DSSCC News Headlines

Anne Scheuring Receives Endorsement from Prominent Members of Lansdale Borough Government

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST

Anne Scheuring for Senate

By Anne Scheuring for Senate

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

August 26, 2009

Contact: Julia Ramsey, 215-805-2414

Anne Scheuring Receives Endorsement from Prominent Members of Lansdale Borough Government

On Wednesday evening about a dozen prominent members from the Lansdale community gathered to support one of their own, Anne Scheuring for State Senate in September's special election to fill the seat vacated by Sen. Wonderling earlier this summer.

"Anne Scheuring is like your friendly neighbor next door. She's very involved in what's
going on in our community. She will be an asset in Harrisburg representing
families and the business community in our area" said Richard Digregio, Vice-President of Lansdale Borough Council.

"Anne will be a refreshing change that is so sorely needed in Harrisburg," said Bill Henning, member of Borough Council. "She is someone who uses a strong common sense approach to tackle issues rather than one with political motivations. I am confident that as more people meet and get to know her they we see that too."

"The people of the 24th District have had enough of politics as usual in Harrisburg. I've had enough. I am running because it's time to bring an independent voice to Harrisburg, someone who will stand up for the people in the district, not someone who will continue the same games" said Scheuring. "I'm ready to go to Harrisburg to fight for better education for our children, for greater accessibility to healthcare and more government accountability, which is so sorely needed."

Anne Scheuring has served as a member of Lansdale Borough Council since January of 2008. She is the Chair of the Board of Parks and Recreation and on the Code and Enforcement Committee.

When asked about serving with Anne on Council, Council President Jack Hansen had this to say "Anne Scheuring is the most capable person I know for the State Senate. She is not a Harrisburg insider, she is one of us. What we are missing in politics today are people who really care about those they serve, Anne really does care. She gives her time and her abilities at a moment's notice. Not for her, but for our community. We will miss her in Lansdale but the Commonwealth will get a real jewel and the people of the 24th District will reap the benefits."

Anne Scheuring is a Lansdale Councilwoman, wife, mother of four and grandmother of seven. She is a lifelong Lansdale resident and is active in many community organizations. She is the Democratic candidate for the 24th State Senate District special election on September 29th.

Senate Race Heats Up

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST

The Reporter

By Bradley Schlegel

By Bradley Schlegel

http://www.thereporteronline.com/articles/2009/08/15/news/srv0000006121313.eml

LANSDALE - Anne Henning Scheuring is angry with Harrisburg for failing to settle its dispute over the 2009-10 budget.

"The whole town is at a standstill," she said. "The legislators should be locked in a room together until they figure this out."

As the Democratic candidate for next month's special election to fill the vacant state Senate seat representing the 24th District, Scheuring hopes to inject a dose of reality into the General Assembly.

"Handling budgets requires common sense," said Scheuring, a member of Lansdale Borough Council.

Her energy and community activism makes Scheuring a formidable opponent for state Rep. Bob Mensch, R-147th District, the Republican nominee for the Sept. 29 special election to replace Rob Wonderling, according to Abe Amoros, spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.

"There has been no better time in recent memory when a citizen candidate has the opportunity to leave an indelible impression on voters," Amoros said. "She's an outsider, someone people can trust."

A grandmother and avid camper as well as motorcycle and ATV rider - "I'll do anything to have fun," she said - Scheuring chairs the borough's parks and recreation committee and also serves on the code enforcement and economic development committees.

As treasurer of the Lansdale Historical Society, Scheuring also heads the restoration committee for the Jenkins Family Homestead.

"We call her Activity Anne," Amoros said.

Scheuring's vitality and civic responsibility demonstrates an understanding of the lifestyle of most residents of the 24th District, which includes Montgomery, Bucks, Northampton and Lehigh counties according to Kristen Stoner, executive director of the Democratic State Senatorial Campaign Committee.

"Anne knows her neighbors," Stoner said. "The community has asked her to serve in the past, and she always stepped up."

The Democratic committee chairs of all four counties have endorsed Scheuring, according to campaign manager Dan Robinett.

"Anne's doing great," said Robinett, working on his fourth special election in eight years. "She's got a simple message that everyone can understand: Change is needed in Harrisburg."

Gov. Ed Rendell believes Scheuring's community service background makes her an attractive candidate, according to Steve Crawford, Rendell's chief of staff.

"Some would say the professional political experience has let us down," Crawford said.

Rendell and Scheuring met two weeks ago, according to Crawford. He said Scheuring's common-sense approach impressed the governor.

"Gov. Rendell sees this as a winnable race," Crawford said. "He's grateful for, and strengthened by, a united Democratic caucus in the Senate."

The decision by Senate Majority Leader and Lt. Gov. Joe Scarnati to hold the election five weeks before the Nov. 3 General Election - which Scheuring called "a ridiculous waste of money" - created a challenging situation for both candidates, according to Amoros.

Mensch, a former Marlborough supervisor, said he expects to campaign "24 hours a day, seven days a week," unless he is called to Harrisburg to vote on a budget resolution.

Since accepting his party's nomination Aug. 6, Mensch - who expects to spend more than $500,000 - has made several fundraising calls. Relying mostly on the insurance, telecom, industrial and medical sectors, he said his goal is to raise approximately $200,000.

Mensch, who is utilizing a team of eight or nine campaigners, called the fundraising his least favorite part of the process.

"But you can't be shy," he said.

Scheuring's campaign - led by Robinett, a strategist from Kentucky, that includes between 20 and 30 friends, relatives and colleagues and staffers from the DSSCC - has begun to penetrate all four counties, according to Stoner.

Rendell's office will provide Scheuring with fundraising assistance, according to Crawford. He said the governor would be willing to participate in the campaign once the budget situation is resolved.

"All they have to do is ask," Crawford said.

She said Scheuring will spend significant time in Northampton and Lehigh counties listening to voters. A Lansdale campaign office is scheduled to open soon, according to Stoner.

"Anne has a great heart for listening to people's concerns," Stoner said. "She's very thoughtful. I'm looking forward see her take that kind of consideration to Harrisburg."

Get out and vote

The special election for the 24th District Senate seat will be held on Sept. 29

URL: http://www.thereporteronline.com/articles/2009/08/15/news/srv0000006121313.prt

� 2009 thereporteronline.com, a Journal Register Property

PA Democratic Party Chairman Blasts Scarnati for Special Election Date in 24th Senatorial District

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST

PA Democratic Party

By PA Democratic Party

HARRISBURG: Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairman T.J. Rooney today issued the following statement blasting at Lt. Gov. Joe Scarnati's decision to set the special election for the 24th Senatorial District on Tuesday, Sept. 29th, five weeks before the regularly scheduled general election.

"Lt. Gov. Scarnati's poor and politically motivated decision to hold the special election for the 24th Senatorial District smacks of arrogance and unbelievable hypocrisy. By holding the election five weeks prior to the regularly scheduled date, Scarnati is forcing taxpayers to spend between $250,000 and $375,000 for an election that affects four counties.

"Given that the Senate Republicans are holding up Governor Rendell's budget based upon 'cost concerns', Scranati's actions defy logic and demonstrate just how out of touch he and his Caucus are.

"Forcing counties and their election offices to hastily prepare for the special election while forcing the state to pick up the tab on an election that could be easily held on Nov. 3, stresses how out of touch Scarnati and his Senate Republican leadership is.

"Taxpayers will be justifiably outraged by these actions and should remember how hypocritical and arrogant Senate Republicans are in Pennsylvania."

###

Lawyers Leach, Rogers fill race with objections

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST

Philadelphia Inquirer

By Art Carey

Waging a positive political campaign is a platonic ideal to which many politicians aspire but few honor.
Case in point: the fierce race between Democrat Daylin Leach and Republican Lance Rogers for the 17th District state Senate seat held by Democrat Connie Williams, who did not seek another term.

Constituents in the district, which spans the Schuylkill, includes parts of two counties (Montgomery and Delaware), and ranges from the gritty river burgs of Norristown and Bridgeport to the swank suburbs of Lower Merion and Radnor, have been bombarded with mailers that left some wondering whether the choice is between Satan and Beelzebub.

A mailer with a photo of a hypodermic needle says Leach "puts the rights of cocaine and heroin users before our public safety." (Leach: "My bill did exactly the opposite. It cracked down on illegal drug users.")

A mailer with a photo of a handgun says Rogers "opposes new gun safety laws." (Rogers: "False. I actually support everything he says I oppose.")

Leach, who pledged to run "a completely positive campaign," recently threw in the towel ("you can't be a punching bag forever"), distributing mailers linking Rogers to President Bush and Vice President Cheney. "A cheap ploy," Rogers fumes. "I'm not a supporter of President Bush at all."

Each man accuses the other of lies and distortions.

Leach says he's "shocked" by Rogers' "relentlessly negative campaign" and calls him "immature, nasty and opportunistic."

"He has absolutely, blatantly lied about the record," Rogers parries.

"He says one thing at home and does another in Harrisburg."

Leach, 47, resembles ex-Disney exec Michael Eisner, but with more girth and less hair and cash.

He lives in the Wayne section of Upper Merion and is completing his third two-year term in the state House, representing the 149th District.

Leach grew up in Northeast Philadelphia and Allentown.

He majored in political science at Temple University, and earned his law degree at the University of Houston.

He is proud of a law he wrote providing state money for breast, ovarian and cervical cancer screenings and another requiring that 25 percent of the state auto fleet be hybrid by 2011.

A lawyer with a special interest in constitutional law, he also was "instrumental," he says, in stopping an amendment to the state constitution banning same-sex marriage.

"I'm a progressive, and this is a progressive district," declares Leach, who is married to a psychologist and has two children.

Registered Democrats in the district outnumber Republicans by about 21,000.

In 2005, Leach, an amateur comedian, made headlines for a blog many considered bawdy and inappropriate. Leach also voted for the controversial middle-of-the-night legislative pay raise, later repealed.

An ardent environmentalist, Leach has championed the Growing Greener II program, which funds pollution cleanup and open-space preservation, and has encouraged the construction of "clean green schools," tax credits for energy-efficient appliances, and the production and use of biofuels.

Among his other concerns: gun violence, health care and insurance, education and nutrition, environmental technology and alternative energy, stem-cell research, civil rights and poverty.

Rogers, 34, who is single and lives in the Penn Wynne section of Lower Merion, is a photogenic Ivy Leaguer who could model preppy togs for the Lands' End catalog.

At the University of Pennsylvania, he majored in political science and communication and later earned a master's degree in government administration.

He holds a law degree from Northwestern University.

He clerked two years for Clarence Newcomer, a federal judge.

At Dechert Price and later Pepper Hamilton, he specialized in media law.

(He has represented The Inquirer.)

Rogers was drawn into politics when Lankenau Hospital proposed an expansion and he led the battle to protect his neighborhood from traffic and threats to pedestrian safety.

Dismayed by a "lack of transparency," he ran for township commissioner as an independent.

During his three years as commissioner, Rogers has monitored spending and fought to keep taxes low.

He blocked the use of eminent domain to acquire property for the redevelopment of Ardmore, and he is proud of his efforts to recruit and retain volunteer firefighters.

Harrisburg, he says, is "broken."

He vows to make state government "open and accessible" and change the way the legislature does business by banning gifts from lobbyists and eliminating "luxury perks."

Rogers became a Republican, he says, because "as you go higher up the ladder in state politics, belonging to a political party is a necessity."

Nevertheless, he promises to be an independent voice in a district with roughly 25,000 voters who are independent or unaffiliated with the major parties.

"I won't let the party dictate my vote," vows Rogers.

"I really believe there is a better way and that I can have a positive impact," he says, uttering words that could fall just as well from the lips of Daylin Leach. "I see problems and want to fix them."

Piccola, Hirsh fight likely to be a record

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

Patriot-News

By Carrie Cassidy

The race for the state Senate seat representing most of the East Shore could be on track to set a spending record for advertisements in the 15th Senate District.

G. Terry Madonna, director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, said he can't remember when the 15th Senate District had a race in which so many television ads aired.

"I would be shocked if this wasn't the largest amount spent on television ads in that district's history. I would be shocked if it wasn't," Madonna said. "This is the first time I think Piccola is seriously threatened, and this is massive spending in that district's history."

As Tuesday's election approaches, Republican Sen. Jeffrey Piccola and his Democratic opponent, Judy Hirsh, are pouring money into television and mailer ads at a clip reminiscent of the presidential race.

The average state Senate campaign can cost a candidate $35,000 to $50,000, but that's only a fraction of the amount being spent by supporters of Piccola and Hirsh.

According to recently filed campaign finance reports, Hirsh's camp spent twice as much as Piccola's for consultation and television production.

Of the $361,174 that the Friends for Judy Hirsh had in the bank in the latest reporting cycle, nearly $200,000 went toward television production. Friends of Jeff Piccola had $205,656 on hand and spent about $75,000 on consulting fees and media buys.

Madonna said it's clear how hotly contested the race is by the frequency and content of the ads.

"They are ubiquitous on my TV, and they're pretty tough commercials," he said. "You're going to see these kinds of ads when it's a contested race."

Madonna was referring to the negative tone that both candidates have taken in their ads.

Piccola's ads accuse Hirsh of not understanding the middle class because, they say, she is wealthy and has a Florida mansion and a private jet to prove it. Whether the Hirsh family's condo in Florida, worth nearly $500,000, counts as a mansion and whether her propeller plane is a jet are matters that should be left to the voters, said Piccola spokesman Josh Wilson.

"The average citizen uses the words 'plane' and 'jet' interchangeable, and if Mrs. Hirsh feels it's important to debate a semantic distinction between plane and jet, and a half-a-million-dollar house and mansion, we'd be happy to do that," he said. "However, I think voters are more interested in debating issues like Senator Piccola's plan to eliminate property taxes."

Several accusations made in Hirsh's ads are true, but there's more to them than is portrayed in the ads.

Piccola voted against increasing the minimum wage and voted to increase lawmakers' pensions, but it is unclear whether the senator opted into the higher pension, as was required by the legislation. Wilson said he didn't know the answer and said he would find out; however, he had not done so by late Thursday. A call placed to Piccola's home last night was not returned.

Another claim made in Hirsh's ad is misleading and has been criticized by Piccola's camp. She accuses the senator of taking money from utility companies that will raise residents' energy bills when rate caps expire in 2010. He is doing nothing to prevent bills from spiking, the ad says.

In fact, Wilson said, the rate caps were set more than a decade ago and had nothing to do with the contributions made by political action committees made up of utility company workers. It would be illegal for Piccola to take money from the companies, he said.

But Elena Cross, Hirsh's campaign manager, said Piccola's campaign is using "dirty politics" by continuing accusations that have been repeatedly proved false and by debating semantics when it comes to the utility company contributions.

"A PAC represents the company's interests, people who contribute to the company," she said. "When you don't have a good record to run on, I guess you turn to these baseless attacks. It comes down to he proclaims himself as a reformer, but we see the same dirty politics. The voters in the 15th deserve better than that."

Piccola, Hirsh smashing spending records, report says

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

PolitickerPA.com

By Alex Roarty

The first serious challenge to state Sen. Jeff Piccola (R-Dauphin County) in years has led to the largest campaign spending influx the 15th Senatorial District has ever seen, The Patriot-News reports.

"I would be shocked if this wasn't the largest amount spent on television ads in that district's history. I would be shocked if it wasn't," said Franklin & Marshall pollster Terry Madonna. "This is the first time I think Piccola is seriously threatened, and this is massive spending in that district's history."

Each candidate has aired several negative TV ads that have left their opponent bristling. The latest ad has Hirsh even threatening legal action.

The paper reports Friends for Judy Hirsh have spent nearly $200,000 toward television production. Friends of Jeff Piccola spent $75,000 on consulting fees and media buys -- many of his ads have been funded by the state Republican Party.

Judy Hirsh: Pushing for Change

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

WHP-TV

By Ewa Roman

Judy Hirsh isn't only juggling a campaign. She's a mom of three kids, a wife and a business woman.

"I saw that there seemed to be a large disconnect between what was happening in the legislature and what was going on in our community," said Judy Hirsh, Democrat, running for the 15th Senatorial District.

That's why Hirsh decided to run against Republican, Jeff Piccola, who's held the position for the past 13 years. She feels he's been attacking her personally in campaign ads on TV.

"His last attack is just over the top. He talks about a debt that I had to a bank that I was required by a court to pay and there is no truth to that whatsoever," said Hirsh. Hirsh says if the attacks don't stop, she will take legal action.

If elected, she wants to lower property taxes, make healthcare more affordable to more people and create more jobs.

Hirsh served as a Budget Analyst for the Commonwealth, practiced law in Harrisburg and for more than a decade, helped her husband run a real estate consulting business. Now, she wants to bring her experiences to the table.

"We need some change. We need not to continue to go as we are. People are looking for a new approach, a fresh face and that's what I can offer people," said Hirsh.

Rhoades campaign for state Senate continues

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

Reading Eagle

By David Mekeel

When state Sen. James J. Rhoades was killed in a crash earlier this month, an election was thrown into turmoil.

The 66-year-old Schuylkill County Republican, who represented part of northern Berks, was campaigning for his eighth term representing the 29th Senatorial District when his car collided head-on with another vehicle Oct. 17 in Monroe County. He died the next day.

The campaign was too far along for the Republican Party to change candidates, so many supporters wondered what they were supposed to do on Election Day.

Should they still vote for the senator even though he won't be able to serve?

The late senator's family has answered a resounding yes.

"We came together as a family once we were assured that my mother's health was fine," Ali Rhoades-Hobbs, the late senator's daughter, said Wednesday. "We all agreed that we would make it a priority to see this campaign through and get my father re-elected."

Rhoades-Hobbs and her husband, Christopher W. Hobbs, spoke on behalf of the Rhoades family and announced that they were fully supporting an effort to get the vote out for the late senator.

"We believe this is what he would want," Hobbs said.

The couple said many constituents are unsure whether they can still vote for Rhoades and what will happen if he's elected.

"What we're telling them is that they still have a choice," Hobbs said. "By voting for him they're actually encouraging a special election down the road where they will be able to choose the next senator instead of having a senator chosen by default."

Rhoades-Hobbs said she has been touched that so many supporters have contacted her family about her father's death.

"We always knew we had a great dad, but it's important for us to see what an effect he had on the people of this area," she said. "It's a testament to his hard work over the years. We're telling those people, 'Let's vote for Jim Rhoades one more time.' "

If Rhoades is elected, a special election to fill the vacancy must be held between 60 days after the election is certified and the 2009 primary election.

Peter J. Symons Jr., a Democrat who is running against Rhoades, said that window is too large.

"We need somebody elected Nov. 4 in this district," he said. "The district can't afford not having representation. We need someone who can hit the ground running from Day 1 and bring home the bacon for the district."

Symons said Rhoades' death hasn't done much to affect his campaign.

"I said from the beginning that I was going to talk about health care, jobs and tax reform," he said. "That hasn't changed."

He said he had run some advertisements that attacked Rhoades' voting record, but has halted those since the senator's death.

Dennis Baylor, an independent candidate, said his entire campaign has been altered.

"I've had to change considerably," he said. "I was making fun of expensive legislation and earmarks, tying those to Rhoades' tenure. I more or less have abandoned that."

Baylor said that without an incumbent to attack, his chances to win are slim.

"I think it has actually worsened my chances," he said.

15th district race mirrors national election

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

Patriot-News

By Carrie Cassidy

The race for the state Senate seat representing most of the East Shore has become a microcosm of the presidential election, and at least one political expert says that might be on purpose.

Democratic candidate Judy Hirsh might be feeding into the increased interest in the national presidential election to help her try to sweep Sen. Jeffrey Piccola, R-Dauphin County, out of office, according to E. Fletcher McClellan, who leads Elizabethtown College's political science department.

Hirsh "is basically running against the Harrisburg insiders, portraying Piccola as part of the mess in Harrisburg, so she's running as an outsider," McClellan said. "And of course, [Piccola is] saying he's the real reformer and that she's an opportunist and typical politician. It does parallel the national race because you have a Democratic tide running against the Republicans in charge."

Democrats are growing in number nationally as well as in Dauphin County, where most of the 15th District lies.

Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, said this election is a referendum on President Bush's policies and those of Congress.

Obama has positioned himself as an outsider who wants to reform government. But Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee, is fighting Obama for the title of reformer.

And the two have criticized each other and made accusations that each was on the side of big businesses and not the working-class voters.

The same arguments are being made by Piccola and Hirsh in an ad war that has broken out in recent weeks.

Piccola paints Hirsh as a wealthy person who is out of touch with the middle class and accuses her of allowing Harrisburg insiders to "run her sleazy campaign." Hirsh says Piccola has sided with utilities that expect to raise consumers' energy bills when rate caps expire in 2010.

Piccola, she said, has been looking out for big business for at least a decade, evidenced by his vote in 1998 against an amendment that would have prevented "golden parachutes" for executives of a company that was targeted in a hostile takeover attempt.

According to state records, Piccola was the only senator to speak out against an amendment to a bill that would have strengthened the state's anti-takeover law at a time when one of the area's largest employers, AMP Inc., was in danger of a hostile takeover by AlliedSignal.

The bill never became law, and AMP, a Swatara Twp. electronics connector company, was bought by Tyco International Ltd.

"I think this shows locally the problem that we are experiencing nationally with the financial crisis," Hirsh said. "Senator Piccola's opinion is that the free market and corporations are going to look out for us, and they don't. They only look out for themselves. I think it's another example of how he's out of touch with the voters."

Piccola rebutted Hirsh's claims, saying time was of the essence for the anti-takeover bill that had to be "as clean as you could keep it" to maintain enough support to pass. Besides, he said, the work that he and other legislators did on that bill was guided by about 300 AMP employees who attended a town meeting that he held.

Tyco eventually moved the operation out of the Swatara Twp. property, but Piccola has since been instrumental in bringing businesses and jobs back to the area.

"I think I have a tremendous record on reform and school property tax plus working on other issues," Piccola said. "The problem is, I don't toot my own horn enough, but I'm very proud of my record."

Like McCain, Piccola is painting his opponent as a tax-and-spend liberal who has no ideas on reforming government and supports high taxes. She also is using negative campaigning against Piccola, the senator's spokesman said.

"I think we're seeing the same issues and, frankly, Judy is resorting to the same negative tactics that we're seeing in the national race because her message isn't working with the voters," Piccola spokesman Josh Wilson said. "Clearly, she's out of touch with the voters in the district."

'Dirty' campaigning marks race

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

By Deborah M. Todd

In a race with accusations of partisan loyalties and dirty campaigning coming from both sides, Republican Kim Ward and Democrat Tony Bompiani say they would much rather discuss issues affecting the state's 39th Senate District.

Mrs. Ward, 52, of Hempfield, a Westmoreland County commissioner, won the state Republican Party's endorsement to replace incumbent Sen. Bob Regola on the ticket.

Mr. Regola, of Hempfield, withdrew from the race following his acquittal on perjury and gun charges stemming from his teenage neighbor's suicide using Mr. Regola's gun.

Since then, Mrs. Ward and Dr. Bompiani, 54, a Youngwood chiropractor, have clashed on subjects that are political and personal in nature. In the past month alone, they have levied multiple accusations against one another. Among them:

� Dr. Bompiani called for Mrs. Ward's resignation as Southwestern Pennsylvania co-chair for the McCain-Palin campaign, saying those duties interfered with her responsibilities as commissioner.

� Mrs. Ward said last week that Mr. Bompiani's campaign released a negative statement about Mrs. Ward two hours after learning her father, Roger Renko, died the previous day.

� Mrs. Ward's campaign questioned whether Mr. Bompiani had any influence in the Hempfield Area School District's decision to award a service contract to Central Tax Bureau, a company that leases a space owned by Mr. Bompiani.

� Mr. Bompiani said Mrs. Ward's campaign released inaccurate campaign fliers regarding his position on leasing the Pennsylvania Turnpike one day after their Oct. 15 debate.

"Instead of telling the people what is going to be done for them and how we stand on issues, they're hearing garbage," Mr. Bompiani said.

He defended his record on the Hempfield Area School Board, on which he served for 12 years (1996-2007).

He said directors were forced to raise property taxes because mandates imposed on schools through the No Child Left Behind act were underfunded on state and federal levels. He also said the district has used Central Tax Bureau for about 25 years, at least 13 years before he became a director.

He said his plan to regionalize school districts for business purposes is one way to lower the tax burden for residents and decrease state spending.

"That would mean contracts would all be handled by a personal attorney that is in place in the region, paid for by all school districts. We'd be saving money because we would not be playing leap frog with teachers' salaries in the region.

"We need to then bring a CFO and a CEO in charge of the region. Therefore, they would be able to get a handle businesswise on growth and how we do spending, keeping tax dollars and spending as low as it can be."

Mrs. Ward stands by the content of her campaign fliers and said her position with the McCain-Palin campaign has not interfered with her work or caused her to miss a single vote as commissioner.

She also said her campaign has been focused on the issues from the beginning and will continue to discuss lower taxes, transparent government and an improved business climate in Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania's tax climate is one of the worst in the nation, and that must change," she said. "We must reduce taxes on our job creators and working families to encourage economic growth.

"As a local elected official, I've spent a great deal of time helping constituents break through the significant red-tape agencies such as the Department of Environmental Protection and [Pennsylvania Department of Transportation]."

The 39th District comprises 33 municipalities in Westmoreland County: three cities (Greensburg, Jeannette and Latrobe); 20 boroughs (Adamsburg, Arona, Derry, Hunker, Irwin, Madison, Manor, Mount Pleasant, New Alexandria, New Stanton, North Belle Vernon, North Irwin, Penn, Smithton, South Greensburg, Southwest Greensburg, Sutersville, West Newton, Youngstown and Youngwood); and 10 townships (Derry, East Huntingdon, Hempfield, Mt. Pleasant, North Huntingdon, Penn, Rostraver, Sewickley, South Huntingdon and Unity).

47th District Senate race a battle of the outsiders

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

By Brian David

Who is more of an outsider in the race for the state's 47th District Senate seat?

Is it Democrat Jason Petrella? He blasted Beaver County's Democratic machine in the primary, but lost to state Rep. Sean Ramaley -- then got appointed, over the objections of the county party committee, to fill in when Mr. Ramaley faced criminal charges and dropped out.

Or is it Elder Vogel Jr.? He is a Republican dairy farmer who said, only half-jokingly, that his best qualification for office was "not being a crook"?

The answer to that question may be the biggest key to the race in scandal-weary Beaver and Lawrence counties.

Mr. Ramaley's problems -- he is charged with having a no-work job for former state Rep. Mike Veon so he could get paid while campaigning -- are just the latest smudge. The seat in contention is being vacated by Gerald LaValle, who has represented the district since 1990.

Questions were raised about Mr. LaValle's links to The Beaver Initiative for Growth, a nonproft clearing house for government grants that he founded with Mr. Veon.

In 2005 and 2006, the Initiative provided grants to the Voluntary Action Center, a nonprofit agency to help financially struggling families in Beaver County. That agency was run by Darla LaValle, Mr. LaValle's wife. Over the summer, Mrs. LaValle was charged with theft and misapplication of government property when she was accused of inflating her salary at the agency without permission of its board of directors.

"I want to restore integrity and honesty to politics in Beaver County," Mr. Vogel said. "I think people are tired of the corruption."

No one would agree with that more than Mr. Petrella. He could not be reached for comment, but in the primary, he called Mr. Ramaley a man who "owes too many favors to too many people" and said the Democratic leadership had done nothing to bring life back to towns from New Castle to the Ohio Valley.

Mr. Petrella, 33, of Monaca, is a former banker who is now pursuing a doctorate in public policy at Pitt. In the primary, he offered far-reaching ideas such as equalizing property taxes statewide and offering universal health care, which he said would be better than a tax break for small businesses.

His Web site now couples property tax reform with education funding, saying the state needs to do a better job funding education so school districts don't have to rely so heavily on property taxes. He also calls on his site for tax breaks to encourage small businesses to offer health insurance.

Other issues promoted on Mr. Petrella's Web site include encouraging clean coal and other green energy technologies and pushing ethics reforms, "more accountability and transparency in the workings of government" and "less influence in the hands of lobbyists and special interest groups."

Mr. Vogel, 52, is a New Sewickley supervisor, president of the Butler-Lawrence Farm Bureau and chairman of the Pennsylvania Beef Council.

His primary focus is on lowering business taxes to bring companies back to Pennsylvania.

"We have great infrastructure here," he said, with rivers and rail lines as well as highways, "and a great work force. I believe taxes are what's holding us back."

Mr. Vogel also believes health care needs to be improved, particularly for older residents. He favors Legislature posting all votes, expenses and other records online for public scrutiny.

Beyond particular issues, though, he simply thinks people need to have someone they can trust in Harrisburg.

"I know what it's like to pay my own insurance," he said. "I know what it's like to deal with the rising cost of gas and diesel fuel. I know what they're going through."

And he believes people are ready to vote for real change -- even the heavily Democratic population of Beaver and Lawrence counties.

"The Democratic machine has run Beaver County for the last 50 or 60 years," he said. "People are fed up with the way things are. ... They want new faces, want new ideas; they're willing to vote for someone like me.

"The same-old, same-old has gotten us nowhere."

The 47th Senate district covers most of Beaver and Lawrence counties and Crescent Township in Allegheny County.

Hirsh on Negative Campaigning

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

WHP-TV

Democratic State Senate Candidate Judy Hirsh went on the offensive today, firing back at Senator Jeff Piccola's negative television ads.

In one of those ads, Hirsh is accused of being unable to repay a large loan, even after a judge's ruling.

Hirsh denies ever taking out such a loan and says Piccola's campaign tactics defame her character.

"These accusations reek of desperation, but they're what I expect in my first high stakes political career. However, Senator Piccola's recent television ads have really crossed the line," said Hirsh.

Hirsh warns her opponent that if the ads aren't pulled, she will take legal action against Piccola and the Republican party.

Hirsh threatens legal action after latest Piccola ad

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

PolitickerPA.com

By Alex Roarty

LOWER PAXTON -- Democratic state Senate candidate Judy Hirsh said Thursday that she will sue the state Republican Party and Sen. Jeff Piccola (R-Dauphin County) for libel if they do not immediately remove their latest TV ad and apologize for what she calls its inaccuracies.

The ad, airing on local TV stations, accuses the "wealthy" Hirsh of not repaying a nearly $200,000 loan until a court ordered her to do so. The accusation is an outright lie, Hirsh said at a press conference outside her campaign office.

She and the state Democratic Party have asked the TV stations to remove the ad. They have replied they won't.

Josh Wilson, Piccola's campaign manager, said the ads were funded entirely by the Republican Party. He declined to comment, saying the senator had nothing to do with them.

Calls to the state Republican Party were not immediately returned.

The battle between the incumbent Piccola and Hirsh in the 15th Senatorial District has turned particularly nasty in recent weeks. The two candidates sparred over campaign tactics at their debate earlier this month and local airwaves have been flooded with several different TV ads chock-full of accusations.

But Democrats say the negativity has a silver lining -- it proves the GOP knows Piccola might be in trouble.

"Folks, Republicans don't do this on a whim," said Abe Amoros, political and communications director of the state Democratic Party. "They know they're in trouble. Jeff Piccola knows he's in trouble."

Amoros' presence at the press conference comes a day after state party Chairman T.J. Rooney issued a press release slamming the Piccola ad. Earlier this month, Gov. Ed Rendell appeared at a press conference with Hirsh to endorse her and criticize the senator for not passing his health care legislation.

Their involvement isn't surprising -- Democrats say this race is one of their few opportunities this year to reduce Republicans' 29-21 Senate advantage.

Hirsh said before this campaign, she thought Piccola was a "honorable" man. Piccola's earlier attacks convinced her otherwise, she said, but this latest ad "crossed the line."

"Senator Piccola and the Republican Party, the insiders funding his campaign, have really gone too far this time," she said.

"This is a final warning, if you do not pull the ad off the airwaves, I will take legal action against the Republican Party," the Democrat said.

Hirsh added she and her attorney will discuss legal action after Nov. 4 regardless of what happens between now and Election Day.

The Democrat also returned fire on Piccola, pointing to a Thursday Patriot-News article that said the senator spoke out against an amendment that would have strengthened an anti-takeover bill.

Capitolwire: Rhoades' daughter pushing for father's re-election

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

PolitickerPA.com

By Alex Roarty

Capitolwire's Pete DeCoursey writes that the daughter of the late state Sen. Jim Rhoades (R-Schuylkill County) is asking citizens in the 29th Senatorial District to vote for her father one last time. (Subscription required).

A Rhoades' victory would set up a special election between a candidate of each party's choosing, giving Republicans a chance to retain their seat.

"My dad would truly want voters to have a choice as to who is going to be the next senator from this district," said Ali Rhoades Hobbs. "In order to get that choice, they need to vote for my dad one last time on Tuesday."

But the Democrat on the ballot, Schuylkill County Prothonotary P.J. Symons, isn't backing away from his candidacy.

"It sounds like someone on the staff or family is going to try to fill that spot," Symons told Capitolwire. "I think this is not about giving voters a choice. This is about saving the spot for someone from his staff or someone from his family. That is why they want a special election."

He added, "It sounds to me like they are pushing for a special election so Chris Hobbs can run."

Hobbs is the son of a former senator in the district and is Ali Rhoades Hobb's husband.

DeCoursey named Ali Rhoades Hobbs, her husband, state House Minority Whip David Argall (R-Schuylkill County), Rhoades' top aide Champ Holman, and Schuylkill County Commissioner Frank Staudemier as potential GOP candidates in the special election.

He said Democratic potential special election candidates include Symons and state reps. Neal Goodman and Tim Seip.

Race grows contentious in the 15th

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

York Daily Record

By Tom Joyce

Both candidates would seek property-tax relief, they said.

A Democratic challenger is taking on a Republican incumbent in the 15th district's state Senate race, with the heated contest generating some harsh television ads on both sides.

Yet each candidate accuses the other of taking cheap shots, while maintaining that the weighty issues and fundamental differences at work make some criticism of the opponent justifiable.

Democrat Judy Hirsh presents herself as a needed change from a culture in Harrisburg that's become increasingly distant from the common people of Pennsylvania. Republican state Sen. Jeff Piccola said his fiscal conservatism will be necessary to get the state and the district through some hard times ahead.

"Our legislature is pretty stagnant and ineffective," Hirsh said. "It hardly passes any legislation."

If elected, Hirsh said, she intends simultaneously to improve Pennsylvania's quality of education and to reduce property taxes by increasing the state's share of education funding.

Traditionally, she said, the state has provided about 50 percent of school funding. In recent years, that percentage has dropped to about 34 percent, putting the burden of funding on property owners in the districts.

Hirsh said she would also promote more businesses in Pennsylvania providing alternative energy, and thus more jobs. And she would consider moving the district office to make it more accessible to residents of York County.

Regarding the campaign ads, Hirsh said: "I don't understand why Senator Piccola has to make this personal. I've tried to make viewers aware of who Senator Piccola is and what his record is."
A spokesman for Piccola's campaign, however, said that Hirsh's ads have presented distortions of his record and that Piccola's ads are necessary to set the record straight.

Piccola said he's pleased with the results he's been able to bring about as chairman of the State Government Committee, which has brought up for consideration every recent piece of reform legislation to move through the Senate.

That includes a measure for more expansive open records requirements, which became law this year. His committee has also presented a number of measures that have yet to pass, calling for reapportionment reform, eliminating lame-duck sessions, banning gifts from lobbyists and holding a new constitutional convention.

If re-elected, Piccola said, his main goal would be getting rid of the state's property tax.

Personally, he advocates a shift to a sales tax, but he said he's open to any reasonable suggestion for replacing school funding.

The main consideration is that the property tax must be eliminated altogether. If it's merely reduced, Piccola said, it will inevitably come back in ever-increasing amounts.

"I have always been a fiscal conservative, keeping government spending at a minimal level," he said.

Try as they might, Petrella, Vogel can't stay away from attacks

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

PolitickerPA.com

By Alex Roarty

MONACA -- Democrat Jason Petrella and Republican Elder Vogel Jr. have engaged in a sharply negative campaign as they vie to take the reins in the 47th Senatorial District.

In response, their debate moderator on Tuesday night, KDKA political analyst Jon Delano, made a simple plea to each: please, don't attack your opponent during your opening remarks.

"If you believed all that was said you would not want to vote for either of these candidates," Delano told a sparse crowd at the Penn State-Beaver auditorium. "So, tell us who you are during your opening remarks and do so without mentioning the name of your opponent."

Did his request work? Sort of. The hour-long debate focused largely on issues, with Vogel arguing he will "put Harrisburg on a diet," and Petrella offering more detailed proposals to expand health care while revitalizing the region's economy.

However, at times the debate did wander into campaign tactics, and it's clear neither candidate is pleased with how their opponent has waged his campaign. Vogel bristled at the claim he is in the pocket of big-time GOP strategist Mike Long, and Petrella rejects the insinuation he is part of the Beaver County Democratic Party currently embroiled in scandal.

Vogel and his campaign have "delusions of grandeur" if they think Petrella is involved with indicted Beaver County Democrats Sean Ramaley, Mike Veon and Mike Manzo, Petrella said. The first time candidate said he was an enemy of the party establishment just half a year ago when he ran against Ramaley in the primary.

"I've never met Mike Veon," Petrella said. "I was loathed by the Democratic Party. How can one go from being loathed six months ago to being the insider and supposed friend of all those in Harrisburg? The public won't make that mistake," he said. "Only a child would fall for these lunacies."

Each candidate took pains to portray themselves as an outsider, a political necessity in this district where being seen as a traditional "politician" is often a liability.

Vogel, a farmer and local township supervisor, said the county's corruption motivated him to run for state Senate.

"You can't go a day without picking up the (Beaver County Times) and seeing elected officials being indicted," he said. "That doesn't make sense to me, so that's why I decided to run for state Senate."

The Republican argued he would bring common sense to Harrisburg. Petrella countered that for all of Vogel's hard work and common sense, he is entirely unqualified to represent the district. Time and time again during the debate Petrella sought to correct statements Vogel made in an attempt to prove he didn't know what he was talking about.

Vogel mostly refrained from engaging Petrella, preferring to stay on his own message.

Each candidate is seeking to replace retiring state Sen. Gerald Lavalle. The race is considered one of the three or four most competitive Senate contests in the state, with officials from Petrella's campaign saying after the debate it is a "dead heat."

Westmoreland County electing new state senator

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

Daily News

By Patrick Cloonan

Hempfield Township Republican Sen. Bob Regola chose not to continue his run for re-election in the 39th District after he was acquitted on charges stemming from the death of a neighbor boy who found Regola's gun.

39th District
Regola's successor as chairman of the township board of supervisors, Kim Ward, had been elected last year as minority member of the county board of commissioners.

She now is facing Youngwood chiropractor Dr. Anthony Bompiani, a Democrat who touted "integrity and commitment" in what initially was a challenge to Regola.

In a county with many conservative voters, the candidates have some issues in common. Both have endorsements from abortion opponents and Firearm Owners Against Crime.

Ward's list of issues includes business, law enforcement, the Second Amendment, taxes and "standing up for veterans."

That includes a commitment "to never voting for a tax increase of any kind," as well as support for allowing voters to decide whether the state can increase its budget.

Ward also cited her work as a Hempfield supervisor on an economic development plan for the Route 30 corridor, a project that affects motorists, businesses and communities from North Versailles Township to Somerset County.

Bompiani defeated Chris Huffman of Rostraver Township in the primary despite the Westmoreland County Democratic Committee endorsement of Huffman.

Ward was chosen by the Westmoreland County Republican Committee after Regola quit.

Bompiani's list of issues includes property tax reform, the right to bear arms, "pro-life," "leadership and integrity in Harrisburg" and the size and cost of the legislature.

"Before we focus all of our attention on reducing the size of the legislature," Bompiani blogged, "we need to focus on making it less expensive for Pennsylvanians."

Also on his list is tolling Interstate 80 and expanding legalized gambling.

On the latter issue, Bompiani said Pennsylvania should seek to keep gamblers in-state but also "determine if the additional revenue outweighs the risks."

Petrella: 'Probably no one in Harrisburg knows my name'

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

PolitickerPA.com

By Alex Roarty

MONACA -- State Senate candidate Jason Petrella's toughest opponent might not be the man he faces on the ballot, Republican Elder Vogel Jr.

It could be Mike Veon.

Petrella has been linked repeatedly to the former House minority whip, who was charged in July in connection with "Bonusgate." Vogel accuses Petrella of being another in a long line of a Democrats produced by a corrupt political machine.

The accusations have left Petrella blue in the face from telling voters he doesn't have a connection with any established members of county party, including the now-indicted Mike Manzo, who was Majority Leader Bill DeWeese's former chief of staff.

"All you can really do is say, 'This is who I am,'" Petrella told PolitickerPA.com in an interview after his Tuesday night debate with Vogel. "I'm a new Democrat for a new era."

The 47th Senatorial District sits mostly in Beaver County, the once heavily Democrat area where Republicans have begun making inroads. Veon's former seat is now occupied by Republican state Rep. Jim Marshall.

If Democrats want to hold onto their Senate seat, held currently by retiring state Sen. Gerald Lavalle (D-Beaver County), Petrella will have to distance himself from those who once dominated the area's politics.

He doesn't think it should be a hard sell.

"Probably no one in Harrisburg knows my name," he said.

Senate hopefuls face off

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

Columbia Ledger

By Jeff Werner

The economy and funding for public education dominated the discussion during last week's debate in Derry Township between state senatorial candidates Jeffrey Piccola and Judy Hirsh.Piccola, a Republican, and Hirsh, a Democrat, fielded numerous questions during an hour-long forum moderated by Scott Gilbert, news director of WITF Radio, and hosted by the League of Women Voters Hershey Area.

The candidates are vying for a four-year seat representing parts of Dauphin and York counties in the State Senate of Pennsylvania. Locally, the district includes Derry Township, Conewago Township, Hummelstown ships.

Piccola, who was first elected to the Senate in 1994 during a special election, is seeking his fourth Borough and East, West and South Hanover town-term in office. He served as Majority Whip, the third ranking member of the Senate Republican Leadership Team, from 2001 to 2006, and is currently chair of the State Government Committee and a member of the Community and Economic Development, Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure, Education, Judiciary, and Rules and Executive Nominations committees

"I have the privilege of representing the people of the 15th district and I'm proud of my record of accomplishment of statewide importance, such as eminent domain reform, criminal justice, public safety and education as well as local issues of economic development, transportation and just helping constituents deal with state government," said Piccola.

The senator said he has used his position as chair of the State Government Committee as "an engine for reform, erasing the last vestiges of the pay raise which I opposed and led the effort to repeal, upgraded the open records law and moved forward on such issues as reducing the size of the legislature and banning gifts from lobbyists.

"And most recently I have used that position to call for a Constitutional Convention so that you, the people, can change the structure of your government. I also called for a special session of the legislature for government reform and ethics in the wake of the Bonus Gate scandal.

"I ask for your vote to continue these efforts," said Piccola.

Hirsh, a small business owner who lives in Susquehanna Township, is the board president of the Londonderry School where she led a $2.5 million effort to expand and develop the school's facilities and programs, including the construction of the community's first "green," environmentally-sustainable education center. She also serves on the board of the Harrisburg Humane Society and is an active member of the Harrisburg Jewish community.

"We're all tired of politics as usual that's going on in Harrisburg," said Hirsh. "Our state senate is stagnant and ineffective. We need to restore our government so that it works for us and not for itself. I'm running because I'm in touch with the issues that are important to all of us.

"As a small business owner," said Hirsh, "I understand what it's like to make a payroll and I understand how important it is to have healthcare and to provide it for my family and my employees. As a mother of three, I too am worried about the rising cost of energy. How am I going to pay my utility bills? We need to practice conservation and we need to invest in alternative energy. That kind of investment will bring great jobs to this area."

Hirsh added, "I want to make sure that our schools put the emphasis on our children and our teachers and prepare them for the future with learning and thinking skills. As a former state budget analyst I also understand how important it is for the state to meet its commitment to fund education fully and equitably so that our local property taxes won't have to carry the burden," she said. "I'm in touch with these issues and I want to bring a new, energized approach to the State Senate."

Top Priorities

Hirsh said if elected, her top priorities would include improving the economy of Central Pennsylvania by making an investment in alternative energy and providing tax incentives "to spur growth" of energy-related technologies and create "great jobs" for the area.

"Senator Piccola has not been a leader in this area. He has voted against alternative energy investment in 2004 and again in 2007. It wasn't until June that he decided to support alternative energy investment.

"I also want to make sure that our education and our schools are preparing our children for life and beyond, for higher education. I want to make sure that our schools are giving our children the skills that they need to be successful. And I want to make sure and work hard to see that the state meets its obligation to fund education up to 50 percent. We need to make sure that funding is equitable throughout Pennsylvania.

"I also want people to have access to affordable health care," said Hirsh.

Piccola said economic development and jobs have always been his top priorities "and contrary to what my opponent said, 'I've been responsible for retaining or creating over 10,000 jobs in Pennsylvania. I've been given repeatedly the NFIB 'Small Business Guardian' award and the Catalyst Award by the regional chamber of commerce. And just over here on Hersheypark Drive, Hershey Foods was about to leave the state to put in a new distribution center. I went to work and got a new extension to Hersheypark Drive that kept those jobs right here in Pennsylvania.

"In addition to economic development, we have to reform state government, to make it responsive to your needs," said Piccola. "And I have been a leader in the reform movement in the senate and we will make sure that has a priority in the new term."

Two specific things Piccola said he would like to see accomplished are a Constitutional Convention and an initiative and referendum "so that you the people have a voice in changing the structure of your government."

Small Business

Hirsh said as a small business owner, "I understand the challenges we have and one of the areas that are particularly difficult today is providing healthcare coverage for our employees. It's just too expensive."

Since 2001, over 500,000 people no longer have employer-sponsored healthcare, said Hirsh. "It's a crisis. Seven hundred thousands people in this state do not have healthcare. I would support small business grants that would provide up to 25 percent of a tax credit for small businesses, helping them provide healthcare coverage for their employees."

Piccola said one way to help small businesses would be not to hurt them by putting upon them additional taxation and layers and layers and layers of bureaucracy.

"Unlike my opponent, I opposed Gov. Rendell's massive, unnecessary healthcare proposal. This proposal is under-funded, will result in over a $2 billion tax increase and the bulk of that tax increase will fall upon small business and individuals. We simply cannot afford excessive government spending in this day when we have a very uncertain financial future. New and unproven programs should be rejected until we have a firm idea of how they will work and how we're going to pay for them."

Hirsh countered Piccola, saying she has never advocated any plan that would cost $2 billion. "I'm only in support of putting more people on the roles of our adult basic coverage The last proposal before the Governor would have included about 140,000 people It's not going to raise your taxes. It's using money that's already there."

Reform

Hirsh said there are a number of measures that are needed to reform state government, including campaign finance reform, term limits and open records laws.

"Our government is obviously riddled with inefficiency, corruption and with problems," she said. "It needs our attention and we need to look at how we can fix some of the things that are going on there, but the real issue is what's going on in our local district.

"What we really need to do is solve the problem of our working families in this district. We need new energy and new ideas, not someone who has been in office for 32 years and has been walking through it and in the last two years decided reform is where it's all at and what it's all about."

Piccola called Hirsh's statement on campaign finance reform "hypocritical," especially when he said, "She has been the beneficiary of hundreds of thousands of dollars from some of the very interesting suspects that deal with reform - Shawn Romalley, indicted over Bonus Gate, Mike Veon, indicted over Bonus Gate, Vince Fumo, on trial as we speak for corruption in Philadelphia, and Governor Rendell. I find it kind of hypocritical to say that she wants to deal with campaign finance reform.

"The reform I want to see done is a Constitutional Convention so that you can decide how you'd like your government to look and then initiative/referendum so you can petition and put on the ballot questions of public policy that you want to see changed."

Hirsh disputed Piccola's allegations. "I don't believe any of those people, other than the Governor, has contributed to my campaign. And you can look at my report," she said.

"And speaking of reform," said Hirsh, holding up one of Piccola's campaign mailers, "I want to make sure, if I'm elected, that someone can't send out mail that is so misleading and false. I want to make sure there's an entity that will police statements such as 'Judy's friends pulled the strings.' This is unconscionable. How can someone who is touting reform send out mail like this? We need to have penalties in place to make sure this kind of mail is not sent out, making accusations that are false and misleading."

Holding up one of Hirsh's mailers, Piccola responded, saying he would certainly agree. "I have never run a negative campaign and I would submit I'm not running one now. Miss Hirsh, I agree with you. So stop with your negative campaigning and then maybe we'll get somewhere."

Healthcare

Piccola said he favors a plan proposed in the senate that would expand adult basic "in a way that is affordable and sustainable economically." But beyond that, he said, "We need to develop a plan that is going to cut the cost for healthcare providers, hospitals and doctors. We have too many doctors leaving this state because of the cost of malpractice liability insurance. We need to level the playing field."

Hirsh said it's shameful that this country, the wealthiest in the world, has so many without health insurance. "It's easy for Sen. Piccola to say we can look at other things, but he has a gold-plated health-care plan that the taxpayers pay for. Meanwhile we have 700,000 people in the Commonwealth without health insurance. I would propose what was passed overwhelmingly by the House - the Access to Basic Care - which would put many more people onto the roles of Adult Basic. And it would be paid for from the healthcare retention fund not from current tax dollars."

That plan, said Piccola, would cost $2 billion. "It is not sustainable economically," he said. "I have supported the CHIP program and adult basic. We can do those things in an affordable kind of way."

Hirsh countered, "There's enough money in the healthcare retention fund to provide five years of funding for putting about 150,000 people onto the roles of the adult basic care. In that way, we can get this program up and running and hopefully by then, the federal government will take over and they'll have a great plan in place."

Piccola responded, "She just admitted that at the very best there's five years. I submit there's a lot less. At the end of whatever period of time that is, you are going to pick up the tab in excess of $2 billion. You cannot afford it and the federal government is not going to come to our aid."

Gaming Revenue

Hirsh said gaming revenues are increasing and so will the rebates on local property taxes, to the tune of $190. "Regardless of how you feel about gaming, with this current economy and how everyone feels about local property taxes, it's some relief to the citizens of the Commonwealth."

Piccola, who voted against the gaming law, said he still doesn't believe that bringing gaming into Pennsylvania has done anything productive for the Commonwealth. "Assuming that $190 is what we're going to get, local property taxes are going to go up a lot more than that. I favor getting rid of school property taxes and having the Commonwealth step up to the plate and fund education that it's supposed to. My opponent, however, thinks the property tax are just fine - a stable source of revenue. You tell that to the senior citizen who is about to lose their home or the young working family who is losing their dream of homeownership."

Hirsh shot back, saying Sen. Piccola has not been a strong advocate for public education, voting on budgets that have "included very little funding for our schools. Our public schools deserve better," she said. "And we need to make sure that we focus our attention and put the state up to the responsibility of providing full and equitable funding for our students. Our public schools are the backbone of our community and it's also what makes our property worth anything. Nobody wants to live in an area where your public schools aren't good. If we don't fund our schools with proper and equitable funding, our houses aren't going to be worth anything."

Piccola said he just voted this year for a budget that his opponent praised "for providing the best source of funding for public education that we ever had. I also question her belief that we have to have property taxes so that we have good homes. I suggest there is no relationship between the value of property and the quality of the educational services that we should be providing. Every child in Pennsylvania deserves an equal quality education without regard to where they live."

Public Education Funding

Piccola has introduced legislation to eliminate the property tax and broaden the state sales tax to raise the revenues necessary to replace the property tax. "But I'm open to considering other sources of revenue with the goal being we get rid of school property taxes. There is no relationship between the value of property and the value of the quality of services that schools are giving to those students. We fund education 60 percent from school property tax and we should not be using that 19th century tax to fund a 21st century education. It just doesn't make any sense. It's archaic and unfair."

Hirsh said in this type of economy, where people don't have extra money to spend, where would a sales tax leave the public schools? "If we were dependent upon automobile sales to fund our public education system, our schools would be in big trouble. We owe more to our children to provide them with a stable source of taxes and revenue for their education. We need to make sure our schools are funded properly and equitably. Each child should be entitled to the same education. We need a local property tax to fund our public schools."

School Vouchers

"I do not support vouchers," said Hirsh. "I believe our public schools are where our public funds should be directed. I have no problem with private schools. Two of my children go to private schools, but I do believe we need to pay for our private schools with our own money. That's a choice we make as a citizen as to where we want to spend our money."

"I find it hypocritical of someone who can afford to exercise choice denying that same choice to someone with less means," responded Piccola.

Piccola supports vochers and was one of the architects of the Education Improvement Tax Credit, which supports school choice by providing scholarships to low income students to attend private and parochial schools in Pennsylvania. He also helped write the Charter School law, which provides public school choice, and he wrote the Cyber Charter School law, which provides the ability of parents to home school a child to do so as a public school.

Same Sex Marriage

Piccola said he would not favor changing Pennsylvania law stating that marriage should only be between a man and a woman.

Hirsh said people should be entitled to share their lives with whomever they like. "It's not right to target different groups and to discriminate against people based on personal choices."

Newspaper's mistake used in campaign mailer

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

Patriot-News

By Carrie Cassidy

The use of a mistake published by The Patriot-News about a debate last week between foes in the race for the state's 15th Senatorial District is being used by one of the candidates in his latest campaign mailer.

Democrat Judy Hirsh's campaign is criticizing her Republican opponent, state Sen. Jeffrey Piccola, R-Dauphin, for using the inaccurate information to "mislead voters," but a spokesman for Piccola defended the use of the information, saying it accurately describes Hirsh's stance on property taxes.

"The property tax system doesn't exist without tax increases," Piccola spokesman Josh Wilson said today. "That's the fundamental reason Jeffrey Piccola is advocating an elimination of property taxes as a way to fund education because, historically, school boards don't decrease taxes.

"You can't be for the property tax system and not be for property tax increases."

At the debate sponsored last week by the Hershey Area League of Women Voters, Hirsh defended the role of property taxes in funding education but did not propose a tax increase.

Her position was inaccurately reported in a story published in the Oct. 21 edition of The Patriot-News, but a correction ran the next day.

Despite the correction, Piccola's campaign sent to his constituents a mailer that cites the Oct. 21 story. Under The Patriot-News logo and the date it ran is a quote from the articles which states, "Hirsh defended property tax increases saying they were necessary ..."

Elena Cross, Hirsh's campaign manager, said the mailers and the ads about the race airing on television and the Internet show just how intense this race is getting with eight days left until the general election.

"I think it's a shame that someone who describes himself as an ethical reformer to stoop to these low-end, typical campaign tricks," Cross said. "If he was such a reformer that he claims to be, why do we see the same old dirty politics?

"That's so completely misleading. The voters of the 15th District deserve better than that."