ANTHONY P. JOHNSON: PLATFORM

"Government of the people, for the people,
by the people."

Anthony P. Johnson is a progressive candidate who is leading a grass-roots campaign to protest the lack of government responses to the issues of the neighborhood. “Our community is plagued by unemployment, high-school students dropping out, violence on the streets, and drug dealers intimidating the good people who want a positive quality of life here. The current politicians have brought nothing to our area. It is time for us to stand together as unified citizens and demand better for our families and future generations. I am not a politician—I am a Human Services professional who is dedicated to changing the quality of life for the people in this community.” Johnson has been the neighborhood block captain for over two years responding immediately to the problems of the neighbors by working closely with the local police department.

Anthony P. Johnson
pledges to take the following actions if elected as the next
State Representative

• Secure funding and push for neighborhood patrols.

• Address crime in the community by increasing police patrol, creating stricter penalties for drug dealers, pedophiles, and violent gangs.

• Provide more police/increase presence in our neighborhoods as well as build a positive relationship between residents and the police through a series of workshops and other activities.

• Provide the community with Literacy and GED programs.

• Partner with local food markets, pharmacies, and retail stores to hire residents that support these businesses as loyal customers to decrease unemployment and poverty.

• Obtain state/federal funding for existing quality and new grass root after school programs that is essential to the academic and social growth of our children.

• Re-implement extracurricular activities back into the public schools in our communities.

• Implement effective recreation centers in the communities.

Strategic “Vision” Plan
180th District 2013-2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS

“Vision” Plan for the 180th District
Goals and Outcomes for the 180th District
Strategic Objectives to Achieve the Goals for the 180th District
Who Am I

I. Vision for the 180th District

The “Vision” Plan for the 180th District will provide programs and services to youth, adolescents, adults and families to excel through academic and social achievement. The “Vision” Plan is dedicated to achieving sustainable human development in the 180th District in which residents are able to enjoy a full range of “human basic rights and services” which will free them from illiteracy, violence, and poverty. Further, the “Vision” Plan will create job opportunities, senior citizen and after school programs and address safety concerns in the 180th District.

The “Vision” Plan is guided by the principles of building creative and trusting relationships with the residents, community and faith based organizations, school officials, and public servants to provide the highest quality of services and programs which will:

Give priority to the needs and interests of the residents of the 180th District.

Encourage & Promote Community Unity.

Authentic participation of organizations that provide resources that affect the lives of residents and families of the 180th District.

Respect and foster human rights, both socioeconomic and civil-political of the 180th District.

Seek to enhance multicultural equality of the 180th District.

Understand and respect the history and culture of the residents of the community of the 180th District that I serve.

II. Goals and Outcomes

The “Vision” Plan targets several goals and the outcomes for the 180th District that will be effectively addressed to transform a crime infested, uneducated, impotent community scarce on resources into a thriving neighborhood. The goals are as follows:

Goal 1: Eradicate Illiteracy

Goal 2: Promote Community Unity

Goal 3: Develop Effective Partnerships with Local Businesses

Goal 4: Create a Safe Community

Goal 5: Improve and Create Grassroots Programs.

Goal 6: Re-implement extracurricular activities back into the public schools in the 180th District.

III. Strategic Objectives to Achieve the Goals

For far too long individuals seeking elected office in the 180th District have focused on the problems in the community but in most cases provide ineffective solutions to address them. However, I believe that just as it is important to highlight the detriments in the 180th District; I will be creating strategies, initiatives and outcomes to eradicate poverty, illiteracy, high unemployment and crime. These are issues which are equally vital and viable that will benefit the quality of life for the residents.

Strategies to achieve the goals in the 180th District are as follows:

My “Vision” Plan will create a coalition of grant writers to obtain funding for necessary services for the 180th District although the state government is planning to eliminate many of the needed services in Philadelphia that will also affect the 180th District. Instead of waiting for the governor to decide on providing the necessary funding for economic growth in the 180th District, my administration will be proactive by obtaining funding through the grant process.

By obtaining funding through grant writing I will address the following:

Goal: 1

Decrease illiteracy and the dropout rate
Extra-curricular Programs
Increase Senior Citizens Programs
Decrease Obesity
Safety

Outcomes

Increase high school graduation rate in the 180th District 20% by 2020.

Increase extra-curricular programs, i.e. mentoring, fencing, rugby, golf, and soccer in the schools located in the 180th District 35% by 2020.

Increase senior citizen programs in the 180th District 15% by 2018.

Reduce obesity among youth and adolescents between the ages of 10 years old-18 years old 40% by 2020.

Increase safety by expanding the Town Watch program and increase police presence in the 180th District 16% by 2015.

Goal: 2

Formulate a coalition of local businesses to promote employment opportunities for residents.

Outcome:

Improve employment opportunities for residents interested in obtaining employment in local business 14% by 2018.

Goal: 3

Create a coalition of community based and faith based non-profit organizations.

Outcome:

Implement free extra-curricular and after school programs in public and charter schools located in the 180th District by 2016.

Goal: 4

Organize training workshops, professional development seminars, and facilitate peer reviews with school officials, residents, and stakeholders.

Outcome:

Provide these services to 100% of the residents in the 180th District by 2020.

Goal: 5

Commission research analysis on issues in aid and development in the 180th District by conducting regular surveys/interviews with residents to identify “specific” needs for programs and services as well as gather statistical information about current and future programs that are of interest.

Outcome:

Based on the research and analysis, each year create and update a community resource manual and distribute to the residents in the 180th District.

IV. Who Am I?

I am a resident of Juniata, and a Human Services lead instructor in a post-secondary school. I am also the Executive Director of Dream Field Academy, a non-profit community organization dedicated to helping youth through academic enhancement, and leadership training and non-traditional sports such as golf, soccer, rugby and fencing.

I am a community activist determined to bring positive changes to the neighborhood. As a former Block Captain, I am constantly seeking solutions to empower the 180th District.

As a Human Service professional, Grant Writer, Entrepreneur, Instructor, Author, and Scholar; the “Vision” Plan was created for the sole purpose of providing effective programs and services to the residents of the 180th District.

I am the co-founder of the “180th Watchdog Coalition.” Our mission is to ensure that the elected officials of the 180th District and the District Attorney represent the needs and concerns of our residents by fulfilling the promises they made to our community during their political campaigns. It is our responsibility to monitor our elected officials and hold them accountable. Through the coalition’s efforts we’ve accomplished the following:

Currently, in a partnership with Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez, we are working to implement a new traffic light and new lane at G Street and Wyoming Avenue.

“180th Watchdog Coalition” 2010-2011 Voter Registration Drive.

1st annual “Keeping the Neighborhood Beautiful” clean-up day.

Provided Holiday Turkeys & Non-Perishable Food Drive for the holidays.

As the Executive Director of Dream Field Academy, a 501 (C)(3) mentoring program, I am humbled that my efforts in the 180th District and throughout Philadelphia are endorsed and supported by partnerships, affiliations and community collaborations with the following individuals and organizations as follows:

1. President Barrack Obama

2. Citizens Bank

3. United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania

4. WOAR (Women Organized Against Rape)

5. Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health & Mental Retardation

6. Better Days

7. Black Women in Sports Foundation

8. Caregivers Choice Mentoring Program

9. Daddy’s Right Here, Inc.

“FEED THE CHILDREN"

Title of Bill: "Feed the Children"

Principal Author: Anthony P. Johnson

Be It Enacted

Preamble: Millions of children throughout this country are living below the poverty level creating failure in the present and in their future. Part of their problem is undernourishment due to a lack of nutritional food. There are certain steps that can be instated to help end the hunger of the children. Poverty is unlikely to be solved in our lifetimes, but measures can be put into place to help feed the children in a way they are worthy of.

Children who are hungry cannot possibly succeed in school because they don't have the ability to focus on lessons while contemplating a way to stop their hunger. According to information stated by the Food Stamp Program: For over 40 years, the federal Food Stamp Program, now officially named SNAP - the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - has served as a mainline federal social assistance program designed to help low-income families and individuals buy the food they need for good health. The SNAP (Food Stamp) program now helps put nutritious food on the tables of 28 million people every month.

In this statement, it says that the program is designed to help low-income families to buy the food they need for good health. But is the food people are buying with the food stamps nutritious like the Food Stamp Program claims it is? Food Stamp guidelines should include only healthy foods from the 7 main food groups and water:

Meats: Fresh or frozen (not processed)

Fruits & Vegetables: Fresh or frozen and also to be used at community gardens or farmers markets

Cereals: Hot or cold but no sugared cereals.

Dairy: Also called milk products include milk, yogurt and cheese as well as ice cream.

Fats and oils: Corn cooking oil, butter and margarine.

Fruit: Sometimes categorized with vegetables, is typically a medium-sized category in nutrition guides, though occasionally a small one. Examples include apples, oranges, bananas, berries and melons.

If you stand in line at your local food market for one hour on any given day however, you’ll see what people are purchasing with their food stamps. You will see them buying fancy half-sheet birthday cakes, bottles of sugared soda, candy, cookies, snacks, and numerous other unhealthy types of food. Is this the way we are stopping hunger for our children?
Here are some realistic solutions to the problem that could be easily implemented immediately:

SECTION 1: Revamp Food Stamps using the model of the WIC program. Recipients of Food Stamps should be allowed to use these stamps for the same types of items as WIC allows people to buy which is healthy food for the children. This means if people want to buy junk food or fancy cakes, they will have to pay for it out of their cash allocations.

SECTION 2: Every recipient of Welfare Benefits will be issued a valid state identification card for items purchased with food stamps. This will help decrease food stamps “fraud” where people sell their food stamps at a discounted price for cash to support a drug or/alcohol addiction instead of using the Food Stamps to feed their children. However, we know people sell their Food Stamps even when they use a valid ID. The stores don't check ID's which is the problem. They sell the whole card to the person they're selling it to for 1/2 the value. The Food Stamp recipient then reports their card lost or missing and gets a new one issued in 3 days. The person who bought the card simply disposes of it after it is used up. Implement stiff penalties for store owners who don't check ID and a person must The person who bought the card simply disposes of it after it is used up. Implement stiff penalties for store owners who don't check ID and a person must pay a reasonable amount of money as a replacement card fee after reporting a card lost or missing 3 times. That will cut down on fraudulent use and sales of Food Stamps.

SECTION 3: Every recipient receiving public assistance for more than two years is to be tested for drugs randomly. There are so many people who are on prescribed medications who are also selling their Food Stamps and are illicit drug users. Urinalysis can decipher who is using prescribed drugs and who is not. If they test positive for an illegal substance, the recipient will be provided with drug recovery services and a social worker/child advocate will be appointed to ensure that the children are being fed and clothed properly by way of the welfare benefits. If the individual tests positive a second time, the allocation of public assistance will be suspended until he/she goes for help.

SECTION 4: Subsidize the working poor who are working-not staying home on welfare--with more benefits such as subsidized healthcare and additional food stamps.

SECTION 5: Provide free mandatory nutritious meals in public, private, and parochial schools throughout the school year with the money saved by Food Stamp abuse.

PLATFORM

No comments:

Post a Comment