Questionnaire Responses by John Fetterman — Candidate for Lt. Governor

1. ​What opportunities does the office of Lieutenant Governor offer? How will you make the office your own?

As a candidate for Lieutenant Governor, I hope to serve as a progressive backstop for the Governor and ensure that Tom Wolf gets re-elected. When elected, I will use this office to advocate for a progressive agenda that supports working people and families, and our forgotten communities on a statewide level. I believe there is an untapped opportunity to utilize and transform the office to its fullest potential compared to previous administrations.

2. ​Do you agree or disagree that “tough on crime” policies have overcrowded our prisons, and if so, what steps would you take with the Board of Pardons to reduce our prison population?

Absolutely agree. As Mayor of Braddock and head of the Braddock Police Department I’m proud of the work we’ve done to reduce violence and gun-related events. We did this through implementing common sense community policing practices that actually reduced crime and kept people from getting locked into the system in the first place. In the 2016 primary I was the only candidate running for Senate that supported marijuana legalization and I continue to stand by that.The impact has always fallen disproportionately on communities of color, which is unacceptable. As Chairman of the Board of Pardons, I will work with the Board and the Governor’s office to streamline the application process for clemency. Further, I will advocate for clemency and shortening sentences. I will consult with stakeholders such as the NAACP to provide insight into how we can support communities most impacted by mass incarceration.

3. What opportunities does the Board of Pardons offer for the future of criminal justice in Pennsylvania? Is the term “restorative justice” meaningful to you and if so how does it differ from a punitive system?

The Board of Pardons should be used as a bully pulpit for the larger issue of criminal justice reform, and push legislators to move forward on bills like the Clean Slate Act. There is a real opportunity to build a statewide platform that elevates and exposes the damage created by the school-to-prison pipeline, the prison industrial complex, and “tough on crime” policies like “Stop and Frisk” and cash bail. Restorative justice to me is just common sense. I based my approach to law enforcement policy on restorative justice practices as Mayor of Braddock. We trained our police to show discretion — just because you can charge someone with a nonviolent offence, doesn’t mean that you should. Restorative justice means that you create real avenues for people to reintegrate into society, and don’t penalize people who struggle with poverty, addiction and/or disability.

4. How do you plan to incorporate grassroots movements into your campaign, and long-term community organizing and participation into your governance if elected?

When I first ran for Mayor in the town of Braddock, it was my students who were out with me knocking on doors, asking people to vote for me — because they knew that I was out there to work for them as Mayor. We won that first election by 1 vote! So grassroots organizing has always been a core part of my journey, and I want to use that story to encourage others to take action, and run locally. As Lieutenant Governor I hope to lead through my own actions, engaging Pennsylvanians to take action through service, policy change, running for office locally, and even civil disobedience. I can confidently say that I’ve participated in all of these avenues of change (including getting arrested) and will continue to do so.

5.​ If you have served as an elected official before, what services have you delivered to residents across your district? If you have never served as an elected official, what services do you want to deliver and how will you do so?

As Mayor of Braddock I have advocated for policies that have helped the community for the past 12 years, including:

● Community Policing in the town of Braddock that has fostered a relationship between the citizens and the police force that’s created an atmosphere of working together, not against

● Completely cleared out heat insecurity through community partnerships

● Drastically reduced food and clothing insecurity through community organizing

● Hosting regular community meetings and trainings, including Narcan trainings, that my wife and I hold in our home.

6. In recent years, Pennsylvania has had enormous trouble passing a budget. What are your budgetary priorities, and how would you use your position as Lieutenant Governor to advance them?

● Combat the opioid crisis

● Protect CHIP and work toward a single-payer system

● Legalize recreational marijuana

● Increase enrollment in pre-kindergarten: I’m proud to say that Braddock has one of the best pre-k programs in the state. We can do that in every community in Pennsylvania

● Job growth As Lt. Governor I would work through the Board of Pardons to address budgetary issues such as jobs, marijuana legalization, and the opioid crisis. I would support legislation in my capacity as President of the Senate, and use my statewide platform to promote common sense budget priorities.

7. Pennsylvania has the highest average student loan debt of any state, at $35,185. Would you use your position as Lt. Governor to support legislation to make the PASSHE system and Commonwealth colleges tuition and fee free and provide cost of living stipends to low-income students? Yes, as Lt. Governor I would wholeheartedly support this legislation.

8. What policies would you promote to reduce or eliminate Pennsylvania residents’ student loan debt burden? I would support progressive legislation and budgetary priorities that reduce and eliminate student loan debt, protects students from predatory lending, and incentivizes attending in-state schools.

9. ​Approximately 33% of Philadelphia students are enrolled in charter schools. What is your position on the expansion of charter schools? Should they be given public money via vouchers or similar programs (like ESAs)? No, I do not support expansion of publicly funded charter schools.There is very poor and inconsistent systems of accountability for charters, especially cyber-charters. Local control needs to be reinstated. Taking money away from public schools and putting them into charter and private schools does not solve anything.

10. ​What policies would you advocate to expand and strengthen the labor movement in Pennsylvania? How would you fortify existing unions in the event of a state or nationwide right-to-work law? How would you expand worker representation and power in sectors with low union density? First and foremost, we have got to raise minimum wage to $15. If we don’t have that in the event of right-to-work laws, we’re letting ourselves down. I would also work closely with labor leadership in Pennsylvania to protect workers from so-called “paycheck-protection”, and promote the importance of dues collection. Forgotten communities in Pennsylvania are often the ones with the least worker representation, and I would heavily campaign in those areas alongside labor to increase power for workers.

11. Will you commit to fighting for funding to expand Medically-Assisted Treatment, mental health, and community-based programs to support people struggling with addictions and their families in Philadelphia? How will you hold the pharmaceutical industry accountable for its role in the spread of the opioid crisis? 110%. Absolutely, yes. When you support funding for the institutions and social services that these individuals need, you avoid tragic circumstances where those who are suffering from addiction don’t seek out help, and the burden is placed on their family. Or if they don’t have a family, it is left to law enforcement to handle the situation. What I will be advocating for is re-establishing funding for the programs that will help individuals with mental health or addiction-related problems; so that those with the right training and knowledge can effectively help these individuals. We cannot criminalize people with addiction or disability. I will support and promote the efforts by Attorney General Josh Shapiro to nationally hold pharmaceutical companies accountable.

12. Philadelphia’s immigrant and minority communities are threatened by increased ICE deportation efforts, police brutality and misconduct, and discriminatory treatment by our criminal justice system. At the same time, crime has been a significant problem in some parts of the district. What will you do to ensure that Philadelphia is safe and welcoming for all, from all types of violence? Philadelphia should continue to stay strong as a sanctuary city, and that means that immigrants should feel safe reaching out to law enforcement, no matter their status. I support Mayor Kenney’s strong stance on Philadelphia as a sanctuary city and am very excited by the progressive criminal justice reform platform that the newly elected District Attorney is setting into motion.

13. The statewide average annual cost for childcare services is $10,640, while the median assisted living facility and nursing home cost $43,200 and $116,800 per year, respectively. Would you support or oppose legislation to provide universal child and elder care for Pennsylvanians? Absolutely and emphatically support legislation to provide child and elder care, and it’s absurd that we don’t already.

14. ​Would you support legislation for universal single-payer healthcare with no co-pays that covers all individuals regardless of documentation status? Absolutely.

15. Do you support the Keystone Opportunity Zone program? More generally, do you support tax breaks to lure or retain businesses? As the mayor of a small town that was really struggling economically, I have had to rely on options that bring business to the community and boost the economy. That said, we need better transparency and should have systems of measurement for the cost-benefits of these tax incentives. I think it needs to be considered on a case by case basis.

16. What is your opinion on privatized infrastructure or public-private partnerships for development or maintenance of public infrastructure like roads or water works? Public utilities should not have the option to cut people off of service due to lack of ability to pay.

17. What, in your view, are the causes, threats, and opportunities of climate change? How would you address climate change as speaker of the Pennsylvania Senate? Climate change is a horrific problem that has largely been created by corporate greed and willful ignorance. And now we’ve signed our children up for it. It disproportionately harms the health and livelihood of low-income communities, especially low-income communities of color. I will absolutely advocate for policy change that protects forgotten communities from climate change.

18. The Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce advocates converting Philadelphia into an “energy hub” for oil and natural gas, or the “Houston of the East Coast.” Do you agree or disagree with this vision? If you or your employer are a member of the Chamber, have you used your influence to advocate in any way on this proposal? I don’t agree. We need to come up with innovative solutions to job growth that are environmentally sustainable.

19. Do you regard basic needs of Pennsylvanians, including food, housing, healthcare, and education, as human rights or as commodities most efficiently distributed by economic markets? Yes, it is a core belief for me. As Mayor of Braddock, I have eradicated heat insecurity, and drastically decreased food and clothing insecurity in our community. I was arrested while demonstrating at UPMC to open an urgent care for Braddock after they shut down their hospital.

20. ​How do you define democracy, and does Pennsylvania meet your definition? Why or why not? What actions if any would you take to alter who makes the most important decisions in our state and society, and whose needs are prioritized? Democracy is the opportunity for everyone to have a say in how we govern. Pennsylvania has the potential to meet this, but I don’t think we’re there yet. I’m running for Lieutenant Governor to be a champion for every community and person in this state, especially those that have been left out or left behind. I will bring to Harrisburg an understanding of what life is actually like in places like Allentown, Johnstown, Erie, and other forgotten cities across Pennsylvania. These places matter. They deserve to be believed in, and they deserve to be helped. I believe that things can get better, and that if a community that’s lost as much as Braddock can start to turn things around, then any community can — whether it’s West Philly, or Monessen, or Bethlehem. What we’ve done in Braddock is a roadmap for how we can begin to build a stronger Pennsylvania for all — so that every child born here has an equal shot, regardless of zip code.