My name is Daniel Orsino. I work as a housing counselor in North Philadelphia. I have worked in the social services field for about three years now. I have been a community activist and advocate for nearly two decades. I am a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and have a passion for helping others. Philadelphia is the largest, poorest city in the US. Many of our city's issues can be traced to decades of inaction on the part of our elected officials, systemic racism, and economic inequality. I was motivated to run for office because I couldn't sit by anymore and watch members of the community suffer while those in power do little to nothing. In the United States, there is no excuse for someone to be starving, or going without heat in the middle of winter, or having to work and 80-hour week while others profit off their misery. This is the richest nation in the world, after all. Passing a few laws will not fix this though. Instead, I plan to fundamentally transform Philadelphia both socially, environmentally, and economically.
My plan involves passing legislation for city-wide healthcare-for-all, tuition-free community college, universal preschool, massive expansion of social service funding & accessibility, and a huge boost to older adult services. I also want to expand and rethink our current concept of public housing, bringing it into the 21st century and setting a new standard for urban planning. We will also be overhaling our transit network, adding new subway, bus, light & heavy rail, and ferry services in what will be the largest public transit expansion in Philadelphia in nearly a century.
I will codify the right for workers to organize into the city charter, permanently writing it into Philadelphia law. We will combat bigotry, the Far Right, and all those who wish to infringe upon the civil rights of Philadelphians. I also promise to protect the right to marry whomever a person chooses the right to a safe and easily accessible abortion, access to contraceptives, voting rights, and Philadelphia's status as a sanctuary city.
Protection of our environment is a top priority. We will adhere to the tenants of the Paris Climate Accords and the Green New Deal and pass some of the strictest air and water quality standards in the United States. I start a city composting program, a green storm-water infrastructure initiative, and a major tax credit program for installation of solar panels on homes.
My final area of focus is Philadelphia's economy. For too long, people have been exploited by the capitalist system. I want to reverse that. I'm proposing the creation of a city owned and operated community bank that operates no different than a commercial entity, except that the city will control the lending and interest rates. This will act as a community development bank and provide high-interest bank accounts, business & home loans, and community development savings bonds. My other goal is a municipal-owned stock exchange that will offer a far more attractive trading location then a commercially run exchange, allowing the city to profit off the stock trades. In this way, we turn the capitalist system on its head and redistribute the wealth to the public via improved city services.
