Meet the candidates
Make your vote count at the polls Tuesday, Nov. 6
The Sentinel www.cumberlink.com
Tuesday, October 30
D2 • The Sentinel
Here are Cumberland County’s polling places. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Camp Hill 1 Fredricksen Library 100 N. 19th Street, Camp Hill Camp Hill 2 Prosser Hall 2145 Walnut Street, Camp Hill Camp Hill 3 Schaeffer Elementary School 2900 Walnut Street, Camp Hill Camp Hill 4 Fiala Memorial Community Bldg South 21st Street & Dickinson Ave, Camp Hill Camp Hill 5 Camp Hill High School Band Room 24th & Chestnut Streets, Camp Hill Carlisle 1-1 St. John’s Episcopal Church 1 N. Hanover Street, Carlisle Carlisle 1-2 Carlisle Alliance Church 237 E. North Street, Carlisle Carlisle 2 Carlisle Band Hall 35 E. South Street, Carlisle Carlisle 3-1 Grace United Methodist Church 45 S. West Street, Carlisle Carlisle 3-2 Forest Park Health Center 700 Walnut Bottom Road, Carlisle Carlisle3-3 Carlisle Baptist Church 701 Walnut Bottom Road, Carlisle Carlisle 4-1 One West Penn Apartments – Community Room 1 West Penn Street, Carlisle Carlisle 4-2 Grace Baptist Church 777 W. North Street, Carlisle Carlisle 5 Stuart Community Center 415 Franklin Street, Carlisle Cooke Cooke Township Building 1700 Centerville Road, Newville Dickinson North Dickinson Township Building 219 Mountain View Road, Mt. Holly Dickinson South Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church 4200 Carlisle Road, Gardners East Pennsboro 1 Oyster Mill Playhouse 1001 Oyster Mill Road, Camp Hill East Pennsboro 2 and 4 West Enola Fire Company 118 Chester Road, Enola East Pennsboro 3 West Creek Hills Elementary School
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Polling places in Cumberland County 400 Erford Road, Camp Hill East Pennsboro 5 Midway Fire Company #2 17 E. Manor Ave, Enola East Pennsboro 6 West Fairview Goodwill Fire Company #1 3rd & Abolition Streets, Enola East Pennsboro 7 Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church 225 Salt Road, Enola East Pennsboro 8 East Penn Elementary School 840 Panther Parkway, Enola East Pennsboro 9 East Penn Senior Center @ East Penn Township Building 98 S. Enola Drive, Enola East Pennsboro 10 Northeast Fire & Rescue 202 Third Street, Summerdale Hampden 1 Hampden Twp. Recreation Building – Community Room 5001 Park Street, Mechanicsburg Hampden 2 Hampden Township Emergency Services Building 295 S. Sporting Hill Road, Mechanicsburg Hampden 3 Full Gospel Church of God 220 St.John’s Church Road, Camp Hill Hampden 4 St. Timothy Lutheran Church 4200 Carlisle Pike, Camp Hill Hampden 5 & 6 Good Hope Middle School 451 Skyport Road, Mechanicsburg Hampden 7 West Shore Brethren in Christ Church 1085 Orrs Bridge Road, Mechanicsburg Hampden 8 New Covenant Fellowship Church 4500 Creekview Road, Mechanicsburg Hampden 9 Emergency Services Building North. 1200 Good Hope Road, Mechanicsburg Hampden 10 Aldersgate United Methodist Church 1480 Jerusalem Road, Mechanicsburg Hampden 11 St. James Presbyterian Church 1425 Orrs Bridge Road, Mechanicsburg Hampden 12 Capital Area Christian Church 1775 Lambs Gap Road, Mechanicsburg
Hopewell Hopewell Township Building 415 Three Square Hollow Road, Newburg Lemoyne 1 Trinity Lutheran Church 509 Hummel Ave, Lemoyne Lemoyne 2 West Shore Bureau of Fire, Station 1 326 Herman Ave, Lemoyne Lemoyne 3 Calvary United Methodist Church 700 Market Street, Lemoyne Lemoyne 4 Lemoyne Community Building 510 Herman Ave, Lemoyne Lower Allen 1 and LA 1 Annex Lower Allen Twp. Fire Company #2 800 S. Rupp Ave, Mechanicsburg Lower Allen 2 Christian Life Assembly 2645 Lisburn Road, Camp Hill Lower Allen 3 Municipal Services Center 2233 Gettysburg Road, Camp Hill Lower Allen 4 Faith United Church of Christ 1120 Drexel Hills Blvd, New Cumberland Lower Allen 5 Christ Presbyterian Church 421 Deerfield Road, Camp Hill Lower Allen 6 Bethany Village 325 Wesley Drive, Mechanicsburg Lower Frankford Lower Frankford Township Building 1205 Easy Road, Carlisle Lower Mifflin Lower Mifflin Township Building 529 Shed Road, Newville Mechanicsburg 1 St. Mark’s Lutheran Church 117 W. Keller Street, Mechanicsburg Mechanicsburg 2-1 Mech. Presbyterian Church 300 E. Simpson Street, Mechanicsburg Mechanicsburg 2-2 Wesley United Methodist Church 201 S. Filbert Street, Mechanicsburg Mechanicsburg 3 First Church of God Community Center. 201 E. Green Street, Mechanicsburg Mechanicsburg 4 Mechanicsburg Municipal Center 36 W. Allen Street, Mechanicsburg Mechanicsburg 5 Citizen’s Fire and Rescue #2 208 S. York Street, Mechanicsburg Middlesex 1 Middlesex Township Building
350 N. Middlesex Road, Carlisle Middlesex 2 Hickorytown United Methodist Church 1677 Trindle Road, Carlisle Monroe 1 Monroe Municipal Building 1220 Boiling Springs Road, Mechanicsburg Monroe 2 Monroe Fire Company 1225 Peffer Road, Mechanicsburg Mt. Holly Springs Citizens Fire Company #1 100 Chestnut Street, Mt. Holly Springs New Cumberland 1-1 New Cumberland River Rescue 319 4th Street, New Cumberland New Cumberland 2-1 New Cumberland River Rescue Building 12th & Market Streets, New Cumberland New Cumberland 2-2 St. Theresa Parish 1300 Bridge Street, New Cumberland New Cumberland 2-3 New Cumberland Library – Foundation Hall 498 9th Street, New Cumberland Newburg Newburg-Hopewell Fire Dept 106 N. High Street, Newburg Newville North and South Friendship Fire Company #1 15 E. Big Spring Ave, Newville North Middleton 1 North Middleton Fire Company #2 2061 Spring Road, Carlisle North Middleton 2 Lighthouse Church of God 910 Cavalry Road, Carlisle North Middleton 3 North Middleton Fire Company #1 310 N. Middleton Road, Carlisle North Newton North Newton Twp. Community Park Building 528 Oakville Road, Shippensburg Penn Penn Township Volunteer Fire Company 1750 Pine Road, Newville Shippensburg East Oasis of Love Church 303 S.Washington Street,Shippensburg Shippensburg Middle First Church of God Annex 5 N. Prince Street, Shippensburg Shippensburg Township Conference Center at Shippensburg University 500 Newburg Road, Shippensburg Shiremanstown Shiremanstown Borough Hall
1 Park Lane, Shiremanstown Silver Spring 1 New Kingstown Fire Company 277 N. Locust Point Road, Mechanicsburg Silver Spring 2 Good News Free Methodist Church 124 State Road, Mechanicsburg Silver Spring 3 Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church 208 Woods Drive, Mechanicsburg Silver Spring 4 Silver Spring Presbyterian Church 444 Silver Spring Road, Mechanicsburg Silver Spring 5 CV High School Gym, Door 10 6746 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg Silver Spring 6 St. Katharine Drexel Church 1 Peter Drive, Mechanicsburg Silver Spring 7 Silver Spring Township Social Hall 6471 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg Silver Spring 8 Cumberland Perry Vo-Tech 110 Old Willow Mill Road, Mechanicsburg Silver Spring 9 St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church 6389 Wertzville Road, Enola South Middleton 1 Mt.Victory United Methodist Church 1 Victory Church Road, Gardners South Middleton 2 South Middleton Township Building 520 Park Drive, Boiling Springs South Middleton 3 Mt. Holly Springs Church of God 602 McLand Road, Mt. Holly Springs South Middleton 4 St. Patrick Church 85 Marsh Drive, Carlisle South Middleton 5 Carlisle Evangelical Free Church 290 Petersburg Road, Carlisle South Middleton 6 AND 7 Citizens Fire Co. #1 405 Forge Road, Boiling Springs South Middleton 8 Carlisle First Church of the Brethren 1340 Forge Road, Carlisle South Middleton 9 Otterbein United Methodist Church 647 Forge Road, Carlisle South Newton South Newton Township Volunteer Fire Co. 16 Firehouse Road,Walnut Bottom Southampton Lower Southampton Township Building 200 Airport Road, Shippensburg Southampton Upper 1 Middle Spring Presbyterian Church 135 Middle Spring Road, Shippensburg Southampton Upper 2
Southampton Township Multi-Purpose Center 56 Cleversburg Road, Shippensburg Upper Allen 1 Daybreak Church 321 Gettysburg Pike, Mechanicsburg Upper Allen 2 Grantham Brethren in Christ Church 421 Grantham Road, Mechanicsburg Upper Allen 3 Shepherdstown United Methodist Church 1934 S.York Street, Mechanicsburg Upper Allen 4 St. Peter Lutheran Church 130 Nittany Drive, Mechanicsburg Upper Allen 5 Bowmansdale Church of God 101 E. Lisburn Road, Mechanicsburg Upper Allen 6 Crossroads Community Church 1425 S. Market Street, Mechanicsburg Upper Allen 7 Messiah Village 100 Mount Allen Drive, Mechanicsburg Upper Allen 8 Upper Allen Township Municipal Building 100 Gettysburg Pike, Mechanicsburg Upper Allen 9 Immanuel Alliance Church 800 S. Market Street, Mechanicsburg Upper Allen 10 Temple Beth Shalom of Greater Harrisburg 913 Allendale Road, Mechanicsburg Upper Frankford Upper Frankford Fire Company #1 4080 Enola Road, Newville Upper Mifflin Upper Mifflin Township Building 455 Whiskey Run Road, Newville West Pennsboro Lower West Penn Volunteer Fire Company 20 Park Road, Plainfield West Pennsboro Upper Newville Assembly of God 403 Oak Flat Road, Newville Wormleysburg 1 Knisely Hall S. 2nd & Market Streets, Wormleysburg Wormleysburg 2 Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 1000 Yverdon Drive, Camp Hill
The Sentinel • D3
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Vote the Cumberland County Republican Team! Tom Smith
John Maher
U.S. Senate
Auditor General
MiTT RoMney & Paul Ryan president & vice president
David Freed
Diana Irey Vaughan
Attorney General
Treasurer
Lou Barletta
Glen Grell 87th District
Patricia Vance
U.S. Congress 11th District
State Senate 31st Senatorial District
Sheryl Delozier
Rob Kauffman
88th District
89th District
Scott Perry U. S. Congress 4th District
Mike Regan 92nd District
Stephen Bloom 199th District
Paid for by Cumberland County Republican Committee John Gross, Chairman Paul Fisher, CPA, Treasurer
D4 • The Sentinel
Tuesday, October30, 2012
State Attorney General David Freed - Republican What issues would you want to focus on as attorney general? As Pennsylvania’s next Attorney General I will bring peace-of-mind to families concerned for the safety of their children, security to adults who worry about the vulnerability of their aging parents, protections to consumers, and confidence to law abiding citizens and businesses that shouldn’t have to worry about political corruption or an overreaching government. I will also create a Cyber Crime Center to bring together law enforcement agencies across the state and nation to identify and address new technologies used by criminals; a Synthetic Drug Task Force to wage war against the nefarious chemists were devising new formulations to get in the hands of users, addicts and worst of all – experimenting kids; and Special Victims Unit where speciallytrained attorneys and victim service personnel will advocate on behalf of victims of crime and
work with community agencies to ensure that they receive the necessary, timely services and timely justice.
How have recent news headlines impacted your view on the role of an attorney general? Public corruption, illegal and synthetic drugs, child abuse, technologydriven crimes such as elder abuse and identity theft and the Jerry Sandusky case have dominated the news. These crimes aren’t just something we hear about, they are crimes that have had an impact in the lives of our neighbors and our communities. They also show that Pennsylvania’s next Attorney General must be a highly qualified prosecutor who has experience making the tough calls and understands when vigilance must turn into aggressive action. I believe prosecutors don’t just prosecute cases. They must be nimble enough to react to current trends and able to institute changes to address the pressing needs
of law enforcement. As a 15-year prosecutor and Cumberland County’s District Attorney since 2006, I have the boots on the ground experience – convicting murderers, running grand jury investigations, taking down child pornographers and locking up drug dealers, child molesters and arsonists – that Pennsylvania families, seniors, communities and businesses can trust to make them safer and more secure.
As Vice President of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, I have also worked with my colleagues across the state to ensure that convictions are convictions with integrity. I have led the efforts to make bath salts and synthetic marijuana illegal and helped to close the loopholes in Megan’s Law. I am also the only candidate in this race to be endorsed by over 40 Pennsylvania District Attorneys.
reaching power grabs by the federal government. They want an Attorney General who will protect the taxpayers by rooting out corruption, waste, fraud and abuse from any source – whether in the board rooms of Pennsylvania corporations or in the back rooms of Pennsylvania government. And they want an Attorney General who will always do the right thing for the right reason – regardless of the consequences.
What can you bring to the position of AG that no one else can?
What do you think voters want from an attorney general?
Proven experience and unmatched qualifications. Like my opponent I too was an Assistant District Attorney. However my experience goes way beyond that. I was also the First Assistant District Attorney and for the last 7 years I have been an elected District Attorney. I am the only candidate in this race whose name has been on the bottom line; running a law enforcement office and deciding whether there is enough evidence to proceed.
The voters want an Attorney General with the proven experience and qualifications they can trust to make them safer and more secure. They want an Attorney General who is a practicing prosecutor. They want an Attorney General who knows how to navigate the need to be tough on crime and smart on crime at the same time. They want an Attorney General who will protect our rights and state sovereignty by fighting against over-
How much of a role does politics play into the position of attorney general? Politics will not play into the position if I am elected Attorney General. I will not act politically expedient. I will not set aside what is right for some larger political cause. What you will see is someone who does the right thing for the right reason, regardless of the consequence. That is what I have done as Cumberland County’s District Attorney for the last 7 years and that is what I will do as Attorney General.
The Sentinel • D5
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
State Attorney General Kathleen Kane - Democrat
What issues would you want to focus on as attorney general? My top priorities as attorney general will be: Fighting violent crimes. I’ll work with state and local law enforcement to prosecute violent criminals and criminal organizations that traffic in illegal drugs and weapons and use violence to further their illegal purposes. Putting sexual predators behind bars. I specialized in the prosecution of sexual abuse and have called for ending the statute of limitations against prosecuting sexual predators. I proposed a Child Protection Initiative to dramatically increase the number of investigators and prosecutors dedicated to protecting Pennsylvania’s children, expanded reporting requirements for suspected child abuse, and increase information sharing on suspected predators. Fighting public corrup-
tion. Holding elected officials and government employees accountable, regardless of party, will be a priority. I will use my experience in prosecuting corruption, including my work to put away a corrupt judge, in helping clean up government in Pennsylvania. Protecting seniors and other Pennsylvanians from fraud and theft. The well-documented corporate activities contributing to the economic downturn and housing crisis have demonstrated the need for Pennsylvania to have an active consumer watchdog protecting its citizens’ interests. I will aggressively use the civil and criminal enforcement powers to pursue justice for defrauded individuals and their families.
How have recent news headlines (Sandusky scandal, synthetic drugs, etc.) impacted your view on the role of an attorney general? The recent headlines serve as an important reminder of the strong impact the Attorney General has on the lives of Pennsylvanians and on the importance of having a tough and independent prosecutor in that office. As the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the Commonwealth, the Attorney General is often the last line of defense for victims of crime. From these headlines, it is abundantly clear that politics must be removed from the Attorney General’s Office.
What can you bring to the position of attorney general that no one else can? What I bring that no one
else can to the Attorney General’s Office is my political independence and lengthy experience as a prosecutor of child sexual assault. We need a prosecutor not a politician as Attorney General. I am an experienced prosecutor who has never before run for office. My opponent was handpicked by Governor Corbett and the Harrisburg establishment. In addition, with over 12 years of experience in the prosecution of child sexual assault, I am the only candidate with the specialized training and experience needed to prosecute these types of crimes.
of their families. I commit to
What do you think voters want from an attorney general?
dent watchdog for the people
Pennsylvanians’ want a tough, experienced Attorney General who is independent from the politics of Harrisburg. Pennsylvanians want to know that politics will never be placed above the safety
them that I will be a prosecutor, not a politician, in that office.
How much of a role does politics play into the position of attorney general? I have said since I began my campaign that politics should play no part in an Attorney General’s decisions. Pennsylvanian’s Attorney General must be an indepenof our Commonwealth. Politics has no place in the Attorney General’s Office, and if I am fortunate enough to your next Attorney General, politics will have no place in mine.
D6 • The Sentinel
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
U.S. Senate Tom Smith - Republican What are the most important issues? What should PA residents be most concerned about? The most important issue facing our nation is growing the economy and creating jobs. I am running to preserve the American Dream for our children and grandchildren. This country afforded me the opportunity to live that dream – as a union coal miner, I mortgaged everything to start my own energy company. Through hard work and perseverance, I grew that company creating hundreds of jobs here in Pennsylvania. It’s time we stop the deficit spending, start paying down the debt and relax the oppressive overregulation that has stifled economic growth and left more than a half-million Pennsylvanians still without work. Partisan gridlock and career politicians like Bob Casey have failed to deliver solutions for the many challenges we face. I will bring a common-sense business approach that is fo-
cused on solutions, not politics.
Government spending is a widespread issue across all the races (from the local level up to the presidential race). What specific ways will you cut spending? How is the budget situation unique in Pennsylvania when compared with other states? I’ll concede that both parties have played a role in creating the economic turmoil we are experiencing. However, since Bob Casey was elected, our national debt has nearly doubled, now $16 trillion. Senator Casey has voted to raise the debt ceiling seven times, while never offering a single solution to reign in the outof-control spending. And for more than three years, the career politicians in congress have failed to pass a budget. I have a few simple ideas
to get our spending under control. First, if Congress doesn’t do its job by passing a budget, they don’t get paid. Second, let’s pass a balanced budget amendment – the American people deserve elected representatives who will respect their hardearned tax dollars. Finally, I believe that we need to examine every department, agency and program to root out waste, abuse and duplicated services
What do you think is slowing economic recovery in PA? Economic recovery is suffocated by burdensome regulation, overly complicated taxation, and lack of leadership from the highly partisan polarization in Washington. My plan to ‘Restore the American Dream’ simplifies the tax code, ends out-of-control federal spending, fights overregulation, empowers domestic energy, and reforms our health care and social security program through common sense reforms.
How will you help create jobs? What industries are unique to PA that will create jobs and help grow the economy? I’ve proposed a detailed plan to grow the economy and create jobs – you can read it on my website: http:// www.tomsmithforsenate.com. In six years, Bob Casey has not passed a single bill to create jobs, and has failed to propose a plan of his own. I will help to create jobs by working in Washington to get government out of the way and off the backs of the American people. This includes stopping deficit spending by passing a Balanced Budget Amendment. We need to throw out the current tax code and replace it with a simple flat tax that eliminates special interest loopholes and allows for long term planning. We also must reign in overregulation by the federal government that is crushing economic recovery. By
doing this we will help grow industries that are essential to Pennsylvanians. Industries such as the coal and Marcellus Shale that will help secure our energy independence. Pennsylvania’s largest industry, agriculture, relies on the free market and creates jobs far away from the farm. Other industries will be essential to Pennsylvania’s growth like manufacturing, the medical industry, biotechnology, and information technology.
What direction would you like to see our country go in? Hardworking Americans, allowed to keep more of their hard earned money and dream big dreams, are the path to prosperity. I believe that the private sector creates jobs, not government spending and government programs. We need to empower the hardworking American with a healthy economy to live the American dream.
The Sentinel • D7
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
U.S. Senate Sen. Bob Casey - Democrat
What are the most important issues? What should PA residents be most concerned about? The most important issue facing Pennsylvania and the country is how we grow the economy and create good paying middle class jobs. As Pennsylvania’s Senator, I led the fight to pass the payroll tax cut which put more money into the pockets of middle class Pennsylvanians and I opposed unfair trade deals that ship jobs overseas, while protecting and strengthening Medicare for seniors. My opponent is running to implement the Tea Party economic agenda that will crush the middle class and end Medicare as we know it. Tom’s Smith plan would cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires, allow China to keep cheating and raise taxes on the middle class by $2, 400. Tom Smith’s plan would end Medicare’s guaranteed benefit and increase costs for Pennsylvania seniors by $6,
400.
Government spending is a widespread issue across all the races (from the local level up to the presidential race). What specific ways will you cut spending? How is the budget situation unique in Pennsylvania when compared with other states? I’ve voted to cut over $1 trillion in spending from the budget and I think we need to cut more. Earlier this year I supported the Budget Control Act which would actually cap spending on programs to bring down the debt and deficit. As a former Auditor, I know how to find waste and abuse in budget. I’ll continue to insist that Congress tackles waste in the budget and ends duplicative programs that aren’t working. The bottom line is that we need to continue to cut spending, and do it in a balanced way that maintains critical investments in educa-
tion and investment while asking millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share.
What do you think is slowing economic recovery in PA? Pennsylvania has the best workforce in the world. They just need a fair shot. One challenge Pennsylvania’s economy faces - particularly in the area of manufacturing - is unfair trade and outsourcing. When China and other countries cheat, hardworking Pennsylvanians lose jobs. In Congress, I led the effort to pass bipartisan legislation that would stop China from cheating and stealing our manufacturing jobs and I opposed unfair trade deals to Colombia and South Korea that will cost more jobs. I also have a plan to end tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas and instead give tax breaks to companies that create Pennsylvania jobs.
How will you help create jobs? What industries are unique to PA that will create jobs and help grow the economy? Growing the middle class is the key to moving Pennsylvania’s economy forward. The best way to grow the middle class is to keep their taxes low, invest in priorities that create jobs and ensure that we tackle outsourcing. Natural gas development can provide a major economic boost to the Commonwealth. I’ve authored several pieces of legislation that would increase investments in natural gas development so that more Pennsylvanians can find work in this growing industry.
What direction would you like to see our country go in? This election is a choice between two very different visions for Pennsylvania and the country. I have a plan to strengthen the middle class by invest-
ing in important priorities like infrastructure and education, keeping taxes low and fighting unfair trade practices that ships jobs overseas. What we need in the Senate are people willing to reach across the aisle and compromise to get things done. I have a record of working with both parties to find common ground and produce results, and I’ll continue to do so. My opponent is running to enact the Tea Party’s agenda. Tom Smith’s plan would end Medicare’s guaranteed benefit for seniors, privatize Social Security and give millionaires and billionaires a new $250, 000 tax cut while forcing the middle class to pay $2, 400 more. Tom Smith has promised to go to Washington to enact the Tea Party agenda. When I ran for U.S. Senate I promised Pennsylvanians I would always put our state first and be an independent voice and I have.
D8 • The Sentinel
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
U.S. 11 House Rep. Lou Barletta - Republican What do you think about the redistricting process? Is it fair or does it need to change? Congressional redistricting is very different from the process for the State House and Senate. Instead of a committee of five people determining the map, the legislature must approve the reapportionment and in drawing the congressional districts this year, there was bipartisan support. When they determined the boundaries for the “new” 11th District, they created a very fair district. It is 44% Democrat and 43% Republican.
How has redistricting affected your position on issues? Have some issues become more important than others now that the geography of the district has changed? The geography of the 11th District might have changed, but the issues have not. Whether I’m in Cumberland County or Luzerne County, everyone agrees that gas prices are too high. Farmers in
both Perry County and Columbia County are worried that new Washington regulations will make keeping the farm harder and harder and, if they are lucky enough to hold onto the farm, that their children will lose it if President Obama is successful in bringing back the death tax. And, no matter where I go, everyone agrees that we need people in Washington that understand how to bring people together, solve the tough problems, and get things done with jobs being job number one.
Government spending is a widespread issue across all the races (from the local level up to the presidential race.) What specific ways will you cut spending in your district? How is the budget situation unique in your district? What should resident in your district be most concerned about? Under President Obama, the debt increased by $5.38 trillion or 51% bringing our debt to $16 trillion for the first time in our nation’s
history. To put it another way, every child born today owes the federal government more than $51,000 to pay off their share of the national debt. It is unacceptable to me, as I am sure it is to the American people, to saddle our children and grandchildren with inescapable debt. I’ve only been in Congress for two years, but during each of those years, we did our part by passing a budget. The Senate on the other hand, hasn’t passed a budget in four years. Our budgets, like the 39 jobs bills we passed to get Americans back to work, go to the Senate to die. President Obama did draw up a budget of his own. It raised taxes by $2 trillion and added over $11 trillion to the national debt leaving a debt bomb ticking in the hands of the next generation. No one could support his budget. When it came time for a vote, not a single Democrat – not even Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid – voted for the President’s budget. We are in a spendingdriven debt crisis that we cannot tax our way out of. It’s time for Washington to get serious about our debt and rein in out-of-
control spending. Washington needs to live within its means, just like most American families do. The President should exert whatever influence he has over the Senate and get them to pass a budget. Then, we should pass a balanced budget amendment to prevent this debt crisis from every happening again. In short – Washington needs to live within its means, just like most American families do.
What are the most important issues in your district? There are still more than 23 million Americans unemployed, underemployed, or have simply stopped looking for work. One in six Americans live in poverty and 47 million people still depend on food stamps to feed themselves and their families. Since President Obama took office, we’ve lost 600,000 manufacturing jobs – 38,000 in the last two months alone. Americans need jobs and a healthy economy to support them. Another issue of concern to many in our district is protecting Medicare. Medicare is scheduled to
run out of money in 2024 – just twelve years from now – if Washington continues to do nothing to save it. Obamacare makes it worse by taking $716 billion dollars from the program. That’s one of the reasons I voted over 30 times to repeal Obamacare and why we developed a plan that saves Medicare, protects benefits exactly as they are today for anyone 55 or older, and creates a new benefit plan for younger workers. Finally, there is the issue of taxation. At the start of next year, there is a massive tax increase scheduled to go into effect. According to the Heritage Foundation, our district alone will see an average tax increase in 2013 of $2,421 per tax return. Across the country, 940,000 small businesses will be hit with higher taxes and we will lose 700,000 jobs. I’ve voted to stop this tax increase but, as is too often the case, the Senate has failed to act to stop them. The American people must demand that
• See Barletta, D10
The Sentinel • D9
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
U.S. 11 House Gene Stilp - Democrat What do you think about the redistricting process? Is it fair or does it need to change? The new 11th Congressional district is 200 miles long and contains parts or all of 9 counties from Shippensburg to just south of the New York State border. The new Republican controlled redistricting has destroyed the geographic cohesiveness of the old congressional district lines and Cumberland County’s unique position in the old district. I was opposed to changing the old district lines. The redistricting process should be controlled by a independent, non-partisan board that looks at geographic cohesiveness so all the citizens of Cumberland County would be in the same congressional district in the future.
How has redistricting affected your position on issues? Have some issues become more important than others now that the geography of the district has changed? Protecting our military installations is one of the most important tasks that I would perform as your Congressman. The new 11th Congressional District has six of country’s best military installations within or near it’s borders. We have the Army War College, the Letterkenny Army Depot, the Mechanicsburg Naval Support Depot, the Army’s New Cumberland Defense Distribution Depot, the Indiantown Gap National Guard base, the Army Heritage center and the Tobyhanna Army Depot. As your Congressman I would form the 11th Congressional District Military Installation Protection Commission which would work with the Governor’s Base Commission, the Cumberland County Chamber of Commerce base protection efforts and all other counties’ efforts to
protect all the bases in the 11th Congressional District. We must keep our military strong and our ability to fight the conflicts of the 21st century at the most advanced levels, whether the threat be conventional or from a terrorist source.
Government spending is a widespread issue across all the races (from the local level up to the presidential race.) What specific ways will you cut spending in your district? How is the budget situation unique in your district? What should resident in your district be most concerned about? In order to bring the country into financial balance, unnecessary programs in each Federal department that waste ten of billions of dollars must be eliminated. Programs that are duplicative must be consolidated. Tens of billions in earmarks for special interests must be eliminated. The stranglehold that the largest corpo-
rate lobbyists have on our Congress must be broken so that the largest corporations pay their fair tax share and lift the huge tax burden off our small businesses which create a large portion of new jobs. Congress has let 35% of the country’s 275 largest corporations pay minimal taxes because the largest corporations have a strangled on incumbents through campaign contributions. Unnecessary private contractors with no-bid, open ended contracts must be stopped. I am committed to working with Congressmen on both sides of the aisle to avoid the extremes of either party and arrive at workable, productive and economically sensible policies for the financial survival of our country. My Congressional goal is to provide leadership for a functioning, productive, responsible Congress that never brings our country to a fiscal cliff again.
What are the most important issues in your district? The most important interests in the new 11th Congressional district are
the return to full employment, preserving Medicare and Social Security, guarding health care access for the middle class and the poor, honoring and helping our veterans, protecting and improving the local employment levels and full missions of all our local military installations, lifting the tax burdens from small businesses so that jobs will flourish, giving our students in schools from K through college the financial support help that is necessary to make sure our graduates are the most advanced in the world, lowering the property tax burden, repairing our roads, bridges and infrastructure, and protecting our air,water and lands. To protect our seniors I am for preserving Medicare and against the costly voucher system. I am for preserving Social Security and I am against privatizing Social Security which would open the program to the dangers of Wall Street, stock market financial collapses.
• See Stilp, D10
D10 • The Sentinel
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Election Day scenes from around Cumberland County
Sentinel file photos
Far right: Katie Moon, 17, helps Glen Railing begin the voting process at St. John’s Episcopal Church on the Square in Carlisle. Right: Vera Minnich concentrates while casting her vote at St. John’s Episocopal Church. Above: Abby Beam, left, and Nicholas Minnich make their way into Carlisle’s St. John’s Episocal Church to cast their votes.
Barletta • Continued from D8
U.S. Senators and the President join with House Republicans to stop this tax increase dead in its tracks.
What direction would you like to see our country go in? Entrepreneurship is at a 17 year low. The federal government creates a
new regulation every hour and fifty-five minutes of every day, creating 3,868 new regulations a year. Gas prices have more than doubled in President Obama’s first term. Unemployment hasn’t been this high for this long since the Great Depression. Half of all Americans are now considered poor or low income. A shocking statistic
that really brings it home to me is this: in a recent poll, only 17% percent of mothers believed their children would have a brighter future. We must bring certainty to the economy by stopping the massive tax hikes that are on the horizon, roll back the red tape that is strangling our businesses, and develop a smart energy policy that both lowers the
price at the pump and stops sending billions of dollars a day overseas to countries that don’t like us very much. If we do that, if we force Washington to take its foot off the throat of American businesses and workers, we will restore promise of America – that everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.
Stilp
• Continued from D9
What direction would you like to see our country go in? The United States must have a functioning Congress that stays away from partisan bickering, and extreme positions from either side. As your Congressman I will work with both sides to find the best solutions for our future. Our citizens are demanding that Congress free itself from the control of the largest corporate lobbyists who give incumbents
huge political contributions and who let the largest corporations pay little or no taxes while small business and middle class families are burdened with overwhelming taxes. Our country must move toward full employment, a streamlined government, a balanced budget, the best educational institutions in the world, a military with the best capabilities in the world to end any terrorist threats to our nation, and a strong safety net for our most vulnerable citizens.
The Sentinel • D11
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
U.S. 4 House Harry Perkinson - Democrat What is your opinion about the redistricting process? Is it fair or does it need to change? In my opinion, the redistricting process should be handled by a nonpartisan commission that uses mathematical models to draw the districts. Iowa and Colorado use this process and both have highly competitive elections and significantly better voter participation (your vote really does matter).
The geography of the 4th district has changed. How do you think this has changed the priority of issues residents face? What are the important issues in your district? Different parts of the District have different issues. Two major metropolitan areas in the Commonwealth are now in the 4th Congressional District, Harrisburg and York. Both present a unique set of problems associated with urban environments. Adams County remains predominately dependent on the agricultural industry and presents a different set of issues. Overall the pressing issues in the District include getting the economy going again so that we can have some significant job growth, making sure that the Social Security and Medicare programs are not cut, getting public education into stronger shape, and making sure that individuals rights are protected. We also will be facing important questions about protecting our environmental quality in the near future and currently with respect to natural gas drilling in the Commonwealth.
Mike Koffenberger - Independent What is your opinion about the redistricting process? Is it fair or does it need to change?
Government spending is a widespread issue across all the races (from the local level up to the presidential race). What specific ways will you cut spending in your own district? How is the budget situation unique in your district? Government spending has to be trimmed in order to address the debt and deficit issues. But spending cuts is not sufficient and in some ways we need to be spending more money, specifically on infrastructure investment, public education investment, and investment in research and development for new products and processes to build new industries. All of this spending should actually be investment. I will seek to balance spending cuts, revenue increases and investments in order to grow our economy and assure our economic future.
What makes you uniquely qualified for the Congressional seat? I have a unique combination of education and life experiences including owning a small business and working for large corporations. I have degrees in English, Engineering and Business. I have worked low paying hourly
• See Perkinson, D12
All of this is handled at the state level where it should be. However the entire process is treated like political football to ensure that the party in control can keep the majority of their seats and try and obtain other seats by manipulating the voter data by party registration. Is it fair? Not in the least. As a Libertarian however, I worry more about ballot access laws and the ridiculous ways that the Republicans and Democrats work together to keep minor parties from obtaining ballot access.
The geography of the 4th district has changed. How do you think this has changed the priority of issues residents face? What are the important issues in your district? The district has only added Harrisburg. As I explained above, it was done in an attempt to absorb majority Democratic voters into a majority Republican district. The economy and jobs is still the main issue of this and most districts across the United States.
Government spending is a widespread issue across all the races (from the local level up to the presidential race). What specific ways will you cut spending in your own district? How is the budget situation unique in your district? Cutting spending in my own district if elected can be accomplished by eliminating two of the three district offices, and creating one centralized office to serve the citizens. Most contact is done by email and telephone, and a Congressman/woman can only be in one place at a time. I feel that it would benefit the citizens directly but if elected, I also plan to do at least one town hall meeting per week
somewhere throughout the district to compensate for having only one district office. I do not believe the budget situation (federal) is any different in the 4th District over the rest of the country. Work must be done to reduce the size of the federal government, reduce regulations and eliminate entire departments (see “A Plan” tab on my web site).
What makes you uniquely qualified for the Congressional seat? I have never held a political office and come from a struggling middle class. Being a police officer, I have integrity and will hold true to my principles, no matter what pressure would be applied by anyone in the federal government. I also believe that being a Libertarian would allow me to work with members of any political party and break the constant stream of party bickering that we now witness in Washington.
What direction would you like to see our country go in? More freedom, less government! The economy, and eventually the citizens, will recover quicker with no government attempts to try and stimulate the economy by spending. I would like to see the federal government greatly reduce in size and work on the actual problems that are afflicting our country. I would also like to see a complete reversal of our interventionist foreign policy.
D12 • The Sentinel
Tuesday, October30, 2012
U.S. 4 House
Rep. Scott Perry - Republican What is your opinion about the redistricting process? Is it fair or does it need to change? The process that is in place does work, and as a sitting legislator, I have been a part of it. I think there are checks and balances to ensure that the final plan meets all constitutional tests, and this was demonstrated in the most recent review. While obviously it would be ideal that a bipartisan, non-political solution would be developed without any opposition, this is not a realistic vision. It happens every 10 years and hope that we can get the next one done on time. While the process that is in place isn’t perfect, I believe that for the most part it does work. When it comes to any process in the political arena, there are always going to be pluses and minuses to them. Ultimately we must ensure that the final plan meets all constitutional tests, and this was demonstrated in the most recent review which has yet to be complete with regard to districts in the General Assembly. While obviously it would be ideal that
a bipartisan, non-political solution would be developed without any opposition, I am not sure this is a realistic vision. This process occurs every ten years and I hope that next time they able to get it done in a more timely manner and that more deference can be given regarding communities of interest. With that said, the Supreme Court decision with regard to “one man, one vote,” sometimes make that difficult to accomplish.
The geography of the 4th district has changed. How do you think this has changed the priority of issues residents face? What are the important issues in your district? I don’t think resident’s priorities have changed because they may or may not be in a new district. The 4th is a microcausm of Pennsylvania, and the nation as a whole with cities and urban areas, suburbs, rural settings, a diverse make up of manufacturing, retail and agricultural concerns, etc. But there are
a few things that affect every citizen regardless of their location or circumstances. We need to set the conditions for job creation, not just select a few firms or sectors to encourage. We need to reduce the regulatory burden on our businesses so they can compete in the global marketplace. We need to reduce the tax burden on our citizens so they can keep more of what they earn and stimulate the economy while they improve their standard of living. And we need to make sure our infrastructure is improved so that we can support that job and population growth. While there certainly have been some changes to the district, for the most part, I don’t believe that the
Perkinson • Continued from D11
jobs and have been in management at large and small companies, so I have seen the work environment from many different perspectives. I understand how hard being an hourly work-
er can be and the pressures on a business owner to keep a business going from day to day. I am an engineer not a career politician, and pledge to the constituents of the 4th Congressional District that my sole function and priority in Wash-
ington will be to represent them first and foremost without regard to the wishes of any party, special interests or my expectations for a political career.
changes are that significant. I believe that the new 4th congressional district is a microcosm of Pennsylvania, and the nation as a whole with urban areas, suburbs and rural settings. I find it to have a diverse composition of manufacturing, retail and agricultural concerns. Moreover, I feel that there are a few things that affect every citizen regardless of their location or circumstances. I don’t think a vast majority of resident’s priorities are going to change because of the congressional district they reside. I believe we need to create the right environment to spur job creation, not just designate a few firms or sectors for precious federal dollars. We need to reduce the regulatory burden on our businesses so they can compete in the global marketplace. We need to reduce the tax burden on our citizens so they can keep more of what they earn and stimulate the economy while they improve their standard of living. And we need to make sure our infrastructure is improved so that we can support that job and population growth.
5. What direction would you like to see our country go in? I would like to see us make Government smart, efficient and responsive. I would like to reduce the waste, fraud and ineffi-
Government spending is a widespread issue across all the races (from the local level up to the presidential race). What specific ways will you cut spending in your own district? How is the budget situation unique in your district? Well, there is no 4th Congressional District spending budget, but overall, I support Federal Spending that is related to the core functions of the Federal government. I think that overlap in some areas is acceptable to support the states, but in many cases there is a federal duplication of effort that should be eliminated. There is no valid reason for the feds to take money from the states, only to send it back, less the costs to administer that particular program. The 4th is a growing and expanding district, with commensurate needs, so there may be instances where an increase in specific federal funds is needed, authorized and warranted.
• See Perry, D13
ciency in our Federal Government and focus the activities of the Government on those areas where the most benefit to the greatest number of people can be realized. I would like to see a future in the United States where a person can receive a
great public education and where no one has to fear the power of an unconstrained Government. I want to see an economy that offers full employment and that promotes the ability of individuals to create and operate their own businesses.
The Sentinel • D13
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
State Senate 33rd District Sen. Rich Alloway - Republican What are the most important issues? What should residents in your district be most concerned about? I’ll continue to look at property tax reform, and eliminating the inheritance tax. I believe families should retain what they’ve earned over a lifetime, it shouldn’t be taken by the government.” “Prevailing wage is an issue that I’ve monitored in both counties. I’ve co-sponsored legislation that would modernize the law; we need to save taxpayer dollars and generate
Perry
• Continued from D12
There is no 4th Congressional District spending budget per se, but overall, I am in support of federal spending that is related to the core functions of the federal government. I have always believed that the government that governs best is the government which governs least. Additionally, I believe the best way to get our federal debt under control is to allow the free market to work and create jobs thus creating greater revenues coming in while at the same time reviewing programs and departments throughout the federal government for ways to make them work more efficiently and cut waste. While I think that overlap in some areas is acceptable to support the states, in many cases there is a federal duplication of
local construction jobs. Transportation will continue to be an issue in the district. We must come up with a plan that will subsidize our crumbling roadways, bridges and infrastructure, without burdening our taxpayers. Agriculture is an area that I am always looking to protect and promote in my district. We were able to keep cigarette tax revenues allocated toward farmland preservation in this year’s budget. We also passed legislation eliminating the farmland inheritance tax.
effort that can and should be eliminated. As a supporter of the tenth amendment, there is no valid reason for the federal government to take money from the states, only to send it back, less the costs to administer that particular program. Wouldn’t it be better to allow the states to keep that revenue and allow them to administer as they see best in order to get a bigger bang for our buck. Furthermore, the 4th district is a growing and expanding district, with commensurate needs, so there may be instances where an increase in specific federal funds is needed, authorized and warranted. I will be a fighter to make sure that our district is not shortchanged.
Government spending is a widespread issue across all the races (from the local level up to the presidential race). What specific ways will you cut spending in your own district? How is the budget situation unique in your district? We’ve been able to pass a budget, on time, for two consecutive years, under the Corbett administration. We need to continue to control spending in the Commonwealth. We’ve been able to pass
What makes you uniquely qualified for the Congressional seat? I am the only candidate with legislative experience and a record that all can see. I have been a small businessman, starting a company that still exists, so I know what it is like to make a payroll and meet my accounts receivable. I have served the commonwealth and nation in the military for 32 years, and that has given me first hand experience in defense and foreign policy, two critical components of a US Representative’s job description. As a father, husband, businessman, soldier and leader in the General Assembly; I believe I am the only candidate who has the depth of experience needed to represent the constituents of the 4th congressional district
a budget that cut more than $1 billion, with no tax increases. As always, my biggest commitment is that of controlling state spending without having a negative impact on the core functions of government. We must continue to adopt budgets that provide the services our local residents need most, without further dipping into the pockets of taxpayers. Specifically, since taking office in 2009, I’ve cut well over $300,000 from my office expenditures. Also, I drive my personal car to Harrisburg, and don’t collect per-diems. I currently have one of
and who can make an impact from day one. I am the only candidate who has legislative experience and a record that all can see. I have already had to make the tough votes for the citizens of the 92nd District in Harrisburg and I will continue to do so for those in the 4th District in Washington. I have worked across party lines to pass significant legislation that has made a difference in people’s lives. I have been a small businessman, starting a company that still exists, so I know what it is like to create jobs, make a payroll and meet my accounts receivable. I have served the commonwealth and nation in the military for 32 years, and that has given me first-hand experience in defense and foreign policy, two critical components of a U.S. Representative’s job description. For all these reasons and more, I feel I am
• See Alloway, D14
uniquely qualified to serve in the the office that I seek.
What direction would you like to see our country go in? I do not want to be so presumptious as to say the country should go in one direction or another. I feel that is what the citizens will decide. I just want to help secure the freedoms for everyone to make their own decisions, to allow them to take the chances to succeed, without an overbearing government dictating to them at every turn. I do believe or country is headed in the wrong direction. One of the reasons I decided to run for this office, was that I fear for the future of it and I wonder what shape it may be in for my young daughters when they become adults and become
parents themselves. Will they have the same opportunities that existed for me? And as I have traveled the campaign trail, I have heard this same thing time and again from the voters. I believe we must reduce our country’s debt, stimulate economic growth and job creation, reduce bureaucratic red tape and regulation to allow business to thrive, make sure we are educating and training our future generations to compete and succeed in today’s world economy and protect individual freedoms. I want to help secure the freedoms for everyone to make their own decisions, to allow them to take the chances to succeed, without an overbearing government dictating to them at every turn
D14 • The Sentinel
Tuesday, October30, 2012
State House 92nd District Charles Comrey - Democrat with jobs to the entire 92nd district will bring in more tax dollars to the district, relieving homeowners of some property taxes.
What are the most important issues? What should residents in your district be most concerned about? Family sustaining jobs are the most important issue. If we don’t bring more jobs to the district, people don’t work and they don’t pay their taxes. Bringing more businesses
Alloway
• Continued from D13
lowest-district operating budgets in the State Senate, with one of the smallest staffs.”
How will you create jobs? What specific industries are unique to this district that you feel are strong job creators? “We can promote job growth and new business
Government spending is a widespread issue across all races (from the local level up to the presidential race). What specific ways will you cut spending in your district? How is the budget situation in your district? York County has kept its spending $3.8 million below 2009 spending. Cumberland County is on track in saving $1.2 million. One of the only places I seefor cutting spending is in the Governor’s office and the Legislature. That said, I
opportunities in the district by keeping taxes low – I’ve never voted for a tax increase.” “Also, during my first term in office, I’ve sponsored several job fairs in Franklin and Adams counties. Thousands of jobseekers attended, as well as hundreds of employers.” “I’ve supported legislation that would give taxbreaks to various new and small businesses. In this current economic climate, we need to be promoting
was under the impression that the State Budget was the only budget, that the 92nd District didn’t have it’s own budget other than what the Representative uses to run his own district.
How would you create jobs? What specific industries are unique to this district that you feel are strong job creators? I would look for businesses that are willing to work with our school districts that the business would come into the high schools and test our high school students aptitude to see if it’s compatible to their business. If it is then work out a plan where the business comes in and instruct our student’s and with the possibility of
and encouraging smallbusiness opportunities, not limiting them.”
What do you think of the way the Senate redistricting map has been handled? Is it a fair process or does it need to change? “There was much debate over the original map, which was thrown-out by the State Supreme Court. The process is mandated by the constitution, every
unemployed local adults looking for work, on their manufacturing process. Hopefully this business would be able to interact with other machine shops and businesses that they would need to complete their products to help create family sustaining jobs. As far as specific industries unique to our area are machine shops, warehousing and some assembly. We need to attract businesses that will work together to a common goal.
What do you think is slowing economic recovery in this district? I know in my own school district, we have about 1% of business in the whole district. We need to expand our business oppor-
10 years, and is based on population. It’s not a perfect process but the public spoke its mind, and the court listened.” “Under the new map, I lose a portion of Franklin County, retain all of Adams, and pick up Hanover in York County. Essentially, the center of my district shifts to Adams County. I’m also excited to represent Hanover, with the economic development that’s occurring over there.”
tunities to this district and the whole 92nd District. This means all the municipalities working together. After all, this would be to the benefit to everyone, especially homeowners, possibility stabilizing property taxes. Bringing more service oriented business would certainly increase the district’s tax base also.
What direction would you like to see our country go in? We need to bring more manufacturing jobs, family sustaining jobs, back to the United States. If this means bringing more manufacturing auto parts for assembling new autos and manufacturing parts for new energy technology, what ever we need to do to attract this type of business to America.
What direction would you like to see our country go in? “As legislators, we must strive to change government for the better, and remember that we are civilservants.” “Specifically, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, we have strengthened our Right-to-Know laws, but the fight is not over. We need to continue to reform state government.” “We must continue pro-
tecting the core values of our constituents.” “There is much more work to be done and I look forward to the challenges of the next four years. Some goals include holding the line on taxes and further reducing spending; creating opportunities for businesses to hire employees; and finding ways to shift taxes from property levies to a more equitable form of taxation.”
The Sentinel • D15
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
State House 89th District Susan Spicka - Democrat What are the most important issues in your district? What should residents in your district be most concerned about?
The most important issue facing our district is electing a state representative who will advocate for the interests of our children and communities, and work to solve the problems facing our state today. Unfortunately, the career politicians who control our state government, including our own state representative Rob Kauffman, have become disconnected and indifferent to the challenges facing families in our state. Sadly, our elected officials seem more interested in partisan games and protecting their own jobs and perks than seriously tackling issues. They defend their right to $52 a day of taxpayer-funded lunch money while slashing the programs that help families. We need a state government that will spend every precious tax dollar wisely, and work to solve the serious problems facing our state. The most important issues in our district are: • Creating quality, family-supporting jobs here in the Cumberland Valley by growing our local economy through investments in infrastructure and job training; • Controlling local property taxes by ensuring that profitable, multinational corporations pay their fair share for public services; and •Strengthening our public schools to ensure that every child has the opportunity for a quality education and a productive future.
How have you connected with the people in your district since there was no in-person debate?
It is unfortunate that our state representative, Rob Kauffman, has been so unwilling to engage voters or discuss his record in public forums. Residents of the 89th District deserve a representative who is accessible and accountable to voters. No elected official should feel such a sense of entitlement to his office that he is unwilling to listen to his constituents, or attended a public forum where voters can ask questions about his positions or his votes. That is the heart of representative government. I don’t understand how Representative Kauffman thinks he can represent the people of the 89th District if he is unwilling to talk to them.
Because Representative Rob Kauffman refused to engage in public debates, I held a series of open, public forums on the steps of the Franklin County Courthouse where I explained my positions on issues and reviewed Representative Kauffman’s voting record. These were well publicized, and well attended by people of all political views. I made myself available to all people who had questions or wished to discuss issues that mattered to them. I was also the guest speaker at the Citizens for Responsible Government meeting in Franklin County, a meeting that was open to the public and where I answered many questions about my positions on issues. In the absence of public debates, I have also have reached out directly to voters in the district. Over the last several months, my campaign has contacted 19,000 voters, either at their doors, or by telephone. I personally have been at the homes of over five thousand voters, and I will continue knocking on doors and talking with voters about the issues that matter to them right up through Election Day. 3. Government spending is a widespread issue across all the races (from the local level up to the presidential race). What specific ways will you cut spending in your own district? How is the budget situation unique in your district? We face a time when government resources are tight, and government must make difficult choices. Voters expect thrift and prudence from our state government, and rightly so. I believe it is vitally important that state government must spend each and every one of our tax dollars wisely, and our elected officials must make tough choices to protect what is important and cut what is not. Since he took office in 2005, Rob Kauffman has regularly collected $52 per day of taxpayer-funded lunch money—over $34,000 since 2005. In a time when we care cutting funding for our public schools, and cannot afford to repair our state’s roads and bridges, that is unacceptable. If elected, I will pack my own lunch, drive my own car, and pay for my own gas as other working people must do. I will also work to end the wasteful system of unvouchered legislative per diems. Here in the 89th District, I am also deeply concerned about the state law
• See Spicka, D16
Rep. Rob Kauffman - Republican What are the most important issues in your district? What should residents in your district be most concerned about? My top legislative priority is the priority of those in our communities that I talk to everyday. Creating new jobs and growing our economy must be number one. When businesses create jobs, the Pennsylvania economy grows and tax revenues increase without new or increased taxation. With a robust economy many of our other fiscal challenges can be minimized. As I work for the best for all our families, job creation and growing our economy are critical. Since the end of the Rendell Administration, we have made great strides in moving Pennsylvania in a new direction that welcomes new businesses but there is still work to be done. I am committed to helping job creators reinvigorate our economy by making Pennsylvania job friendly and competitive in the national marketplace. That’s why I voted for tort reform to curb lawsuit abuse, for a tax credit to encourage investment in job creators, and am leading the effort for fair and affordable business taxes. These are the policies that are bringing new businesses to our community and have helped companies like Volvo, Olympic Steel and Ventura & Schreiber Foods decide to expand right here. I am pleased that because of my work on behalf of the people of the 89th District, I have received the endorsement of the National Federation of Independent Business, the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry and the PA Farm Bureau, which represents Pennsylvania’s number one industry. These organizations represent Pennsylvania’s job creators and they understand what it takes to keep the Commonwealth moving in the right direction. With your help, we will continue to put Pennsylvanians back to work and make sure Pennsylvania’s economy stays on track
so that all our families can prosper and enjoy our way of life here in Franklin & Cumberland Counties.
How have you connected with the people in your district since there was no in-person debate? My opponent and I debated on live radio on 103.7 FM in the most highly publicized and distributed debate in the history of the 89th district. A recording of the debate is available at: http://soundcloud.com/jbt-recording/rep-rob-kauffman-susan-spicka. As State Representative, connecting with the people I represent doesn’t begin in an election year. As the people’s representative, it is what I have done on a daily basis for eight years at community events and festivals, at townhall style meetings, via e-mail & one on one meetings, in people’s living rooms, at the grocery store and at church on Sunday. As State Representative, it is not a forced thing. It is a way of life.
Government spending is a widespread issue across all the races (from the local level up to the presidential race). What specific ways will you cut spending in your own district? How is the budget situation unique in your district? Less than two years ago and after eight years of Governor Ed Rendell, Pennsylvanians faced a $4 billion budget deficit. During these tough times, I worked in Harrisburg to close this enormous budget gap through smart reforms and by making the tough choices needed to focus state spending on critical priorities while protecting taxpayers and always opposing new debt. When the Obama stimulus money ran dry and the administration suggested school funding reductions that went too deep, I stood
• See Kauffman, D16
D16 • The Sentinel
Tuesday, October30, 2012
Spicka
• Continued from D15
that requires our public school districts to overpay charter schools and cyber charter schools far more than the cost of educating a child. According to the Pennsylvania Auditor General’s Office, this amounts to between $3,000 and $13,000 per student. Charter schools are also reimbursed twice for their pension costs— once by the state, and a second time by the local school districts. This is wasteful and unnecessary, and costs our local Shippensburg and Chambersburg School Districts millions
Kauffman • Continued from D15
withlocalfamiliestosayno.By prioritizingthemoneywehave, reformingwelfareandmaking otherchanges,wewereableto makesurethatPennsylvania nowcommitsmorestatetax dollarstobasiceducationthan everbefore.Importantly,we didthiswithoutraisingtaxes andwhilemakingsurethestate spendsonlywhatitcanafford. ThechallengesthatPennsylvaniahasbeenhandedbythe RendellAdministrationandthe federalgovernmentaregreat. Aswedealwithmassivepublic pensionobligations,theneed tocontrolcostsinthePublic Welfaresystemandresistthe mandatesofObamacare,we musthaveleaderswhoarewillingtomakenecessarychoices withoutfurtherburdeningthe taxpayers.AsRepresentative, Iamcommittedtoprotecting taxpayerswhichiswhyIstood uptoGovernorRendellaswe defeatedaplantoraisepersonal incometaxes16%.It’swhyI workedtoeliminate$1billion inwastefulspendingfromthe budget,muchofitfromThe DepartmentofPublicWelfare. Wemustcontinuetocontrol Welfarespendingbyrejecting
of dollars per year. Fixing the state law so that charters schools are fairly compensated for the cost of educating children and for their pension costs will provide our public schools with badly needed resources, and also provide much-needed relief to local property tax payers. It will also ensure that we can maintain charter schools as an affordable and beneficial part of the educational landscape, providing parents with more choices as they seek the best quality education for their children.
What direction would you like to see our country go in?
ObamacareanditsMedicaid mandates.Wemustcontrol Correctionsspendingaswe continuesmartreformsstarted thisyear.Aswecontrolspendingandgrowoureconomy,we willseestaterevenuesgrowso
revenuesincreasewithout newtaxes.Thiswillallowusto investevenmoreinthethings thatmattermosttous,likeour children’seducation,while notaskingformorefromthe taxpayers.
thatwecaninvestmorestatetax dollarsinpubliceducationthan everbefore.
What direction would you like to see our country go in? IwanttoseeourNationand ourCommonwealthmoving inadirectionthatprovidesa greatfutureformychildrenand allofourchildren.Justlikein Washington,duringtheeight yearsoftheRendellAdministration,Commonwealthdebt increasedby40%.Asyour StateRepresentative,Ihave nevervotedtoincurnewdebt. Ibelievethatwemuststopthe generationaltheft,ateverylevel ofgovernment,wherewetake onnewdebtforourchildrento payback.Weneedtocreateatax andregulatorystructurethat encouragesbusinessestogrow righthere.Asbusinessesgrow, jobsarecreatedandfamilies canthrive.Aswehavearobust economyandjobgrowth, wewillseestategovernment
I’m running for office because I love my family and my community, and I’m concerned about the impact that our state government’s misguided priorities will have on the future opportunities available to our children. We need to reset our priorities and focus on policies that will create opportunity and ensure a bright future for our children and communities. I know the future of our region, our state, and our country depends on strong, vibrant com-
munities. The foundation of our communities are family supporting jobs, a fair tax system, quality public schools, a sound infrastructure, and a safety-net that aids our most vulnerable neighbors. If I have the privilege to serve as the next representative of the 89th district, my focus will always be on finding ways to improve the quality of life for residents of the region and to strengthen the businesses, civic groups, and families that are the bedrock of our communities.
What do you think residents in your district are looking for in a representative? As I have spoken to people in our community, they tell me what they really want is a representative who is accessible, who will listen to their concerns, and who will be there for them when they have a problem with state government. They also want someone who will focus on solving problems, and who will work with elected officials from both parties
to provide leadership and develop common-sense solutions to the challenges we face. I am not a career politician, but a mother, wife, and former educator who understand the challenges facing families today, and who has deep roots in our local community. I am committed to serving the people of our district, to making their voices are heard in Harrisburg, and toensuring that state government works for the benefit of all the families in our region.
andthejobmarketfortodayand tomorrow.Oursharedvalues
ofworkinghard,raisingour familiesandservinginourcom-
munityandchurchesiswhatwe areallabout.
Senator Pat Vance
What do you think residents in your district are looking for in a representative? Thepeopleofthe89th Districtwantarepresentative likethem,whoisaccessible andsharesthevaluesthatare importanttoallofus.Myfamily hasbeenfromFranklinCounty forgenerations.MywifeandI grewuphereandthisiswhere weareraisingourfourchildren. Weareactiveinourchurchand giveourtimetonumerouscivic groups.AsStateRepresentative,Ibringanunderstanding ofourconcernstoHarrisburg thatcomesfromlivingthesame lifeyoudo.Iamahusband, fatherandtaxpayerwhoshares ourconcernsaboutthefuture weleaveourchildren,aswell astheeverydaychallengesof payingthebills.That’swhy,as Representative,I’mfightingfor fiscaldisciplinethatprotects ourincome,aswellasinitiatives thatwillhelpimproveeducation
Would appreciate your vote... Pa i d f o r b y V o t e r s t o e l e c t Va n c e