A bold vision for cleaner air, safer streets, and a fairer Allegheny County for every resident of District 5.
Allegheny County has the 14th worst air quality in the entire country on the metric of particulate matter. Allegheny County is primarily plagued by a few large corporations which are terrible environmental stewards, leading to childhood asthma rates at triple the national average near large pollution sources.
Every resident in Allegheny County deserves clean air. As a former Operations Manager at US Steel Clairton, Dan understands that for many large corporations, the pollution they produce is simply the cost of doing business. Dan supports increasing the penalties on the county's worst polluters and ensuring that Allegheny County Clean Air funds are utilized to maximize local air quality.
Photo: Reid R. Frazier / The Allegheny Front
As we divest from fossil fuels and the demand for renewable energy grows, District 5 has an excellent opportunity to attract companies that provide good pay, benefits, and take community stakeholders into account. More renewable energy generation means more electricians, sheet metal workers, and solar PV installers — and there is no reason these good union jobs can't come to Allegheny County.
Dan voted in favor of $29 million in funding for renovations to Steel Center for Career and Technical Education. As Councilman, Dan will work to expand workforce training and ensure the county meets its statutory obligation to provide 1/3 of CCAC funding.
In 2022 there were 128 homicides across Allegheny County, the highest total in recent years. As a Mom's Demand Action Candidate of Distinction, Dan understands the harm that gun violence causes and supports violence interruption programs that have proven results in our communities.
Dan believes the county must better address the three primary root causes of crime: undiagnosed mental health issues, substance use disorders, and instability due to poverty. A five year study in Denver found housing subsidies reduced arrests by 40%. A Philadelphia study found abandoned building remediation reduced firearm violence by 39%.
The conditions inside the Allegheny County Jail are reprehensible. Approximately 81% of people in the jail are not convicted of a crime and are waiting for a trial or hearing, yet face cockroaches, no heat in freezing temperatures, and inadequate medical care. The death rate in the jail is twice the national average.
Dan supports ending forced unpaid labor for incarcerated individuals and the paying of a fair wage for labor that is performed voluntarily. Every person deserves to be treated with basic dignity and respect.
Photo: Jared Wickerham / City Paper
As Bethel Park School Director, Dan has made it a central focus to always be accessible and responsive to his constituents. He can constantly be found at community functions — from the Memorial Day parade, to the school play, to Friday night football games.
When Dan ran for School Director, he knocked over 2,000 doors in Bethel Park to learn what the community cared about most. As a candidate for County Council District 5, he is doing the same in Dormont, Mount Lebanon, and Upper Saint Clair. Dan believes that local governance has the most direct impact on the people of our community.
Over the last several years we have seen an eroding of our civil rights. Dan promises to do everything in his power to protect the rights of every single member of the community, regardless of race, religion, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Dan supports trigger laws to protect abortion access and same-sex marriage rights, strengthening tenants' right to legal counsel, and adequately funding the Public Defender's office. Dan will also work with local municipalities to participate in the Allegheny County Independent Police Review Board to build trust and accountability.
The current Allegheny County property tax assessment system is extremely unfair. There has not been a countywide reassessment since 2012, a practice that would be illegal in 38 states. This "newcomer's tax" disproportionately impacts first-time homeowners and has become regressive, with Black homeowners in Pittsburgh paying an estimated 8% more in property taxes relative to market value than white homeowners.
Dan supports regular countywide reassessments and expanding the Senior Citizen Tax Relief program (Act 77) so that seniors on fixed incomes can remain in their homes with comfort and dignity.
Photo by Ryan Loew/PublicSource, graphic by Natasha Vicens/PublicSource
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