Join State Rep. Tony Payton in Supporting Vern!

State Representative Tony Payton Jr. (D- 179), the youngest State Representative in Pennsylvania government, is supporting Vern Anastasio for Philadelphia City Council.

Payton will host a Young Professionals fundraising event for Anastasio on Wednesday, April 25th at 6PM at Barrister's Bar and Grille in Center City Philadelphia. Young professionals from throughout Philadelphia will be in attendance to support Vern's campaign for honest reform.    Sponsors will be admitted for $250; Hosts for $100; Guests for $50.  All Philly for Change Members will be admitted for a special rate of $25.

"I am humbled and honored by the support of Representative Payton for my candidacy", Anastasio said in a statement last evening before a Center City crowd. He continued, "It has been my mission on this campaign to combine old-fashioned door-knocking with bold new campaign concepts by using new technologies. From podcasts to videos, we're getting our message out to a whole new group of young democrats who yearn to be part of the process.  I plan to continue to use this approach when we get to City Council so we can better connect the people of the First District with the government that is supposed to serve them."

In 2006, Payton ran against the entrenched Democratic Party machine and won the 179th district seat with a groundswell of grassroots support. Payton's goal is to get more progressive Democrats elected in government.

Anastasio, a life-long progressive Democrat, has a bold legislative agenda to reform the zoning and development process, change the way city services are delivered and change the city's laws regarding nepotism and moonlighting in City Council.  Vern's bold plan for property tax reform is the proposal endorsed by former City Controller Jonathan Saidel and the city's Tax Reform Commission.  His grassroots A-TEAM has knocked on 7,000 doors so far and has gathered the support of neighbors in every community of the First District.

Payton's support is the latest in a long list of endorsements for Anastasio that include the National Organization for Women (NOW), Americans for Democratic Action and Philly For Change.

Anastasio is a former employee of the city's Human Relations Commission, where he investigated over 200 reported hate crimes against Philadelphia's Jewish and LGBT communities. His wife, Leslie, is the former Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice PA and currently serves on the Pennsylvania Commission on Women.  Vern has been called "man of the people" by the Philadelphia City Paper, a "visionary" by the South Philadelphia Review and "credible" by the Philadelphia Daily News.  The Philadelphia Inquirer has said Anastasio's Bella Vista United is "setting the pace for neighborhood change".

Learn more about Vern Anastasio's campaign for honest change at www.vernanastasio.com .

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Vern Anastasio
Democrat for City Council
www.vernanastasio.com

Last Updated: May 11, 2007