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Andrea Robinson
Kathy Humphrey
Opens ‘Sugar and Smoke’
Gwen’s Girls honoree
Soul Food & Jazz Night
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Lifestyles B1
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Pittsburgh Courier www.newpittsburghcourier.com
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Vol. 109 No. 43
Two Sections
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OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
‘Like standing in our dreams’
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INSIDE
Voters Guide 2018 Special Section
A co-working and event space opens in Homewood
Free Wi-Fi, 24/7 access among amenities by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer
OPEN FOR BUSINESS—A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place in front of Pitt’s new Homewood Community Engagement Center, Oct. 18. Pictured include: State Rep. Ed Gainey, Rashad Byrdsong, Pitt Chancellor Patrick D. Gallagher, Kathy Humphrey, Daren Ellerbee, Zina Scott and Rev. John Wallace. (Photo by Diane I. Daniels)
Pitt, Homewood community marvel over new Community Engagement Center by Diane I. Daniels For New Pittsburgh Courier
The Oct. 18 ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Homewood Community Engagement Center marked a milestone for the Community and Governmental Relations Department at the University of Pittsburgh. A reality that Pitt Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer Patrick D. Gallagher, PhD, said is the result of at least two years of meetings and hard work. “The vision is now real,” Gallagher said, thanking the many Homewood partners at the ceremony. “This center, your center, is as much about forging brighter futures and cultivating opportunities as it is about strengthening the University of Pittsburgh’s proud record of service, scholarships and research. It’s an exciting day for Pittsburgh and a new model of commu-
DAREN ELLERBEE is the director of the Community Engagement Center.
nity engagement for Pitt.” An estimated 400 Pitt staff, Homewood community partners, residents and well-wishers were on hand to witness the gallant event and tour the building, located at 622 N. Homewood Ave. Considered a “front door” to Pitt in the community, the purpose of the CEC is to expand outreach and educational opportunities within local neighborhoods and better the lives of children and families. The Homewood 10,000-square-foot facility, according to Kathy Humphrey, PhD, the university’s vice chancellor for engagement and secretary of the Board of Trustees, is the first of many that will be constructed throughout the city, with the next CEC slated for the Hill District. SEE PITT A2
Engineering the new age A conversation with James Martin II by Christian Morrow
el,” Martin II told the Courier. “But we live in a non-lineal world. It’s not about size When the New Pittsburgh Courier was preparing and consolidating to interview James Martin II, the new dean of Pitt’s resources. It’s about Swanson School of Engineering, we expected to talk knowledge and conabout his international reputation as an expert on necting to flows of earthquakes and disaster mitigation; about what his resources. It’s why being the first Black dean of the school might mean a company that for minority enrollment; about why he became an endidn’t exist gineer. 10 years We didn’t talk about any of that—ina g o , stead, we talked about the Roman EmUber, pire, about philosophy, about Chaos i s theory and non-linearity, about how valthe global industrial age started here u e d in Pittsburgh, and about how its a t coming replacement—which no $150 one has a name for yet—could billion also start here in Pittsburgh. a n d “The focus in the indusSears trial age was on efficiency. is goWe built institutions that mimicked the machines we JAMES MARTIN II is the new dean of Pitt’s Swanson School of i n g bankbuilt. It was a linear mod- Engineering. (Photo by J.L. Martello) Courier Staff Writer
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rupt.” Roman engineers, Martin II noted, before they ever learned a thing about engineering, learned philosophy, music, languages— they learned how to think. The waning industrial age model that puts knowledge and skills in distinct silos—medicine, law, business, engineering—limits thinking and, more importantly, limits imagination. “The structure of organizations dictates how we think. We need a new way of thinking; not about what we know, but about where we can go. Our opportunity here is to have a deeper sense of purpose, being part of something larger than ourselves,” he said. “It’s like two guys building a wall. You ask one what he’s doing, and he says he’s laying brick. You SEE ENGINEERING A3
Louis ‘Hop’ Kendrick says
Noting a lack of co-working space for budding entrepreneurs in Pittsburgh’s Black community, Minority Networking Exchange CEO Vernard Alexander has partnered with CKV Suites to provide it— right in the heart of Homewood. Alexander celebrated with a grand opening event, Oct. 13, and estimates that by the end of the four-hour event, between 250 and 300 people attended. “It was better than I imagined—great community support,” he said. “We had a great mix of seasoned entrepreneurs, SEE CO-WORKING A2
‘Women of Excellence’ honorees shine at awards luncheon
by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer
Even though she is an accomplished and recognized researcher, Dr. Latika Davis-Jones was still humbled as she shared wine and hors d’oeuvres at the VIP reception prior to the luncheon honoring her and 49 others as the New Pittsburgh Courier’s Women of Excellence Class of 2018. “There are some exceptional women here, and it’s a privilege to be part of this,” she SEE EXCELLENCE B11
HONOREE SHAWNA SOLOMON, with husband, Marvin. (Photo by J.L. Martello)
Black firsts are major accomplishments! Forum B7
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METRO
OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
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Homewood community marvels at new Pitt Engagement Center
A CELEBRATION—In the left photo, Pitt Chancellor Patrick D. Gallagher addresses the crowd at the grand opening, Oct. 18. In the right photo, Daren Ellerbee, the director of the Community Engagement Center, receives a warm hug as Christian Hughes and others look on. (Photos courtesy University of Pittsburgh) PITT FROM A1
sisted Communities and Schools program, based in Pitt’s School of Social Work, will have dedicated space inside the center, and the Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence, part of Pitt’s Innovation Institute, will provide business development consultation on-site. Neighborhood Legal Services also is housed in the building. Gallery space for local artists’ work and curated exhibits is an addition to the center. A wall in the lower level currently is dedicated to a youth project, a result of the summer Learn and Earn Program hosted by Homewood Children’s Village. A vibrant hub with dedicated spaces for partnerships and programs, rooms include first floor and lower level conference rooms, a science and computer lab, seminar and class rooms, a small kitchen area and an open space lobby. STATE REP. ED GAINEY addresses the lively crowd gathered at the Zina Scott, an active Homegrand opening of Pitt’s new Homewood Community Engagement wood resident, told the CouCenter. rier she felt like “Pitt has not
Daren Ellerbee will serve as the Homewood CEC director. Ellerbee said the best way to get involved with center activities throughout the week is to visit www.cec.pitt.edu. “All are welcome,” she said. “Come take a tour and find out how to leverage the space and take advantage of the many offerings.”
The location of the Homewood CEC was once part of a thriving business corridor. Proposed offerings of the CEC will run from summer science camps and an after-school program to career development opportunities and job fairs. It will also be home to a study of the beneficial effects of African dance, culture and music classes. The Pitt-As-
always been our best neighbor. They have a lot of students from outside the city but not a lot of minorities. Their impact of recruiting within minority communities over the years has not been that great.” With possible gentrification occurring in Homewood, Scott wanted to be sure that Pitt isn’t coming into the community now just for the perceived benefits of gentrification. Scott was part of a 31-member advisory council of community leaders, entrepreneurs and residents who worked with Pitt on the formation of the CEC. Minority and Women Business Enterprise participation in the buildout of the facility was also important, Humphrey said. “Building a strong culture
of diversity and inclusion is important to us, so it was very significant that we use contactors and sub-contractors that reflected the community. It’s another way of building and strengthening partnerships. My greatest hope is that we don’t just do it for this project but that we have assisted the sub-contractors in learning how to do work with Pitt which will enable them to get more work with the university.” Reports stated that Pitt reached a 40 percent MWBE participation rate and 37 percent minority labor rate in this project. The Waller Corporation was the prime contractor, with other businesses including MA’AT Construction Group, J&S Handyman Services, All Systems Inc. and Nexus Construc-
tion. Graphics 22 Signs and Franco Associates were WBE contractors. Viewing CECs as an expansion of Pitt’s ongoing neighborhood commitment to strengthen communities and the university through long-term partnerships, Humphrey noted that Pitt has made a minimum 15year commitment to the Homewood site. The Oct. 18 ribbon-cutting was for phase one of the CEC, with phase two, the wellness center and display kitchen projected for next year. “We are very excited about the CEC and what it brings to the community as well as what the community brings to us,” Humphrey said. “We have worked and planned and prayed for this day. It’s like standing in our dreams.”
A co-working and event space opens in Homewood CO-WORKING FROM A1
some newer ones, and we had some youth entrepreneurs from H.O.P.E. for Tomorrow. One of them sold about $200 worth of her handmade smoothies, and another sold several pieces of his art. So, while I was glad to see support for the space, it was really nice to see the support for the vendors.” Alexander said there is clearly a need for the space as the closest similar coworking spaces are in predominantly-White neighborhoods like Shadyside. Alexander said the 1,200-square-foot CKV space offers members co-working as well as popup retail and event space. And the location, 528 N. Homewood Avenue, across from the East Busway, offers street-side parking. CKV offers a two-tiered membership system. The basic $125-per-month tier includes: month-to month
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physical mailbox address; private use of the space once a month for up to four hours; and free access to all of Alexander’s scheduled events. Alexander said two cousins—who between them are operating three businesses—have already signed up for a premium package and have scheduled a fashion show for November. “They already have on the calendar for the next three months events that they’re going to host, so it helps them make their money back and extend their brand,” Alexander said. “But I’m holding off on actively recruiting members until I take care of a few things on my end—for instance, I want to upgrade the doors with either a keypad or cell phone access for convenience and security,” he said. “And if it gets to the point where I have so many members that it conflicts with events, well, that will be a good problem to have.”
contracts; collaboration opportunities with other members; Wi-Fi; 24/7 building access; access to a calendar of events happening internally; access to work sessions and equipment; and meeting space. At $200 per month, the premium membership (For more information, call package also includes: a 412-303-0808.)
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OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
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Alma Speed Fox honored with the ‘key’ to the city
Forever known as a civil rights activist that helped change Pittsburgh—and she’s still going strong. Alma Speed Fox was honored with the “key” to the City of Pittsburgh, during a ceremony, Oct. 23. Fox gave examples of her early ventures into the civil rights landscape in Pittsburgh, greeted by smiles and applause. And as for the “key” to the city that she received? “I’m going to use my key to open wide whichever door it is to help me get voters to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 6,” Fox said. “So that’s what I’ll be doing for the next two weeks…I hope that’s what you’ll be doing. It’s not hard. Just do it.”
ALMA SPEED FOX receives the “key” to the city from Mayor Bill Peduto, right. Also pictured is state Rep. Ed Gainey.
Engineering the new age A conversation with James Martin II ENGINEERING FROM A1
ask the other guy and he says he’s building a palace.” To that end, Martin II is reorganizing the structure of the Pitt engineering school—from eliminating job titles and designations like “staff,” to replacing furniture in a conference room so it is more conducive to collaborative working, probably altering the curriculum. Martin II, who took over as dean on Aug. 15, earned both a master’s degree and a doctorate in civil engineering at Virginia Tech, according to a release from Pitt. He was inducted into the Civil Engineering Department’s Academy of Distinguished Alumni
in 2015. While at Virginia Tech, he also received the department’s Alumni Award for Teaching Excellence and the College of Engineering Dean’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service. In addition, he was recognized with the Norman Medal from the American Society of Civil Engineers, the field’s highest honor for published work. “The first person I hired is a psychologist—an expert in organizational science and human complexity. She is now our director of organizational innovation,” Martin II said. “I think the curriculum will be entirely different. Of course, you
still need math and physics, but engineers build communities. We need to be building and making things and engaging in the real world.” Martin II argues that the “silos” organized around expertise need to come down, so that more inclusive collaboration among disciplines can flourish. His current research is looking at the “strange attractors” that dictate how individuals coalesce into social and working groups, how others act as bridges between those groups, and how it can be predicted and possibly designed—human engineering. “Why is biomechanical engineering only now a thing?
It should have always been a thing,” he said. “We need to organize around solving problems. And a small part of all of us is better than a whole lot of just a few.” It’s about perspective, Martin II said. When people say it’s hard for the school to get certain students because they are first-generation, urban, low-income to excel because they lack the more solid educational background, he says, “non-
sense.” “It’s about continual learning. A 2.5 (GPA) student who’s striving to get to where the 4.0 student came in has a positive trajectory and research shows they maintain that,” he said. “It’s not that they aren’t ready for us, it’s that we aren’t ready for them.” “And while we’re at it,” Martin II continued, “let me say this about diversity.
I’m convinced the way we achieve diversity is to stop talking about diversity and start talking about unity. The federal government has spent $30 billion and diversity and high school interest in sciences has actually gone down. Focus on unity in the community as a more compelling place. Right now, no one is talking about building the palace. They’re just laying brick.”
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WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE CLASS OF 2018
OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
They are
CONFIDENT
They are
EMPOWERING
HONOREES RUTH WALKER, VALERIE KINLOCH, PHD, MAMAR GELAYE
They are
SUCCESSFUL HONOREE SALOAM BEY, with family
They are...
The Courier’s Women of Excellence Class of 2018
HONOREES JANET K. MANUEL, FAWN WALKER-MONTGOMERY, MARITA GARRETT
Awards Luncheon Friday, October 12, 2018 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh 600 Commonwealth Place Pittsburgh, Pa.
All photos by Courier photographer J.L. Martello
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE CLASS OF 2018
CELEBRITY HOST LISA SYLVESTER, LEGACY HONOREE CECILE SPRINGER, COURIER EDITOR AND PUBLISHER ROD DOSS
HONOREES SIMONE QUINERLY AND LARAE CULLENS
OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
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HONOREE REV. SHANEA D. LEONARD, with family and friends
REV. A. MARIE WALKER says a prayer before the event begins.
ON THE STAGE—Courier Editor and Publisher Rod Doss
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WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE CLASS OF 2018
OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
HONOREE DIANE POWELL, with husband, Chuck
THE SPRINGER FAMILY, supporting Legacy Honoree Cecile Springer, seated at left
HONOREE REV. CARMEN HOLT, with mother, Marie Nealy
HONOREE M. SHERNELL SMITH, with family and friends
CELEBRITY HOST, WPXI-TV’s LISA SYLVESTER
HONOREE SHERDINA HARPER, left, with Rosa Moore
Women of Excellence— Class of 2018 HONOREE VICTORIA GARNER, with family
FORMER STEELERS QB CHARLIE BATCH, CELEBRITY HOST AND WPXI-TV ANCHOR LISA SYLVESTER, COURIER EDITOR AND PUBLISHER ROD DOSS
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE CLASS OF 2018
REPRESENTATIVES FROM UPMC AND THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH
OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE PITTSBURGH FOUNDATION AND PITTSBURGH HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY
Women of Excellence— Class of 2018
THE NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER TABLE
Cecile Springer The Legacy Honoree
The packed ballroom at the Wyndham Grand Hotel, Downtown, rose in unison and remained standing as Cecile Springer walked onto the stage. It was in amazing appreciation for the nearly 60 years of outstanding philanthropy and community engagement that Mrs. Springer has given to Pittsburgh and its residents. When Mrs. Springer was named president of the Westinghouse Foundation in 1978, she became the first African American female to head a major philanthropic institution in our region. Being named the Legacy Excellence 2018 reception Springer. It was our priviHonoree at the New Pitts- is just one of many hon- lege to honor such a prodiburgh Courier’s Women of ors bestowed upon Mrs. gious woman.
THE CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY TABLE
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OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE CLASS OF 2018
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
TIA BAKER Founder and CEO, Crown Cut Concierge
SALOAM BEY Founder & CEO, Credit Power, LLC— Higher Power Homes Inc.
BETTY J. BRAXTER Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh
LAKEISHA “KI KI” BROWN Media Personality, WAMO 100.1 FM— Founder, Media Chicks Network
BRITTEE Y. CLAY Mental Health Technician, United States Air Force
LORI CRISWELL Office Manager, Office of Pa. State Rep. Ed Gainey
LARAE CULLENS Founder, Dream 2 S.T.E.A.M.—Program Developer, A Child’s Place Healthy Parenting Program
LATIKA DAVIS-JONES, PHD Assistant Deputy Director, Allegheny County DHS
Women of Excellence—Class of 2018
DEBRA P. DENNISON HIV Capacity Building Coordinator, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh
MALESIA DUNN Executive Director, PPG Foundation and Corporate Global Social Responsibility
CHRISTIN M. DURHAM, MBA Nurse Manager for the Primary Care Clinic, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
MAMAR GELAYE Senior Executive, GE Healthcare
VICTORIA A. GARNER Public Relations and Fundraising Coordinator, PACE
MARITA GARRETT Mayor, Wilkinsburg, Pa.
JUDITH K. GINYARD CEO & Broker, JKG Real Estate Services, LLC
ARAINA R. GRAHAM Owner, ARG Financial Services, LLC
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE CLASS OF 2018
OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
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MARSHA GRAYSON Sole Practitioner, Grayson Law Firm, LLC
LASHAUNDRA HAMMONDS Co-Founder, Hammonds Initiative— Mail Handler, USPS
SHERDINA HARPER Coordinator of Cross Cultural Programming, University of Pittsburgh
ALETA HEARD Business Systems Analyst for Sr. Retail Shared Services, PNC Financial Services
REV. CARMEN HOLT Lead Cytogenics Technologist, UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital
NIKKIA INGRAM Founder and Executive Director, Cultivating Resilient Youth
MINIKA JENKINS Chief Academic Officer, Pittsburgh Public Schools
DIANE JOHNSON Senior Manager, Service Coordination Unit, Pittsburgh Mercy
Women of Excellence—Class of 2018
CHERYL JOHNSON Vice Chancellor for Human Resources, University of Pittsburgh
SHEILA L. JOHNSON, PHD Professor, University of Phoenix— Recording Artist, EMG
NICHOLE KINDRED Housing Management Representative, PHFA
VALERIE KINLOCH, PHD Dean of the School of Education, University of Pittsburgh
CLAUDIA M. KREGG-BYERS, PHD Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh
REV. SHANEA D. LEONARD Pastor, Judah Fellowship Christian Church
JANET K. MANUEL Director, Human Resources and Civil Service, City of Pittsburgh
NICKEIA MASON Program Manager, NEED
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WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE CLASS OF 2018
OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
GRACE WANKIIRI ORSATTI, ESQ. Law Clerk to Judge Dwayne Woodruff, Court of Common Pleas
DIANE POWELL National Outreach Chair, Black Women For Positive Change
SIMONE QUINERLY CEO, Quinerly Financial Group
Lanier Robertson accepting for ALETA RICHARDS Sr. Vice President of Coatings, Adhesives and Specialties, Covestro
BONITA L. RICHARDSON Assistant to the President and Board of Trustees, CCAC
DIONNA D. ROJAS President, Safe Space Communications
YASMIN SHAHEED Chief Administrative Officer, HACP
M. SHERNELL SMITH Associate Director of the Center of Student Diversity & Inclusion, CMU
Women of Excellence—Class of 2018
SHAWNA SOLOMON Fashion Stylist, Owner and Operator, Exotic Hush
RUTH WALKER Student Services, Pittsburgh Board of Education
KARLA STALLWORTH School 2 Career Program Director, Oakland Planning and Development Corporation
FAWN WALKER-MONTGOMERY Co-Founder & Lead Organizer, Take Action Mon Valley—Owner, Take Action Consulting
DEVON TALIAFERRO Program Coordinator and Community Engagement Specialist, Big Brothers Big Sisters
LENORE WILLIAMS Sr. Vice President of Affiliate Operations & Compliance, AURN
IRIS TOWNSEND Manager of H.O.P.E.—Job Search Coordinator, Goodwill
LINDA WILLIAMS-MOORE Associate Dean and Director of Student Life, University of Pittsburgh
ROWINEA WOOTEN Administrative Assistant to the CMO, GNC
WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE CLASS OF 2018
OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
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THE NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER’S WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE CLASS OF 2018
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
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METRO
OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
Sugar and Smoke—
Bringing that Southern flair to Little Italy!
by Briana L. White
Washington native who returned to Pittsburgh after living in Houston, Texas, for many years as Typically, when you a chemical manufacturthink of Bloomfield you er. Although she doesn’t imagine Italian food. But have a background in the Andrea Robinson wants restaurant industry, she’s to dispel that thought, with her new Southern-in- always had a love for good food—especially good spired kitchen and bar, Southern food. Sugar and Smoke. “The restaurant is inRobinson, sole proprietor, spired by food I’ve tasted told the New Pittsburgh in Charleston, S.C., New Courier she wanted to Orleans and Houston. We “bring Southern cuisine will have a little BBQ, plus and hospitality to Pittsfresh fish and seafood from burgh for the people that Maryland and Virginia,” Robinson said. There was a lot of buzz in the city about Sugar and Smoke even before the restaurant ever officially opened its doors. With that in mind, she enlisted the help of local chef, Chaz Smith, to bring her Southern vision to life. Chef Chaz has been in the culinary industry for many years and previMEATLOAF WITH MASHED POTATOES AND ously had a CREOLE GRAVY restaurant of his own, Chaz and Odette’s, which was can’t or don’t travel.” located on Baum Blvd. She had been looking for Before the grand opening, a place for a few years, but when she walked into 4428 I had a chance to taste many of the menu items— Liberty Ave., she knew it one at a private tasting on was the perfect space. “It just felt right,” Robin- Aug. 13 and another time at their VIP/media preview son told me. party on Aug. 29. One of This building, formerly my favorite dishes was Del’s Bar and Restaurant, the meatloaf with Creole has two dining rooms, a gravy. It was hearty and VIP room, outdoor patio and a banquet room down- comforting, a great dish for you to try and enjoy this stairs. fall. Robinson is a Mt. For New Pittsburgh Courier
Another great standout at Sugar and Smoke I tasted was their smoked brisket. The brisket is slow smoked for about 13 hours and has a coffee rub on the outside. I really liked it, even though I generally hate coffee. The smoked brisket at Sugar and Smoke is tender, juicy, and flavorful. September 15 was the official grand opening, reservation only, and each guest got to feel like a VIP, with a red carpet and pho-
ordered shrimp and grits, while my friends ordered chicken and waffles. When the food arrived, the fried chicken strips lacked flavor, the waffle was dense. However, I loved the shrimp and grits serving (it was plentiful), and it had slices of andouille sausage in it. The flavor was OK, not too big a fan for the consistency of the grits. I expressed my concerns with Robinson and Gary White, the director of
ANDREA ROBINSON has opened Sugar and Smoke, a new restaurant in Bloomfield. (Photos by Briana L. White) the waffle batter. They also changed the ingredients in the grits. Looking to try some new things, I opted for the She Crab Bisque and the Cajun Salmon. While waiting for my soup, I ordered the Streetcar Named Desire cocktail, a mix of brandy, peach schnapps, lemon and
Breelicious Bites CAJUN SALMON WITH SAUTEED SPINACH tos by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Emmai Alaquiva. I wasn’t sure how everyone else felt, but there were a few flaws with the grand opening. Customers experienced very long waits, and the food was not of the highest standard that Robinson wanted the food to be known for, in my opinion. I say this because I
sales for the restaurant, about my experience at the grand opening, and they both understood my concerns and thanked me for my feedback. A few weeks later, Oct. 4 to be exact, I returned to Sugar and Smoke, and White informed me that the restaurant changed the seasoning of the chicken, along with the recipe of
Restaurant Reviews
bitters…it really hit the spot! Shortly after, my crab bisque arrived and it was wonderful. It was rich and creamy with hearty pieces of crab claw. I could literally eat a whole vat of it. When the salmon arrived, I was very pleased with the presentation. It was cooked perfectly, though, in my opinion, it lacked the Cajun flavor it was supposed to have. Overall, I believe Sugar and Smoke has the potential to be a great restaurant. I believe Robinson has the desire and passion to make Sugar and Smoke one of the best restaurants in Pittsburgh, and she’s definitely open to positive feedback from anyone, along with ways people feel as though the business could improve. I recommend you try the She Crab Bisque, Meatloaf and Smoked Brisket. I give Sugar and Smoke 3 out of 5 Breelicious Bites.
LIFESTYLES New Pittsburgh Courier
Smokin’ Jim Frazier interviews hoop great Isiah Thomas Sports B8
OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
www.newpittsburghcourier.com
Debbie Norrell
Lifestyles Report
‘The Skin I’m In’ turns 20 I am a big fan of Sharon Flake, the author of “The Skin I’m In.” I have known her for quite some time, I’m not sure for how long but it has been a while. When I found that she was a published author I was so impressed. The main reason I was impressed is she is not a self-published author, she has an agent and her books are published by Disney. To me that is huge. But the real reason I like Flake is she can really write and I respect good writers. Her first book, “The Skin I’m In,” is one of my favorites. The 20th anniversary of the book was celebrated at Barnes and Noble with a launch party on Oct. 20; I made sure I was there. A standing room only crowd was in attendance. A good friend and former co-worker, Audrey Murrell, introduced Flake to the crowd. But I don’t think there was anyone there who was a stranger. Sharon’s former co-workers came, Carlton Heywood, a librarian in Pittsburgh Public Schools was there, Flake said he has been a great support system and made some great suggestions regarding her books. There was a reading of a portion of the book by young people about the age of the characters in the book and if you were lucky you got a salted caramel drink and a special cookie. Needless to say I was lucky. The book is the winner of the Coretta Scott King/ John Steptoe Award for New Talent and many other awards. In ‘The Skin I’m In,” Maleeka suffers every day from the taunts of the other kids in her class. If they’re not getting at her about her homemade clothes or her good grades, it’s about her dark skin. When a new teacher, whose face is blotched with a startling white patch, starts at her school, Maleeka can see there is bound to be trouble for her, too. But the new teacher’s attitude surprises Maleeka. Miss Saunders loves the skin she’s in. Can Meleeka learn to do the same? The inspiration for the main character in the book was Sharon’s daughter, Brittany Banks, and Banks celebrated her birthday on Oct. 20 at the book signing. If you missed this book signing there will be a few more locally. Let me remind you the books are actually written for a younger market but I have enjoyed each one so please be open-minded. On Nov. 28 at 6 p.m., enjoy “Reflections of Our Complexions: An evening with Sharon Flake” at the Homewood Library. This is free and open to the public. On Dec. 2, Sharon Flake will be a featured speaker at the Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures at 2:30, tickets are required. On Feb. 27, at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, there will be student discussions and a Battle of the Books Sharon G. Flake Edition, and on March 1 the Sharon G. Flake national writing contest starts. Go to http://www.sharongflake. com to find out more. She has a great collection of books, find one and enjoy. (Email Debbie at debbienorrell@aol.com.)
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Gwen’s Girls and The Black Girls Equity Alliance by Debbie Norrell
This year attendees attended sessions on “Loving Black Girls Unconditionally,” “Let Her Learn: How to On Sept. 27, at the Combat Race and Gender,” Omni William Penn and the luncheon, “When, Hotel the Third Annual Where and Why we Enter: Equity Summit & Award Educational Equity and Reception was presentAdvancement for Black ed by Gwen’s Girls and Girls” with Monique W. The Black Girls Equity Morris as the keynote Alliance. Guests enjoyed speaker. Dr. Morris is a an after five reception with heavy hors d’oeuvres, Social Justice Scholar and author of “Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools.” Dr. Morris was a surprise honoree on Sept. 27 along with the Gwen’s Girls 2018 honorees: Marc Cherna (DHS, CYF), Walter Smith (DHS, CYF), Adrienne Smith (DHS, CYF), Sylvia Fields (Eden Hall Foundation), Kim Patterson (Gwen’s Girls Volunteer), Kathy 2018 HONOREE—Monique W. Morris (Photos by Humphrey Debbie Norrell) (University of Pittsburgh), Carol Neyland wine & spirits, gourmet desserts and music by the (Dollar Bank) and Michael Yonas (Pittsburgh FounRiver City Brass Band. The theme of the two day dation). With past Gwevent was, “The Village in en’s Girls board member, Action to Advance Equity Orlana Darkins Drewery, as mistress of ceremony, for Black Girls.” beautiful awards were For three years Gwen’s presented by Gwen’s Girls Girls has held an evening Executive Director Dr. reception where commuKathi Elliott. nity leaders who have The mission of Gwen’s demonstrated a commitGirls is to empower girls ment to improving the lives of women and girls in and young women to have productive lives through the Pittsburgh region are honored. The following day holistic, gender-specific programs, education and is a day of learning via a series of breakout sessions experiences. Their vision is one of girls becoming and panel discussions. Lifestyles Editor
2018 HONOREE—Adrienne Smith and Kathi Elliott
2018 HONOREE—Carol Neyland and Kathi Elliott
MISTRESS OF CEREMONIES— Orlana Darkins Drewery
2018 HONOREE—Marc Cherna
self-sufficient adults, equipped with the capacity to continuously evolve emotionally, physically and spiritually; building strong family units; developing a strong support system; and contributing to community life. Gwen’s Girls was the vision of the late Gwen Elliott.
2018 HONOREE—Michael Yonas
GWEN’S GIRLS STAFF MEMBERS
2018 HONOREE—Kathy Humphrey
2018 HONOREE—Kim Patterson
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Enrollment down 4 percent at PA state universities Should you pay
off mortgage before you retire? by Liz Weston NerdWallet
A cheapskate’s shopping guide for credit cards
HELPING COMPANIES—Audrey Russo said in her 10 years heading the council, it has helped several companies build their ideas. (Photos by J.L. Martello)
Russo talks building partnerships to build regional economy
by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer
SEE CHEAPSKATE B3
While making a presentation at the African American Chamber of Commerce’s October PowerBreakfast meeting, Oct. 19, Pittsburgh Technology Council President and CEO Audrey Russo mentioned that there’s a guy in North Point Breeze who created a tech company called Gecko Robotics that just got $7 million from investors that include Mark Cuban. “His 40-pound robot climbs and inspects power plants. It goes places you and I wouldn’t want to—looking for cracks, leaks, collecting data. He didn’t come out of (Carnegie Mellon University), he went to Grove City College,” she said. “Now if you talk to him, he laughs because all the CMU grads want to come and work for him.” Russo said in her 10 years heading the council, it has helped several companies like Gecko
build their ideas. Like a chamber, it has members for whom it provides services, but it is focused on the technology sector and aiding it in five main areas: public policy advocacy; talent recruitment and retention; visibility; business development; and forming strategic partnerships.
DORIS CARSON WILLIAMS
The latter, she said, was part of the reason she was there. “What are the things Doris (Carson Williams) and I can work on together? What can we do better? And what should we maybe not do?” Russo’s mission is to make Southwestern Pennsylvania the place where all people can prosper and build their ideas and make a difference. What matters, she said, is when her customers are successful, getting capital, making partnerships, beta testing products, getting contracts with large firms and, of course, getting investment. “What can we do to accelerate more inclusiveness, creating paths for people who don’t currently represent the tech economy?” she asked. “It has suffered a lot around gender parity, African Americans not being represented. I’m not proud that we haven’t done better in 10 years—I want to see the SEE RUSSO B3
Most people would be better off not having mortgages in retirement. Relatively few will get any tax benefit from this debt, and the payments can get more difficult to manage on fixed incomes. But retiring a mortgage before you retire isn’t always possible. Financial planners recommend creating a Plan B to ensure you don’t wind up house rich and cash poor. WHY A MORTGAGE-FREE RETIREMENT IS USUALLY BEST Mortgage interest is technically tax deductible, but taxpayers must itemize to get the break—and fewer will, now that Congress has nearly doubled the standard deduction. Congress’ Joint Committee on Taxation estimates 13.8 million households will benefit from the mortgage interest deduction this year, compared to more than 32 million last year. Even before tax reform, people approaching retirement often got less benefit from their mortgages over time as payments switched from being mostly interest to being mostly principal. To cover mortgage payments, retirees frequently have to withdraw more from their retirement funds than they would if the mortgage were paid off. Those withdrawals typically trigger more taxes, while reducing the pool of money that retirees have to live on. That’s why many financial planners recommend their clients pay down mortgages while still working so that they’re debt-free when they retire. Increasingly, though, people retire owing money on their homes. Thirty-five percent of households headed by people ages 65 to 74 have a mortgage, according to the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances. So do 23 percent of those 75 and older. In 1989, the proportions were 21 percent and 6 percent, respectively. But rushing to pay off those mortgages may not be a good idea, either. DON’T MAKE YOURSELF POORER Some people have enough money in savings, investments or retirement funds to pay off their loans. But many would have to take a sizeable chunk of those assets, which could leave them short of cash for emergencies or future living expenses. “While there are certainly psychological benefits related to being mortgage-free, financially, it is only of the last places I would direct a client to pay off early,” says certified financial planner Michael Ciccone of Summit, New Jersey. Such big withdrawals also can shove people into much higher tax brackets and trigger whopping tax bills. When a client is wealthy enough to pay off a mortgage and wants to do so, CFP Chris Chen of Waltham, Massachusetts, still recommends spreading the payments over time to keep the taxes down. Often, though, people in the best position to pay off mortgages may decide not to do so because they can get a better return on their money elsewhere, planners say. Also, they’re often the ones affluent SEE MORTGAGE B3
Recent CPA poll indicates 2018 withholding is too low
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OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
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Should you pay off mortgage before you retire? MORTGAGE FROM B2
budget it eats up,” says Rae, whose office is in West Hollywood. Those who have substantial equity built up in their homes could consider a reverse mortgage, planners say. These loans can be used to pay off the existing mortgage, but no payments are required and the reverse mortgage doesn’t have to be paid off until the owner sells, moves out or dies. Another solution: downsize to eliminate or at least reduce mortgage debt. CFP Kristin C. Sullivan, also of Denver, encourages her clients to consider this option. “Don’t fool yourself that your grown kids will be back visiting all the time,” Sullivan says. “Certainly don’t keep enough space and comfort for them to move back in with you!”
enough to have big mortgages that still qualify for tax deductions. “Mortgages many times have cheap interest rates that are deductible and thus may not be worth paying off if your portfolio after taxes can outpace it,” says CFP Scott A. Bishop of Houston. WHEN A PAYOFF ISN’T POSSIBLE, MINIMIZE THE MORTGAGE For many in retirement, paying off the house simply isn’t possible. “The best case ‘wishful thinking’ scenario is that they’ll have a cash windfall via an inheritance or the like that can be used to pay off the debt,” says CFP Rebecca L. Kennedy of Denver. In pricey Los Angeles, CFP David Rae suggests mortgage-burdened clients refinance before they retire to lower their payments. (Refinancing is generally easier before retirement than after.) “Refinancing can spread your remaining mortgage balance out over 30 years, greatly reducing the portion of your
(This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Liz Weston is a columnist at NerdWallet, a certified financial planner and author of “Your Credit Score.’’)
Cheapskate’s guide Q&A: What shoppers need to for credit cards know about Sears’ bankruptcy CHEAPSKATE FROM B2
if they’re using a card infrequently, Golden says. •REWARDS ON PRACTICAL SPENDING. Rewards cards are good for people who pay off their monthly credit card balances in full. That probably describes cheapskates, who likely balk at paying finance charges for carrying a balance. And because frugal types don’t do much discretionary spending, they’ll likely prefer rewards cards that give extra points for everyday spending at such places as gas stations and supermarkets, instead of at restaurants and entertainment venues. •CASH-BACK REWARDS. A frugal lifestyle often means a simple one, which jibes with easy-to-understand cash-back reward programs, as opposed to complicated points and miles systems. In a recent J.D. Power study, 36 percent of credit card customers said they don’t fully understand the rewards available to them. Cash-back cards rack up rewards in the most straightforward and useful way. •NO SPENDING TIERS OR REDEMPTION THRESHOLDS. Card issuers sometimes provide reward incentives to spend more. But low spenders will have trouble meeting spending thresholds—sometimes set at thousands of dollars—to get better rewards and sign-up bonuses. And some cards have a minimum amount for redeeming points, such as requiring $50 worth of rewards to accrue before you can cash them in. Frugal spenders might get frustrated by such a wait to redeem rewards. •REWARDS NOT TIED TO A BRAND. Cheapskates typically aren’t brand loyal; they like to shop around for the best deal. So credit cards affiliated with brands, such as retailers and airlines, aren’t likely a good choice because optimizing them requires spending heavily with that brand and cashing in points with that same brand. •BANK LOYALTY REWARDS. Some cards issued by large banks give outsized rewards to cardholders who keep piles of money in the bank’s checking, saving and investment accounts. Because stashing money in the bank is a cheapskate’s go-to move, it’s a winning feature. •HIGH INTEREST RATES. Nobody prefers high interest rates, but frugalistas who pay their monthly balances in full won’t pay finance charges, so they don’t care about cards that have high rates. Ignoring rates can simplify shopping for the right card. “Interest rate is probably not a big factor,’’ Golden says. “They might be looking more toward perks and reward programs.” •BUDGETING TOOLS. Using a credit card for most purchases means you can easily examine your spending by reading your monthly statement. Better yet, many card accounts offer additional budgeting tools that might delight cheapskates whose idea of fun is conducting an autopsy on where their dollars went. “For some people, that gives an accurate picture of how they’re truly spending money over the course of a month,” Golden says. “That’s the benefit of using a credit card for all your spending; it gives you that snapshot. It can be useful when you’re trying to build a budget.” (This article was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Gregory Karp is a writer at NerdWallet.)
NEW YORK (AP)—Sears, once the nation’s largest retailer, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday, hurt by falling sales and its massive debt. The owner of Sears and Kmart stores says it will continue to operate through the bankruptcy. Here’s what shoppers need to know: WILL STORES BE OPEN? Not all of them. The company will shutter 77 Sears stores and 65 Kmart stores by the end of the year as part of the bankruptcy. That’s in addition to the 46 stores it is in the process of closing by next month. The company will have more than 500 stores remaining. Sears posted a list of its closing stores online at https://searsholdings.com/docs/101518_store_clos-
ing_list.pdf . WILL I BE ABLE TO USE MY GIFT CARD? Yes, gift cards will continue to be accepted, the company says. CAN I STILL RETURN OR EXCHANGE PRODUCTS? The return policy isn’t being changed for stores that will remain open. But if you buy something from a closing store, all sales are final and can’t be returned unless the item is defective. Shoppers have seven days to return a defective item to the closing store. CAN I USE MY SEARS CREDIT CARD? Yes, the company says nothing will change about its credit cards.
Natalie Madeira Cofield named 2018 Advocate of the Year by Minority Business Development Agency WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Minoripreneurship and financial empowerment ty Business Development Agency of amongst economically challenged women the U.S. Department of Commerce and girls of color. has named Natalie Madeira Cofield, en“The Minority Business Developtrepreneur, philanthropist and economic ment Agency is the only agency withactivist as the recipient of the 2018 Advo- in the Federal Government whose cate of the YearAward. sole mandate it is to ensure economic The agency’s Advocate of and business opportunities for minorithe Year Award is presented to an indity communities. It is an amazing honor vidual or organization that has demonto be recognized for our work to empower strated significant accomplishment in multicultural women in business the naadvocating minority business enterprise tions most critical and growing economic as an economic force in the driver,” said Cofield about the honor. global economy. The Recipients were honored at award is the highest the Minority Enterprise Delevel of recognition in velopment (MED) the nation bestowed Week BusinessAwards on a minoribreakfast and rety-owned busiception on Tuesday, ness or firm October 16, 2018, by the U.S. during the 2018 NaDepartment of tional Minority SupCommerce. plier Diversity Cofield is Council conference the founder programming in and CEO Austin, Texas. of Walker’s The honor adds to Legacy, Cofield’s list of recent the largest recognitions includdigital busiing being named to ness platthe 100 Most form for Influential African multiculAmericans by The tural womRoot, the 100 Most en, and Influential the WalkWashingtonians er’s Legacy and a Founda2018 tion, the Women organiWho Mean zation’s Businonprofit ness sister honoree arm by the which is Washingmiston sioned to BusiencournessNATALIE MADEIRA COFIELD age entreJournal.
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very often it’s someone else that takes the company to the next level and makes it soar.” Another reason to support local tech startups—and to build partnerships—is the industry’s fragile nature. Google and Facebook can shut down in a heartbeat and not bat an eye. “We’re outposts to them,” she said. But there is an influx of 25- to 34-yearolds who are looking to make their mark. “Currently 24 percent of the region is employed in tech—that’s as much as the steel business, and 33 percent of payroll is tech related,” she said. “Yet
Business Bootcamp
NOV. 7—The Chatham University Women’s Business Center will present Legal Basics Bootcamp, 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the offices of Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP, Oliver Bldg., 535 Smithfield St., Suite 1300, Pgh. 15222. Topics covered include business formation and legal structure, contracts, employment & independent contractors, insurance & indemnification, intellectual property. The session is free, but registration is required. Call Anne Flynn Schlicht at 412-365-1448 for more information.
Training Event
NOV. 7—The Duquesne University Small Business Center and AARP will present a Work for ourself 50 training session, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the Carnegie Library, 419 Library St., Braddock, Pa. 15104. The workshop will provide step-by-step information on how to start a business and generate additional income, as well as how to access to additional resources and mentors to help in the self-employment journey. The event is free. For more information, call 412396-6233.
Workshop
NOV. 13—The African American Chamber of Commerce of Western PA. will host a Manufacturing Supply Chain Workshop, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in H. White Room, Koppers Building, 436 Seventh Ave. Pgh. 15219. The discussion will be led by Petra Mitchell of Catalyst Connection and will focus on how regional manufacturers can gain an edge in a global market. Cost: 10 for members, 20 for non-members, and includes a box lunch. Call 412-392-0610 for more information.
Training Event
NOV. 14— The Duquesne University Small Business Center presents Make the World your Market, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., 505 Rockwell Hall, 600 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh 15282. Topics covered include: lobal market opportunities; International shipping and payment; International legal aspects; Lessons learned from a woman-owned exporting business, and Who will benefit Manufacturing or technology companies, logistics and shipping personnel, export brokers and agents, export-import businesses.
PowerBreakfast
NOV. 16—The African American Chamber of Commerce of Western PA will host its November PowerBreakfast meeting, 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Rivers Club, One Oxford Center, Pgh. 15222. uest speaker, Port Authority of Allegheny County CEO Katherine Kelleman will provide an update on initiatives and information on doing business with the authority. Cost: 30 for members, 30 for non-members. Call 412-392-0610 for more information.
Parsons resigning from CBS board for health reasons
(AP)—CBS Corp. says that Richard Parsons, its interim chairman, has resigned from its board because of illness. The media company named Strauss Zelnick, another media industry leader, as his replacement. CBS named Parsons interim chairman 70 percent of the investment in these startups comes from outside the re- in September as it tried to reshape itself following the ouster of its longtime chief gion.” But Russo said the commercialization Les Moonves. Parsons said in a statement Sunday robots is the region’s biggest growth opportunity, along with biotech spinoffs that he was already dealing with multiple myeloma when he joined the board, from Pitt. “CMU has a ‘take 5 percent and go’ but ``unanticipated complications have deal,” she said. “Pitt is working through created additional new challenges’’ and that now—but their life sciences compa- that his doctors have advised he cut back nies have a lot more regulatory issues to on his commitments to ensure recovery. His successor, Zelnick, currently serves deal with, and there’s research tied to it. But if it comes to fruition, we might be as CEO and chairman of interactive enthought of as the place that cured polio tertainment company Take_Two Interactive Software Inc. again.”
Russo talks building partnerships needle move. I’m action oriented. I want meaningful outcomes.” That’s’ why she said she is working with Community College of Allegheny County President Quintin Bullock, who was in attendance, on the talent issue. Even Silicon Valley is looking for talent. But, she said, Pittsburgh’s budding tech economy needs another kind of talent—seasoned executives, a lot of whom left the region when the economy was struggling. “We need experienced executives who can take companies from nothing and grow them,” she said. “If you’re a founder,
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OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
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Enough is Enough. VOTE!
Guest Editorial
Pa. Senate fails sex abuse victims The U.S. Justice Department has opened an investigation of child sexual abuse inside the Roman Catholic Church in Pennsylvania. Subpoenas were served last week demanding confidential files and testimony from church leaders, according to the Associated Press. The subpoenas follow a recent state grand jury report that found that 301 “predator priests” in Pennsylvania had molested more than 1,000 children over seven decades and that church leaders had covered up for the offenders. “Now federal prosecutors are bringing the Justice Department’s considerable resources to bear, according to two people who were not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly,” reports The Associated Press. “It’s groundbreaking if we’re going to see one of the U.S. attorneys pursuing the Catholic cases,” said Marci Hamilton, a University of Pennsylvania professor and chief executive of Child USA, a nonprofit think tank focused on preventing child abuse. “The federal government has so far been utterly silent on the Catholic cases.” At press time, four of the state’s eight Roman Catholic dioceses—Philadelphia, Erie, Allentown and Harrisburg—acknowledged receiving subpoenas and said they would cooperate or were working with Justice Department officials. While there is no indication the Justice Department is planning an investigation of clergy abuse nationwide there is clear evidence that this is a national even worldwide problem. Other recent incidents of Catholic Church of sexual scandals include: •Catholic bishops have launched investigations into sexual misconduct in seminaries in Boston and Nebraska. •The former archbishop of Washington resigned from the College of Cardinals after accusations that he molested seminarians and an altar boy. •A Catholic bishop in Australia was convicted by a civil court of covering up abuse and the Vatican has accepted the resignations of six bishops from Latin America after church investigations. •An Associated Press investigation found evidence that priests and bishops around the world have abused Catholic nuns and sisters for decades. The new report shows that the church is not doing anywhere near enough to address these horrific crimes after the Catholic sexual abuse scandal that came to light in 2002 after The Boston Globe’s investigation into priest abuse. U.S. Attorney William McSwain of Philadelphia issued the Pennsylvania subpoenas. The grand jury subpoenas seek to find out if priests, bishops, seminarians or others committed any federal crimes. It demanded the bishops turn over any evidence that anyone in their ranks took children across state lines for illicit purposes; sent sexual images or messages via phone or computer; instructed anyone not to contact police; reassigned suspected predators; or used money or other assets as part of the scandal. The grand jury subpoenas also seek documents stored in “Secret Archives,” ‘’Historical Archives” or “Confidential Files,” and records related to the dioceses’ organizational charts, finances, insurance coverage, clergy assignments and treatment of priests. During the same week the Justice Department took courageous action Pennsylvania Republican senators acted cowardly by not taking action on a bill that sought to allows survivors of clergy abuse to sue the church. The senators argued that victims should only be allowed to sue the clergy who attacked them but not the Catholic Church or other institutions that covered up the crimes. The senators failed to take action after a nearly 900-page Pennsylvania grand jury report issued over the summer by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro which found that church leaders had engaged in a systematic cover-up by shuffling accused priests around to different parishes and in some cases working to prevent police investigations. Because of the statute of limitations, however, only two priests were charged as a result of the investigation. . The Catholic Church itself has to be held accountable for the cover-ups and failure to act. (Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune.)
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( T r i c e E d n e y Wi r e. c o m ) — A f t e r years of preclearance and expansion of voting access, by 2013 African American registration and turnout rates had finally reached near-parity with White registration and turnout rates. African Americans were poised to act as a major electoral force. But, on the day after the Supreme Court issued Shelby County v. Holder, eliminating preclearance obligations, a leader of the party that newly dominated the legislature announced an intention to enact what he characterized as an “omnibus” election law. Before enacting that law, the legislature requested data on the use, by race, of a number of voting practices. Upon receipt of the race data, the General Assembly enacted legislation that restricted voting and registration in five different ways, all of which disproportionately affected African Americans.—Judge Diana Gribbon Motz, 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, NAACP v. North Carolina The National Urban League has been at the forefront of the fight for voting rights for decades. At the national and state level we and our network of 90 affiliates in the Urban League Movement have advocated for access to the ballot, condemned efforts at voter suppression and fought for our rights in the courts and in the streets. My predecessor, Whitney M. Young, stood proudly with the other Big Six civil rights leaders beside President Lyndon Johnson as he signed the Voting Rights Act in 1965. Our rights are more threatened than at any time since that moment. That’s why the Urban League Movement is engaged in a voter education and civic participation campaign called “Enough is Enough. VOTE!”
Marc H. Morial
To Be Equal I could quote statistics showing how voter registration and voter participation rates rose steadily from the signing of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 until 2013, when the Supreme Court gutted the Act with its decision in Shelby v. Holder. That is generally how we measure the success of the Act. But to quote Congressman John Lewis, who very nearly lost his life in the battle for the Voting Rights Act, “increasing the voter rolls was not the central purpose of the legislation. It was intended to stop state-sponsored terrorism, intimidation, and unjust, humiliating practices—literacy tests, poll taxes, and even lynching—which led people of color to fear registering and voting on Election Day.” It is no coincidence, and no accident, that the push to dismantle voting rights intensified after the election of 2008—the first time in United States history when the Black voting rate equaled the White rate. That’s exactly when Georgia, for example, tried to enact its controversial exact-match policy—which allows the state to reject voter registrations if so much as a hyphen is out of place. Under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, however, the policy was rejected. Despite the Justice Department’s determination that “flawed system frequently subjects a disproportionate number of African American,
Asian, and/or Hispanic voters to… erroneous burdens on the right to register to vote,” Georgia is now on its third attempt to enact “exact match,” and is being sued for the second time. In 2018, voters in at least eight states will face more stringent voting laws than they did in the last federal election. Overall, voters in 23 states will face tougher restrictions than they did in 2010. Tens of thousands of registered voters were deterred from voting by these racially discriminatory voter-suppression tactics. In The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, Michelle Alexander wrote, “The genius of the current caste system, and what most distinguishes it from its predecessors, is that it appears voluntary. People choose to commit crimes, and that’s why they are locked up or locked out, we are told.” So it is with voter suppression laws. They purport to target people who supposedly can’t be bothered to acquire photo identification, or who supposedly misspell their own names —never mind that it is overwhelmingly voters of color who lack the documentation to acquire required identification, or whose names are likely to be misspelled by overwhelmingly white county elections workers. Poll taxes and literacy tests didn’t explicitly mention race, either. History will look no more kindly on the 21st Century Jim Crow. Ultimately, these efforts to suppress voters of color are mere sandbags against the rising current of an increasingly racially diverse electorate. They may delay but never halt our progress toward equality. But only if we press on, continue to wage battles in the courts and in our communities, continue shining a light on discrimination and speaking truth to power.
‘Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round’ (TriceEdneyWire.com)—Those of us who grew up during the Civil Rights Movement will remember a song called “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round.” Every time I think about the chaotic situation we are going through in this country with a person in the White House who is leading the charge to turn everything our ancestors worked for around, I am reminded of the words: “Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me ‘round, turn me ‘round. Ain’t gonna let nobody turn me round. I’m gonna keep on walking, keep on talking marching into freedom land.” More verses were often added as appropriate, such as no jailhouse, no policeman, no whatever was working to keep our people in slavery. Today, we could add the words such as no president, no republican, no racist and more. Somehow, we need to develop the kind of determination and courage our ancestors had. They faced danger far greater than anything we face today, but we need to conquer whatever fear we have, suck it up and work to get all righteous people out to vote November 6th, work to restore the Voting Rights Act, work to make Election Day a holiday so no boss can refuse to allow you to be off work on Election Day. We must work to get rid of the barriers to voting. Only 56 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot in 2016, and look what
Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.
Commentary we got! That has to be added to the Russian interference in the election. Too many people who mean us no good are actually benefitting from our not voting. Did you see those senior citizens in Georgia actually rejoicing when evil forces tried to prevent them from voting? When they were ordered off that bus that had been arranged to take them to vote, they just got off rejoicing and making it clear that nobody was going to turn them around. They remember when our ancestors struggled, but kept on fighting. That’s the spirit we must have again. Every time somebody closes a door to us, let’s unite and make an entrance where there might never have been one before. Every time old man Jim Brown and a troubled Kanye West go to the White House to hug and praise a man who means evil not only for us, but for all non-white people, for
women, for poor people, for young people and for souls who see wrong and try to right it, our efforts to do what is right are weakened. Let’s commit to lessen the reasons why so many people don’t see a reason for voting. We must work for campaign finance reform, for more convenient times and places for everyone to vote, for better ways to fund elections so that the people hurt most by elections can run for office and change what must be changed. If we don’t take action on some of these things, only the powerful will continue to benefit from our inaction. Our democracy will be destroyed. More people will lose faith in voting, and that’s exactly what the most powerful want us to do. They want us to stay home so that they can continue to rule and control our conditions. Those seniors in Georgia have lessons to teach those who don’t vote. They remember well when people who look like us couldn’t vote, and now have decided that no matter what the challenge is, they must vote, and they “ain’t gonna let nobody turn them round.” Let us applaud them and learn from them so that we can make this world better for all of us.
(Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. is national president of the National Congress of Black Women, Inc. www.nationalcongressbw.org— 202/678-6788.)
Georgia’s race for governor soiled by a conflict of interest (TriceEdneyWire.com)—What if Georgia played Alabama in football and the lead referee was playing quarterback for Alabama? Would we assume the rules are being equally enforced? Would Georgians worry that the fix was in? Football thrives on a level playing field. There is no way the University of Georgia or Southeastern Conference officials would accept such an obvious conflict of interest. Yet, Georgia’s gubernatorial contest is scarred by a similarly unacceptable conflict. Brian Kemp, the Republican secretary of state—the official who makes and enforces election rules— is running against Stacey Abrams, the first African American woman to be nominated for governor in the state’s history. Kemp has refused to recuse himself or quit to ensure that a neutral official is in charge of the election rules. What would be utterly unacceptable in a football game is somehow supposed to be swallowed in an election contest over who will lead the state. Kemp isn’t a passive secretary of state. A proud rightwing hardliner, he is notorious for trying to find ways to suppress the vote, particularly the vote of African Americans. As Myrna Perez, deputy director of the Brennan Center for Justice told The New York Times: “Georgia has been a cause for concern for a number of policies, ranging from polling place closures to technical blocking of registration
Kemp responded not as a neutral state elections official, but as a partisan candidate, accusing Abrams of being afraid to run on her record and “using fear to fund-raise.” Kemp claims that it has never been easier to register in Georgia. His conflict of interest, however, makes that hard to believe. Other secretaries of state have stepped down when deciding to run for office. Kemp’s refusal to do so and purges.” Kemp has implementundermines not only his word, but ed an “exact match” voter ID system the credibility of his office. Georgia, that requires voters to bring IDs like other states in the South, has a that exactly match their registralong and dark history of voter suption records. In August, Georgians pression. learned of a plan to close most of the After Justice John Roberts and polling stations in a predominantly the conservative gang of five on the Black county. The outrage was such Supreme Court gutted the Voting that the plan was abandoned. Civil Rights Act, many states, particularly rights groups filed a lawsuit last those in the South controlled by Reweek challenging the “exact match” publicans, rolled out new voter supvoter registration law. pression laws. Nothing could be more The Associated Press reported that corrosive to democratic elections, and Kemp has held up the registrations to Georgia’s effort to become a leader of 53,000 voters, 70 percent of them of the New South. The election is less African-American, in a state with a than a month away. population that is 32 percent Black. Abrams offers Georgians a new Many people on that list may not day, one that will attract interest even know their voter registration around the world. Kemp remains has been held up. Abrams is reachthe referee and the Republican ing out across the state to get voters candidate, a throwback to an age to register and vote, across lines that few in Georgia and the South of race. Not surprisingly, she sees would want to return. We all have Kemp’s actions as biased: “This is an interest in elections that are free simply a redux of a failed system and fair. Democracy depends on that is both designed to scare people that. The legitimacy of our officials out of voting and…for those who depends on that. It is too bad that are willing to push through, make it Brian Kemp has chosen to ignore harder for them to vote.” that basic principle.
Jesse Jackson Sr.
Commentary
CLASSIFIED New Pittsburgh Courier
B5
OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
www.newpittsburghcourier.com
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Help Wanted
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MULTI IT RELATED POSITIONS
IT PROJECT MANAGER (MULTIPLE OPENINGS)
National Placement out of Allegheny County, PA. Ability to relocate to multi unanticipated sites as req’d. Min of either, BS degree & 5Yrs exp or in alternate MS W/1Yr exp. All degrees & exp may be in either Comps, Info Syst ng g or re ate fie n suit combo of educ, training or expe accepted. See below for required skills: Software Developer (ETL): Skills in Oracle, PL/SQL, Mainframe, Unix, Informatica & ETL. 99,944/ yr. Ref# ETL–0218 GLX. Software Developer (Facets): Skills in Facets, Crystal Reports, ETL, Informatica, SSIS and .NET. 99,944/ yr. Ref# FCT–0218 GLX. Software Developer (Sterling): Skills in IBM Sterling B2B Integrator; IBM /OS Mainframe; SQL; SAP; DB2; Java; & AS400. 99,944/yr. Ref# STL–0218 GLX. Senior Systems Analyst (JD Edwards): Skills in JD Edwards; Enterprise One; OneWorld E; World Soft; Visual C ; RP ILE; RP /400; CL & SQL. 110,718/ yr. Ref# JDE–0218 GLX. Positions are FT/Perm 9-5, 40 hrs/wk. Sedn resume with ref # to Galax-Esystems Corporation, One Oxford Centre, 301 Grant Street, Ste 4300, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 or hr@galaxesystems. com. Galax-Esystems Corporation is EOE M/F/V/D.
MANAGER OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
Port Authority is seeking a Manager of Employee Relations to under the general direction of the Director of Employee Relations, represents PAAC in activities involved in contract interpretation and administration, grievance, discipline, and mediation/arbitration cases with employees. Provides advice to managers, employees, and Employee Relations Representatives regarding the interpretation and implementation of various laws and agreements, including Port Authority’s company policies and procedures affecting terms and conditions of employment. Oversees the administration of Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), attendance tracking and unemployment compensation. Direct activities of Employee Relations staff members and FMLA / Attendance Administrator within assigned operating locations. Essential Functions: •Represents management in all relations with employees, including participating in or coordinating with counsel to prepare for and present management’s position in hearings and arbitrations; advocates management and position in disputes with employee groups. Represents Port Authority in court proceedings, OEO, Unemployment and Workers’ Compensation hearings; gives deposition, as requested. •Supervise and train Employee Relations Department staff members and FMLA/Attendance Administrator and conducts employee performance evaluations on a timely basis. Monitor department team performance measurements and provides feedback to team members. Fills in for staff members, as needed. Manage the mediation/arbitration process and acts as company arbitrator. •Advise Employee Relations Representatives and respective management on the solution of cases in the grievance procedure and disciplinary actions. Ensures the staff conducts thorough and accurate investigations and documentation of grievances/disciplinary actions and that appropriate PeopleSoft system entries regarding and personnel actions are entered. Job requirements include: •BA/BS degree in Industrial Relations/Labor Relations, Human Resources Management, or related field from an accredited school. Minimum of two (2) years supervisory experience. Minimum of five (5) years experience in the area of employee/industrial relations, including a minimum of three (3) years in a unionized environment. •Knowledge of labor and employment laws. •Professional, effective and interpersonal communication skills. •Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows, Microsoft Word and Excel. ood organizational skills. •Valid PA driver’s license. Preferred attributes: eneral Human Resource experience. Updated knowledge of laws governing human resource functions.
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Holly A. Jenkins Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 HJenkins@portauthority.org EOE
SDLC Management, Inc. ( reater Pittsburgh, PA area) responsible for carrying out & overseeing all tasks rltd to the business analysis process, business process re-eng’g, implmntn of talent management, building of prjct schedules, managing prjcts scope & communicating prjct status & set expectations w/ clients. Duties: lead clients critical business & technlgy prjcts; monitor prjct tasks timelines, resource plans & risks associated w/ prjct completion using prjct management sftwre tools such as MS Prjct; applying Six Sigma, PMP, Rational & PMBOK tools, as well as RUP, CMMI & Agile methodologies to oversee IT dvlpmnt prjcts for the Company’s clients; directing technical & business teams within the SDLC process; interacting w/ technical resources for problem resolution purposes; performing analysis, problem solving, communication, documentation & critical thinking; & managing prjct work for self & others. Master s degree in IS, MIS, Engineering, Science or Business. Mail resume: SDLC Management, Inc., One PPG Place, Suite 3200, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Port Authority is seeking an Chief O erating Officer to direct all aspects of bus and light rail operations and maintenance, service implementation, and delivery to ensure the provision of excellent, efficient, and safe transportation services for the public. Essential Functions: With the CEO, sets vision and direction for long and short-range operations of all Port Authority service. •Directs the development and implementation of all operations/maintenance programs and projects for bus and rail systems and equipment. •Directs activities of the Operations Division senior management staff. Monitors performance and conducts annual performance reviews; initiates personnel actions. •Develops Operations direct staff. Works with Human Resources to develop and implement succession plans and career ladders. Coordinates with Port Authority University on curriculum development. Coordinates with Safety officer/Department on development and implementation of overall safety and security plans. Job requirements include: •BA/BS in Business Administration, Transportation, Public Administration or a related field. Directly related experience may substitute for education on a year-for-year basis. Minimum of ten (10) years progressively responsible operations management experience, with at least five (5) years in a senior level position. •Knowledge of and/or experience with transit technology including scheduling systems and vehicle technology. •Experience in the administration and management of a budget for a complex organization. Experience working with a represented workforce. •Strong customer service focus. Strong leadership skills. •Professional and effective communication Preferred attributes: Master s degree in Business Administration, Transportation or a related field.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS Meetings
MEETING
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh’s Board of Commissioners will hold its monthly meeting for October on Thursday, October 25, 2018. The board meeting will be held at 10:30 A.M. 200 Ross Street, 13th Floor, Wherrett Room, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices
NOTICE FOR PUBLICATION
In the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Orphans’ Court Division, Estate of Kevin Warner, deceased, Case No. 6024 of 2018: Notice is hereby given that on October 1, 2018, a Petition was filed by Frederick Warner, to terminate the interests of the heirs and devisees of Kevin Warner, deceased, in the real estate located at 118 Grandview Avenue, East Pittsburgh, PA 15112, and determine that fee simple title is in the Petitioner. If no exceptions to the Petition are filed within 30 days, Petitioner will seek an Order adjudging that the deceased’s interest to the property title is in himself.
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Bids/Proposals
ASSISTANT MANAGER OF THE MAIN SHOP
PUBLIC NOTICE OPENING OF THE SKYLINE TERRACE FOUR-BEDROOM SITE BASED WAITING LIST
LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT Port Authority of Allegheny County REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 18-10
Port Authority is seeking an Assistant Manager of the Main Shop to be responsible for assisting the Manager of the Main Shop in planning, directing and coordinating all transmission, engine component rebuild, body and paint repair programs, vehicle overhaul, activities and work functions for Port Authority s bus eet. Essential Functions: Supervises and coordinates work assignments for engine, VOH, component rebuild and body and paint repair functions performed at Manchester Shop, including overtime work scheduled. •Coordinates parts, materials, and supplies purchased with Shop Section Supervisors and Procurement personnel. •Assists in implementing and monitoring standardized administrative programs and maintenance activities and procedures. Works with the Manager of the Main Shop to implement goals and maintenance performance standards in support of Port Authority s goals, objectives and mission. Job requirements include: High School Diploma or ED. •Associate degree in Transportation, Business Administration, Vehicle Maintenance or technical field in a related area from an accredited school. Directly related experience may be substituted for the education on a year-for-year basis. Minimum of two (2) years supervisory experience. •Team player focused on achieving well-defined program goals and objectives. •Professional and effective communication skills. •Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows. •This is a Safety Sensitive position subject to all testing provisions under the Drug and Alcohol Policy, including random drug and alcohol testing. The person selected for this position may be required to be tested prior to being awarded the job.
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 LEGAL ADVERTISING
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Inez Colon Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 IColon@portauthority.org EOE
1 2 3
Legal Notices
Estate of RUTH W. SPEER a/k/a RUTH VAN ARSDALE WHALEY SPEER, Deceased of Aleppo Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, No. 02-18-05925. John C. Van Arsdale III, Executor, 111 American School Road, Harmony, PA 16037 or to AUBRE H. LOVER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC, 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of GEORGE L. ROSTRON, Deceased of South Fayette Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania No. 02-18-06080. Jeffrey J. Rostron, Executor, 3801 rove Road, ibsonia, PA 15044 or to TODD A. FULLER, Atty;, BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC, 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of CARMINE P. SEBASTIAN, deceased of Dravosburg, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania No. 02-18-06158. Angela R. Thompson, Executrix, 22 E. Welty Avenue, Dillsburg, PA 15479 or to ROBIN L. RARIE, Atty;, BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC, 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of GEORGE H. COX, Deceased of Collier Township, Pennsylvania No. 05377 of 2018. PNC Bank, National Association, Executor, c/o Sharon Whitney,300 Fifth Avenue, 31st Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, and James J. Bowman,Executor, 429 Washington Avenue, Bridgeeville, PA 15017 or to AUBREY H. GLOVER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC, 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017
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Effective Wednesday, October 31, 2018, at 8:00 a.m., the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) will re-open the Skyline Terrace four-bedroom waiting list for all families that require, and qualify for, a four-bedroom unit. Not all households will be eligible for a four-bedroom unit, as the age, gender and relationships of household members affect the number of bedrooms for which a household is eligible. Families of various sizes can qualify for four-bedroom units, but some restrictions apply. Families may have no less than one person per bedroom and no more than two persons per bedroom. Children of the same sex, under the age of 18, share a bedroom. Children of opposite sex share a bedroom until the oldest child reaches the age of three. Effective Wednesday, October 31, 2018, at 8:00 a.m., pre-applications can be submitted in person to the HACP Occupancy Department between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., mailed to the address below, or faxed to 412-456-5182. Pre-applications will not be distributed before 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 31, 2018. For information on the Skyline Terrace four-bedroom site based waiting list, please contact the Occupancy Department at 412-456-5030. Position on the waiting list will be determined based upon the date and time stamp received once the completed pre-application is submitted to the Occupancy Department. Persons with disabilities requiring accommodation to submit a pre-application can contact the HACP s Disability Compliance Office at 412456-5282. For those that are deaf or hard of hearing, you can also contact HACP at TDD: 412-201-5384. This event is for the Skyline Terrace four-bedroom site based waiting list ONLY and is completely separate from the HACP Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) and Low Income Public Housing Programs. The Housing Authority of the City Of Pittsburgh Occupancy Department 100 Ross Street – 4th Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15219
LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH
Sealed bids will be received in the Office Of The Chief Operations Officer, Room 251, Administration Building, 341 South Bellefield Avenue until 11:00 A.M. prevailing time November 13, 2018 and will be opened at the same hour for the purchase of the following equipment and supplies: Classroom Supplies Musical Instruments Interscholastic Athletic Supplies General Information regarding bids may be obtained at the Office of the Purchasing Agent, Service Center, 1305 Muriel Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203. The bid documents are available on the School District’s Purchasing web site at: http:// www.pghboe.net/pps/site/default. asp Click on Bid Opportunities under Quick Links. The Board of Public Education reserves the right to reject any and all bids, or select a single item from any bid. M. Jordan Purchasing We are an equal rights and opportunity school district
Port Authority of Allegheny County is requesting proposals for the performance of the following service: Fare Model Development and Related Title VI Fare Equity Analysis Services The work under the proposed Agreement consists of a single supplier to provide services in the development of a fare model to be utilized by the Department of Finance to set future fares and project future revenue levels. This fare model would incorporate current ridership, pricing and revenue data. In addition, the Agreement will provide for services related to meeting Federal Transit Administration s (FTA) Title VI Requirement and Guidelines Circular 4702 as it pertains for any Port Authority fare change. A copy of the RFP will be available on or after October 19, 2018, and can be obtained by registering at the Port Authority ebusiness website: http:// ebusiness.portauthority.org and following the directions listed on the website. Please note that Proposers must register under the ebusiness category of PSITS; Professional Services, Information Technology Services or PSSC; Professional Services Software Consulting for this RFP. Proposers may also register in other categories for any future RFPs issued by Port Authority. If you have specific questions regarding this RFP, please contact Jeff Faddis at (412) 566-5315. An Information Meeting for interested parties will be held at 1:00 p.m., prevailing time, November 1, 2018 in the Fifth Floor Board Room of Port Authority of Allegheny County s downtown offices, 345 Sixth Avenue to answer any questions regarding this RFP. Hard copy proposals must be both delivered to, and time stamped by a representative of the Purchasing and Materials Management Department at or before 2:00 p.m., prevailing time, November 19 2018, at the Purchasing and Materials Management Department, Port Authority of Allegheny County, 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15222-2527. Proposals received or time stamped in the Purchasing and Materials Management Department after the advertised time for the submission of proposals shall be non-responsive and therefore ineligible for award. Each Proposer shall be solely responsible for assuring that its proposal is timely received and time stamped in accordance with the requirements herein. This Contract Services may be funded, in part, by, and subject to certain requirements of, the County of Allegheny and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The proposal process and the performance of the requested services will be in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Port Authority of Allegheny County, in compliance with 74 Pa.C.S. 303, as may be amended, require that certified Diverse Businesses ( DBs ) have the maximum opportunity to participate in the performance of contracts and subcontracts for these Contract Services. In this regard, all Proposers shall make good faith efforts in accordance with 74 Pa.C.S. 303, to ensure that DBs have the maximum opportunity to compete for and perform contracts. Proposers shall also not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, disability, national origin, sexual origin, gender identity or status as a parent in the award and performance of contracts for these Contract Services. Port Authority of Allegheny County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.
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OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
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HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR PROJECT BASED VOUCHER PROGRAM & GAP FINANCING FOR MIXED-FINANCE DEVELOPMENTS 2018 RFP #600-33-18
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR PROJECT BASED VOUCHER PROGRAM 2018 PHASE II RFP #125-32-18
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Project Based Voucher Program & Gap Financing for MixedFinance Developments 2018 RFP #600-33-18 The documents will be available no later than October 15, 2018 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until 11:00 A.M., November 2, 2018 at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Parties or individuals interested may obtain information from: Mr. Kim Detrick – Procurement Director/ Chief Contracting Officer Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 2nd Floor, Suite 200 100 Ross Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-456-5116, Option 1 or by visiting the Business Opportunities section of www.hacp.org A pre bid meeting will be held: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 100 Ross Street, 2nd Fl. Conference Room Pittsburgh, PA 15219 October 24, 2018 11:00 A.M. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. HACP’s has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/RFPs documentation. Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.
INVITATION TO BIDDERS THE PITTSBURGH WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY ADVERTISEMENT
SEPARATE and SEALED BIDS for the following solicitation, will be received by the Office of Procurement, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, 1200 Penn Ave., Second Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, until 2:00 PM Prevailing Time November 6, 2018. Bids must be received in the hands of and stamped in by a PWSA Procurement Officer in sufficient time prior to the opening in order for a bid to be considered. INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR DEBRIS REMOVAL FROM THE HOWARD STREET DEWATERING PIT PWSA PROJECT NO. PWSA107 All bids must be submitted in accordance with the solicitation that can be obtained by sending an e-mail to Charlene Juratovic at cjura tovic@pgh2o.com. There will be no charge for the solicitation, as it will be sent via e-mail. All questions relating to the solicitation itself shall be directed to Jim Tracey, Fleet and Contract Administrator, via e-mail to: jtracey@pgh2o.com, no later than October 30, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. The dewatering pit, located at 1907 Howard Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15212, will be made available for inspection on Tuesday, October 30, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. for all interested Bidders. No Bid Bond is required. Successful Bidder(s) will be required to submit a Performance Bond, for 10% of the awarded contract value, within 10 calendar days of award notification. Failure to submit a performance bond within the time frame required may be cause for the PWSA to rescind the award. Performance Security(s) shall be accompanied by an appropriate power-of-attorney from the surety firm to the agent issuing the Security. The Contractor must assure that employees and applicants for employment are not discriminated against because of their race, color, religion, sexual preference, sex, or national origin. The Authority reserves the right to withhold the award of the Contract for a period of 90 days after the opening of the bids. The Authority reserves the right to reject any or all bids, and to waive any informality or minor irregularity in any bid or bids. The Authority also retains the right to investigate the qualifications of bidders prior to any award and to award contracts only to contractors who, in the sole judgment of the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, are qualified and equipped to properly execute the specified work.
COURIER CLASSIFIEDS
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Project Based Voucher Program 2018 Phase II RFP #125-32-18 The documents will be available no later than October 10, 2018 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until 10:00 A.M., October 31, 2018 at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Parties or individuals interested may obtain information from: Mr. Kim Detrick – Procurement Director/Chief Contracting Officer Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 2nd Floor, Suite 200 100 Ross Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-456-5116, Option 1 or by visiting the Business Opportunities section of www.hacp.org A pre bid meeting will be held: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor Conference Room Pittsburgh, PA 15219 October 18, 2018 10:00 A.M. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. HACP’s has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/RFPs documentation. Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR PAINTING OF VACANT UNITS AT VARIOUS HACP LOCATIONS (LABOR ONLY) IFB# 300-31-18
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): PAINTING OF VACANT UNITS AT VARIOUS HACP LOCATIONS (LABOR ONLY) IFB# 300-31-18 The documents will be available no later than October 22, 2018 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 9:00 a.m. on November 9, 2018 at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, at which time they will be opened and read aloud. Parties or individuals interested in responding may download a copy of the Solicitation from the Business Opportunities page of www.HACP. org. Questions or inquiries should be directed to: Mr. Kim Detrick Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-456-5116 Opt 1 A pre bid meeting will be held: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Dept. 100 Ross Street 2nd. Fl. Ste. 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15213 November 1, 2018 9:00 A.M. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. HACP’s has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/RFPs documentation. Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh
HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.
To place a display ad in the New Pittsburgh Courier call 412-481-8302 ext. 128 or 129
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS ALLEGHENY COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INTERPRETIVE SERVICES CONTRACT LANGUAGE ACCESS PLAN OCTOBER 24, 2018
OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION of the SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH
OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION of the SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH
Allegheny County Economic Development is soliciting proposals to provide affordable, professional language Interpretation and Written Translation services (referred to collectively as Language Assistance Services) to assist individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) who are seeking or receiving services through the Allegheny County Department of Economic Development (ACED The Request for Proposal is currently available on the Allegheny County Economic Development website at the following link: http://www. alleghenycounty.us/economicdevelopment/bids/bid-notices. aspx Proposals must be submitted by email to howard.schubel@allegheny county.us, and sam.bozzolla@ alleghenycounty.us, no later than 3:00 p.m. EST on November 14, 2018. Proposals received after this time will not be accepted. The County reserves the right to extend or postpone the date and time for RFP activities; in the event of a change, the information will be posted on the website at http://www. alleghenycounty.us/economicdevelopment/bids/bid-notices. aspx If necessary, the proposal may be hand-delivered, by the date/time above, to: Howard Schubel Chatham One, Suite 900 112 Washington Place Pittsburgh, PA 15219 or Sam Bozzolla Chatham One, Suite 900 112 Washington Place Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Please include an email address so an email confirmation may be sent acknowledging receipt of your Proposal. Please contact us (via email or by calling Howard Schubel at 412-350-1044 or Sam Bozzolla at 412-350-1194 if you do not receive an email.
Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Room 251, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on November 6, 2018, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for: Service Contracts for the following: - Masonry - Roofing - General - Security Systems - Plumbing - Fire Hoses and Extinguishers - Concrete Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on October 15, 2018 at Modern Reproductions (412-488-7700), 127 McKean Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. The cost of the Project Manual Documents is non-refundable. Project details and dates are described in each project manual.
OFFICIAL BID NOTICE TOWNSHIP OF UPPER ST. CLAIR
Sealed Bids will be received by the Township of Upper St. Clair, 1820 McLaughlin Run Road, Upper St. Clair, PA 15241, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania until 9:00 A.M., Tuesday, December 11, 2018, and the Bids will be publicly opened and read thereafter in the Training Room in the Township Building at the same address for the following: SANITARY SEWER VIDEO INSPECTION Please refer to www.twpusc.org / Business/Procurement & Bid Information, for details regarding specifications and Bidding requirements. /s/Matthew R. Serakowski Township Manager
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Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Room 251, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on November 6, 2018, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for: Service Contracts for the following: - Elevators and Vertical Transportation - Boilers and Burners - Chillers and Refrigeration Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on October 19, 2018 at Modern Reproductions (412-488-7700), 127 McKean Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. The cost of the Project Manual Documents is non-refundable. Project details and dates are described in each project manual.
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Trump exploits Kanye West’s struggles with mental illness On Oct. 11, Kanye West visited the White House with Gianna Griffin great applause on the right and great consternation on the left. As Kanye West continues to align himself with President Donald Trump, his mental health deterioration is broadcasted into the public eye. West makes controversial statements on TMZ and Twitter, proclaiming his love for psychiatric facility, pausing Trump’s “can-do” attitude and his worldwide tour, and, in my boldness. West is the same man opinion, has exhibited erratic who once announced “George behavior since. Bush doesn’t care about Black Another example of this people” on national television. behavior was his infamous An overwhelming majority 2017 TMZ interview where he of Black Americans do not asserted that “slavery was a support Donald Trump. Howchoice.” ever, Kanye’s alignment with Some 6.8 million Black Trump isn’t the issue, it is his Americans have been diagprovocative and often harmful nosed with mental illness, language that degrades Black according to the National people in America. Trump’s Institute for Mental Health. exploitation of Kanye’s mental There are many stressors illness is a reminder that vulfor mental illness within the nerable Black people are used Black community, such as as political pawns for categories racism, mass incarceration, such as “diversity” or “urban poverty, and other socioecooutreach.” In this process, Black nomic disparities. Along with Americans are not accurately these stressors, there is also represented in politics, among a large stigma surrounding other arenas. In the interview mental health. Mental health a few weeks ago, Kanye spoke care is often not sought by the on his diagnosis of bipolar Black community. The stress disorder, claiming that it was of systematic racism and both “misdiagnosed,” and that he felt macro and micro discriminalike “Superman” when he put tion exacerbate the notion that on Trump’s signature MAGA Black people shouldn’t crack, (Make America Great Again) both emotionally and psychired cap. cally, which is a concept proKanye isn’t the only example moted among families. Moreof mental illness among celebover, racial disparities exist rities, but he is certainly one of across mental health care for the most watched of all-time. those who do seek treatment; This spotlight fails to recognize mental health checks are not the underlying issue of his included in annual visits for previously self-acknowledged most primary care physicians mental illness. Kanye identified and are often not covered by with bipolar disorder, as admit- insurance. If we are not able ted in his recent “Ye” album and to remove the negative stigma following interviews. Last year, plaguing mental health care in West admitted himself into a the Black community, I believe
Commentary
another generation will carry the burden of lack of care that will never be fully addressed. Improving mental health care for Black Americans will take a concentrated effort from both healthcare providers who need to make care more accessible, and community members who need to make care more acceptable. Community-based support can go a long way in changing the culture around mental health, and through active participation community members can seek care, coupled with a reform in healthcare policy that will allow for a mental health evaluation. The events of the last decade have solidified the notion that Black Americans can only move forward through the support of our own community. Sure, it seems funny—watching Kanye West make erratic comments, get portrayed on “Saturday Night Live” for everyone’s entertainment—but simply laughing at Kanye’s often ridiculous statements is not going to have any impact. We must recognize the severity and impact of his words and respective political influence. We must change the culture and stigma surrounding mental health in our community. The meeting between Kanye West and Donald Trump can be viewed through many telescopes—but I believe we have to view it as an opportunity to take mental health in the Black community more seriously. We must move forward through advocation and awareness, for the benefit of the Black community, both at home and across the nation.
(Gianna Griffin is a New Pittsburgh Courier intern. She is a senior at Allderdice High School.)
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Electronic cigarettes may save lives (TriceEdneyWire.com)—Smoking kills. We’ve all heard the public service announcements, seen the ads featuring hard-breathing people dying from lung cancer. We’ve all heard about what smoking does to lungs and hearts and stamina. And this issue is personal for me. My 90-year-old mama smoked until she was diagnosed with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) more than a decade ago. Until then, she tried almost everything she could to quit—from the patch to pills to an ill-advised attempt to stop smoking by smoking brands she did not like! Smoking kills, and nicotine is addictive. And it hits African Americans harder than others, although we start smoking later and smoke fewer cigarettes than whites. Still, smoking is associated with the top three killer diseases for Blacks—heart disease, cancer, and strokes. But short of outlawing tobacco, how do we stop, or reduce, addiction to nicotine? Municipalities tax cigarettes as a way to provide a financial disincentive from smoking. But research shows that those addicted to nicotine, especially African American smokers, do not adjust their smoking habits in the face of increased prices. (https://smokingcessationleadership.ucsf.edu/raceethnicity) Entrepreneurs and scientists have also responded by developing market-based smoking cessation products. Nicorette gum, approved
Julianne Malveaux
Commentary in 1984, is an example of the way that the effect of nicotine is somewhat minimized by delivering nicotine without smoke. Similarly, Nicoderm CQ is patch delivers nicotine through the skin. Most recently, Nicorette has developed a mint lozenge. Then there is medication—the FDA approved Zyban in 1997. Chantix was approved in 2006, and its price has doubled since 2013. These drugs have had mixed effectiveness in stopping smoking. So what about e-cigarettes, a way for smoking addicts (they don’t like it when you call them that) to ingest nicotine in a less harmful way than smoking? I think they are a great way to ameliorate some of the effects of smoking. And e-cigarettes don’t have the same harmful affects of second-hand smoke. With the majority of Black children being exposed to second-hard smoke that’s reason enough to consider e-cigarettes. Lot of folks disagree. They think that selling e-cigarettes promotes smoking, not contains it. They think that flavored e-cigarettes are attractive to teens and make it easier for them to begin smoking. They would restrict access to e-cigarettes because they are convinced that they are bad for public health. I beg to differ! I think that e-cigarettes are a way for those addicted to nicotine to minimize the effects of their smoking. I wonder if my mom would experience fewer consequences from her years of smoking if she had the e-cigarette option years ago. She was always clear that smoking killed, and when I was a kid and experimented with smoking, was forced to eat a cigarette, upchuck the effects, and be turned off tobacco for life. But as clear as she was, she struggled with that addiction, and as easily doing a pack a day when she quit. Would e-cigarettes have eased her pain and help her manage her addiction? I think so. (http://csures.com/ wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Russell-etal-2018-Smoking-Transitions-AmongAdult-JUUL-Users.pdf) For sure, using products like the vaping product Juul would have saved her money. A study from LendEdu says that those who switch from cigarettes to the vaporized JUUL product save $58 per month from the switch (https://lendedu.com/blog/financial-cost-of-juul). Will they eventually stop smoking? There is no research to support that premise. However, it is clear that vaping is less dangerous than smoking. That, alone, is a reason to make ecigarettes and other products that vaporize nicotine available to the public. Efforts to ensure that young people have limited access to e-cigarettes and other products that vaporize tobacco are appropriate. Efforts to restrict access to others are ill-advised. If we care about those who are committed to smokers and addicted to nicotine, then we will make it easy for them to access alternatives to smoking. E-cigarettes may change, even save, their lives. The ads that tell us that smoking kills tells only part of the story. The other part is that nicotine has major negative health effects, but that those who are addicted can ingest it less harmfully. This should be of particular concern to the African American community, since so many are dying from smoke-related causes. Public policy should embrace, not condemn, electronic cigarettes. And health advocates should not be fooled by the hype of vaping prohibition while smoking addicts are seeking alternatives. (Julianne Malveaux is an author and economist.)
FORUM
Black firsts are major accomplishments! There are some first Black hotel, of us who fail Louis ‘Hop’ Kendrick by Ben Moore. to recognize the In 1958, Ruth significance of Jean Bowen beBlacks, who were came the first first to achieve Black female to esmilestones. The tablish a successfollowing persons ful booking and make up a signiftalent agency in icant list of Black New York City. In persons who per1995, the first Milformed firsts. Pittsburgh’s Billy Eckstine lion Man March was convened by Minwas the first Black ballad singer to be- ister Louis Farrakhan. In 1997 the first come successful as a soloist independent Million Woman March was convened of a band. The first lady of jazz, Ella Fitz- in Philadelphia, and the speakers were gerald, recorded more than 250 albums Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Winnie and was the first Black female to win Mandela, etc. Alan Locke, in 1907, was a Grammy. In 1876, Edward Bannister the first Black to receive the Rhodes was the first Black to receive full recog- Scholar Award. nition in America as a painter. Can you recall your first Black teacher, In the city of Chicago, in 1972, John H. principal, Pittsburgh school board chairJohnson, publisher and editor, was the person? Do you remember the first Black first Black to own a radio station. The police officer that you met, male or female? first television series sponsored by a Can you remember how many Black Black business was Soul Train by John- police chiefs Pittsburgh had? And who son Products in 1972. Oprah Winfrey be- were they? Who were the first Blacks came the first Black woman in America to get elected to Pittsburgh City Counto own her own television corporation. In cil, Allegheny County Council, the first 1939, Edward Davis opened an automo- Black elected in Western Pa. to the Pa. bile dealership in Detroit, and became House of Representatives, and first the first not to own one, but three. Black elected to Allegheny County ComIn the year 1903 a Black female, Mag- mon Pleas Court? There has not been gie Lena Walker, became the first female that many elected collectively that you president of a bank, Saint Luke Penny are unable to count them. Savings, in Richmond, Va. In 1925 A. To those of you who question the imporPhillip Randolph founded the Brother- tance of being first, allow me to explain hood of Sleeping Car Porters. In 2001 it to you. William Burrus was installed as presThose of you who have been first send a ident of the American Postal Workers positive message to others that your acUnion, the first Black elected president tions must be duplicated. (Louis “Hop” Kendrick is a contributor to the of a major union. In 1951 the Moore hotel was founded in Montgomery, Ala., the New Pittsburgh Courier.)
To Tell The Truth
Voter fraud, voter suppression: pick your poison In 2014 the outfact-checkers said come of a tight mid- J. Pharaoh Doss Trump’s accusations term race in Colowere unsubstantiatrado was going to ed. The Denver Post determine which ran this headline: party controlled the Voter fraud in ColU.S. Senate. orado is extremely But the national rare. The Post respotlight wasn’t on ported, “Between the senatorial candiJan. 2012 and Nov. dates. 2016 there were 32 It was on a controversial election law charges of various voting offenses. These passed the previous year by the new resulted in four convictions.” (Here rarDemocratic majority in the state legisla- ity is based on low numbers convicted, tor. The new election law was promoted but would you say police shootings are as a way to modernize elections and in- rare because of low conviction rates of crease voter turnout. Those that opposed officers?) the changes said the law was fixing a Recently, in Georgia, a federal lawsuit system that wasn’t broke, inviting voter was filed by a coalition of civil rights fraud. groups. The coalition claimed a new law The National Review reported, the implemented by Georgia Secretary of law made Colorado the only state in the State Brian Kemp, who is also the GOP’s union to combine two radical changes: gubernatorial candidate, put 53,000 new 1) It required clerks to mail ballots to voter registration applications on hold, all registered voters and switched from because the registration forms didn’t exprecinct voting locations to county-wide actly match data on file with government collection points. 2) It established same- agencies. (For example, under this law day registration, which allowed a person a missed hyphen, if Wells-Barnett was to appear at a government office and reg- written Wells Barnett, it would be placed ister and vote on the same day without on hold.) showing a photo ID or any other verifiThe civil rights groups called the law able evidence that established identity. discriminatory, 80 percent of the appli(Other jurisdictions with same-day regis- cants pending were from African Ameritrations treated the vote as a provisional cans, Latinos, and Asian Americans, and ballot pending verification, Colorado im- only 9.8 percent were from Whites. mediately counted the vote.) Georgia’s Democratic gubernatorial Colorado’s Secretary of State, a Repub- candidate, Stacey Abrams, who could lican, and the “liberal” Denver Post op- become the nation’s first Black female posed the passage of the new election law. governor, insisted that her opponent reTheir concern was, mail-in ballots would sign from his position as Secretary of be ripe for abuse because “ballot harvest- State to avoid this conflict of interest, but ers” are allowed to go door-to-door and now Abrams is accusing the Secretary of collect up to 10 ballots with no effective State’s office of voter suppression. enforcement if they collect more, alter, or Kemp’s spokesperson said, “They are deliver them. The Secretary of State said faking outrage to drive voters to the he hoped his fears would be unwarrant- polls. The 53,000 pending voters can ed and concluded, “Colorado didn’t need cast a ballot just like any other Georgia these changes. We had one of the highest voter.” They just won’t be able to cast a of all voter turnouts, and people could ballot by mail and they must show up at register everywhere, from online sites to the polls with a voter ID. the DMV. We can make it easy to vote In America’s two-party-system every and tough to cheat, but the law here now voter picks their poison and every elecmakes it impossible to maintain a healthy tion law has side effects. The problem is balance in both areas.” partisans can spot the infection of their Two years later, 2016, President-Elect rivals, but deny the spreading of their Donald Trump claimed he lost the pop- own virus. (J. Pharaoh Doss is a contributor to the New ular vote because of rampant voter fraud. Democrats, media pundits, and Pittsburgh Courier.)
Check It Out
Letter To The Editor
Hill House Association facts never revealed Political responsibility demands that the current issues at the Hill House Association need an independent investigation and audit in my view. As part of the last capital campaign at the Hill House during the tenure of James Henry (now deceased), the association was in excellent shape as finances were concerned. Indeed the former director James Henry also appointed me to the Freedom Corner campaign representing the Hill House Association; my title was logistics chairman of said campaign. Two years ago I asked the New Pittsburgh Courier newspaper to investigate how the Hill House was in $2 million debt. My request went to Christian Morrow and Rod Doss, editor in chief. An inquiry was made and the newspaper at that time in 2016 was told I was mistaken and how could I know such a thing. Several weeks later it was revealed the association was indeed in debt of more than $2 million. Since that time there have
been three different administrations at the Hill House starting with Evan Frazier’s management team and board, then Cheryl Hall-Russell in 2011, then the current acting director and his board Pete Mendes. My serious question is how when the Hill House Association was downsizing many programs, staffers at the managerial levels, as many program workers and making no new land deals, no real estate purchases and adding no new programs does the agency now find itself in an additional four and half million on top of the previous two million in debt? Conflicts of interests exist now even at the board level. This must warrant an investigation and audit before any Hill House sales of four properties. How can violence in poorer communities be stopped when no jobs, no programs, internships exist in the poorer communities even now. Ken Owens-El Pittsburgh
OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
B7
Harry C. Alford & Kay DeBow
Beyond the Rhetoric
Migrant caravan showdown—should they stay, or should they go? It has finally come to this. People have been illegally crossing into the United States from the southern Mexico Border for decades. Some come individually and most come as a group or a band organized by illegal “Coyotes”. It has always been risky. Many of the females joining these groups are raped and held captive into sex slavery once they get into the United States. Also, drug smugglers will often use them as “cover” for their contraband coming across the border. By railcar, truck and foot they have been taking this journey. We first noticed how crazy the whole thing is when Kay and I drove from my hometown of Oxnard, California to her brother’s residence in San Diego. As we entered San Diego County we noticed highway warning signs. It was like the “deer crossing” signs you see in rural areas but for one big difference. The image on the sign was an adult man and woman followed by children. All it said was “Warning!”. We thought it was extreme until a few miles down Interstate 5 there it was: A group of about 50 humans running across the freeway. Traffic came to a standstill while they ran across. 2 o’clock in the afternoon and in front of the entire world it was happening. They would run across the freeway (hopefully without incident) and into a shopping center parking lot where empty buses were waiting for them. Unbelievable you say? It was to me too until I saw it with my own two eyes. The key for these illegals, if they get caught, is to request amnesty. If deported back they may face danger. So, we usually give in and let them stay. Hence, they keep coming knowing that luck is on their side. President Trump is tired of this game and insult to our sovereignty. I certainly agree with him. There is a proper way to seek immigration and most of the world abides by it. Why do we allow this type of “Black Market” on human beings? One of the biggest campaign promises during the 2016 elections was to build a wall on our southern border and establish integrity in our immigration process. Well, the time has come to test the will of the promise keepers. There is a small army of immigrants assembled in Central America (Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala) and moving northward through Mexico. At the time of this writing it is believed to be over 9,000 persons. Many of them are men over 30 years old who would not qualify at all for amnesty. In fact, there are some “bad hombres” within the mass of humanity. Guatemala has claimed that they have apprehended over “100 ISIS connected Syrians” from within the Caravan. Showtime will take place within the next few weeks (when the Caravan reaches our border). In the interim, President Trump is shutting off over $180 million according to Newsweek in normal foreign aid that we give the three highlighted nations and is warning Mexico to become more vigilant. Plus, that, he is threatened a “National Emergency” replete with deployment of the U.S. Army along our border. It is becoming a crisis. Who is going to back down? Sympathizers have said that migrants were running from scary situations, but that is not true of this group. Journalists have been interviewing them on TV and time and time again these grown men say that they are looking for jobs and they want to send remittances home to their families. They will provide cheap labor for our companies driving wages down and increasing unemployment for US citizens. There are many questions surrounding those in this army of migrants. Who is feeding them, clothing them, providing supplies and medical aid? Most have one small back pack if any bag at all. Where do they sleep? Who is providing the buses? What is the agenda and who organized this so-called caravan? In the meantime, Hurricane Willa has intensified into a Category 5 in the eastern Pacific Ocean and will threaten Mexico with destructive winds, life-threatening storm surge and flooding rainfall as it makes landfall on Tuesday. Willa is tracking northward and will turn to the northeast by Tuesday. It should approach landfall along the southwestern coast of mainland Mexico on Tuesday, which is expected to occur anywhere from near Mazatlán to the north of Puerto Vallarta. Increasing wind shear will lead to some slight weakening as Willa approaches landfall, but it will still be a strong and dangerous hurricane as it moves inland Tuesday. Eventually the caravan will cross the path of destruction that Willa has left behind. Mexico’s resources are already strained in many places and thousands of migrants will make a bad situation worse. Either Hurricane Willa or the U.S Army will turn this caravan around. (Harry Alford is the co-founder, president/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce ®. Ms. DeBow is the co-founder, executive vice president of the National Black Chamber of Commerce.)
SPORTS New Pittsburgh Courier
B8
OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
www.newpittsburghcourier.com
Isiah Thomas is still Poppin’ Bottles NBA Hall of Famer spoke with the Courier about his new champagne brand during a recent visit to Pittsburgh by Smokin’ Jim Frazier For New Pittsburgh Courier
NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas sprayed champagne around the Detroit Pistons’ locker room after he led the “Bad Boys” to back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990. “My earliest experience with champagne was having it poured over my head,” said Thomas. “It wasn’t until then that I discovered I love drinking it.” As the Chairman/CEO of his ISIAH International, LLC, his company is the exclusive United States importer of the Cheurlin Champagne brand. “I am the largest African American importer of champagne in the world and I am the largest African American importer of
back wanting more. The demand is there.” Thomas was in Pittsburgh promoting his new champagne line, Oct. 9 at the Fine Wine and Good Spirits store on Centre Avenue, where the New Pittsburgh Courier caught up with the two-time NBA world champion. For decades, athletes have attached themselves to ventures in the food industry—George Foreman’s grills, Mike Ditka’s restaurant, Jerome Bettis’ Grille 36, Hines Ward’s Tavern 86. “The NBA, NFL and professional baseball player today is a far more sophisticated person,” Thomas told the Courier. “He has more money, he goes to high-end restaurants, and he develops a taste for quality champagnes.” Thomas is now 57 years
better, you’d think he was still in the league. There is not a gray hair in sight and he’s in great shape. “I don’t play basketball at all anymore, but I do shoot around from time to time,” said Thomas. “I keep in shape by swimming and bicycling.” Growing up on the West Side of Chicago, Thomas, a multi-sport athlete, excelled at football, too. “I played football in grade school and junior high school and football was my best sport. My favorite player was No. 88 Lynn Swann (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Ahmad Rashad (Minnesota Vikings),” said Thomas. “I wanted to play football in high school, but my older brothers and my high school basketball coach told me to focus only
ISIAH THOMAS (AP PHOTO) champagne in France,” said Thomas. “It has really been word of mouth, because once people taste Cheurlin Champagne, they come
old, 24 years removed from a legendary NBA career in which he was voted one of the 50 greatest players ever. But if you didn’t know
on basketball.” Isiah “Zeke” Lord Thomas III (his full name) played high school basketball at St. Joseph in Westchester,
ISIAH THOMAS (AP PHOTO) which was a 90-minute commute from his home. “When I was growing up on the West Side of Chicago, there were many days we had no food, no gas, no lights,” he recalls. “I had to get up at 4 a.m. to catch two buses and walk one mile to get to St. Joseph High School way out in Westchester, Illinois.” Lord Thomas, the baby-faced assassin, won a state championship in high school. In college, where a significant influence in Thomas’ early days was Bob Knight, the legendary University of Indiana basketball coach, he won a national championship and won the Most Outstanding Player award. In the pros, he won two NBA championships and was voted NBA Finals MVP. Who is the greatest NBA player of all-time? Is it Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Bill Russell, Shaq, Kobe or Thomas? “To me, the greatest player to ever play the game that I’ve seen is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,” Thomas told the Courier. “Arguably, the best basketball career ever. From grade school to high school to college to the NBA, there has never been a more dominant player that I’ve ever seen. He came into the league in 1970 and his last NBA Finals was against me in 1988. Two decades of domination.” Isiah Thomas developed
“When I was growing up on the West Side of Chicago, there were many days we had no food, no gas, no lights…I had to get up at 4 a.m. to catch two buses and walk one mile to get to St. Joseph High School.”
ISIAH THOMAS, with his new Cheurlin Champagne brand. a serious passion for champagne during the second half of his NBA career and spent an immense amount of time learning about the champagne industry. He now owns a great tasting champagne that can be purchased for under $50. “I met the family and they had a great story. They had been making champagne since 1788. Generations of champagne makers and growers. They had 200-plus acres of land in France. They wanted to go into the business and get it into the United States. Once I tasted the product, and met the family, it was kind of love
at first sight,” he told the Courier. You’ve probably heard the cliché a thousand times: Business is like basketball because you can only win with teamwork. “I got a great team. You can’t have success without having a good team and good coaching,” said Thomas. “I made it to the Hall of Fame because I had a good team and good coaches. My hope is one day a bottle of Cheurlin Champagne is tasted by everyone. Because once you experience the taste, I’ll have a happy customer for life.” Drink to that!
Conner is hot, and the City League legends shall lead the way! by Bill Neal For New Pittsburgh Courier
:10—Last week in this column you got the Class of 2018 Hall of Fame Inductees. The second and third group to go into the Great Hall are legends of the game. Len Gallo – West, Ray Hooper – South Hills, Frank Batista – West, Ralph McDaniel – Peabody and the legendary Irwin twins…Terry and Jerry. And, the champions that make the champions…
Overtime
BILL NEAL the coaches of the city! Pat Carmack – Langley, Howard Bullard – Allderdice, and Joe Zeglowitch – Brashear and Oliver. (The final categories next week) :09—Speaking of “The Great Hall”… Here’s some information I know you don’t know…I didn’t know…but, I am glad I know now! Good brother Jerome C. Wilson, a very proud South High Alum-
nus from the class of ’78, reminds us all that on a cold Saturday in 1977 the South High School Orioles put an old school beatdown on the Westinghouse…not so bullish…Bulldogs. As a matter of fact, it was a 22–0…run home…tell your mamma whoopin. The team and the coaches just celebrated the 40-year anniversary of the game. Well, as they say, every dog has its day…or not!!! You can lock this into your City League history book, that day the ‘House did fall. (“Romey-Rome”… We Good?) :08—Another week has gone by when Lev Bell said he was coming back to the Steelers and yet another no-show. I know you know how I feel about the subject so here’s your “Top 5” inside the “Top 10” as to why Bell gets an Uber or Zipcar out of town. #5 – There’s no “I” in Team…Offseason and preseason, get all the money the law allows. But when the season starts… all hands on deck. #4 – James Conner has more than earned the spot…190plus running and receiving works for me. #3 – The offensive line is clicking now with this rhythm. Leave it alone. #2 – you forget Conner is second only to Dorsett at Pitt. Trust me he’s the real deal; and, he runs people over! #1 – Loyalty means something, shouldn’t it? Conner’s here, Bell isn’t… :07—BTW, while you were busy watching the offense get its act together, you didn’t see the defense put-
JAMES CONNER has rushed for 453 yards in six games as the Steelers’ feature running back, an average of 4.4 yards per rush, with seven touchdowns. (AP PHOTO) ting the pieces of the puzzle together. Remember “The O” will come and go but defense wins championships! :06—The Lakers came up short in their home-opener against the Rockets, Oct. 20. OK, yes, short and sweet…I – am – now – officially a LeBron man — he’s – a — Laker. I’m – a – Laker – man – that’s – how – it — works! Now shutup about it please! And this just in – losing to the Rockets 124–115 in the opener ain’t so bad. :05—Dodgers and Red Sox got it started for World
Series bragging rights on Tuesday, Oct. 23. I am a Yankee man after the Pirates’ tent folded, but I think Dodger Blue pitching gets this done in seven. If the Dodgers win, it’ll be their first World Series win since ’88. :04—Your Pitt Panther football team comes off their bye week to take on the Duke Blue Devils in a Saturday, Oct. 27, 3 p.m. home kickoff. This is an important game that could help put Pitt in the bowl conversation. I think Pitt wins. :03—Hail to Pitt a little
more. The No. 6 ranked Pitt women’s volleyball team got set for a 2017 do-over with #21 ranked Louisville, and they beat them! I know you had no idea. Don’t thank me, that’s what I am here for. :02—Congratulations and continued success to all the little league football programs in the area, with the exception of one bad situation, a great season had by all. To you volunteer coaches and volunteers, what you do matters. You may not see all the benefits now, but you’ve planted a seed
for life. :01—Your wait is over! Champions Live Sports and Entertainment Talk Show premieres Thursday, Nov. 1, at the Savoy Restaurant. Doors open at 5:30 – show starts at 6:30 till 7:30, free parking, free admission, eating and drinking required, VIPs and sports celebs every week, 50/50 and prizes, streamed live on YouTube and Facebook, premiere guests feature the 2018 City League Hall of Fame Class – 412-628-4856 for info. :00—GAME OVER.
SPORTS
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
B9
Don’t schedule a premature celebration with ‘Lady Victory’ over the Browns… She might just have another lover on the side by Aubrey Bruce For New Pittsburgh Courier
Recently, when I thought about the upcoming rematch between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, an incident that happened during my college years instantly came to mind. Back in the day, I was visiting Lincoln University with a few of my buddies from Temple to attend a Curtis Mayfield concert. Right before the
Inside Conditions
AUBREY BRUCE doors opened to the event, there was a confrontation between a brother who stood about 6’5” and 270 pounds, and a brother who was approaching “dwarf size” at about 4’10’’ and weighing about 150 pounds soaking wet. The disagreement was about
a girl (no s—t, Sherlock). The big fella was busy yackety-yakking. The little fella kept saying, “I don’t want any trouble.” All of a sudden and I’m not kidding, the big guy charged the little guy and the little guy went up under him, picked him up and slammed him. The big guy looked a bit woozy like he was about to become a “sleeping giant.” The little guy left with the girl. Right now, no one in their right mind seems to give the Cleveland Browns a snowball’s chance in hell as far as coming into Heinz Field on Oct. 28 and escaping with anything more than their lives, let alone a victory over the surging and rested Steelers. Well, I guess I am on my way to the “nuthouse” because in my crazy opinion, this may be one of the toughest games that the men in black and yellow may play this year. Last week was the Steelers’ bye week. They began their week in third place in the bloodthirsty AFC North Division. They ended their vacation in first place by a few percentage points without playing one snap because the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals both lost. If it weren’t for the nasty “tie” suffered in Cleveland at the hands of the Browns in the 2018
BAKER MAYFIELD Leads the Cleveland Browns into Pittsburgh, Oct. 28
(AP PHOTO)
season-opener for both teams, the Steelers would have a little more breathing room at the top spot. Pittsburgh cannot afford to overlook the Browns but they also have to take a sneak peek at their upcoming schedule because each remaining game represents a division title, wild card or even a possible bye week when planning for the postseason. The Browns are ranked 29th against the pass and the run. The Steel-
ers began this week 18th against the pass and sixth against the run. On paper it appears to be advantage Steelers. When you factor in home-field advantage for the Black and Gold, it appears that the Browns may have to wait another Sunday to notch another victory onto their almost “notch-less” belt, but alas, for all those that haven’t learned a lesson in the past, beware of the little guys. This is not just a game
for the Cleveland Browns, this is a classic case for resurrection. This is the game that the “Lazarus”led Browns plan to exit the tomb of incompetence and remove the “death shroud” of losing from the city and their fans. Don’t forget that the 21-21 tie with the Steelers might as well be considered a victory for Cleveland, especially if Pittsburgh loses the division by a half-game. And don’t forget, Cleveland defeat-
ed Baltimore earlier this season and only allowed them to score 9 points! If Cleveland lucks out and wins this upcoming game, you might as well say that the Browns were 2-0 against the Steelers in 2018. If I were the Steelers, I wouldn’t schedule a premature celebration with “lady victory” just yet because she might just have another lover on the side.
(Aubrey Bruce: abruce@newpittsburghcourier.com)
The O-Line—The true key to the Steelers’ success by Mike Pelaia For New Pittsburgh Courier
Ben Roethlisberger. Antonio Brown. Le’Veon Bell. JuJu Smith-Schuster. James Conner. Vance McDonald. Cam Heyward. T.J. Watt. The list often goes on before you get to the names of guys like Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, Ramon Foster, Marcus Gilbert and Alejandro Villanueva. Yet those last five names very well might be the most important five on the roster. In my opinion, they are the true keys to the Steelers’ success. They are the ones who have allowed Conner to run the ball for an average of 4.4 yards per carry through
MIKE PELAIA the first six games. They are proving they make the offense go ‘round and without them playing at their finest, the offense just may not click. I don’t see it any other way. Pouncey and DeCastro are all-world offensive linemen, Villanueva is a Pro Bowl player and the other two are very good. Together, they are one cohesive unit. Perhaps the best unit in the
league. Roethlisberger is no stranger to this concept. From 2004 to 2008, Roethlisberger was sacked more times than any other quarterback in the league, with 192. From 2009 to 2013 he was sacked 194 times, also good for first in the league. Over the last four years, he’s been sacked just over 90 times, putting him at 21st. So, 396 sacks over the first 10 years of his career vs. a little over 90 the past four, as he’s aged. It’s very clear to me why he continues to play at a high level— the guys in front of him. The true keys to this team’s success. They make the run game go (see Conner and Le’Veon Bell), but they also make the passing game go. Roethlisberger, Brown and Smith-Schuster can speak to that. Yet the line doesn’t get enough glory. They don’t get the praise they deserve by the fans. Sure, everyone says they’re good. But people don’t realize just HOW good. The Black and Gold currently average 28.5 points per game, good for seventh in the league. In 2017 they were fifth at 26.4, in 2016 they ranked 12th at 24.4, 2015 they ranked seventh at 25.4 and in 2014 they ranked seventh at 26.6. So, since the sacks for Roethlisberger have been declining, the points per game have been no worse than 12th but usually right around seventh in the league, as they stand so far this year.
Yes, the playmakers like Brown, Bell and Big Ben make dazzling throws, amazing catches and flashy runs, but none of those are going to happen, at least not as frequently, without these five big men upfront. It’s simple to overlook them. They don’t get the big commercials or the national headlines. They just go to work and do their jobs day in and day out. No drama. No off-field games. Just focus and football. That’s what these men do. Come this Sunday, Oct. 28, they’ll need these five to come out and play at the top of their game. Whenever one of them goes down to injury, the team doesn’t quite function on all cylinders as they do when these guys are together. They’ll need them against Cleveland for round two this week and they’ll need them for the other nine games in the succeeding weeks. The Pittsburgh Steelers are in first place at the moment (barely), and that is in no small way attributed to the men upfront. When they beat the Browns this week, in my opinion, by a score of 35-23 at Heinz Field, they’ll stay in first place, and you’ll see the guys upfront leading the charge. Appreciate the stars that this team has…the underappreciated ones, that is. Pouncey, DeCastro, Foster, Gilbert and Villanueva. They are the true keys to the Steelers’ success.
STEELERS GUARD RAMON FOSTER (AP PHOTO)
STEELERS CENTER MAURKICE POUNCEY (AP PHOTO)
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RELIGION
OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
Praise & Worship ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH Crawford & Centre Ave. Pgh., PA 15219 412-281-3141 Mass Sunday 9:00 A.M. & 12:00 P.M. www.stbtmchurch.org
East Liberty Presbyterian Church Rev. Dr. Randy Bush, Senior Pastor 412-441-3800 116 S. Highland Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206
www.cathedralofhope.com Worship on Sunday: Journey Worship........8:45 a.m. Sanctuary Worship........11 a.m. Taize Prayer Service (Wed.) 7 p.m.
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FAMILY AND FRIENDS DAY At Church of the Holy Cross SYLVIA WILSON, right, with Taja Davis-Ramsey, during Church of the Holy Cross’ Family and Friends Day, Oct. 14. (Photos by Courier photographer J.L. Martello)
Curious about Quakerism? You Are Welcome at our Meetings for Worship Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Pittsburgh Friends Meeting 4836 Ellsworth Avenue http://www.quaker.org/legacy/pghpamm
Seminary at the Tabernacle 43 Belvedere St., Crafton, PA 15205 Sept. 10, 2018-May 16, 2019 Sr. Pastor Tony Armstead, MDiv Christian Leadership School (CLS) a Four-year Program currently offering Four non-credited courses in four years. Teaching includes Doctorate and Master of Divinity Teachers. When: Fluctuates Mon. or Thurs., 6:308:30pm Cost: $75 per class, plus any required books Contact: Rev. Marjorie Davis, Ph.D. 412335-2832
THE PITTSBURGH CAPA CHOIR
New Destiny CME Church 114 North Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15212 412-231-7882 Rev. Kornelus Neal, pastor The Rt. Rev. Marvin Thomas Sr., presiding bishop Sunday School....................................9 A.M. Morning Worship Service............11:00 A.M.
ALMA SPEED FOX, with Wesley Fox McCloud
Join our growing Praise and Worship Church Community!
ELAINE EFFORT giving church announcements
For rate information, call 412481-8302, ext. 128. JADA WOODS, a student at CAPA
TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEXT CHURCH EVENT!
CASAUNDRA WILLIAMS
Church Circuit
\We want to place your event in our Church Circuit weekly calendar! Send info to:
CHRISTIAN ARTS EXTRAVAGANZA
NOVEMBER 3—The Bidwell Presbyterian Church will present a Christian Arts Extravaganza on at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the church, 1025 Liverpool St. The program will feature a play, the comedy, “Deacon Willie’s Last Will & Testament.” Also, mime, praise dance, poetry, and music by the sensational “Voices for Christ.” Tickets are $20, and $10 students/ seniors. For more information or tickets, call 412-231-4663.
New Pittsburgh Courier 315 E. Carson St. Pittsburgh PA 15219 Or Email us! religion@ newpittsburgh courier.com
DR. LEON HALEY
The Courier is THE VOICE of Black Pittsburgh.
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OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
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‘Women of Excellence’ honorees shine at awards luncheon EXCELLENCE FROM A1
said. “I’ve had colleagues who’ve won, so I knew about it. But, you know, when you’re doing the work, you don’t think about it. You just do it. So, it’s especially nice to be acknowledged for it.” Dr. Davis-Jones is Assistant Deputy Director for the Allegheny County Department of Human Services’ Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services. Reverend Shanea Leonard is pastor at Judah Fellowship Christian Church. She also was humbled to be an honoree. “I’m truly honored to be here,” she said. “To get the call was a total surprise and I am absolutely thrilled to be here and see all these talented women.” Big Brothers and Big Sisters Program Coordinator Devon Taliaferro agreed. “I’m just getting started. And to be here with these women is truly amazing,” she said. “It’s an honor.” University of Pittsburgh Vice Chancellor for Human Resources Cheryl Johnson, another honoree, said she was “very grateful and look forward to meeting some of these amazing women. This event shows that Pittsburgh is on the move—and it’s great to be a part of that, too.” And an event it was with more than 300 friends and family members celebrating the honorees during the Oct. 12 luncheon at the Wyndham Grand Hotel, Downtown. Courier Lifestyles Editor Debbie Norrell got things started
The Courier is The VOICE of Black Pittsburgh.
by welcoming the guests and introducing WPXITV anchor Lisa Sylvester as the event’s celebrity host. Courier Advertising Coordinator Ashley Johnson thanked the sponsors, HONOREE LARAE CULLENS, with friends, at the Courier’s “Women of Excellence” awards luncheon, Oct. 12. (Photo by J.L. Martello) while Courier Editor and Publisher Rod Doss praised the honorees in attendance for their notable status as “Women of Excellence.” “We continue to be pleased to present such luminous and gifted personalities,” Doss said. As the honorees prepared to take the stage to receive their award, Doss turned the podium over to Sylvester, who introduced each honoree by name as they were greeted by Doss and given their award. Doss then returned to the microphone to introduce the event’s Legacy Honoree, Cecile Springer. “I will let her many awards and accomplishments indicate the high esteem she is held in by others,” he said. “I have been privileged to watch her over the years.” He then introduced a short film tribute featuring comments from some whom Springer has inspired over the years with her charitable, philanthropic and gender and racial equity work—including her daughter, Christina. In fact, many members of Springer’s family were on hand for this momentous occasion. Though she has received countless honors, Springer was deeply touched by the Legacy Award and by all the well-wishers among the other awardees who said Springer inspired them. She thanked and congratulated them all, and said it was just in her nature to try to help others. “I’m delighted to be here with so many exceptional women. I’m celebrating my 60th year in Pittsburgh. My husband (Eric) and I came here to start a life, and since then I’ve had a six-decade love affair with this city,” she said. “So, I have invested my time and talent into it. I have to spend my time involved in those organizations that make up this community. Thank you, all.”
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OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
PEOPLE
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
The Rivers Club, full of Soul Food & Jazz
MELISSA AND MELVIN DUNBAR
WOODROW LITTLEJOHN, ELEANOR LITTLEJOHN, JACOB HOWELL, MUSHIR HOWELL, STACEY EVANS, CLINTON ANDERSON (Photos by Courier photographer Gail Manker)
YOLANDA WINGATE, with daughter, Camisha, lead organizers of the Rivers Club’s Soul Food & Jazz Night, held Oct. 13.
SHIRLEY JACKSON, ANDREA COX
KIM AND TONY BROWN
Voters Guide General Election November 6, 2018 Published by League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh Community Information Center Koppers Building 436 Seventh Avenue Suite 350 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-261-4284 This guide lists all candidates in the November 6, 2018 General Election for U.S. Senator, Representatives in Congress, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Senators in even-numbered districts and State Representatives. Ballot questions for residents of Allegheny County, Bethel Park, Monroeville, and West Deer Township.
October 24-30, 2018 Prepared with Funding from League of Women Voters Education Fund
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OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
This Voters Guide was prepared by the League of Women Voters of Greater Pittsburgh and the League of Women Voters 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 participation of citizens. 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 November 6, General Election for U.S. Senator, Representatives in Congress, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Senators in even-numbered districts, and State Representatives. The candidates’ 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. 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 GUIDE 2018
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
League of Women Voters Guide to General Election— November 6, 2018 (Polls open from 7 AM to 8 PM)
Voters who are not sure if they are registered should call the Allegheny County Department of Elections, 412350-4510, or go to Votespa. com. To find out what district you live in call the League of Women Voters Community Information Center, 412-2614284, Mon-Thurs 9-3pm. Voting in a General Election To vote in this election you must have been registered by October 9, 2018. Your registration is permanent if •You did not change your address •You did not change your name
UNITED STATES SENATOR (Vote for one) TERM: 6 years SALARY: $174,000 Duties: CONGRESS, the legislative branch of the Federal government, is composed of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. A majority vote of both houses is required to pass a law. The Senate made up of two members from each of the 50 states also has the power to approve treaties and confirm presidential appointments. Terms are staggered with one-third of the membership up for election every two years.
DEMOCRATIC BOB CASEY, JR. PARTY: DEMOCRATIC BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 58746 Philadelphia, PA 19102 CAMPAIGN PHONE: 412 335-4034 CAMPAIGN EMAIL: info@bobcasey.com DATE OF BIRTH: 4/13/60 MUNICIPALITY: SCRANTON COUNTY: LACKAWANNA WEBSITE: http://bobcasey.com/
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 you are in the right polling place, and the problem cannot be resolved by the judge of elections, you have the right to 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. Absentee Voting Registered voters who are ill, disabled, or will be absent from the municipality on Election Day may vote by absentee ballot. Completed APPLICA-
TWITTER: twitter.com/Bob_Casey FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/BobCaseyJr/?ref=br_rs EDUCATION: Holy Cross B.A. 1982 Catholic University Law Degree 1988 QUALIFICATIONS: Auditor-General of Pennsylvania 19972005 Treasurer of Pennsylvania 2005-2007 United States Senator BOB CASEY JR. 2007-Present CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: BobCasey.com QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office? A: The top three issues I am focused on are increasing access to affordable health care, protecting the programs Pennsylvanians depend on, and helping working families get ahead. That means stopping the Trump administration’s sabotage of our health care system, defeating Republican attacks on Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, and fighting to raise wages, protect the rights of organized labor, and eliminate the obstacles holding working families back. Q: If elected, what will you do to ensure that the voting rights of all Americans are protected and that our elections are accessible and secure from internal and external threats?
TIONS for absentee ballots must be received by the county Board of Elections by 5 P.M., Tuesday, October 30. Completed absentee BALLOTS must be received back at the Elections Division by 5 P.M. on Friday, November 2. If an emergency arises (unexpected illness or business trip) after the Tuesday application deadline, call your county Elections Division 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 Friday, November 2. Any disabled voter having questions regarding the accessibility of a polling place should consult the county Board of Elections. Write-in Voting For write-in voting information; check with the workers at your polling place before entering the voting booth. 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 were convicted of a misdemeanor. •You are registered properly. •You have obtained an absentee ballot. Internet Voters Guide This Voters Guide and other useful information for voters can be found on the League’s Homepage at http://lwvpgh.org and at www.vote411.org
A: The right to vote has been called our most precious right, and the “primary right by which all other rights are protected.” I supported The Voting Rights Reconstruction Act of 2015, legislation which would restore the Voting Rights Act, and I oppose efforts to suppress voter turnout, and support measures to make voting easier for people. I oppose voter ID laws, and favor restoring voting rights to people after they have served their sentences. During the Kavanaugh confirmation fight, I have been working to make clear that I expect our next Supreme Court Justice to protect voting rights, and not dismantle the tools by which they are protected. No one should be stop eligible voters from casting their ballot. Earlier this year, I helped to secure $13 million from the Election Assistance Commission to help secure Pennsylvania’s election systems, and I am working in the Senate to appropriate more funds for election security. Q: What steps will you take to ensure that the upcoming census is fully funded, accurate, and avoids under-counting? A: I will fight to ensure that the census is fully funded and I oppose Trump Administration efforts to undercount people in marginalized communities. It is vital that the census is accurate so that Americans are fairly represented in Congress.
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VOTERS GUIDE 2018
REPUBLICAN LOU BARLETTA PARTY: REPUBLICAN BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 128 Hazleton, PA 18201 CAMPAIGN PHONE: 570-5018683 CAMPAIGN EMAIL: info@loubarletta.com DATE OF BIRTH: January 28 MUNICIPALITY: HAZLETON LOU BARLETTA CITY COUNTY: LUZERNE Website: http://www.LouBarletta.com TWITTER: twitter.com/louforsenate FACEBOOK: http://Facebook.com/louforsenate EDUCATION: Attended Bloomsburg State College (Bloomsburg University) where I majored in elementary education. QUALIFICATIONS: As a former small business owner, mayor of Hazleton, and member of Congress, I have a strong record of standing up and fighting for people in my community. QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office? A: My top three priorities are keeping Pennsylvania’s families safe, protecting Pennsylvania jobs, and standing up for the men and women who serve our communities. More than anything, people want someone willing to fight for them, when no one else will. That’s what I have always done, and that’s why I’m running for the U.S. Senate. Q: If elected, what will you do to ensure that the voting rights of all Americans are protected and that our elections are accessible and secure from internal and external threats? A: Congress has a constitutional duty to preserve the integrity of our democracy and ensure that our elections are both free and fair. As a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, I have worked with my colleagues to make sure our voting systems are secure. I recently voted for increased funding for states to improve their election security, as well as increased funding to counter Russian cyber attacks. I also spoke out against the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision to throw out Pennsylvania’s bipartisan, constitutionally-drawn congressional map in the middle of the election, creating chaos and confusion among voters. Q: What steps will you take to ensure that the upcoming census is fully funded, accurate, and avoids under-counting? A: The Census is important to provide legislators with accurate information to make informed policy decisions that are in the best interest of our country. I continue to support efforts to fund the Census and ensure that it accurately reflects our nation’s demographics.
LIBERTARIAN DALE R. KERNS JR. PARTY: Libertarian BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: 608 Duryea Drive Swarthmore, PA 19081 CAMPAIGN PHONE: 207-205-9133 CAMPAIGN EMAIL: jodermatt@dalekerns.com DATE OF BIRTH: 11/11/83 MUNICIPALITY: Ridley Township COUNTY: Delaware County WEBSITE: http://dalekerns.com
TWITTER: twitter.com/ DaleKernsJr FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/KernsDale/ EDUCATION: Widener University - Professional Studies, Project Management Sociology Master Electrician by trade QUALIFICATIONS: Founder and President of the Little Angels Foundation. Cabot Creamery DALE R. KERNS JR. Community Celebrity winner for volunteerism. Over 7 years in the non-profit sector in a volunteer capacity. Recently appointed to the James A Masterson Foundation advisory board. CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: https://dalekerns.com QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office? A: 1) We must address the opioid epidemic and end the War on Drugs. When I get to the US Senate, I will sponsor legislation that will fundamentally change how we view drug problems and move our system to one similar to Portugal or Switzerland, where drug addiction is treated as a medical issue. 2) Education is one of the most important issues our nation and Commonwealth face. As a father to two daughters, I am not pleased with the options (or lack thereof) that most parents have. I will vote to abolish the federal Department of Education and return decisions to parents, students, and local communities. 3) Our immigration system is broken. It can take decades for individuals to immigrate to this country legally. We should welcome those who come to the United States to make a better life for their families. Our communities have been built on the hard work of immigrants. I will vote to abolish ICE and to reform our immigration system by making it easier for good people to legally immigrate. Q: If elected, what will you do to ensure that the voting rights of all Americans are protected and that our elections are accessible and secure from internal and external threats? A: I would work in the Senate to ensure that those who wish to vote can do so without any unnecessary hurdles. This would include rigid enforcement of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments and support of early voting and same-day voter registration, as well as opposition to any new voter ID laws. States maintain the right to conduct their elections as they please, but they must also abide by the aforementioned constitutional requirements, which were designed to protect the sanctity of the voting booth. Q: What steps will you take to ensure that the upcoming census is fully funded, accurate, and avoids under-counting? A: Like any other government agency, the census should be held to high standards and tight budget restraints. As a U.S. Senator, I will insist that all possible options are explored, and that only the best companies and individuals are selected to partake in the census. This would include a rigorous vetting and screening process. Competition and accountability will vastly improve the results which we receive.
OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
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MUNICIPALITY: Abington Township COUNTY: Montgomery WEBSITE: http://gale2018.com TWITTER: twitter.com/NealGale2018 FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/Neal-Gale-for-US-Senate-962747823894443/ EDUCATION: Drexel UniversiNEAL TAYLOR ty - Architecture GALE QUALIFICATIONS: For the past forty years I have worked in the energy conservation and efficiency fields, currently managing a comprehensive, low-income energy affordability program in conjunction with the six investor-owned utilities, in New Jersey. CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: www.gale2018.com QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office? A: 1. Remove Corporate, PAC, lobbyist and other special interests’ money from the political process, to end the influence of those groups on specific legislation and the buying of political favors. 2. Generate the political will at the federal level of government to implement a transition from our existing fossil fuel economy to a 100% renewable energy economy, acknowledging the existential threat that climate change represents. 3. Reform our economic model to favor all of our citizens, not just the wealthiest 1%. This will include the re-regulation of the financial industries and the recognition that the economy should support a baseline standard of living, below which no one may be allowed to fall. Q: If elected, what will you do to ensure that the voting rights of all Americans are protected and that our elections are accessible and secure from internal and external threats? A: I will fight for legislation to make voter registration as accessible as possible for all citizens, reversing unwarranted restrictions on voters. I would like to see election day become a national holiday and I would support federal funding to provide election day transportation for those citizens who would otherwise be unable to reach their polling place. I will support fair districting practices throughout the country, beginning with Pennsylvania. I will also champion the cause of providing resources to bring the latest voting technology into our polling places, replacing the existing, digital screen machines with those that incorporate paper balloting. I will support legislation to demand intelligence resources be assigned to recognize and thwart any attempts to alter our electoral system, by any means, digital or otherwise. Q: What steps will you take to ensure that the upcoming census is fully funded, accurate, and avoids under-counting? A: I will review the proposed process to be used for the 2020 census, and introduce legislation that will ensure an accurate, unbiased count throughout the country. This will require a large number of well-trained census workers, canvassing urban GREEN areas, and rural districts, where citizens are less available to be counted, or are not comfortable NEAL TAYLOR GALE responding to census forms. The entire process Party: Green will need to be overseen by a competent superBIOGRAPHICAL INFO: visory team, knowledgeable in the significance MAILING ADDRESS: 2214 Jenkintown Road and importance of accurate census data, eager to Glenside, PA 19038 maintain accurate counts and records. I will also CAMPAIGN PHONE: 267-825-4190 include in the legislation, a spending request so CAMPAIGN EMAIL: contact@gale2018.com that all necessary resources will be adequately DATE OF BIRTH: 01/31/1952 funded.
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OCTOBER 24-30, 2018
VOTERS GUIDE 2018
(Vote for One) TERM: 4 years SALARY: $194,850 The Governor of Pennsylvania is an elected constitutional officer, the head of the executive branch and the highest state office in Pennsylvania. The Governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two consecutive terms. DUTIES: The Governor, as the chief executive officer of the Commonwealth, administers the laws and manages the financial affairs of the state, has extensive appointive powers, and may approve or veto every bill passed by both houses of the General Assembly.
no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: Yes, I have long advocated for voting modernization. Upon coming into office, I launched online voter registration and now more than a million Pennsylvanians have used it. I also launched a voter information texting initiative and a program to get high school seniors to register to vote. I also directed the Pennsylvania Department of State to require new voting machines to have a voter-verifiable paper ballot or paper record of votes cast. I recently launched a 21st century voting reform plan that includes same day voter registration, automatic voter registration, modernization of absentee ballots, campaign finance reform, and gerrymandering reform.
DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLICAN
TOM WOLF PARTY: Democratic BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: CAMPAIGN EMAIL: Info@WOLFFORPA.COM MUNICIPALITY: MT WOLF COUNTY: YORK WEBSITE: http://wolfforpa.com TWITTER: twitter.com/wolfforpa FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/WolfForPA/ EDUCATION: Dartmouth College (BA), the University of London (MA), and M.I.T. (PhD) QUALIFICATIONS: Business Owner, Secretary of Governor, TOM WOLF Governor QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top 3 priorities in office? A: Investing in our Kids and Schools: I have made clear my strong commitment to education in Pennsylvania by fully restoring education funding cuts made in the previous administration, providing unprecedented support to high-quality pre-k programs, and ensuring students are college and career ready by expanding opportunities for career and technical education. Grow Jobs and Support Workers: I have eliminated burdensome taxes on businesses like the Capital Stock and Franchise Tax and I am working to grow the economy by moving forward on large projects. I have and will continue to invest in manufacturing, apprenticeships, and workforce development initiatives. Protect Our Seniors and Access to Health Care: I took immediate action to provide health insurance to more than 720,000 Pennsylvanians by expanding Medicaid, and under my administration the commonwealth’s uninsured rate is the lowest it has ever been. I have also increased opportunities for seniors to age in their homes. Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: I have long supported a independent citizen’s redistricting commission. We must eliminate partisan politics from the legislative redistricting process by enacting legislation to end gerrymandering by establishing an independent, bi-partisan commission to create future electoral maps. I also stood up to the House State Government Committee Republican ?majority’s last-minute move to gut and replace House Bill 722, which was intended to create an independent redistricting commission, with a redistricting process that is more politically driven. To rebuild trust in Harrisburg, we must have fair and accessible elections for all citizens from our rural communities to our big cities. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as
SCOTT R. WAGNER PARTY: Republican BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: 1630 Wyndham Drive South York, PA 17403 CAMPAIGN PHONE: 717-650-2938 CAMPAIGN EMAIL: scott@wagnerforgov.com DATE OF BIRTH: 9/21/55 MUNICIPALITY: SPRING GARDEN TOWNSHIP COUNTY: YORK WEBSITE: http://wagnerforgov. com/ TWITTER: twitter.com/realScottWagner FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/wagnerforgovernor/ QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top 3 priorities in office? SCOTT R. WAGNER A: Overhauling governmental impositions is a top priority. On day one, I will employ zero-based budgeting, introducing a transparent budget process that will make sense for taxpayers and investing in what works to end wasteful and ineffective spending. With over 153,000 regulations and a regulatory authority out of control, meaningful regulation reform must be implemented, such as my current proposal to count, cap, and reduce. Second, I have been all over Pennsylvania and I have heard my mission loud and clear, I will eliminate property taxes as Governor. Many of our children are receiving an outstanding education, but the reality is that too many students are graduating from high school without the necessary skills to be successful in college or the workforce. We must retool and redesign our education system to ensure today’s students are adequately prepared to be tomorrow’s adults. Without a major overhaul, we will continue to do a great disservice to our children and their educators. Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision to overstep its bounds and override the legislature by drawing its own maps did a great disservice to the citizens of Pennsylvania. In light of this travesty, I would support an independent citizens redistricting commission to ensure that Pennsylvanians will have access to fair and equal elections when it comes time to work on maps after the 2020 census. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure?
GOVERNOR
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A: Pennsylvania is among only 13 states that do not use paper ballots or have paper backup systems for electronic voting machines. I support the decision of the Department of State to require counties to replace their voting machines with systems that have paper trails. Pennsylvania has received $13.5 million in federal funding and the state is also required to provide a 5% match to this money. Thus, Pennsylvania has $14.15 million to help counties fund the purchase of these new voting machines. It is critical that state government make sure that counties have adequate funds available to ensure that they can meet their responsibility as it relates to voting systems.
GREEN PAUL GLOVER PARTY: Green BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: 608 S. Mt Pleasant Rd Philadelphia, PA 19119 CAMPAIGN PHONE: 215 8058330 CAMPAIGN EMAIL: paul5glover@yahoo.com DATE OF BIRTH: 07/18/47 MUNICIPALITY: Philadelphia PAUL GLOVER COUNTY: Philadelphia WEBSITE: http://paulglover. org/governor TWITTER: twitter.com/metroecos FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/glover4governor EDUCATION: Degrees in Marketing and in City Management Qualifications: Taught Urban Studies at Temple University. Taught Ecological Economics at Philadelphia University. Founder of more than a dozen organizations for ecology and justice. Author of six books on community economic development. CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: http://www.paulglover. org/governor QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top 3 priorities in office? A: 1. Shift the State budget toward ecology and justice. Aggressively fund energy efficiencies and expand tax credits for solar/wind/ cogeneration, to reduce demand for fossil fuels and end fracking. Move money from prisons to jobs and schools, and from roadbuilding to transit. 2. Fully employ all Pennsylvanians to rebuild cities, suburbs and farms toward balance with nature, partly with regional credits and regional stock exchanges, as described in my book Green Jobs Philly. I will establish the Green Labor Administration (GLAD) to employ 500,000 Pennsylvanians without raising taxes. The larger purpose is to begin the transition from the Middle Class to what i call the Mutual Class. 3. Permit formation of community-based medical cooperatives, to provide a genuinely nonprofit base for statewide universal health coverage that is affordable, democratic, and humane. This is how Canada’s single payer system began. Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: Support independent drafting of legislative boundaries. Computer-generated drafts should inform the Commission. Meetings should be transparent, with public welcome. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting
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technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: Favor returning to paper ballots, permitting no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day registration. The Green Party has long advocated Instant Runoff Voting, also known as Ranked Choice Voting, to end the “spoiler” argument against minor parties.
VOTERS GUIDE 2018
cil was eliminated a few short months after Franklin’s death; it would honor Pennsylvania’s most famous citizen if it were re-established. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: There are two ways to subvert an election: Stop honest citizens from voting, and stop worthy candiLIBERTARIAN dates from running. To make certain voting is honest, I strongly support voter-verifiable ballots. The way KEN V. KRAWCHUK they work, when you vote you get two printouts of PARTY: Libertarian your vote. One copy is yours to keep as a record, and BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 260 Cheltenham, the other is signed by the voter and kept by the state as the official record and to be used for recounts. The PA 19012 chances for hacking an election vanish. To encourage CAMPAIGN PHONE: 224-Krawchuk worthy candidates to run, ballot access for indepenCAMPAIGN EMAIL: Campaign@KenK4Pa.com dents and third parties should be made equal to that DATE OF BIRTH: 02/25/1953 of the two old parties, as mandated by the PennsylMUNICIPALITY: Abington, PA vania Constitution, not two and a half to thirty-three COUNTY: Montgomery times higher. For example, this year I needed 5,000 WEBSITE: http://KenK4Pa.com signatures to get my name on the ballot for governor. TWITTER: twitter.com/kenk4pa The statewide candidates from the two old parties FACEBOOK: http://www.faceonly needed 1,000 or 2,000. Is that equal? Is that fair? book.com/KenK4Pa/ EDUCATION: B.S. Physics St. Joseph’s University, Abington Citizens Police Academy LT. GOVERNOR QUALIFICATIONS: Business KEN V. KRAWCHUK Owner, Student of the Pennsyl(Vote for One) vania Constitution, Distinguished Toastmaster, TERM: 4 years SALARY: $63,700 Inventor with 3 U.S. Patents, Author, Husband, FaDUTIES: The Lt. Governor, will be elected jointly ther, Grandfather, and a good sense of humor. with the Governor in the General Election. CandiCAMPAIGN WEBSITE: https://kenk4pa.com dates are nominated separately in the Primary. The QUESTIONS: Lt. Governor is President of the Senate, but has no Q: What are your top 3 priorities in office? A: The theme of the Krawchuk campaign is Death vote except in case of a tie. In case of death, convicand Taxes. My goal is to reduce both dramatically. tion or impeachment, failure to qualify, resignation, Under the two old parties, the cost of government or other disability of the Governor, the powers, duhas been rising on average at over 3 times the infla- ties and salaries of the office are assumed by the Lt. tion rate for over 50 years. To end that trend, I prom- Governor for the remainder of the term or until the ise to veto every tax increase, aggressively use the disability is removed. line item veto, eliminate property taxes and reduce the corporate tax. To reduce deaths, it’s time to end DEMOCRATIC the Opioid Crisis. Four out of five opioid deaths can JOHN FETTERMAN be prevented by following Portugal’s example and PARTY: Democrat ending the insane War on Drugs. Addiction should be BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: treated as a medical issue, not a criminal one. To help MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box save lives, the right to keep and bear arms should be strongly supported because gun control kills. John F Braddock , PA 15104 CAMPAIGN PHONE: 804-519Lott, a researcher at the University of Chicago, found that if a woman resists an attacker, she’s twice as 5233 CAMPAIGN EMAIL: hello@ likely to be seriously injured. But if she resists with a handgun, she’s half as likely to be seriously injured. johnfetterman.com DATE OF BIRTH: August 15th, In other words, handguns are a girl’s best friend. Q: Do you support reforming our congressional 1969 MUNICIPALITY: BRADDOCK JOHN FETTERMAN and legislative redistricting process to implement COUNTY: ALLEGHENY an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? WEBSITE: http://www.johnfetterman.com Why or why not? TWITTER: twitter.com/JohnFetterman A: I strongly support reforming our redistricting process. Look at any map of political districts and you can FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/JohnFetplainly see that the legislature has failed horribly in termanPA EDUCATION: Albright College 1991 Harvard its constitutionally-mandated task to create “election districts of compact and contiguous territory”. An in- University Masters in Public Policy 1999 QUALIFICATIONS: Mayor of Braddock for 13 yrs dependent redistricting commission would certainly be a step in the right direction, but there is a better, - drastically reduced food and clothing insecurity broader solution, not only to redistricting, but also to eliminated heat insecurity this year - successfully immidnight pay raises, unfair ballot access, illegal gun plemented community policing model Founder of Bradgrabs, and more. That solution would be to re-estab- dock Redux Director for Out-Of-School Youth Progra QUESTIONS: lish the “Council of Censors” created by Benjamin Q: What are your top 3 priorities in office? Franklin. The Council was composed of two citizens from each city and county whose role was to “censure” A: I will be a progressive backstop for the Governor, the legislators by vetoing legislation that was not in advocate for economic justice and our forgotten comkeeping with the constitution, calling constitutional munities in Pennsylvania, and utilize and transform conventions, even ordering impeachments. The Coun- the office of the Lt. Governor to its fullest potential.
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Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: Congressional and legislative districts should be drawn to ensure that candidates and elected officials are held accountable by voters. Boundaries should protect the interests of all voters and protect voting rights, and should not show preference to one political affiliation. We recently had a huge win with redistricting in Pennsylvania. I would certainly support formalized citizen input for a more fair and unbiased redistricting process. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: I support any reform that gets more people to turn out to vote, and makes voting easier. In addition to the above measures I think we should make Election Day a holiday and get more working people to the polls.
REPUBLICAN JEFF BARTOS MUNICIPALITY: LOWER MERION TOWNSHIP COUNTY: MONTGOMERY QUESTIONS: No Response
LIBERTARIAN KATHLEEN S. SMITH PARTY: Libertarian BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: 240 W Pike St Canonsburg, PA 15317 CAMPAIGN EMAIL: kathleen@kenk4pa.com DATE OF BIRTH: 02/16/52 MUNICIPALITY: Canonsburg COUNTY: Washington WEBSITE: http://www.kenk4pa.com KATHLEEN FACEBOOK: http://www.faceS.SMITH book.com/kathy4ltgov/ EDUCATION: B.S.Ed in Elementary Education and Special Ed, Duquesne Univ; continuing ed from NEA, EPLC, PSBA CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: http://kenk4pa.com QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top 3 priorities in office? A: - no response Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: Yes, we need an independent commission. Our current method distorts the election process because most voters are denied viable choices. Defining and appointing a truly “independent” commission could be difficult; but the PA Supreme Court could get nominations from all groups that have “standing”; and then draw nine names at random (excluding party committee persons or elected officials). Final districts could reflect demographics like income, or other factors; or could ignore everything but geography. It is even possible to draw “R certain” and “D certain” districts, or “leaning” districts. The appointed commission should rank the factors that would be used to design ideal districts. Then the computer algorithms could create multiple options that are as compact as possible, while respecting most municipal, school district, and county boundaries. The commission could adjust the weightings and eventually the select a final map. The algo-
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rithm process could then be repeated every census. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: I’ve been a Judge of Election, and will be again when I’m not a candidate. I support “no-excuse” absentee ballots, but would limit “early” voting to one week. Elections often turn based on events late in campaigns. Most counties now use equipment that is outdated, and needs to be replaced. Since many voters worry that “connected” devices could be hacked, decreasing faith in elections, I’d suggest a form of paper ballots that did NOT use “punch-thru”s. As we know, punches cause “hanging chads” and are hard to correct. There are machines that print tickets or receipts instantly, why not ballots? One copy marked for the ballot box & a small voter’s copy. Ballots could be counted in public at the precinct after the polls close, and re-counted at the courthouse for verification. Funding is already needed for new machines and more poll workers. I’m not sure that current voter verification equipment could support same day registration; but it should be explored & would increase turnout.
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a just and orderly society and they should help decide how things should work politically because the quality of their lives will be improved or destroyed based on how these districts are organized. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: There must be online & same-day registration, early voting and an election day as a holiday. The Electoral College should be eliminated but as long as we have it legislation must be passed that forces the votes of these delegates in PA to reflect the popular vote in PA. Our elections throughout PA should be decided by STAR voting and proportional representation. New voting machines must be used throughout PA that have verifiable paper ballots and are not connected to the internet.
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
(Vote for One) TERM: 2 years SALARY: $174,000 The U.S. Constitution requires that the House of Representative be composed of elected RepresentaGREEN tives (also called Congressmen or Congresswomen) from each State. There are 435 members of the House JOCOLYN BOWSER-BOSTICK of Representatives. The number of Representatives PARTY: Green from each state is proportioned according to its popBIOGRAPHICAL INFO: ulation, with 18 Representatives from Pennsylvania. MAILING ADDRESS: 726 East A US Representative must (1) be at least twenty-five 25th Street Chester, PA 19013 years old, (2) have been a citizen of the United States CAMPAIGN PHONE: 610-662for the past seven years, and (3) be (at the time of the 4502 election) an inhabitant of the state they represent. A CAMPAIGN EMAIL: jbowserb@ Representative’s term of office is 2 years. yahoo.com The House of Representatives is responsible for DATE OF BIRTH: 10/07/1960 creating the budget and initiating bills to collect taxMUNICIPALITY: City of Chester JOCOLYN es and other money, although all bills must pass the COUNTY: Delaware FACEBOOK: http://www.face- BOWSER-BOSTICK Senate and be signed by the President. The House is also responsible for impeaching federal officials (the book.com/green4justiceandtruth/ EDUCATION: B.A. degree in biology from Temple Senate then tries the case) and electing the President if there is a tie in the Electoral College. University QUALIFICATIONS: I will excel as a Lt. Gov. because 17th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT my scientific background and life experiences have prepared me to be a critical thinker, a leader and adept (Vote for One) at conducting comprehensive research and reading and intelligently analyzing large amounts of data. DEMOCRATIC QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top 3 priorities in office? CONOR LAMB A: 1. Reduce the future environmental damage and PARTY: DEMOCRATIC human suffering from climate change and the current BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: ruination of people’s health, safety and property val- MUNICIPALITY: MT. LEBANON ues by banning gas and oil fracking and the building COUNTY: ALLEGHENY of pipelines that carry gas or natural gas liquids. We QUESTIONS: must improve energy efficiency, use less energy, and Q: What are your top three prieliminate dirty energy systems of which fossil fuels orities in office? are the biggest component by becoming 100% reli- A: My top three priorities in Conant by 2050 on clean & renewable energy sources. By gress will be to preserve and proadopting laws such as HB2132/SB1140 that reinforce tect Social Security, Medicare, and CONNOR LAMB the goal of becoming solely reliant on 100% clean en- affordable health care; to push for ergy we will improve our health, save lives, and cre- an infrastructure bill will create good jobs and repair ate thousands of green jobs. 2.End poverty that forces our aging roads, bridges and locks and dams; and to people to live in unhealthy homes, be homeless, and take action to combat the heroin epidemic. fear that they or their family members will have to go Q: If elected, what will you do to ensure that the hungry or do without vital medical/mental health ser- voting rights of all Americans are protected and vices. 3. Protect the economic, social & political rights that our elections are accessible and secure from inof women, racial minorities, believers of any faith & ternal and external threats? those of any gender identity or sexual orientation. A: The right to vote is the foundation of our entire Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and leg- democracy. I will support efforts to ensure that all islative redistricting process to implement an indepen- eligible Americans are free to exercise their right to dent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? vote, and I will support efforts to ensure that our elecA: Yes. Citizens not holding political office should tions are secure. We all know that a foreign country decide because voting is supposed to help maintain sought to interfere in our last election and we have
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every reason to believe they will try to interfere in our upcoming elections, yet Congress has done little to address this threat. That’s unacceptable.Q: What steps will you take to ensure that the upcoming census is fully funded, accurate, and avoids under-counting? A: The Census is too important to be affected by partisan politics. We need a fully-funded, professionally operated Census in 2020 in order to ensure that people are accurately counted and receive proper representation. I will oppose any attempts to underfund or otherwise undermine the integrity of the Census.
REPUBLICAN KEITH ROTHFUS PARTY: REPUBLICAN BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: 8150 Perry Highway Suite 206, Pittsburgh PA 15237 DATE OF BIRTH: April 25, 1962 MUNICIPALITY: SEWICKLEY COUNTY: ALLEGHENY WEBSITE: http://keithrothfus.com TWITTER: @RothfusForPA FACEBOOK: http://www.face- KEITH ROTHFUS book.com/rothfusforcongress/ EDUCATION: Keith graduated from the State University of New York College at Buffalo with a bachelor of science CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: keithrothfus.com QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office? A: Healthy economic growth: We are returning to healthy growth rates not seen in 20 years as a result of tax and regulatory policies. Growth creates jobs, lifts incomes, and increases revenues to the US Treasury which help enable us to meet the moral obligations we have to seniors and veterans. Immigration reform: Securing the border is essential to getting a handle on the flow of heroin and other illegal drugs coming across the Southern border. We need to prohibit the flow of drugs as well as the flow of trafficked persons. As the economy continues to grow at a healthy pace, we need to ensure a workforce that meets the demands of our economy. We now have an opportunity to resolve the status of those who came to this country as young children, through no fault of their own, and begin a skills-based immigration program that meets the needs of our economy. Fiscal responsibility: As the economy continues to recover, we should restrain increases in discretionary spending to limit the growth Q: If elected, what will you do to ensure that the voting rights of all Americans are protected and that our elections are accessible and secure from internal and external threats? A: I will support legislative and regulatory efforts to ensure our elections are fair and not compromised by internal or external factors. The House fully funded the Election Assistance Commission at $380 million. That money still has not been fully spent by states through Election Assistance Grants Additionally, I voted to increase for the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act last year which was signed into law. It has provisions that permit sanctions against Russia for undermining our cyber security. The U.S. Treasury utilizes that to impose sanctions for election interference. Q: What steps will you take to ensure that the upcoming census is fully funded, accurate, and avoids under-counting? A: I will support appropriations and any necessary legislation to ensure that the constitutionally-required decadal count of the American people is performed in an accurate manner.
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VOTERS GUIDE 2018
18th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT (Vote for One)
DEMOCRATIC MIKE DOYLE PARTY: DEMOCRATIC BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 17426 Pittsburgh, PA 15235 CAMPAIGN PHONE: 412.244.9101 CAMPAIGN EMAIL: mike@ mikedoyleforcongress.com DATE OF BIRTH: 8/05/53 MUNICIPALITY: FOREST MIKE DOYLE HILLS COUNTY: ALLEGHENY WEBSITE: http://www.house.gov/doyle TWITTER: twitter.com/USRepMikeDoyle FACEBOOK: http://usrepmikedoyle EDUCATION: Penn State University, BS 1975; Graduate, Leadership Pittsburgh QUALIFICATIONS: Lifelong Pittsburgh area resident; completing 12th term as Congressman; have served on the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee since 2001; previously co-owner of small insurance agency; married over 40 years; 4 children. QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office? A: My top priority has always been creating jobs and strengthening our economy. As such, I have consistently supported federal education and job-training programs that prepare students for the more complicated and skill-oriented jobs of the future. And I have been an advocate for more federal funding for scientific research and the development of new technologies. Another priority is increasing federal funding to repair and modernize our nation’s crumbling infrastructure. The repair backlog on our country’s roads, bridges, waterways, transit systems, and water and sewer facilities is well over $1 trillion. I have supported increased funding for such federal infrastructure programs throughout my service in Congress. Restoring net neutrality provisions that were rolled back by a recent FCC order is another priority of mine. I believe we must restore these provisions to protect and free and open internet and I have led the introduction of a bill in the House to overturn the FCC decision. Q: If elected, what will you do to ensure that the voting rights of all Americans are protected and that our elections are accessible and secure from internal and external threats? A: I believe making voting in elections safe, secure, and available to all Americans is imperative for our democracy. I am a co-sponsor of HR 12 which is known as the Voter Empowerment Act of 2017. This bill would go a long way to achieving this goal by enacting important measures such as requiring states to make online voter registration available and promote access to voting for people with disabilities. In addition, it would make it a federal crime to interfere with voter registration of any eligible person. This bill would also mandate the use of durable, verified paper ballots to prevent the possible hacking of voting machines by outside parties within the country or outside of it. I also support fully empowering the FBI and Justice Department to investigate and take all necessary steps to ensure no foreign government interferes with our election process. The integrity of our democracy depends upon our citizens knowing our elections are fair and secure. Q: What steps will you take to ensure that the upcoming census is fully funded, accurate, and avoids under-counting?
A: One of the most important functions our federal government undertakes is our decennial national census. The results of the census determine allocation of federal funding, apportionment of congressional districts, and other vital designations so it is imperative that it be conducted in a comprehensive, effective, and impartial manner. I have always supported fully funding the census during my time in Congress and will continue to do so. Additionally, it is crucial that the census is as accurate as possible. Because of that I strongly oppose the recent Trump administration initiative that would add a citizenship question to the census. This could have a demonstrably negative effect on producing an accurate result. As such, earlier this year I signed onto a letter from many members of Congress to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross opposing the addition of a citizenship question on the upcoming census.
REPUBLICAN No Candidate Filed
SENATOR IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY (Vote for One) TERM: 4 years SALARY: $87,200 DUTIES: The General Assembly is the legislative branch of the state government. It is composed of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. A majority vote of both houses is necessary to pass a law. The Senate approves executive appointments while it is in session. Senators will be elected in even-numbered districts in 2018.
38th STATE SENATORIAL DISTRICT
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legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: Ultimately, I would like to see an amendment to the US Constitution that enshrines voter rights and eliminates partisan gerrymandering. In the short term, I support a nonpartisan commission to draw the state legislative and Congressional districts in Pennsylvania. Voters should pick their legislators, legislators should not pick their voters. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: Voting should be easy. There are obvious policy changes to improve the ability for people to vote, including early voting, no excuse absentee requests, pre-registration for 17-yr olds, and same day registration. Automatic voter registration for all those who use government services should be the standard. We also need to inform those who served time in prison and have a criminal record that they are eligible to vote and ensure that they are registered. Absentee ballot reform must be undertaken to reduce the opportunity of fraud. Other broader reforms, such as vote-by-mail should also be made available. DRE touchscreen machines used in most counties do not allow for meaningful recounts, are nearly impossible to audit, and are subject to being hacked fairly easily. Additional funding should be allocated to update these machines with paper ballots which are counted by an optical scan system. These paper ballots could be manually recounted and audited to verify the count accuracy.
38th STATE SENATORIAL DISTRICT
DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLICAN
LINDSEY WILLIAMS PARTY: DEMOCRATIC BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 97024 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15229 CAMPAIGN PHONE: (412) 407-7063 CAMPAIGN EMAIL: LindseyForPA@gmail.com DATE OF BIRTH: 8/27/83 MUNICIPALITY: WEST VIEW LINDSEY WILLIAMS COUNTY: ALLEGHENY WEBSITE: http://www.lindseyforpa.com TWITTER: twitter.com/LindseyForPA FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/LindseyForPA EDUCATION: B.A. Political Science & Sociology, Dickinson College J.D., Duquesne University School of Law QUALIFICATIONS: I was raised in a union family to fight for what’s right. After I was illegally fired from the National Whistleblowers Center for union organizing, I spent my career fighting for working families & public education. I want to continue that for SD 38. QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office? A: Priority 1: Fight for working families. This includes raising the minimum wage, protecting union rights, and expanding access to affordable healthcare. Priority 2: Invest in public education. Every child deserves a high-quality education from pre-k to post-secondary programs. Priority 3: Support small businesses. Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and
JEREMY SHAFFER PARTY: REPUBLICAN BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: 118 Berwyn Rd Pittsburgh, PA 15237 CAMPAIGN PHONE: 412-7080088 CAMPAIGN EMAIL: shaffer4pa@gmail.com DATE OF BIRTH: 4/10/1977 MUNICIPALITY: ROSS TOWNJEREMY SHAFFER SHIP COUNTY: ALLEGHENY WEBSITE: http://www.Shaffer4PA.com TWITTER: twitter.com/jeremyshafferpa FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/shaffer4pa/ EDUCATION: Ph.D. and Masters Electrical and Computer Engineering Carnegie Mellon B.S. Comp. Sci. Tulane Univ. QUALIFICATIONS: - Ross Township Commissioner (2 Terms) - President of Ross Board of Commissioners (2 years) - Successful Small Businessman - Northland Library Foundation Board - Past Elder and Deacon at Church - Volunteer youth sports coach - see website for more QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office? A: 1. Lowering taxes and regulations on the citizens and small businesses of Pennsylvania to create jobs and attract new businesses with a government that is run efficiently for taxpayers...not for big money special interests and bureaucrats in Harrisburg. 2. Eliminate waste and inefficiency in government which is costing taxpayers billions and make the tough decisions to pass a truly balanced budget
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for Pennsylvania. 3. Bring a voice to Harrisburg to protect the outstanding school districts of the 38th district to strengthen our educational system and protect district taxpayers from being forced to bail out failing and corrupt systems in other parts of the state that refuse to embrace reform. Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: I could possibly support a non-partisan redistricting commission if put before the voters in a statewide election along with other reforms such as term limits and government employee pension reform to address the billions of dollars in debt that Pennsylvania now owes. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: I will support measures that make sense for working families and oppose measures that encourage voter fraud and corrupt “machine” politics.
42nd STATE SENATORIAL DISTRICT DEMOCRATIC
no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: I support no-excuse absentee ballots, same day voter registration, requiring a statement of voters’ rights in polling places and legislation to have PennDOT inform individuals who will be turning 18 of their ability to register to vote, giving employees the right to take a limited time off of work on election to ensure they are able to vote without consequence by their employer and early voting measures. In fact, I introduced SB 440 which would allow for early voting for up to two weeks prior to an election in Pennsylvania. I also support other reform measures such as campaign finance reform.
42nd STATE SENATORIAL DISTRICT REPUBLICAN No Candidate Filed
REPRESENTATIVE IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY (Vote for One) TERM: 2 years SALARY: $87,200 DUTIES: The General Assembly is the legislative branch of the state government. It is composed of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. A majority vote of both houses is necessary to pass a law. Every law concerned with taxation must originate in the House of Representatives.
WAYNE D. FONTANA PARTY: DEMOCRATIC BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: 1309 Creedmoor Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15226 CAMPAIGN PHONE: 412-7217558 CAMPAIGN EMAIL: votefon16th STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT tana@gmail.com DATE OF BIRTH: 03/12/1950 DEMOCRATIC WAYNE D. MUNICIPALITY: CITY OF FONTANA PITTSBURGH ROBERT F. MATZIE COUNTY: ALLEGHENY MUNICIPALITY: AMBRIDGE WEBSITE: http://www.votefontana.com COUNTY: BEAVER TWITTER: twitter.com/VoteFontana QUESTIONS: No Response EDUCATION: Community College of Allegheny County Associate’s Degree in Business REPUBLICAN QUALIFICATIONS: Represented the 42nd SenaNo Candidate Filed torial District in State Senate since 2005; Currently serve in leadership as Democratic Caucus Chair; Former member of Allegheny County Council, 1999 through 2005 (Vice President); Realtor and real es- 19th STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT tate broker by profession QUESTIONS: DEMOCRATIC Q: What are your top three priorities in office? Jake Wheatley A: Jobs and Economic Development; Education; MUNICIPALITY: PITTSBURGH Healthcare Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and COUNTY: ALLEGHENY legislative redistricting process to implement an in- QUESTIONS: No Response dependent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? REPUBLICAN A: Yes, I support reforming the process of redistricting in Pennsylvania. I am co-sponsor of several No Candidate Filed redistricting reform measures for both Congressional and state legislative districts including SB 22, SB 243, SB 464 and SB 767. I believe the latest sit- 16th STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT uation with the state Supreme Court decision ruling that our current Congressional map was heavily DEMOCRATIC gerrymandered and the fact that US federal courts agreed is proof that we need to change the way the ADAM J. RAVENSTAHL process is done in order to create fair districts and PARTY: DEMOCRATIC honor the ideal of proper representation of Pennsyl- BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: vania citizens. MAILING ADDRESS: 4455 Highridge Street Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as Pittsburgh, PA 15214
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CAMPAIGN PHONE: 412-3373407 CAMPAIGN EMAIL: aravenstahl@gmail.com DATE OF BIRTH: 11/09/1984 MUNICIPALITY: PITTSBURGH - CITY OF PITTSBURGH COUNTY: ALLEGHENY WEBSITE: http://adamravenADAM J. stahl.com RAVENSTAHL TWITTER: twitter.com/adamravenstahl FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/adamravenstahl EDUCATION: Robert Morris University - 2007 Business Management - magna cum laude QUALIFICATIONS: I have been a State Representative since 2010 and feel that I have done a good job. QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office? A: 1. Education Funding 2. Fighting for an Inclusive Pennsylvania 3. Raising the Minimum Wage and Tackling the Opioid Epidemic Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: I support an independent citizen’s redistricting commission. I am a co-sponsor of House Bill 722 (Fair Districts) which would establish an Independent Redistricting Commission to provide a nonpartisan process for redistricting. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: I would support all of the reforms mentioned above. I am a co-sponsor of several bills that would make sure our elections are accessible, efficient and secure. I believe we should be making it easier to vote instead of adding barriers. I also am supportive of automatic voter registration.
REPUBLICAN No Candidate Filed
21st STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT DEMOCRATIC SARA INNAMORATO PARTY: DEMOCRATIC BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 40393 Pittsburgh, PA 15201 CAMPAIGN PHONE: 412-4759457 CAMPAIGN EMAIL: info@ saraforpa.com DATE OF BIRTH: 04/24/86 MUNICIPALITY: PITTSBURGH COUNTY: ALLEGHENY WEBSITE: http://www.saraforSARA pa.com INNAMORATO TWITTER: twitter.com/innamo FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/saraforpa EDUCATION: Business Degree from the University of Pittsburgh (magna cum laude) QUALIFICATIONS: Owner of Innamo Co, a com-
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DATE OF BIRTH: September 21, 1990 MUNICIPALITY: Pittsburgh COUNTY: Allegheny WEBSITE: http://jaytingwalker. com TWITTER: twitter.com/jaytingwalker FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/jaytingwalker EDUCATION: Studied Biolo- JAY TING WALKER gy and Economics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Stuyvesant High School. QUALIFICATIONS: I’m a young educated working class person of color. I’m also a Civic Leadership Academy graduate, a Pittsburgh Ultimate board member, a member of DSA, a member of Pittsburghers for Public Transit and Allegheny County Transit Council vice president. CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: http://jaytingwalker.com QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office? A: 1. Lead a regional and eventually statewide discussion on ending fracking in Pennsylvania and develop a plan to transition our state to 100% renewable energy by 2035. 2. Advocate for and pass statewide single payer healthcare (HB1688) as promoted by Healthcare 4 All PA. This bill would create a health care system that is not for profit and that would allow Pennsylvanian residents to see any doctor they would like. 3. Advocate for and pass a ban on lobbyist gifts to legislators (HB39) as promoted by March on Harrisburg to begin to address the massive corporate influence that exists in Harrisburg politics. Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: I absolutely support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission. The conflict of interest of our legislators or legislative leaders drawing district lines is too great and only a process that is completely independent from the legislature can draw fair lines that don’t benefit one party or another. I support the unamended independent redistricting bills being pushed by Fair Districts PA, March on Harrisburg, and Common Cause PA. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: I support no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, and same day voter registration. In addition, I support vote by mail and automatic voter registration. Accessible, efficient, and secure voting systems are extremely important for democracy in our state. Our current system of voter registration disREPUBLICAN REPUBLICAN enfranchises many people for a variety of reasons. Increasing the ease of voting will increase voter No Candidate Filed No Candidate Filed turnout in our state and is absolutely worth doing. Our elections should utilize ranked choice voting GREEN so the most preferred candidate wins in the pri23rd STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT JAY TING WALKER mary and general elections. In addition our voting PARTY: Green machines need to have a paper trail so the results DEMOCRATIC BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: can be verified. County voting machine upgrades MAILING ADDRESS: 5806 Howe St. Apartment will need state funding to occur and I would vote DAN B. FRANKEL 7R Pittsburgh, PA 15232 PARTY: DEMOCRATIC for that funding. Lastly I support publicly financed CAMPAIGN PHONE: 412-532-9194 BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: elections to reduce the influence of money in our MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 81594 Pittsburgh, CAMPAIGN EMAIL: jaytingwalker@gmail.com Democracy.
munications and nonprofit consultant business. I work with organizations that are dedicated to serving the public with a people-first approach. I have helped organize community members doing good work to do even more of it. QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office? A: HEALTHY FAMILIES I will push Harrisburg to solve our healthcare crisis by any means necessary, including Medicare For All, and advocate for victims of the opioid epidemic with compassionate and comprehensive treatment. HEALTHY COMMUNITIES I will empower small businesses, fight to establish a living wage, defend public education, oppose cuts to vital environmental efforts that protect our air and water, and champion affordable housing legislation. HEALTHY GOVERNMENT I will demand financial integrity and transparency from our state government, propose laws to fight campaign finance corruption, and recruit more strong leaders across PA who reflect our diverse landscape. Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: Yes. For too long legislators have used voting rights and our democracy as a bargaining chip to serve their own interests. We experienced that last time both Republican and Democratic legislators voted in favor of a 2011 Congressional map which is arguable one of the most unfair maps drawn in modern day history, which Representative D. Costa voted in favor of*. I support an independent council, which would attempt to remove politics from drawing a fair district map. We must ensure that it is comprised of members who are representative of the state of Pennsylvania and remain free from political influence. Source: House Votes for SB 1249 (12/20/2011) Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: I fully support Governor Tom Wolf ’s 21st century voting plan, which includes same-day registration, automatic voter registration and no-excuse absentee ballots. In addition, I believe that in order to make our democracy truly accessible, we need open primaries. To ensure our elections are secure, we need to update our voting machines, guarantee there is a paper trail and update the process for updating voter roles. One of the many reasons why we’ve seen decreased voter turnout over the years is because citizens have lost faith in their government due to lack of transparency. Investing in creating a more secure, efficient and accessible voting process is a massive step we can take to restore the public’s faith in our state government.
PA 15217 CAMPAIGN PHONE: 610-3066198 Campaign Email: marty@mfstrategies.com DATE OF BIRTH: April 11, 1956 MUNICIPALITY: PITTSBURGH COUNTY: ALLEGHENY DAN B. FRANKEL EDUCATION: The Pennington School (1974), Kenyon College, BA (1978) QUALIFICATIONS: State Representative, 1999 - Present Democratic Caucus Chairman (Current) QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office? A: 1. Protect the fundamental civil rights of Pennsylvania men and women. Ensuring all Pennsylvanians are protected by law from discrimination, and violations of their ability to lead free, full lives. 2, Promote reforms to the health care system that support full access to health care for all Pennsylvanians, regardless of income, geographic location, gender or race; while making our system transparent and improving value. 3, Supporting measures that enhance public health and make our community’s safer. These include common sense gun safety reforms, for example, as well as those evidence-based measures that we know enhance health and well-being, like access to clean air and healthy food. Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: I have co-sponsored legislation supporting a citizen’s redistricting commission for Pennsylvania. I am delighted by the energy around voting reform, and would like to see a broader community dialogue addressing questions of what Pennsylvanians believe would constitute “fair” districts, a word absent from our constitution but very present in the minds of reformers. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: Ensuring our election process is secure and fair is a critical responsibility of our government. I am in favor of no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration and funding voting technology upgrades for our counties. We would ensure that our system errs on the side of encouraging systems to participate in the political system, not disenfranchising voters. Missing from the above list, however, one of the more important election reforms - Campaign Finance.
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24th STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT DEMOCRATIC EDWARD GAINEY MUNICIPALITY: PITTSBURGH COUNTY: ALLEGHENY QUESTIONS: No Response
REPUBLICAN No Candidate Filed
25th STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT DEMOCRATIC BRANDON J. MARKOSEK MUNICIPALITY: MONROEVILLE COUNTY: ALLEGHENY QUESTIONS: No Response
REPUBLICAN STEVE SCHLAUCH MUNICIPALITY: PLUM BORO COUNTY: ALLEGHENY QUESTIONS: No Response
27th STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT DEMOCRATIC DAN DEASY MUNICIPALITY: CITY OF PITTSBURGH COUNTY: ALLEGHENY QUESTIONS: No Response
REPUBLICAN No Candidate Filed
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delayed budgets and repeated credit downgrades. I am committed to ensuring that every child receives a quality education regardless of where they live or their families’ economic circumstances. If elected, I will work to bring down healthcare costs which will allow more Pennsylvanians to obtain the insurance coverage they need to live healthy, vibrant lives. Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: I support reforming our redistricting process by creating a non-partisan, independent commission to guarantee that legislative and congressional districts are drawn in a fair, non-partisan manner. It is clear the process is broken, which is why the Pennsylvania Supreme Court nullified the badly gerrymandered congressional districts we previously had. It is vital to our democracy that citizens get to choose their elected representatives, rather than have politicians in back rooms choose their voters to gain a partisan advantage. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: We need to make voting easier, not hard. That is why I strongly support modernizing how people vote. If elected, I would vote in favor of early voting, expanded absentee voting, vote by mail, same-day voter registration, and automatic voter registration. In addition to making it easier to vote, we must guarantee that Pennsylvanians have confidence in their election. We must invest in technology to prevent hacking of our voting and voter registration systems, and every voting machine must provide a paper receipt to guarantee elections results are accurate.
REPUBLICAN MIKE TURZAI PARTY: REPUBLICAN BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 92 Harrisburg, PA 17108 CAMPAIGN PHONE: (412) 573-9326 CAMPAIGN EMAIL: election2018@miketurzai.com DATE OF BIRTH:8/2/1959 MUNICIPALITY: MARSHALL MIKE TURZAI TOWNSHIP COUNTY: ALLEGHENY WEBSITE: www.pafightsback.com TWITTER: @miketurzai FACEBOOK: http://fightsback EDUCATION: University of Notre Dame, B.A., 1981; Duke University, J.D., 1987 OCCUPATION: Speaker of the House QUALIFICATIONS: Pennsylvania Speaker of the House QUESTIONS: No Response
EMILY SKOPOV PARTY: DEMOCRATIC BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: 3000 Village Rd. Unit 103, #229 Wexford, PA 15090 CAMPAIGN PHONE: (724) 241-8151 CAMPAIGN EMAIL: emily@ ELECTEMILY4PA.COM DATE OF BIRTH: 10/16/1966 MUNICIPALITY: MARSHALL EMILY SKOPOV TOWNSHIP COUNTY: ALLEGHENY WEBSITE: http://electemily4pa.com TWITTER: twitter.com/eskopov16 FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/ElectEmily4PA 30th STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT EDUCATION: Columbia University, BA, English Literature UCLA, MA, Screenwriting DEMOCRATIC QUALIFICATIONS: I founded and run No Crayon Left Behind, a nonprofit that provides art supBETSY MONROE plies for academic and creative purposes to disad- PARTY: DEMOCRATIC vantaged youths and communities in need locally BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: and globally. MAILING ADDRESS: 269 Kittanning Pike PittsQUESTIONS: brgh, PA 15215 Q: What are your top three priorities in office? CAMPAIGN PHONE: 412-652-5743 A: My top priority is to restore bipartisanship and CAMPAIGN EMAIL: betsymonroecampaign@ cooperation to state government, because the sta- gmail.com tus quo has led to partisan gridlock, resulting in DATE OF BIRTH: 5/5/1970
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MUNICIPALITY: FOX CHAPEL COUNTY: ALLEGHENY WEBSITE: http://www.BetsyMonroe.com TWITTER: twitter.com/betsymonroe FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/BetsyMonroePA/ EDUCATION: Master’s in Health Administration and MasBETSY MONROE ter’s in Business Administration - University of Pittsburgh QUALIFICATIONS: As a healthcare analyst and supervisor, I’ve worked for more than a decade to make healthcare better and more affordable for 100,000 senior citizens across PA. And as a married mother of three, I understand what our working families need to succeed. QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office? A: 1. Politicians make promises to win elections, but once in office they don’t represent us. They instead represent lobbyists, party leaders, and corporations. My first priority in office will be holding representatives accountable by ending gerrymandering and curtailing money in politics. 2. Our growing overdose epidemic is a healthcare problem, and we need to tackle it with treatment not just prison. I support harm reduction techniques including the distribution of naloxone, but preventing deaths through revival is not enough. We must guarantee that every individual affected by addiction has access to longterm medical treatment. 3. Harrisburg has sold us out to fossil fuel lobbyists and polluters who value their profits over our health. I support bringing our environmental protections up to par with other states by improving regulation and enforcing regular safety inspections of fracking sites. We must also guarantee access to lead-free water for all students in their local schools. Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: Yes. When politicians don’t have to listen to their voters, we get what we have today: gridlock, hyperpartisanship, and an ineffective legislature. It’s frustrating that representatives in Harrisburg listen more to the wants of Harrisburg lobbyists than to the needs of working families like mine. Gerrymandering removes political accountability, and it’s time for that to change because elected representatives should work for their communities, not their donors. I strongly support Fair Districts PA’s legislation to end political gerrymandering once and for all, and an independent citizen’s redistricting commission is necessary to stop both Republicans and Democrats from enacting partisan gerrymanders. An independent commission that draws our legislative and congressional districts through a nonpartisan, transparent process will make sure that every vote counts, not just those of megadonors and party leaders. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: Allegheny County purchased its 4,700 electronic voting machines in 2006 before the first iPhone came out. These machines are still in use today, and just like any outdated technology, cybersecurity experts have shown that these obsolete systems are vulnerable to cyberattacks and malfunctions. Even
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so, local officials have failed to invest in secure and verifiable voting systems which include a paper record. That’s unacceptable, and I support protecting our elections by updating our machines. We should also update our voter registration deadlines to take advantage of modern registration systems. With instantaneous voter registration available online, voters should be able to register anytime and anywhere, including at their polling place. But the polling place on election day shouldn’t be the only way for voters to exercise their right. We should reform our burdensome absentee voting regulations so that any resident can vote at the time and place most convenient for them.
REPUBLICAN
MUNICIPALITY: PENN HILLS COUNTY: ALLEGHENY EDUCATION: Westinghouse High School, Community College of Allegheny COUNTY QUALIFICATIONS: State Representative, 1983 - Present, Penn Hills Deputy Mayor, 1976-1980 QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorANTHONY M. ities in office? DELUCA A: 1. Economic development and local job creation. 2. Enabling greater transparency in prescription drug pricing to help lower consumer costs. 3. Pre-employment drug screening for all school employees. Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: Yes, I support an independent citizen’s redistricting commission here in the Commonwealth. Having an independent redistricting commission would eliminate both Republican and Democratic gerrymandering of both congressional and legislative districts. Elimination of gerrymandering would ensure each citizen’s vote counts equally. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: I have been a dedicated advocate for voting modernization in the Commonwealth. During this term, two of my bills directly relate to voting modernization. House Bills 945 and 946 would ensure that all eligible citizens can vote and it is easy for them to do so. This would be accomplished by allowing same day voter registration and allowing for early voting. We should be making it easier for people to participate in their government, not more difficult.
LORI A. MIZGORSKI PARTY: REPUBLICAN BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 354 Glenshaw, PA 15116 CAMPAIGN EMAIL: Lori4PA@ gmail.com MUNICIPALITY: Shaler Township COUNTY: Allegheny County TWITTER: twitter.com/MizgorLORI A. ski MIZGORSKI FACEBOOK: http://Lori 4 PA EDUCATION: Hood College, Frederick, MD, 1989, B.A., Local Government Academy, Pittsburgh, PA, 2010 QUALIFICATIONS: 9 years – Shaler Township Board of Commissioners, 5 years – District Director/Manager, PA House 30th Legislative District, 9 years – North Hills Council of Governments, 2 years – Conservation & Natural Resources Advisory Council QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office? A: Three of my priorities are advocating for education funding and school safety, promoting job creREPUBLICAN ation and economic development, and protecting taxpayers and small businesses from tax increases. No Candidate Filed Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why 33rd STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT or why not? A: I support the creation of an independent redisDEMOCRATIC tricting commission to remove direct political inFRANK DERMODY volvement in the process. PARTY: DEMOCRATIC Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box voter registration, additional funding for voting 274 Tarentum, PA 15084 technology upgrades) would you support to ensure CAMPAIGN PHONE: 724 224 that our elections are accessible, efficient, and se- 4408 cure? CAMPAIGN EMAIL: frank@ A: I support no excuse absentee voting as there are frankdermody.com many situations that occur that are not included at DATE OF BIRTH: 5/29/1951 this time. MUNICIPALITY: OAKMONT FRANK DERMODY BOROUGH 32nd STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT COUNTY: ALLEGHENY EDUCATION: Columbia University,N.Y., B.A.,History 1973 Indiana University School of DEMOCRATIC Law, Bloomington, J.D. 1982 QUALIFICATIONS: Former Assistant District ANTHONY M. DELUCA Attorney, Allegheny County Former District Justice, PARTY: DEMOCRATIC Oakmont and Verona Former Legal Advisor, AlleghBIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: 1438 Homestead Road Ve- eny County District Justices Chairman, Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing rona, Pennsylvania 15147 QUESTIONS: CAMPAIGN PHONE: 412-793-8561 Q: What are your top three priorities in office? CAMPAIGN EMAIL: repdeluca32@yahoo.com A: Making sure Pennsylvania has good family Date of Birth: 1937
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sustaining jobs and that our schools are safe and teachers have the support and resources they need to teach and train students to fill jobs. Making sure our state’s tax policy becomes fairer. Pennsylvania’s working men and women shouldn’t pay more taxes so that corporations can pay less. Fair tax policies move the economy forward which benefits everyone. Making sure we fully support those who have fought and worked for us - our veterans and our seniors. Our veterans put their lives on the line to defend us and keep us safe. We must make sure when they return home they receive the support they deserve. Our seniors who worked hard their whole lives need to be secure in their retirement with affordable access to the health care and prescription drugs they need. Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: Our congressional and legislative redistricting processes must be fair and transparent and when voters go to the polls our democracy works best if they have meaningful choices among candidates on the ballot. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: I support all the voting modernization reforms listed here. Our laws need to guarantee every citizen’s right to vote and that our elections are fair, transparent and secure. These reforms all work to achieve that goal and that is why I support them.
REPUBLICAN JOSHUA R. NULPH PARTY: REPUBLICAN BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: 1507 Union Avenue Natrona Heights, PA 15065 CAMPAIGN PHONE: 724-6817185 CAMPAIGN EMAIL: joshua@ nulphforhouse.com DATE OF BIRTH: 07/28/1997 JOSHUA R. MUNICIPALITY: HARRISON NULPH TOWNSHIP COUNTY: ALLEGHENY WEBSITE: http://www.nulphforhouse.com FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/NulphforStateRep/ EDUCATION: Highlands High School, Life Insurance License, Liberty University (Obtaining Bachelor’s Degree) QUALIFICATIONS: Retirement Advisor for Safety First Retirement, Harrison Township Recreation Board Chairman, PA GOP Faith Outreach Team campaign website: www.nulphforhouse.com QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office? A: 1. Property tax reform, the opioid epidemic, and job growth. Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: 2.I support enacting commonsense, constitutional reform of congressional redistricting. We can certainly agree, redistricting should not be used as a tool to create life time politicians. Reforms should be fair, transparent, and accountable. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as
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no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: 3.Voting modernization is a necessity being delayed. With increasing threats to our electoral process, we need to ensure a fair, safe and accurate election that enables people proper access to their right to vote. Reforms such as early voting, and no excuse absentee voting are needed in the state of Pennsylvania to guarantee people the ability to share their voice.
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lines as the old, will create the same problems. On top of this, the lawsuit has not fixed our legislative districts. My district, for example, is conspicuously drawn to exclude black voters in Hazelwood - who are lumped in with residents of the Hill District, the North Side, and the Hilltop. Gerrymandering is not simply a partisan issue. It disenfranchises voters in primary and general elections alike, all for the same purpose: incumbency protection. I am not interested in helping incumbents avoid competitive elections, and I fully support redistricting reform Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting 34th STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? DEMOCRATIC A: No-excuse absentee voting, along with early votSUMMER LEE ing, will be my top priorities. We have a large numPARTY: DEMOCRATIC ber of people in my community whose work schedule BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: makes voting a severe burden, if not an impossibiliMAILING ADDRESS: 2233 ty. Same day voter registration is critical in my comWoodstock Ave Swissvale, Pennmunity. With a transient population, the deadlines sylvania 15218 imposed on registration have the result of disenfranCAMPAIGN PHONE: 412-346chising a large number of voters who cannot spend 8148 large amounts of time keeping up with our election CAMPAIGN EMAIL: info@ calendar. I also support investigating systems, such summerforpa.com as ranked-choice voting and multi-member disDATE OF BIRTH: November tricts, that would overcome the “spoiler” effects that SUMMER LEE 26, 1988 we have seen in recent elections, where marginal MUNICIPALITY: SWISSVALE candidates’ vote shares result in candidates that COUNTY: ALLEGHENY would not have won a majority in a head-to-head WEBSITE: http://summerforpa.com winning election. Finally, ensuring the integrity of TWITTER: twitter.com/summerforpa our election process is a must; Allegheny County, for FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/summerforpa example, lacks a paper trail, making election counts EDUCATION: Woodland Hills High School (2005), difficult to verify. Accurate vote counts should be a Penn State (2009), Howard University School of given. Law (2015) REPUBLICAN QUALIFICATIONS: Organized the successful effort to transform the Woodland Hills School Board No Candidate Filed through a write-in campaign. Organized fast food workers in Allegheny County. Worked as a field or- 35th STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT ganizer with the PA Democratic Party. Law degree from Howard University. DEMOCRATIC QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office? AUSTIN DAVIS A: Free, high-quality public education for all, PARTY: DEMOCRATIC pre-kindergarten through college -Clean air and BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: clean water - including implementing a fracking MAILING ADDRESS: 1107 moratorium and fully funding the Department of Washington St McKeesport , PA Environmental Protection -Criminal and juvenile 15132 justice reform, particularly dismantling the school- CAMPAIGN PHONE: None to-prison pipeline and “decarcerating” Pennsylvania CAMPAIGN EMAIL: davisOur communities are faced with under-resourced for35@gmail.com schools and a dearth of employment opportunities. DATE OF BIRTH: 10/04/1989 Without access to high-quality free education for MUNICIPALITY: MCKAUSTIN DAVIS all, without access to decent employment, without EESPORT access to healthcare, our communities and our chil- COUNTY: ALLEGHENY dren will continue to be left behind. Too often, those WEBSITE: http://davisforpa.com are are left behind find themselves caught up in a TWITTER: twitter.com/Davisfor35th justice system that was built to punish rather than FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/Davisrehabilitate; that drains resources which could be for35th/ going toward solving the pressing problems faced by EDUCATION: B.A in Political Science our communities. QUALIFICATIONS: Exec Asst to County ExecuQ: Do you support reforming our congressional and tive (7 years) VIce-Chair of the Allegheny Co. Demlegislative redistricting process to implement an in- ocratic Committee (3years) dependent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why QUESTIONS: or why not? Q: What are your top three priorities in office? A: I do. Gerrymandering has effectively disenfran- A: Job Creation Improving our Education System chised millions of people across this country, whose Transportation votes have been thoroughly neutered through “cre- Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and ative” districting. While the lawsuit that resulted in legislative redistricting process to implement an inthe new Congressional districts is certainly prog- dependent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why ress, we have not solved the fundamental issue. or why not? The next redistricting, if it proceeds along the same A: Yes.
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Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: I would support all of the measures listed above. I am currently a co-sponsor of a number of those reforms in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
REPUBLICAN No Candidate Filed
36th STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT DEMOCRATIC HARRY READSHAW MUNICIPALITY: PITTSBURGH COUNTY: ALLEGHENY QUESTIONS: No Response
REPUBLICAN No Candidate Filed
38th STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT DEMOCRATIC BILL KORTZ MUNICIPALITY: DRAVOSBURG COUNTY: ALLEGHENY QUESTIONS: No Response
REPUBLICAN No Candidate Filed
39th STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT DEMOCRATIC ROB RHODERICK PARTY: DEMOCRATIC BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 312 Elizabeth, PA 15037 CAMPAIGN EMAIL: rhoderick@comcast.net MUNICIPALITY: ELIZABETH TOWNSHIP COUNTY: ALLEGHENY WEBSITE: http://www.rhoderickforstaterep.com TWITTER: twitter.com/Ro- ROB RHODERICK bRhoderick FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/RobRhoderickForStateRep/ EDUCATION: Doctor of Chiropractic & Bachelor of Science: Palmer College of Chiropractic QUALIFICATIONS: -Elizabeth Township Commissioner 2014-Present -Past President: Elizabeth Township Board of Commissioners -Elizabeth Forward School Director 2011-2013 -Doctor of Chiropractic and Owner of Rhoderick Chiropractic Clinic QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office? A: Middle Class Jobs: An inextricable link exists between dynamic labor unions and a flourishing middle class. The Allegheny County Labor Council has endorsed me because my commitment to working families is unequivocal. The natural gas
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industry in my district is burgeoning, and I will hold businesses accountable when it comes to hiring local workers, paying a prevailing wage, and operating safely. Education: As a former school director, I led in cultivating and implementing a rigorous STEM program in my district. I will always fight for equitable public school funding to prepare young innovators and entrepreneurs to be tomorrow’s leaders. Infrastructure: Modernizing infrastructure is a proven macroeconomic stabilization tool. These investments create union jobs, increase production capabilities in both the public and private sectors, stimulate local economies, and address longstanding public health concerns. Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: The United States boasts a proud tradition of combating injustice and defending the central tenets of democratic ideals. I doubt the framers envisioned a system in which politicians and their special interest allies so openly flouted basic rights in favor of partisan gerrymandering. Elections are to be free and fair, without concerted efforts to model districts after constellations. I support implementing the independent commission and will challenge any elected official who doesn’t. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: Antiquated technology in disadvantaged communities coupled with the purging of voter rolls have disenfranchised too many for too long. Automatic registration is the reform most suited for promoting participation in our democracy. I also support pre-registration at driver’s license centers so that when citizens turn eighteen, they can vote unencumbered. We possess the technology to make our elections more accessible and secure. We now must implement it.
REPUBLICAN MIKE PUSKARIC PARTY: REPUBLICAN BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: PO box 107 Elizabeth, Pa 15037 CAMPAIGN EMAIL: Mikepa39th@gmail.com DATE OF BIRTH: 05/08/1989 MUNICIPALITY: ELIZABETH TOWNSHIP COUNTY: ALLEGHENY WEBSITE: http://Puskaricfor- MIKE PUSKARIC pa.com FACEBOOK: http://Facebook. com/puskaricforpa/ EDUCATION: BA in Communication from Seton Hill University QUALIFICATIONS: 3rd generation businessman, politically active within a number of political organizations as well as the co chair of the Elizabeth Township Republican Committee. QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office? A: My three main priorities are economic development/tax reform, infrastructure improvements, and improving school safety. Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an in-
dependent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: I am opposed to changing to a citizen’s redistricting commission. Currently, the pa house is structured to have small districts that are intended to reflect the makeup of our commonwealth electorate. The responsibility should fall on those we elect, pursuant to the laws in place. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: I am open to reform as long as it is inline with our constitution, and ensures a fair and transparent election process.
40th STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT DEMOCRATIC SHARON GUIDI PARTY: DEMOCRATIC BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: 221 Old Oak Rd. McMurray, Pa 15317 CAMPAIGN PHONE: 724-9415405 CAMPAIGN EMAIL: Sharon@ Sharon4PA.com MUNICIPALITY: PETERS TOWNSHIP SHARON GUIDI COUNTY: WASHINGTON WEBSITE: http://www.sharon4pa.com TWITTER: twitter.com/guidi4pa40 FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/SharonGuidi4PaHouse40/ EDUCATION: Master’s in Education from Carlow University, Bachelor of Science from the University OF PITTSBURGH QUALIFICATIONS: Educator in public and parochial schools throughout the District, 30-year resident of Peters Township, devoted mother of two grown daughters, community volunteer, emergency foster parent, newcomer to political office. Ready to listen, work, and serve QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office? A: I understand the challenges facing residents of the 40th District. My policies put people first, not special interests or lobbyists. First, we must invest in the workforce of the future through education. As a teacher, I am uniquely qualified to work for worldclass educations for our children, make sure we properly fund public education, and reduce crushing debts on college students. Second, to ensure the health of our citizens, including the workforce of today, it’s essential all residents have affordable and high-quality care. I favor the Medicaid expansion, which has helped many in our state, and also coverage of mental health conditions and treatment and prevention of opioid addiction. Third, I support our seniors, the workforce of the past. They’ve been paying into safety net programs, which should not be cut. Lower drug prices and programs that help seniors age in their own homes are cost-effective. Seniors need a strong voice in Harrisburg and I am ready to be that voice. Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: Yes, I favor an independent citizen’s redistricting commission in Pennsylvania for both congres-
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sional and legislative districts. It’s time to take partisan politics out of the redistricting process and restore the principle of one person, one vote. When sitting legislators draw district maps, it’s the politicians who benefit, not the voters. Legislators choose their voters instead of voters choosing representatives, which is wrong, regardless of the party in power. Elections cease to be competitive. Poor representation leaves people feeling their voices aren’t heard and sows voter apathy and government gridlock. Several other states have established non-partisan citizen commissions and seen positive results: greater transparency in the redistricting process, more voter trust, and increased public acceptance of district maps. 80% of Pennsylvanians across the political spectrum support redistricting reform. A citizen’s redistricting commission would be fairer than our current system. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: Voter participation is fundamental to our democracy and promotes good government. I support voting modernization reforms as long as they increase voter participation and maintain or improve the integrity of our voting systems. Online and same-day voter registration options reduce costs and data entry errors by eliminating pen and paper forms. Same-day registration increases voter turnout and helps clean up voter registration records. Other states have implemented no-excuse absentee voting and early voting. These options give voters more flexibility, especially seniors and people with heavy workloads or small children, while reducing the stress on election offices and workers. Americans are questioning how safe voting machines are from cyber-attack. I believe voting machines should have paper records and that other steps to ensure their security must be taken. We must have faith in our voting systems. The technology to modernize these systems is available and should be funded.
REPUBLICAN NATALIE MIHALEK PARTY: REPUBLICAN BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 12994 Upper St Clair, PA 15241 CAMPAIGN EMAIL: info@nataliemihalek.com DATE OF BIRTH: 6/12/1979 MUNICIPALITY: UPPER ST CLAIR TOWNSHIP COUNTY: ALLEGHENY WEBSITE: http://www.na- NATALIE MIHALEK taliemihalek.com FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/natmihalek/ EDUCATION: BA University of Pittsburgh JD Appalachian School of Law QUALIFICATIONS: As a veteran of the US Navy, former prosecutor, wife and mom of three, I bring a unique set of life experiences to the table and a fresh perspective for Pennsylvania. QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office? A: 1. I began practicing law in the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, prosecuting criminal cases and putting violent offenders behind bars. It was here where I began to see the complete devastation the opioid epidemic has placed, not only on our
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criminal justice system, but on every facet of society from our on our families and to our economy. We cannot afford to stand by and wait for action and my experience has uniquely qualified me to help build solutions. 2. I understand that our state is quite literally bankrupt. We can’t pass a balanced budget without accounting tricks and, when we use those tricks, we’re only fooling ourselves. We need zero based budgeting and control spending. 3. This district is the home to some of the best school districts in the state and I will fight to keep it that way. We need an advocate to implement reforms that will ensure our tax dollars end up in our classrooms, rather than unnecessarily wasting it on a disjointed health and pension system Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: Redistricting isn’t just a local problem or even a state problem, but an issue that is receiving national attention—for too long (and on both sides of the aisle) there has been irresponsible redistricting. While I’m not certain that a citizen commission wouldn’t eventually be corrupted by the same partisan motivation (Who appoints these persons? For how long do they serve in this capacity? Who keeps them accountable—if they aren’t elected, what repercussion do they suffer for dishonest redistricting [unlike a politician, who can be voted out]?. I’m for a fair and equitable process, working with other elected officials (irrespective of party affiliation) and for keeping this vital responsibility in the hands of legislation (and out of the hands of activist judges. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: Secure voting is a must—when the integrity of the voting process is in question, democracy itself suffers. Fair and free elections are a bedrock of our country. Funding for modernization of antiquated/unreliable machines and for measures related to maintaining secure and honest elections must be sufficient. At present, Pennsylvania has absentee voting, but requires an excuse. The current PA absentee ballot has allowances for those voters who are ill/disabled and for those who will be unavailable on primary or election dates, due to their business, occupation or duties. Additionally, there is an alternate ballot available for those voters aged 65 years and older and who don’t have accessible polling places. As a working mother of three, and with a husband who also works, I am intimately aware of the challenges of making it to a polling place—but, because I served to protect the right to vote in free and fair elections, I know the importance of keeping it a priority in my life.
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FACEBOOK: http://votedanmiller EDUCATION: BA History BS Secondary Education JD QUALIFICATIONS: Former Mt. Lebanon Commissioner, current volunteer firefighter, three terms in the state House and membership on the Judiciary, Education, Labor, Human Services, and Children and Youth Committees. DAN MILLER QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office? A: 1. Fighting for disability, mental health, and addiction parity and support. 2. Improving education and career readiness 3. Advancing family sustaining job opportunities Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: I support an independent redistricting commission. Pennsylvania has had its state maps and its federal maps invalidated in the past decade and I think the best way to reaffirm the public’s faith in the system is to remove politicians from the table as much as possible. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: I support no-excuse absentee voting, same day voter registration, and state assistance in updating voting technology to make elections more accessible, efficient, and secure.
REPUBLICAN No Candidate Filed
44th STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT DEMOCRATIC
MICHELE KNOLL PARTY: DEMOCRATIC BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: 157 Toms Run Rd Pittsburgh, Allegheny 15237 DATE OF BIRTH: 06/13/1956 MUNICIPALITY: OHIO TOWNSHIP COUNTY: ALLEGHENY WEBSITE: http://knoll4pa44. MICHELE KNOLL com TWITTER: @MicheleKnoll44 42nd STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT FACEBOOK: http://@MicheleKnoll44 EDUCATION: B.S. in El. Ed. University of Pittsburgh , M.Ed. in Early Intervention University of DEMOCRATIC Pittsburgh QUALIFICATIONS: I’m an educator experiDAN MILLER enced in preschool, elementary school and univerPARTY: DEMOCRATIC sity. Additionally, I served for years as an elected BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 13421 Pittsburgh, school board member, enhancing student achievement while providing wise fiscal management for a PA 15243 multi-million-dollar district. CAMPAIGN PHONE: 412-913-6937 QUESTIONS: CAMPAIGN EMAIL: votedanmiller@gmail.com Q: What are your top three priorities in office? DATE OF BIRTH: 2/9/1973 A: I will prioritize quality improvements across MUNICIPALITY: MT. LEBANON all levels of education, including technological and COUNTY: ALLEGHENY higher education, while finding reliable funding WEBSITE: http://www.votedanmiller.com sources to keep costs down. I will actively support TWITTER: twitter.com/votedanmiller
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job training and retraining for workers to boost PA’s economy, promoting the solid apprenticeship training already provided by unions. Pennsylvanians deserve the health benefits provided by clean air, water and land. The sustainability of these resources relies on a strong Department of Environmental Protection. I will support measures to adequately fund and staff this department, preserving these natural resources. Expanding development of solar energy and wind power will open up new job sources while also protecting our environment. I’ll ensure that unions are involved in this expansion, with hardworking Pennsylvanians at the forefront of these new positions. Local workers will lead the charge in seeing that safe work sites, located nearby their own homes will be maintained properly. Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: I support an impartial citizen’s redistricting commission. The method laid out by Fair Districts PA suggests that 11 members would be chosen to sit on the commission: 4 Republicans, 4 Democrats, and 3 members unaffiliated with the major parties. The applicants would be randomly selected by the Secretary of State of the Commonwealth from pools of qualified candidates, vetted for bias or conflicts of interest. To be eligible, one must not have served in a political office, or run for office or have a spouse who has served or run in the previous 5 years. Once the commission is selected, the members would redraw the districts from a database that does not reveal citizens’ political parties. Removing politics from the process will create a fair redistricting. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: I would support changes that permit no excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration and funding for voting technology upgrades. All these measures would improve our system by ensuring fair and accessible opportunities to vote. I also favor Governor Wolf’s proposal to offer automatic registration when registering for a driver’s license. Removing barriers to voting will increase participation in elections. Antiquated voting rules have disenfranchised citizens and made them feel as though their vote is not important. Common sense approaches will give people a reason to participate in democracy by voting.
REPUBLICAN VALERIE GAYDOS PARTY: REPUBLICAN BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: 411 TRAILSIDE DR SEWICKLEY, PA 15143 DATE OF BIRTH: July 3, 1967 MUNICIPALITY: ALEPPO COUNTY: ALLEGHENY WEBSITE: http://votevaleriegaydos.com TWITTER: twitter.com/valgaydos FACEBOOK: http://www. VALERIE GAYDOS facebook.com/Valerie-Gaydos-for-State-Representative-683333915389765/ EDUCATION: Quaker Valley, Sewickley Academy, CCAC (EMT School), Dickinson College QUALIFICATIONS: Valerie is a 3rd-generation
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Allegheny County resident and 25-year business owner. As an entrepreneur and investor she has a proven track record of building businesses, nurturing the private sector economy, and creating jobs in lean environments. QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office? A: Fight for Fiscal Accountability •Balanced budgets and responsible spending •Limit spending growth to inflation and population •End taxpayer funded perks and special treatment for elected officials •Reduce the size of the legislature •Restore sanity to the budgeting process Strengthen PA’s Business Climate •Lower taxes to enable Pennsylvania to remain competitive with other states •Reduce paperwork and mandates that strangle business growth •Provide affordable healthcare options to small businesses - allow pooling to purchase lower cost health insurance policies •Fight for policies that attract new jobs and residents to Pennsylvania Serve as the People’s Advocate •Defend individual rights from government overreach •Protect personal freedoms and conservative values •Strengthen laws protecting Pennsylvania seniors and support eldercare •Support educational initiatives that prepare our students for the future Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: Currently, the Pennsylvania Constitution gives the legislature the authority to draw the maps during redistricting. I would support a constitutional amendment to create an independent nonpartisan commission to handle redistricting every 10 years. Hopefully, the outcome would be a more independent process to ensure that all citizens of the Commonwealth are represented equally. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: I would support any modernization that would adequately protect the integrity of the election process.
45th STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT DEMOCRATIC ANITA ASTORINO KULIK PARTY: DEMOCRATIC BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: 127 Lorish Rd. McKees Rocks, PA 15136 MUNICIPALITY: KENNEDY TOWNSHIP COUNTY: ALLEGHENY WEBSITE: http://www.anitaastorinokulik.com/ FACEBOOK: http://www. facebook.com/Keep-State-RepANITA ASTORINO resentative-Anita-Astorino-KuKULIK lik-1419364011410563/ EDUCATION: J.D. Duquesne University School of Law B.A. Duquesne University QUALIFICATIONS: •State Representative; 45th Legislative District 2016-Present Committees and Caucuses: Consumer Affairs, Gaming Oversight, Liquor Control, Local Government, Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness, •Managing Partner, Kulik Law Offices QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office?
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leader, and advocate for working families looking to bring opportunity to the 46th District. QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office? A: Public Education: Public education is undoubtedly the primary mechanism for promoting upward economic mobility. My education platform focuses on providing free, high quality early childhood education coupled with modern funding strategies to ensure the efficient allocation of resources. Providing increased funding at the state level will help immensely. Economic Development: Organized labor is the backbone of the middle class. Union advocacy saved my mother’s job. In Harrisburg, I will vehemently oppose all right to work legislation while passionately advocating for safe working conditions and a living wage. I am committed to revamping once vibrant main streets through small business grants. Common Sense: Voters are tired of the constant gridlock and grandstanding emanating from Harrisburg. My campaign focuses on offering common sense solutions while ushering in transparency and accountability. I pledge to lead with integrity and will support no budget, no pay legislation. Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: I fully support the implementation of an independent redistricting commission to help guarantee the protection of fundamental constitutional rights. Representatives, and their special interest allies, have chosen their voters for far too long. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: Current policies disproportionately disenfranchise the poor, people of color, and people with disabilities. Our nation’s technology is unparalleled and should be employed to enhance participation in our elections. I am a proponent of automatic registration with secure online access to update voter information. We have the data and infrastructure to register any eligible citizen who has interacted with the government. These measures are simple, cost effective, and long overdue. We fought for democracy, not a plutocracy. We need to make voting easier, not harder.
46th STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT
REPUBLICAN
DEMOCRATIC
JASON ORTITAY PARTY: REPUBLICAN BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: 228 Ostop Road Burgettstown, PA 15021 Campaign Email: jason@citizensforjasonortitay.com DATE OF BIRTH: March 14, 1984 MUNICIPALITY: CECIL TOWNSHIP JASON ORTITAY COUNTY: WASHINGTON WEBSITE: http://www.citizensforjason.com TWITTER: twitter.com/JasonOrtitay FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/citizensforjasonortitay/ EDUCATION: Robert Morris University-Business Administration 2004 Stetson University-MBA 2005 QUALIFICATIONS: Small business owner, twoterm state representative
A: Education: As the daughter of two dedicated educators, my belief in the spirit of learning is unwavering. In Harrisburg, I have been relentless in demanding that our students and teachers receive the funding and resources needed to succeed. I will continue fighting for early childhood education, students with special needs, and equitable funding. Revitalizing Main Streets: I have proposed grant funding for the removal of blighted properties in my district to promote new business development, encourage entrepreneurship, and foster a newfound sense of community. Main streets were the staples of our neighborhoods, with investments in infrastructure, they will be again. Veterans/First Responders: I proudly serve on the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee and have endorsed measures to expand Veteran benefits. My sentiments extend to first responders. I was thrilled to announce the awarding of over $155,000 in fire department and EMS grants for my district. Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: An independent commission is an essential step towards restoring trust and transparency to our fundamental democratic processes. While humorous nicknames have accompanied the misshapen districts, there is nothing funny about seeking to effectively disenfranchise millions of voters. Tasking an independent body with redistricting efforts will remove politics from the process. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: As an attorney with a particular interest in civil liberties, I unequivocally support initiatives that make participation in our democracy easier. From suffragettes to freedom riders, this nation has a storied history of fighting for the vote. The technology and data sets exist to implement both automatic registration and uniform standards to guarantee accuracy. The funding for these upgrades would be modest compared to the benefits.
REPUBLICAN
BYRON TIMMINS PARTY: DEMOCRATIC BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: MAILING ADDRESS: 1019 Mayfair Dr. Canonsburg, PA 15317 CAMPAIGN EMAIL: byronforstaterep@gmail.com MUNICIPALITY: CECIL TOWNSHIP COUNTY: WASHINGTON WEBSITE: http://www.byron- BYRON TIMMINS forstaterep.com TWITTER: twitter.com/ByronStateRepPA FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/ByronForStateRep/ EDUCATION: B.S. Business/Economics Miami University (OH) QUALIFICATIONS: Working father, community
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QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorities in office? A: Creating family sustaining jobs, strengthening the states education system, and making the state budget work for the people of Pennsylvania. Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and legislative redistricting process to implement an independent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why or why not? A: I believe the process of redistricting can and should be improved. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: Last session, I proposed a bill to conduct a study of the states current voting equipment and to provide recommendations on how to improve voting equipment in the future along with a cost estimate to replace the current equipment.
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State New Kensington with an honors psychology degree in May. QUALIFICATIONS: Founder of the student organization My Vote Matters. President of the Psychology Club and Psi Chi Honors Club. Member of Student Government. Member of Eastern Psychological Association. QUESTIONS: Q: What are your top three priorJOHN McCABE ities in office? A: My top three priorities are education, building an economy that works for all, and healthcare. As a current college student who is laden with student debt, I intend to fight for adequate funding for our public schools in order to provide equal opportunities for students, rather than letting charter schools undermine public education. As someone who grew up in poverty, education has greatly impacted my life and I intend to make sure higher education and vocational schools are affordable options for our students. I also aim to build an economy that works for us 54th STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT all by strengthening unions, allocating more money towards infrastructure development, and limDEMOCRATIC iting corporate control in politics. Lastly, I hope to address average American healthcare needs JON MCCABE by supporting a single-payer healthcare system. PARTY: DEMOCRAT I also wish to address the current opiod epidemic BIOGRAPHICAL INFO: by allocating more funding towards research and MAILING ADDRESS: 759 Wildlife Lodge Rd rehabilitation facilities, which are underfunded Lower Burrell, PA 15068 and understaffed. DATE OF BIRTH: March 31st, 1996 Q: Do you support reforming our congressional and MUNICIPALITY: LOWER BURRELL legislative redistricting process to implement an inCOUNTY: WESTMORELAND dependent citizen’s redistricting commission? Why WEBSITE: http://mccabeforPA.com or why not? TWITTER: twitter.com/mccabeforpa A: I support reforming the redistricting process FACEBOOK: HTTP://MCCABEFORPA by implementing an independent commission. My EDUCATION: Jon will be graduating from Penn district is an obvious victim of gerrymandering, and
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the outcome of this is more partisan politics. Partisan politics leads into heavy division and thus no progress is made in the legislature. Neither side is willing to compromise or agree, and ultimately the American people pay the price. Compromise is said to be the essence of democracy, but unfortunately compromise is non-existent in our current political system. One of the reasons I am running is to bridge the divide between our heavily divided country. As a newcomer to politics, I hope to provide fresh perspective to the PA legislature. Q: Which voting modernization reforms (such as no-excuse absentee voting, early voting, same day voter registration, additional funding for voting technology upgrades) would you support to ensure that our elections are accessible, efficient, and secure? A: Of course ! I am a sincere supporter of voting modernization reforms. On my campus, I started a non-partisan club (My Vote Matters) that registers students to vote, and also brings legislators to campus in order to talk to and meet their student constituents. The reason I started this club was to bring students into the political conversation. What I learned from my club was that students are very confused on how the voting process works. We need to make sure that Americans can easily register to vote. Less than 30% of individuals aged 18-24 vote. I believe voting reforms can help change this unfortunate statistic so that we can have proper representation in the legislature. Same day voter registration would help tremendously.
REPUBLICAN BOB BROOKS (REP) MUNICIPALITY: MURRYSVILLE COUNTY:WESTMORELAND QUESTIONS: No Response
DON’T FORGET TO VOTE ON NOVEMBER 6!
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COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY PROPOSED HOME RULE CHARTER AMENDMENT SPECIAL ELECTION QUESTION Shall the Allegheny County Home Rule Charter be amended to establish the Allegheny County Children’s Fund, funded by Allegheny County levying and collecting an additional 0.25 mills, the equivalent of $25.00 on each $100,000 of assessed value, on all taxable real estate, beginning January 1, 2019 and thereafter, to be used to improve the wellbeing of children through the provision of services throughout the County including early childhood learning, after school programs, and nutritious meals. Explanation of Ballot Question If this question is approved by a majority of those voting, the Allegheny County Home Rule Charter shall be amended to create an annual tax on taxable real estate in Allegheny County in the amount of 0.25 mils. This tax increase would be the equivalent of $25 per $100,000 of assessed real estate valuation. The resulting revenue would be used to establish the Allegheny County Children’s Fund to be used to improve the well-being of children through the provision of services throughout the County including early childhood learning, after school programs, and nutritious meals. The question would also establish the Office of the Allegheny County Children’s Fund to administer the Allegheny County Children’s Fund. The Office of the Allegheny County Children’s Fund would be supervised by the Allegheny County Manager. The Chief Executive and County Council would then create an Allegheny County Children’s Fund Citizen’s Advisory Commission to review and advise the operation of the Office of the Allegheny County Children’s Fund. If approved, this amendment shall take effect upon the certification of the November 6, 2018 General Election Results. MUNICIPALITY OF BETHEL PARK PROPOSED HOME RULE CHARTER AMENDMENT SPECIAL ELECTION QUESTION #1 Shall Article 14, General Provisions, of the Bethel Park Home Rule Charter be amended to include a new Section, en-
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ty of Bethel Park, Home Rule Charter be amended by removing the provisions allowing a petitioner additional time to amend an initiative or referendum petition deemed insufficient by the Municipal Manager? Explanation of Ballot Question #3 If this question is approved by a majority of those voting, Article 12, Section 1204, Procedure After Filing Petitions of the Charter shall be amended to delete the process of allowing a petitioner additional time to revise an initiative or referendum petition certified as insufficient by the Municipal Manager. If approved, this amendment shall take effect upon MUNICIPALITY OF BETHEL PARK the certification of the November 6, 2018 General Election results. PROPOSED HOME RULE CHARTER AMENDMENT SPECIAL ELECTION QUESTION #2 MUNICIPALITY OF BETHEL PARK PROPOSED HOME RULE CHARTER AMENDMENT Shall Article 12, Sections 1201(B) ReferSPECIAL ELECTION QUESTION #4 endum, and 1205, Referendum Petitions; Suspension of Effective Date of Ordinance, of the Municipality of Bethel Park Shall Article 12, Section 1204(B) CounHome Rule Charter be amended to state cil Review of the Municipality of Bethel that when residents initiate referen- Park Home Rule Charter be amended to dum procedures challenging ordinances state that a petitioner must provide suffiincreasing or decreasing a tax rate, the cient security upon filing for court review increase or decrease will be challenged of Council’s determination as to the inwithout suspending the tax rate in effect sufficiency of an initiative or referendum prior to the ordinance? The prior tax rate petition? Explanation of Ballot Question #4 shall continue until final disposition of If this question is approved by a mathe referendum challenge. jority of those voting, Article 12, Section Explanation of Ballot Question #2 1204(B), Council Review, of the Charter If this question is approved by a mawill be amended by requiring the petijority of those voting, Article 12, Sections 1201(B) Referendum and 1205, Refer- tioner to post sufficient security in the endum Petition; Suspension of Effective Court of Common Pleas to cover the costs Date of Ordinance of the Charter shall of challenging Council’s final findings of be amended by incorporating language an insufficient Initiative or Referendum that permits a challenge to an ordinance, Petition. The language currently states as to the amount of the tax rate increase “insufficient security”. If approved, this or decrease without suspending the rate amendment shall take effect upon the in effect prior to the ordinance. The prior certification of the November 6, 2018 tax rate shall remain unchanged pending General Election results. final disposition of the challenge. If approved, this amendment shall take effect MUNICIPALITY OF MONROEVILLE PROPOSED HOME RULE upon the certification of the November 6, CHARTER AMENDMENT 2018 General Election results. SPECIAL ELECTION QUESTION #1 MUNICIPALITY OF BETHEL PARK Shall Article XIII. Treasurer, of the MonPROPOSED HOME RULE roeville Home Rule Charter, be amended CHARTER AMENDMENT SPECIAL ELECTION QUESTION #3 to permit Monroeville Council to combine the offices of Treasurer and elected Shall Article 12, Section 1204, Procedure Tax Collector, appoint the Treasurer for After Filing Petitions, of the Municipali- an indefinite time and define the Qualtitled References to Gender, which provides that all references to the male gender within the Home Rule Charter are deemed to refer to the male and female gender? Explanation of Ballot Question #1 If this question is approved by a majority of those voting, Section 1409, References to Gender shall be added to the Charter, to provide that all male reference in the Charter be viewed as “gender neutral”. If approved, this amendment shall take effect upon the certification of the November 6, 2018 General Election results.
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lifications, Purpose, Duties and Responsibilities of the Treasurer, as more fully described in Monroeville Ordinance No. 2667? Explanation of Ballot Question #1 If this question is approved by a majority of those voting, Article XIII. Treasurer, of the Monroeville Home Rule Charter shall be amended to permit Monroeville Council to combine the offices of Treasurer and elected Tax Collector, appoint the Treasurer for an indefinite period of time and establish residency, age and educational requirements. Currently, the Treasurer may be appointed for a term not to exceed two (2) years. The office of elected Tax Collector shall be abolished. Original Question 2 MUNICIPALITY OF MONROEVILLE PROPOSED HOME RULE CHARTER AMENDMENT SPECIAL ELECTION QUESTION #2 Shall Article XIV. Contracts, of the Monroeville Home Rule Charter be amended to increase the threshold amounts for contracts that must be competitively bid for labor, material supplies or services and insurance, professional and unusual services to the amounts provided for by Pennsylvania law and permit contracts for supplies to exceed two (2) years and provide the Solicitor the option to cure invalid contracts, as more fully described in Ordinance No. 2667? Explanation of Ballot Question #2 If this question is approved by a majority of those voting, Article XI. Contracts, of the Monroeville Home Rule Charter shall be amended to increase the threshold dollar amount for competitively bid contracts from $4,000 to $10,500 for written or telephonic quotes and to $20,100 for publicly advertised bids, in accordance with Pennsylvania law. Contract amounts less than $10,500 shall not require formal bidding or written/telephonic quotes. The Charter shall also be amended by deleting the two-year maximum term limitation for contracts for the purchase of supplies and provide the Solicitor the option to cure invalid contracts. If approved, this amendment shall take effect upon the certification of the November 6, 2018 General Election results.
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Amended Question 2 MUNICIPALITY OF MONROEVILLE PROPOSED HOME RULE CHARTER AMENDMENT SPECIAL ELECTION QUESTION #2 Shall Article XIV. Contracts, of the Monroeville Home Rule Charter be amended to increase the threshold amounts for contracts that must be competitively bid for labor, material supplies or services and insurance, professional and unusual services to the amounts provided for by Pennsylvania law and permit contracts for supplies to exceed two (2) years and provide the Solicitor the option to cure invalid contracts, as more fully described in Ordinance No. 2667? Explanation of Ballot Question #2 If this question is approved by a majority of those voting, Article XI. Contracts, of the Monroeville Home Rule Charter shall be amended to increase the threshold dollar amount for competitively bid contracts from $4,000 to $10,500 for written or telephonic quotes and to $20,100 for publicly advertised bids, in accordance with Pennsylvania law. The law further provides for adjustments to bid amounts due to inflation per the (CPI)
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and sanctions, pursuant to Pennsylvania law, upon parties who refuse or neglect to obey a subpoena. If approved, this amendment shall take effect upon the certification of the November 6, 2018 General election results. MUNICIPALITY OF MONROEVILLE PROPOSED HOME RULE CHARTER AMENDMENT SPECIAL ELECTION QUESTION #4
Shall Article XXI. General, of the Monroeville Home Rule Charter be amended to require that a vacancy in the Office of Member of Council may only be filled at a Municipal Election, pursuant to the provisions of the Pennsylvania Election Code? Explanation of Ballot Question #4 If this question is approved by a majority of those voting, Article XXI. General, of the Monroeville Home Rule Charter shall be amended to require that a vacancy in the Office of Member of Council may only be filled at a Municipal (odd-numbered year) Election, in accordance with the provisions of the Pennsylvania Election Code. Currently, the Charter permits the filing of a Council vacancy at any election. MUNICIPALITY OF MONROEVILLE If approved, this amendment shall take PROPOSED HOME RULE effect upon the certification of the NoCHARTER AMENDMENT vember 6, 2018 General Election results. SPECIAL ELECTION QUESTION #3 MUNICIPALITY OF MONROEVILLE PROPOSED HOME RULE Shall Article XVII. Investigative, HearCHARTER AMENDMENT ing and Subpoena Powers, of the Monroeville Home Rule Charter be amended to SPECIAL ELECTION QUESTION #5 permit the issuance of subpoenas to out of state parties and impose penalties con- Shall Article XXIV. Recall, of the Monrosistent with Pennsylvania law for parties eville Home Rule Charter be deleted? Explanation of Ballot Question #5 that do not obey a subpoena? If this question is approved by a majorExplanation of Ballot Question #3 If this question is approved by a ma- ity of those voting, Article XXI, Recall jority of those voting, Article XVII. In- provisions of the Monroeville Home Rule vestigative, Hearing and Subpoena Charter shall be removed. Any removPowers, of the Monroeville Home Rule al from office would be pursuant to the Charter shall be amended to permit the procedures set forth in the Pennsylvania issuance of subpoenas to compel the at- Constitution. tendance of witnesses and the produc- If approved, this amendment shall take tion of evidence pursuant to Pennsyl- effect upon certification of the November vania law. Currently, the Charter only 6, 2018 General Election results. permits the issuance of subpoenas to WEST DEER TOWNSHIP be served within the Commonwealth of PROPOSED HOME RULE Pennsylvania. CHARTER AMENDMENT In addition, Article XVII, shall be amended to permit the imposition of fines, costs SPECIAL ELECTION QUESTION #1
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Shall Section C-1015 of the West Deer Township Home Rule Charter be amended to permit Township Supervisors to be compensated at the rate of $50.00 per month, as more fully described in Township Ordinance No. 423? Explanation of Ballot Question #1 If this question is approved by a majority of those voting, the West Deer Home Rule Charter shall be amended to permit Township Supervisors to be paid $50.00 per month. This rate may be changed by ordinance but shall not become effective until the first day of the year following the election of Supervisors. Township Supervisors may not receive any other direct or indirect compensation. Any reimbursement for travel or other necessary expenses is limited to the Township Supervisors, upon approval by a majority vote of the Board of Supervisors. If approved, this amendment shall take effect upon the certification of the November 6, 2018 General Election results.
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Township Home Rule Charter be amended to replace language regarding Supervisor vacancies and removal from office that was found to be unconstitutional? Explanation of Ballot Question #2 If this question is approved by a majority of those voting, the West Deer Home Rule Charter shall be amended to provide that a Township Supervisor shall only be removed from office by impeachment or conviction of an infamous crime, as provided for in the Pennsylvania Constitution. If approved, this amendment shall take effect upon the certification of the November 6, 2018 General Election results. WEST DEER TOWNSHIP PROPOSED HOME RULE CHARTER AMENDMENT SPECIAL ELECTION QUESTION #3
Shall Sections C-1012, C-1016, C-1018 and C-1021 of the West Deer Township Home Rule Charter be amended by reWEST DEER TOWNSHIP placing all gender-specific, time-based PROPOSED HOME RULE and grammatically incorrect language? CHARTER AMENDMENT Explanation of Ballot Question #3 SPECIAL ELECTION QUESTION #2 If this question is approved by a majority of those voting, Sections C-1012, C-1016, Shall Section C-1019 of the West Deer C-1018 and C-1021 of the West Deer
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Home Rule Charter shall be amended by replacing the words “he” with “they”, “his” with “their”, “Chairman” with “Chairperson” and “Vice Chairman” with “Vice Chair” and removing the requirement that the Board organization meeting occur at 8:00 p.m. If approved, this amendment shall take effect upon the certification of the November 6, 2018 General Election results. WEST DEER TOWNSHIP PROPOSED HOME RULE CHARTER AMENDMENT SPECIAL ELECTION QUESTION #4 Shall Section C-1054 of the West Deer Township Home Rule Charter be amended to restate the list of actions which require an Ordinance, as more fully described in Township Ordinance No. 426? Explanation of Ballot Question #4 If this question is approved by a majority of those voting, Section C-1054 of the Home Rule Charter shall be amended by deleting “Establish wages, hours or fringe benefits of any employee of the Township”. If approved, this amendment shall take effect upon the certification of the November 6, 2018 General Election results.
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