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Q
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Terry
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Ridley Park
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4/19/99 12:08:55 PM
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I think it goes without saying that bringing
well paying jobs to Philly would do more to
correct our ills than any amount of public
policy. What strategy would you implement to
attract high-paying jobs and encourage new
entrepreneurs to lo
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A
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Dwight Evans
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4/23/99 5:40:17 PM
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Encouraging entrepreneurship is one of the main points in my plan for economic development. I would like to see more schools teaching entrepreneurship and I would like to make it much easier for people who want to start their own businesses to get through all the red tape imposed by city government. In my administration, I would consolidate a number of offices and make sure that city government becomes more small business-friendly. Attracting business to Philadelphia that offer high-paying jobs requires us to reduce taxes and improve our schools so that businesses can find the kind of trained workforce they need here in Philadelphia.
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Q
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Furness
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Philadelphia
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4/19/99 1:02:54 PM
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Several students have voice concerns about the
lack of equipment at neighborhood Rec. Centers.
Are you aware of this problem? How can you
address it?
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A
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Dwight Evans
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4/23/99 5:40:17 PM
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I realize that we need more equipment at rec. centers. In my own district in West Oak Lane I have managed to get city and state grants to purchase equipment for Simons Recreation Center. We need to look at all sources for funding rec. programs.
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Q
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Samaya Sprouel
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Philadelphia
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4/19/99 2:03:20 PM
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How would you improve the Public School System?
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A
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Dwight Evans
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4/23/99 5:40:17 PM
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I think it's very important to attract and train the best teachers for Philadelphia. That means that we have to raise standards for teacher certification and provide much better professional development. We also need to recruit and train more principals as educational leaders. Principals should be able to hire and fire their own staffs. Like any good coach, a principal needs to choose his/her team and then we can hold the principal accountable for what happens in a school.
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Q
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rasheeda
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philadelphia, pa
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4/19/99 2:09:16 PM
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which is more important jobs or education? why?
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A
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Dwight Evans
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4/23/99 5:40:17 PM
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Education must come first, before jobs. You need to get the best education you can in order to get a good job. Well paying jobs require a high level of education, at least some college. I advise all young people to learn as much as they can and stay in school at least through 2 years of college. Wages increase with every level of school completed.
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Q
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Olney High School
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4/19/99 2:35:00 PM
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What programs would you develop to decrease
the number of truancies that we have today?
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A
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Dwight Evans
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4/23/99 5:40:17 PM
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The collaboration currently going on with the police department seems to be having some success. I would favor expanding that program. We need to let students know that we expect them in school every day. If they're found on the street, they should be returned to school and parents called to alert them to their child's behavior. Also, we need to organize neighbors and community groups to look out for truants and call the police when kids are not in school.
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Q
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Masterman
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Philadelphia
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4/19/99 3:31:33 PM
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What characteristics of charter schools do you
feel so strongly about that you support them?
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A
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Dwight Evans
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4/23/99 5:40:17 PM
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I support charter schools because they don't have to worry about all the regulations that burden ordinary schools. My charter school, the West Oak Lane Charter School, has a longer school day and a longer school year than the public schools. Often parents are more involved and we have more freedom to teach a curriculum and subjects that the school community wants the students to learn. We also have more choice about how to use our resources, whether we want smaller class size or more tutoring or whether we want to use a particular approach to teaching reading. Also, many charter schools, like magnet schools, focus on special skills, like computer or business skills. There is also a lot of energy around charter schools because often the whole community is involved.
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Q
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Sharon G.
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4/20/99 5:49:36 AM
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What part does religion play in your ability
to serve as a good mayor?
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A
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Dwight Evans
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4/23/99 5:40:17 PM
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I belong to Salem Baptist Church and I believe it's very important for any public official to have a faith. Mostly, however, I think it's important for the mayor to believe in the people of Philadelphia and to show compassion toward those who are in need. Often these values are learned at church. Churches and synagogues and mosques can also play a very positive role in the community and help us to rebuild our neighborhoods.
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Q
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Yolonda B
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Phila
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4/20/99 5:51:25 AM
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How can we increase the number of people who
vote in Philadelphia elections?
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A
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Dwight Evans
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4/23/99 5:40:17 PM
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This is a great question and addresses a very serious problem. People all over the world are dying to get the right to vote and here in Philadelphia many people are not even registered and those who are registered don't vote. I think they don't bother to vote because they don't believe that their vote matters and they see politicians as all the same. They think that it doesn't matter who is in office. I think it's important to prove those people to wrong, to educate them and help them understand that there are elected officials, like myself, who care about people and will do things to help them change their lives. We also need to teach children that everyone in a democracy counts and they need to have self-respect and participate in the process along with everyone else.
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Q
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Pat. S
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Phila.
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4/20/99 6:13:14 AM
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How will you develop and keep a positive
working relationship with City Council?
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A
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Dwight Evans
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4/23/99 5:40:17 PM
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As Democratic chair of the House Appropriations Committee, I have worked with hundreds of state legislators. Working with the 17 members of City Council should be a piece of cake after that! I believe that if you involve everyone and give everyone a chance to participate and take credit, you can bring people together and accomplish a lot. I know many of the members of City Council and look forward to working with them.
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Q
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Swenson Arts & Technology Camp
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Philadelphia
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4/20/99 8:37:57 AM
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The streets in residential areas are in poor
condition, What would your plan be to fix them?
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A
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Dwight Evans
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4/23/99 6:33:09 PM
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The way to get city services in a neighborhood is to organize a community and demand services. In the case of streets and other services, it is often the squeeky wheel that gets attention. In an Evans administration, I would see that this doesn't happen, that all neighborhoods have equal access to city services, but I would advise any neighborhood that needs attention to its streets or has any other problem to get people together and get in touch with your elected officials and keep the pressure on them until they get the job done.
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Q
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allen of u-city
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4/20/99 9:18:42 AM
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Since you don't have a family of your own, do
you think that this will hinder you from
addressing family values or issues?
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A
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Dwight Evans
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4/23/99 6:14:11 PM
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Although I am not married and I don't have any children of my own, I do have a family! I have three brothers and a sister as well as my parents, and I have 7 nieces and nephews and one great niece. I certainly understand family values and the importance of belonging to a family. My grandmother has been one of the most important influences in my life. She is the one who taught me to work hard and that I could be anything I wanted to be. She never missed a day of school in her life. That was the example she set.
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Q
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Kim
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4/20/99 12:20:43 PM
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What will you do about the problem with Police
Brutality??
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A
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Dwight Evans
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4/23/99 6:14:11 PM
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We need to recruit the best possible people to become police officers in Philadelphia and we need to train them well. With our new police commissioner, John Timoney, I think we're on the right track. Obviously, any police officer who does not understand that the role of the police is to serve the public should be dismissed. We have to do a lot of work to change the attitude of some people who work for the city and don't understand that their jobs are to help people not harm them.
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Q
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Camille
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Philadelphia
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4/20/99 12:39:44 PM
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What other qualities do you feel you can bring
to the office of mayor besides improving
education?
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A
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Dwight Evans
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4/23/99 6:14:11 PM
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I am well known for my work in neighborhood development. I have rebuilt the area along Ogontz Avenue and turned it around from mostly abandoned buildings to a lively commercial district. Many of our neighborhoods need to be turned around in the same way. That is one of my highest priorities.
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Q
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Jules E. Mastbaum A.V.T.S.
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Phila, PA
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4/20/99 1:54:37 PM
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Physical and sexual abuse of young children and
teens is a serious problem. Are you willing to
put a program of social workers in schools,
where these children are on a daily basis, and
are you willing to fund such a program with
city mone
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A
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Dwight Evans
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4/23/99 6:52:52 PM
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Of course we need to provide help for young children and teens who have been abused. I think one of the biggest problems is lack of coordination and communication among city agencies. It may turn out that if agencies work well together and more information is shared with schools and community organizations, we can provide much more help to families and kids in need.
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Q
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James of u-city
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phila,pa
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4/20/99 2:35:01 PM
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What do you plan on doing about food and
shelter for women with children?
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A
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Dwight Evans
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4/23/99 6:33:09 PM
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Obviously, we must see to it that women and children in our city are taken care of. I think we need to put pressure on the state to provide more funds to help us make sure that we have sufficient shelter space for everyone in need. We also need to work with existing agencies to help mothers locate and maintain affordable apartments and homes. Education is an important part of the process. Some mothers do not realize that their children are eligible for health insurance, for example, and that they can still get help with food.
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Q
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Rob Jackson
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4/20/99 3:04:35 PM
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What do you plan on doing about the poor
condition of schools in the Philadelphia
school district
if you are elected mayor?
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A
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Dwight Evans
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4/23/99 6:33:09 PM
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We need to rebuild our schools but finding the money to do that, not just here in Philadelphia but all over the country, is a challenge. Philadelphia does not have the money to rebuild schools, but we need to look for state and federal funds to help with that process.
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Q
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GAMP High School
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4/20/99 3:37:42 PM
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What other issues of Phila. will you try to
resolve besides gun violence?
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A
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Dwight Evans
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4/23/99 6:14:11 PM
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As I mentioned in response to another question, improving neighborhoods is one of my highest priorities. We need to provide jobs for people and do something about abandoned houses and vacant lots. I also have a clear education agenda. Improving schools is also an important part of what I want to accomplish as mayor.
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Q
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masterman
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4/21/99 10:40:52 AM
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In one forum, you mentioned a decentralized
public school system. Please explain you
rplans for this system.
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A
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Dwight Evans
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4/23/99 6:14:11 PM
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I think it's very important for each school to be free to manage itself. I think the principal should be in charge and that the staff of each school should decide on what's best for the students and the school community. Research shows that students learn better in smaller schools, so I would like to see high schools broken up into academies or smaller units also. I don't think that the central administration should be making decisions for every school.
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Q
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Geo. Washington
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4/21/99 10:43:44 AM
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Why do you think charter schools are better
than the public school system we now have?
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A
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Dwight Evans
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4/23/99 6:14:11 PM
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I don't think charter schools are better. I just think that charter schools should be part of the mix of options available to parents and kids. Eventually, I would like to see every school operate like a charter school. We can use charter schools to try out new approaches and then those approaches can be used in other public schools. Some public schools are doing a great job, but the public school system is not meeting the needs of every child. That's why I have supported charter schools and opened a charter school in my district.
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Q
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Simon Gratz
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4/21/99 10:53:34 AM
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How can we go about stopping illegal police
activities?
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A
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Dwight Evans
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4/23/99 6:33:09 PM
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We have a new police commissioner, John Timoney, who is trying hard to improve the police department. We need to give him lots of support and help him get the authority to put his own top administrative team in place (which would require a change in the City Charter) so that he can hold them accountable. I am hopeful that he will set a high standard and that we will see illegal activities on the part of police eliminated.
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Q
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Carver
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4/21/99 11:08:02 AM
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What elective official living o dead do you
most admire and why?
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A
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Dwight Evans
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4/23/99 6:52:52 PM
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Although he was not an elected official, I greatly admire the Rev. Leon Sullivan who was the founder of Opportunities Industrialization Center here in Philadelphia. When other leaders were saying "burn, baby, burn," Rev. Sullivan was telling people to "learn, baby, learn." He created Progress Plaza, which is a neighborhood shopping district, and an internationally known job training center. He has been the inspiration for
much of what I have accomplished in West Oak Lane
The elected official I would say I have most admired was Harold Washington, the former mayor of Chicago. To me, he was a real leader who got things done in his city. That's the kind of mayor I would like to be.
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Q
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Roxborough H. S.
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4/21/99 12:26:34 PM
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How can you stop or decrease the harassment by
the Phildelphia Police Department?
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A
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Dwight Evans
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4/23/99 6:33:09 PM
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I believe I answered that question.
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