South Central Young Democrats Endorsement
As part of our endorsement process, this candidate has answered our questionnaire. Below are their verbatim answers.
2025
This candidate's campaign was endorsed!
Multi column
Do you pledge to run a campaign that supports the values of the Democratic Party and to support Democratic candidates, where possible, in the 2025 Primary?
Yes
Info
County: Cumberland
Office: Camp Hill Borough Council
Incumbent: No
Vote For: 4
What is the most pressing issue facing the office you are running for and what do you plan to do to solve it?
Camp Hill, as with many communities in Pennsylvania, face numerous issues resulting from aging infrastructure, to increased population demands, vehicular congestion and its resultant pollution, and impacts associated with a changing climate. These are all very complex issues but almost all inextricably linked. Further complicating the issue is an increased tax burden on the community to address all of these needs. Camp Hill has positioned itself by undertaking many studies to resolve some of these issues. But, it will take political leadership to enact them. First and foremost, I want to ensure that Camp Hill follows through with implementing the recommendations outlined in its recently completed Climate Action Plan. We as a community need to prepare for a changing climate and cannot simply ignore the issue. Secondly, I want to push to improve bicycle infrastructure and pedestrian walk-ability throughout the Borough. Camp Hill is known as a walkable community but we can do a lot more, including advocating for completely revamping the Cumberland Boulevard which has become a highway bisecting our community.
Please outline two examples of how you are improving your community.
I spend a lot of time working on volunteer (formal or informal) environmental projects or citizen science projects. Humans have negatively affected the environment around us which has had a cascading effect on species that have evolved to exist in specific locales (they cannot simply just pick up and move as easily as we can). So, we need to learn to live alongside other species instead of pushing them to the margins. To that end, I work on many habitat restoration projects, stream cleanups, and native plant removal projects throughout the Harrisburg region. I have also been active on several initiatives in Camp Hill including the drafting of the Camp Hill Walk & Bike Master Plan and the Climate Action Plan.
What would you do in office to benefit and help young people?
One of the biggest issues facing young people throughout the country, and especially in Camp Hill, is housing affordability and accessibility. Camp Hill is predominantly single-family residential with pockets of multi-family townhouses or apartment buildings. Unlike the townships surrounding us, we are constrained in space. This has resulted in inflated housing prices but also limits our tax base as an aging population tends to stay in their homes. So, we need to free up our zoning to allow for more housing density. The zoning change, however, has to be used in combination with a removal of parking minimums. Removing parking minimums from our planning code will allow us to free up space for more development, and as a byproduct help reduce congestion in our Borough as this would help to reduce the need for vehicles.
What is an issue that you are passionate about and why?
Transportation. This is an incredibly broad topic but affects our lives immensely. Whether you own a car or rely own mass transit, we have built our lives around our the ability to get to our jobs, grocery stores, shopping centers, etc., and typically for most people that means single-occupancy car commuting. Further amplifying this issue, our communities have been zoned to accommodate car ownership. This has resulted in loss of farmland as single-family housing sprawls farther away from city centers; has increased pollution from gas-powered cars, which has adversely affected our climate and surrounding environment; puts an increased burden on families due to vehicle costs; and, has resulted in decreased quality of life from time spent commuting to work, school, and other activities. I’m an advocate for mass transit, bike and pedestrian infrastructure, and walkable communities.
What is the last book you read or what is your favorite book?
I always have a stack of books next to my bedside but rarely have time to make much headway through them with having two kids and a recently adopted puppy. However, I have been making my way through Rick Bass’ “With Every Great Breadth,” which is a book of his selected essays and stories. Rick Bass is probably one of our most gifted, living environmental writer’s. Typically, I will read books about the environment or nature. If I do read fiction, however, I tend to lean towards sci-fi/dystopian type books. To that end, Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road” is probably one of my favorites. It’s fun to read a book that can show what society could devolve into if we do not take care of our democracy and our communities.
Is there anything else that you would like the Young Democrats to know about you or your campaign?
I have been a volunteer and then elected Democrat with the Camp Hill Dems (currently I’m an elected precinct committee person for my neighborhood) for a number of years now. The one thing I have noticed about our local Democratic club is that it tends to be comprised almost entirely of older volunteers (I put myself in this category) with very few young persons. However, we need young persons from our community within our club and as volunteers on all of our Democratic campaigns. There are ample ways to be involved that doesn’t necessarily mean attending membership meetings (which can be time-consuming especially for families with young kids). But, we need to hear your voice to make sure your needs are being met. I welcome any young person to reach out and we can figure out the best way they can use their talent to support my campaign and those of the other Democratic candidates on the ballot. Thank you!