Candidate for
State Representative; Pennsylvania State House of Representatives; District 29

Education: Over the course of the last several years, this Governor and Assembly have slashed funds that were once directed at our education system. This move has resulted in larger class sizes and higher local school taxes. These tax increases have been a significant burden to homeowners, particularly seniors. I believe that education must be a priority for the future of our commonwealth. Education should never have been targeted as a way to cut spending when there is already so much waste in our government. When I am elected, I will focus on cutting wasteful programs that do not benefit Pennsylvanians. I will work to reallocate some of those funds to our schools and help alleviate the burden of local school taxes.

Tax and Spending: The Governor and his majority in both houses have cut vital funding to our schools and Universities which has ended up raising local taxes. They have planned to cut programs for senior citizens, the poor, the environment and infrastructure. We cannot cut our way out of an economic crisis. Cuts do not create jobs; they create unemployment. Some sensible cuts are needed for the sake of efficiency, so let's start with the State Legislature.

The State Legislature: Our government in Harrisburg has been the focus of many complaints over the years and these complaints have been investigated. The conclusions show that our Pennsylvania legislature is the largest, most expensive, full-time paid legislature in the country. Pennsylvania employs 204 Representatives and 50 Senators for a population of approximately 13 million people, compared to just 435 Congressional Representatives for about 330 million people nationally. Our representatives have the best health care, a free car, paid offices, full staff, great retirement (after 10 years), and a stipend of $168 a day. All this is in addition to their $80,000 a year salary. The size of this Legislature needs to be drastically cut back, as do benefits. When elected, I pledge that I will vote for or write legislation that will create term limits and shrink the size of our government.

Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling: The Pennsylvania Assembly has passed a bill (HB1950) that amounts to a financial break for the gas companies and a cause for concern for our environment and our local municipalities. (HB1950) states "all ordinances purporting to regulate oil and gas operations ... are hereby superseded." This bill overrides local regulation of oil and gas companies and simultaneously places an effective tax rate of only 2.6% on those companies. This is the lowest rate charged by gas drilling states. I have a sincere interest in protecting our environment from bad energy policies, whether it's open space or protecting our ground water from polluters. I also believe that NO ONE can better decide environmental policy for a local community than their own local zoning boards or municipal government.

Partisanship: As a military veteran and a police officer, I had to focus on getting done the job at hand. As a moderate, I believe in compromise and reaching across the aisle to find a solution to our problems. I see the political brinkmanship that both parties play and the gridlock that comes from that, and I see how counterproductive it is. When elected, I promise that I will do what is in the best interest of our community, not politics.

Roads and Bridges: Our roads and bridges remain in deplorable condition, which are among the worst in the country. This is an issue where the longer we neglect the problem, the more expensive it will become to repair. This is an investment that not only would make our roads and bridges safer, but would also put people back to work. I will highlight this issue within the Assembly and advocate for a more proactive handling of this problem, one that will benefit the most Pennsylvanians.

Economy: The fiscal policies of this Governor and Assembly have failed Pennsylvanians. As a police officer, I saw the economy from several different perspectives. As I patrolled the township over the years, I developed friendships with the small business owners in the area. When our economy first went into recession, I heard all of their stories. People told me of the financial heartache that they saw their customers having--heartaches that quickly spread to the small business owners. I saw the agony on their faces every day that I went from store to store. The economic troubles didn't end there. Like a delayed reaction, I saw township budget surpluses vanish. I saw long time township employees being laid off and township services being cut. Just when I thought the state of our economy couldn't get worse, it did. I will work to cut wasteful spending and reinvest in our children's futures. My experiences give me a unique perspective that most people in government can't appreciate. This perspective is one of the main reasons driving my candidacy, and the reason why I believe that I can better represent the people of the 29th district.