Pa Der Vang
Name: Pa Der Vang
Public Office Sought: St. Paul City Council Ward 7
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 651-300-9627
Campaign Website: www.paderstpaulcitycouncil7.com
Twitter handle: @PaDerfpr Ward7
Facebook Page: Communities for Pa Der
Candidate Bio
I am a Hmong refugee who came to the United States at the age of 1. I have over 23 years of experience as a social worker, a policy maker, organizational leader, and a leader in the community. As a tenured professor, I have taught classes in social policy at St. Catherine University where we examine local, state, and federal government policies for their ability to support residents’ basic every day needs regardless of identity and place in life. I am a mother of a high schooler who attends Johnson High. I joined this election as a community member wanting to serve the residents of Ward 7 as someone who has a deep understanding of the needs of the diverse communities here on the East Side. I have a deep relationship with St. Paul and the East Side having resided in this area for 23 years. I obtained my Masters and Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Minnesota. Social workers pursue social justice by examining systems and addressing barriers to needed resources for all stakeholders. I am excited to work with the city to examine and create practices, policies, and programs to better meet the needs of the City of St Paul and its residents and business community.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
My style of leadership is inclusive, collaborative and community oriented. I would take a holistic approach to leadership, one where all opinions are heard and decisions are in the best interest of residents, business community, and other stakeholders. I will also take a thoughtful approach to examine all systems and interests and their roles in creating change for all stakeholders.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Community Safety: I would like to see a strong relationship between St. Paul Police and our residents on the East Side via community liaisons, diverse responses to call, youth outreach programs. I would work with our District Councils and neighborhoods to build community and relationships between neighbors to create strong neighborhood networks.
Transportation Infrastructure: This includes pothole and street repair, sidewalk repair, safe and diverse transportation options including expansion of the lightrail, bus lines, bike lanes, and affordable and accessible carbon free vehicle options.
Affordable Housing: this includes affordable rent, affordable home purchase options for low-income families, loan programs for home repair and maintenance for all residents, as well as increasing the affordable housing stock in St. Paul. It is critical to create an economic climate that attracts developers who are interested in building affordable homes. This can be done via private and public partnerships that hold the best interest of residents and developers in balance.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in St. Paul?
The biggest challenge on the East Side is the economic health of our east side. We need to bring in more businesses and development in order to create jobs, a strong tax base, and improvements to our neighborhoods.
The biggest opportunity in Saint Paul as Minnesota’s capital city is to create community spaces that attract people to our city especially our beautiful downtown, riverfront, parks, and natural green spaces.
How would you characterize the business climate in St. Paul and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in St. Paul?
Businesses play a crucial role in the health and vitality of any community by providing needed services and goods to residents and visitors, as well as supporting the economic health of the city. St. Paul needs more major retailers who play a major role in contributing revenue sources that would go towards street repair, parks and facilities. The city has a big role in attracting and maintaining a vibrant and sustainable business community in Ward 7. Neighborhoods need access to food and basic goods, arts, and entertainment. St. Paul is a very diverse with many cultural communities who live, work, and support their families. St. Paul residents must have options to purchase non-essentials in the City of St. Paul in order to keep sales tax dollars in the city of St. Paul. I support projects that would provide jobs to our residents. A great example is the Heights in East Saint Paul which would 1000 new jobs to the community.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
Community safety efforts are a necessary part of any community. I recognize that relationships between residents and police need to be improved, while at the same time, residents count on our peace officers to provide safety in their communities. My strategies to address public safety include adding additional staffing such as community liaisons, district council liaisons, and neighborhood coordinators to support our neighborhoods, build community, and build relationships between law enforcement and neighbors. The St. Paul Police department current has crisis intervention workers who respond to situations that do not require police intervention, freeing up our officers to respond to dangerous situations.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
Options for addressing housing shortages and affordability include increasing public funding for housing assistance such as renters’ assistance and first time homebuyer programs, increasing the housing supply in multiple ways: re-evaluating zoning laws to include multi-unit housing and mixed-income housing communities, and partner with private industry to incentivize the development of affordable housing units. My goal is to encourage the development of new housing units such as development of the Hamm’s brewery which would provide around 600 units, and the Heights which would add 1000 more affordable housing units through a partnership with the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity.
St. Paul candidates only: Do you support the rent stabilization ordinance in its current form? If not, what would you like to change?
I support the current ordinance however I would like to do a study on the effects of housing affordability and on development. The results of this study would inform a re-evaluation of the ordinance- it is necessary to undergo a thoughtful process when revising any ordinance, policy, or program. Currently, I would want to take a look at the results of any study before rescinding exemptions. It’s important that we have a healthy and growing housing stock, however, it is also important that we have housing that is deeply affordable, as well as housing that is available to all income levels.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
Currently, in Ward 7, the Gold Line and the Purple Line in the planning and construction phases. This will offer more bussing options to our residents. I would be in support of creating new and expanding bike lanes in Ward 7. IIn terms of safety for pedestrian/bike and drivers, residents are interested in slowing down traffic in Ward 7. Residents have asked for speed bumps along some main streets in St. Paul, crosswalks, and bus shelters.
What will you do to expand St. Paul’s tax base?
I would promote economic development by encouraging business growth and attracting new industries into the city, promote tourism and hospitality, advocate for more housing and real estate development to expand our city wide tax base, and diversify revenue sources. St. Paul has a lot to offer the state in terms of our diverse retail and food experiences, cultural arts, and diverse shopping hubs. I would support our diverse communities to participate in entrepreneurship which would contribute to generational wealth and provided much needed jobs and services, and expand the purchasing ability of our diverse communities.
Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
I would advocate to fund front line services such as staffing in parks and recreation centers, program staff, improve the working conditions of our city employees, youth programming, libraries etc, rather than a top down approach.
In terms of new opportunities to share services with other entities, I would promote strong relationships with the state and Ramsey County to address social policy especially for needy families, housing needs and services for the unhoused, and street maintenance related concerns.
Public Office Sought: St. Paul City Council Ward 7
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 651-300-9627
Campaign Website: www.paderstpaulcitycouncil7.com
Twitter handle: @PaDerfpr Ward7
Facebook Page: Communities for Pa Der
Candidate Bio
I am a Hmong refugee who came to the United States at the age of 1. I have over 23 years of experience as a social worker, a policy maker, organizational leader, and a leader in the community. As a tenured professor, I have taught classes in social policy at St. Catherine University where we examine local, state, and federal government policies for their ability to support residents’ basic every day needs regardless of identity and place in life. I am a mother of a high schooler who attends Johnson High. I joined this election as a community member wanting to serve the residents of Ward 7 as someone who has a deep understanding of the needs of the diverse communities here on the East Side. I have a deep relationship with St. Paul and the East Side having resided in this area for 23 years. I obtained my Masters and Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Minnesota. Social workers pursue social justice by examining systems and addressing barriers to needed resources for all stakeholders. I am excited to work with the city to examine and create practices, policies, and programs to better meet the needs of the City of St Paul and its residents and business community.
What style of leadership would you bring to this position?
My style of leadership is inclusive, collaborative and community oriented. I would take a holistic approach to leadership, one where all opinions are heard and decisions are in the best interest of residents, business community, and other stakeholders. I will also take a thoughtful approach to examine all systems and interests and their roles in creating change for all stakeholders.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Community Safety: I would like to see a strong relationship between St. Paul Police and our residents on the East Side via community liaisons, diverse responses to call, youth outreach programs. I would work with our District Councils and neighborhoods to build community and relationships between neighbors to create strong neighborhood networks.
Transportation Infrastructure: This includes pothole and street repair, sidewalk repair, safe and diverse transportation options including expansion of the lightrail, bus lines, bike lanes, and affordable and accessible carbon free vehicle options.
Affordable Housing: this includes affordable rent, affordable home purchase options for low-income families, loan programs for home repair and maintenance for all residents, as well as increasing the affordable housing stock in St. Paul. It is critical to create an economic climate that attracts developers who are interested in building affordable homes. This can be done via private and public partnerships that hold the best interest of residents and developers in balance.
What do you consider the biggest challenge and conversely, the biggest opportunity in St. Paul?
The biggest challenge on the East Side is the economic health of our east side. We need to bring in more businesses and development in order to create jobs, a strong tax base, and improvements to our neighborhoods.
The biggest opportunity in Saint Paul as Minnesota’s capital city is to create community spaces that attract people to our city especially our beautiful downtown, riverfront, parks, and natural green spaces.
How would you characterize the business climate in St. Paul and what role do you think the city should have in attracting and retaining jobs and new businesses in St. Paul?
Businesses play a crucial role in the health and vitality of any community by providing needed services and goods to residents and visitors, as well as supporting the economic health of the city. St. Paul needs more major retailers who play a major role in contributing revenue sources that would go towards street repair, parks and facilities. The city has a big role in attracting and maintaining a vibrant and sustainable business community in Ward 7. Neighborhoods need access to food and basic goods, arts, and entertainment. St. Paul is a very diverse with many cultural communities who live, work, and support their families. St. Paul residents must have options to purchase non-essentials in the City of St. Paul in order to keep sales tax dollars in the city of St. Paul. I support projects that would provide jobs to our residents. A great example is the Heights in East Saint Paul which would 1000 new jobs to the community.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your community?
Community safety efforts are a necessary part of any community. I recognize that relationships between residents and police need to be improved, while at the same time, residents count on our peace officers to provide safety in their communities. My strategies to address public safety include adding additional staffing such as community liaisons, district council liaisons, and neighborhood coordinators to support our neighborhoods, build community, and build relationships between law enforcement and neighbors. The St. Paul Police department current has crisis intervention workers who respond to situations that do not require police intervention, freeing up our officers to respond to dangerous situations.
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
Options for addressing housing shortages and affordability include increasing public funding for housing assistance such as renters’ assistance and first time homebuyer programs, increasing the housing supply in multiple ways: re-evaluating zoning laws to include multi-unit housing and mixed-income housing communities, and partner with private industry to incentivize the development of affordable housing units. My goal is to encourage the development of new housing units such as development of the Hamm’s brewery which would provide around 600 units, and the Heights which would add 1000 more affordable housing units through a partnership with the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity.
St. Paul candidates only: Do you support the rent stabilization ordinance in its current form? If not, what would you like to change?
I support the current ordinance however I would like to do a study on the effects of housing affordability and on development. The results of this study would inform a re-evaluation of the ordinance- it is necessary to undergo a thoughtful process when revising any ordinance, policy, or program. Currently, I would want to take a look at the results of any study before rescinding exemptions. It’s important that we have a healthy and growing housing stock, however, it is also important that we have housing that is deeply affordable, as well as housing that is available to all income levels.
How would you work to improve transportation options in your community, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
Currently, in Ward 7, the Gold Line and the Purple Line in the planning and construction phases. This will offer more bussing options to our residents. I would be in support of creating new and expanding bike lanes in Ward 7. IIn terms of safety for pedestrian/bike and drivers, residents are interested in slowing down traffic in Ward 7. Residents have asked for speed bumps along some main streets in St. Paul, crosswalks, and bus shelters.
What will you do to expand St. Paul’s tax base?
I would promote economic development by encouraging business growth and attracting new industries into the city, promote tourism and hospitality, advocate for more housing and real estate development to expand our city wide tax base, and diversify revenue sources. St. Paul has a lot to offer the state in terms of our diverse retail and food experiences, cultural arts, and diverse shopping hubs. I would support our diverse communities to participate in entrepreneurship which would contribute to generational wealth and provided much needed jobs and services, and expand the purchasing ability of our diverse communities.
Are there any services currently provided by the city that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
I would advocate to fund front line services such as staffing in parks and recreation centers, program staff, improve the working conditions of our city employees, youth programming, libraries etc, rather than a top down approach.
In terms of new opportunities to share services with other entities, I would promote strong relationships with the state and Ramsey County to address social policy especially for needy families, housing needs and services for the unhoused, and street maintenance related concerns.