CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE GENERAL
Name: Dennis M. O’Brien
Office sought and political party affiliation: I am a Republican Councilman-‐At-‐Large. Campaign website and/or Facebook page: Not at this time.
Current neighborhood and total years of residence in Philadelphia: I live in the Millbrook section of the city and I am a lifelong resident of Northeast Philadelphia
Age: I am 62 years old.
Children (if any, and if so do/did they attend public or private schools): I am the proud father of three teenage boys. Each boy attends private school.
PROFESSIONAL
Education (college/grad school/certificate; degree & year earned in each): I attended Archbishop Ryan High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in business from La Salle University in 1982
Current occupation: I am a Councilman-‐At-‐Large.
Previous occupations: I served as a state representative and also worked in hospitality management.
CIVIC
Previous/current elected position held and years served (if any): I served the people of the 169th legislative district, located in Northeast Philadelphia, and the Commonwealth for 35 years as member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. I was elected to serve as Speaker of the House in 2007 for one term. It was a unique opportunity as it was the first and only time in Pennsylvania history a member of the minority party was elected speaker.
Leadership positions in civic or community groups:
I serve on the Archbishop Ryan High School Alumni Governing Board, the Archbishop Ryan High School President’s Advisory Board and on the Advisory Board of the University of Pennsylvania’s Field Center for Children’s Policy, the Catholic Historical Society and the Torresdale Branch of the American Cancer Society and I am the Republican Leader of the 57th Ward of Philadelphia.
I served on the board of directors for the American Liver Foundation, CORA Services, Self Help, Shalom, Inc., the Maritime Charter School, the Pennsylvania Economic League Council and numerous other Philadelphia-‐based and state-‐wide organizations
promoting everything from human services and welfare to criminal law issues and prevention to the Governor’s Commission on Gun Violence.
OPEN-‐ENDED
In your opinion, what are the core responsibilities of the office you are seeking? Advocacy, integrity and inclusiveness are the marks of a good legislator. My entire career has been that of a dedicated advocate. I have proudly amplified the voice of
those who are unable to do so on their own behalf. I have performed my duties with integrity and character by doing things for right reasons, even when they may not have been popular, and in an appropriate manner. Finally, I believe in bringing everyone together to participate in an inclusive conversation, so we can collectively push and pull our way through an issue to find better outcomes.
How are you uniquely qualified to meet those responsibilities?
I was a successful advocate on the state level and I was well respected, even by my adversaries, for the manner in which I went about my work. I believe that has continued here in City Council and my work, some of which is listed below, reflects a tireless advocate for public safety, justice and individuals with disabilities.
Large Vacant Commercial and Industrial Properties
In a response to the 2012 York Street fire that killed two fire fighters, I introduced and passed legislation that established a protocol to inventory, inspect, secure, mark, and track large vacant commercial and industrial properties. This proven approach will save lives and neighborhoods.
Indigent Counsel
I introduced and passed a legislative package, including adoption of national standards, to protect the constitutional rights for abused and neglected children and litigants in the criminal justice system. I was also awarded a U.S. Department of Justice grant for a cursory study of the City’s delivery of indigent legal services. In early 2015, the 6th Amendment Center released their Status Report Right to Counsel Services in Philadelphia, which states intensive analysis is needed to better understand the system’s complex and systemic problems. I am in agreement.
Philadelphia Autism Project
My Philadelphia Autism Project empowered a task force of 135 stakeholders to examine the quality and access to services for individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder and their families. The task force published a strategic plan to streamline connections to critical services. Implementation is underway, including an on-‐line resource hub and an underserved community outreach partnership with the Free Library of Philadelphia.
Immigration Assistance Services Fraud Protection
I introduced and passed legislation to give clarity about how immigration services should be handled, promote ethical, fair and honest practices, preserve public
confidence and hold service providers accountable. Immigrants deserve to know exactly the scope of the work to be performed by a service provider. They need assurances of proper assistance and have some recourse because of the possible steep and life altering consequences.
For each statement below please indicate, where applicable, whether you agree or disagree, and comment to elaborate on your response. You can agree in whole or part.
Do not feel limited to the available comment space; we want to hear your thoughts.
SCHOOL FUNDING REFORM
There are a limited number of ways City Council can increase the funding that the City provides to the School District of Philadelphia. Should Council legislate a funding increase to the School District? If so, what specific school funding legislation would you introduce?
At this moment, no. I need to see the Philadelphia school funding response from
Harrisburg. Every year I’ve been in Council we’ve stepped up to aid the School District of Philadelphia.
Philadelphia has 10 % of all school children in the state and was decimated by receiving 30 % of the total statewide education funding cuts. Of the 501 school districts in
Pennsylvania, about 400 saw an increase in funding last year, but the 100 poorest districts saw substantial decreases. These are districts, like Philadelphia, that strive to educate the children of our Commonwealth with the fewest resources, whose best hope for a life better than their parents is our nation’s commitment to a free public
education. How can these children obtain an education in schools with no paper, textbooks that are falling apart, and walls that are crumbling? With teachers who are filled with anxiety because they don’t know what their next paycheck will look like or whether they will have health insurance? With principals struggling to lead without the funds to provide the most basic of educational necessities? This crisis will not abate until Harrisburg steps up and recognizes its responsibility to our children by adopting an appropriate and fair funding formula. While we must fight for fair funding in Philadelphia, our children can’t wait for us to resolve this funding crisis. They are experiencing a crisis of their own that must be addressed now.
Additionally, we have an obligation to change our models of education so that they take advantage of latest understanding of how children learn. We must rethink the value of such heavy emphasis on standardized testing. We must rethink the role of schools in supporting families as well as children.
Nowhere are the challenges our school face more evident than in how we educate and care for children with disabilities. As funding has disappeared, these children have suffered more than others from increases in class size, cuts in staff, and reduction in other resources. While federal law protects their educational rights, that law is
premised on a basic educational foundation that all schools should provide. When we cut these basic resources, this foundation is pulled out from under these children. In these cases, children with disabilities often end up isolated and ignored, despite best intentions. The strength of our commitment to our children can be measured by how we care for those with disabilities
I am supportive of any recurring revenue that will sustain our schools. I want to actively participate in those conversations. One time funding fixes aren’t a fix once it lapses. We
need a thoughtful approach that avoids the several times a year emergency that puts everyone’s back against the wall, limits the options and creates angst for our educators, students, parents and the entire city. We need reliable and predictable funding not one-‐ shot deals.
BUSINESS TAX REFORM
City Council has authority over many of the tax types and tax rates paid by
Philadelphia’s businesses and workers. Should Council legislate a change to the business or wage tax structure? If so, what specific business tax reform legislation would you introduce?
Yes. We need to seriously look at reducing our city wage tax. While the rate has dropped just over 1% in the last 20 years, it’s not enough to make Philadelphia attractive to businesses with multiple employees. This is reflected in comparison with other east coast cities. We need to attract both the sole proprietor and the bigger established business to set up shop in our city. I like the idea, which is supported by Paul Levy of the Center City District, of different property tax rates for commercial and residential
properties. Commercial properties would be taxed at a higher rate than residential ones, while reducing the wage tax. I believe this can spur real estate development and job creation in time. The difficult challenge is the potential loss of revenue during the time such action takes root.
SOCIAL WELFARE REFORM
City Council can approve the use of financial instruments, such as minimum wages and tax rebates, to aid the poorest working Philadelphians. Should Council legislate a change to the wages paid to or taxes paid by low-‐wage workers? If so, what specific legislation would you introduce?
Yes. I am sensitive to the plight of those with special needs, many of whom tend to be low-‐income earners. I recently convened Council’s Committee on the Disabled and Special Needs to hold a public hearing examining the state of educational opportunities and career development in Philadelphia for people with physical, psychiatric, sensory, intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Educational attainment, especially post-‐secondary education, is directly linked with workforce participation, however rates of educational attainment are significantly lower for those with disabilities when compared to their non-‐disabled peers. Despite positive efforts more needs to be done to create supports for individuals with disabilities so educational and career pathways are created and meaningful participation among those with disabilities begins to more closely parallel those without disabilities.
Educational attainment and gainful employment are crucial for an individual’s ability to live meaningful, productive, and independent lives, while reducing reliance on the public system, disability income, and overuse of healthcare resources and by decreasing
PENSION REFORM
The city’s pension funds are approximately 47.4% funded and cost the General Fund almost $700 million a year. What specific approach would you advocate to put the pension funds on the path to solvency?
There needs to be dialogue and inclusive conversation with all parties to move this process along. It requires thoughtful negotiation, creativity and an honest commitment to solvency.
GOVERNANCE REFORM
City Council has considered legislation that would institute a three-‐term limit for incoming Councilmembers. Should Council approve this or similar legislation, thereby creating a Charter change ballot initiative that would set term limits for the office of City Council?
No. Voters should be allowed to decide “term limits.” I believe given the responsibilities of councilmembers, experience becomes critically important, as does a historical
perspective. I know this from experience.
City Council has the authority to change the law that allows sitting Councilmembers to raise in excess of funding limits for “non-‐campaign” or “pre-‐campaign” activities. Should Council legislate to close the campaign finance loophole?
Yes. My campaign followed the limits in off years.
On average, only 10% of eligible Philadelphians vote in off-‐year elections. Should Council create a Charter change ballot initiative that would stagger City Council elections so that At-‐Large City Council races are decided along with the other citywide offices of
Controller and District Attorney? No.
City Council’s convention of Councilmanic Prerogative is not law and grants authority over land use decisions to a single elected official. As a City Councilmember, when land use ordinances are up for full Council consideration will you vote on the merits of the ordinance?
Yes.
TECHNOLOGY REFORM
The city’s technological infrastructure is outdated but the resources to update it are limited. What specific technology project or upgrade should the city prioritize in order to increase the efficiency of municipal operations?
The financial management tools utilized by the City are antiquated, difficult to use, inefficient and compromise the reliability of financial data. For example, City
departments use the FAMIS electronic system to record payments to vendors and ACIS for encumbrances. These electronic systems, using monochrome screens, do not allow users to easily drill into data or quickly obtain good real time information. Departments
have to manually cull and input information into Excel or another program. This is a tedious drain of time, personnel resources and can lead to an inadvertent keystroke error. The technology we currently use is a relic and most likely costs the City a lot of money. I believe we should be making appropriate investments in this infrastructure.
VISION
You are running for a four-‐year term in City Council. What do you hope to accomplish during these four years?
Listed below are some things I hope to accomplish if reelected.
Implementation of a Proper Indigent Counsel System
The right to counsel is a fundamental safeguard guaranteed under the Bill of Rights to all persons accused of crimes that are unable to afford a lawyer. In Philadelphia, the
Defender’s Association provides free legal services to criminal and juvenile clients who are financially unable to obtain counsel.
In some cases the Defender’s Association is precluded from providing that legal
representation due to a conflict of interest. When this occurs, the Courts appoint private attorneys to represent the accused. These attorneys are referred to as “conflict counsel” or “court appointed counsel.”
Each year, the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas makes more than 22,000 conflict counsel appointments in Philadelphia's Family, Criminal, Municipal, Orphans, and Traffic Courts at a cost to the City between 8 to 10 million dollars. The City is currently
struggling to create or contract with an entity to provide legal representation to indigent clients when the Defender’s Association is prohibited from providing representation due to a conflict of interest.
Last spring, I passed a legislative package, including a voter approved charter change, to create financial and performance standards of legal representation for our indigent population and to protect their constitutional rights. Additionally, Council will now have contract oversight for certain contracts for this work.
In the summer of 2014, I applied for and was awarded U.S. Department of Justice funding to contract with the 6th Amendment Center to perform a cursory study of Philadelphia’s delivery of indigent legal services. The 6th Amendment Center is a nationally respected, independent and ethical non-‐profit organization that studies right to counsel delivery systems. They work with federal, state and local governments and give valuable technical assistance.
On January 23, 2015, the 6th Amendment Center released their Status Report Right to Counsel Services in Philadelphia findings. This was a cursory report and states that more probing is work needed to understand the problems. I am still pursuing funding for a
more comprehensive study, as that should be the next step to build a better model in Philadelphia. In depth analysis is needed so we can better protect the constitutional rights of abused and neglected children and litigants in the criminal justice system.
Executing the Strategic Plan from the Philadelphia Autism Project
I created the Philadelphia Autism Project and released its final strategic report at a public hearing held by the Committee on the Disabled and Special Needs in February. The project created a citywide taskforce to examine the services and supports for individuals and families who are living with Autism in Philadelphia.
This effort represents the first of its kind and has never been done before at the municipal level. And more importantly, it was done in a city that has already been recognized as one of the best cities in the nation to live in, if you are diagnosed with autism.
I undertook this effort because despite this wonderful recognition, he realized that we can and must do better to address gaps in our services systems. Furthermore, the challenges are still evolving and growing with increased research about autism.
Recently, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated that one in 68 Americans lives with Autism. The prevalence is staggering and presents a challenge to
policymakers.
The experts testifying at the hearing highlighted their personal stories, the latest
research trends in the field, highlighting Philadelphia and Pennsylvania specific data, and celebrating the hard work of a dedicated group of well over 100 stakeholders. The Philadelphia Autism Project stakeholders have created a road map that will guide the City’s efforts to improve the quality of life for Philadelphians living with Autism. Many recommendations were focused on education.
I proudly announced at the hearing that implementation of the strategic plan was already underway in a partnership with the Autism Services, Education, Resources, & Training Collaborative Eastern Region and Drexel University’s A.J. Drexel Autism Institute. The work has only begun, but I look forward to full implementation of the plan.
Improve Fire Department Training and Safety
The Philadelphia Fire Department employs more than 2,300 sworn members and civilians, all of whom must be trained at a high level in order to maintain public safety. These women and men are top-‐notch public servants and I've grown to know many of the members of Local 22 during my career.. I believe the members of the department deserve proper dedicated funds for training to meet national training standards and give them the tools to save lives and go home at the end of their shift. Additionally, we need to have policies that look back at how major fires were handled so lessons can be learned and knowledge passed along in the department.
The policies of the Fire Department in developing, administering and scheduling training for the specialized positions such as safety officers, EMT’s and the command staff needs to be examined. The policy of rolling brown-‐outs impacts preparedness needs to be addressed by the City.
Additionally, the department has abandoned the use of mandatory post incident critiques after major fire incidents. The Philadelphia Fire Department has a duty to its members and the community to systematically evaluate major incidents and
communicate the findings to all relevant emergency personnel through a post incident critique.
A critique is a fact-‐finding exercise to collect information that forms a picture of the major incident and how personnel responded from both a tactical and operational standpoint. The lessons learned from the experience are then used constructively to correct deficiencies, highlight good practices, and influence training and education.
Philadelphia recorded an all-‐time low of fire related deaths in 2013 and the annual number of fires in the city continues to decline. However, the reduction of fires subsequently leads to less actual firefighting experience for firefighters.
The Fire Department is in the midst of a senior personnel transition due to a high amount of retirements. As staff leaves the department they take their command and operations experience. The post incident critique can help fill that experience void by conducting routine after action reviews, document problems encountered and successful actions taken. Critiques allow for training and learning opportunities to improve plans, procedures and outcomes based upon real experiences in Philadelphia.
It is crucial to the safety and protection of the citizens of Philadelphia to have Fire Fighters, whose job it is to lay their lives on the line for others, trained in the latest and most effective fire fighting methods and protocols.
Human Trafficking
I am currently collaborating with key stakeholders on the issue of human trafficking. Together we are seeking ways to thoughtfully curb this illegal activity and connect victims with appropriate services.
Prescription Pill Drop Off Boxes
I want to see the placement of prescription drug drop boxes throughout the city to take back expired, unused or unwanted prescriptions and the effect these boxes will have in the battle against prescription drug misuse, abuse, addiction and overdose.
Prescription drug misuse, abuse, addiction and overdose is becoming an epidemic in the US. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug overdose death
rates in the United States have more than tripled since 1990, in large part due to increased prescription drug abuse. Nearly 15,000 people – a number greater than heroin and cocaine combined – die every year of overdoses involving prescription painkillers. According to a 2011 survey in Pennsylvania, 14 percent of youth surveyed admitted to taking prescription drugs that were not prescribed to them and 18 percent felt that prescription drugs were not harmful.
More than three out of four people who misuse prescription painkillers use drugs prescribed to someone else. 12 to 17 year olds have made them the number one substance of abuse for their age group, and much of that supply is unwittingly coming from the medicine cabinets of their families and friends. There is a growing awareness of the need to remove these substances from the home and legally and safely turn them over to a proper authority.
Law enforcement is the only entity legally able to accept these medications and process them properly so that they do not fall into the wrong hands. Law enforcement takes control of and destroys drugs on a regular basis as part of their regular operations. Secure and permanent prescription drug drop boxes have been a successfully proven way to collect expired, unused and unwanted medications.
Cities throughout the country are successfully using prescription drop boxes. 246 pounds of prescription medications were collected in the first six months of a program implemented by the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia. In Ohio, the Fairfield Police Department collected nearly 200 pounds of pills in the first five months since installing a collection box. I believe the City can do the same to battle against prescription drug misuse, abuse, addiction and overdose.
Expansion of the Focused Deterrence Violent Crime Reduction Strategy
Focused Deterrence is a strategy that reduces violence quickly and dramatically by influencing the behavior of the small number of street groups.
When law enforcement, community members, and social services providers join together to directly engage with violent street groups the numbers drop. The Focused Deterrence strategy can drive Philadelphia’s violent crime numbers lower and make it one of the safest big cities in the country.
David M. Kennedy of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice created the Group Violence Reduction Strategy. He testified at the hearing. The strategy has been successfully implemented under different names in many jurisdictions around the country. Here in Philadelphia it is called Focused Deterrence. In 2013, the Police Department, District Attorney’s Office, US Attorney’s Office, the Mayor’s Office of Reintegration Services and other partners collaborated, with the assistance of Kennedy and his team, to launch Focused Deterrence in South Philadelphia.
Violent crime is usually concentrated in a limited number of areas, also known as “hotspots” and is committed by a small percent of the criminal population, prolific violent offenders. Many of these offenders are members of loosely associated groups or gangs. Group members commit a large percentage of the shootings in Philadelphia with a variety of motives including: arguments, disrespect and the drug trade.
The Group Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS), sometimes referred to as “Operation Ceasefire,” after its original pilot in Boston, is based on common sense and years of practical experience. As stated, violence in troubled neighborhoods is caused predominantly by a remarkably small and active number of people locked in group dynamics on the street: gangs, drug crews, and the like. The internal dynamics of these groups and the “honor” code of the street drive violence between these groups and individuals. The individuals that comprise these groups typically constitute less than 0.5 percent of a city’s population.
GVRS has shown that violence can be dramatically reduced when community members and law enforcement join together to directly engage with these groups and clearly communicate a message. The message is threefold: (1) a credible moral community message against violence; (2) a credible law enforcement message about the
consequences of further violence. (3) a genuine offer of help for those who want it. To do this, a partnership of law enforcement, social service providers, and community members—parents, ministers, gang outreach workers, neighborhood associations, ex-‐ offenders, and others—is assembled to engage in a sustained relationship with violent groups.
The key moment in implementing the strategy is referred to as a “call-‐in,” or
“notification.” The “call in” is a face-‐to-‐face meeting between gang members and the strategy partners. The partners deliver key messages to gang members: that the violence is wrong and has to stop; that the community needs them alive and out of prison and with their loved ones; that help is available to all who would accept it; and that any future violence will be met with clear, predictable, and certain consequences.
Cities across the United States have achieved significant reductions in violent crime and improvements in the quality of life for plagued neighborhoods by pursuing violence reduction strategies focused on violent groups, their individual members and the hotspots where they operate. In cities where this model has been successful, there has been a 40%-‐ 60% decline in gun violence. More than 20 years of field experience and a substantial body of research demonstrates that this strategy: reduces serious violence, shuts down overt drug markets, reduces arrests and imprisonment and strengthens disadvantaged communities.
The success of Focused Deterrence in South Philadelphia needs to be replicated in the city’s violent hotspots and I continue to be a determined advocate for its expansion.
