Meet PA's 190th Legislative District Candidate Van Stone

Van Stone

Age (as of Election Day)

57

Position Sought

Pennsylvania State House of Representatives 190th

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

Not interested in answering at this time

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

High School Graduate

Occupation

Free lance journalist, Childcare paraprofessional, Crossing Guard

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

Campaign website

www.fpnwvsr.org

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am seeking elective office because I want to create a modern action group across the neighborhoods of West and North Philadelphia. The action group would battle forgotten neighborhoods of West Philadelphia and North Philadelphia, particularly Black Philadelphians. Such above-mentioned neighborhoods are neighbors who have been hit the hardest by gentrification, civil and criminal court abuses, depletion of financial resources, lack of adult and youth jobs support, and high crime to name a few.

The single most pressing issue facing our state/nation is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Lack of financial resources support for Black Americans, legal aid, and injustice of both civil and criminal court matters.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am a candidate that doesn't expect to win. Regardless if I win or not, I have worked for over 35 years as a special volunteer to fight against gentrification, lack of legal aid, court abuses and the courts' daily target of Black Philadelphians to be incarcerated, public school elimination of after school programs for school-age-children, and the Dept. of Recreation and Parks lack of proper upkeep of playgrounds and parks that are within walking distances of predominately Black communities.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the incumbent failed the district?

The incumbent has failed the district by not participating in fighting against independent institutions directly responsible for financial depletion of the neighborhoods, gentrification of urban neighborhoods, fight against both civil and criminal court abuses against Black and poor families. And the incumbent has failed the district by not brokering the permanent office of action group organizations that hire local neighbors to canvass the district to speak up about about how bad retail, water, medicine and laws add a bad effect to the social and environmental stability of the a neighborhood.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

Other issues that define my campaign platform are, the lack of proper oversight within the Dept. of Human Services (DHS) for a better urban community, lack of fight back against private universities and colleges grabbing territory for their residents at the expense of Black neighbors, the lack of fight back against the Housing Authority selling property to private businesses displacing residents, and the lack of fight back against hire wages for paraprofessionals who work directly with children in daycare, schools, before and after school childcare and traffic.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

In the past I have been successful at taking on the Philadelphia School District Superintendent and the lack of school property being made immediately more accessible for neighbor usage particularly the use of school recreation space and indoor pools. In addition, I have been successful at taking on the Dept of Recreation and Parks and the lack of Recreation centers being made more safer free of asbestos and making the recreation center more accessible to nearby neighbors particularly the usage of pools, fields, and employment funds.

The best advice ever shared with me was …

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Even if not elected, I will work hard to seek support from public officials to help solve ongoing problems for Black Philadelphians and promote programming that is very visible for children, adults and seniors usage in any urban community.