Business analyst and writer Chardae Jones says her first one-year term as Braddock's appointed interim mayor won't be her last. Jones, who took over for newly elected Lt. Gov. John Fetterman this year, says she'll seek the Democrat party nomination for a full term in the May primary.
“We’re kind of in a fork in the road,” she says. “The people in the community can help shape the identity we want to create for Braddock.”
Jones discusses her plans for Braddock, being one of the Pittsburgh area’s newest “millennial mayors” and what it will take to create a culture of transparency where local residents feel empowered and heard.
Later in the program:
Joyce Meggerson Moore of Stanton Heights has led the New Horizon Theater for more than two decades as chair of its board of directors while also filling several other roles, including company cook and chauffer. 90.5 WESA’s Elaine Effort spoke with Meggerson Moore about its production schedule and the value of community theater.
Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner and her husband Khari Mosley invited reporters to their home on Saturday to tell their account of an incident last week in Detroit when Wagner and Mosley were detained by police. 90.5 WESA’s government and accountability editor Chris Potter spoke with them both, and joins The Confluence to discuss that evening’s events and what might happen next.
Governor Tom Wolf’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year includes a mandate to raise the minimum wage for Pennsylvania public school teachers from $18,000 to $45,000 per year. The proposal will benefit an estimated 3,200 teachers across the state, but some worry that it could increase public school expenditures and property taxes.
Joining The Confluence to discuss what this could mean for teachers and schools in Pennsylvania are:
- Nina Espositio-Visgitis, president of the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers;
- Lenny McAllister, director of Western Pennsylvania for the Commonwealth Foundation; and.
- Chris Lilienthal, assistant director of communications for the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the state’s largest teachers’ union.
The Confluence, where the news comes together, is 90.5 WESA’s daily news program. Tune in weekdays at 9 a.m. to hear newsmakers and innovators join veteran journalist Kevin Gavin, taking an in-depth look at stories important to the Pittsburgh region. Find more episodes of The Confluence here or wherever you get your podcasts.
