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WPHT's Rich Zeoli Talks With Republican Candidate For Mayor In Philadelphia, Melissa Murray Bailey

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Melissa Murray Bailey, the Republican candidate for Mayor in Philadelphia laid out her agenda as she prepares to take on Democratic nominee Jim Kenney in November.

Bailey told Rich Zeoli on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT that change is necessary if real improvements are going to be made in the city.

"I think if we want to continue to do things the way we've always done them, then I'm not the candidate you should be voting for because I'm really in this because I believe there is a better way for Philadelphia and the only way we're going to do that is if we look at things differently and we have different leadership in place that's going to be able to take us to a different approach."

 

 

She stated that addressing poverty with be at the top of her list of priorities.

"How do we bring Philadelphia into the 21st Century? How do we look at the things that really matter? How do we get honest about what is happening in our communities? When we look at the fact that we have one of the highest poverty rates of any city in the US with one in three children living in poverty and one in five Philadelphia youths involved with child welfare and the juvenile justice system and hard working families really struggling to make ends meet, we need to bring those things to the forefront. We need to talk about those things all the time so that we're forced to do something about them."

Bailey also suggested focusing on early education to keep the city's students active and engaged in their schooling.

"We need to look early on in a kid's education and make sure in kindergarten and first grade we're getting everyone up to an even playing field. I really think what's happening is, at a very early age, kids are coming in and they're behind. It makes them have lack of confidence. It makes them not like school and not get on the right path for success."

 

 

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