Curtis J. Jones Jr. | |
---|---|
Member of the Philadelphia City Council from the 4th District | |
Assumed office January 7, 2008 | |
Preceded by | Carol Campbell |
Personal details | |
Born | Philadelphia,Pennsylvania,US |
Political party | Democratic |
Curtis J. Jones Jr is an American politician and a Democratic member of the Philadelphia City Council. In 2007,he was elected to represent the 4th District,which covers parts of North,Northwest,and West Philadelphia. He has served as Majority Leader (2012-2016) and Majority Whip since 2020. [1] [2]
Jones was born and raised in West Philadelphia. At age 15 he was in the 54th and Berks Street gang,but credits Falaka Fattah and the House of Umoja for his reformation [3] saying,"I can literally say that Sister Falaka and the House of Umoja saved my life. They taught a lot of people that we don't all have to go to college,but we can all be part of our community,and that's what is important.'' [4]
His first attempt at elected office was running for Democratic National Committee delegate at the age of 18. [5] As a young activist he co-founded the Youth Movement to Clean Up Politics with Chaka Fattah [6] and also worked at House of Umoja. [7] He converted to Islam in high school. [8]
Jones is a graduate of Overbrook High School and received a professional certification from the American Contract Compliance Association and took courses at the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government. [9]
In September 2021,Jones's son died awaiting an organ transplant. He said his son's care was delayed because the intensive care unit was at capacity with COVID-19 patients. [10]
As of September 2020 [update] ,he lives in the Overbrook Farms neighborhood. [8]
In 1979 at age 22,he and Chaka Fattah ran as a team for Philadelphia City Commissioner in the Democratic primary,receiving the endorsement of the Black United Front. [7] He lost that race,coming in seventh in a field of twenty two candidates. He was appointed to a citizen's committee run by the Greater Philadelphia Partnership on researching and improving the office of Philadelphia City Commissioner. [11]
Jones worked as an assistant manager in the Philadelphia Department of Commerce. [12]
In January 1987,he announced he would again run for City Commissioner after Marian B. Tasco announced she would resign to run for City Council. [13] He ended this campaign in March at the urging of Mayor Wilson Goode and became the staff director and deputy finance director of the Minority Business Enterprise Council. [14] In 1991 he left MBEC to manage the unsuccessful mayoral campaign of Lucien Blackwell. [15]
In 1992 he became president and CEO of the Philadelphia Commercial Development Corporation [16] where he served for 15 years before until resigning to run for City Council in 2007. [5]
In 2007 Jones ran for Philadelphia City Council's 4th Council District seat. He and real estate lawyer Matt McClure ran against incumbent Carol Ann Campbell. Jones was endorsed by the Philadelphia Daily News [17] and won the Democratic nomination by 446 votes. [18] Jones received 35% of the vote,Carol Ann Campbell received 33% and McClure received 32%. [19] In the general election he defeated Republican Melvin C. Johnakin Jr., [20] winning 86% of votes cast. [21]
Jones was re-elected in 2011,2015,and 2019. During his tenure on City Council,Jones has pursued criminal justice reforms such as ban-the-box and abolishing cash bail. [22] He served as the council's Democratic majority leader from 2012 to 2016,and has been majority whip since 2020. [1] [2]
As of February 2021 [update] ,Jones is a member of the following committees: [23]
Jones is a member of the Special Committee on Gun Violence Prevention. [24] Speaking on his frustration of the lack of attention toward Philadelphia's gun violence epidemic,he said "If 200 whales washed up on the shores of New Jersey,every scientist and biologist would come to find out why this was happening. But when it comes to 200 urban kids dying,nobody cares. It’s a new normal,and it’s not acceptable." [25]
In 2018 he introduced legislation to temporarily remove firearms from individuals who pose a threat to themselves or the public. [26]
Jones is a co-chair of the Philadelphia City Council Special Committee on Criminal Justice Reform. [27] Describing City Council members' attitude toward justice system reform in 2018 he said,"I’ve got two kinds of colleagues on the council:tree-hugging,thug-loving liberals who want to save souls and fiscal conservatives who want to save budgets." [28]
In 2018,Jones played a part in closing Philadelphia's House of Correction,a dilapidated facility that had been in continuous operation since 1927. [29]
In 2020 he sponsored the legislation that will create a ballot referendum on creating a Citizens Police Oversight Commission. [30] During testimony on this legislation,City Council learned of the police killing of Walter Wallace,Jr. [31]
Jones is vice-chair of the Housing,Neighborhood Development,and the Homeless committee. [23]
In 2017 he introduced a "just cause" eviction bill to prevent landlords from evicting a tenant when a lease expires. [32] The legislation was inspired by the sale of the Penn Wynn Manor apartments,where the purchasing company told tenants their leases would not be renewed. Jones said "You have a right to be a capitalist,but when you wholesale exploit people’s ignorance and poverty,then it is government’s responsibility to step up to the plate and provide protections,and that’s what I intend to do." [33] In 2018 he introduced amendments to this bill that would restrict its application to leases that are less than one year. [34]
In response to housing issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic,a package of six bills were proposed as the Emergency Housing Protection Act. Only five advanced from City Council's housing committee,with the rent stabilization bill failing to advance. [35] Jones did not vote for or against this bill in committee. [36]
Jones does not support rent control. [37]
In 2015 Jones introduced legislation to strengthen Philadelphia's Ban the Box law,which prohibits employers from asking an applicant about their criminal record. [38] The strengthened provisions removed some exemptions for employers,required employers to be more transparent,and limited the time period on convictions an employer can consider to seven years prior. [39]
On June 14,2018,Jones introduced a resolution to rename the 2400 block of N. 59th St. "W. Wilson Goode Sr. Way" in honor of former Philadelphia mayor Wilson Goode, [40] who was mayor during the 1985 MOVE bombing. Jones didn't speak to anyone in his district before introducing this resolution [41] and refused to withdraw the resolution when met with community opposition. [42] In 2020,several groups protested to remove the honorary street renaming. [43]
After neighbors near to Wissahickon Valley Park complained about the increased,unauthorized use of Devil's Pool for swimming,Jones proposed filling the pool with rocks. [44]
Darnell Williams is a British-born soap opera actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Jesse Hubbard on the ABC soap opera All My Children from 1981 to 1988,and from 2008 to 2011,a role which has earned him two Daytime Emmy Awards.
Martha Conrad Quinn is an American actress and radio and television personality,best known as one of the original video jockeys on MTV.
Robert A. Brady is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Pennsylvania's 1st congressional district from 1998 to 2019. He was the ranking Democrat and Chairman of the United States House Committee on House Administration from 2007 to 2019. He has served as Chairman of the Philadelphia Democratic Party for more than 35 years and is a registered lobbyist for NBC Universal and Independence Blue Cross.
KOSI is a commercial radio station in Denver,Colorado. KOSI is owned by Salt Lake City–based Bonneville International and airs an adult contemporary music format. Its studios and offices are located on East Orchard Road in Greenwood Village,and the transmitter is on Mount Morrison in Genesee,above the Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) is an agency created in 1937 to construct,finance,operate,and maintain the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The commission consists of five members. Four members are appointed by the Governor of Pennsylvania,while the fifth member is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation.
Ronald Richard Thomas was a British Labour Party politician and Member of Parliament (MP) who represented Bristol North West from 1974 to 1979. He was also a councillor on Bristol City Council and Avon County Council.
The Barstow School,previously called Miss Barstow’s School 1884 known as oldest private school for girls in Kansas City,is a secular,coeducational,independent preparatory school in Kansas City,Missouri,USA. It was co-founded in 1884 by Mary Louise Barstow and Ada Brann.
Platte County High School,located in Platte City,Missouri,is the only high school in the Platte County R-3 School District. It serves students in Platte County.
Carol Ann Campbell was the Democratic Councilwoman representing Philadelphia's Fourth City Council District. Campbell was narrowly defeated for renomination by Curtis J. Jones,Jr. on May 15,2007.
Robert Coleby is a British actor who has spent most of his career in Australia. Active since the 1970s,he has over 70 film and television credits to his name. Coleby has acted on stage in numerous productions for the Queensland Theatre Company in Brisbane.
Peter J. Camiel was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 3rd district from 1953 to 1964.
Edward M. Lambert Jr. is an American politician and government official who currently served as vice chancellor for government relations and public affairs at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Cindy M. Bass is a Democratic politician and member of the City Council of Philadelphia.
Umberto "Bert" Crenca is an American artist,arts administrator,arts advisor and educator. He is known for being a founder and long-time artistic director of the non-profit arts organization,AS220,in Providence,Rhode Island. He has been credited with helping to "lay the groundwork for much of the cultural development that shaped the Providence imaginary in the 1990s and early decades of the 21st century" by scholar Micah Salkind,and in 2010 was identified as one of Rhode Island's Most Influential People by Rhode Island Monthly.
Marta V. Martínez is a community program administrator,activist and historian in Providence,Rhode Island.
The British Junior English Billiards championship is an English billiards competition for players in the UK. There are three divisions,the "Girls" Championship for all female players under 19 years,the "Boys" championship for players under 16,and the "Junior" championship for players under the age of 19. The competition was thought originally to have been organised by the Billiards Association and Control Council in 1922.. However new research has found evidence that among others World Professional Billiards Champion Tom Newman won the Boys Championship before this date. Newman stated in a 1938 interview in the Billiard Player,that he won the Boys Championship in 1909 at the age of 15,winning the Championship at Burroughes and Watts,London.
Chase Center on the Riverfront is a 92,000 square foot convention center in Wilmington,Delaware. It hosts various local concerts,conventions,and banquets for the Wilmington area.
Isaiah Thomas Sr. is a Democratic politician and At-Large member of Philadelphia City Council. He was born to a family of 10 children from the East Oak Lane neighborhood of Philadelphia. He attended Frankford High School,Pennsylvania State University and Lincoln University. He was first elected to an At-Large seat on Philadelphia City Council in 2019.
Richard Wade Vague is an American businessperson,venture capitalist,author,and Secretary of Banking and Securities for the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The Columbus Bus Station was an intercity bus station in Downtown Columbus,Ohio. The station,managed by Greyhound Lines,also served Barons Bus Lines,Miller Transportation,GoBus,and other carriers. The current building was constructed in 1969. From 1979 until its closure in 2022,with the demolition of Union Station and a short-lived replacement,the Greyhound station was the only intercity transit center in the city.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link)