pittsburgh is a must. Ride through East Liberty, a once-majority Black neighborhood, and there are new apartment buildings everywhere — Bakery Square, Walnut on Highland, Eastside Bond, to name a few. Rent prices for a one-bedroom average no less than $1,300 per month, which means that a person must make a gross yearly salary of $46,800 to qualify for an apartment. “The public are often left in the dark about these negotiations which are made by developers and city officials and then often they’re presented to the public pretty much in completed form without much room for negotiation,” said Jackie Smith, a sociology professor at the University of Pittsburgh, during a WTAE-TV (Channel 4) report on May 6. When the Courier asked Taylor, who has been at the forefront of fighting for the people who were displaced from their Penn Plaza residences so that an enlarged Whole Foods and other developments could be constructed, if some city officials and private developers knew that certain projects could displace African Americans, Taylor replied: “I believe there’s monied interest in the city, in partnership with political allies, who believe this city would be better off if you had to make at least $100,000 to live in the city. If that was not the case,
there would be an acting policy to make sure people could afford to live in the city.” Pittsburgh will be receiving $355 million in COVID-19 relief dollars in the coming weeks, and Stevens, in his letter, urged the city to use a significant portion of the money on “building high quality lowto moderate-income affordable housing throughout Pittsburgh, and particularly in historic neighborhoods which have been affected by gentrification, such as East Liberty and
the Hill District...there has been a recent fear that gentrifications has even begun to take place in Homewood. In approximately five years the Lawrenceville community has lost half of its Black population. These trends are troubling and must be addressed and reversed.” Taylor told the Courier he wants African Americans who grew up in certain communities to be able to return back to those communities. He wants the city to create permanent affordable housing in Homewood
and “rebuild communities like them that have been neglected by the city for decades.” Stevens added in his letter: “The City of Pittsburgh must seek ways to embrace and retain the emerging Black and brown young adults who may be of a moderate or higher income level, who in the past, have left our city going to other
cities which may be viewed as having a more positive, diversified and welcoming environment. The City of Pittsburgh...cannot just be a city for those of a certain higher level of income. Pittsburgh must indeed be a city for all! We ask that you move immediately to make this goal, not ongoing conversation, but a meaningful reality!”
Join our growing Praise and Worship Church Community! For rate information, call 412-4818302, ext. 128. We want to feature positive youth from our Pittsburgh church community. Please mail their bio and photo to: New Pittsburgh Courier 315 E. Carson St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219 or email us: religion@newpittsburghcourier. com
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“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” - Proverbs 1:7
REV. WALKER SAYS: The word fear of the Lord means to reverence, honor and respect the Lord. A wise man will hear, and will increase learning and a man of understand shall attain unto wise counsels. Proverb 1:5 (Rev. A. Marie Walker is servant pastor of St. John Baptist Church in Wilmerding.)
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HEALTH
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NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
Take Charge Of Your Health Today. Be Informed. Be Involved.
ESTHER L. BUSH
Postpartum health and wellness This month’s Take Charge of Your Health page spotlights postpartum health and wellness. Although this topic may not resonate with everyone, our entire community benefits when we all know how to lend a helping hand to new moms. Following a birth, it is common for people to focus less on the mother and more on the baby. While such appreciation for a precious new life is natural, one-sided attention can dwarf the mom’s needs and cause her to feel isolated. Moms-to-be have a remarkable influence on the children they carry—from what they eat, their environments and their overall health. Such influence continues after birth, when new moms’ stamina and outlooks are tested during a period of transition and adjustment known as “postpartum.” This period is too often overlooked in the pregnancy journey. The postpartum period is accompanied by significant changes in hormones, as women’s bodies shift from what was needed during pregnancy back to prepregnancy hormone levels. While they are undergoing these hormonal shifts, new moms are most likely also experiencing intense sleep deprivation. With the combined effects of internal and external change and the stress that comes with having a newborn, new moms must be supported properly to have the best health outcomes for themselves and their infants. Unfortunately, for some moms, sleep shifts to the bottom of their long to-do list, leaving them less alert, overwhelmed and unhealthy. Not surprisingly, we see evidence in recent studies that poor sleep is connected to postpartum depression in new moms. We all must remember that postpartum depression is common and not a sign of weakness. In fact, if moms are able to share their feelings with their friends, family or community, that’s a sign of strength and a signal that we should rally around them. There are many questions that we can ask ourselves when we have a friend or a loved one who is going through the wonderful journey of pregnancy. How can we offer support? Can we cook and clean for the new mom? Can we watch baby as mom sleeps? Can we find a supportive postpartum doula to aid in any way? These questions that we ask ourselves will eventually turn into action, leaving new mothers with more sleep, better health and strong support systems. I know for a fact that when we uplift and support the people who are responsible for bringing new generations into this world, they—and their children—will have better health. And better health is the most basic building block of a stronger community. Esther L. Bush, President and CEO Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh
Words are powerful—How the language we use can be an insight into our mental health by Tamar Krishnamurti, Ph.D. During pregnancy, approximately 15% of women report experiencing depression. As many as 1 out of every 5 experience depression after giving birth. The stress and isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic has also made depression and anxiety worse for some pregnant people and new moms. More Black women suffer from depression than white women, but they are less likely to receive care for their mental health. Mental health challenges, like depression and anxiety, are especially important to address in pregnancy and right after birth. This is because mental health issues can make it more difficult for a mother and child to bond and can have long term health effects on both mom and baby. Sometimes the social stigma surrounding depression makes it harder for pregnant people and new moms to share their mental health concerns with their doctor or midwife. The words we choose to use when we talk, however, offer insight into our state of mind. Tamar Krishnamurti, PhD, professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, and her colleagues at Carnegie Mellon University, used something called Natural Language Processing to analyze the language of hundreds of pregnant and postpartum women who had been writing
TAMAR KRISHNAMURTI, PH.D. about their days. She found that pregnant people and new moms who are depressed are more likely to bring up certain topics, like being physically exhausted, when talking about their day. New moms who are not depressed describe those same daily activities in terms of “keeping busy. “People may be familiar with smart assistants like Siri or Alexa,” says Dr. Krishnamurti. “Companies use natural language processing technology to figure out the things people might want to buy based on the language they use. We want to use the same kind of technology to help understand when pregnant people might be at risk of depression so that, with their consent, we can offer them better mental health resources.” Dr. Krishnamurti is hopeful that the MyHealthyPregnancy app, a smartphone app she built that is available for all UPMC patients who are pregnant, will be able to use the language and physical symptoms that pregnant people choose to share to deliver
more timely mental health resources to those that need them. Dr. Krishnamurti is also conducting the Maternal Wellness Journaling Study. This study is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health to better understand the relationship between the words people use to describe their experiences and their mental health during pregnancy and the postpartum period. The study involves people who are pregnant or have delivered a baby in the past 12 months. They may be eligible to participate in a journaling study. The study requires that people write a short journal entry once a week for five weeks and answer some questions about how they are feeling. Information about the Maternal Wellness Journaling Study can be found by searching pittplusme. org for a study called “Language Use and Mental Health during Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period” or by emailing maternal. wellness.team@gmail.com. Some people worry that that they should feel “too blessed to be stressed” when pregnant or after having a baby. However, it’s very normal for the challenges and physical changes related to pregnancy and giving birth to affect mental health. There are resources that can help with pregnancy and postpartum depression. If you or someone you know could benefit from extra support or mental health resources during pregnancy or after a baby is
born, contact Postpartum Support International’s HelpLine at 1-800-944-4773 or send a text to 503-894-9453 (English) or 971420-0294 (Spanish). The service is available 24 hours a day. You will be asked to leave a confidential message. A trained and caring volunteer will return your call or text. They will listen, answer questions, offer encouragement and connect you with local resources as needed. You can also visit their website at https://www. postpartum.net/.
Study examines sleep, physical activity and postpartum health New mothers have a range of experiences in the months after childbirth. These experiences vary from being joyful, exhausting, miraculous, stressful or a combination of them all. One area of postpartum life that is meaningful to all new moms is their health and wellness. After giving birth, child bearers don’t often feel as if they have much time to focus on themselves. Ask any new mother to describe postpartum experiences, and most will mention sleep—often the lack of restorative rest—and researchers are finding that sleep and sleep-related behaviors may have significant effects on child bearers’ current and future health and wellness. Sleep health is one of the pillars of overall health and wellness. People’s sleep-wake cycles are regulated by an internal process called the circadian rhythm. Biological functions, even at the cellular level, operate on a timing system throughout the day. This rhythm that keeps the body functioning is affected by exposures, like light, and also by behaviors, like diet and physical activity. Sleep is both affected by
this internal rhythm and also helps to regulate it. When people don’t get the right amount of sleep, at the right time, on a regular basis, their biological functions are disrupted, which can eventually lead to disease development. For instance, take postpartum depression, a persistent condition that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approximates as many as one in eight new mothers experience. Researchers know that sleep deprivation and postpartum depression feed each other. In fact, when diagnosing postpartum depression, fatigue is one of the factors health care providers consider. The relationship between sleep and depression may seem obvious, but researchers are trying to pull apart that connection to understand it—and sleep during the postpartum period in general—to better inform care for child bearers. Marquis Hawkins, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public Health, has designed the SLEPT study to examine how sleep and physical activity affect postpartum health.
MARQUIS HAWKINS, PH.D. “We know that sleep and sleep behaviors change after childbirth,” says Dr. Hawkins. “But we don’t really have documented information about those changes. Our goal with the SLEPT study is to characterize sleep after childbirth more comprehensively to identify specific targets for intervention.” In the SLEPT study, Dr. Hawkins is looking at more than just duration of sleep, the sole factor by which many people evaluate their sleep. In addition to duration, he describes looking at sleep health as “a multidimensional behavior characterized
by alertness, the ability to move through the day, regularity/consistent sleep patterns, personal satisfaction, the timing of sleep (sleeping at night as much as possible) and efficiency (whether people are able to sleep when they are trying to sleep).” The study also measures sleep behaviors, which include sleep hygiene, the daily routines and the environment in which people sleep. These behaviors also affect other health behaviors, like weight and depression, that are also important to health. Dr. Hawkins wants to understand how all those factors affect child bearers’ health. In his research, Dr. Hawkins has interviewed many mothers. These people often discuss how the focus on their health during pregnancy and shortly after childbirth shifts to the health of the infant and going to wellchild visits. “Well-child visits are obviously important and necessary,” he says. “But child bearers still need attention and focus on their health. Symptoms for conditions like postpartum depression may not show up within the first six weeks after child-
birth, the typical time for a postpartum checkup. After this checkup, child bearers may not have another check-in with their health care provider for at least another year. So many things change in people’s lives after giving birth, and they’re often overlooked. “With sleep, we often expect that no one sleeps after a child is born; that it’s difficult, but it gets better. It’s important to promote the idea that sleep issues after childbirth can be neither transient nor do they go away on their own. Poor sleep in the postpartum period is associated with developing depression, weight retention and other longterm trajectories of health that may increase the risk of disease development in the decades to come.” With the SLEPT study, focus returns to child bearers and how best to support their health and wellness in the postpartum period. To learn more about the SLEPT study, visit https://pittplusme. org/studyarms/publicdetails?guid=c59879166b65-41ef-b1a2cd68a3a4a993 or email marquis.hawkins@pitt. edu.
New Pittsburgh Courier
NATIONAL NURSES WEEK
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www.newpittsburghcourier.com
PROUD PARENTS—Felecia McFarlane and Steffon Perkins with their newborn at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital. The hospital dressed babies in crocheted scrubs to celebrate National Nurses Week. (Photo courtesy of UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital)
UPMC Magee-Womens honors nurses Newborns at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital honored health care heroes by dressing in handmade, crocheted
scrubs to celebrate Nurses Week. The newborn outfits were handmade by UPMC Magee
nurse Caitlin Pechin who wanted to honor her fellow nurses and inspire the next generation of health care he-
HAPPY MOM—Makayla Owens and her newborn at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital. Crocheted scrubs were handmade by nurse, Caitlin Pechin, to honor her fellow nurses during National Nurses Week. (Photo courtesy of UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital)
Pennsylvania State Nurses Association: “It is time to prioritize our nurses” The dedication of nurses on fronts like the COVID-19 pandemic has been remarkable. Nurses are proven to be essential to the health and moral well-being of our Commonwealth. Through it all, Pennsylvania nurses continue to rise to the challenge. As you know, nurses have been called the heroes of the pandemic. But even heroes need help every now and again. We are tired and broken from a year that has tested us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. In the darkest days, our communities and leaders have leaned on nurses. Now it’s time for nurses to lean on them. That’s why the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association (PSNA) is working hard for you. PSNA continues to monitor and promote legislative issues like the nurse licensure compact (NLC), the Patient Safety Act and safe staffing, and the Chief Nursing Officer of the Commonwealth. We stand by our values to advocate for nurses through collaborative, proactive, and ethical efforts. So, to our state’s nurses: Thank you for all that you do! We see you. We hear you. We’re here for you. PSNA is proud to work tirelessly to make sure nurses are shaping the future of healthcare in Pennsylvania. We invite you to join our
TARIK KHAN, PSNA PRESIDENT efforts today by visiting www.psna.org. Thank you, Tarik Khan, PSNA MSN, RN, FNP-BC
President,
roes. National Nurses Week occurs every year from May 6 -12, recognizing incredible
nurses who devote their lives to improving the lives of others.
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Application deadline extended for CCAC’s exceptional nursing program: Apply today The Community College of Allegheny County’s exceptional Nursing program, which produces the greatest number of Registered Nurses in Southwestern Pennsylvania, has extended the application deadline for the fall 2021 semester
A CCAC NURSING STUDENT
until June 3, 2021. In order to apply, prospective students must submit all applications, transcripts, Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) exam scores and other supporting documents by the application deadline. Qualified applicants will be placed into campus/time options based on seat availability. TEAS exams for the fall admission period will be conducted remotely on the following dates: May 15 – 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; May 24 – 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; June 2 – 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; and June 5 – 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. CCAC’s Nursing program continues to deliver an educational experience that thoroughly
prepares students for both the required examination and future employment opportunities. CCAC’s current National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) first-time pass rate is 95.41%, which is 19.08% higher than the national mean for all associate degree programs and 8.65% higher than the national mean for all pre-licensure programs (diploma, associate and bachelor). The program also boasts other impressive statistics, including a 90.18% graduate employment rate. For more information about applying to CCAC’s Nursing program, including remote TEAS testing, go to ccac. edu/programs/nursing/ admissions.php
PTC applauds today’s nurses and prepares tomorrow’s for success As enrollment continues to grow in the Associate in Science degree in Nursing and the certificate program in Practical Nursing at Pittsburgh Technical College (PTC), we are proud of not only the individuals who are stepping up to answer the call to help and serve our community, but also of the many graduates who have gone before them and are already significantly contributing on the frontlines of healthcare during this global pandemic. Our students and graduates are trained and ready to pos-
itively impact patient lives and provide comfort to patients and their families. The faculty of PTC’s School of Nursing is dedicated to the empowerment of students by facilitating a learning experience that is based on the science of nursing theory and assists each student in realizing their full professional and personal potential. Nursing is a dynamic, evolving field so our students learn concepts and skills that help them prepare for a lifetime of learning and success by emphasizing concepts in therapeutic com-
munication, critical thinking, clinical judgement, social justice, and infusing a lifelong spirit of inquiry. In addition to the Practical Nursing and Registered Nursing programs, PTC also offers an advanced standing track for current LPNs who want to advance their education to become a Registered Nurse. If you are interested in pursuing a nursing career, visit PTCollege.edu to schedule a call with an admissions counselor and learn more about our nursing programs.
CCAC NURSING STUDENTS AT MON VALLEY VACCINATION CLINICS
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Critical care nurse shows unbreakable commitment during pandemic by Lisette Hilton (Nurse.com)—Toni Wilburn, RN, thrives as a critical care nurse. And after 30 years in the profession, Wilburn thought she was prepared for anything. But even this nursing veteran, who is a critical care nurse at Piedmont Fayette Hospital in Fayetteville, Ga., admits she never imagined a time when nursing would be so difficult. “I have never worked this hard,” Wilburn said. “And I pride myself on giving great care and trying to go above and beyond. I hope that when we are beyond this — and I know we’ll get beyond this — that it will just be one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences.” Wilburn isn’t just experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic and going through the motions. She is excelling during what is arguably one of healthcare’s greatest challenges. She has used this time not to wither under the pressure, but rather to excel as critical care nurse, team member, and patient advocate. Her hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed by her patients and colleagues. In May, Wilburn was honored with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. Tough days for a critical care nurse When Nurse.com interviewed Wilburn in July she was volunteering to work extra shifts. The pandemic had slowed in early July only to resurge after businesses and life resumed some degree of normalcy. “As healthcare providers we knew as things started opening back up that people wanted to let their guard down,” she said. There are no light days on the ICU during the pandemic. Critical care nurses often juggle three patients on ventilators, while managing other duties such as dialysis. “Not only were you providing that higher level of acuity care for one patient, you were stretched with trying to provide that for three people,” Wilburn said. “Basically, you were fighting all day long for them to live.”In addition to caring for patients, it became critical to care for and communicate with families, who weren’t allowed at the bedside. Wilburn said the responsibility to connect with families was personal. She, too, had family members who were hospitalized for COVID-19 and couldn’t visit them. “Who wants to be at home while your mom or dad or brother or sister is fighting for their life in the ICU, and you can’t go and visit?” she asked. “I just tried to wear their shoes, taking myself completely out of the equa-
TONI WILBURN, RN tion. I’d just imagine how they felt. I took time to answer their questions, to listen to them, to give them all the information that I could possibly give them, to of alleviate the anxiety I knew they had.” She also stayed connected to sedated patients by greeting them at the start of her shift, explaining what she was doing and why. Wilburn said one can’t assume a sedated patient has no idea about what’s going on. “I’ll always talk with the patients and maintain their dignity throughout all of this,” she said. Wilburn said she is not afraid of contracting COVID-19, but she’s vigilant, cautious, and aware. Her faith helps her to cope and inspire other nurses to persevere. Looking out for new nurses New ICU nurses, according to Wilburn, are shocked when they’re barely through orientation and are kneedeep in caring for COVID-19 patients. Wilburn takes it as her responsibility to help and encourage them. “Some of them just couldn’t do it,” she said. “They resigned. We were constantly encouraging even the seasoned nurses. People got overwhelmed. They felt like they were in this by themselves and wouldn’t make it out.” Being there for others seems to fuel Wilburn. No matter what is going on in her world, she said, she is more than willing to help an overwhelmed nurse and encourage that colleague to keep going. “I am staying positive, even if I’m not feeling it that day,” she said. “If I’m sitting down and you’re still running around crazy, I’m going to be with you.” The patients give Wilburn purpose. They’re not just patients with COVID-19; they’re mothers, fathers, sis-
ters, brothers, friends, and loved ones. “They had a life before they came here, and they didn’t ask to come here,” she said. Wilburn described a recent experience that highlights her connection to patients and colleagues. She was caring for an 81-year-old patient with COVID-19 who was not expected to live much longer. The patient’s sister, who couldn’t be by her side during the pandemic, gave permission to the staff to decelerate care. Wilburn, a nurse she was training, and a respiratory therapist were the only people in the room. Even the chaplain was outside the patient’s door for safety. Wilburn could tell the nurse was nervous about witnessing the patient being taken off life support. Wilburn explained the process, and to ease the nurse’s anxiety she told stories. “At that time, I had no idea how long it would be before she passed away,” she said. Wilburn started singing a song she sang as a child with the verses: “I’ll fly away, oh, glory, I’ll fly away. When I die, hallelujah, by and by, I’ll fly away.” “I sang all the verses I could remember then would start all over again,” Wilburn said. “We held the patient’s hands. I could look up at the monitor and could see her heart rate dropping until she finally did transition on.” Wilburn takes comfort in knowing the patient was not alone when she passed away. About the Author: Lisette Hilton, president of Words Come Alive, has been a freelance health reporter for more than 25 years and loves her job. This story originally appeared in Nurse. com https://www.nurse. com/blog/2020/10/21/critical-care-nurse-shows-unbreakable-commitment-during-pandemic/
National Nurses Week History National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6th and ends on May 12th, Florence Nightingale’s birthday. These permanent dates enhance planning and position National Nurses Week as an established recognition
event. As of 1998, May 8 was designated as National Student Nurses Day, to be celebrated annually. And as of 2003, National School Nurse Day is celebrated on the Wednesday within National Nurses Week (May 6-12) each year.
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President Biden, Senator Scott, and selective hearing J. Pharoah Doss B4
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AFTER MASTERING THE ART of turning credit into cash while legally developing strategies that would support his immediate family, the former cellphone repairman and real estate investor developed a movement—Recession Proof—built to create wealth in the Black community.
Recession Proof CEO Marcus Barney reveals secrets to turning credit into cash by N. Ali Early For New Pittsburgh Courier
(BlackPressUSA)—Born into homelessness and forced to fend for himself before he could legally rent a hotel room, Marcus “Him 500” Barney blossomed into a self-taught millionaire through hard work and dogged determination. After mastering the art of turning credit into cash while legally developing strategies that would support his immediate family, the former cellphone repairman and real estate investor developed a movement—Recession Proof —built to create wealth in the Black community. Whether Barney’s mentees absorb the gift that is Recession Proof totally depends on them. But make no mistake about it: The essential tools and financial resources provided during his widely popular sessions are available to any and all entrepreneurs with the desire to learn. There are no gimmicks, fees or obvious signs of nepotism —just unadulterated wisdom learned from countless hours of study and an overwhelming desire to live a luxurious existence. Never in his wildest dreams did the 32-year-old
Bay Area native think he would become a philanthropist. But there he was less than a month ago chartering two planes from Atlanta to his Miami-bound Recession Proof conference—all because Delta Airlines could not accommodate his 300 guests. “I contacted Delta because I thought it would be cool if we could just charter a plane,” he recalls. “I wanted us to all get on one flight and fly together from Atlanta to Miami. That way we [could] network and just really build that camaraderie amongst the family. Delta told us they didn’t have enough time. “So since Delta couldn’t accommodate us, what I did was I went out and got two Boeing 757s.” Packed with 300 people, including mentees, leaders and new prospects, Barney and company took to the friendly skies with an air of privacy and controlled fun that set the stage for a powerful conference. The three-day event welcomed Recession Proof advocates Floyd Mayweather, Rick Ross and “Earn Your Leisure” podcast hosts Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings.
“We laughed and we created content,” Barney recalls. “We [were] telling jokes, listening to music. We had a good time and it was … almost like a Soul Plane … and we got to travel in style.” Barney recently sat down with rolling out to discuss his business model that is actively creating Black millionaires. What is financial literacy, and why is it so important for Black people? When it comes to financial literacy, we have to understand that we’re behind the gun. When it comes to fi-
nances [and creating wealth], we’re behind the gun. Financial literacy is just understanding all financial aspects of the game. It starts with budgeting, then it goes into credit, and from credit understanding how to leverage credit, understanding how to invest, understanding how to build businesses and how to properly use and structure the funds. What do people gain by joining Recession Proof? One of the biggest things is that you gain a
MARCUS BARNEY
community and a family of other entrepreneurs and other individuals [who] are looking to better their lives. [It’s about] having that community and family base as well as the information to several different businesses—not only on how to build [but also how to] raise your funding and raise capital for yourself. You learn how to become your own bank and find your own business ventures. What’s in it for you if you’re not getting anything on the front end? How does it work for you financially? One of my mentors taught me, “Rookies monetize on the front end. Experts monetize on the back.” It’s not always about the up-front costs. It’s about the impact and the value that you add on the back end that impacts the community and that helps build the brand. When people can see on the back end that you really care, [that] you’re really pouring into the community, [that] this is something that’s real, everybody wins. … I lead my program with integrity. I lead it with honesty. I lead it with love.
So when you look at my program and you look at every member in the program, that’s what they lead and build with. How did you build your business to the point where you could help other entrepreneurs? Did you know this would be the model you would use? I never planned on telling anybody. That was never my goal. My family didn’t know what I did. They couldn’t understand how I was able to live the life that I [did]. My goal was never to tell anyone. [My mentor], Eric Thomas, is the one who told me that “if you find a way to change your family trajectory and you don’t share it with another man, [you’re] selfish.” And when he said that, it resonated a little bit different. Me just having my daughter, looking at her [and] seeing how good it felt, I was proud to be a parent … and that is what sparked [in] me to even entertain sharing information with other people. (The post Recession Proof CEO Marcus Barney reveals secrets to turning credit into cash appeared first on Rolling Out.)
Debunking the viral ‘Credit Card vs. Debit Card’ video myth! There’s a video trending on social media entitled, “Credit Card vs. Debit Card.” Five people sent me this video, wanting my take on it. In this video the speaker is an avid believer that credit cards are superior to debit cards. He honed his argument on three key points; zero liability, using other people’s money and increasing your credit score. I’ll summarize and transcribe some of the key takeaways of the video below: I’ll also provide some commentary. Let’s just say, I disagree with his premise. He hates Debit Cards: I never owned a Debit Card. I never allowed my three sons to possess one. Debit Cards are the worst financial tool ever given to the American consumer. Damon’s Take: Actually, the worst financial tool ever given to the American consumer is Credit Cards. Let’s put aside the fact that interest rates on credit cards are DOUBLE DIGIT as high as 25 percent. Unlike Credit Cards, when using Debit Cards it forces you to “act your wage” and only use money you have in your account. Thus, it eliminates the risk of running up debt. He thinks Credit Cards are the safest form of payment: How would I remove 99.9 percent of my personal liability with the snap of a finger? I use the safest form of payment that exists on the planet earth and that is a Credit Card not a Debit Card. Damon’s Take: Safest!? Did he forget about “cash?” Cash isn’t always the most convenient form of payment. But it’s most definitely the safest form of payment. When he mentions removing 99.9 percent of personal liability, he’s suggesting identity theft is at play. Using cash provides two types of liability protection. 1. If you pay using cash, you’re not exposing yourself to identity theft. 2. Using cash eliminates the liability of debt!
Coincidently, Debit Cards, not Credit Cards, are the modern-day equivalent to using cash. He uses his credit card for everything, EVERY DAY: Every day of my life, I spend their money. I don’t spend my own money. My money sits in a money market account earning interest. I use my card for dry cleaning, groceries, and gas. I pay rent to the Marina to keep my boat in the water all year long using my card. I travel all over the world. While I wait to get reimbursed, I use my Credit Card. If I need Euros, I go to the ATM machine and get Euros with my credit card. Damon’s Take: Seriously. You use Credit Cards EVERY DAY on EVERYTHING? I bet he’s racking up the airline miles and cash back rewards which is equal to 1 penny for every dollar spent. He’s such a good credit card user, maybe he gets 3 points or 3 pennies for every dollar spent. What sense or cents does it make to run the risk of overspending which is what people do when they use credit cards, while earning less than 3 percent in interest on a money market account? Not to mention the double-digit interest rate he’s subjected to. Pulling foreign currency from an ATM overseas subjects you to high cash advance interest rates and foreign currency fees. Traveler’s Checks aren’t widely used anymore but prepaid VISA cards will do fine? If he’s waiting to get reimbursed, it suggests he’s on a company business trip. Two previous employers issued me an Employee’s Business Credit Card for traveling within the U.S. His company has him traveling all over the world on his own dime? Maybe he’s
the owner? He’s boosting his credit score using Credit Cards: Every day I use my card. If I pay the bill in full or part of the bill my credit score goes up. I’m building credit while I’m using that credit card. Damon’s Take: Take note of the words “if and or.” It implies two things. 1. He doesn’t always pay the balance in full every month. Meaning he’s hit with a double digit interest rate. 2. What “if” he doesn’t pay “or” he can’t pay —what happens to his credit score then? Answer: It drops! Zero Liability when using Credit Cards: I’ll do everything to protect my personal information but if tomorrow somebody gets my card number and charges $1 million on my Credit Card. By Federal Law, my liability is zero. I have no liability. When you use your Debit Card, every time you reach for it, you’re exposing the money sitting in your account. The only person is going to get robbed is you. When you use your debit cards, you can use it for the next 50 years—20 times per day and you will not raise your credit score. When you use your debit card, you are liable up to a certain amount and it takes a while for you to get your debit card fixed. Damon’s Take: There’s zero liability protection available to both Credit Card and Debit Card users. The maximum liability with a credit card is $50. The maximum liability with a debit card is $500. With a debit card, it’s important that you report your card stolen or fraudulent activity right away. The sooner you report, the less you’ll be person-
ally liable for. Put that in perspective. You’re more prone to notice lost/stolen or fraudulent activity on a debit card than you would on a credit card—because your personal money is on the line. Lastly, he’s right, if fraudulent activity occurs on your debit card vs your credit card, a portion of your money is tied up while it’s under investigation. What he failed to mention is the probability of the event actually occurring. Suffice to say you’re more likely to run up piles of debt on a credit card than you are to be a victim of fraudulent activity on a debit card. Generational Debt: I had three sons that went to college. I gave them all credit cards. No debit cards. I guaranteed the card. Since I guaranteed the card, three things have taken place. 1. The bills come to me. I’m responsible for the bill. If you spend a lot of time in the bar, I’m going to know that. 2. Whatever amount I want you to spend while you’re at school, I set that limit. 3. Every month I pay the bill, it will boost your credit score. When you get out of college, if you want to buy a house, car, or condo, you’re not going to need me to cosign for you. One of the best things you can do is teach them to use credit early and build credit in their name. Damon’s Take: Saving money is the cornerstone of sound money management and wealth-building. The best thing you can do is stress to your child the importance of saving. If you’re an avid believer in helping your child build their credit score, here’s an idea— get a secured credit card. It’s a credit card that is secured with money saved. It will help establish and build credit—but if you can’t pay, the money securing the credit card will pay the balance—thus avoid account going in collection.
(Damon Carr, Money Coach can be reached @ 412216-1013 or @ www.damonmoneycoach.com)
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Stewart to serve as Chairman and CEO of Highland Poe WASHINGTON, D.C.— In response to the growing market demand to provide integrated professional and business solutions, veteran business executive and CEO advisor Jarvis Stewart announced today the formation of Highland Poe. Stewart will serve as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at the holding company and Chief Strategist to each of the three portfolio companies—Cover Communications, Ian Reid,
brand and incorporate equity and inclusion goals into their business verticals. Rochester also spent more than a decade as a senior M&A and corporate development manager at IBM, International Paper, and Amphenol. Smith brings extensive Executive and Legislative Branch experience to Highland Poe. He is the former Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and formerly served on the legislative team for CATHY HUGHES
Urban One Honors 2021: ‘Women Leading the Change’ by Keith L. Alexander For New Pittsburgh Courier
JARVIS STEWART will serve as chairman and CEO of Highland Poe, overseeing client relations and operations for portfolio companies, Cover Communications, Ian Reid, and HP Global Advisors. and HP Global Advisors. Headquartered in Washington, DC with senior and strategic advisors across the United States, Dubai, and Guyana, Highland Poe’s portfolio companies offer professional services in strategic and diversity communications, federal government and regulatory affairs, and investor and capital markets consulting. “As the U.S. and global economies continue to recover from the financial devastation of last year, CEOs and business leaders are in search of a professional, integrated services firm that understands their challenges and offers creative growth solutions rooted in experience and relationships,” said Jarvis Stewart, Chairman and CEO of Highland Poe. “We have assembled a diverse team of leaders with expertise in equity and inclusion, public policy, and global investment and corporate development.” In addition to Stewart, the senior leadership of Highland Poe includes Vice Chairs and equity partners Matthew McGuire, Shawn Rochester, and Ja’Ron Smith. Appointed by former President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, McGuire is the former U.S. executive director of the World Bank Group and has more than 20 years of financial and investment experience. Rochester, a celebrated author, and corporate strategist, is credited with his advice and counsel to Fortune 100 companies on seamless ways to leverage their
U.S. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina. Smith is also the executive director at the Center for Advancing Opportunities, a research and education project of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund. Other senior team members include MIT-educated economist Dr. Julianne Malveaux, a senior advisor at Cover Communications, former U.S. Senate Banking Subcommittee counsel Joi Sheffield, a senior advisor at Ian Reid, Guyana-based business executive, Abbigale Loncke, and Damu Winston, Dubai UAE-based fintech entrepreneur and enterprise innovator. Former U.S. Commerce Deputy Assistant Secretary, Daraka “Doc” Satcher will serve as general counsel at Highland Poe. Highland Poe is a privately held Black-owned, integrated professional services holding company. Its portfolio brands include Cover Communications, Ian Reid, and HP Global Advisors, all wholly-owned subsidiaries of Highland Poe. Based in Washington, DC, with in-country representatives in Dubai UAE and the Republic of Guyana, the firm is a team of global business advisors, public policy experts, and strategic and diversity communications professionals. Highland Poe’s client list includes multi-national corporations, asset and investment management firms, and U.S. non-profits. For more information about Highland Poe, visit www. highlandpoe.com.
(NNPA)—For media mogul and entrepreneur Cathy Hughes, this year’s Mother’s Day was going to be difficult. Last July, Hughes’s mother, Helen Jones Woods, 96, died from complications of Covid-19. For the 74-yearold Hughes, multi-millionaire and founder and chairperson of Urban One Inc., this year marks Hughes’s first Mother’s Day without her mother present. And while many might consider those individuals able to spend more than seven decades with their mother as fortunate, Hughes said such longevity also created a startling realization. “The longer God blesses you with having your mother in your life, the more difficult it is to adjust to life without her,” she said. It was during Hughes’s mourning, that she birthed an idea to not only celebrate her mother’s life with a national TV program, but to also celebrate and honor the lives of other African American women who—specifically during the pandemic —worked at protecting and spotlighting Black Americans. On Sunday, May 16, 2012 at 9 p.m. (EST) Hughes’s cable TV networks, TV One and its sister network CLEO-TV, will air the network’s annual “Urban One Honors” celebration. The two-hour program this year will be a first; all honorees are African American women. The show is themed “Women Leading the Change.” Hughes said the women honored left an indelible mark on the country last year, one of this nation’s darkest and most challenging periods in American history due to the deadly pandemic. The show is co-hosted by Grammy-award winning singer and syndicated gospel radio show host Erica Campbell and award-wining journalist and news commentator Roland Martin. The recorded, virtual awards show will feature live performances by R&B saangers, Avery Sunshine and Jazmine Sullivan, gospel powerhouse Le’Andria Johnson and legendary rapper, Da Brat. The program will honor six Black female leaders in business, politics, journalism and humanitarian efforts including Atlanta’s political powerhouse and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Stacey Abrams and Rosaline “Roz” Brewer, chief executive officer of Walgreens Boots Alliance and the nation’s third Fortune 500 company ever led by a Black female executive. The program will also honor the four African American, Greek sororities; Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta, Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho, Inc. and Zeta Phi Beta, Inc. The show will also pay tribute to Hughes’s mother, who before becoming a wife and mother, was a famed trombone player who played with an all-girl, integrated swing music band called the International Sweethearts of Rhythm in the 1930s and 1940’s. Hughes called her mother’s group, “the original Freedom Fighters” who traveled by bus through the South playing for audiences and even played clubs overseas. At one point, White and Hispanic band members had to wear dark makeup to look like their Black bandmates to avoid being stopped by police for promoting integration, Hughes recalled. The segment will be introduced by a longtime fan of the group, political activist, author and college professor Angela Davis. Hughes’s excitement about the upcoming evening is electric. An hour before “Urban One Honors” airs, TV One will broadcast an exclusive, hour-long interview with
legendary rapper DMX. The interview was recorded for the network’s weekly show “Uncensored” about three weeks before DMX’s sudden death April 9 at age 50. The show’s producers said DMX spoke, at times through tears, about his life, his music and his legacy. The producers said hearing DMX’s commentary just weeks before his death, is more sobering and haunting today. After the celebration of one of the kings of rap music with “Uncensored,” the TV network will then celebrate its queens with the “Urban One Honors.” “I think it’s going to be the biggest night in TV One’s history,” Hughes exclaimed. Hughes, along with a group of Urban One executives chose the honorees because they wanted viewers, especially young girls, to see Black women who were not celebrated singers, dancers or actresses, but instead who were ideological firebrands, making differences in their communities and around the nation. “These women aren’t the Real Housewives of you name the city. These women are working on improving the lives of Black folk,” Hughes said in a recent interview. Please encourage your young women to watch this show. We don’t know who the next Kamala Harris will be, a Black woman who became the nation’s first woman vice president or someone who changes the voting structure like Stacey Abrams.” Hughes described Abrams as “voting rights champion” who not only changed the political landscape of Atlanta, but also helped ensure all voters were recognized on behalf of two U.S. Senate Democratic candidates and helped flip Georgia from majority Republican to majority Democrat. When Walgreen’s selected Spelman College graduate Roz Brewer as its newest CEO in January, Brewer became the nation’s second Black female executive to ever lead a Fortune 500 company. Before being tapped by Walgreen’s, Brewer served as chief operating officer for Starbucks. Prior to that, she served as CEO of Sam’s Club which is owned by Walmart. In 2009, Ursula Burns, became the nation’s first Black female CEO of a Fortune 500 company when Xerox Holdings selected her as its CEO. Burns retired in 2017. The third Black woman CEO to lead a Fortune 500 company, Thasunda Brown Duckett, was named president and CEO of the retirement and investment managing company TIAA in February, a month after Brewer. The TV One program is also honoring Ala Stanford, a Philadelphia-based physician and surgeon who last year founded the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium and used her own funds to ensure Black residents of the city—a group that was quickly becoming Philadelphia’s hardest hit by the pandemic—were able to be tested for the coronavirus. Urban One, is based in Silver Spring, Md. about 30 minutes from downtown Washington, D.C. Last year, Hughes and other Urban One executives watched as Kim Ford, president and chief executive of Martha’s Table, provided healthy meals and fresh produce to needy residents in the nation’s capital during the pandemic. For more than 40 years, Martha’s Table has ensured the neediest of Washington residents had healthy meals and clothing. Martha’s Table was named after the Biblical figure Martha who offered food to Jesus when he visited the home she shared with her sister Mary. As a youth growing up in Washington, Ford volunteered serving
and handing out meals with the non-profit organization. Then in 2019, she was chosen as the company’s president and chief executive. Prior to being named Martha’s Table chief executive, Ford served as deputy assistant secretary and acting assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education where she oversaw management of more than $2 billion in career and technical education, adult education, correctional and re-entry education and community college initiatives for more than 25 million students a year. Ford previously served as a member of President Obama’s Recovery Implementation Office, which was responsible for implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Last year, Martha’s Table reported a 400 percent increase in need from users, as thousands of residents sought assistance for themselves and their families enabling the program to feed as many as 2,200 residents a day, Martha’s Table reported recently. Another honoree, Robin Rue Simmons, is an alderman in Evanston’s fifth ward in Louisiana. A champion of Black residents in the city, Simmons was elected alderman in 2017. Simmons then led Evanston to becoming the first U.S. city to approve a reparations program. Since taking office, Simmons led the passing of the nation’s first reparations program, which will be funded by the first $10 million of Adult Use Cannabis sales tax revenue. Simmons is also the director of the city’s innovation and outreach at Sunshine Enterprises, which has supported more than 1000 neighborhood entrepreneurs—98 percent of whom are African American and 74 percent of whom are women—in starting or growing their own business ventures. Also being honored is New York Times journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones. Hannah-Jones covered racial injustice for the Times’s magazine before convincing the paper’s top editors to create an entire investigative series tied to the U.S. slave trade. The enterprise was called the 1619 Project which was published by the magazine in 2019. Last year the project won Jones the coveted Pulitzer Prize. The series is now the subject of a documentary produced by Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films and Lionsgate and is scheduled to air on Hulu. The show will also feature several noted Black men honoring the sisters. As co-host of the evening’s program, Campell said she hoped families with young daughters and young sons watch the program together and discuss the awardees and their work. “I can have a conversation with my daughters to show them there is more to do than just look cute and wear nice makeup,” Campbell said. “They can literally shake up the world. Far too many of our girls look up to one dimensional type of celebrities or influencers. There is so much more than what we can be or what we can do. Offer this wide range of women who are changing the world.” That was the impotence of the show, says Hughes. “Young people are so focused on celebrities. I wanted to focus this awards’ show on actions. The entertainment industry was shut down for the year. But these individuals we are honoring continued to work during the year,” Hughes said. “During the pandemic, these women were actively engaged.” And while this year was for the ladies, what about the men? “Who knows maybe next year it will be brothers only,” Hughes said.
OPINION
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh
Ed Gainey
Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court
Amanda Green-Hawkins Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas
Elliot Howsie Rosemary Crawford Nicola Henry-Taylor Wrenna Watson Tiffany Sizemore Pittsburgh School Board of Directors
District 1—Sylvia Wilson District 3—Sala Udin District 7—Khamil Scantling District 9—Veronica Edwards
Founded 1910
Rod Doss Editor & Publisher Stephan A. Broadus Assistant to the Publisher Allison Palm
Rob Taylor Jr.
Jeff Marion
Office Manager
Managing Editor
Circulation Consultant
John. H. Sengstacke
Editor & Publisher Emeritus (1912-1997)
B3
Survival
Our Primary Election Endorsements In less than a week, residents of the City of Pittsburgh will, in effect, know who their next mayor will be. No need to worry about the November General Election—in a city as Democratic as Pittsburgh, the Democratic Primary on May 18 will tell the tale. We at the New Pittsburgh Courier had a long discussion as to which candidate would receive our endorsement for Pittsburgh mayor. We believe that the current mayor, Bill Peduto, has made some strides in aiding our African American community, such as helping to establish a Housing Opportunity Fund, fight for a more diverse city police force and establishing an “Office of Equity,” the fifth of its kind in the country. “We infuse our work with the belief that our young people and children, especially Black young men and boys, and women of all ages deserve access to opportunities to succeed,” is part of how the mayor’s office describes its Office of Equity. With that said, the Courier ultimately believes that Mayor Peduto’s African American opponent, state Rep. Ed Gainey, is the better choice to lead Pittsburgh for the next four years. Who better to help African Americans prosper in Pittsburgh than Mr. Gainey, a man who has lived the life of an African American who was born and raised here? He’s a Peabody High School graduate who graduated from an HBCU, then came back to our city and has dedicated his life to public service. He knows what African Americans face here in this town. He continuously fights for the betterment of Black people here, and he is constantly present at African American community functions as the de facto “face” of our community. The mayoral debates that have been occurring the past few months here have basically focused on how Pittsburgh can be a “Pittsburgh for all.” Bill Peduto has had eight years to make Pittsburgh a city for all, and even he admitted in his own TV commercials that “we aren’t there yet” and that “we still have a long way to go.” The New Pittsburgh Courier believes that, over the next four years, Ed Gainey has what it takes to make Pittsburgh a better place for African Americans. Mr. Peduto had his chance. Now it’s time for Mr. Gainey to have his. The Courier endorses Ed Gainey for mayor of the City of Pittsburgh. Below are our other endorsements in the May 18 primary.
MAY 12-18, 2021
(TriceEdneyWire.com)—I’m not perfect nor do I claim to be. Although I strive to get as close as possible, I don’t evaluate my comportment as perfect or my judgment as infallible. I accept the humanity and infallibility of others and hope, that when evaluated by others, I will be extended that same courtesy and grace. On occasion, my eyes have even been closed to the obvious. My focus has been the achievement of social and economic justice for those who’ve been historically or systematically disadvantaged by the imposition of impediments to their progress—typically, women and people of color. The imperative of eliminating the internal and external threats to our personal and collective security has always loomed large as a personal objective and is exemplified by the incessant and growing list of those murdered by agents of “law enforcement.” I’m moved to action by the anguish of children who’re victimized by a never-ending cycle of hunger or those who receive an education that’s inadequate to provide future incomes that will sustain them or any children they will attempt to parent. The dedicated and principled effort necessary to even begin to confront the myriad of problems impacting our communities requires single-minded focus. For generations, the volume of problems that our communities have had to face have been challenging for some and overwhelmingly difficult for most. I sometimes compare our socio-economic difficulties to an adult
Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.
Commentary reality game of “Dodge Ball.” Like that ball that nearly knocks your head off, the strife and trouble common to our communities, seemly comes out of nowhere with the goal of knocking you out of the game—literally. Rather than really resolving issues, many of us are caught in situational survival. We move from one crisis to another only catching the periodic “break” or respite giving us enough energy to survive through the next struggle. Having so little time for reflective thought, many of us are caught in the loop of tackling the next most critical threat to us. It’s no wonder that many people of color are without a real sense of urgency about the growing threat to our ecology. As one who previously only focused on the more recognized, recurring, and active threats against my community, I wasn’t first among those on the ecology bandwagon. Encouraged by the philosophy of indigenous people, I accepted that “Only when the last tree has died, and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat
money.” If we can’t live without the threat of natural disaster or a poisoned environment, what does it matter how long or under what circumstances we live? That guidance from the original caretakers of this land led to the realization that a requirement for the “true” social activist is to maintain a 360-degree awareness of things necessary to guarantee the long-term, positive quality of life. Any observer with common sense should understand that the appointment of former U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Interior (first Native American so appointed), the U.S. rejoining the Paris Climate Accords, and the emphasis placed on the development/refinement of renewable energy sources by President Biden should give a clue as to a growing economic opportunity. The movement toward renewable energy should encourage those looking for high-growth employment opportunities. Increasingly, training or ground-up experience is available in solar or wind energy. Those with scientific, technical or mechanical skills can potentially write their own ticket to success. I’m impressed with a company working to do just that. See (www. mimsmotorsusa.com) and see what they’re doing. Chief Flying Hawk once said: “Nobody can be in good health if he does not have …fresh air, sunshine and good water.” (Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of the National Congress of Black Women.)
Message to grads: Spend nine minutes and 29 seconds to make a difference (TriceEdneyWire.com)—“If we can lift Black lives from the margins of society, we can lift all lives.”—USC Law Professor Jody David Armour This week, I had the honor of delivering the commencement address at Tennessee State University. Like many historically Black colleges and universities, TSU was born in the crucible of the age of segregation. It was born at a time when our forefathers and foremothers were escaping from the throes of the Ku Klux Klan. They were escaping from the pandemic of lynching which was sweeping the South. If they lived in the 1870s, 1880s, and 1890s, they may have had a chance to vote. A chance to hold public office. A chance to own property. Then in the late 1896, the Supreme Court ruled in Plessy v. Ferguson that legal segregation did not violate the U.S. Constitution. For the sons and daughters of enslaved ancestors, that represented a great betrayal. And in those times, just imagine the courage it took, the determination it took for the sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters, of our enslaved ancestors, to aspire to a college education. That entire generation, faced with this betrayal, didn’t cover, and they didn’t quit. They created great, historically Black colleges and universities. They created the NAACP and the organization I’m proud to lead, the National Urban League. They created the Alphas, the Kappas, the Omegas, the AKAs, the Deltas, Zeta
Marc H. Morial
To Be Equal Phi Beta, and all the rest. They created organizations of Black doctors, and nurses, and lawyers. And they were determined to strive against those difficult times. What does that have to do with today? Well in 2020, the year just ended, our lives were upended by an invisible virus, an enemy we couldn’t see and we couldn’t touch. But it could see us, it could touch us, it could infect us, and it did kill us. And our lives were upended, by nine minutes and 29 seconds of a knee on the neck of our brother George Floyd in Minneapolis. Nine minutes and 29 seconds that ignited a new flame of activism. All of this presents a question to the Class of 2021—a class that has withstood a year of virtual instruction, a massive wave of job loss, interacting from behind masks at a distance of six feet. The Class of 2021 has seen family members and friends fighting for their lives on ventilators. The Class of 2021 has overcome this invisible virus, and the challenge of those nine minutes and 29 seconds.
And that question is: What will you do now? Will you become spectators, or will you seize the moment? My charge to the Class of 2021 is to commit to nine minutes and 29 seconds each day to the fight for social justice and civil rights in this country. Nine minutes and 29 seconds, spent urging the United States Senate to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Nine minutes and 29 seconds spent telling states like Georgia: we will not be silent while you suppress our votes. Nine minutes and 29 seconds a day reaching back to your high school or community, serving as a role model and a guide for another young person. Nine minutes and 29 seconds, every day, to honor the memory of George Floyd and all the men and women who have lost their lives to racially-motivated police violence. To honor the memory of the lives lost to structural racism in our health-care system during this awful pandemic. Whether we graduated this week or 50 years ago, we all stand on the shoulders of the brave men and women who came before us, the men and women who built great universities in the crucible of Jim Crow, men and women who had the audacity to seek a college education against all odds. We all should remember their courage and carry it with us as we work to build a nation without racism, without poverty, and without bitter division.
White House throws full support behind D.C. statehood (NNPA)—The Biden Administration strongly supports H.R. 51, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act, and the President on Tuesday urged swift passage of the measure in Congress. “For far too long, the more than 700,000 people of Washington, D.C. have been deprived of full representation in the U.S. Congress,” the White House Office of Management and Budget said in a statement of administration policy. “This taxation without representation and denial of self-governance is an affront to the democratic values on which our Nation was founded. H.R. 51 rights this wrong by making Washington, D.C. a state and providing its residents with long-overdue full representation in Congress, while maintaining a Federal District that will continue to serve as our Nation’s seat of government,” the statement continued. Most observers expect H.R. 51 to pass the U.S. House on Thursday, but the measure is sure to get a lot of pushback in the evenly divided U.S. Senate. D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, a longtime and tireless advocate for statehood, said the time has come for full representation for District residents. “The residents of our nation’s capital
Stacy M. Brown
Commentary deserve voting representation in Congress and full local self-government,” the Democrat remarked. “With Thursday’s House vote and expected passage, along with Democratic control of the Senate and White House, we have never been closer to statehood,” Norton concluded. Because some Senate Democrats like West Virginia’s Joe Manchin have ruled out legislation to either eliminate the filibuster or relax the filibuster rules, it’s unlikely the required 60 votes for passage could be found in the Senate. “D.C. statehood is a key part of the radical leftist agenda to reshape America,” GOP Congressman James Comer of Kentucky stated, signaling that there would be no Republican support for passage in the upper chamber.
The Senate is evenly split at 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris acting as the tie-breaking vote. The filibuster requires that laws are passed with at least 60 votes. Only bills—usually financial measures—can pass on a simple majority using the process known as reconciliation. Still, establishing “the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth as the 51st state will make our Union stronger and more just,” the White House said. “Washington, D.C. has a robust economy, a rich culture, and a diverse population of Americans from all walks of life who are entitled to full and equal participation in our democracy.” The Administration said it looks forward to working with Congress as H.R. 51 proceeds through the legislative process to ensure that it comports with Congress’s constitutional responsibilities and its constitutional authority to admit new states to the Union by legislation. “The Administration calls for the Congress to provide for a swift and orderly transition to statehood for the people of Washington, D.C.,” White House officials continued.
(Stacy M. Brown is NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent)
FORUM
B4 MAY 12-18, 2021
100 Days of Biden-Harris, $6 trillion: investment or spending? (TriceEdneyWire.com)—President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris are off to a running start. With more than a third of Americans fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, and now potentially more shots than arms, President Biden did what he said he’d do, thus jumpstarting our sluggish economy. Unemployment rates have lowered (although the racial unemployment rate gap remains—that won’t disappear in just 100 days). Economic growth at 6.4 percent is at a healthy high, proving that controlling corona is essential to economic health. However, when asked to provide a letter grade for President Biden, all I could give him was an Incomplete, or perhaps an Incomplete Plus. The plus means that he’s moving in the right direction. The Incomplete means just that, incomplete. It means we need more results. But it occurs to me that I’m not fair, that my expectations may be too high. Through his efforts and those of Vice President Harris, the American Rescue Plan was passed. He has now proposed the American Families Plan and touted it in his speech to the joint houses of Congress on April 28. It provides many features for low and mod-
Julianne Malveaux
News Analysis erate-income working families, including a child and dependent care tax credit, more affordable health insurance, and more paid family and medical leave. It’s a good plan, but Republicans have lined up in lockstep to oppose it. There is likely to be more consensus around infrastructure because our nation’s infrastructure is crumbling. Biden and his team use the term “Build Back Better” to describe the goal of an infrastructure plan, the American Jobs Plan, that will fund jobs both for construction and for the “caretaking” economy, for social service workers, health workers, and others. Republicans prefer the more traditional definition of infrastructure, roads and bridges, bricks and mortar. They forget that people, too, are part of our nation’s infrastructure. That’s why it is essential that the expansion of educational opportunities is part of the American Families Plan. Free community college. An increased Pell grant. More money for HBCUs and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). These three pieces of legislation cost about $6 trillion and will add to our national debt. Republicans are balking at the price tag, but they weren’t so hesitant when their massive tax cut for corporations added trillions to the national debt. While we don’t expect consistency from Republicans, we know they only oppose deficits when they benefit people. I see the $6 trillion price tag on the Biden legislation as more of an investment than simple spending. A better-educated workforce earns more money, pays more taxes. A healthier workforce means less absenteeism, more efficiency, and productivity. Quality child care means more women in the workforce—millions of women left in the wake of covid. The investment makes sense to build our labor force back better. Many have compared President Biden’s vision to that of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, whose New Deal created jobs, reduced poverty, replaced fraying infrastructure, and more. It has been decades since we’ve seen this kind of significant investment in infrastructure. Lyndon Baines Johnson focused on the human infrastructure, but no one has done so since. Republican Presidents have been disinclined, and Democratic Presidents have either been too moderate or too timid (Obama) to push hard for their vision. I think one of the benefits of Biden’s Presidency was the time he spent with President Obama, observing what happens when you don’t go big enough. Biden has a big vision, and now he has a big job getting others to buy into it. There are Republican governors and mayors who would benefit from infrastructure improvements. There are Republican college presidents who know the value of more Pell grant money. These are the Republicans who must pressure their senators to support the Biden legislation. The first 100 days of Biden have been a stark difference from the previous president. It’s not just what Biden says, but the way he says it. He doesn’t bark, although he can be emphatic. He doesn’t call names or use epithets. He listens. My grade for Biden’s first 100 days stands—Incomplete Plus. It means moving in the right direction. Thanks for the vision, President Biden. (Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist and author. She can be reached at juliannemalveaux.com.)
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
President Biden, Senator Scott, and selective hearing During President Biden’s first address to Congress he said, “We have to come together to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the people they serve, to root out systemic racism in our criminal justice system and enact police reform.” That wasn’t the first time Biden used the phrase “root out systemic racism.” During a 2020 Juneteenth celebration Biden stated “rooting out systemic racism” was the moral obligation of our time. He repeated the sentiment when he accepted the Democratic nomination for President and made similar remarks during a Thanksgiving speech as President-elect. After each occasion, Biden’s political opponents extracted the phrase “root out systemic racism” and demanded details. They wanted to know if Biden accepted the premise—disparities proved systemic racism, and if he did, how was Biden going to root out all disparities between racial groups? Since Biden’s political opponents viewed the elimination of all disparities an impossible task, they accused Biden of making empty promises. When Biden said “rooting out systemic racism” in the past, he spoke in non-specific campaign language. But during his first address to Congress, Biden specifically said, “root out systemic racism in our criminal justice system.” Now, statistics prove there are disparities when Blacks are compared to Whites throughout the criminal justice system. If Biden believes disparities equal systemic racism, then “rooting out systemic racism” in this context means reducing the Black incarceration rate and decreasing the number of deadly encounters Blacks have with White police officers. Whether or not Biden’s definition of
J. Pharoah Doss
Check It Out systemic racism is correct, or his interpretation of the data is accurate is irrelevant. The issue here is how political opponents purposely take things out of context for the sake of controversy. Case in point, after Biden’s address to Congress, one right-wing pundit and school-choice advocate said, “He said it again in his speech, arguing that we need to ‘root out systemic racism’ … If there is systemic racism, it’s rooted in those who want to keep Blacks in their place, denying them the same choice to send their children to quality schools that the affluent can afford. Perversely, this means President Joe Biden is part of the problem he says exists.” There’s no need to elaborate on the disingenuous nature of that attack. However, there is a need to elaborate on the specifics within the widely-ridiculed Republican rebuttal to the president, delivered by Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), a Black man. By now, everyone heard the phrase extracted from Scott’s speech—America is not a racist country. Scott’s political opponents isolated that sentence from the rest of the speech and accused Scott of being willfully blind to the historical and systemic realities of America. One critic even stated
Scott denied his own lived experience. That’s nonsense. During Scott’s rebuttal he acknowledged his lived experience with racism and stated our healing process is not finished. Now, here are the specifics that were ignored. First, Scott said, “A hundred years ago, kids in classrooms were taught that the color of their skin was their most important characteristic. And if they looked a certain way, they were inferior. Today, kids again are being taught that the color of their skin defines them, and if they look a certain way, they’re an oppressor.” Scott’s last sentence was referring to the executive order President Biden signed that reversed his predecessor’s ban on diversity training programs that incorporated “Critical Race theory” and taught the concept of “White privilege.” Biden’s predecessor believed these concepts dangerously divided Americans into White oppressor groups vs. oppressed minority groups. Here, Scott singled out and rejected racial essentialism. Then Scott said, “From colleges to corporations to our culture, people are making money and gaining power by pretending we haven’t made any progress at all, by doubling down on the divisions we’ve worked so hard to heal. You know this stuff is wrong. Hear me clearly: America is not a racist country.” The statement—America is not a racist country—was directed at those who pretend America hasn’t made any progress and “use our painful past dishonestly”. “America is not a racist country” should be a mission statement, not a statement extracted for mockery.
A transformational president (NNPA)—President Biden has completed the first 100-days milestone that has been used since Franklin Roosevelt to assess new presidents’ progress towards keeping their campaign promises and their prospects for having a successful presidency. So far, in my estimation, Joe Biden is keeping his promises and succeeding in getting the country back on track in our “pursuit of a more perfect union.” It was much more than a political assessment when I declared 15 months ago that “we know Joe, and most importantly, Joe knows us.” Joe Biden is succeeding because of he understands the needs and aspirations of the American people. His bold and inclusive initiatives are restoring the faith of those who have been hardest hit by the current health and economic crises and raising the hopes of those who had already been hard hit by injustices in our society long before these crises struck. After a plethora of Executive Orders on his first day in office, President Biden’s first legislative success was the American Rescue Plan (ARP). The ARP enjoys 77 percent support among all voters, including 59 percent of Republican voters. It has put America on a path of fully reopening safely. It has helped make hundreds of millions of vaccines available, and it has stabilized millions of American families. It has kept many small businesses from closing, and, when fully implemented, will lift more than half of the nation’s poverty-laden children out of poverty. The Administration’s top priority for the next 100 days is passing the comprehensive American Jobs Plan (AJP). The AJP will create good-paying jobs by investing in our long-neglected infrastructure. President Biden recognizes that infrastructure now includes the information highway, and his proposal will bring affordable, high-speed internet to
Rep. James Clyburn
Commentary every home. His plan also includes investments in green energy technology and other research innovations that will help America build a forward-looking economy that will provide sustainable economic growth. President Biden is also proposing to invest in our country’s human infrastructure through another transformative initiative supporting the bedrock of our nation’s foundation—families. His American Families Plan (AFP) will stabilize and uplift families by extending the child tax credit enhancement, supporting childcare workers and families who pay for childcare, providing universal pre-K, making two years of community college free, and expanding access to quality, affordable health care. These proposals will reduce systemic barriers that have prevented low-income and many communities of color from fully enjoying the greatness of our great nation. The American people overwhelmingly support the President’s agenda. One recent poll found 68 percent of Americans support the AJP, and 64 percent are in favor of the AFP. These numbers far exceed the margin of Biden’s election victory. These numbers refute critics who claim President Biden’s agenda is too progressive and has no support among Republicans. It is wrongheaded to view bipartisanship through the lens of 212 Republican House Members and 50 Republican Senators. I hope Republican Members
will listen more closely to the American people, Democrats and Republicans. But if they fail to do so, Democrats will unilaterally act to serve and protect Americans irrespective of political persuasions. Following President Biden’s first speech to a joint session of Congress, we all heard the partisan Republican opposition to his agenda led by Senator Tim Scott from my home state of South Carolina. Unable to debate the merits of President Biden’s proposals, Senator Scott instead focused on the price tag and racial issues. He and his partisans never questioned the cost of the $1.9 trillion tax cut for the wealthiest Americans and corporations under the previous president. Their tax cut for the wealthy increased the national debt and exploded the deficit. It is becoming clear to the American people that their fiscal restraint is more about who is benefiting from government spending than the amount of money being spent. President Biden fully pays for both the American Jobs and Families Plans. He is asking wealthy Americans and corporations to pay their fair share. President Biden, and all of us, applaud their successes made possible by America’s greatness. But it is time for that greatness to be accessible and affordable for all. Joe Biden has already demonstrated that he intends to keep the promises he made during the campaign. He is relating to people in a personal way and is proposing policies that will directly address the needs of individuals, their families, and their communities. He is not putting a price tag on the American dream. He is making investments to help all Americans realize their dreams. I believe this approach is truly transformational in its potential for dramatic progress toward liberty and justice for all.
Celebrate Bro. Malcolm X’s birthday — May 19th — with positive action In the introduction of my upcoming book, “Brother Malcolm X’s Visionary, Strategic Pan Africanism: Why It Enraged the U.S. Government,” I salute him as a great human being, a great Black man and a master teacher. The following quotes from some of his speeches and writings will show why the most positive and productive way to celebrate his May 19th birthday is to be involved in positive action. The first quote says, “The adult Afro-American community should immediately get together and set up a guardian system so that any Black child in trouble or who has a problem can come to them for help. If any more Afro-American children are shot down in the New York City streets, the adults will have to share the blame.” The second quote says, “We must establish all over the country schools of our own to train our children to become scientists and mathematicians. We must realize the need for adult education and for job retraining programs that will emphasize a changing society in which automation plays the key role. We intend to use the tools of education
A. Peter Bailey
Commentary to help raise our people to an unprecedented level of excellence and self-respect through their own efforts.” In remarks to 37 Black young people who were visiting him in Harlem, he said the following: “I was approached, I think we were at the United Nations, and I met Mrs. Walker about two or three years ago, and she said that a group of students were coming up from McComb, Mississippi, and wanted to know if I would meet with you and speak with you. I told her frankly that it would be the greatest honor that I had ever experienced…It’s been my great desire to either go there or meet someone from there.”
He then moved on to talk about intense White supremacy in their state. “In studying the process of this so-called progress during the past twenty years, we of the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU), realized that the only time the Black man in this country is given any kind of recognition or even listened to is when America is afraid of outside pressure or when she’s afraid of her image abroad. So we saw that it was necessary to expand the problem and the struggle of the Black man in this country until it was above and beyond the jurisdiction of the United States…I wanted to point this out to you because it is important for you to know that when you are in Mississippi, you are not alone.” A recent quote I found by Bro. Malcolm is also something that should be a guideline for action. “If your mind is armed, you are never unarmed.” I repeat, the Brother was great human being, a great Black man and a master teacher. (A. Peter Bailey, author of Witnessing Brother Malcolm X, the Master Teacher, can be reached alfonzop.bailey@gmail.com.)
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New Orleans mayor creates ‘Office of Gun Violence Prevention’ As gun violence has been rising in many urban cities across the country since the COVID-19 pandemic, New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell announced the creation of the “Office of Gun Violence Prevention.” “Establishing this office is part of our commitment to a holistic long-term strategy to prevent gun violence over time. This work started with recommendations from our Forward Together Transition Team, and in one of my first acts as mayor, I established the Gun Violence Reduction Taskforce. This in turn led to the August 2019 Generational Gun Violence Reduction Plan. This new office will coordinate, fund and evaluate public health gun violence reduction interventions and their outcomes,” said Mayor Cantrell, in an article from the New Orleans Tribune. “Even though New Orleans has had over 100
murders annually since the 1970s, no other administration has invested in the infrastructure to focus on this problem over the long term,” said Joshua Cox, Director of Strategic Initiatives. The Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which will feature the following core functions: - Implement Public Health Interventions a) Cure Violence – A community-based intervention that interrupts conflicts before they turn violent by using culturally competent messengers as violence interrupters and mediators. With nine current staff members, the organization responds to shootings victims and their families at both UMC and New Orleans East Hospital and attempts to diffuse conflict and prevent retaliation. b) CEO Works – The City of New Orleans contracted with Center for
Employment Opportunities (CEO) to provide transitional employment for residents returning home from incarceration. Participants do blight reduction and grass cutting four days a week and attend professional development one day a week, which includes soft skills training and resume development. c) Jumpstart Program – On April 6, the City launched an eightweek program to connect young people who are disconnected from work and school with soft-skills training and employment opportunities through the City’s Office of Workforce Development. After the two-month program, participants will be connected with a nine-month job experience and extended case management. - Barber and Beautician Collective – Barbers and beauticians are community leaders and interface with hundreds of
people a week. They often know about conflict before anyone else. This seven-week fellowship trains barbers in conflict resolution and mediation skills so that they can de-escalate conflicts that might arise. - Manage the Gun Violence Policy Lab – This is a partnership with Tulane’s Schools of Public Health and Professional Advancement to rigorously study gun violence in the city and to evaluate the effectiveness of our interventions. - Develop funding for public health interventions and research – The city continues to work to attract government and philanthropic dollars and how to engage the private sector – insurance companies and payers – to make investments in public health interventions that will ultimately reduce costs associated with bad outcomes.
LATOYA CANTRELL, mayor of New Orleans.
The Black Church influences community to get the COVID-19 vaccine by Kori Skillman Black Voice News (California)
Riverside and San Bernardino counties along with other counties in the state of California leaned on the influence of the church to encourage Black residents to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Research shows there are several barriers to vaccination that impact Black communities beyond the issue of hesitancy. Blacks, more than others, have limited access to the internet, computers, and transportation. All of this makes scheduling vaccination appointments online difficult for many. Mitigating racially disproportionate vaccine administration is critical for achieving community immunity and ensuring Blacks are encouraged to participate in the vaccination process could help narrow the racial disparities of COVID-19’s impact on the Black community or, at least, prevent them from widening.
“We have so many of our people ill or (who have) passed away. The Black church decided individually and collectively that we can’t just sit and wait for somebody to come take care of us,” said Bishop Kelvin Simmons, of Immanuel Praise Fellowship in Rancho Cucamonga, during one of the church’s first mobile vaccination days. Months into the COVID-19 vaccine administration in the U.S., Black-Americans still lag in vaccination rates nationally. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported race/ethnicity information was known for about 55 percent of people who had received at least one dose of the vaccine. Among them, 64 percent were White and 12 percent were Hispanic, while only nine percent were Black. Though Black people make up six percent of California’s total population, among those who have received at least one
dose as of April 22, only 3.7 percent were administered to Black people compared to 38.1 percent to Whites, 16.5 percent to Asians and 23.3 percent to Latinos according to state officials. White residents in the Inland Empire are being vaccinated at a much higher rate than either Black or Latino residents. In response, public health officials and Black church leaders are working together for a solution. Public officials say that churches are crucial in lessening the divide in vaccinations by race. “It is imperative that no one or no group is left behind in these efforts [to vaccinate the community],” said San Bernardino County Health Supervisor, Corwin Porter before his recent retirement. Combating low vaccination rates The vaccine alliance between churches and public health officials, formed through the African American Community Empowerment Council, consists
of 35 Black churches statewide encouraging vaccinations to their predominantly Black congregations through mobile and pop-up vaccination sites right on church grounds. “There are congregations that said yes to being part of this effort because it is part of our plan to help our community during this season of COVID,” said Simmons, who also serves as president of the Inland Empire Concerned African American Churches. According to Dr. Leon McDougle, Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion at The Ohio State University, governments commonly enlist the help of Black churches during public health emergencies. He recalled the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 80s as the last time he saw similar unity between health officials and Black churches. However, he noted to the Kaiser Family Foundation, that this pandemic has accelerated the collaborative process. “The African-American
church is an anchor for the community,” said Sabrina Saunders, founder of the One Accord Project, a nonprofit that organizes Black churches in the San Francisco Bay Area around nonpartisan issues like voter registration and low-income housing. She highlighted that in addition to spiritual guidance, Black congregations look to their pastors for emotional support, financial resources, etc because they are well-trusted by the community they serve. This trust is crucial in overcoming a long history of medical wrongdoings against Black people. Local Results By Thursday, April 22, Blacks in Riverside County who are nearly 6 percent of the population, according to Riverside County’s new Public Health Officer, Dr Geoffrey Leung, vaccination rates for the Black community are improving month over month. The county however still lags behind its target it is performing above the state
average. In San Bernardino County on the other hand, 7.7 percent of Blacks were partially vaccinated and 14.2 are fully vaccinated again, above the state average. In addition both inland counties are well above the national vaccination rate for Blacks that averaged nine percent on April 21 according to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). Earlier this year a KFF survey found about a third of Blacks who were either already vaccinated or wanted to be vaccinated as soon as possible, while about 43 percent of them wanted to “wait and see” how the vaccinations affected others. In addition, eight percent of Blacks said they would only get the vaccine if required, while 14 percent said they would not get the vaccine at all. Of the Blacks who said they wanted to “wait and see,” more than a third said they would look to a religious leader for information on the vaccine.
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HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF BEAVER BEAVER, PENNSYLVANIA INVITATION TO BID The HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF BEAVER will receive sealed bids, in duplicate, until 9:30 AM. (local time) on Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at the office of the Housing Authority of the County of Beaver, James F. Tress Administration Building, 300 State Street (Vanport), Beaver, Pennsylvania at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at 10:00 A.M for the following: Ventilation Moffit Building 1215-1217 7th Avenue Beaver Falls, PA 15010 at Francis Farmer Apartments, Community Room, 274 Friendship Circle, Beaver, PA 15009 Proposed forms of contract documents, including Plans and Specifications may be obtained by MAIL ONLY. Contractors MUST obtain copies of the documents from DELLIOTT Engineers, Inc. P.O. BOX 375, Zelienople, PA 16063 by first mailing $100.00 in the form of a check made payable to the HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF BEAVER for each set of documents so obtained. DEPOSITS ARE NOT REFUNDABLE. Plans and specifications will be available on Thursday, May 6, 2021. A certified check or bank draft, payable to the HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF BEAVER, U.S. Government Bonds or a satisfactory bid bond executed by the bidder and acceptable securities in an amount equal to fifteen percent (15%) of the bid, shall be submitted with each bid. All required Contract Documents must be completed and submitted with the bid. The successful bidder will be required to furnish and pay for satisfactory performance, labor and material, and maintenance bonds of 100% with good and sufficient surety, and will be required to provide same within ten (10) days of contract award. Prior to award of any contract the Housing Authority will conduct a pre-contract survey of a Bidder’s past performance. Consideration will be given to such matters as bidder’s integrity, compliance with the public policy, record of past performance, and financial and technical resources. Invitation to Bid EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY REQUIREMENTS: The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity requirements for Federally-assisted Construction Contracts. The Contractor must insure that employees and applicants for employment are not discriminated against because of race, color, religion, sexual preference, handicap or national origin. The work to be performed under this contract is subject to the requirements of Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, as amended, 12 U.S.C. 1701u and with HUD’s regulations in 24 CFR Part 135 (“Section 3”). The purpose of section 3 is to ensure that employment and other economic opportunities generated by HUD assistance shall be directed to low and very low income persons, particularly persons who are recipients of HUD assistance for housing. A MANDATORY Pre-Bid Conference will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at Brodhead Apartments Community Room, 712 12th Avenue, Beaver Falls, PA 15010 MASKS ARE REQUIRED, SOCIAL DISTANCING WILL BE PRACTICED AND YOUR TEMPERATURE WILL BE TAKEN UPON ARRIVAL! The HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF BEAVER reserves the right to reject all bids or to waive any informalities in the bidding. Award of this contract is contingent on funds available. No bid shall be withdrawn for a period of ninety (90) days subsequent to opening bids without the consent of the HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF BEAVER. HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF BEAVER Michael D. Lacey. Chairman Brian L. Yaworsky Executive Director HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF BEAVER BEAVER, PENNSYLVANIA INVITATION TO BID The HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF BEAVER will receive sealed bids, in duplicate, until 9:30 AM. (local time) on Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at the office of the Housing Authority of the County of Beaver, James F. Tress Administration Building, 300 State Street (Vanport), Beaver, Pennsylvania at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at 10:00 A.M for the following: Ventilation Brodhead Apartments 712 12th Street, Beaver Falls, PA 15010 at Francis Farmer Apartments, Community Room, 274 Friendship Circle, Beaver, PA 15009 Proposed forms of contract documents, including Plans and Specifications may be obtained by MAIL ONLY. Contractors MUST obtain copies of the documents from DELLIOTT Engineers, Inc., P.O. BOX 375, Zelienople, PA 16063 by first mailing $100.00 in the form of a check made payable to the HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF BEAVER for each set of documents so obtained. DEPOSITS ARE NOT REFUNDABLE. Plans and specifications will be available on Thursday, May 6, 2021. A certified check or bank draft, payable to the HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF BEAVER, U.S. Government Bonds or a satisfactory bid bond executed by the bidder and acceptable securities in an amount equal to fifteen percent (15%) of the bid, shall be submitted with each bid. All required Contract Documents must be completed and submitted with the bid. The successful bidder will be required to furnish and pay for satisfactory performance, labor and material, and maintenance bonds of 100% with good and sufficient surety, and will be required to provide same within ten (10) days of contract award. Prior to award of any contract the Housing Authority will conduct a pre-contract survey of a Bidder’s past performance. Consideration will be given to such matters as bidder’s integrity, compliance with the public policy, record of past performance, and financial and technical resources. Invitation to Bid EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY REQUIREMENTS: The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity requirements for Federally-assisted Construction Contracts. The Contractor must insure that employees and applicants for employment are not discriminated against because of race, color, religion, sexual preference, handicap or national origin. The work to be performed under this contract is subject to the requirements of Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, as amended, 12 U.S.C. 1701u and with HUD’s regulations in 24 CFR Part 135 (“Section 3”). The purpose of section 3 is to ensure that employment and other economic opportunities generated by HUD assistance shall be directed to low and very low income persons, particularly persons who are recipients of HUD assistance for housing. A MANDATORY Pre-Bid Conference will be held at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at Brodhead Apartments Community Room, 712 12th Avenue, Beaver Falls, PA 15010 MASKS ARE REQUIRED, SOCIAL DISTANCING WILL BE PRACTICED AND YOUR TEMPERATURE WILL BE TAKEN UPON ARRIVAL!The HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF BEAVER reserves the right toreject all bids or to waive any informalities in the bidding. Award of this contract is contingent on funds available. No bid shall be withdrawn for a period of ninety (90) days subsequent to opening bids without the consent of the HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF BEAVER. HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF BEAVER Michael D. Lacey. Chairman Brian L. Yaworsky Executive Director
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FORM OF ADVERTISEMENT PUBLICATION DATE: May 14, 2021 1.The Public Parking Authority of Pittsburgh (“Authority”) shall accept sealed bids for the performance of the work described below (the “Work”) at its office at 232 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15222, until 10:00 a.m. local time on Friday, June 11, 2021. 2.DESCRIPTION OF WORK: The Project entails the modernization of exhaust system for Smithfield Liberty garage. 3.The Instructions to Bidders, including the Form of Bid, Form of Agreement, General Conditions, Plans and Specifications, and Zoom meeting information will be made available after 3:00 p.m. local time on Friday, May 14, 2021, via email request to the Authority’s Project Management Department at tsowinski@pittsburghparking.com. 4.A Mandatory pre-bid conference will be held virtually via Zoom at 10:00 a.m. local time on Thursday, May 20, 2021. The purpose of the pre-bid conference is to provide additional detail regarding the Work. The information provided at the pre-bid conference will be essential in preparing a bid to perform the Work. Persons or entities that intend to submit bids to perform the Work are required to join into the pre-bid conference via Zoom with at least one representative who will understand the information presented at the pre-bid conference in a manner that allows such information to be incorporated in the preparation of the bid to perform the Work. It is expected that the representative who attends the pre-bid conference will be experienced in construction matters and employed by the bidder in a supervisory capacity. Virtual Zoom Pre-bid attendance is mandatory, and each attendee must sign in via online form. 5.Sealed bids must be dropped off to the Public Parking Authority of Pittsburgh at 232 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, no later than 10:00 a.m. on Friday, June 11, 2021 bids received prior to the deadline will be publicly opened and read at 2:00 p.m. local time on Friday, June 11, 2021 virtually via Zoom meeting. 6.Each bid submitted must be accompanied by a bid guaranty of ten percent (10%) of the proposed bid in the form of a bid bond, certified cashier’s or treasurer’s check payable to the Authority. 7.The Authority reserves the right to in its sole discretion, (i) change, at any time prior to the bid deadline at 10:00 a.m. local time on Friday, June 11, 2021 the Contract Documents; (ii) waive any defect, irregularities, or informality in any or all submitted bids; and (iii) reject any or all submitted bids.
FORM OF ADVERTISEMENT PUBLICATION DATE: May 14, 2021 1.The Public Parking Authority of Pittsburgh (“Authority”) shall accept sealed bids for the performance of the work described below (the “Work”) at its office at 232 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15222, until 10:00 a.m. local time on Thursday, June 10, 2021. 2.DESCRIPTION OF WORK: The Project entails the rehabilitation and preventive maintenance of the helix ramps and stair tower of the Smithfield Liberty Parking Garage. 3.The Instructions to Bidders, including the Form of Bid, Form of Agreement, General Conditions, Plans and Specifications, and Zoom meeting information will be made available after 3:00 p.m. local time on Friday, May 14, 2021, via email request to the Authority’s Project Management Department at tsowinski@pittsburghparking.com. 4.A Mandatory pre-bid conference will be held virtually via Zoom at 2:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday, May 19, 2021. The purpose of the pre-bid conference is to provide additional detail regarding the Work. The information provided at the pre-bid conference will be essential in preparing a bid to perform the Work. Persons or entities that intend to submit bids to perform the Work are required to join into the pre-bid conference via Zoom with at least one representative who will understand the information presented at the pre-bid conference in a manner that allows such information to be incorporated in the preparation of the bid to perform the Work. It is expected that the representative who attends the pre-bid conference will be experienced in construction matters and employed by the bidder in a supervisory capacity. Virtual Zoom Pre-bid attendance is mandatory, and each attendee must sign in via online form. 5.Sealed bids must be dropped off to the Public Parking Authority of Pittsburgh at 232 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, no later than 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 10, 2021 bids received prior to the deadline will be publicly opened and read at 2:00 p.m. local time on Thursday, June 10, 2021 virtually via Zoom meeting. 6.Each bid submitted must be accompanied by a bid guaranty of ten percent (10%) of the proposed bid in the form of a bid bond, certified cashier’s or treasurer’s check payable to the Authority. 7.The Authority reserves the right to in its sole discretion, (i) change, at any time prior to the bid deadline at 10:00 a.m. local time on Thursday, June 10, 2021 the Contract Documents; (ii) waive any defect, irregularities, or informality in any or all submitted bids; and (iii) reject any or all submitted bids.
Estate of BERNADINE F. KEILHOFER, Deceased of Mt. Lebanon, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Estate No. 02-21-02616, Mark Conrad Keilhofer, Executor, 907 Country Club Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15228 or to AUBREY H. GLOVER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC. 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of FRANCES E. HAMILL A/K/A FRANCES N. HAMILL, Deceased of Dormont, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Estate No. 02-2102632, Ellen C. Hamill, Executor, 271 Parker Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15216 or to AUBREY H. GLOVER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC. 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of MR. HANS A. BLUME A/K/A HANS AUGUST BLUME, Deceased of 101 Wallridge Drive, Coraopolis, Pennsylvania 15108, Estate No. 02-21-02974, Ms. Kirsten B. Mills, Executrix, c/o Max C. Feldman, Esquire and the Law Office of Max C. Feldman, 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108 Estate of DAVID M. BROWN, Deceased of Bethel Park, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Estate No. 02-21-01795, Blair Trunzo, Administrator 34 S. Grandview Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15205 or to ROBIN L. RARIE, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC. 401 Washington Avenue Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of MAGDALENE GRIFFIN, Deceased of Bridgeville, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Estate No. 02-21-02871, Kimberly D. Mitchell, Executor, 354 Knoedler Road, Apt. 24 Pittsburgh, PA 15236 or to ROBIN L. RARIE, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC. 401 Washington Avenue Bridgeville, PA 15017 TRUST TERMINATION Advertising Trust Termination due to the death of RICHARD M. MANN on 01/17/2021. His address was 2225 Pleasant Drive, White Oak, Pennsylvania 15131. The purpose of this notice is to Advertise the Trust established under the Amended and Restated Deed of Trust dated 08/20/2020. Claims against said Trust may be filed as follows and sent to: PNC Bank, National Association Attn: Sharon L Whitney, VP, 300 Fifth Ave, FL 31 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 And/or: Steven F. Kessler, 4304 Walnut St., McKeesport, PA 15132
LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT INVITATION FOR BIDS: The Allegheny County Housing Authority (ACHA) is requesting bids from qualified contractors for ELEVATOR PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE AND SERVICES. The Allegheny County Housing Authority encourages responses from small and/or certified Minority; Women; Disadvantaged and Veteran owned firms, as well as firms that have not previously performed work for the ACHA. LOCATIONS: ACHA-WIDE CONTRACT: #ACHA-1637 DOCUMENTS: Bid Documents & specifications will be available MAY 10, 2021 on the Pittsburgh Builder’s Exchange, or the McGraw-Hill websites, and Complete Contract Documents may be obtained from the Allegheny County Housing Authority, 301 Chartiers Avenue, McKees Rocks, PA 15136, or by contacting the ACHA at 412-402-2464 or emailing ajamrom@achsng.com. FEE: No Charge for Emailed documents; $10 for CD Media; $50 non-refundable fee (certified check or money order) is required for each set of paper Contract Documents; NOTE! A FedEx or UPS Number will be required for any Contract Documents requested to be delivered. NON-MANDATORY PRE-BID CONFERENCE: MAY 19, 2021, AT 10:00AM at ACHA Central Office, 301 Chartiers Avenue, McKees Rocks, PA 15136 BIDS DUE: 2:00 PM local time on JUNE 9, 2021 at the Allegheny County Housing Authority Board Room, 301 Chartiers Avenue, McKees Rocks, PA 15136 Frank Aggazio Executive Director Allegheny County Housing Authority
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David G. Onorato Executive Director COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY ADVERTISEMENT Sealed bid proposals are hereby solicited for the Community College of Allegheny County, 800 Allegheny Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15233 on the following: BID PROPOSAL NO. 1081 – FURNISH AND INSTALL FLOORING AT BOYCE CAMPUS Due date: 2:00 P.M. Prevailing Time on Monday, May 17, 2021 Any proposals received after this deadline will be considered as a “late bid” and will be returned unopened to the offerer. Proposals may require Bid Bonds, Performance Bonds, Payment Bonds, and Surety as dictated by the specifications. No bidder may withdraw his bid for a period of ninety (90) days after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to reject any and all bids. The Community College of Allegheny County is an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and encourages bids from Minority/ Disadvantaged owned businesses. For more information, contact mcvetic@ccac.edu.
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David G. Onorato Executive Director COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY ADVERTISEMENT SALE OF SURPLUS EQUIPMENT The following surplus equipment will be offered for sale to the highest bidder(s): REQUEST FOR QUOTATION 210525 SALE OF SURPLUS COMPUTERS, MONITORS, MISC. NETWORK EQUIPMENT, MISC. PHONE EQUIPMENT, MISC. NON-FUNCTIONAL IT EQUIPMENT, PHARMACEUTICAL CABINET Bids are due in to the CCAC Purchasing Department no later than 2:00 PM on Tuesday, May 25, 2021. For more information, contact Michael Cvetic at mcvetic@ccac.edu. Community College of Allegheny County Purchasing Department 800 Allegheny Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15233
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WASHINGTON COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY REQUEST FOR BID WORKERS COMPENSATION INSURANCE DUE JULY 7, 2021 Sealed bids willl be received at the Central Office of the Washington County Housing Authority, 100 S. Franklin St., Crumrine Tower, Washington, PA 15301, until 2:00pm., Wednesday, July 7, 2021 at which time bids will be opened. For specifications and bid information contact Christy Kemp, 724-228-6060 Ext. 128 or christyk@wchapa.org The Authority reserves the right to waive any informalities and reject any and all bids
EXPERIENCED EMBEDDED SYSTEM ENGINEER sought by Bryte, INC in Pittsburgh, PA. Responsibilities include circuit board design, programming, and debugging microcontrollers and FPGA board for rapid signal processing, CAD design of different mechanical parts, creating mechanical models and tolerance analyses to simulate mechatronic design and concept, and research, analyze, and troubleshooting of PCB boards. 2 years of experience in Electrical and/or Embedded Engineering and knowledge of C, C , SolidWorks, MATLAB, ALTIUM DESIGNER, and LINU required. Please send your resume to mark@bryte.com.
Stephen K. Hall JOB OPPORTUNITIES Help Wanted
COMPASS AMERICORPS MEMBERS NEEDED FOR 2020-21 SERVICE YEAR Compass AmeriCorps members provide full-time social services support and English language instruction to newly resettled immigrants in Allegheny County. Benefits include a living allowance, healthcare benefits, and an educational award for college. Learn new skills, meet new people, and receive professional and personal development opportunities. The service year runs from September to July, and members serve 1700 hours over 11 months. For details and how to apply, visit www.compassamericorps.org. MANAGER OF MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE Port Authority is seeking a Manager of Maintenance and Service to manage, coordinate, and monitor all eet maintenance service delivery and administration activities to ensure safe and reliable eet operations within the operating location service area. Oversee, coordinate and monitor programs designed to improve processes and systems within Transit Operations. Essential Functions: Coordinates and supervises allocation of resources for all maintenance activities. Monitors expenses against budgeted amounts. Communicates all relevant maintenance information to the Deputy Chief Operations Officer - Maintenance. Oversees and implements standardized administration programs and maintenance activities procedures at assigned location; coordinates with other Managers of Maintenance and Service in the development of service goals and maintenance performance standards and works toward meeting such standards in support of the Port Authority’s goals, objectives, and mission. Responsible for all aspects of service maintenance, mechanical maintenance and repair, eet interior and exterior cleaning, assignment of eet to routes, and maintenance of auxiliary head signs. Coordinates and supervises daily activities of maintenance, mechanical maintenance and repair, eet interior and exterior cleaning, assignment of eet to routes, and maintenance of auxiliary head signs. Job requirements include: High School Diploma or GED. Associate Degree in Transportation, Business, Vehicle Maintenance or directly related field from an accredited school. Related experience may be substituted for the education on a year-for-year basis. Minimum of three (3) years maintenance supervisory/management experience. Minimum of four 4 years of progressively responsible experience in the area of vehicle maintenance or related field. Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows. Valid Commercial Driver’s License (Class B, with a P endorsement). Effective and professional communication skills. Preferred attributes: BA/BS Degree in Business or directly related field from an accredited school.
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Robyn Taylor Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 RTaylor@portauthority.org EOE SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER Medallia, Inc. has following opportunities in Pittsburgh, PA: Senior Software Engineer: Design, implement, test, document, analyze, improve and maintain software consisting of signal processing and machine learning algorithms; components, systems, APIs, and programs. To apply, mail resumes and ref. job title to Ed Ashworth, Medallia, Inc. 575 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. Background checks required.
CURATORIAL AND EXHIBITIONS ASSISTANT Responsible for providing general administrative support to the curatorial department and assisting in the smooth operation of departmental activities. Hours: Flexible, 5 days per week, 9:00 – 5:00, occasional evening/ weekend work Reports to: Curator Position Status: Full-time salaried, non-exempt Responsibilities: Commitment to fostering a workplace culture of equity and inclusion. Correspondence, record keeping, budget maintenance, invoice processing, scheduling, and other general administrative duties to support the curatorial department. Coordinate research requests and respond to routine inquiries. Manage rights and reproduction requests for images related to the collection and departmental photo library. Maintains the departmental reference and periodical library. Act as recording secretary and coordinator of Collections and Exhibitions Committee meetings as well as other meetings as assigned. Develop competency with collections database and assist with data entry and other clerical tasks related to the database as needed. Assist curatorial staff in documentation and cataloguing of museum artifacts, including location changes, and other data entry. May assist with general research related to collections and exhibitions. Maintain exhibition history database, and other departmental records. Other duties as requested by management. ualifications: BA strongly preferred, degree in Art History, Fine Arts, Museum Studies, History, Library Science, or related field. Excellent planning, communication, and organizational skills, with attention to detail Strong writing and editing skills. Ability to multi-task efficiently and work in a deadline-sensitive environment Windows computer experience essential. Proficiency in Excel, Publisher, Photoshop, Filemaker Pro, Adobe Acrobat, and database management desirable Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to deal effectively with both colleagues and visitors. Valid PA driver’s license Clearance of a criminal background check The Frick Pittsburgh is an Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to fostering a workplace culture of accessibility, inclusion, diversity, and racial equality and urges all qualified diverse applicants to apply. Salary:$26,000-$32,000/year, based on experience
ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING ENROLLMENT AND PLACEMENT COORDINATOR POSITION Our English Language Learning (ELL) Enrollment and Placement Coordinator is responsible for leading Literacy Pittsburgh’s ELL enrollment, and placement process for the downtown center. The position coordinates classroom-based services for students to create better lives through learning. The coordinator works with the ELL team to ensure that the enrollment, testing, and placement process is a high-quality experience for students. For more information follow this link: https://www.literacypittsburgh.org/ english-language-learningenrollment-coordinator/ DIGITAL SKILLS INSTRUCTOR POSITION Our Digital Skills Instructor is responsible for leading Literacy Pittsburgh digital skills classes as assigned utilizing the Northstar curriculum and working in support of agency priorities. The Digital Skills Instructor ensures a high-quality experience for students by providing excellent student instruction and support to advance student learning and goal attainment. For more information follow this link: https://www.literacypittsburgh.org/ digital-skills-instructor/
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SENECA VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT – DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION: Seneca Valley School District is accepting applications for a full-time Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. This person will assist, support and monitor programs, procedures, policies and processes that promote and sustain equity, inclusiveness and diversity throughout the district. This position will provide leadership for the professional growth and development of all district personnel as it relates to race and equity with classroom instruction and academic performance. This person is responsible for all aspects of Title IX and for developing and maintaining a professional learning system that encourages institutional practices of equity through evaluation and training activities. The successful candidate will have experience in leading diversity programs, training and organizational change. Bachelor’s Degree required; Master’s Degree Preferred. Individuals of historically underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. Interested candidates can learn more and/or should submit required information by May 25, 2021 to: www.svsd.net/Employment The Seneca Valley School District is committed to advancing equity and embracing diversity and inclusion in the workplace. E.O.E. SOUTH FAYETTE TWP. SCHOOL DISTRICT is seeking a High School Special Education Substitute Teacher for the 2021-2022 school year. Complete job description and directions on how to apply are available at: www.southfayette.org Deadline 4:00 PM May 21, 2021 EOE
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Celebrating 40 years of POISE Foundation philanthropy in the Black community The year 2021 marks 40 years of the POISE Foundation, 40 years of philanthropy in Pittsburgh’s Black community. The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that the POISE Foundation will be holding a number of events to commemorate the milestone year. The Courier will be covering a number of the following events that POISE has planned: May 13 – The Cousins Event June – Community Conversation June 24 – Community Conversation: Economic Justice July 8 – Scholarship Celebration August – Black Philanthropy Month Community Conversation: Why Do I Give?
September – Community Conversation: Education October – Grantee Spotlight November – Community Conversation: Mental Health December – Year End Event “In the midst of a pandemic, the POISE Foundation has positioned itself to thrive and make even greater investments in the Black community. For example, we successfully launched a Critical Community Needs Fund which supports small to mid-size Black Led organizations helping to sustain our community during the crises of COVID-19 and anti-Black violence. This has resulted in awarding more than $1 million to these local organizations. This is one of the many reasons we are cele-
brating,” said Greg Spencer, Chair of the Board of Trustees, POISE Foundation, in a statement to the Courier. “POISE Foundation is the second Black public foundation created in the United States, and the first and only one in Pennsylvania. Its founder, Bernard H. Jones Sr., believed in self-sufficiency and growing assets in, for and by the Black community. In 1980, the foundation began with three funds valued at $164,000. We now manage over 200 funds valued at over $11 million. That’s a reason to celebrate,” added Mark S. Lewis, President and Chief Executive Officer, POISE Foundation, in a statement. The POISE Foundation continues to educate the community on the power of collective giving and collec-
tive action. The year-long activities scheduled will celebrate Black excellence, while emphasizing the importance of strengthening the Black community through wealth-building. For more information about POISE Foundation, visit www.poisefoundation. org The POISE Foundation was established in 1980 in the format of a community foundation. Its mission is to assist the Black community in achieving self-sustaining practices through strategic leadership, collective giving, grantmaking and advocacy. POISE receives funds from a variety of donors. These funds may be unrestricted, and used to support its grantmaking strategy, or donor-directed for specific charitable purposes.
MARK LEWIS
Pitt’s Justin Champagnie headed to the NBA
JUSTIN CHAMPAGNIE (Photo Courtesy Pitt Athletics)
Justin Champagnie, Pitt’s superstar sophomore basketball player, has worn his Pitt jersey for the last time. The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that Champagnie is entering the upcoming NBA Draft. He also intends to sign with an NCAA-certified agent, which no longer would make him eligible for collegiate play. “My parents and my family have been my biggest supporters and they have made a lot of sacrifices to help put me in this position,” said Champagnie, in a statement from Pitt. “I am excited about the opportunity to pursue
my NBA dreams and be in a position to pay them back for everything they have invested in me. The University of Pittsburgh has elevated me on and off the court. I love Coach Capel, the entire coaching staff and my teammates and will always be proud of the relationships I have built over the past two seasons. It was a difficult decision because Pitt has been such a special place in my development. I am going to miss the passionate support of the fans, especially the Oakland Zoo, but I know it is time to begin my professional career. I am prepared to take the next step, accept the next challenge and put in the work it takes to succeed at the next level.” Champagnie, a first team All-ACC and honorable mention All-America selection, was the lone major conference player in the country to average a double-double for the season. He ranked among the conference leaders in nine categories and finished in the top 10 in the NCAA in rebounding (T-7th – 11.1 rpg.) and double-doubles (T-8th – 14). “Justin has been a terrific member of our program for the past two years and has earned the opportunity to be a NBA Draft selection,” said head coach Jeff Capel, in a statement. “He put together an outstanding season under some difficult circumstances last year, earning All-America recognition and becoming Pitt’s first
First Team All-ACC selection. We are proud of the way he has developed within the Pitt program and excited to see him continue to evolve as a player. Justin’s competitiveness, toughness and desire to help his family will continue to be driving factors in helping his game reach new levels. I believe he is just scratching the surface of the player he can become and look forward to watching him carve out a lengthy pro career. Justin has our love and support and will always be a part of the Pitt family.” After Pitt had a number of players leave the program before season’s end, it was Champagnie who stuck around, giving Pitt fans any future hope. But the prospects of being able to play in the NBA were too much to pass up. Champagnie’s 14.7 points per game average is tied for the second-best at Pitt through a sophomore season, minimum 40 games played. He became the first Panther to average a double-double for the season since Schenley High School graduate DeJuan Blair in 2008-09, and the first player to average better than 18 points and 10 rebounds per game since Billy Knight in 1973-74. Champagnie, who was raised in Brooklyn, New York, will turn 20 on June 29. The NBA Draft is set for July 29.
Voters Guide Primary Election May 18, 2021 Published by League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh Koppers Building 436 Seventh Avenue Suite 350 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-261-4284 This guide lists all candidates in the May 18, 2021 municipal primary for the offices of Judges of the Supreme Court, Superior Court, Commonwealth Court and Judges of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Also listed are candidates for the Allegheny County Sheriff, Allegheny County Council. Also listed are candidates for the Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh and candidates for the Pittsburgh City Council as well as the candidates for the Pittsburgh Public Schools Board of Directors. The candidate names are listed as they will appear on the ballot. The party of the governor is, by practice, given the first position on the ballot in Pennsylvania.
May 12-18, 2021 Publication of the Voters Guide was made possible by the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania-Citizen Education Fund Reproduction of this guide is made possible by the generous support of Laurel Foundation
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This Voters Guide was prepared by the League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh and the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania Citizen Education Fund. The League is a non-partisan organization and does not endorse or oppose any political party or candidate. Its purpose is to promote political responsibility through informed and active participation of citizens in government. The Voters Guide listings are based entirely on material submitted by the candidates. In cases in which questionnaires were not returned, only the candidate’s name and party are listed. Every candidate was asked to submit a photograph; those received are printed. The guide lists all candidates in the May 18, 2021 municipal primary for Justices of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Judges of the Superior Court, Judges of the Commonwealth Court, and Judges of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Also listed are candidates for Allegheny County Sheriff, and Allegheny County Council candidates. Also listed are candidates for the offices of Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh City Council, and Pittsburgh School Board Directors. The candidate’s names are listed as they will appear on the ballot. The party of the governor is, by practice, given the first position on the ballot in Pennsylvania. All registered voters, regardless of whether or not they are enrolled members of a political party, are entitled to vote for the
VOTERS GUIDE 2021
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
League of Women Voters Guide to Municipal Primary Election May 18, 2021
(Polls open from 7 AM to 8 PM) Special Election Ballot questions. Study the guide and choose the candidates for whom you want to vote. You may take the guide into the voting booth to help you. Nothing in this guide should be construed as an endorsement of any candidate by the League of Women Voters. Voters who are not sure if they are registered to vote should call the county Department of Elections, 412-350-4510. To find out what district you live in call the League of Women Voters Community Information Center, 412-261-4284, Mon-Thurs 9-3pm. Voting in a Primary Election To vote in this primary election you must have been registered by May 3, 2021. Your registration is permanent if •You did not change your address. •You did not change your name Prisoners’ Rights You are eligible to vote if you are awaiting trial. If you are a prisoner in Pennsylvania, you are eligible to vote if •You are registered properly.
PENNSYLVANIA JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT Term: 10 years Salary: $215,037 Description of office: The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the highest court in the Commonwealth and the oldest appellate court in the nation. The Supreme Court’s administrative powers and jurisdictional responsibilities are vested with the seven-member court by the Pennsylvania State Constitution and a collection of statutes known as the Judicial Code. The justice with the longest continuous service on the Supreme Court automatically becomes chief justice. Administratively, the courts within the Unified Judicial System are largely responsible for organizing their own staff and dockets; however, the Supreme Court has several committees and boards responsible for writing and enforcing rules for judges, attorneys, and litigants to ensure an efficient and fair judicial review. Annually, the seven justices receive over 3,000 requests for appellate review.
•You have obtained an absentee ballot. •You were convicted of a misdemeanor Identification Requirements for New Voters If you are a new voter or if you are voting at a polling place for the first time then you must bring your voter ID card or a photo ID such as a driver’s license, student ID or some other form of Federal or State government issued ID. Some forms of non-photo ID are also acceptable such as a firearm permit, current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, or government check. If you do not have any acceptable ID then you must be allowed to vote by provisional ballot. Provisional Ballots If your right to vote is challenged at the polls on Election Day and the problem cannot be resolved at the polling place, the judge of elections at the polling place should telephone the County Board of Elections. The problem could be resolved by phone if your name appears on the county records. If it does not and you want to try to resolve the problem, then you can go in person to the County Board
of Elections where a judge from the Court of Common Pleas will be on duty to resolve election problems. Alternatively, you can ask for and vote by provisional ballot. If it is later determined that you were eligible to vote your ballot will be counted. You will be given instructions on how to determine if your vote was counted. Mail-in Voting Voters have the option to vote by mail without providing any reason or excuse. To apply online, go to votespa.com. Or contact the county election office to request a paper application. Applications for a mail-in ballot must be received by the County Elections Division by May 11, 2021 at 4 pm. Completed mailin ballots must be received by the Elections Division by May 18, 2021 at 8 pm election day to be counted. Absentee Voting Registered voters who are ill, disabled, or will be absent from the municipality on Election Day may vote by absentee ballot. Completed APPLICATIONS for absentee ballots must be received by the Allegheny County Elections Division by 5 P.M., Tuesday, May 11. Completed
absentee BALLOTS must be received back at the Elections Division by 5 P.M. on Tuesday, May 18. If an emergency arises (unexpected illness or business trip) after the Tuesday application deadline, call the Elections Division 412-350-4520 for information on emergency absentee voting. Proof of emergency may be required. An emergency application and ballot can be obtained and voted by 5 P.M. on Tuesday, May 18. Any disabled voter having questions regarding the accessibility of a polling place should consult the Elections Division at 412-350-4520. Write-in Voting For write in voting information, check with the workers at your polling place before entering the voting booth. Election Day Problems If your right to vote is challenged at the polls on Election Day and the problem cannot be resolved at the polling place, the judge of elections at the polling place may telephone the county Board of Elections. The problem could be resolved by phone if your name appears on the county records. If it does not and you want to try to resolve the problem, then you will have to go in person to the county Board of Elections where a judge from the Court of Common Pleas will be on duty to resolve election problems. Internet Voters Guide This Voters Guide and other useful information for voters can be found on the League’s web site at http://lwvpgh.org or can be found by going to www. vote411.org and typing in your address and zip code.
Questions: Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure that all individuals have equal ac(Vote for One) cess to justice? MARIA MCLAUGHLIN A: Along with being our highest appellate court, The Supreme Court overseas our statewide court Party: Dem system and legal community. As such we have the Biographical Info: opportunity to set rules, educate the legal commuCounty: Philadelphia nity and create special court programs dealing with Mailing Address: P.O. Box human services issues like substance abuse & men15943 Philadelphia, PA 19103 tal health challenges, veteran’s issues & initiatives Education: Penn State 1988. focused on autism. All geared toward providing fair Delaware Law School at Widtreatment and equal access for people with unique ener University 1992 circumstances. Qualifications: Current Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, Judge on our PA Superior to ensure an equitable and fair court? Court; Served 6 years as Judge, A: As a lawyer & a judge I have always worked to Court of Common Pleas; Chief MARIA MCLAUGHLIN ensure everyone who comes into a courtroom has an and ADA, Phila District Attoropportunity to be heard and the law applied without neys Office; Rated Highly Recommended for the Su- bias. This is the cornerstone of our legal system. As preme Court by the PBA a Justice I will not waiver from that driving princicampaign website: http://judgemclaughlin.com ple. My work on the bench and in my life will always Facebook: http://@Maria4PASC reflect my dedication to fairness and equality. Twitter: http://@McLaughlin4PASC
DEMOCRATIC
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VOTERS GUIDE 2021
REPUBLICAN (Vote for One)
PAULA PATRICK
Party: Rep Biographical Info: County: Philadelphia Mailing Address: 481 City Hall PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania 19151 Education: Bennett College Greensboro, NC Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law Houston, TX Qualifications: 18 years PAULA PATRICK Trial Judge experience; Legal teaching experience; Frequent presenter/lecturer on legal topics; Highly Recommended by the Pa Bar Assoc. campaign website: http://Votepaulapatrick.com Facebook: http://@Judge Paula Patrick Twitter: http://@JudgePatrickPA Questions: Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure that all individuals have equal access to justice? A: On the Bench—A judge should ensure that people have access to our courts and adequate legal representation. A judge should also be patient with pro se litigants during court proceedings. A judge must also ensure that any and all available resources provided within the court system by distributed to all people equally. Off the Bench—A judge should get involved in assisting with community, social, professional and/or religious groups to help assist with programs that provided equal access to justice. Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure an equitable and fair court? A: On The Bench—I think the best thing that a judge can do to ensure a fair and equitable court is to follow the law. Our rule of law and our Constitutions are important because they are the foundation of our democracy. If a nation fails to honor its own laws, then we fail as a society. Off The Bench—A judge should be involved in community service and willing to educate people about their rights and responsibilities under the law when appropriate.
KEVIN BROBSON Party: Rep Biographical Info: County: Dauphin Mailing Address: P.O. Box 11683 Harrisburg, PA 17108 Education: Widener Commonwealth Law School, summa cum laude (2nd in class), Managing Editor Law Review; Lycoming College (B.A., Accounting/Economics), magna cum laude KEVIN BROBSON Qualifications: President Judge of the Pa. Commonwealth Court; over 11 years as statewide appellate court judge (elected 2009, retained 2019); Pa. Judicial Conduct Board, 2015-19 (Chair); 14 years’ private practice; former federal judicial clerk; “Highly Recommended” by Pa. Bar Association campaign website: http://www.brobsonforpa.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KevinBrobson-for-PA-112608997531221 Questions: Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure that all individuals have equal access to justice? A: I would work cooperatively with the governor and the legislature to increase funding for legal aid programs. While in private practice, I created a program in Dauphin County to expand pro bono opportunities for lawyers to provide services to nonprofit organizations. I would encourage county bar associations to think creatively about expanding pro bono service to small and minorityowned businesses and nonprofits. I want to ensure our courts have access to interpreters for parties with limited English proficiency. I would build upon the excellent work of Philadelphia Legal Assistance with respect to the representation of low-wage workers and the unemployed by engaging law schools and other legal aid associations throughout the state. Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure an equitable and fair court? A: I believe I have earned a reputation as a fair and impartial arbiter of the law. I treat everyone who enters my courtroom, or has a matter before me, with equal respect and dignity. I strive to appreciate the perspectives and points of view of all parties. It is important to me that every litigant, represented and unrepresented, be given every opportunity, within the rules and the law, to present their case. Moreover, as a former Chair of the Pa. Judicial Conduct Board, I am keenly aware of how important it is to Pennsylvanians that our judges observe the highest ethical standards on and off the bench. I hold myself to this high standard. All Pennsylvanians deserve to have faith in a fair and impartial judiciary. PATRICIA A. MCCULLOUGH Party: Rep Biographical Info: County: Allegheny Mailing Address: P.O. Box 12971 Upper St Clair, Pittsburgh , PA 15241 Education: University of Pittsburgh -BA University of Pittsburgh School of Law- JD Qualifications: Currently Judge- PA Commonwealth Court over 11 yrs. where I rule PATRICIA A. on issues that are brought MCCULLOUGH before PA Supreme Court; trial judge, Allegheny County Ct. of Common Pleas; Asst.General Counsel, Univ. of Pgh.;private practice attorney; Director Cath. Char; chair,Allegheny Cty.Bd.Prop.Appeals;Chair ACPRC. campaign website: http://Patriciaforjustice.com Questions: Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure that all individuals have equal access to justice? A: As judge and in career, I work with programs that promote restorative and equal justice. The foundational precepts of One Nation under God,”... with liberty and justice for all” must be ensured. I have volunteered: as instructor/faith-based jail program which reduces recidivism to 8-12%; with atrisk youth programs; to help implement residential drug addiction center; to help implement free legal speaker series for those released from incarceration;
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Chr./App. Ct Proc. Rules Committee/ system more user friendly; cmte.law students to represent pro se parties in UC; educate public to process; cmte./ Human trafficking diversion ct. I will fight for openness of all courts for those in need or wronged by the justice system. Art.I,sec.11 Pa,Const. Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure an equitable and fair court? A: I abide by oath to be fair and impartial and uphold rule of law and Constitutions of PA and USA. To ensure impartiality I did not take money donations from attys. or pacs when I ran for judge of Commonwealth Ct. of PA and I am not taking them for Supreme Ct of PA. I did not take controversial 2005 pay raise and for first 10 yr term on Cmwlth. Ct. gave mthly checks to state treasurer due to pay raise totaling over $10,000.00 dollars of after tax money returned to treasurer. Sentencing practices must be fair and transparent, not disproportionate; vIctims treated with dignity; implement faith-based programs that holistically address underlying issues (e.g. addiction,abuse,anger). I will uphold justice and oppose partisanship or abuse in system
PENNSYLVANIA JUDGE OF THE SUPERIOR COURT Term: 10 years Salary: $202,898 Description of office: The Superior Court is one of Pennsylvania’s two statewide intermediate appellate courts. This court, established in 1895, reviews most of the civil and criminal cases that are appealed from the Courts of Common Pleas in the Commonwealth’s 67 counties. The Superior Court consists of 15 judges. The president judge is elected to a five-year term by his/her colleagues. A large number of appeals flow to the Superior Court from the trial courts. Generally, appeals are heard by panels of three judges sitting in Philadelphia, Harrisburg, or Pittsburgh. The court often is the final arbiter of legal disputes. Although the Supreme Court may grant a petition for review of a Superior Court decision, most petitions are denied, and the ruling of the Superior Court stands.
DEMOCRATIC (Vote for One)
JILL BECK
Party: Dem Biographical Info: County: Allegheny Mailing Address: PO Box 81583 Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Education: I graduated cum laude from The George Washington University with my bachelors degree in criminal justice and a minor in psychology. I then graduated JILL BECK cum laude from Duquesne University School of Law, where I was an editor of the Law Review and a member of the Moot Court Board. Qualifications: Spent 10 years in the Superior & Supreme Court chambers of Christine Donohue, where I drafted over 500 decisions; represented clients in every area of the law that the Superior Court hears and in that Court itself; highly recommended by the ACBA and recommended by
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the PBA for the Superior Court. campaign website: http://www.JillBeck.com Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/electjillbeck Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/electjillbeck Questions: Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure that all individuals have equal access to justice? A: On the bench, a Superior Court Judge must provide a full, fair, & thorough review of every case that comes before her. The role requires a careful balancing of error correction through the appropriate lens & deference to the court below, without serving as a rubberstamp for any interest. A judge must also be decisive and efficient—litigants should not be required to wait years for a decision on whether they will be free from incarceration, able to continue in their livelihood, or able to obtain custody of their children. Off the bench, a judge can educate the public about Pennsylvania’s judicial system, their rights and responsibilities when coming before the courts, & the courts’ reciprocal responsibilities to the public. Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure an equitable and fair court? A: When providing a full & thorough review of every case, the judge must treat all litigants fairly & equally, regardless of the parties’ race, religion, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual preference, disability, or wealth. All persons are entitled to a fair consideration of their case, no matter who they are or what they are alleged to have done, & the writing deciding the appeal should reflect this. A judge should not be impatient or impertinent in her written decision, as this is indicative of a failure to treat those involved & the issues raised with the dignity and respect they deserve. All judges should also participate in implicit bias training to learn what it is, the role it plays in decision making, & tools to combat it. TIMIKA LANE Party: Dem Biographical Info: County: Philadelphia Mailing Address: 647 W Union st Whitehall, PA 18052 Education: West Catholic High School and went on to graduate Howard University in Washington DC & received my Law Degree in 2002 from Rutgers University School of Law in NJ. TIMIKA LANE Qualifications: Major Trials Judge presiding over 1000’s of trials, authoring 100’s of opinions. I handle all human trafficking cases & many of the most serious criminal cases & Grand Jury matters. Certified Child Advocate & as former Exec Dir of the Senate Govt Cmte advised on the constitutionality of legislation campaign website: http://www.judgelane.com Facebook: http://@LaneforSuperiorCourt Twitter: http://@JudgeTimikaLane Questions: Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure that all individuals have equal access to justice? A: As a sitting Judge, I ensure everyone in my courtroom is treated with dignity and respect regardless of race, gender, creed, religion, sexual orientation or socioeconomic status. As a member of the Access to Justice Committee, we address this issue by looking at possible barriers and how to remove those barriers to ensure everyone has equal access. As co-chair of
the Local Criminal Rules Committee we recommend the qualifications for court appointed attorneys to make sure that indigent people have capable legal representation. We ensure that the local criminal rules are fair and applied equally to all who all who come before our courts. Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure an equitable and fair court? A: The Superior Court is an error correcting court & often the last line of defense for the parties involved in a case. When reviewing an appeal It is vital the appellate judge have strong courtroom experience on both sides of the bench to best determine the if the proceedings in the lower court were fair, all parties were heard and the law has been applied fairly regardless of race, creed, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or economic status. I will ensure equity and fairness in all cases before me, just as I do for all who appear in my current courtroom. Off the bench, I believe judges should be visible in the community. We are public servants and it is our duty to make sure the public understands how the court system functions.
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NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
fair for all. I have and will continue to serve on the ACBA Gender Bias subcommittee. I, as a judge would be just as accessible to the practitioners and bar associations across the state.
REPUBLICAN (Vote for One)
MEGAN SULLIVAN Party: Rep Biographical Info: County: Chester Mailing Address: PO Box 3425 West Chester, PA 19380 Education: Temple University Beasley School of Law, Juris Doctorate (cum laude) Saint Joseph’s University (B.A.) Qualifications: 20 years criminal & civil law experience. MEGAN SULLIVAN Deputy Attorney General in PA Attorney General’s Office & Supervisory District Attorney, protected victims including the most vulnerable members of our society as a child abuse prosecutor. Asst. General Counsel at West Chester University and civil litigator. campaign website: http://www.megsullivanforjudge. com Facebook: http://@megforjudge Questions: Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure that all individuals have equal access to justice? A: I believe equal access to justice is essential to maintaining trust in our courts and our justice system’s legitimacy. I am committed to providing all individuals in my courtroom with equal access to justice by ensuring their voice is heard, their rights are protected, & that they are never subject to discrimination. I support efforts to enhance equal access to justice through legal aid programs that provide individuals with access to qualified attorneys. Providing interpreters for those individuals for whom English is a second language is also important. It is also important to give Individuals with disabilities full access to the courtroom. Everyone that comes before a judge should fully understand their constitutional rights. Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure an equitable and fair court? A: I have a deep respect for our Constitution and our system of justice. I have spent a large part of my 20year career as an attorney helping others to navigate both the criminal and civil judicial system. I respect the system but understand why some fear it. Individuals who serve in the role of a judge must recognize that they are the arbiter of the rules and the process. This is a great power that requires objectivity, an innate sense of fairness, and humility. I possess these traits and am committed to delivering to all citizens a justice system that shows respect and fairness, as well as knowledgeable decision-making that takes into account the parties’ perspectives and applies the law objectively.
Party: Dem Biographical Info: County: Allegheny Mailing Address: PO Box 13104 Pittsburgh, PA 15243 Education: Boston University School of Law J.D., May 1989 Note, Debt-Equity Exchange Programs in Developing Nations. University Of Pennsylvania B.A., May 1986 Major: Political Science Shady Side Academy H.S., June 1982 BRYAN NEFT Qualifications: Bryan has spent more than 30 years litigating and trying cases, and counseling clients throughout Pennsylvania. Bryan also served for nearly 15 years in leadership roles with the Allegheny County Bar Association and Supreme court IOLTA board. campaign website: http://bryanneft.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/bryanneft Twitter: http://twitter.com/bryanneft Questions: Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure that all individuals have equal access to justice? A: Access to Justice, to me, means ensuring that everyone who needs to utilize the courts has the ability to do so through legal services and other means designed to help them pursue claims or defenses. My leadership and hard work in the Allegheny County Bar Association and Allegheny County Bar Foundation led The Pennsylvania Supreme Court to appoint me to The Pennsylvania IOLTA Board, its charitable arm that oversees state funding of legal services to those who cannot afford them. I was appointed chair of the board in 2014-15. In that role, we stretched every dollar to maximize the number of people who received free legal services because they could not afford them. Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure an equitable and fair court? A: As a leader in the Bar Association I have championed changes to the rules to prohibit judicial officers from engaging in bias and discrimination. The rules must be reviewed continuously to accommodate changing norms and existing loopholes. Rules governing equity and fairness, however, are ineffective if the judiciary is not educated or educated sufficiently on what those rules mean and how Salary: $202,898 they should be implemented. I am a strong proponent Term: 10 years of continuing education programs, particularly on bias, Description of office: The Commonwealth Court implicit bias and discrimination to ensure that courts are is one of Pennsylvania’s two statewide intermediate appellate courts. This court, established in 1968,
PENNSYLVANIA JUSTICE OF THE COMMONWEALTH COURT
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unlike any other state court in the nation. Its jurisdiction generally is limited to legal matters involving state and local government and regulatory agencies. Litigation typically focuses on subjects such as banking, insurance, utility regulation, and laws affecting taxation, land use, elections, labor practices, and workers compensation. The Commonwealth Court also acts as a court of original jurisdiction, or a trial court, when lawsuits are filed by or against the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth Court is made up of nine judges. The president judge is elected to a fiveyear term by his/her colleagues. Generally, appeals are heard by panels of three judges sitting in Philadelphia, Harrisburg, or Pittsburgh.
DEMOCRATIC (Vote for not more than TWO)
DAVID LEE SPURGEON
Party: Dem Biographical Info: County: Allegheny Education: McKeesport Area Senior High Duquesne University - B.A. Duquesne University School of Law Juris Doctor Qualifications: “Highly Recommended” by the Pennsylvania Bar Association; Endorsed by the PA Dem; DAVID LEE SPURGEON Serving as a Judge since 2016; Appointed by the Governor and unanimously confirmed by the PA Senate; Adjunct Law Professor; National Judicial Fellow; Domestic Violence National Expert; former prosecutor family violence campaign website: http://www. judgespurgeon4commonwealth.com Facebook: http://@judgespurgeon4commonwealthcourt Twitter: http://@davidspurgeon4J Questions: Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure that all individuals have equal access to justice? A: As a judge, I use my position to promote systems change that ensure that all people have more accessibility to the courts. As a Judicial Fellow, I am using those resources to study the statistics over the year of the pandemic to understand whether the use of advanced technology communications increased participation in the court process. Often times, people with limited resources face additional obstacles inherent with our established court processes. Further, we can ensure that everyone in our community has equal access to the court regardless of how you look, who you love, the language you speak and your socio-economic status. Off the bench, judges should participate in the community as a stakeholder to promote the above matters. Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure an equitable and fair court? A: Judges must continue to be active members of the community. In order to understand how the court is perceived, one must be accessible and engage in intentional dialogue to understand all the people that we serve. Judges must continue to be trained in explicit and implicit bias as it relates to all aspect of the existing court system, and be open to discussing and participating in the changes identified to make the courts more equitable and fair. I recently participated in a national panel to address the racial disparities that exist in the child welfare system. On the bench, we must continue to serve as a servant leader and hold ourselves as well as our colleagues accountable for inequities.
LORI A. DUMAS Party: Dem Biographical Info: County: Philadelphia Mailing Address: 1234 Market Street Box 40606 Philadelphia, PA 19107 Education: North Carolina Central School of Law; Duke University; Executive Certificates from Cornell University, (D&I); University of Pennsylvania, Fels Institute of LORI A. DUMAS Government Qualifications: Trial Court Judge since 2002; Jury and Non-jury experience; Presided in Family, Criminal and Civil Divisions; Former Corporate Executive, Non-Profit Leader; Adjunct Professor; National Leader in trauma informed courts; Led the creation of victim centered juvenile human trafficking court in Phila. campaign website: http://www.judgedumas2021.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ Judgedumas2021/ Twitter: http://Twitter.com/JudgeDumas Questions: Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure that all individuals have equal access to justice? A: As a judge, I must ensure that every person that comes before the Court has the opportunity to be heard. I must rule according to the law without losing sight of the ultimate goal of dispensing justice. I must remove any obstacle which prevents equal access to justice by any means necessary. As a citizen, I can involve myself with organizations and in activities which seek to educate people about the Court, its processes and procedures and to equip them with the knowledge and power to to be able to use the legal system as an advocate for themselves and their interests. Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure an equitable and fair court? A: Judges set the tone in their courtrooms. They must model fairness, civility, patience and impartiality and demand it from those in their presence. In my courtroom, every voice will be heard and my decisions will be rooted in the law and cloaked in compassion and the urgency to do what is right. I must conduct a daily heart check to ensure that I am not bringing any biases with me that may interfere with my ability to render impartial decisions. I must call out injustice when it occurs...every time. In the community, I can educate others about their rights and the status of the law. I should regularly attend implicit bias trainings and require my staff to do the same, to ensure that fairness is not just a mantra but embedded in my core. SIERRA STREET Party: Dem Biographical Info: County: Philadelphia Mailing Address: 3241 W. Queen Lane Philadelphia , PA 19129 Education: Howard University B.A., 1995 Temple University Beasley School of Law J.D., 1999 Qualifications: Civil Division Complex Litigation Center SIERRA STREET Criminal Division Major Jury Trial Program Former Lead Supervising Judge, Philadelphia Indicting Grand Jury Program Former
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Staff Attorney, Defender Association of Philadelphia Former Chief Counsel, Friends Rehabilitation Program campaign website: http://www.judgesierrastreet.com Facebook: http://Judge Street for Commonwealth Court Questions: Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure that all individuals have equal access to justice? A: The greatest obstacle to justice is access to adequate representation for the indigent population and moderate to low income families. In my previous roles as an Assistant Public Defender, Family Court Hearing Officer and Chief Counsel at a nonprofit organization, I witnessed firsthand the lack of access to justice for many individuals and did my best to help fill in the gaps. As a judge, I can now make sure all parties have competent counsel/representation regardless of socio-economic status before proceeding in any matter that comes before me. Defendants should be able to participate in their own defense and pro se litigants should be provided proper guidance as they navigate the legal system. Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure an equitable and fair court? A: Additionally, I can make sure that everyone is treated fairly in court regardless of race, gender, orientation, etc. I am certainly sensitive to and keenly aware of unique issues faced by marginalized populations. As stewards of justice, judges should adhere to and apply the strictest rule of law while also championing inclusion and diversity. This will only strengthen our institutions. AMANDA GREEN HAWKINS Party: Dem Biographical Info: County: Allegheny County Mailing Address: P.O. Box 4766 Pittsburgh, PA 15206 Education: Duke University, BA Northeastern University Law School, J.D. Qualifications: 20 years of legal experience. I was elected and served two terms on Allegheny County Council. AMANDA GREEN campaign website: http:// HAWKINS www.amandagreenhawkins. com Facebook: http://Facebook.com/ voteamandagreenhawkins/ Questions: Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure that all individuals have equal access to justice? A: I am running for Commonwealth Court because I know the importance of checks and balances, and judicial integrity. I have the compassion and the experience to join the court providing a dedicated work ethic and clear comprehension of judicial process. “There should never be an attitude of ‘less important’ cases, each case deserves a complete meritorious review.” I am one of 2000 nationally recognized labor attorneys. My career is not based on being a “rainmaker” for profits, but to guarantee worker’s safety and dignitary. When individuals enter a courtroom they should feel confident the judges reflect their values and believe they have been heard. As a civil and Human Rights manager, this is what I do every day. Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure an equitable and fair court? A: You must immerse yourself in service to your community. In 2020, I was selected by Mayor Peduto to serve on the Pittsburgh Community Task Force for
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Police Reform. I served on the Board of the Women’s Law Project, and Pittsburgh United. When elected to Allegheny County Council, I was Chair of the Committee on Economic Development and Housing, I also served on the Budget and Finance Committee, and Committee on Government Reform. I understand the value of volunteer time. My experiences have prepared me to be fair and impartial. Everyday at work I fight for human rights and civil rights. Judges have an obligation to their community to be a humble and thoughtful judge. Equal justice for all requires an understanding of all citizens.
REPUBLICAN (Vote for not more than TWO)
DREW CROMPTON Party: Rep Biographical Info: County: Cumberland Mailing Address: PO Box 24 Harrisburg , Pa 17108 Education: Phil-mont Christian Academy Dickinson College Widener School of Law Qualifications: Currently a sitting Judge on the Commonwealth Court. I have authored over 100 opinions. They are balanced, well- DREW CROMPTON reasoned and thoughtful. I am recommended by the Pa. Bar. I also serve on the Supreme Court Appellate Rules Committee. I have extensive Constitutional, statutory and regulatory experience. campaign website: http://JudgeCrompton.com Questions: Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure that all individuals have equal access to justice? A: As a sitting Judge I have done all in my power to treat every person that comes before me with respect and fairness. Judges must ensure those with modest means have equal access to justice. We are all created equal but as judges we must insist that all are treated equally or justice is being unfairly denied. Filing fees and other court costs must be waived for those who cannot afford them. Also, quality lawyers must be available to low income individuals free of cost for civil and criminal matters. Further as judges we must ensure that no one perceives that race or wealth or political connections are weighed when a decision is rendered. High ethical standards are vital to instill confidence in the Judiciary. Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure an equitable and fair court? A: Litigants must be convinced that the Judge’s personal philosophy does not impede justice. I have also defended the powers of each branch of government since citizens want to be assured that the legislative, executive and judicial branches are not overstepping their constitutional boundaries. Further I try to be a judge that has common sense and treats every person with common decency. Judges must also remain connected to their communities and not be overly isolated. People have more confidence in the Judiciary when they know Judges care about our the same things in our Commonwealth as they do. Judges must have a heightened sense of their words and actions in the courtroom. Both must be beyond reproach. STACY MARIE WALLACE Party: Rep Biographical Info: County: McKean
Mailing Address: 5 Vista Circle Bradford, PA 16701 Education: B.A. Communications, University of Pittsburgh-Bradford (‘01) J.D., Duquesne University School of Law (‘04) Qualifications: More than 16 years experience & Owner of Stacy Wallace Law, LLC Specially Appointed Family Law Master & SORNA Counsel Adjunct Professor, University STACY MARIE of Pittsburgh-Bradford WALLACE Clerkships at McKean County Court & PA Superior Court Certified Mediator-Conflict Resolution McKean County Bar Assoc., President campaign website: http://stacyforpa.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/StacyforPA/ Questions: Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure that all individuals have equal access to justice? A: Throughout my career, my purpose has been to always seek justice. I was first inspired to enter the legal field by a pamphlet for Northwestern Legal Services, a legal aid organization of which I now serve on the board of directors. I’ve worked tirelessly to ensure that our state’s most vulnerable individuals, including atrisk children and those with disabilities, have equal access to justice, and have done much of this work pro bono. If elected, I will continue to advocate for and engage with underserved communities. On the bench, I will be a steadfast defender of equal justice under the law in all matters and safeguard the rights of all citizens regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, or financial status. Q: What can you do, both on and off the bench, to ensure an equitable and fair court? A: The makeup of the Commonwealth Court should be a true reflection of Pennsylvania and the broad perspectives and values of our residents. I will use my grassroots upbringing from McKean County, diverse experience, and values to guide informed and thoughtful opinions that produce more equitable outcomes. Off the bench, I will continue to engage our citizens, restore their trust in our courts, and raise awareness of our judiciary’s role and its moral and ethical foundations. Equitable courts start with having judges who value equality, fairness and a desire to serve others. As just one example of how I’ve done that in my personal life, I co-founded “Blessing Boxes of Bradford” which serves as small sidewalk food banks throughout McKean County.
JUDGE OF THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS (Vote for not more than NINE)
Term: 10 years Salary: $186,665 Duties: The Court of Common Pleas is primarily a trial court. There are four divisions of the Court of Common Pleas: Civil, Criminal, Orphans, and Family. The judges can be assigned from one division to another as needed. Judges can run on both the Republican and Democratic tickets. Because candidates may cross file, they are listed alphabetically. BRUCE BEEMER Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info:
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Last Name: Beemer First Name: Bruce Middle Name: R Mailing Address: 4 Commons Drive Campaign Phone: 412-8558782 Campaign Email: info@ KeepjudgeBeemer.com Campaign Web Site: http:// www.KeepJudgeBeemer.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ BRUCE BEEMER JudgeBeemer District: 5th Judicial District (Allegheny County) Education: College of William and Mary (1987-1989), transferred University of Scranton (1989-1992), BA History, Summa Cum Laude University of Pittsburgh School of Law (1992-1995) Qualifications for office: Sitting Allegheny Common Pleas Court Judge (appointed by Gov. Tom Wolf in Dec. 2019), 49th Attorney General of Pennsylvania, Inspector General of Pennsylvania, Office of Attorney General (First Deputy Attorney General, Senior Counsel, Chief of Criminal Prosecutions, Chief of Staff) Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: I serve in the Criminal Division and am one of only 2 judges managing the Sex Offender Court Docket, handling allegations of crimes committed against children. I served for 14 years in the Allegheny DA’s Office as an ADA and then as a Deputy DA in charge of multiple units within the office. I tried to verdict approximately 125 jury trials. After leaving the DA’s Office, I joined my father as a partner at his and my late-mother’s firm focusing on criminal defense and environmental cases. I’ve had cases in the criminal, juvenile, and civil divisions. In those prior roles and now as a judge, I see the people in each case and strive to be fair and impartial. All of these experiences qualify me to continue to handle a docket as a judge. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: Throughout my career, I have been the person people have turned to when governmental bodies have been in need of reform. In the wake of the Kathleen Kane scandal, I was appointed by the Governor and unanimously confirmed by the PA Senate as the 49th Attorney General of Pennsylvania. During my tenure, I helped to restore morale within the Office and repaired the broken relationships with other agencies. I then served as the Inspector General of Pennsylvania, where I investigated waste, fraud, corruption, and abuse in state government agencies. Since becoming the first new judge in decades to be sent directly to the Criminal Division, I have worked tirelessly to mitigate the inequalities and inefficiencies in our judicial and penal system. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: While I greatly admire certain Supreme Court Justices (Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Thurgood Marshall come immediately to mind), it has been both my personal interactions with and observations of Allegheny County President Judge Kim Berkeley Clark that make her my role model. She was my supervisor at the District Attorney’s Office for several years. Judge Clark exemplified empathy and compassion as a prosecutor, traits that are absolutely essential to being a fair and impartial judge. Judge Clark leads by quiet and distinguished example and displays a level of humility and respect for others we all need to show in the judiciary. She is prepared, punctual, and courteous to all who are before her. She is a superb role model for any judge.
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DEAN A. BIRDY
PAULINE CALABRESE
25 years and in all divisions of the Court Served as an intern on the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals Extensive experience in the Family Division, where new judges are typically placed Teaches other attorneys Family and Estate Law through Continuing Legal Education Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: I have practiced in all four divisions of the Court of Common Pleas. In the Civil Division I have been involved in jury and nonjury trials pertaining to auto accidents, product liability, and contract disputes. In Criminal Division, I represented criminal defendants in jury trials, preliminary hearings, and plea-bargains. In Orphans’ Court, my practice includes primarily adoptions and decedent’s estates but I also have experience with the estates of incompetents and minors. I have extensive experience in Family Division, having practiced in both the Adult Section and the Juvenile Section. In summary, I have a deep breadth of experience in all divisions, with a specific focus on family law, which is where Common Pleas judges are placed. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: In addition to my legal experience, my current role as the Mayor of Penn Hills and my experience raising 5 children gave me extensive, and often unwelcomed, experience in conflict resolution considering all sides of a dispute, getting results that range from pouting to big hugs. Penn Hills is the largest and most diverse municipality in the county, outside of the City of Pittsburgh. Every day I see how some of my neighbors are treated differently in the justice system than those from wealthier, less diverse areas. I understand how the justice system affects people differently, an understanding that will ensure I deliver equal justice to every citizen, regardless of race or gender. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: Although I have had the honor and privilege to practice before so many exceptional judges in Allegheny County, and the surrounding counties of Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland County, my judicial role model is the Honorable Kim Eaton, Administrative Judge of the Allegheny County Family Division. She is highly intelligent, yet down to earth. She is firm but has patience, compassion and the proper judicial temperament. She has the perfect mix of knowledge of the law and common sense. She is courteous and fair-minded. When litigants walk into her courtroom, they know that they will have a full and fair opportunity to be heard. My goal is to be a judge like Judge Eaton. TOM CAULFIELD
Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Calabrese First Name: Pauline Mailing Address: 142 Crescent Hills Rd Campaign Phone: 412-7151411 Campaign Email: contact@ calabrese4commonpleas.com Campaign Web Site: http:// calabrese4commonpleas.com PAULINE CALABRESE Facebook: Calabrese 4 Common Pleas Education: -1988, Duquesne University School of Law, Juris Doctorate 1985, The Pennsylvania State University, Baccalaureate, English and Philosophy Qualifications for office: Practicing law for over
Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Caulfield First Name: Thomas Middle Name: Patrick Mailing Address: Friends of Judge Caulfield P.O. Box 314 Braddock, PA 15104 Campaign Phone: 412. 708. 0557 Campaign Email: JudgeCaulfield2021@gmail.com TOM CAUFIELD Campaign Web Site: http:// www.JudgeCaulfield2021.com Facebook: Tom Caulfield for Court of Common Pleas Judge Twitter: @Caulfield2021 Education: I graduated summa cum laude from the
Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: Birdy First Name: Dean Middle Name: A. Mailing Address: 1241 Page Street Campaign Phone: 412-4637192 Campaign Email: deanbirdyforjudge@gmail.com Campaign Web Site: http:// DEAN A. BIRDY deanbirdy.com Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/Dean-Birdy-forJudge-106386594921686 District: Allegheny County Education: Thiel College, Business University of Pittsburgh, Law Qualifications for office: 33 years as civil and criminal trial attorney Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: I have worked on small litigation, real estate, assessment appeals, civil and criminal cases, and I have occasionally heard cases as a member of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Arbitration Panel. As far back as 33 years, I represented undergraduates at the University of Pittsburgh while in law school and then began working cases for all sections of the community including people with economic challenges which continues to this day. I volunteer through the pro bono program Neighborhood Legal Services to assist people with unemployment compensation and landlord/ tenant disputes. I believe my experience having lived and worked in both the city and the suburbs allows me to relate to all members of the county. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: I will attempt to judge others as I would ask to be judged: with respect, patience, and empathy. In my 33 years experience, the judges that are the best at resolving conflicts have listened patiently and respectfully to the parties. Those are the examples and principles that I will apply to this position the same way that I have applied them in my private practice. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: There have been many judges from the magisterial level to the common wealth court that I have been in front of who demonstrate the qualities that I have listed.
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University of Pittsburgh in 1988. I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy. I attended the University Honors College and was a University Scholar. I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1991 when I receive my Juris Doctor. Qualifications for office: I am Highly Recommended by the Allegheny County Bar Association. I have been a Magisterial District Judge since 2010 and have heard over 26,000 cases in every area of the law. From 1992 until 2010 I was an attorney with the Office of the Public Defender, and also had a solo practice for 12 years. Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: As an attorney with the Office of the Public Defender, my practice was concentrated in the Criminal Division. I represented clients in preliminary hearings, at trials by jury as well as before Judges, in post trial motions, as well as probation and parole matters. I had many occasions to appear in Family Division to argue PFA issues, and in Orphans Court to represent people fighting mental health commitments. From 1991 to 2004, I had a solo practice that was much more diverse. While still practicing criminal law, I also represented plaintiffs and defendants in civil cases, landlord and tenant actions, divorce and custody cases, and clients in juvenile court cases. My practice took me to most of the counties in southwest Pennsylvania. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: I try to treat everyone I interact with respectfully. All parties to the cases I hear, all attorneys who appear before me, and all witnesses who may testify in my courtroom deserve to be treated as I would like to be treated myself. In my years as an attorney, but especially my time as a Public Defender, I saw many Judges mistreat and demean people in their courtrooms. This was especially true for my indigent clients. No matter who is before me, no matter the type of case, and no matter the outcome, everyone must be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve. Failure to do so damages the integrity of the court and weakens its authority and reputation. As a Magisterial District Judge, this is one of the ethical canons I live by. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: I do not have a single role model. In my 19 years of representing clients prior to taking the bench in 2010, I appeared before dozens of Common Pleas Court Judges and Magisterial District Judges in nine different counties. I tried to take away something from every one of these court appearances. Sometimes it was a positive thing that particular Judge did, and sometimes it was a negative thing. I realized that each Judge brings his or her own strengths and weaknesses with them, and after my appointment I was determined to take the best of all of them and work to try to avoid their shortcomings. Rather than simply try to be the next “Judge So and So”, I have always tried to be the best Judge Caulfield I can be. It is a work in progress. WILLIAM BILL CAYE Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Caye First Name: William Mailing Address: 109 Crab Orchard Court Campaign Phone: 412.953.7022 Campaign Email: williamcaye@williamcayelaw. com
WILLIAM BILL CAYE
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Campaign Web Site: http://www.williamcaye.com Facebook: Caye for Judge Twitter: @BillCaye4J District: Allegheny County Education: Duquesne University, School of Law, JD Duquesne University, Liberal Arts, BA Qualifications for office: Recommended - Common Pleas Judge, Allegheny Co. Bar Assoc.; Endorsed for Judge, Allegheny Labor Council; Endorsed for Judge, Allegheny Co. Democratic Party; Endorsed by Char Valley Democrats; Endorsed by Teamsters Joint Council 40 & FOP#1; Past Sr. Deputy Attorney General, Assist. District Attorney Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: I have extensive trial verdict and judicial support experience in our Courts of Common Pleas sections. For over 27 years, I have been engaged on all sides of legal disputes in substantial, complex pretrial settlement negotiations, motions, litigation, trials & alternative dispute resolutions. This all-inclusive court room litigation experience, as described, starts at the minor judiciary and covers trial courts across our state - primarily in areas of child advocacy in Juvenile delinquency, Criminal prosecutions & Criminal defense. I teach professional education at The Cyril Wecht Institute. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: Servant-leader is an important personal trait that would make me an effective impartial Common Pleas Judge. I listen and problem solve, and as such, I am well suited to make competent court rulings that will make a real and meaningful difference for enhancing quality of life issues to transform circumstances for all people with poise, honest communication, a sense of fairness, and compassion. Judges must lead in tough cases and communicate effectively and responsibly in proactive, holistic ways to conscientiously serve every citizen every time fairly and equitably. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: RBG. Justice Ginsburg was my judicial role model because she understood how to relate to people she sometimes disagreed with, with class and humanity. As a Judge, she administered balanced justice and equity as Constitutionally charged with a profound, impartial, and independent daily duty of care. In so doing, RBG performed evolving judicial obligations that were entrusted by the will of the people, for the people, and to benefit all of the people. Her decisions including her dissents significantly impact many lives in a positive way. Judges like her must be critical thinkers and deliberate in their reasoning in order to solve problems and guide sound decision making. JASON J. CERVONE Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Cervone First Name: Jason Middle Name: James Mailing Address: PO Box 101277, Pittsburgh, PA 15237 Campaign Phone: 412-7161203 Campaign Email: jasoncervoneforjudge@aol.com Campaign Web Site: http:// www.FriendsofJasonCervone. com Facebook: cervoneforjudge Twitter: N/A
JASON J. CERVONE
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
District: Court of Common Pleas Allegheny County Fifth Judicial District of Pennsylvania Education: Villanova University, LLM Taxation; West Virginia University College of Law, Order of the Coif (Top 10%); Westminster College, Double Major Criminal Justice Political Science; Oliver High School Qualifications for office: 20 years of Civil Litigation Licensed in 3 States (PA, TX, WV) Practice both State and Federal Jurisdictions Representing small and mid sized local businesses Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: I have had the opportunity to practice Civil litigation in more than 10 different jurisdictions in three different states. I have handled cases from the initial filing through post trial motions. Over the past twenty years I have handled thousands of cases involving federal employment law, commercial and real estate matters. In addition to my civil litigation practice, I have also had the opportunity to act as general counsel for small to midsize businesses throughout the region handling a variety of different legal matters. Finally, I have also handled multiple commercial financing transactions representing regional financial institutions. I believe my diverse legal practice is indicative of my unique qualifications to be a judge. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: An important personal trait that I possess that would make me an effective judge is my willingness to put forth the necessary effort to educate myself on any issue I confront. Working hard and becoming knowledgeable on the issue at hand creates the opportunity to make a just and fair decision. Another key personal trait is my willingness to show respect to all parties involved when dealing with an issue. I believe these two traits that I possess in conjunction with my education, legal experience and life experience will make me an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: Judge David Cercone is my judicial role model. Ever since I first had the opportunity to sit with Judge Cercone, through a program offered at Westminster College, back in 1994 when he was on the bench in the Court of Common Pleas in Allegheny County, I thought I wanted to become a judge. As Judge Cercone transitioned from Civil to Criminal Court he was conciliating a multi-million dollar case, while at the same time having a sentencing hearing in a 1st degree murder trial. This experience was one of a few catalysts that ultimately lead me to go law school. Judge Cercone displayed the temperament and the knowledge that showed the parties involved respect while at the same time displaying his knowledge of the issues involved. JESSEL COSTA Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Costa First Name: Jessel Middle Name: August Mailing Address: 174 Monastery Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 Campaign Phone: 4124188085 Campaign Email: info@ jesselcosta.com Campaign Web Site: http:// www.jesselcosta.com Facebook: https://www.
JESSEL COSTA
facebook.com/jesselforjudge Twitter: https://twitter.com/jesselforjudge District: Allegheny County Education: Central Catholic High School. Pitt Undergrad: Pitt News; Phi Sigma Pi, honors fraternity; intern at PA Department of Labor and Industry & Pittsburgh City Council. Duquesne Law: Student Bar Association; Juris Magazine; intern at Pennsylvania Securities Commission & Pittsburgh Law Department. Qualifications for office: Working on both sides of a trial—as a public defender AND prosecutor— coupled with working on every aspect of a case— from the investigatory stage through a jury verdict—demonstrates a holistic, comprehensive understanding of the legal system. Practiced in more than 20 counties in western PA. Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: Jessel began his career as an attorney at the Allegheny County Office of the Public Defender. As an Assistant Public Defender, he handled hundreds of cases and clients in all levels of the court system. For the next 6 years, Jessel served as a Deputy Attorney General prosecuting some of the most heinous crimes imaginable: child sexual abuse and child pornography offenses. As Deputy Attorney General, he presided over hundreds of investigations and cases in more than 20 counties throughout western Pennsylvania. Jessel now works in private practice where he specializes in criminal defense. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: Jessel believes that his temperament, listening skills, familiarity with both sides of a dispute, and his ability to think outside of the box, are all qualities that would make an effective judge. Temperament ensures that a judge is respectful and kind. Listening skills ensure that a judge is reasoned and fair. Understanding issues from both sides ensures that a judge is free from bias. Ability to think outside of the box ensures that a judge will not be hamstrung by the status quo, but rather, look for creative solutions to make the system work better, and guarantee true justice. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: Jessel’s judicial role model is the late, great Ruth Bader Ginsburg. As the first Jewish woman on the Supreme Court, and only the second woman, Ginsburg was a trail-blazer and an inspiration. She was a champion of women’s rights, and stalwart of progressive jurisprudence, especially as the Court grew more conservative during her tenure. ALYSSA COWAN Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: Cowan First Name: Alyssa Middle Name: Burrell Mailing Address: 3157 Beechwood Dr., Allison Park, PA 15101 Campaign Phone: 202 352 6869 Campaign Email: Alyssa. ALYSSA COWAN Cowan@VoteCowan.com Campaign Web Site: http:// votecowan.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cowan4Judge District: Allegheny County Education: American University (Bachelor,
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Anthropology); University of Pennsylvania (Master of Social Work); Temple University Beasley School of Law (Juris Doctor) Qualifications for office: 20 years experience working on behalf of the most vulnerable children, youth, and families—plus the only candidate in the field with a background founded in Social Work. Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: I’ve acted as sole counsel in approximately 8,000 child welfare hearings, 500 of which I have tried to verdict. I’ve provided legal trainings on a variety of child welfare laws across the state of Pennsylvania and have also participated in statewide workgroups dedicated to improving outcomes for court-involved youth. With my Master’s Degree in Social Work, my entire career has been focused on finding the best outcomes for our court-involved youth—one that sets them on a path to be successful and productive in their lives. In my current position as an Assistant County Solicitor, I’ve represented our office in the County’s Interagency Heroin and Other Opioids Task Force as well as the on Domestic Violence in Child Welfare pilot project. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: An important personal trait of mine is my eventempered personality. I’ve worked in child welfare for over twenty years as both a social worker and an attorney. My even-tempered nature allows me to approach my cases with a patient, open-minded, empathetic, and thoughtful attitude. I create the space for everyone I interact with to share their story so that they feel completely heard and hopefully understood as well. Even when the tempers of those around me flare, my calm demeanor helps to deescalate situations and helps to facilitate respectful conversation and collaboration. I don’t rush to conclusions and judgments. I also work hard to check my own biases and to engage in constant education about issues impacting the community at large. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: A judicial role model of mine is Judge Kathryn Hens-Greco here in Allegheny County. She is a role model for me because she works to create a calm, nonthreatening courtroom environment for the attorneys and families appearing before her. I work with many caseworkers who express fear of walking into certain courtrooms because the judges in those courtrooms have mercurial temperaments and they never know what to expect. This does not happen in Judge HensGreco’s courtroom. Her courtroom management style also aligns with my vision of providing a traumainformed courtroom setting where parties feel safe to tell their story to the judge. Similar to her as well, I would dedicate my time and effort to court reform and improvement projects ROSEMARY CRAWFORD Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: Crawford First Name: Rosemary Middle Name: Christina Mailing Address: The Committee to Elect Rosemary Crawford Judge P.O. Box 130, Wexford PA 15090 Campaign Phone: 412-3458041 Campaign Email:
ROSEMARY CRAWFORD
committeetoelectrosemaryjudge@gmail.com Campaign Web Site: http:// rosemarycrawfordforjudge.com Facebook: Rosemary Crawford for Judge 2021 Twitter: @ElectRosemaryCr District: 5th Judicial District, Allegheny County Education: Juris doctor Georgetown Univ. Law Center B.A. Rhodes College Qualifications for office: 31 years as an attorney with Public Service Admitted to U.S. Supreme Court Broad range of legal experience Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: I am qualified for Judge because as a trial attorney, I know the rules of evidence, having served as conflict counsel representing juvenile defendants, and I provided pro bono protection/abuse representation and divorce in Family Court. I handled civil litigation such as personal injury, landlord tenant, product liability, contract and other matters in Civil Division. I have handled decedent’s estate matters in Orphan’s Court. I have served as an Arbitrator. I have also handled labor, employment, workers’ comp, unemployment comp, black lung, vaccine litigation, criminal matters. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: I am dedicated to justice and public service and equality, which will allow me to be a servant leader who will render decisions with compassion while treating individuals in my courtroom with dignity and respect based on the law and the facts and the constitution, rather than bias. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor because I admire her compassion, skill, and her service to the public. MARC DAFFNER Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Daffner First Name: Marc Middle Name: David Mailing Address: Committee to Elect Marc Daffner 445 Fort Pitt Boulevard Suite 100 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Campaign Phone: 412-281MARC DAFFNER 5002 Campaign Email: daffnerforjudge@usa.com Campaign Web Site: http://www.daffnerforjudge.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/daffnerforjudge Twitter: twitter.com/daffnerforjudge District: Allegheny County Education: University of Rochester, B.A., Political Science, Minor, Economics, 1990 University of Pittsburgh School of Law, J.D., 1993 Qualifications for office: I have been in continuous legal practice for 28 years, representing clients in thousands of cases at both the trial and appellate levels throughout Pennsylvania. A number of my cases have received national prominence and I am considered a “Super Lawyer” (Top 5% in PA). Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: I have represented clients in every division of the Court over the past three decades. My experience is not limited to Allegheny County, and my legal practice has taken me into hundreds of courtrooms in thousands of
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legal matters over the years, across our Commonwealth (in 33 of our 67 counties) at all levels of our Courts. This has given me a very rare and unique perspective in that, quite simply, I have seen and experienced the best and the worst that our Court system has to offer in a wide variety of contexts. I know what works and what doesn’t, and, more importantly, how to understand and empathize with people from all walks of life. This allows me the ability to render meaningful and appropriate decisions from the bench. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: I previously served a 6-year appointed term as an administrative judge for the Civil Service Commission in the South Hills, and I have actual experience adjudicating cases from the bench. I am very detail-oriented, and I tend to look at even the smallest elements of a particular case in order to provide a correct interpretation as opposed to an “off-the-cuff” determination of particular facts. To this end, I will not draw any conclusion until all evidence has been presented and every party has had a fair and ample opportunity to try their case and any legal issues which may have arisen are fully and completely researched. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: Earl Warren, USSC Chief Justice, 1953-1969. Warren led the Court with transformative rulings in areas ranging from desegregation to free speech to criminal procedure. The Warren Court issued many landmark decisions, and Warren wrote the majority opinion in some of the most famous cases such as Brown v. Board of Education (1954), Miranda v. Arizona (1966), and Loving v. Virginia (1967). Amazingly, despite the various personalities and political leanings of the members of the Court, Warren was able to achieve unique consensus on the court, particularly in some of the most controversial cases. ANTHONY DELUCA Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: DeLuca First Name: Anthony Mailing Address: 225 Ross Street, 4th Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Campaign Phone: 412.401.6963 Campaign Email: DeLucaforJudge2021@gmail.com ANTHONY DELUCA Campaign Web Site: http:// www.DeLuca4Judge.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ anthonydelucaforjudge Twitter: http://twitter.com/deluca4judge District: Allegheny County/5th Judicial District of Pennsylvania Education: Boston College, 1994 University of Pittsburgh School of Law, 1997, Magna Cum Laude Qualifications for office: Highly Recommended by the Allegheny County Bar Association Instrumental in Developing Mental Health Court in Allegheny County. Only Union Labor Attorney in the Court of Common Pleas race. Has represented working families for better wages, benefits and working conditions for well over a decade. Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: The most impactful period of my career is when I worked to develop the Mental Health Court in Allegheny County. I was able to experience the incredible benefit of working in a collaborative way in the Criminal Justice System to treat offenders and prevent recidivism. I have a wide variety of experience in the Criminal Courts as a Criminal defense attorney for over 15 years and before that an Assistant District Attorney. In my career I have
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been involved in hundreds of trials. I have also practiced in the civil courts as the only union side labor attorney in the Court of Common Pleas race. I have been representing unions as a substantial part of my career for over a decade. Finally, I have done some work in every of the Divisions. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: Many people in my family are school teachers including my parents, grandmother, Aunts, Uncles and cousins. When I thought of going into the teaching profession I was warned that I was not patient enough. Since that time, through life experience and being the father of three kids, I have learned patience. That patience is necessary in a judge because a judge should take the time to lean who is before the bench to best render decisions. Moreover, particularly when a defendant is in need of treatment, a judge should be patient in allowing that treatment to take effect. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: I clerked for Judge Maureen Lally-Green on the Pennsylvania Superior Court. She was a shining example of the traits of intelligence, passion, work ethic and fair mindedness that a great judge must possess. RICHARD THOMAS ERNSBERGER Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Ernsberger First Name: Richard Middle Name: Thomas Mailing Address: 355 Fifth Avenue, 12th Floor Pittsburgh, Pa 15222 Campaign Phone: 412-6065298 RICHARD THOMAS Campaign Email: ERNSBERGER richernsberger@gmail.com Campaign Web Site: http:// www.rernsbergerforjudge.com/ Facebook: @rernsbergerforjudge District: 5th Judicial District (Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas) Education: The George Washington University, Bachelor of Science in Economics; Ohio Northern University, Pettit College of Law, Juris Doctorate Qualifications for office: I have practiced law for 14 years, representing clients in state and federal court in a wide variety of civil cases. I started my career as a judicial clerk on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. In addition, I have experience in administrative law, and recently worked for the SBA during the pandemic. Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: My experience qualifies me to be a judge. I have handled a variety of complex cases in the Court of Common Pleas, from their inception until conclusion. I also have the key temperament for a judge— compassion, decisiveness, and commitment to equal justice, learned from my time as a Pennsylvania Supreme Court law clerk, as a litigator, and as a community volunteer. The Allegheny County Bar Association rated me Recommended for judicial office. I primarily practice in the Civil Division, where I have represented plaintiffs and defendants in consumer protection, real estate, employment discrimination, personal injury, and commercial matters. I also practice in Orphans’ Court, where I have administered estates and related litigation. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: My commitment to equal justice will make me an
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effective judge and will ensure that all parties receive equal and respectful treatment in court. Everyone should be afforded the opportunity to stand before a judge who is impartial and fair, listens to the arguments presented by the parties without bias, and applies the facts to the law for a fair decision. My commitment to equal justice is grounded in my long-standing community and public service work, including providing counseling for the Small Business Administration’s Office of Disaster Assistance during the pandemic, teaching legal education courses in ethics and insurance matters, and tutoring the Junior Achievement financial education curriculum at Kelly Elementary in Wilkinsburg. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s dedication to the law inspired me to be an attorney. Justice Ginsburg made wellreasoned and fair decisions, and instilled confidence in the courts. In high school, I followed the landmark United States Supreme Court case of United States v. Virginia in the newspaper. The case involved genderbased admission to the Virginia Military Institute. Justice Ginsburg, writing for the majority, struck down the Virginia Military Institute’s male-only admission policy. Not only did the opinion reaffirm my strong belief in equal protection for all, but I found the opinion to be clear, concise, and forthright - a model that I will follow when elected to the Court of Common Pleas.
BRIAN FLAHERTY Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: Flaherty First Name: Brian Middle Name: D Mailing Address: 528 Ogden Ave Apt 2 District: Forest Hills Education: 1985 Pennsylvania State BRIAN FLAHERTY University - Bachelor of Arts in Telecommunications. 1991 Duquesne University School of Law - Juris Doctor. 2007-8 California University of Pennsylvania - Certification as Secondary School Teacher in 4 content areas: Citizenship, Social Studies, Communication and Health. Qualifications for office: I am a member in good standing of the bar of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the bar of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. I am also a certified secondary school teacher in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of California. Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: Since 1991, I have litigation experience in both state and federal courts. I have represented clients with a wide variety of legal issues in Allegheny County and many surrounding counties. I have experience with motions practice and all forms of discovery. I have experience with preliminary hearings, bond hearings, pretrial motions, trial, post-trial motions and appeal. I have tried jury trials in both civil and criminal courts. I have successfully argued a case on appeal. I have experience with legal research and writing as I have drafted motions, petitions, pleadings, legal memoranda, legal briefs, legal opinions and other legal documents. I have experience in complex litigation. I have experience working remotely as
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a document reviewer. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: I am honest and independent. I respect people regardless of race, religion, gender or political affiliation. I am kind and compassionate. People in my courtroom will be heard and justice will be served. I do not play favorites. I do not favor special interests. I don’t play games. I am hard to fool. I have an appreciation for hard work. I have a variety of life experiences and I too have struggled. I was a union laborer, bus driver, and car salesman. I also worked with some great lawyers and the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania. I worked for President Joe Biden at Capitol in Washington DC when he was the Chairman of the United States Judiciary Committee. I have been blessed to know many people of character and I have learned from them all Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: Pete Flaherty is my role model. He is my Dad. He passed away in 2005 and I miss him every day. Like his Dad, he was first and foremost a kind person. He always treated people right. He came from very humble roots. His mother and father immigrated to America from Ireland. He grew up on the North Side. He fought in WWII and his father fought in WWI. His mother was a maid and his father was a street car driver. He was the first one in his family to graduate from college and he went to law school. I never heard him use a racial slur or degrade anyone. He was the Mayor of Pittsburgh and a former Allegheny County Commissioner. He was intelligent and genuine. He liked people. He had the respect of his political adversaries as he was always honest Mark Patrick Flaherty Party: Dem, Rep No Response RYAN O. HEMMINGER Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Hemminger First Name: Ryan Middle Name: Orville Mailing Address: 4 Colonial Drive McKeesport, PA 15135 Campaign Phone: 412-2973131 Campaign Email: info@ RYAN O. HEMMINGER hemmingerforjudge.com Campaign Web Site: http:// hemmingerforjudge.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/hemmingerforjudge Twitter: https://twitter.com/Hemminger4Judge/ Education: Elizabeth Forward High School, Bethany College, American University, Duquesne University Law School Qualifications for office: After law school, I clerked for Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice, Ralph J. Cappy and then Superior Court Judge Maureen Lally-Green. Since 2008, I hav been a litigation attorney with the law firm Leech Tishman, where I represent clients in cases throughout the United States. Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: My work in private practice has been focused on Civil and Orphans Division matters. I have represented individuals to enforce statutory and
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constitutional rights in Federal and State Courts throughout the United States, with the bulk of this practice in the Allegheny County. In one notable case, I represented a former Veterans Administration doctor after he was fired in retaliation for exercising his First Amendment rights by bringing public attention to issues impacting the healthcare of veterans. I have also represented businesses in a variety of cases, including construction matters. In Orphans Division, I have represented clients in multiple matters including protection of special needs trusts and will contests. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: My strengths are my compassion, commitment to a justice system that works for everyone, my work ethic and decisiveness. I have demonstrated these traits throughout my professional career and in public service as a School Director. As a litigator in cases across the country, I have experienced and observed too many judges who lack one or more of these traits, which destroys the fundamental principles of due process and tarnishes the legal system. I want to help change this by serving as the type of judge I want to be in front of as an advocate. My objective as a judge will be for all lawyers and parties to know that I have thoroughly reviewed their arguments and have rendered an informed, unbiased decision based on the law. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: There is no one judge I would characterize as my judicial role model. There are several judge’s with traits I admire and would try to emulate if elected. For example, I had the privilege of meeting Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg when I was sworn in as a member of the Bar of the United States Supreme Court. I have great respect for her compassion as a jurist, strength, and intellect. These are three characteristics of a great judge. On the opposite end of the political spectrum is Justice Antonin Scalia, who I also had the privilege of meeting. He also had tremendous intellect, judicial discipline and a devotion to constitutional separation of powers between the three branches of government. These are also important traits for a judge. NICOLA HENRY-TAYLOR Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: Henry-Taylor First Name: Nicola Mailing Address: PO Box 81578, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Campaign Email: info@ nicola4judge.com Campaign Web Site: http:// nicola4judge.com Facebook: https://www. NICOLA HENRY-TAYLOR facebook.com/Nicola4Judge Twitter: https://twitter.com/ Nicola4J District: Allegheny County Education: Slipper Rock University, 1993 Duquesne University School of Law, 1996 Qualifications for office: I have 25 years of experience practicing law, including clerking for judges, running the county mental health court, and private practice focusing on family and criminal law. Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: I have experience arguing in front of every division of the Court of Common Pleas. As an assistant District Attorney, I ran the County’s Mental Health Court. In my private practice, I focus on family and criminal court matters. I am often appointed to be a Guardian
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ad Litem, for a child, and represent an Alleged Incapacitated adult in Orphan’s court. If elected, I want to be a family court judge and continue to do that incredibly important work. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: My lived experiences make me perfectly suited to be a judge in the Court of Common Pleas. As an immigrant and black woman, I know the issues facing those communities and the under-representation, and systemic bias, faced in the judicial system. As an adoptive mother, I know the importance of the family division and the profound impact the court has on families every day. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: Judges are leaders who set the tone of the courtroom environment. Judges like Judge Clark, Judge HensGreco, Judge Bush, Judge McGaugh and Judge Williams who hire black staff, expect nothing but professionalism from everyone in their chambers are great examples. These Judges, and others like them, advocate for trauma informed courts, training on implicit bias and inclusive environments. GEORGE HEYM Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: Heym First Name: George Mailing Address: 326 Anita Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Campaign Phone: 412-4225003 Campaign Email: george. heym@comcast.net GEORGE HEYM Campaign Web Site: http:// www.Heym4Judge.com Facebook: Facebook.com/ heym4judge Twitter: @georgeheym District: Allegheny County Education: Duquesne University, BA 1994 University of Pittsburgh School of Law, JD, cum laude, 1998 Qualifications for office: Highly Recommended by the Allegheny County Bar Association. I spent 7 years prosecuting child abuse and homicide cases in Allegheny County. For the past 15 years, I have been a criminal defense attorney. I have done over 100 Jury trials and hundreds of non-jury trials. I am in a courtroom every day. Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: The vast majority of my time over the last 20 plus years has been spent in Criminal Court. Common Pleas Court is the trial court in Pennsylvania. Thus, judicial candidates should have actual trial experience to inform their decisions. How can a Judge work to fix systemic injustice in the criminal justice system if he/she can’t even recognize the underlying systemic issues. Over, the last 20 plus years, I have tried over 100 jury trials and hundreds of non-jury trials. This experience is why I am Highly Recommended by the Allegheny County Bar Association. It will allow me not only to recognize the problems in our criminal justice system but the experience to know how to fix them. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: Empathy. I am a product of the Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. Forty years ago, I was the
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subject of a drawn out contentious custody case in Allegheny County Orphan’s Court. Under the state of PA law at the time, the decision should have been rather obvious (and likely would have led to disastrous results for me). However, the Judge thought outside the box and in doing so changed the law, and my life, for the better. This isn’t just an interesting backstory. I personally experienced what it feels like to be swept up in the court system. I personally experienced what it is like to stand in front of a Judge, powerless. That experience taught me how every decision a Judge makes can permanently impact someone’s life. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: Justice William Brennan. He embodied the belief that The Constitution must “live and grow” as society changes to achieve Justice. Also, that the Judiciary must never stop working towards those ideals but must always strive to make our society more fair and more just for all. The Law cannot remain static—as society, technology and economic conditions change the Law must change with them. It is only by this process that we can change the systemic procedures that ensure unfair outcomes. RICK HOSKING Party: Dem No Response ELLIOT HOWSIE Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Howsie First Name: Elliot Mailing Address: Keep Judge Elliot Howsie PO Box 7273 Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Campaign Phone: 724-7054867 Campaign Email: elliot@ ELLIOT HOWSIE elliothowsie.org Campaign Web Site: http:// www.elliothowsie.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ ElliotHowsie2021 Education: Central Catholic High School, class of ‘86; Indiana University of Pennsylvania, BA in Criminology; Indiana University of Pennsylvania, MA in Criminology; Duquesne School of Law, class of ‘98 Qualifications for office: Social Worker for courtinvolved families; Assistant District Attorney; Director of the Public Defender’s Office; Judge in the Family Division; Judge in the Criminal Division; Highly Recommended by the Allegheny County Bar Association Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: I have been practicing law in Allegheny County for more than 20yrs. I understand the generational impact that our courts have on families and communities. In my role as the Director of the Public Defender’s Office, I was responsible for ensuring that every person that was unable to afford an attorney received competent effective legal representation. As a prosecutor in the District Attorney’s Office, I was responsible for prosecuting perpetrators of physical and sexual abuse of children. As a defense attorney, I was responsible for protecting the rights of people accused of a crime, and representing people in family court matters. My previous work experience qualifies me to continue serving in the Family and Criminal Division of the Court. Q: Describe an important personal trait that
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would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: I am an effective judge because I am patient and compassionate. I believe that my background, including growing up in a low income community, and working in the social service field, has given me a perspective and understanding of the issues that typically result in members of our communities becoming involved in the court system. Given my legal experience as a prosecutor and a defense attorney, I understand that there are two sides to every story and as a judge I must listen to both sides and allow everyone the opportunity to be heard prior to rendering a decision. Therefore, I believe that my character traits and life experiences have enabled me to develop a fairly unique judicial approach to presiding over cases in the court system. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: Judge Kim Clark, our current President Judge in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Judge Clark is a role model for me because she grew up in Wilkinsburg a short distance from my childhood home and she was the first African American Judge to become President Judge in the history of our Court. Judge Clark treats everyone in a fair and equitable manner and affords everyone an opportunity to be heard prior to rendering a decision. Judge Clark is an extremely accomplished jurist who ensures that everyone appearing before her is treated with dignity and respect. She allows her qualifications to speak for themselves and she has performed her duties as President Judge with compassion and humility during times of uncertainty. CLINT KELLEY Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: Kelley First Name: Gregory Middle Name: Clinton Mailing Address: 118 Abington Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Campaign Phone: (412) 9018689 CLINT KELLEY Campaign Email: gckesq@ gmail.com Campaign Web Site: http:// clintkelley4judge.com District: Allegheny County Education: Mediation Certification - 2019 Case Western Reserve University School of Law - 1988 Washington & Jefferson College - 1985 Qualifications for office: The Allegheny County Bar Association has rated me as Recommended. I have nearly 33 years of trial experience. With 9 vacancies on the Court and a backlog of cases from the COVID-19 shutdowns and slowdowns, it is important for our 9 new Judges to have the most trial experience available. Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: I have been practicing law since 1988. While I have practiced law in all 4 Divisions of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, the majority of my experience has been in the Civil Division. With nearly 33 years of trial experience. I have tried 65 cases to verdict, plus 5 complex FINRA Arbitrations, 6 U.S. Army Personnel Elimination Boards, and a significant number of County Arbitrations, Workmen’s Compensation cases, and Social Security Disability cases. I also serve as an Mediator and Arbitrator on cases in the Civil Division. As an Arbitrator, I served on the first 2 Arbitration cases that were tried remotely after COVID-19. I then was asked to serve on a
committee to help design the Civil Division’s Remote Arbitration Program. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: I am compassionate, I have a sense of fairness, and I am respectful of others. I believe these traits will help me if I am fortunate to be elected Judge. I will treat people who come before me with respect. And I will endeavor to reach conclusions on cases, motions and other issues, that are fair under the circumstances presented. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: Judge W. Terrence O’Brien of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County. He was the Judge on my first trial. During the trial, Judge O’Brien was patient with me and gave me the necessary latitude to work through a complicated fact pattern in that case. I was grateful for his patience, and the experience gave me the confidence to go forward and try more cases. Later in Judge O’Brien’s career, I had a number of Civil cases before him for pre-trial conciliations. I was impressed with how hard he worked to bring the parties together and get cases resolved. If I am elected, I will try to put the time in and work hard to help the parties get their cases resolved. I will also try to help young lawyers just has Judge O’Brien helped me. DANIEL J. KONIECZKA, JR. Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Konieczka, Jr. First Name: Daniel Middle Name: J Mailing Address: 89 Chapel Drive Pittsburgh Pa 15237 Campaign Phone: 412 3351361 Campaign Email: Daniel J. Konieczka, dankforjudge@gmail.com Jr. Campaign Web Site: http:// www.dankforjudge.com Facebook: Facebook/ dankforjudge Education: University of Pittsburgh - BA - 1982 University of Pittsburgh - JD - 1986 Qualifications for office: Highly recommended by the ACBA.I am a practicing attorney with over thirty-four years of trial experience. I am a sitting Magisterial District Judge. I also served as Deputy District Attorney in Allegheny County for over 23 years. Finally, I have 8 years of criminal defense/juvenile experience Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: As a magisterial district judge, I currently enter judgments in hundreds of civil, criminal and juvenile matters. As a Deputy District Attorney, I personally litigated or directed the prosecution of thousands of cases to include the most violent offenders and also oversaw the adult certification of appropriate juvenile matters. During my tenure, I was sworn in as a federal Special Assistant United States Attorney for the investigation, indictment and prosecution of the violent street LAW gang. As a criminal defense attorney, I handled both criminal and juvenile matters. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: I possess, as a current trier of fact, the trait of a thorough listener. A thorough listener possesses the courtroom knowledge and experience to discern, what sometimes is not well-articulated, but highly relevant to the issue at hand. A thorough listener permits all
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sides an equal opportunity to present their perspective. In addition, a thorough listener must understand how the law applies to the established facts. Finally, a thorough listener enters a judgment based on their common sense, personal integrity and empathy to all parties. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: I have appeared in many courtrooms and observe many fine jurists. U.S. District judges, Hornak, BarryFischer, and Ambrose modeled demeanor, thoroughness and courtroom command respectively. Common Pleas judges Allen (Superior Court), McDaniel, and Borkowski modeled fairness, confidence and command of the law respectively. Justice David N. Wecht is a model for his opinion writing clarity. However, to select one, the Honorable Jeffrey A. Manning is closest in possessing all of the aforementioned traits. Honorary mention to late judge Robert Dauer whose affability is unmatched. SABRINA KORBEL Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Korbel First Name: Sabrina Mailing Address: P.O. Box 22411 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Campaign Phone: 412-4536263 Campaign Email: SabrinaForJudge@gmail.com Campaign Web Site: http:// SABRINA KORBEL www.SabrinaForJudge.com Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/TeamSabrina2021 Twitter: @SabrinaKorbel District: Allegheny County Education: Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania Bachelor of Arts in Political Science - 1999 Graduated cum laude with Univ. Honors University of Pittsburgh School of Law Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Juris Doctor - May 2002 President, Student Bar Association 2002 Student Leader of the Year Award Qualifications for office: Trial Attorney with nearly 20 years experience representing the most resource burdened in Family Law matters. Highly Recommended - ACBA. Serves on panels and roundtables as an expert in domestic violence, trauma & safety planning. Works to promote safe, respectful & equal access to justice for all. Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: I have managed and provided legal representation to victims of domestic violence in over 7000 cases in the Family Division, including participation in negotiations, motions, hearings, and trials before Judges, Masters and Hearing Officers. Many of these matters have related cases in the Criminal Division allowing me to gain extensive knowledge of the criminal justice system and areas of needed reform. In the Orphans Division, I have handled adoption cases. I do not practice in the Civil Division, but I do oversee cases as a Hearing Officer (like a judge) for the Allegheny County Retirement Board. This experience has given me the knowledge and temperament needed to take the bench and make a positive impact on Allegheny County families. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: Empathetic. This does not mean that as a judge I would identify with each person’s authentic lived experience. It does mean that I will acknowledge my
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bias, value our differences and accept that a person’s lived experience affects how they see the world and make decisions for themselves and their families. Also, I have always recognized that most people who access the justice system have experienced some level of trauma and they need to feel safe to share their stories, that their voice is heard in the courtroom and that they are engaged in their legal case. As a judge, I would always show empathy and promise to apply my twenty years of training to ensure the use of a trauma informed approach and to strive to be culturally competent. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: The Honorable Kathleen Mulligan. She is a devoted and dedicated public servant. Judge Mulligan prioritizes the needs of the court’s true customers, the litigants appearing before her, protecting their rights and explaining procedures, even when it inconveniences her or requires the commitment of additional time and resources. She treats people fairly and with respect, ensuring that they are engaged in their legal cases and understand the results and next steps. She identifies systemic changes that advance access to justice, collaborating with other individuals doing the work to ensure holistic improvements. She is humble, impartial and hardworking and has always strived to make the court equitable and accessible. BRIAN SAMUEL MALKIN Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: Malkin First Name: Brian Middle Name: Samuel Mailing Address: 2347 Nevin Drive Pittsburgh PA 15237 Campaign Phone: 412-7157366 Campaign Email: BRIAN SAMUEL malkin4judge@gmail.com MALKIN Campaign Web Site: http:// malkin4judge.com Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/brian.malkin1/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Malkin4Judge District: Allegheny County -5th Judicial District Education: UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SCHOOL OF LAW, Pittsburgh, PA, J.D. May 1993 WASHINGTON AND JEFFERSON COLLEGE, Washington, PA, B.A., cum laude, May 1990 Majors: Computer Science/Mathematics & Philosophy Honors: Phi Beta Kappa; Academic Dean’s List (4 years); Philosophy Prize Qualifications for office: I have worked as a trial attorney for 27 years. I have volunteered for no-income clients. I am a local councilman for my community. The Bar recommended me as a candidate for trial judge. I am a 2021 Super Lawyer, AV rated for ethics and legal ability. I fight for my clients every day. Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: Judges are civl servants for their community. I have spent 27 years as a civil litigator, mostly, in the Civil Division. I have prepared and tried all types of cases as lead counsel, both juries, non-juries, and arbitrations as both a plaintiff’s attorney and as a defense attorney. I have drafted and filed pleadings and discovery, been involved in motions practice, pre-trial, and post-trial work before the Court. These cases include car accidents, slip and falls, complex business litigation, medical malpractice, employment and business matters, name change petitions,
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landlord/tenant matters, and other personal injury cases. I have handled so many types of cases in so many different courtrooms, I am ready to effectively serve my community. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: The ability to listen with compassion and empathy will make me an effective judge. No matter how small a case or whether a party has a lawyer, they are entitled to a fair day in court. Each litigant must be treated with respect in order to ensure that everyone receives their fair day in court. Listening in this manner is the best opportunity to arrive at a just decision. This is especially so when parties without a lawyer enter the courtroom. They may not use all the right legal terms or be familiar with courtroom procedures, or be nervous, or intimidated, or angry, but a good judge will listen, spot the issues, and get the correct and relevant evidence into the record, apply the applicable law, and then make the best decision. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: My judicial role model is Judge Rosalia Parker. My first job as a a lawyer was working for Judge Parker. She taught me the hard work of listening to all of the evidence, reviewing it, and applying the law to get a fair and just decision. She taught me how to eliminate bias in decision making by being aware of and making adjustments for cultural differences, nervousness, and demeanor of witnesses because of their upbringing and education. She taught me how to write wellreasoned decisions so that anybody reviewing a decision understands the evidence that was relied upon and the law that was applied. She showed me that even if a party has no lawyer a judge has a duty to get the party’s testimony and evidence to decide a case fairly. LISA MIDDLEMAN Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Middleman First Name: Lisa Mailing Address: 2615 Glenchester Road, Wexford, PA 15090 Campaign Phone: (412) 652-5743 Campaign Email: info@ lisamiddleman.com LISA MIDDLEMAN Campaign Web Site: http:// lisamiddleman.com Facebook: http://facebook. com/lisamiddlemanforjudge Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisamiddleman District: Allegheny County Education: 1980-1983 Duke University, Bachelor of Arts in History; 1982 (summer) Carnegie Mellon University, Computer Science; 1984-1987 University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Juris Doctorate; 2012 Community College of Allegheny County “Fundamentals of Supervision and Management” Qualifications for office: Proficiency in the Rules of Evidence and Procedure that are essential to making correct rulings on case dispositive issues. Taught many continuing legal education classes for attorneys. Training for magistrates seeking to hear homicide cases. Conducted study on racial disparity in jury panels. Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: In addition to representing those charged with
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all grades of criminal offenses in adult and juvenile courts, I have represented witnesses and victims at preliminary hearings, trials, motions, grand jury proceedings, mental health commitments, PFAs, and landlord/tenant disputes. As the first woman in the PD homicide unit, I have 34 years experience trying the most demanding and life-altering death penalty cases. I have demonstrated my dedication to the rule of law, ability to work hard to research and resolve complex issues, and a deep appreciation for the significance that my judgement may have, not only on the people who would appear before me, but on businesses, families and communities. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: One of the personal traits that will make me an effective judge is my understanding that we are never finished learning. I am a perpetual student of the law, research in social science, and of the people around me. My willingness to be informed, not only by policies from other jurisdictions, statistics, texts and legal precedent, but from the experiences of people in our community, will allow me to continue to seek out solutions that are fair and harm reductive. We must continue to explore experiences that are different from our own in order to sharpen critical thinking skills, gain insight and perspective, and to expand our knowledge. No one is ever finished questioning and learning from their mistakes, triumphs and overall experiences. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: My judicial role model is Earl Warren, former Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court. Warren’s greatest strength was not scholarly writing, but rather in his ability to marshal support and lead the Court to decisions that recognized and expanded individual civil rights. Warren authored landmark decisions in Miranda v Arizona and Brown v Board of Education. He led a Court that examined legal disadvantage by virtue of race, poverty, sex and political principles. Warren faced early backlash for decisions upholding one man one vote, interracial marriage, and the rights of accused in criminal cases, yet he remained firm that “when the rights of any individual or group are chipped away, the freedom of all erodes.” JOSEPH PATRICK MURPHY Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Murphy First Name: Joseph Middle Name: Patrick Mailing Address: 310 Grant Street, Suite 3309 Campaign Phone: 412-5212000 Campaign Email: jmurphy@ jmurphyfirm.com JOSPEH PATRICK Campaign Web Site: http:// MURPHY josephpatrickmurphy.com Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/josephpatrickmurphy District: Fifth Judicial District of Pennsylvania (Allegheny County) Education: B.A. Stockton College J.D. Duquesne University Law School Qualifications for office: Over Twenty Years’ Experience Representing People in Court Matters Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: I have been practicing actual courtroom law for over twenty years. I have a long history of
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representing PEOPLE. I was never a prosecutor or foreclosure attorney, I represented PEOPLE. During the sub-prime crisis I recruited and trained attorneys all over the commonwealth in how to defend people against predatory collections lawsuits. We saved millions of dollars for Citizens of our Commonwealth. This work went on for over a decade and involved endless appearances in court and everyone involved in the effort got a lot of experience. As a Roman Catholic, I also have a long history representing people in humanitarian immigration that dates back to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: Listening. I listen to people. I even try to create space for them to speak in. Listening can be an act of respect, even humility. Judges must show, and actually have, respect for the Citizens that come before them. A Judge that shows humility and respect will usually find those qualities reciprocated by others around them. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: R. Stanton Wettick. He was even tempered, patient, respectful of the litigants and public. Also very smart, a hard worker. Judge Wettick’s rulings were very consistent. This made our court system very efficient. MIK PAPPAS Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Pappas First Name: Mik Mailing Address: P.O. Box 4951, Pittsburgh, PA 15206 Campaign Phone: 412-7792587 Campaign Email: hello@ mikpappas.com MIK PAPPAS Campaign Web Site: http:// mikpappas.com Facebook: @mikpappas Twitter: @mikpappas District: Pittsburgh, 11-13 Education: Graduate of Central Catholic High School, Pittsburgh, PA; earned a B.A. from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA with a major in American Studies and a minor in Economics; and earned a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law with a Certificate in Comparative and International Law Qualifications for office: More than 20 years of experience in community, government and the law. Multidisciplinary attorney with a focus in innocence defense and civil rights. Elected magisterial district judge from Highland Park. Demonstrated leadership in advancing a more equitable and restorative local justice system. Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: I practiced in Courts of Common Pleas throughout western PA, mostly in Criminal and Civil Divisions. My appellate practice resulted in statewide precedents in support of marriage equality (https:// tinyurl.com/yn95kc43) and free speech (https:// tinyurl.com/rxcnepc). Considerable portions of my practice were devoted to plaintiff-side employment discrimination and protecting victims of predatory lending in federal bankruptcy court. As a judge, I have presided over thousands of criminal and civil matters. I have helped reduce evictions by 40% (https://tinyurl. com/ha3e7r6r), eliminate cash bail (https://tinyurl.
com/pvmze637), and create restorative alternatives for people who cannot afford their court debt (https:// tinyurl.com/ya5cbjpm). Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: I am a devoted father of two and husband to a first-generation immigrant who also an accomplished research scientist. I grew up in East Liberty during the War on Drugs era, and I personally have experienced the long-term process of recovering from the traumas of domestic violence, parental incarceration, and losing loved ones to gun violence and addiction. Importantly, I have shown my commitment to community and leadership through more than 20 years of working in community, government and the law. This broad range of experiences has made me an exceedingly effective judge, and the kind of judge that I believe we need to lead us from an era of reckoning with the justice system, to an era of deep reconciliation, truth telling and reform Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: I greatly admire Justices Brandeis and Ginsburg because they were brilliant, trailblazing judges who exemplified the bedrock democratic principle of judicial independence. For the same reasons, I would elect Judge A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of PA and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit as my judicial role model. When I became the only judge in PA to join other judges and judicial districts throughout the country in issuing a statement in response to the death of George Floyd (https://tinyurl. com/5r69xv29), I turned to his writings for guidance and cited a passage that he wrote about the authority of Congress to outlaw the “badges and incidents of slavery” under the 13th Amendment. CHUCK PORTER Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Porter First Name: Chuck Middle Name: John Mailing Address: 202 Garden Lane 202 Garden Lane Glenshaw, PA 15116 Campaign Phone: 724-9310385 CHUCK PORTER Campaign Email: team@ chuckporterforjudge.com Campaign Web Site: http:// www.chuckporterforjudge.com Facebook: https://facebook.com/ChuckPorterforJudge/ District: Allegheny County Education: BSBA Duquense University 1982 JD Duquense University School Law 1985-Law Review Qualifications for office: I’ve been a trial lawyer for 36 years I have served as an Assistant District Attorney, And have been in private practice for 34 where I have practiced at some point in every division. I have contemporaneously served as a judicial law clerk for three common please court judges for nearly thirty years Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: I began my career as an assistant District Attorney where I represented the Commonwealth in pretrial and trial manners. I have been in private practice since September of 1987. I have practiced in each division at some point during my career. I have primarily been
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a criminal defense lawyer throughout my private practice. I have accepted court appointments as well as private clients throughout my career. I have tried numerous jury trials in both the state and federal court systems throughout my thirty-six years of being a trial lawyer. I have been recognized by my peers as one of the best trial lawyers in America since 2006. Only two of the 39 candidates have achieved such a recognition. I’ve also represented the DA’s office in civil matters Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: I believe I am even tempered and possess common sense. I have been viewed by my colleagues as a “lawyer’s lawyer” I have appeared in front of numerous judges over the past thirty-six years all of these appearances have been learning experiences that better enable me to understand what makes an effective judge. My experience, temperament and reputation amongst my peers will make me an effective judge. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: My judicial role model is Judge Gustave Diamond I had the pleasure of appearing before him in many cases in the US District Court. One noteworthy case involved 13 defendants and spanned 11 weeks of trial Judge Diamond efficiently handled such a large case. He was fair and even handed with all lawyers and parties. He was prepared at all times and thoughtfully handled all objections and evidentiary matters. HIs rulings were well thought out and supported by the law. He required the government to properly present their case. Judge Diamond’s thoughtful, fair and even approach gave all in his courtroom a level playing field. He listened carefully to the arguments of the lawyers treated all with respect and made rulings consistent with the law. ZEKE REDIKER Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Rediker First Name: Zeke Middle Name: Kalman Mailing Address: PO Box 42 Glenshaw, PA 15116 Campaign Phone: 412-6393822 Campaign Email: elizabeth@ ZEKE REDIKER zekeforjudge.com Campaign Web Site: http:// ZekeforJudge.com Facebook: @ZekeforJudge Twitter: @ZekeforJudge District: Allegheny County Education: University of Michigan Law School, Juris Doctor, Cum Laude (Dean’s Scholar) University of Oxford, M.Sc. – African Studies, St. Anne’s College, Oxford, UK (Rotary Scholar) Cornell University, Bachelor of Arts, Summa cum Laude (Cornell Presidential Research Scholar) Qualifications for office: Senior Associate, Reed Smith LLP; Law Clerk, Hon. Helene White, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and Hon. Pamela Chen, U.S. Dist. Court for the Eastern Dist. of New York; Intern, Hon. James Boasberg, U.S. Dist. Court for the Dist. of Columbia Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: I have handled criminal, civil, and orphan’s courts matters in the Court of Common Pleas. One of my most recent cases involved filing a Post-Conviction Relief Petition on behalf of a wrongfully-incarcerated client. I spent months developing a successful petition, arguing
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that the Judge on the Court of Common Pleas had erred by revoking my client’s probation and sentencing him to 5-10 years in state prison. After we filed our petition, the prosecutor acquiesced to my client’s release and he was immediately discharged and went home to his family. This case made me want to pursue a judgeship because I believe that we need more judges that will be compassionate and accountable to the communities they serve. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: I think judges need to have an intimate understanding of the communities they serve, including knowledge of the different circumstances that children face growing up in the city of Pittsburgh. I am a proud graduate of Pittsburgh Public Schools. My experience at East Hills, a magnet school that drew kids from throughout the city, was formative. Although East Hills School closed in 2008, I remained involved with families and children in the neighborhood. Four years ago, I worked with Rep. Ed Gainey to establish the East Hills Back to School Drive, which works with community leaders to raise funds to purchase and distribute backpacks to families in the neighborhood. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: I had the opportunity to clerk for Judge Pamela Chen at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn and Judge Helene White at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Detroit. Judge Chen and Judge White are my judicial role models because they taught me how courts function from the inside out and the importance of good judges. I want to join the Court of Common Pleas so that I can use my legal knowledge to fairly serve people from many different backgrounds and communities in Pittsburgh. I am dedicated to ensuring that the cases of working people, vulnerable populations, and those without attorneys are fairly and fully heard and adjudicated. MATT ROGERS Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Rogers First Name: Matthew Mailing Address: PO Box 81857, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Campaign Phone: 412-2066712 Campaign Email: info@ mattrogersforjudge.com MATT ROGERS Campaign Web Site: http:// www.mattrogersforjudge.com/ Facebook: https:// www.facebook.com/ mattrogersforjudge Twitter: https://twitter.com/MRogers4Judge District: Fifth Judicial District of Pennsylvania Education: Undergraduate: University of Mary Washington; Law School: Duquesne Law Qualifications for office: Over 10 years of working with family law cases; Clerked in the Court of Common Pleas of Washington County; Rated as recommended by the Allegheny County Bar Association; Received the Pro Bono Legal Service Award for my work with indigent community members. Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: I began my legal career as a judicial law clerk in the Court of Common Pleas of Washington County and was involved in cases in the Civil, Criminal, Family, and Juvenile Divisions of the Court. During my tenure,
I participated in cases involving issues varying from mineral rights, to child endangerment, to capital murder. From there, I transitioned to private practice in a small general practice law firm. While there, I practiced in each of the four divisions of the Court of Common Pleas. Since then and for the past seven years, I have focused my practice in the area of family law, representing individuals in their divorce, custody, support, PFA, and juvenile dependency matters. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: Commitment. I am committed to the family division of the court. Most judges, when elected to the bench, serve as much time as required in the family division but seek an avenue to a “more desirable assignment” in the civil or criminal division as soon as possible. This revolving door makes it hard for the family law division of the court to be effective. My commitment to family law means I plan to stay in that division. My sole goal is to become the most effective family law judge that I can be, so that the families of Allegheny County are before a judge that understands the law and is willing to help them navigate their case for the long term. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: Like most individuals I imagine, I have more than one. However, one of my role models is Chief Justice Warren. He presided over a major revolution in judicial thinking in the US. His opinions helped to break down segregation and Jim Crow, strengthen protections against state abuse in the criminal system, and, close to my main legal focus, protected families through his opinion striking down bans on interracial marriage. He was not a perfect person or a perfect judge, and indeed he has some glaring flaws. For me though, it is inspirational to see someone rise to the challenge and use the law as a tool in creating a more just nation. I hope, in my own small way, to use the law to create a more just Allegheny County. GIUSEPPE ROSSELLI Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: Rosselli First Name: Giuseppe Middle Name: GC Mailing Address: 660 Lincoln Ave Suite 107 Pittsburgh, Pa 15202 Campaign Phone: 412-8777370 GIUSEPPE ROSSELLI Campaign Email: Giuseppe@ Rosselli4Judge.com Campaign Web Site: http:// www.Rosselli4Judge.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rosselli4Judge District: Allegheny County Education: Earned B.A. in Criminal Justice and Political Science at Allentown College of St. Francis DeSales. Earned J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Qualifications for office: I have been a trial lawyer for the past 20+ years. I have represented every case from Disorderly Conduct to Homicide. I have dedicated my career to the principles of equality, fairness and being thoughtful in the administration of justice. Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: I am a criminal defense attorney. It would be disingenuous to suggest that I am anything but a criminal defense attorney. Accordingly, 95% of my practices has been in the criminal courts and there are very few things I have yet to accomplish in
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that system. In family division I have represented individuals in PFA actions, Custody, Support, Divorce and I have completed multiple juvenile trials. I have some limited experience in Civil Division. My Orphan’s Court experience is limited to my role as a party to my daughter’s adoption. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: I have courage. I have dedicated my career to representing the accused. To do this effectively, one must possess courage to represent the unpopular client or issue. We, as a system, are at crossroad. Discussions of criminal justice reform has been the hot topic for the past four years. We are now presented with a generational opportunity with 9 open seats on the Court of Common Pleas. The work to be done will take decades, but it can and will be jumpstarted here if the right people are elected. Difficult conversations are required. I have the courage to lead those conversations. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: Judge Beth A. Lazzara is my judicial role model. She currently sits in the Criminal Division of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County. The characteristics that I value in a jurist are a positive temperament, an ability to make difficult and unpopular decisions, kindness for all that come before the court, and a commitment to helping others that is manifested in diversion over incarceration. Judge Lazarra checks all of those boxes and I am thankful for the relationship we share and the manner in which she handles her business. JIMMY SHEETS Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Sheets First Name: Jimmy Middle Name: Patrick Mailing Address: 4607 Library Road, Suite 220-300 Bethel Park, PA 15102 Campaign Phone: 412-9165995 JIMMY SHEETS Campaign Email: jimmysheets13@gmail.com Campaign Web Site: http:// jimmyforjudge.com Facebook: Jimmy For Judge Education: St. Vincent College Duquesne University School of Law Qualifications for office: Twenty plus years of trial experience. Life experience. Temperament. Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: My work has predominantly been in the Criminal Division as a Public Defender and private defense attorney. In Family Division my work has mostly been defending PFA actions and representing men and women as Plaintiffs in PFA actions on a pro bono basis for Neighborhood Legal Services. In the Civil Division I have done one jury trial, a non-jury trial and represented individuals in arbitration matters. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: Open-mindedness. I have both professionally and personally had a myriad of experiences that have made it clear to me that in order to learn, grow, lead and effectively help others one should be dedicated to having an open mind. Thinking
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has been a crucial tool in a career dedicated to helping others. Personally, the ability to consider the perspective of others has allowed me see things differently which allows for re-evaluation and growth. It is imperative that a Jurist be able to decide the issue before them by considering a myriad of viewpoints. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: Earl Warren. Brown vs. Board of Education, Miranda vs. Arizona, Gideon vs. Wainwright, Reynolds vs. Sims and Loving vs. Virginia. The Warren Court, under the leadership and guidance of Earl Warren advanced the rights of the criminally accused and disenfranchised more than any other court had or has since. When I read Gideon’s Trumpet, a book based on the decision in Gideon vs. Wainwright, I knew that I wanted to work for the Public Defender’s Office. I joined the Allegheny County Public Defender’s Office in August of 2000 and proudly represented indigent citizens of Allegheny County until 2005. In my private practice I receive court appointed cases from all of the judges in the Criminal Division. TIFFANY SIZEMORE Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: Sizemore First Name: Tiffany Middle Name: Elizabeth Mailing Address: 37 Barton Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15221 Campaign Phone: 412-2953066 Campaign Email: votetiffanysizemore@gmail. TIFFANY SIZEMORE com Campaign Web Site: http:// votetiffanysizemore.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ friendsoftiffany District: Allegheny County; Fifth Judicial District Education: High School: The Winchester Thurston School (1995); College: Antioch College, B.A., Education (2000); Howard University School of Law, cum laude, J.D. (2004) Qualifications for office: Tiffany is a 16-year courtroom veteran who has spent her entire career representing individuals who have been marginalized in court systems. She spent the first ten years of her career as a public defender and is now a clinical professor working to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline. Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: I am a native Pittsburgher who left after high school in 1995 and returned home as an experienced lawyer in 2012. Since 2013, my practice has been primarily in Juvenile Court (Family Division) representing young people who are facing charges. I developed the Youth Advocacy Clinic at Duquesne University School of Law. Our education work sometimes takes us to the Civil Division. Additionally, I have frequently represented young people who are charged in the adult system (Criminal Division) and have jury trial experience there. The courtroom experience that I have will make me a judge who is ready on Day One to preside over cases and understand and relate to those who appear before me. Q: Describe an important personal trait that
VOTERS GUIDE 2021
would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: I am tenacious. I am committed to working on my own caseload, but also to working on the systemic problems that plague our local court system including: reliance on cash bail, lack of sufficient community programming, and ending the school-to-prison pipeline. Mass incarceration is the unacceptable result when we allow these problems to flourish. We cannot afford to elect judges who will turn a blind eye to these issues or refuse to work on them outside of their individual caseloads. I have spent many years doing policy and community work, and I will take those policy partners to the bench with me. I will continue the work I am already doing as opposed to hoping to start it after I take the bench. I will be ready on Day One. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: I have many judicial role models, locally and nationally. However, one of my favorite judicial role models is Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Justice Sotomayor has consistently recognized and paid homage to ignored and marginalized people in her opinions. She is someone who, while sitting in one of the most powerful positions in the country, has not forgotten from where she came. During her confirmation hearings, Justice Sotomayor recognized the importance of diversity on the bench. She explicitly recognized that a woman of color, with the richness of her life experiences, would more often than not reach a better decision than her counterparts without those experiences. I agree with her and intend to bring the same to my work. PATRICK A. SWEENEY Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Sweeney First Name: Patrick Middle Name: Allen Mailing Address: 1205 Filson Street Pittsburgh, PA 15212 Campaign Phone: 412-8670671 PATRICK A. SWEENEY Campaign Email: patricksweeneyforjudge@ gmail.com Campaign Web Site: http:// patricksweeneyforjudge.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ PatrickSweeneyforJudge/ Education: Juris Doctor, University of Pittsburgh School of Law, 1995; Bachelor of Arts (Economics), University of Pittsburgh, 1992; Indiana Area Senior High School (Indiana, PA) 1988 Qualifications for office: 23 years as a trial attorney with the Public Defender’s office; argued dozens of jury trials, hundreds of non-jury trials, ranging from Retail Theft to Homicide; argued cases in all four divisions of the court of common pleas; represent my coworkers as an officer in the United Steelworkers Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: I have represented clients in all four Divisions of the Court of Common Pleas as a Public Defender, including: PFA Violations were considered “civil contempt” hearings and heard in Civil Division; Juvenile Delinquency proceedings are heard
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in Family Division, but often involve overlap with other aspects of Family Division such as Dependency, custody and CYF involvement with clients’ parents and other family members. Appeals from Involuntary Mental Health commitments are heard in Orphan’s Court. Most of my experience is in the Criminal Division, where I have served for over 20 years. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: Patience; The overwhelming majority of our clients in the Public Defender’s office are struggling with alcohol/drug abuse, mental health disorders—or both. Advocating for often difficult clients can test the patience and empathy of anyone. Exhibiting patience towards my clients builds trust, and prevents worse outcomes for the clients as their case moves through the court system. Judges must also be patient, not only with litigants, but attorneys and witnesses. If people feel they are treated fairly by a patient judge, then confidence in the justice system will be easier to maintain. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: John Zottola. I was fortunate to have been assigned to his courtroom for several years earlier in my career, and of all the judges before which I have appeared, he was the best. His knowledge of the law, of the rules of evidence, of how to efficiently handle a very busy docket without making it seem like cases were being rushed or ignored—he handled everything with as if it were the most important case before him. He had a sense of justice and empathy that is unmatched. Everyone who appeared before him knew they were being treated with respect, and no matter what the outcome of the case, we knew that our arguments were heard and given due consideration. He was unafraid to make controversial decisions if that is what justice required. ANDY SZEFI Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Szefi First Name: Andy Mailing Address: 501 Austin Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15243 Campaign Phone: (412) 259-0524 Campaign Email: info@ ANDY SZEFI andy4judge.com Campaign Web Site: http:// andy4judge.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Andy4Judge Twitter: @Andy4Judge District: Allegheny County (5th Judicial District of PA) Education: Bachelor of Arts, University of Richmond, 1994. Juris Doctor, University of Pittsburgh School of Law, 1999. Qualifications for office: 22 years of courtroom experience, and 9 years serving as Allegheny County’s chief legal officer and director of the County Law Department, handling a complex range of cases and issues while leading a team of 45 lawyers. Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: In my 22 years as an attorney, including 9
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running the Allegheny Law Department, I have practiced in all divisions. Most of my practice has been in the Civil Division. I also oversee perhaps the largest family law practice in Allegheny County as well as the largest of group of attorneys handling mental health commitment cases in the Orphans Division. I have never been a prosecutor or criminal defense attorney. Elections law, zoning and land use are areas within the Civil Division which will require an experienced and knowledgeable judge in the short term, and those have been three of my specialties throughout my career. My overall service as County Solicitor involving matters throughout the court system is unique in this race. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: An effective judge must have the ability to identify and understand the reasons why people are in court; not just the legal issues in play, but the underlying considerations and circumstances behind those issues. A good judge can do so and do so quickly. This requires a combination of empathy and legal acumen that I have demonstrated throughout my career. Many people have one or the other, but an effective judge has both. On a daily basis as County Solicitor, I am presented with complex issues that require analysis, understanding, and real time decisions that affect every resident of this County, not just the parties to one case. That is exactly what we require of judges every day. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: My judicial role model has always been nowretired Court of Common Pleas Judge A. Stanton Wettick. As a young lawyer, I sat for hours watching attorneys present a seemingly endless stream of motions and issues to Judge Wettick that ranged from mundane to esoterically complex. Every attorney knew that they were heard, that they were treated with respect, and that the outcome was just regardless of whether they were on the winning side. He was universally respected for both his temperament and his legal acumen. While I harbor no delusions about taking his place, I do harbor a desire to make our court system work in the fair, efficient and respected manner that Judge Wettick fostered.
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Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: I have been a trial attorney for over 30 years and practiced in every division. My 30 years of experience aligns me with the challenges presented to a judge when deciding cases that directly impact the citizens of Allegheny County Pennsylvania. I have the right combination of experience, community service, compassion, and temperament to serve as a Judge. The Judiciary has always proved itself as a savior for individual’s rights and liberty. I am AV Preeminent rated by the Judges and Lawyers I practice before and with and I am in the Best Lawyers in America. These honors are the gold standard. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: Patience. I possess an incredible capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset. My quality of selfrestraint or of not giving way to anger, even in the face of provocation. I attributed this to the way I was raised to always show mercy and compassion when dealing with others. Throughout my life as a women’s basketball player at Pitt and as a female attorney, I have face discrimination. I learned that rather than getting angry I would work through the discrimination and look to make positive results. Patience is essential to be an effective judge. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: Carol Los Mansmann (August 7, 1942 – March 9, 2002) was a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Judge Mansmann was instrumental in my decision to become an attorney. She was always kind and would take the time to counsel and guide me. When she died it was a great loss to the world and to women. Nora Barry Fischer is a Senior United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Judge Fisher represents what every female attorney should aspire to be. She is bright, has compassion, and patient. I have learned so much from her.
BETH TARASI SINATRA Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Tarasi Sinatra First Name: Beth Mailing Address: 1200 Campmeeting Rd Campaign Phone: 412-5195404 Campaign Email: info@ sinatra-judge.com Campaign Web Site: http:// BETH TARASI www.sinatra-judge.com SINATRA Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/SinatraJudge Twitter: https://twitter.com/tarasisinatra District: 5th Judicial District Education: University of Pittsburgh BA Business/ Speech Rhetoric 1982 Duquesne University Juris Doctor 1991 Qualifications for office: 30 years as a civil trial attorney, experience, AV Preeminent Rated, Best Lawyers in America, Multimillion Dollar Advocates Forum, Lawyer of Distinction,
ALBERT VEVERKA Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Veverka First Name: Albert Mailing Address: 429 Fourth Ave, Suite 1705, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Campaign Phone: 412-4002714 Campaign Email: info@ voteveverka.com ALBERT VEVERKA Campaign Web Site: http:// voteveverka.com Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/VoteVeverka Twitter: https://twitter.com/voteveverka District: Allegheny County Education: Mt. Lebanon High School Mercyhurst College, B.A. Political Science West Virginia University College of Law, J.D. Qualifications for office: Internship, Senator Boxer; Summer Clerkship, Justice Baer; Summer
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Associate, Jubelirer, Pass and Intrieri; Law Clerk, President Judge Emery; Assistant District Attorney, Allegheny County; Shareholder, Dickie, McCamey and Chilcote; Pennsylvania Supreme Court Rules of Evidence Committee Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: I was a law clerk in the Civil and Orphans’ Court Divisions. Served as an Assistant District Attorney prosecuting physical and sexual abuse cases. Currently, as a shareholder at Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote, I practice criminal and civil defense with Bob Del Greco. I have represented victims and defendants in PFA hearings, as well as juveniles in criminal matters in the Family Division. Additionally, my firm’s representation of the largest healthcare provider in the region has afforded me the opportunity to practice in the Orphans Division in cases involving will contests and guardianships. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: An important personal trait for an effective judge is the ability to listen and acknowledge that you do not understand or know everything about a situation. The most effective judges patiently listen to both sides, and give everybody an opportunity to be heard. Oftentimes, matters are resolved in Court because the parties simply want somebody to listen to them and suggest a resolution that might be beneficial to both parties. Once each side has had a full opportunity to express their arguments, the judge oftentimes can work out a resolution. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: My judicial role model is the Honorable Robert C. Gallo. Judge Gallo served Allegheny County for more than 25 years, earning the nickname “The People’s Judge.” Judge Gallo was consistently respectful of all parties who came before him, and never lost his humility. Judge Gallo was a regular man who did not attend law school, yet rose to be one of the most respected jurists in not only Allegheny County, but the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Known for his calm demeanor and quick wit, Judge Gallo could always defuse a situation. As a candidate for the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, it is my goal to strive to create such an environment, should I be fortunate enough to have my own courtroom. CHELSA WAGNER Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Wagner First Name: Chelsa Mailing Address: PO Box 3347 Pittsburgh, PA 15230 Campaign Phone: 412.345.3329 Campaign Email: info@ electchelsa.com CHELSA WAGNER Campaign Web Site: http:// www.electchelsa.com/ Facebook: https:// www.facebook.com/ ChelsaWagnerforJudge Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElectChelsa District: Allegheny County Education: The University of Chicago, BA (Public Policy Studies) The University of Pittsburgh School of Law, JD (Certificate in Civil Litigation)
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University of Virginia Darden Political Leaders Certificate Program CMU Women’s Leadership and Negotiation Academy Certificate Program Qualifications for office: Attorney for 16 years: public interest and advocacy focus; private practice areas have spanned litigation, employment law, immigration & business transactions. Allegheny County Controller; Pennsylvania State Legislator (House Judiciary Cmte) Fmr. Business Analyst for state and municipal policy Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: I have been an attorney for sixteen years, starting as a plaintiff ’s attorney. However, as an elected official, my foremost focus has been with matters of public interest and advocacy, though I have maintained some private legal practice over the years. In these roles, I have had experience across the civil, criminal and family divisions. I’ve been a leader on the most pressing advocacy and reform efforts, including healthcare access, environmental justice, reforms within the Allegheny County Jail and efforts to reform fines and fees. My legal ability, independence, leadership, government understanding, advanced administrative capability, and devotion to the improvement of the quality of justice, are crucial qualities for this role. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: Principled, tested and audacious leadership. Nothing is a better predictor of how one will perform in any public office than how she has responded to challenges and adversity in life. I have demonstrated personally and professionally that I am steadfast in conducting myself with integrity, courage and tenacity. I’ve always been willing to speak truth to power, but also thereafter to do the more difficult work to implement reform. The role of a judge is two-fold: first is the adhering to the highest standards within her own courtroom; yet second, and often overlooked is that she must lead within our system of justice and be a true steward of our democracy. The present times desperately call for that very leadership from our judges. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: As with role models generally, I have a number of judicial role models. The common thread among each was their legal acuity combined with courage and foresight, and collective contributions to the larger body of civil rights laws. Most notable among them are Supreme Court Justices Thurgood Marshall, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Louis Brandeis. I would also point to important contributions made by individuals who came to the bench from roles in public office, such as Justices Frank Murphy and Earl Warren. WRENNA WATSON Party: Dem, Rep No Response ILAN ZUR Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Zur First Name: Ilan Mailing Address: 5830 Solway St Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Campaign Phone: (412) 600-1242 Campaign Email: zur4judge@gmail.com
Campaign Web Site: http:// www.zur4judge.com Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/Zur4Judge Twitter: @zur4judge District: Allegheny County Education: B.S. in Industrial Management with a Minor in Architecture - Carnegie Mellon University (1994) Juris Doctorate - University ILAN ZUR of Pittsburgh School of Law (1998) Qualifications for office: Honest and impartial legal expert with 22 years experience serving our county. I keep an open mind and lead with compassion. I hope to take my public service to the next level as a judge in the juvenile division, and believe strongly in 2nd chances and rehabilitation over incarceration. Q: Describe your legal experience in the Civil, Criminal, Family and Orphans Division and why this experience qualifies you to be a judge? A: The general character of my practice has been criminal prosecution over the course of my 22 year career in the District Attorney’s Office. I’ve prosecuted a wide range of criminal offenses before approximately 50 different judges, primarily homicides and violent crimes committed with a firearm. I’ve seen the pipeline from the inside, which is why I’m motivated to serve as a judge in the juvenile division of the Court of Common Pleas. I believe we can do more and do better to help divert young people from prison. I believe strongly in second chances and that rehabilitation should often be considered before incarceration. The knowledge and experience I’ve gained these past two decades has prepared me well to serve as a judge. Q: Describe an important personal trait that would make you an effective judge in the Court of Common Pleas. A: Experience in objectivity. Many people think the role of a prosecutor is to put people in jail. In fact, a prosecutor is tasked with one thing: do justice. What that means exactly is a little more complicated, but in my practice it starts with objectivity and following the golden rule of doing right by people. Sometimes doing what’s right as a prosecutor means withdrawing charges, or seeking mental health or drug treatment at sentencing instead of incarceration. Other times it means keeping a violent criminal off the street, as commonly was the case in the roughly 100 homicides I’ve prosecuted throughout my 22 year career. The only way to hone that objectivity is through experience. Q: Who is your judicial role model and why? A: Judge Edward Borkowski, currently serving in our Court of Common Pleas, is my judicial role model. He’s someone I’ve admired and respected since I was a young attorney working under him at the DA’s Office. He goes above and beyond to serve our county. On top of having the same case load as other judges, he has the added responsibilities of handling all ARD cases, motions court, and teaching a class at Pitt Law School. I’ve done my best to emulate Borkowski throughout my careeraccepting speciality cases on top of my normal allotment, and taking my role as a teacher seriously as the supervisor of my unit, which has allowed me to help shape the internal culture at the DA’s Office and develop the next generation of attorneys in our county.
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ALLEGHENY COUNTY SHERIFF (Vote for one)
The Sheriff as an officer of the court serves writs, warrants, summons and other judicial documents, impanels jurors, executes sheriff’s sales and carries out orders of the county court. Term: 4 years Salary: $110, 372
DEMOCRATIC KEVIN KRAUS Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: Kraus First Name: Kevin Middle Name: Matthew Mailing Address: 156 Berkshire Court Pittsburgh, PA 15237 Campaign Phone: 412-5890573 Campaign Email: KEVIN KRAUS kevinkrausforsheriff@gmail. com Campaign Web Site: http:// www.krausforsheriff.com Facebook: @kevinkrausforsheriff Twitter: N/A District: N/A Education: Proud alumni of La Roche College, where I graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a degree in Administration and Management. I also am a graduate of the F.B.I. National Academy and completed police executive training at the JFK School of Government by Harvard. Qualifications for office: 21-year veteran of the Pittsburgh Police, thru the ranks of Detective, Sergeant and Lieutenant. For 12 years, served as Lieutenant of Major Crimes, Investigations Branch. Also was Zone 5 Station Commander for a year. For the last 7 years, currently serving as Chief Deputy of ACSO, second in command. Q: What elements of your education, training and work experience qualify you to be Sheriff? Why are you the best candidate for Sheriff? A: I’ve been in law enforcement for the last 28 consecutive years, working hard every day during these challenging times and continuously evolving with policing to best serve our community. I have gained the experience and knowledge to form a vision moving forward to do my part as Sheriff to work collectively with stakeholders to solve issues. I am the best candidate because I am committed to being an equitable Sheriff to all the citizens of Allegheny County and I want to continue serving and protecting every citizen regardless of background, race, ethnicity, gender or religion. Q: What are the most pressing issues in the Sheriff’s office and how would you resolve them? A: As Sheriff, the most pressing issues to me are transparency, personnel accountability, hiring, training and green initiatives. We have secured monies in our budget to enhance our current transparency with an InCar Camera Initiative. I also secured capital monies to create an early warning system to ensure personnel are held accountable, identify potential issues and further enhance transparency. I also want to hire the right people and better our hiring processes with additional pre-employment screening using a panel of physicians to obtain a collective decision on candidates. Lastly, I
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would also like to increase training requirements and founded by my parents, both European immigrants. opportunities and also invest in green initiatives with Current Steel Valley Auth. (Outreach Specialist) Q: Many municipalities in Allegheny County technology and green vehicles. struggle to pay for their government. What can DOM COSTA you do as a member of Council to make them Party: Dem more economically viable? No Response A: As a former council member of O’Hara Township, I recall public works and public safety as two REPUBLICAN departments that commanded a large portion of our budget. Voluntary consolidation of police departments No Candidate Filed may ease some of these budgetary challenges as well as cooperative agreements between communities ALLEGHENY COUNTY regarding road maintenance and equipment, however, the most dramatic cost savings would COUNCIL DISTRICT 1 result from true consolidation. Such a move would require state approval. Authority for Improvements (Vote for one) in Municipalities (AIM) provides low interest loans Initiates and adopts ordinances, makes to municipalities to finance capital needs. However, appropriations, adopts annual balanced budget, grants for multi-municipal projects should be adopts an administrative code, approves increased to encourage efficiencies. Executive appointments, conducts investigations Q: What policies will you pursue to promote of County Departments, accepts grants, gifts or social and racial justice for all citizens? donations on behalf of County, may modify or A: COVID has laid bare the social and racial eliminate departments, agencies or functions that no inequities prevalent in Allegheny County. As a longer serve citizens. Term of Office: 4 years Stipend: $10,940 Council, we are seeking to address these issues through ordinances. I have worked and will continue to make sure that Allegheny County works for DEMOCRATIC everyone, not just for a privileged few. I am proud of my track record on social and racial justice, but we JACK BETKOWSKI must continue to address the fact that the County’s Party: Dem most marginalized populations live in some of the No Response most polluted areas, in food deserts, with inadequate access to reliable public transportation. By using REPUBLICAN our budgetary power, we could greatly improve this situation. JOE WISE Q: What action, if any, would you support to Party: Rep improve air quality in Western Pennsylvania? No Response A: Pittsburgh recently received an F rating from the American Air Association, and is among the top 10 worst U.S. cities for air quality. Addressing this crisis ALLEGHENY COUNTY is a central focus of my work on Council. I was the COUNCIL DISTRICT 3 lead sponsor of the Clean Construction Ordinance passed by Council. This law requires all County (Vote for one) construction projects $2.5 million and above to use Initiates and adopts ordinances, makes the most effective diesel particulate pollution control appropriations, adopts annual balanced budget, devices available. I am the Chair of the first-ever adopts an administrative code, approves Committee on Sustainability and Green initiatives, Executive appointments, conducts investigations created to collaborate closely with the Sustainability of County Departments, accepts grants, gifts or Manager and municipalities to offer a regional donations on behalf of County, may modify or approach to our climate crisis. eliminate departments, agencies or functions that no longer serve citizens. Term of Office: 4 years Stipend: $10,940
REPUBLICAN
DEMOCRATIC ANITA PRIZIO Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: Prizio First Name: Anita Mailing Address: 117 W. Marshall Dr. Pittsburgh PA 15215 District: County Council District 3 Education: 1969-1981 Winchester-Thurston School; 1981-1985 Bucknell University (B.A. Political ScienceGerman); 1989 MBA University of Pittsburgh; 1999 JD University of Pittsburgh (Active Member of the PA Bar 83695) Qualifications for office: Allegheny County Councilmember 2018--O’Hara Township Councilmember 1998-2006 Work Experience: 19892019: Pittsburgh Crankshaft Service, Inc.-Owner. An internal engine parts warehouse, a family business
MEREDITH DOLAN Party: Rep No Response
ALLEGHENY COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 4 (Vote for one)
Initiates and adopts ordinances, makes appropriations, adopts annual balanced budget, adopts an administrative code, approves Executive appointments, conducts investigations of County Departments, accepts grants, gifts or donations on behalf of County, may modify or eliminate departments, agencies or functions that no longer serve citizens. Term of Office: 4 years Stipend: $10,940
DEMOCRATIC
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PATRICK J. CATENA Party: Dem No Response
REPUBLICAN No Candidate Filed
ALLEGHENY COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 8 (Vote for one)
Initiates and adopts ordinances, makes appropriations, adopts annual balanced budget, adopts an administrative code, approves Executive appointments, conducts investigations of County Departments, accepts grants, gifts or donations on behalf of County, may modify or eliminate departments, agencies or functions that no longer serve citizens. Term of Office: 4 years Stipend: $10,940
DEMOCRATIC MICHELLE NACCARATI-CHAPKIS Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: NaccaratiChapkis First Name: Michelle Mailing Address: 839 Justine Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15239 Campaign Phone: 412-7376868 Campaign Email: MICHELLE mchapkis839@gmail.com NACCARATI-CHAPKIS Campaign Web Site: http:// www.michelleforcountycouncil. com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ Michelleforcountycouncil District: County Council District 8 Education: Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Pittsburgh Qualifications for office: My career has been spent supporting communities to better protect public health and the environment. This includes also working with local, state and federal agencies. For the past ten years I have also served on the Plum Zoning Hearing Board & volunteered on the boro’s comprehensive plan committee. Q: Many municipalities in Allegheny County struggle to pay for their government. What can you do as a member of Council to make them more economically viable? A: There are 130 municipalities in Allegheny County, one with a population as small as 68 people. The Councils of Government and organizations such as CONNECT and the Local Government Academy provide an array of support and resources to municipalities to help reduce costs. With the American Rescue Plan funding going directly to these municipalities and Allegheny County, Council has an opportunity to have a leadership role. It needs to provide support to municipalities, and the organizations they rely upon, to ensure funding is distributed equitably by 2024. With discussions of a large infrastructure package, Council must work closely with both state and federal elected leaders to ensure federal funds flow to the communities in greatest need. Q: What policies will you pursue to promote social and racial justice for all citizens? A: I will use my knowledge of social determinants of health (such as affordable and safe housing, quality education, transportation, health care, and clean air
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and water) to advance priorities across the county that strive toward a healthier, more equitable and more prosperous region for all residents. The pandemic has demonstrated issues of inequality across the county. In response, the Black Equity Coalition was formed to focus on the disproportionate impact on the health, well-being, and economic stability of communities of color. This is an opportunity for Council to learn from the Coalition and respond to its recommended policies. Lastly, a civilian police review board is critical at the county level, given the number of municipalities. Q: What action, if any, would you support to improve air quality in Western Pennsylvania? A: There are many industrial sources contributing to poor air quality, resulting in an increase in cancer and asthma rates and a lack of economic growth. We have an opportunity to enforce stricter emission regulations to ensure these corporations invest in their facilities, upgrade outdated equipment, and use best available technologies so that hazardous air pollutants are no longer released and impact the community’s health. Reducing emissions from the transit sector, addressing petrochemical development, and creating a comprehensive plan to address climate change will also improve our air. An investment in workforce development, including working with the Community College of Allegheny County, could be a roadmap for renewable energy jobs.
REPUBLICAN ERIC P. CASTEEL Party: Rep No Response
ALLEGHENY COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 9 (Vote for one)
Initiates and adopts ordinances, makes appropriations, adopts annual balanced budget, adopts an administrative code, approves Executive appointments, conducts investigations of County Departments, accepts grants, gifts or donations on behalf of County, may modify or eliminate departments, agencies or functions that no longer serve citizens. Term of Office: 4 years Stipend: $10,940
DEMOCRATIC BOB MACEY Party: Dem No Response STEVEN SINGER Party: Dem No Response Republican
REPUBLICAN No Candidate Filed
ALLEGHENY COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 12 (Vote for one in your district)
Initiates and adopts ordinances, makes appropriations, adopts annual balanced budget, adopts an administrative code, approves Executive appointments,
conducts investigations of County Departments, accepts grants, gifts or donations on behalf of County, may modify or eliminate departments, agencies or functions that no longer serve citizens. Term of Office: 4 years Stipend: $10,940
DEMOCRATIC ROBERT PALMOSINA Party: Dem No Response
REPUBLICAN No Candidate Filed
MAYOR, CITY OF PITTSBURGH The executive, administrative and law enforcement powers of the city are vested in the mayor. The mayor shall control and be accountable for the executive branch of city government. Term of Office: 4 years Salary: $117,502
DEMOCRATIC (Vote for one)
TONY MORENO Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: MORENO First Name: Tony Mailing Address: PO Box 99493 Pittsburgh PA 15233 Campaign Phone: (412) 2514018 Campaign Email: realsteelmayor@gmail,com TONY MORENO Campaign Web Site: http:// realsteelmayor.com Facebook: Tony Morenofor Pittsburgh Mayor District: 1 Northside Education: some college credits Qualifications for office: 24 years of Public service in The City of Pittsburgh Questions: Q: What is your record of accomplishment in Affordable Housing and what are your plans for the future? A: My plans for the future would be to target existing abandoned buildings and homes, rehab them, and make them available to people currently awaiting housing. I would utilize the local workforce with specific job training to rehab existing buildings. This would be done under the blue-collar trades training programs I have plans for. I would utilize community input for housing needs with regard to who to make the specific properties available. Q: What policy changes would you recommend to improve police accountability? A: Annual evaluations upward as well as down the chain of command would be set up. Meaning, the patrol officer would evaluate their sergeants to hold them accountable for their treatment of the officers. Sergeants would evaluate their Lieutenant, in the same manner, the patrol officer would evaluate their Sergeant. This will hold everyone accountable and likely eliminate discrimination and corruption inside of the leadership structure. Leadership training would be prioritized over promotion. Selection for promotion would be based on the individual’s body of work, not nepotism or favoritism. The complaint process has shown the police department is failing and lacking
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in accountability and approval by the citizens of Pittsburgh. Q: What kinds of strategies would you pursue to address the multiple and interconnected challenges of climate change, social, environmental and economic justice? A: I would increase the forestry department as well as environmental services to enact the plans I have for improved air and water quality. I have a comprehensive plan for job opportunities and training for underserved communities. The start is with drivers licenses (to include driver’s training). The ability to drive legally is imperative for opportunities in many fields or trades. MICHAEL THOMPSON Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: Thompson First Name: Michael Middle Name: Watson Mailing Address: 3206 Niagara Street Apt. 603 Campaign Phone: 4124238755 Campaign Email: MICHAEL THOMPSON Mikethompsonformayor@ gmail.com Campaign Web Site: http:// Mikethompsonformayor.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/ mikethompsonformayor Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/ MikeThompsonPgh District: City of Pittsburgh Education: Brown University, class of 2007 Qualifications for office: Not a politician who takes money from developers who gentrify our city to death. No bribes accepted. They call them campaign donations but those are bribes from developers. Once in office they give out tax breaks to the rich. Those are bribes given out to developers. For the people by the people. Questions: Q: What is your record of accomplishment in Affordable Housing and what are your plans for the future? A: I live in public housing. I advocate for and support my neighbors and friends, who are also public housing residents. I have fought to have our voices heard. We tried to get a tenant council approved but were shut down by the Bill Peduto administration. We need a tenant council in every public housing complex. Bill Peduto’s Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh needs new employees who actually care, not people who are just there for a paycheck. Tenants regularly get evicted for being behind on rent and are offered no help, only threats of eviction and then eviction. Money and assistance needs to be offered to public housing residents who fall behind. We need a social worker and a new organization to help those in need. Q: What policy changes would you recommend to improve police accountability? A: We need to disband the police union. We need a nonunionized police force. We need to fire the bad police officers and keep them fired. Act 111 means we are powerless to the police union. Fired officers regularly get their jobs back courtesy of the police union. The only way around Act 111 is to get rid of the police union. During the next mayoral term, the contract with the police union is up. I see no reason to renew it. To get real police reform, we must get rid of the police union. With the police union gone, we can completely redo how we respond to emergency calls. When you call 911, a professional will show up to help you, that I
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guarantee. When people are in mental distress, we will send a social worker not the police. Q: What kinds of strategies would you pursue to address the multiple and interconnected challenges of climate change, social, environmental and economic justice? A: We need more community groups in our underserved communities. We need social workers to reach out and organize these communities, much like Obama did in Chicago. I live in an overlooked community, South Oakland. A social worker from the Oakland Planning and Development Corporation organized the neighborhood and helped us create our local community group, the South Oakland Neighborhood Group. This is a good model for how to create stronger communities in underserved neighborhoods and something we can and should replicate. Stronger communities have more resilience and a greater ability to overcome the challenges of climate change. We in the government need to more active listening and to be more open to new ideas.
municipalities the ability to hold these officers fully accountable. Q: What kinds of strategies would you pursue to address the multiple and interconnected challenges of climate change, social, environmental and economic justice? A: I am going to continue to enforce our regulations to make sure that low income communities and communities of color do not have to suffer from the devastating impacts of climate injustice, and I am going to push for a just transition to move workers from fracking and into renewable energy. I sponsored Pittsburgh’s fracking ban, which was the first in the world. As Mayor I reformed PWSA and instituted a plan to replace all lead service lines. Black and Brown communities bear the burden of all forms of pollution. I implemented a Climate Action Plan for the City, which included running City operations on 100% renewable sources. I also co-developed the Marshall Plan for Middle America, which is a roadmap for a just transition.
WILLIAM PEDUTO
EDWARD C. GAINEY
Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: Peduto First Name: Bill Mailing Address: PO Box 9161, Pittsburgh, PA 15224 Campaign Phone: 412-2948683 Campaign Email: info@ billpeduto.com WILLIAM PEDUTO Campaign Web Site: http:// www.billpeduto.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ pedutoforpittsburgh Twitter: www.twitter.com/billpeduto District: City of Pittsburgh Education: Pennsylvania State University, BA, Political Science University of Pittsburgh, MPA, Public Policy & Management Qualifications for office: Current Mayor of Pittsburgh, Former City Councilmember; Former City Council Staffer, Created Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan Versions 1.0, 2.0, 3.0; Sponsored Fracking Ban Questions: Q: What is your record of accomplishment in Affordable Housing and what are your plans for the future? A: I have started numerous programs to make Pittsburgh more affordable. I created a $120 million affordable housing trust fund, called the Housing Opportunity Fund. It provides rental assistance as well as investment for the creation of more affordable housing in Pittsburgh. I also created the Land Bank, which puts vacant land and homes into the hands of people who need them. Furthermore, I started OwnPGH, a $26 million program that makes it easier for people to buy and rehab homes. I believe that home ownership is the way to increasing wealth in the Black community. Additionally, have been awarded a record number of 9% Low Income Tax Credits, which makes it easier to construct affordable housing. We are attacking affordability head on. Q: What policy changes would you recommend to improve police accountability? A: During my administration, making the Bureau of Police more accountable has been a top priority. We have mandated the use of body cameras, use of force complaints and lawsuits against the department are at an all time low. Despite this, there is a lot of work that still needs to happen. Mayors should have the power to dismiss bad officers, full stop. They can’t have this power until the legislature amends Act 111, and gives
Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: Gainey First Name: Ed Mailing Address: PO Box 5208, Pittsburgh, PA 15206 Campaign Phone: 412-2823846 Campaign Email: info@ gaineyformayor.com EDWARD C. GAINEY Campaign Web Site: http:// gaineyformayor.com Facebook: https://www.facebook. com/gaineyformayor Twitter: https://twitter.com/gaineyformayor District: Currently represents House District 24 in the General Assembly, Running for Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh Education: Morgan State University Class of 1994; Peabody High School Class of 1988 Qualifications for office: Raised by a single mom in East Liberty and the first in his family to go to college, Ed has spent years fighting the inequality that too many Pittsburghers have faced for decades. In Harrisburg, he’s fought to raise the minimum wage, increase transit funding, and reform our criminal justice system. Questions: Q: What is your record of accomplishment in Affordable Housing and what are your plans for the future? A: As a State Representative, I’ve championed the development of affordable housing in my district and fought on behalf of residents facing displacement. As Mayor I will invest in housing every Pittsburgher can afford. That means: 1) using the leverage of the City’s planning process to demand community benefit agreements and inclusionary contracting practices from developers rather than rubber stamping their plans, 2) deploying tools like Community Land Trusts, the Land Bank, and Inclusionary Zoning to build neighborhoods that are accessible for everyone, and 3) focusing the resources of the Housing Authority and URA on expanding affordable housing options, preventing displacement, and protecting neighborhoods from predatory development. Q: What policy changes would you recommend to improve police accountability? A: We need to change the way we police this city. If elected, I’m committed to real police reform that ensures that no Pittsburgher lives in fear of crime, or of the police. That means: 1) demilitarizing police equipment and training to break the “us vs them” mentality between police and community, 2) redirecting resources from militarized
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gear and tactics into implementing community policing strategies, 3) establishing alternative response procedures that allow social and healthcare workers to respond nonviolent and mental health emergencies instead of police, 4) fighting for use of force reform to change the rules of engagement between police and the public and make it easier to hold officers accountable when they abuse their power. Q: What kinds of strategies would you pursue to address the multiple and interconnected challenges of climate change, social, environmental and economic justice? A: Interconnected injustices require an intersectional response. If we attempt to address exclusion in silos, people who face multiple injustices end up falling through the cracks. Breaking through those silos requires active leadership that understands how inequalities compound for our most marginalized communities. As Mayor I’m committed to a zero-harm, zero-exclusion agenda that lifts everyone up by focusing on those who have been left furthest behind, defending their right to belong and contribute, and treating them like the assets that they are for our City. The time for simply talking about that reality is over, we need action, and we need to elevate leaders who have those lived experiences to arrive at solutions.
PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 2 (Vote for one in your district)
Council consists of nine members elected by district by the city of Pittsburgh voters. The legislative power is vested in the council. Council members in odd-numbered districts are elected 2 years after the even-numbered district members are elected. Term: 4 years Salary: $70,108
DEMOCRATIC JACOB WILLIAMSON Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: Williamson First Name: Jacob Mailing Address: 915 Ringgold Street Campaign Phone: 724-5049581 Campaign Email: williamson@jacobpgh.com JACOB WILLIAMSON Campaign Web Site: http:// www.jacobpgh.com Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/JacobWilliamsonforCityCouncil Twitter: n/a District: n/a Education: Gallup CliftonStrengths, 2019; Omaha, Nebraska; Certified Strengths Coach | Augustine Institute, 2018; Denver, Colorado; Master of Arts in Theology | Gannon University, 2010; Erie, Pennsylvania; Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy Qualifications for office: For the last ten years, I have served youth, families, and people experiencing homelessness. I am a strong advocate who knows how to take charge, speak up, and make sure all voices are heard. As a political outsider, I bring fresh energy and new perspective. I will fight for our fair share. Q: What are your top three priorities for this office? A: Fighting for our Fair Share | City Council has allocated less than 5% of the total capital budget to District 2 since 2016. That’s money that could have been used to assist seniors, invest in our kids, eliminate
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blight, or repair our crumbling infrastructure. I will fight for our fair share. Dignified Housing | District 2 is filled with condemned houses. I will work getting these properties rehabilitated or torn down. We must also eliminate barriers to home ownership (e.g. lower the 5% transfer tax for first time home buyers). Our Kids | If we want a flourishing city, then we must provide opportunities for children to thrive. The City of Pittsburgh has 10 recreation centers, none of which are in District 2. Our kids are missing out. Q: What role do you see for your municipal government in interacting with Allegheny County Council? A: The relationship between the Allegheny County Council and the Pittsburgh City Council must be strong. While the City of Pittsburgh enjoys it’s own Home Rule Charter giving the city enormous flexibility in enacting and enforcing law, it benefits all residents when the city and county collaborate. The City of Pittsburgh has a unique influence in the region due to it being a population, medical, financial, educational, and technological hub. The county, due to its geographical size, has larger reach and is able to help bring local municipalities together. A good example of the councils working together is encouraging and enforcing Clairton Coke Works to limit and eventually stop its pollution of our region. Q: How would you propose addressing the water, air quality and other infrastructure concerns of your residents? A: Fighting for our fair share of city dollars and resources is key to solving the infrastructure issues. In terms of air and water pollution, we deserve to live in a city that is free from poisonous air and contaminated water. Both have been caused by failures in the systems of relationships, of infrastructure, and of leadership, all of which disproportionally harm minority communities. It must be a high priority for a unified city government, the mayor and a unanimous city council, to pressure our county, state, and federal officials to act in lessening and ultimately stopping our neighbors from polluting our air as well as ensuring public utilities make good on their promises to get the lead out. THERESA KAIL SMITH Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: Kail Smith First Name: Theresa Mailing Address: PO Box 25340 Campaign Phone: 7022799470 Campaign Email: info@ reelecttheresakailsmith.com Campaign Web Site: http:// reelecttheresakailsmith.com Facebook: https://www.facebook. THERESA KAIL SMITH com/reelecttheresakailsmith District: 2 Education: Some college, many trainings, and certifications Qualifications for office: I have served on City Council since 2009 and became City Council President in 2020. Prior to my service on City Council, I volunteered for local organizations throughout Pittsburgh and District 2 for more than 30 years. Q: What are your top three priorities for this office? A: 1. Infrastructure 2. Continuing to address quality of life issues for our residents 3. Creating safe, clean environments and continuing stabilization and development efforts in each neighborhood in D-2 Q: What role do you see for your municipal government in interacting with Allegheny County Council? A: I have a great relationship with my County Councilman, the County Executive, and others on Council and I fully expect to continue those relationships. It is important to
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focus on all levels of government because they all affect the City of Pittsburgh. In District 2, we work closely with our County Councilman on road reconstruction and social services. Q: How would you propose addressing the water, air quality and other infrastructure concerns of your residents? A: During my time on Council, I held the first postagendas and public hearings on the quality of water in the City of Pittsburgh. This directly led to the replacement of thousands of lead lines throughout the city. PWSA now claims Pittsburgh has the best quality of water in decades. While there is still work to do, I am working with PWSA and the Peduto Administration to encourage PWSA to offer payment plans to residents and small businesses who need to have infrastructure work done on their water lines or tap-in fees, which are costly. In terms of air quality, I am working to protect the tree canopy in District 2.
REPUBLICAN No Candidate Filed
PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 4 (Vote for one in your district)
Council consists of nine members elected by district by the city of Pittsburgh voters. The legislative power is vested in the council. Council members in oddnumbered districts are elected 2 years after the evennumbered district members are elected. Term: 4 years Salary: $70,108
DEMOCRATIC ANTHONY COGHILL Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: Coghill First Name: Anthony Mailing Address: 2414 Wenzell Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15216 Campaign Email: coghilldistrict4@gmail.com Campaign Web Site: http:// anthonycoghill.com/index.html ANTHONY COGHILL Facebook: https:// www.facebook.com/ ReElectAnthonyCoghill District: Pittsburgh City Council District 4 Education: Brashear High School Qualifications for office: I have been involved in public service since 2005 when I began working for State Senator Wayne Fontana and since then have become Chair of the 19th Ward of the Allegheny County Democratic Party. I have also been hard at work the last three years as the current City Councilmember. Q: What are your top three priorities for this office? A: • Continue re investing in our public works department by right sizing the fleet and making sure that our employees have the right equipment they need to do their jobs. • Creating economic opportunities for all residents is another top priority for me. By focusing on supporting and promoting small businesses we foster economic growth that benefits the community with thriving business districts and small businesses owned by neighborhood residents. • I will also continue advocating for and improving our parks. I led the fight against the disastrous Parks Tax and made sure this money would stay in the control of taxpayers. I have also made countless improvements to our parks by steering investment into facilities and equipment. Q: What role do you see for your municipal
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government in interacting with Allegheny County Council? A: I see the role between the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County Council as one of cooperation. I have a great relationship with Councilman Palmosina and have been able to work cooperatively with him anytime I’ve needed assistance. I have said before that I am always willing to work with anyone who wants to help improve District 4 and I mean that. Q: How would you propose addressing the water, air quality and other infrastructure concerns of your residents? A: I’ve been working hard to address these concerns and because of the partnerships I have formed the infrastructure needs in the district have been getting addressed in ways that didn’t happen under the previous Councilperson. I intend to keep fostering these partnerships with other elected officials as well because many of these problems cannot be solved by a single individual, but by bringing together of team of people willing to work towards solving complicated issues. By partnering with our State and Regional leaders we can identify sources of funding and enforcement that will continue to see improvements in our regions water and air quality. BETHANI CAMERON Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: Cameron First Name: Bethani Middle Name: Hope Mailing Address: 407 Merritt Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15227 Campaign Phone: 412-7196155 Campaign Email: BETHANI CAMERON bethaniforcitycouncil@gmail. com Campaign Web Site: http:// www.bethaniforcitycouncil.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ bethaniforcitycouncil.com Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bethanicameron District: 4 Education: I completed some college at Pitt and at the University of Salamanca in Spain. I have studied process engineering, English writing, Spanish language and culture, and I have been managing teams of people for two decades (school didn’t stick, work is what I love!). Qualifications for office: I have worked in and around Pittsburgh City Council since 2014, I am familiar with the ins and outs, the rules, and the workarounds. I would be thrilled to fight for families and to make our city livable for everyone, not just wealthy tech folks! Q: What are your top three priorities for this office? A: 1. Get more service from the city for South Pittsburgh (roads plowed and salted, overgrowth cut), which also means solving a personnel issue in that department that has been long ignored. 2. Make the public safer AND stop forcing police officers to do drug treatment counseling that they didn’t sign up to do by engaging with local schools and the mental health community to effectively solve the root of these issues and stop just treating the symptoms an being surprised when we get the same unacceptable results. 3. Tackle waste in the city by deep-diving into the city budget and interrogating future budgets to squeeze everything we can out of our tax dollars. Alongside this, using that to support families and Black and brown Pittsburghers. Q: What role do you see for your municipal
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government in interacting with Allegheny County Council? A: Due to the exceptional damage caused by air pollution, and the state law which dictates public health is managed by the county, the city needs to step up and engage with the county, the health department, and the County Council to strengthen pollution standard allowances and to have a prominent role in anything County Council has to pass which impacts the City of Pittsburgh. Q: How would you propose addressing the water, air quality and other infrastructure concerns of your residents? A: Move city from reactive to proactive. Build green infrastructure to absorb water, hold it, slowly release it to prevent flooding. Air quality will improve if we restrict the movement of diesel vehicles which add to our air pollution burden. The smoke generated is called particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5), which is so tiny that it penetrates lung tissue, and is of course, carcinogenic. Bad city management means we all get less, but South Pittsburgh has been begging for scraps, and lagging in infrastructure is dangerous here. Landslides, car crashes in bad weather, and the increasing amount of precipitation we get every year will only make these problems more devastating. We are going to have to push to get ahead of these problems!
REPUBLICAN No Candidate Filed
PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 6 (Vote for one in your district)
Council consists of nine members elected by district by the city of Pittsburgh voters. The legislative power is vested in the council. Council members in oddnumbered districts are elected 2 years after the evennumbered district members are elected. Term: 4 years Salary: $70,108
DEMOCRATIC ROBERT DANIEL LAVELLE Party: Dem No Response
REPUBLICAN No Candidate Filed
PITTSBURGH CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 8 (Vote for one in your district)
Council consists of nine members elected by district by the city of Pittsburgh voters. The legislative power is vested in the council. Council members in oddnumbered districts are elected 2 years after the evennumbered district members are elected. Term: 4 years Salary: $70,108
DEMOCRATIC ERIKA STRASSBURGER Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: Strassburger First Name: Erika Mailing Address: 1533 Valmont St, Pittsburgh PA 15217 Campaign Phone: 412-721-6564 Campaign Email: info@voteerika.com
Campaign Web Site: http:// voteerika.com Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/erikaforcouncil Twitter: https://twitter.com/ erikastrassbrgr District: 8 Education: Bucknell University, degrees in Environmental Studies and International Relations ERIKA STRASSBURGER Qualifications for office: Environment advocate for 9+ years w/ Penn Environment and New Hampshire Environment Former Chief of Staff to Councilperson Gilman 2 years as District 8 Councilperson Vice-Chair of PWSA Q: What are your top three priorities for this office? A: It is my responsibility in part to help restore public trust by creating an office where constituents can voice their opinions, hear from their Council Member regularly, and can trust her words while feeling seen and respected. I aim to set an example for other City officials to become more transparent. Second, I will fight for a future of policies and inclusive job opportunities in our region that contribute to healthy air and water with fair wages for workers. Third, I will continue passing legislation and advocating at other levels of government to ensure everyone is treated equally. Q: What role do you see for your municipal government in interacting with Allegheny County Council? A: I will focus on environmental justice, improving our public schools, and ensuring our economy works for everyone. Our most marginalized communities are victims of gross environmental mistreatment by big corporations. We need legislation and enforcement to improve water and air quality no matter your zip code. Our public schools show clear opportunity gaps for children of color and of low income—Council needs to work with the School Board to share resources in order to create a more just educational system. Finally, I plan to provide uplift small businesses owned by women, LGBT+ and BIPOC folx. Q: How would you propose addressing the water, air quality and other infrastructure concerns of your residents? A: We need to focus more on underlying causes of crime and violence as opposed to the symptoms. In part, this can be accomplished by creating alternatives to policing such as training other first responders to respond to matters involving drug addiction, mental health emergencies, and more. All in all, we need a shift away from policing as we know it altogether. To do this, states and cities need more control over who is hired, disciplined, and fired, and what the culture of police forces prioritizes. The future version cannot take hold while police unions wield as much power as they do.
REPUBLICAN No Candidate Filed
PITTSBURGH SCHOOL DIRECTOR DISTRICT 1 (Vote for one in your district)
School Directors are elected on behalf of the community to oversee the education of students in their jurisdiction. They serve as agents of the state legislature. They are responsible for curriculum and instruction management, all finances including development of annual budgets and levying of taxes
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and issuance of debt obligations when necessary; personnel; legal matters; management of facilities; and transportation of students as appropriate. Schools may includes pre-K and career and technical schools. The school board consists of nine members who serve four-year terms of office without pay. Term of office: 4 years No Salary
DEMOCRATIC CARLOS A. THOMAS Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: Thomas First Name: Carlos Middle Name: A. Mailing Address: 7152 Upland St. Campaign Phone: 8148449635 Campaign Email: carlosthomasford1@gmail.com Campaign Web Site: http:// CARLOS A. THOMAS www.carlosthomasford1.com Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/carlosathhomasford1/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/carlostford1 District: Pittsburgh Public Schools Education: Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts Pittsburgh, PA Associate Degree in Specialized Business, Restaurant and Hospitality Management Peabody High School Pitts Qualifications for office: Selected for Mayor’s Youth Council 2005-2008 Featured in Pittsburgh Post: https:// tinyurl.com/yxgsyyh9 Founded “Feed the Hood” NRAEF Serv-Safe Food Food Handler NRAEF Cost Control Training NRAEF Health and Wellness Training Q: The pandemic has highlighted the significant disparity in educational delivery in districts from no in-person learning, to hybrid models to full time in-person sessions resulting in uneven student performance. As schools reopen, how would you propose to assess student achievement and to remedy the loss of learning for so many students? A: We know that some of these issues have existed longer than the pandemic. I think now is the right time to really assess what education looks like from our families perspective. Being able to identify where each of our students are and finding innovative ways to meet the gaps. Food insecurity is one of those gaps and our community has been playing an active role one mending those bridges in regards to food access. Those are the same approaches I would take. Q: Social and racial justice issues have become a concern for all school districts, many of which have instituted anti-bullying programs to help address these issues. What kinds of criteria would you propose to measure the effectiveness of these campaigns and progress toward improvement? A: Social and racial issues have been a growing concern for our entire country. Being a black man I have unfortunately, I have had many occurrences of racial injustice and this can be a sensitive topic for me. However one thing I do know is we have to start teaching the truth about our country’s past. It is no longer acceptable to skip over important historical times that hold the true identity of America, but to also propel change in our society. Q: Pennsylvania currently allows parents to choose whether their children attend public schools, charter, or cyber-charter schools with funding provided by state and local opponents of all of these options. Where do you stand and explain your position. A: I think school choice is very important, my only concern with school choice, especially within the district is that
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we do not have the same equality across our own district. As a school director I would work towards innovative equality in our education practices, environment and staffing needs so the issues of school choice will decrease with better quality schools that meet students where they are. SYLVIA C. WILSON Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Wilson First Name: Sylvia Middle Name: C. Mailing Address: Sylvia Wilson PO Box 4812 Campaign Phone: 412.927.6067 Campaign Email: d1@ SYLVIA C. WILSON sylviacwilson.com Campaign Web Site: http:// sylviacwilson.com Facebook: Re-Elect Sylvia C. Wilson@D1for2021 Twitter: @SylviaCWilson District: 1 Education: Pittsburgh Public Schools—Peabody Carnegie Mellon University—BA University of Pittsburgh—Med Qualifications for office: Retired teacher with Pittsburgh Public Schools; in second term on school board; participates in on-going professional development for school directors; Q: The pandemic has highlighted the significant disparity in educational delivery in districts from no in-person learning, to hybrid models to full time in-person sessions resulting in uneven student performance. As schools reopen, how would you propose to assess student achievement and to remedy the loss of learning for so many students? A: Students must be met at their level initially to determine what they know and build upon that based on grade level and curriculum. Then attention has to be given to enhance and enrich their educational experiences. More time alone doesn’t do it, it’s the types of activities provided and materials used (and with interest) and the educational rigor used which will bring about the desired results. Q: Social and racial justice issues have become a concern for all school districts, many of which have instituted anti-bullying programs to help address these issues. What kinds of criteria would you propose to measure the effectiveness of these campaigns and progress toward improvement? A: Anti-bullying policies have existed in Pittsburgh Public schools for quite some time. It is important that the policies be applied and adhered to consistently across the district. Incidents and/or complaints and resulting actions must be viewed to see that district policies are being followed. If not, then those schools not compliant must be given additional training and oversight. Q: Pennsylvania currently allows parents to choose whether their children attend public schools, charter, or cyber-charter schools with funding provided by state and local opponents of all of these options. Where do you stand and explain your position. A: Public schools educate all children—they do not get to choose which children they will teach. Charters were to be innovative, to become infused into the district. They have not shown the way. Charter and cyber schools should adhere to the same guidelines as regular comprehensive public schools. Public schools
must disclose their finances and budget. There is no requirement to publicly show the use of tax dollars by charters and cyber schools. Charter schools and cyber schools have boards, but they are not elected. They are using public dollars, this should be publicly disclosed as well. Quite a few charters and cyber schools are run by profit making companies. Again, they should not be allowed to make a profit using tax dollars. GRACE HIGGINBOTHAM Party: Dem No Response
REPUBLICAN SYLVIA C. WILSON – See Response Above
PITTSBURGH SCHOOL DIRECTOR DISTRICT 3 (Vote for one in your district)
School Directors are elected on behalf of the community to oversee the education of students in their jurisdiction. They serve as agents of the state legislature. They are responsible for curriculum and instruction management, all finances including development of annual budgets and levying of taxes and issuance of debt obligations when necessary; personnel; legal matters; management of facilities; and transportation of students as appropriate. Schools may includes pre-K and career and technical schools. The school board consists of nine members who serve fouryear terms of office without pay. Term of office: 4 years No Salary
DEMOCRATIC LAMONT FRAZIER, JR. Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: Frazier First Name: Lamont Middle Name: Warner Mailing Address: 5161 Hillcrest St Campaign Phone: 412-9186160 Campaign Email: LAMONT FRAZIER, Lamont4schoolboard@gmail. JR. com Facebook: https:// www.facebook.com/ Lamont4SchoolBoard District: 3 Education: Multiple trade certifications, High school diploma Qualifications for office: As a coach and mentor with the Garfield Gators youth sports organization for 12 years. I’ve experienced first hand the many challenges that our students and families face throughout the city and strongly believe in making the best decisions that will impact them and their communities. Q: The pandemic has highlighted the significant disparity in educational delivery in districts from no in-person learning, to hybrid models to full time in-person sessions resulting in uneven student performance. As schools reopen, how would you propose to assess student achievement and to remedy the loss of learning for so many students? A: I wouldn’t penalize the students who have struggled this year do to the fact that we don’t know what issues that they could’ve been dealing with at home. Did they have access to technology or to wifi? How were they
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supported and by whom? We need to assess where they struggled and get them in tutoring sessions to help them catch up with their peers. I would establish summer and after school opportunities to aid our scholars in catching up and becoming proficient in the areas that they were having difficulty in. I think they could be assessed by using their current and past grades to see where they struggled. Q: Social and racial justice issues have become a concern for all school districts, many of which have instituted anti-bullying programs to help address these issues. What kinds of criteria would you propose to measure the effectiveness of these campaigns and progress toward improvement? A: I would propose have diversified staff to run these anti bullying programs. To measure progress I would have administrators of the program document restorative circles and monitor the behaviors of students that were impacted by bullying. I would encourage peer groups that are diversified so that the scholars could learn from one another. Q: Pennsylvania currently allows parents to choose whether their children attend public schools, charter, or cyber-charter schools with funding provided by state and local opponents of all of these options. Where do you stand and explain your position. A: I do believe that parents should have the right to send their child to whatever school feel best fits their needs and expectations. However I do not believe that we need anymore charter schools being built, unless they can secure their own funding without taking away from public schools. SALA UDIN Party: Dem No Response
REPUBLICAN No Candidate Filed
PITTSBURGH SCHOOL DIRECTOR DISTRICT 5 (Vote for one in your district)
School Directors are elected on behalf of the community to oversee the education of students in their jurisdiction. They serve as agents of the state legislature. They are responsible for curriculum and instruction management, all finances including development of annual budgets and levying of taxes and issuance of debt obligations when necessary; personnel; legal matters; management of facilities; and transportation of students as appropriate. Schools may includes pre-K and career and technical schools. The school board consists of nine members who serve four-year terms of office without pay. Term of office: 4 years No Salary
DEMOCRATIC TERRY KENNEDY Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Kennedy First Name: Terry Middle Name: Ann Mailing Address: 4335 Saline Street Pittsburgh, PA 15217 Campaign Phone: 412-576-6106 Campaign Email: FriendsOfTerryKennedy@gmail. com Campaign Web Site: http://www.facebook.com/
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
VOTERS GUIDE 2021
FriendsOfTerryKennedy Facebook: https:// www.facebook.com/ FriendsOfTerryKennedy District: Pittsburgh Public Schools, District 5 Education: 1983 CarnegieMellon University B.S. in Applied Mathematics, Computer Science track Qualifications for office: TERRY KENNEDY 20+ years PPS volunteer involvement in early intervention, special & gifted education, magnet programs, assistive technology, & CITY Connections. Board member since 2013; 2nd VP 3 times; chair/co-chair of Policy, Business/Finance, Safety & Operations, Negotiations, & Personnel committees. Q: The pandemic has highlighted the significant disparity in educational delivery in districts from no in-person learning, to hybrid models to full time in-person sessions resulting in uneven student performance. As schools reopen, how would you propose to assess student achievement and to remedy the loss of learning for so many students? A: The District is continuously assessing student achievement using multiple measures. The summer BOOST program is a start to remedy learning loss and will be offered to the students most at risk for learning loss. Planning for other supports and programs is in process. Assessment of each student’s needs should occur early in the 21-22 school year to determine the appropriate supports needed to help each student to overcome the loss. Q: Social and racial justice issues have become a concern for all school districts, many of which have instituted anti-bullying programs to help address these issues. What kinds of criteria would you propose to measure the effectiveness of these campaigns and progress toward improvement? A: I am a firm believer in restorative justice. I believe it needs to be used as the primary method to address all issues, and to help the affected students and staff to move beyond the incident(s) that prompted the use of restorative justice. Discipline data will be used to measure the effectiveness. A reduction in disciplinary actions is the expected positive outcome. Q: Pennsylvania currently allows parents to choose whether their children attend public schools, charter, or cyber-charter schools with funding provided by state and local opponents of all of these options. Where do you stand and explain your position. A: Parents/guardians have a right to select the best option for their children. The following reforms are needed due to the old & unfair charter school law that harms public school students. I believe funding formulas need to be fair. The rules that govern expenditures of the public schools must be equally applied to charter schools. I also believe the tuition charge to a district for a student with an IEP attending a charter school must reflect the cost of implementing the IEP. I propose a flat tuition rate charged for each student, regardless of a student’s school district, with the IEP implementation cost added for each student with an IEP. Money not used by a charter school to educate a student should be returned to the school district. TRACEY REED Party: Dem No Response
REPUBLICAN
TERRY KENNEDY – See Response Above
PITTSBURGH SCHOOL DIRECTOR DISTRICT 7 (Vote for one in your district)
School Directors are elected on behalf of the community to oversee the education of students in their jurisdiction. They serve as agents of the state legislature. They are responsible for curriculum and instruction management, all finances including development of annual budgets and levying of taxes and issuance of debt obligations when necessary; personnel; legal matters; management of facilities; and transportation of students as appropriate. Schools may includes pre-K and career and technical schools. The school board consists of nine members who serve four-year terms of office without pay. Term of office: 4 years No Salary
DEMOCRATIC KHAMIL SCANTLING Party: Dem No Response JAMIE PIOTROWSKI Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: Piotrowski First Name: Jamie Middle Name: Suzanne Mailing Address: 2316 Patterson Street Pittsburgh PA, 15203 Campaign Phone: 412-8530445 JAMIE PIOTROWSKI Campaign Email: jamiespiotrowski@gmail.com Campaign Web Site: http:// www.jamieforschoolboard.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ Jamie4SchoolBoard Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamiePio_Pgh District: 7 Education: Waynesburg University Bachelor of Arts Sociology-Family Studies University of Pittsburgh Master of Social Work University of Pittsburgh Master of International Development Qualifications for office: Jamie is a licensed social worker in Pennsylvania and has dedicated her career to working directly with vulnerable communities helping them fight for and access valuable resources. Endorsed by State Rep Jessica Benham, Senator Wayne Fontana, the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, among others. Q: The pandemic has highlighted the significant disparity in educational delivery in districts from no in-person learning, to hybrid models to full time in-person sessions resulting in uneven student performance. As schools reopen, how would you propose to assess student achievement and to remedy the loss of learning for so many students? A: Covid-19 disproportionately impacts our Black and brown students. While students learn from home out of necessity or by choice, we must close the digital gap and ensure students have the appropriate equipment to access their classrooms and resources; as the return to in-person learning occurs, vulnerable students should be prioritized, with appropriate safety protocols in place to keep them safe from possible infection. I will advocate for a holistic learning model for our students and strengthen additional opportunities for socialemotional, and academic growth in our community schools and Summer programs.
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Q: Social and racial justice issues have become a concern for all school districts, many of which have instituted anti-bullying programs to help address these issues. What kinds of criteria would you propose to measure the effectiveness of these campaigns and progress toward improvement? A: It is important that our teachers and staff are trained to recognize the signs of bullying, students have access to support services and opportunities for student-adult communication, and that we utilize an inclusive curriculum that reflects our student body and creates a learning environment of respect. We must utilize evidence based and data informed intervention materials and programs and utilize input from leading advocacy groups. These methods must also be adapted for online learning and social media usage to protect our students from bullying and harassment while online, outside of regular school hours. Q: Pennsylvania currently allows parents to choose whether their children attend public schools, charter, or cyber-charter schools with funding provided by state and local opponents of all of these options. Where do you stand and explain your position. A: We should focus on targeted and intentional improvements and advocate for charter reform at the state level to ensure all of our students, regardless of their learning path, have access to a high-quality, education. The state’s tuition rates for cyber and special education need to be reevaluated to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent equitably and effectively. Charter schools are not held to the same standards as traditional public schools and there are not mechanisms in place to hold them accountable to communities. Charter school law must be reformed to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars.
PITTSBURGH SCHOOL DIRECTOR DISTRICT 9 (Vote for one in your district)
School Directors are elected on behalf of the community to oversee the education of students in their jurisdiction. They serve as agents of the state legislature. They are responsible for curriculum and instruction management, all finances including development of annual budgets and levying of taxes and issuance of debt obligations when necessary; personnel; legal matters; management of facilities; and transportation of students as appropriate. Schools may includes pre-K and career and technical schools. The school board consists of nine members who serve four-year terms of office without pay. Term of office: 4 years No Salary
DEMOCRATIC DELANCEY WALTON Party: Dem Biographical Info: Last Name: Walton First Name: Delancey Mailing Address: 1250 Liverpool St, Pittsburgh PA 15233 Campaign Phone: 412-6268172 Campaign Email: waltoncampaign2021@gmail. com Campaign Web Site: http:// delanceyforschoolboard.org
DELANCEY WALTON
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VOTERS GUIDE 2021
Facebook: delanceyforpps Delancey for School Board District 9 District: District 9 Education: First year student at Duquesne University Qualifications for office: Leader—of many organizatio BSU, Stand Together. Community outreach Political Scientist VP—Freshman Council Employed in the Office of Alumni Engagement at Duquesne Uni Q: The pandemic has highlighted the significant disparity in educational delivery in districts from no in-person learning, to hybrid models to full time in-person sessions resulting in uneven student performance. As schools reopen, how would you propose to assess student achievement and to remedy the loss of learning for so many students? A: Assessing student achievement necessitates availability. We must make sure as parents, teachers, and administrators that we are available to provide the necessary resources to help our students succeed academically.PPS recently created programs such as B.O.O.S.T and Parents for Parents so our parents have input on their child’s education and students have opportunities to augment their achievements. The programs created by PPS have to be brought to the attention of the community, so they are aware help is available throughout this transition back into schools. It will not be easy;but with the appropriate leadership, it is feasible. Additionally, as part of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic(CARES) Act could provide opportunity Q: Social and racial justice issues have become a concern for all school districts, many of which have instituted anti-bullying programs to help address these issues. What kinds of criteria would you propose to measure the effectiveness of these campaigns and progress toward improvement? A: In order to identify and eliminate instances of social and racial injustice, I believe it is important to institute programs that will help kids overcome issues that may be caused by injustices. For example, a program like Stand Together would address mental health issues that are caused by social and racial injustices. It is important that we create a cultural atmosphere where everyone feels welcomed. It has been shown that when a students feel a part of the school community, they succeed socially and academically. It is about making our students understand what it means to accept each other, because strength lies in differences. Q: Pennsylvania currently allows parents to choose whether their children attend public schools, charter, or cyber-charter schools with funding provided by state and local opponents of all of these options. Where do you stand and explain your position. A: Parents have the right to send their child to the school that best fits their child’s path to the future. Although, I do stand by public schooling providing high quality education for the students within the city. Educational options are vital to providing the least restrictive environment for learning; and, consequently, facilitates a competitive atmosphere to maintain a progressive level of excellence. However, recognizing the substantial financial obligations we make to charter schools, any and all laws that require parallel requirements for public school are not only relevant, they necessary to ensure there is a level playing field in educational options. Allowing charter schools spend taxpayer dollars void of oversight and consequenc GENE WALKER Party: Dem Biographical Info:
Last Name: Walker First Name: Gene Mailing Address: 1408 Termon Ave Pittsburgh, Pa 15212 Campaign Phone: 570-4666338 Campaign Email: genewalkerfordistrict9@gmail. com Campaign Web Site: http:// genewalkerfordistrict9.org GENE WALKER Facebook: https:// www.facebook.com/ GeneWalkerforDistrict9 Twitter: https://twitter.com/GeneWalker4PPS Education: PPS Grad- Peabody High School Bachelors of Science - Bloomsburg University Q: The pandemic has highlighted the significant disparity in educational delivery in districts from no in-person learning, to hybrid models to full time in-person sessions resulting in uneven student performance. As schools reopen, how would you propose to assess student achievement and to remedy the loss of learning for so many students? A: I believe the Superintendent and his staff must create a comprehensive plan to help students catch up on what was lost over the last year. The instruction over the last 12-18 weeks has been much improved, but it is not enough. There should be efforts to partner with afterschool and summer youth programs to integrate some learning opportunities with curriculum provided by the district that targets the students most in need. The district already has a summer school format, but I would like to see them expand their reach by going to where the students are an providing the much-needed personal instruction that is need. Q: Social and racial justice issues have become a concern for all school districts, many of which have instituted anti-bullying programs to help address these issues. What kinds of criteria would you propose to measure the effectiveness of these campaigns and progress toward improvement? A: Social and racial justice continue to be an area where school districts must improve. There are initiatives that begin to address the problem such as the K-2 suspension ban and the implementation of restorative justice practices. I would look to measure the effectiveness of these and other programs by looking at the comparative data, looking at the rate of suspensions or disciplinary referrals, taking a specific look at the race, ethnic, and gender spreads for each area. Success will show reductions in all areas and a narrowing gap across the board. The district must have a comprehensive and detailed plan with trackable metrics for any plan that is introduced. Q: Pennsylvania currently allows parents to choose whether their children attend public schools, charter, or cyber-charter schools with funding provided by state and local opponents of all of these options. Where do you stand and explain your position. A: I fully support a parent’s right and ability to find the best possible education for their child. As families leave the district in pursuit of better schools, we must look internally at how we can improve the schools within PPS. We must increase academic opportunities, address racial disparities in achievement and discipline, and increase our investment in neighborhood schools in order to bring families back to the district. In the meantime we also need to advocate for state legislation that will reform the funding formula for charter schools, especially cyber schools, to create a more equitable distribution of public tax dollars and reduce the financial strain on our district.
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
VERONICA M. EDWARDS Party: Dem, Rep Biographical Info: Last Name: Edwards First Name: Veronica Middle Name: M Mailing Address: 3774 Haven Street Pittsburgh, Pa. 15204 Campaign Phone: (412)6085625 Campaign Email: VERONICA M. EDEdwardsfordistrict9@gmail. WARDS com Facebook: Veronica Edwards Twitter: N/A District: vedwards1@pghschools.org Education: Leadership Pittsburgh XX Carlow University Gladstone High School Qualifications for office: Currently the incumbent in District 9 First African American to Serve Led the charge to return students safely back to school during a pandemic Hosted a Community Vaccination Clinic Delivered Covid 19 Essentials to Crafton Heights and Mountain View Communities Q: The pandemic has highlighted the significant disparity in educational delivery in districts from no in-person learning, to hybrid models to full time in-person sessions resulting in uneven student performance. As schools reopen, how would you propose to assess student achievement and to remedy the loss of learning for so many students? A: Because we are responding to COVID-19, there are no concrete answers. The District has to use all of our resources to reach students. Public assessments and private assessments to determine where students presently stand.!Educational resources to pull them up.!Dedicated teachers to perform assessments and District staff to give students what they need to grow, live and learn to build quality lives. It will take teamwork to make the dream work. Let’s go! Q: Social and racial justice issues have become a concern for all school districts, many of which have instituted anti-bullying programs to help address these issues. What kinds of criteria would you propose to measure the effectiveness of these campaigns and progress toward improvement? A: I believe anti-bullying is a bandaid. We need to address anti-racism. The minds and emotions built up in people for decades is no longer accepted by today’s young people. America and our Cities are dealing with young people who refuse to be held down because of the color of their skin. They want to be educated to their fullest extent to lead quality lives. Let’s deal with the real problems of today. Q: Pennsylvania currently allows parents to choose whether their children attend public schools, charter, or cyber-charter schools with funding provided by state and local opponents of all of these options. Where do you stand and explain your position. A: I stand on providing students opportunities to educate and grow their lives. Parents are a child’s first teacher. Whatever they do and see what’s best for them is alright with me!
REPUBLICAN VERONICA M. EDWARDS – See Response Above
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
VOTERS GUIDE 2021
BALLOT QUESTION #1:
MAY 12-18, 2021
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BALLOT QUESTION #2:
Pennsylvania Legislative Resolution to Extend or Terminate Emergency Declaration Amendment
Pennsylvania Emergency Declarations Amendment
Shall the Pennsylvania Constitution be amended to change existing law and increase the power of the General Assembly to unilaterally terminate or extend a disaster emergency declaration—and the powers of Commonwealth agencies to address the disaster regardless of its severity pursuant to that declaration—through passing a concurrent resolution by simple majority, thereby removing the existing check and balance of presenting a resolution to the Governor for approval or disapproval?
Shall the Pennsylvania Constitution be amended to change existing law so that: a disaster emergency declaration will expire automatically after 21 days, regardless of the severity of the emergency, unless the General Assembly takes action to extend the disaster emergency; the Governor may not declare a new disaster emergency to respond to the dangers facing the Commonwealth unless the General Assembly passes a concurrent resolution; the General Assembly enacts new laws for disaster management?
If you vote YES, you agree to give the Legislature, by a simple majority If you vote Yes, you agree to change existing law to limit any Governor’s vote, the sole power to take away the Governor’s existing authority to make disaster emergency declaration—no matter the severity—to 21 days (from disaster emergency declarations. 90), unless, and until, the Legislature votes by a simple majority to extend the disaster emergency declaration; and take away the Governor’s authority If you vote NO, you disagree with giving the Legislature, by a simple ma- to manage new emergency and disasters situations. jority vote, the sole power to take away the Governor’s existing authority to make disaster emergency declarations. If you vote No, you disagree with changing the existing law that provides any Governor with the power to issue emergency declarations without a 21Background on proposed amendment: This amendment arises from the day limitation or a simple majority vote by the Legislature; and any Governor conflict between the Governor and Legislature over the Governor’s Covid-19 retains authority to act in emergency and disaster situations. emergency declarations, including stay-at-home orders, school and business restrictions, etc. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that under current law, the Governor could veto the Legislature’s concurrent resolution to end ARGUMENTS FOR: ARGUMENTS the Governor’s emergency declaration. The Legislature then fell short of the two-thirds legislative vote required to overturn the veto.
•grants the legislature, elected from different districts throughout the Commonwealth, the sole power to manage a disaster •limits an emergency declaration to 21 days (from 90) unless legislature extends by a simple majority •removes customary legislative procedural requirement of a twothirds legislative vote to override a Other: Only four states require a legislative vote to extend or terminate a Governor’s disaster declaration governor’s emergency declarations (Alaska, Kansas, Michigan and Minneso- •provides sole authority to extend ta). a declaration to lie with the Legislature; presently, this power rests with the Governor
Background on legislative procedure: Currently, under Article III, Section 9, all bills and concurrent resolutions by the General Assembly must be presented to the Governor for his approval or veto. If approved by the Governor, the bills or concurrent resolutions, become law. If the Governor exercises a veto, the bills or concurrent resolutions do not become law unless two-thirds of the House and Senate vote to override the Governor’s veto. The proposed amendment would create an exception to, and remove, the customary legislative procedure of a two-thirds legislative vote to override a Governor’s veto with respect to emergency disaster declarations.
ARGUMENTS FOR:
•strengthens legislative power to act to end or continue an emergency declaration without the Governor having veto power •weakens the Governor’s powers during an emergency to extend declaration •disperses authority for creating and ending a disaster emergency declaration •removes customary legislative procedure requiring a two-thirds legislative vote to override a Governor’s veto
ARGUMENTS AGAINST:
•reduces executive power of an individual elected by entire state to act in an emergency •increases impact of partisan and regional influence of legislators during an emergency situation •creates logistical and administrative hurdles for creating and ending a disaster emergency declaration •maintains check and balance of the two-thirds legislative vote to override a Governor’s veto
AGAINST:
•creates logistical and administrative hurdles of convening a 253-member legislature, every 21 days (and in disaster conditions) •reduces the power of the executive, elected by entire state, to act in an emergency •increases impact of partisan and regional influence of legislators •provides opportunities for possible delays that could worsen a disaster •weakens ability to access federal funding and support tied to declaring emergency disasters •promotes uncertainty of disaster timelines needed for swift responses
Background on proposed amendment: This amendment arises from the conflict between the Governor and Legislature over the Governor’s Covid-19 emergency declarations, including stay-at-home orders, school and business restrictions, etc. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that under current law, the Governor could veto the Legislature’s concurrent resolution to end the Governor’s emergency declaration. The Legislature then fell short of the two-thirds legislative vote required to overturn the veto. Current law sets an emergency declaration at 90 days and gives the Governor to act on, and manage, emergencies and disasters. The Legislature does have the ability to end the Governor’s emergency declarations with a two-thirds legislative vote to override a Governor’s veto. Other: Only four states require a legislative vote to extend or terminate a governor’s emergency declarations (Alaska, Kansas, Michigan and Minnesota).
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VOTERS GUIDE 2021
BALLOT QUESTION #3:
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
BALLOT QUESTION 4:
Pennsylvania Equal Rights Regardless of Race or Ethnicity Amendment Shall the Pennsylvania Constitution be amended by adding a new section providing that equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged because of an individual’s race or ethnicity?
STATEWIDE REFERENDUM – ACT 2020-91 MAKING MUNICIPAL FIRE AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES COMPANIES ELIGIBLE FOR LOANS Ballot Question
If you vote Yes, you agree that all Pennsylvania state, county, and local gov- Do you favor expanding the use of the indebtedness authorized under the ernmental agencies and institutions cannot restrict or deny an individual’s referendum for loans to volunteer fire companies, volunteer ambulance equal rights under Pennsylvania law because of race or ethnicity. services and volunteer rescue squads under 35 PA.C.S. §7378.1 (related to If you vote No, you disagree with changing the Pennsylvania Constitution because the Equal Protection Clause of the US Constitution and federal law currently provides broader protections against denying or restricting rights on the basis of race and ethnicity.
ARGUMENTS FOR: •eliminates preferential treatment to individuals based on race and ethnicity •promotes states’ rights—independent of the US Constitution and federal laws •allows individuals to not be discriminated against due to their race or ethnicity by Pennsylvania agencies and organizations •prohibits future legislation that is inconsistent with this Pennsylvania law on protecting individual rights
ARGUMENTS AGAINST: •provides opportunity for PA entities to no longer consider race and ethnicity in hiring, admissions, contracting and access to other opportunities •opens door to individual claims of “reverse discrimination” (i.e., a Caucasian can claim race discrimination) •fails to broaden the existing equal protections of the US Constitution and federal laws to include unprotected classes, such as sexual orientation
referendum for additional indebtedness) to include loans to municipal fire departments or companies that provide services through paid personnel and emergency medical services companies for the purpose of establishing and modernizing facilities to house apparatus equipment, ambulances and rescue vehicles, and for purchasing apparatus equipment, ambulances and rescue vehicles, protective and communications equipment and any other accessory equipment necessary for the proper performance of the duties of the fire companies and emergency medical services companies?
What this means (provided by LWVPA) If you vote YES, you support expanding PA’s loan program to paid municipal, as well as volunteer, fire and emergency medical services companies. If you vote NO, you support keeping PA’s loan program available to volunteer fire and emergency medical service companies and not to paid municipal fire and emergency medical services companies. Background: This constitutional amendment was referred to the ballot as an exception to the normal procedure for passing constitutional amendments. “When a major emergency threatens or is about to threaten the state” the General Assembly may refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot with a two-thirds vote of each chamber. Specifically, here, the General Assembly determined there is a need for paid municipal fire departments and emergency medical service companies to update their facilities and equipment. Under current PA law, only volunteer fire and EMS companies are authorized to apply for loans from this program. The loan program’s fund for volunteer companies was last approved by PA voters at $50,000,000 in 2002. If approved, this new law would allow paid municipal fire and emergency medical service companies to also obtain loans from the program. The State Fire Commissioner administers these loans under specified codes and regulations. This bill does not expand the amount of money in the funds nor the purposes for which the loans can be used, it only addresses expanding the eligible pool of loan applicants.
Background: Ballot measures such as this have led to state bans in California, Washington and Michigan, on racial and ethnic considerations in the operation of public employment, education, or contracting. While the language of the PA amendment does not outright ban racial and ethnic considerations, the emphasis on an individuals’ rights lays the groundwork to eliminate race and ethnic-conscious considerations in hiring, admissions, contracting, and other opportunities. By not considering a race and ethnic group, many under-represented groups could further be denied opportunities that historically have been denied to them. For instance, in California, admissions by Yes - For the Measure under-represented in state-run universities decreased by upwards of 60% -Provides opportunities for paid municipal fire and EMS companies to after the universities no longer considered race in the admissions process. apply for loans to upgrade and replace equipment and facilities Even if the change in law results in prohibitions of racial considerations by state agencies, the new PA law will likely be upheld because it was a change voted on by PA voters. In 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Michigan ballot initiative which resulted in a ban on race considerations in state-run schools because the case was not about the merits of race-conscious policies. Rather, as Justice Kennedy stressed in the controlling opinion, it is about “whether, and in what manner, voters in the States may choose to prohibit the consideration of racial preferences in governmental decisions...” Thus, if this ballot question were to pass, any resulting ban on racial and ethnic considerations by PA agencies and operations, would likely stand.
-Increases potential for budget flexibility for municipalities to shift facility and equipment costs to personnel and other costs -Promotes paid municipalities to upgrade and/or replace fire and EMS equipment and facilities
No - Against the Measure -Increases applicant pool, and thus, the acceptance rate, for loans to upgrade and replace existing equipment and facilities for volunteer companies while not increasing the overall fixed amount of funds -Potentially increases already existing budget constraints and recruitment of volunteer fire and EMS companies -Expands existing oversight and demands on the State Fire Commissioner that administers and grants loans
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
VOTERS GUIDE 2021
BALLOT QUESTION Allegheny County Proposed Ordinance Special Election Question: Shall the Allegheny County Code, Chapter 205, Allegheny County Jail, be amended and supplemented to include a new Article III, which shall set forth standards governing conditions of confinement in the Allegheny County Jail? Explanation of Ballot Question
If this question is approved by a majority of those voting, Chapter 205 of the Allegheny County Code, Allegheny County Jail, shall be added to include Sections 205-30 and 31 governing, regulating and documenting the conditions of confinement. The conditions of confinement affected by the proposed ordinance would prohibit solitary confinement (more than 20 hours per day) except for limited circumstances and not to be used as punishment and prohibiting the use of restraining chairs, chemical agents or leg shackles.
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City of Pittsburgh Proposed Home Rule Charter Amendment Special Election Question: Shall the Pittsburgh Home Rule Charter be amended and supplemented by adding a new Article 10: Powers of the Pittsburgh Police, containing Section 1001, which shall bar employees of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police from executing warrants at any residence without knocking and announcing themselves? Explanation of Ballot Question
If this question is approved by a majority of those voting, Article 10, Section 1001, Powers of the Pittsburgh Police will be added to the City of Pittsburgh Home Rule Charter, requiring Pittsburgh Police to physically knock and announce themselves before forcibly gaining entry to execute warrants. “No knock” procedures shall be prohibited. A “yes” vote indicates a vote in favor of this change and a “No” vote opposes this change. If approved by a majority of those voting, this amendment shall take effect upon the certification of the May 18, 2021 Municipal Primary Election results.
Background: (provided by LWVPgh) No knock warrants became widely The Jail Warden shall prepare a monthly report regarding use of soli- used as part of the “War on Drugs,” but today our criminal justice system tary confinement and lock downs. is viewing differently the approach to crimes solely involving drugs, in part, because of the racial discrimination that may be involved in enforcA “Yes” vote is in favor of the above Ordinance provisions. A “No” vote ing drug laws. opposes the above Ordinance provisions. The death of Briana Taylor in Louisville KY during the execution of a If approved, the Warden’s reporting requirements begin 30 days after “no knock” warrant demonstrated the risks to human life from the use of approval. All other provisions begin 180 days after approval. this type of warrant. Since then, a number of municipalities have banned no knock warrants including Louisville, KY. Pittsburgh City Council has Background (provided by LWVPgh) A class action lawsuit filed on also introduced legislation to ban the use of no-knock warrants by Pittsbehalf of inmates in the Allegheny County Jail in September 2020 and burgh Police officers. pending in federal district court in the Western District of Pennsylvania alleges that inmates seeking mental health treatment are being pun- Yes - For the Measure ished with solitary confinement. Several states, such as Colorado, have A: - Unaware that police officers are entering their home, residents may limited the use of solitary confinement in their prison systems. defend themselves with use of firearms or other force against which poYes - For the Measure A: - Solitary confinement has been shown to have harmful psychological effects particularly for juveniles and persons with mental health issues including increased risk of suicide and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). - Negative effectives of solitary confinement may continue to affect the person after their release from jail resulting in public safety and community health problems because the person cannot transition to normal living conditions. - Solitary confinement may be used inappropriately for punishment or as a means for controlling jail population when other more appropriate and effective means may be available.
lice officers may respond resulting in injury or death to residents and police officers. - No knock warrants may make it more difficult for errors in the warrant, such as service on the wrong residence or a bad tip from an informer, to be corrected without violence. - No knock warrants may result in individuals at the residence being injured or killed even though they are not identified in the warrant as having committed a crime.
No - Against the Measure A: - Requiring police officers to announce and identify themselves as law enforcement officers could allow an alleged perpetrator to escape or evidence to be destroyed. - Requiring police officers to announce themselves as law enforcement officers could allow alleged perpetrators time to use No - Against the Measure violence to defend themselves. - The warrants may be served on dangerA: - Solitary confinement may help the jail administration control per- ous people and there is a need for surprise to protect police officers. sons detained in jail. - Solitary confinement is a form of punishment that prison guards may use to discipline persons in jail. - The threat of use and the use of solitary confinement may protect other persons in the jail including the guards themselves, visitors to the jail and other persons detained in jail.
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NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
Borough of Bethel Park Proposed Home Rule Charter Special Election Question:
CRESCENT TOWNSHIP SPECIAL ELECTION QUESTION:
Shall the Home Rule Charter of the Municipality of Bethel Park, Article 8, Section 801, Subsection A be amended to remove the requirement that the Planner become a resident of the Municipality of Bethel Park within one year of appointment?
Shall the Township’s 0.5 mil real estate tax supporting Crescent Township Volunteer Fire Department’s provision of fire protection be increased to 1 mil?
Explanation of Ballot Question
If this question is approved by a majority of those voting, Article 8, Section 801, Subsection A, Planner, of the Charter will be amended to delete the requirement that the appointed Planner become a resident of the Municipality of Bethel Park within one year. No residency requirement would exist. If approved, this amendment shall take effect upon the certification of the May 18, 2021 Municipal Primary Election results. Yes - For the Measure A: - no response No - Against the Measure A: - no response -
Explanation of Ballot Question
The Township collects a 0.5 mil real estate tax supporting the Crescent Township Volunteer Fire Department’s provision of fire protection. The current rate of 0.5 mil equals 5 cents per 100 dollars of assessed valuation per year. The ballot question asks voters whether the rate should be increased to 1 mil, or 10 cents per each hundred dollars of assessed valuation per year. A vote of “Yes” approves the increase to 1 mil, or 10 cents per 100 dollars of assessed valuation per year. A vote of “NO” disapproves the increase, but leaves the current rate of 0.5 mil, or 5 cents per each 100 dollars of assessed valuation per year, in place. Yes - For the Measure A: - no response No - Against the Measure A: - no response -
Voters Guide Primary Election May 18, 2021
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
VOTERS GUIDE 2021
VOTE 2021
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32 MAY 18-12, 2021
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NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER