I am your elected Committee Person for the 15th Division of the 48th Ward. A Committee Person is the representative of the interests of our neighborhood within the political system. They are the backbone of the Democratic Party and the face of the party in our neighborhood.
As your Committee Person, my duties are to:
- Help to “Get Out the Vote” for elections
- Provide information about candidates, ballot questions, and issues affecting our neighborhood
- Engage with neighbors, block captains and community groups to work on issues
- Attend ward meetings and vote on candidates that the Democratic Party should endorse for every office on the ballot, from President down to City Council.
I ran for the position of Committee Person because I’m concerned that our politics is too much dominated by powerful financial interests who twist the government for their benefit at the expense of working and low-income people in our neighborhoods. Because of this, our schools, bridges, and roads have been allowed to fall apart. I believe in the power of low-income and working people learning the facts of their problems and banding together to resolve them. I believe that government is supposed to work for the benefit of all people.
I have always voted in every election; I believe the ballot is the most effective weapon to let leaders know how we think. I will have voter registration forms available for you to fill out and I’ll urge everyone to go out and vote.
I am retired from 30 years working for the City of Philadelphia, and for that time I was active in AFSCME Local 696; in my last few years in the City, I was a Steward. Being in the union, I learned firsthand of the ability of working people to come together for their benefit against powerful forces. I bring that experience to my work as Committee Person.
I am a freelance writer, having written for newspapers, magazines, and blogs for nearly 30 years. I am also a published poet, and have read my poems in various journals and gatherings in the city.
I have seen firsthand the ability of neighborhood people–like in community groups, police-community workshops, and friends-of-parks groups–to deal with their communities’ issues. As your Committee Person, I intend to endorse candidates that will fight for policies and programs that will make a positive difference for all of us such as:
- Increase the minimum wage to $15/hr
- End School to Prison Pipeline
- Full and Fair Funding for Our Schools
- Guaranteed Health Care For All
- An Economy Run on Sustainable Fuels
You can contact me at (215)687-9713, or e-mail john.mason.2016@verzon.net.