Candidate for
State Representative; District 13; Democratic Party

Top 3 Political Priorities

1) Curbing Rising Property Taxes by Increasing State's Share of Funding for Education, Managing Growth, and Exploring Alternative Educational Funding Resources.

Our increasing property taxes reflect a crisis in education funding. The average household in the area pays about $6,000 annually in property taxes to finance education. That's roughly half of what it costs to educate just one child, and of course many households have more than one child. We need to move away from property taxes as the primary source of funding education. There are three fundamental approaches we should take. First and foremost, the State must make education a top budgetary priority and assume more of the burden of cost: Pennsylvania funds just 35 percent of the cost of education compared with a national average of 50 percent. Second, we must overhaul state laws that favor developers and prevent municipalities from managing growth in their communities, including the Municipalities Planning Code (MPC) and the 'Fair Share' law. The MPC requires municipalities to allow for all types of development + including residential, and the 'Fair Share' law requires that developers get their "fair share" of land to develop. Unchecked development will continue to bring more school age children into our area + and keep property taxes skyrocketing. Lastly, we need to seek alternative capitol resources for financing education such as the expected windfall from slots gaming. Managing Growth includes revitalizing our town centers and pursuing `good neighbor' businesses that support our tax base.

2) Protecting our Open Space, our Agricultural Lands and our Environment by Overhauling State Planning Code and Investing in Renewable Energy

Chester County is a treasure worth preserving. We have some of the most beautiful landscapes, and the most fertile soil in the nation. We can't let our land be consumed by over-development. The right to define the character of communities should lie with residents not developers. We need representatives that are not beholden to special interests. I have not, nor will I accept contributions from developers. The developer-friendly Municipalities Planning Code should be amended and the misguided 'Fair Share' doctrine should be abolished. There are some who believe we can build our way out of congestion. That is precisely the philosophy that drove the plans for two major, catastrophic bypasses that would cut through farmland and existing homes in London Grove and forever change the character of Southern Chester County. Excess roadways actually induce growth and create the need for more roadways in a never-ending cycle.

Protecting our environment is crucial. What is more important? We must preserve our open space, and continue to improve the quality of our air and local water sources. I will support initiatives like Growing Greener I & II that clean up our rivers and streams and protect our natural areas and working farms. It is imperative that we reduce our environmental exposure to harmful heavy metals like Mercury. ACRE, a pro-factory farm bill that allows the State Attorney General to strike down township or borough ordinances aimed at placing pollution controls on factory farms, should be amended if not re-written. Industrial composting should be reclassified under the 'Right to Farm' law as an industrial process + not agricultural + so that it can be regulated as such.

Investing in renewable sources of clean energy and energy conservation is both environmentally and economically responsible. Doing so will liberate us from our reliance on foreign oil, create local jobs, and improve our national security. I support the expansion of Pennsylvania's energy production and energy technology sectors, and seek to enhance the State's role in promoting alternative energy technologies like wind power, solar power, hydroelectricity, biomass, and deploying low carbon coal technologies.

3) Forging a Bipartisan Solution to Quality, Affordable Healthcare for all Pennsylvanians

Providing access to quality, affordable healthcare for all Pennsylvanians is in the best interests of everyone. The growing numbers of uninsured and underinsured compels us to do something now. Uncompensated care (such as ER visits for non-urgent medical treatment) and the inevitable expense resulting from individuals who are untreated or under treated due to a lack of healthcare insurance ultimately costs us all and brings higher taxes and higher premiums for everyone. We need solutions like Governor Rendell's Prescription for Pennsylvania, a program designed to improve access to affordable, quality healthcare for all. Insuring our workforce and improving our health benefits will make Pennsylvania a more competitive employer - creating more viable job opportunities, a greater competitive advantage for small business and retention of our best and brightest graduates.

Partisan bickering in Harrisburg brings gridlock, instead of the changes many of us know we need. As the Chairman of London Grove's Board of Supervisors, I have changed the way the township conducts business. Staff hires and appointments to Boards and Commissions are now based on a person's qualifications and not their party. Despite Democrats being outnumbered 3 to 1 in the township, I was recently re-elected. I have received endorsements from two republican Supervisors (Dave Eckard & Bill Welsh), and have strong supporter from voters of all parties.

I have proven that I can work across party lines to lead my township to historic achievements and I will fight for our district across the legislative agenda.