Sources: http://kenney2015.com http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/mayor/20150308_Mayoral_candidates_talk_wages__schools__housing.html#tHQPGvFOLigXvOfh.99

James F. Kenney is a Democratic politician and former member of the City Council of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On February 4, 2015, he announced his candidacy for Mayor of the City of Philadelphia.[1] Kenney, a South Philly native, former Mummer and La Salle University graduate, said that based on his legislative record, he believes he will get votes from rowhouses, labor unions and businesses; from gays and lesbians to recent immigrants - and every other community.

The Jim Kenney known for profane Twitter rants about New Jersey Gov. Christie and City Hall diatribes about marijuana decriminalization has been replaced by a mayoral candidate who seems at peace. "I think it's because I'm actually doing this instead of thinking about it and being frustrated in not doing it," Kenney said this week in his campaign office, two blocks south of the City Hall office he occupied for 23 years. "I'm enjoying it more than I thought I would."

Much has been made of the racial math in the mayor's race. Kenney says he has decided to reject the calculation of how many white, black, and Latino candidates there are in the primary. "I'm going after everything," he said. "I'm not drawing lines on a map of Philly, saying this is where I'm going to win and this is where I'm not."

Previous Legislative Record

Kenney said he rejects the politics of race and opposes the practice of stop-and-frisk used by the Philadelphia Police Department primarily in the city's African-American communities. "Despite the fact that there is a belief that that is a crime-fighting tool," he said, "I think it further degrades the relationship between minority communities and the police, which we don't need. What we need are minority communities trusting the police." During his years on Council, Kenney has championed legislation that led to broader protections for gays and lesbians and the decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana. He's been tight with city labor unions, and proclaimed yesterday that Philadelphia will be a labor town "until the day I die."

Funding Kenney is not entering the race flush with cash. He has $70,000 in the bank, he said, and estimated that he'll need to raise $1.5 million to $2 million to have a credible shot at winning the May 19 Democratic primary. That won't be easy with the city's new stricter campaign-finance reform law, which limits donations to $2,900 for individuals and $11,500 for organizations. Kenney, who voted for the campaign-finance law, said he expects to be working the phones to get the cash he'll need.

Issues

**What I like abut Jim compared to yesterday's discussion on Williams is that he has a track record in Philadelphia of what exactly he voted for in the past on all of these issues****

Education

He bluntly said he does not have the answers for fixing the ailing School District of Philadelphia, but if elected, "I'm going to go hat in hand to Harrisburg to ask for money."

Jim is committed to finding the funding to provide access to high­-quality Pre­K to three and four year old Philadelphians in need over the next five years. As a city, we have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in sporting arenas and our convention center to grow our economy. Research shows that for every one dollar invested in PreK programs, the local economy gets a five to seven dollar return on its investment. Jim believes that it is time we invest in our children.

As Mayor, Jim will work to make our schools financially stable so that Harrisburg has no reason to continue to saddle Philadelphia with the SRC. If the SRC does vote to disband itself, Jim will welcome a new school board as an opportunity for parents to hold their elected officials responsible for the quality of our schools.

Until that happens, the financial stability of our schools will be Jim's top priority in education. As Mayor, Jim will lead a bipartisan coalition of advocates from distressed school districts throughout the Commonwealth to convince legislators that properly funding education -- which they are Constitutionally required to do -- should be the first priority of state government, not an afterthought. And at home, Jim will gather a coalition of stakeholders made up of parents and guardians, as well as leaders in government, business, non-profits, and education to ensure we're considering every option that gets Philadelphia school children the level of funding they deserve. *A big issue with this election seems to be public schools vs charter school, and the SRC or School Reform Committee. Each night this week we are taking the 15min to look at one candidate at a time. On Monday we'll go over this public vs charter issue. Because the more I read the more it seems like charter schools are just another giant corporation looking out for profit before education. I dont have a child in the Philly school system, so I do not know a lot about this particular issue, but I will by Monday. Provide Quality Educational Choices for Families

Philadelphia needs one unified system of public education that is focused on meeting the needs of children, families and neighborhoods -- not competing systems that fight each other for resources, support, and students. Jim believes that charter schools can play a positive role in the City's educational offerings as long as they are held accountable and they don't continue to take money and resources away from our already underfunded public school students. Jim publicly called for a moratorium on the SRC's grant of any new charter schools until Harrisburg agrees to reimburse the District in full for charter costs and a complete review of the quality all existing charters can be completed.

Economy A THRIVING ECONOMY THAT WORKS FOR PHILADELPHIA RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES

Protect Workers and Increase Wages

As a Councilman, Jim maintained one of the strongest voting records on workers rights and co-sponsored the 21st Century Minimum Wage Ordinance that created a living wage for the workers of all City contractor or subcontractor. In 2011, Jim led the fight against tip theft - a practice where restaurant and bar owners deducted customer credit card payment fees from their servers tips. Jim sponsored and passed legislation to make this practice illegal and punishable, saving thousands of Philadelphia servers the money they worked so hard to earn. As Mayor, Jim will do everything in his power to ensure every employer treats their workers with dignity and pays them wages they deserve.

At a Center City forum hosted by Pennsylvania Working Families, a political group made up mostly of union and liberal activists, four of the six declared mayoral candidates gave some indication of how far left they would go as mayor.

Former Councilman James F. Kenney, former Common Pleas Court Judge Nelson Diaz, and State Sen. Anthony H. Williams said they supported a $15 minimum wage.

Grow a More Diverse, Inclusive Economy

Almost half all Philadelphians living outside of Center City commute to the suburbs for their jobs. We must create an environment that fosters more job opportunities in our city and work together to reverse that trend.

As Councilman, Jim passed legislation to attract new businesses to Philadelphia through the creation of targeted tax credits and exemptions. As Mayor, Jim will continue to work with City Council and Harrisburg to create a system that makes it easier for businesses to locate and operate in Philadelphia without increasing the tax burden on families. In addition to continuing the wage and business tax cuts made by Mayors Rendell, Street, and Nutter, Jim will also eliminate red tape and push to provide all-inclusive city services that enhance, not inhibit, job creation.

Create Opportunity for Immigrants

Jim understands that the same desire for a better life and economic opportunity that drove people to leave their homes in places like Ireland, Italy or Germany is the same desire that drives immigrants to Philadelphia every day from places all over the globe. We've experienced a population increase for the first time in over fifty years, in part as a result of waves of immigration into our City. Neighborhoods that were seemingly on the brink of collapse after decades of decay and depopulation have been given new life as new Philadelphians put down roots, open new businesses and send their kids to the City's public schools. As Mayor, Jim will invest in those who have chosen to make Philadelphia their new home by expanding language access services, creating small business concierges specifically geared towards recent immigrants, reducing barriers to City services, and increasing access to capital.

Capitalize on Our Assets

Jim believes that Philadelphia has an incredible number of assets that we must capitalize on to grow our economy. We have ample industrial-zoned waterfront land located in the most densely populated part of the United States, putting Philadelphia in a strong position to attract manufacturing and shipping companies to our shores. In the last few years, we have seen our country's renewed domestic energy production turn nearly-shuttered plants into job and revenue producing economic engines. Philadelphia is in a unique position to use its portfolio of vacant land, excellent rail access, and ready workforce to attract new capital investment to Philadelphia.

Good Government Protecting Advances in Ethical Government

Jim Kenney was proud to stand with then-Councilman Michael Nutter and support important legislative achievements such as the creation of the City's Board of Ethics and campaign finance and pay-to-play reforms. As Mayor, Jim will continue the reforms that Mayor Nutter has implemented and further ethics in government by making the Office of the Inspector General and Chief Integrity Officer permanent by codifying them into the City Charter.

Over the last six years, Philadelphia's Inspector General has recovered $40 million in waste and prevented countless instances of fraud and abuse. However, the next mayor of Philadelphia is not required to keep this check on government abuse.

Jim Kenney will keep the IG in City Hall. As a city councilman, he even sponsored legislation to make the position a permanent part of the city charter. Former state senator, Anthony Williams, however has not been so forthcoming with his stance on the position, as a recent editorial by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Editorial Board pointed out:

"A spokesman for Williams seemed to dodge the question when asked recently about keeping the office. That's unacceptable. There's no room for ambivalence on this issue. It should be a no-brainer to retain an office that saves tax money while assuring city residents that a credible entity is looking out for their fiscal well-being. One has to wonder why Williams has chosen to leave his intentions about this office open to speculation."

Zero Based Budgeting

Jim believes that there is no better indicator of a government's priorities than its budget. As Mayor, Jim will transition City departments to a zero-based budgeting model, where instead of asking for incremental or program specific budget increases, each department will be responsible for explaining the need and efficiency of its programming and services. This method will cut waste, and enhance high-performing programs so that taxpayers are getting their moneys worth.

Investing in Technology

Jim believes that there is no more important function of City government than delivering its core services as effectively and efficiently as possible. As a City Councilmember, Jim continually urged City administrations to invest in technology that will make government cost less, and perform better. As Mayor, Jim will continue the City's investment in technology to increase efficiency in City services, and further involve Philadelphia's burgeoning tech community in the process of improving how the City operates

Open Data

As Mayor, Jim will uphold Mayor Nutter's Open Data Executive Order, including expediting the release of high-value city data and the existence of the open data advisory council. He will also retain the Chief Data Officer position and work with OpenDataPhilly.org to increase public releases of city data."

Environment and Transportation In 2006 as a City Councilmember, Jim was one of the first proponents of enhancing and improving Philadelphia's vehicle fleet by purchasing hybrid vehicles. Philadelphia has made some headway on this issue, but as Mayor, Jim will push all City Departments to embrace these energy efficient alternatives to both reduce our carbon emissions and to save taxpayer funds on fuel. Jim also believes that Philadelphia must make investments in making our City buildings increasingly energy efficient. In 2014, along with his City Council colleagues, Jim pushed for the Department of Public Property to study all police stations and firehouses to determine necessary repairs and enhancements to make the buildings safer and cheaper to operate. As Mayor, Jim will continue this effort, and make investments in Philadelphia's public infrastructure to protect our environment and save money for future generations.

Encouraging Commercial Energy Efficiency

Jim was proud to support the Building Energy Benchmarking Ordinance in 2012. Under this law, building owners and operators with over 50,000 square feet of space must disclose their energy use and water consumption, with this information publicly accessible on the internet. The initial goal of the legislation was to reduce energy consumption by 10% in 2015, but Jim knows we must go further. As Mayor, Jim will continue this requirement for reporting, and push property owners and operators to do whatever they can to continue to reduce energy use and improve efficiency.

Prioritizing Safe & Affordable Transportation Options

As an almost daily traveler on public transportation, Jim believes that Philadelphia must continue to work with SEPTA to provide residents with a safe and efficient transportation system. With the population of Philadelphia finally back on the rise, use of public transportation has risen as well, and now is the time to invest in our aging infrastructure. As Mayor, Jim will work with Harrisburg and Washington to fund an extension of the Broad Street Subway line to the economically bustling Navy Yard. Jim will also work with SEPTA to renovate the City Hall and Suburban Station concourses so that they are safe, clean and inviting to passengers. Further, Jim will work with Titan advertising, the company approved late in 2014 to redesign and renovate Philadelphia's bus shelter program. Under this new program, bus shelters will be dynamic, and more importantly the shelters will be built in more neighborhoods, providing the safety and information that passengers need and deserve. Jim's goal will be for these shelters to be architecturally appealing and functional, and to provide a superior experience for SEPTA riders by providing real-time transit data.

Vision Zero

Philadelphia's walkability and bikeability is an incredible asset which contributes to a high-quality of life and makes our city a highly desirable place to live and work. As Mayor, Jim will adopt a Vision Zero goal for the City of Philadelphia, which accepts that no traffic fatality is inevitable - whether pedestrian, bicyclist or driver.

As Mayor, Jim will take a multi-faceted approach to implementing Vision Zero. This includes continuing and expanding on the work of the Nutter administration by increasing the number and safeness of bike lanes throughout our City. Jim will form a Vision Zero taskforce made up of stakeholders from local and state transportation agencies, public safety agencies, advocacy groups, local businesses and community members. This taskforce will be asked to create a "Vision Zero Action Plan" for Philadelphia so that we can ensure that no more lives are lost needlessly to a preventable traffic accident.

Fight for Equality A CITY THAT LEADS IN EQUALITY AND FAIR TREATMENT

Demand Equal Pay for Equal Work

It is absolutely unacceptable that women in 2015 are earning on average less than eighty cents for every one dollar earned by a man. As Mayor, Jim will work to expand the purview of the Commission on Human Relations so that they have the resources necessary to investigate allegations of pay inequality, and the ability to punish employers who discriminate against their employees.

Advancing LGBTQ Equality

During his twenty-three years on Philadelphia's City Council, Jim was a leading voice for Philadelphia's LGBTQ community. In the early 1990s, he introduced legislation to provide benefits to life partners of City workers. In 2013, he fought to provide additional benefits and protections to transgender citizens. Late last year, Jim introduced and passed hate crime legislation that gives LGBTQ Philadelphians the broadest such protections in the country. As Mayor, Jim will continue to make sure that equality is not just a buzzword, but a way of life in Philadelphia.

Street Harassment

Jim knows that Philadelphians will never consider their neighborhood safe unless they can walk down the street without fear of violence or harassment. In 2013, Jim sponsored legislation and heard heartbreaking testimony from women and members of the LGBTQ community who had been harassed on Philadelphia streets. As Mayor, Jim will work with the School District and other education partners to ensure that tolerance and diversity are pillars of Philadelphia's education system to change the mindset of future generations. Jim will also work with community groups and advocates to conduct safety audits in neighborhoods throughout the City to determine how and where police services can best be used to limit or eliminate this type of behavior.

Domestic Violence

Everyday, the Philadelphia Police Department receives more than 300 calls for domestic violence while countless other women suffer silently from abuse. As Councilman, Jim supported protections for domestic abuse victims to prevent employers and landlords from discriminating against them. As Mayor, Jim will reconvene a domestic violence task force to create a strategic plan for Philadelphia to focus on improving victim safety, ensuring batterer accountability, and identifying areas of improvement for the various city agencies and systems currently in place.