Posted Aug 27, 2010 by Erin |
Comments ( 0 ) | Filed in: Elections, Politics
Though candidates for local and state legislative office often take a back seat to those for governor, Congress and Senate, they are just as important and perhaps have a more lasting impact, writes Tony Heyl on PA2010.com.
Heyl, who has volunteered for Democratic State House candidate Mary Lou Readinger's campaign, points out that the candidates running for State House this year are not simply the contenders for local offices; they are the pool from which our future governors, U.S. senators and congressmen will later be selected.
These smaller campaigns tend to contact voters more directly. And by encouraging voters to support lower-level candidates through canvassing and community interaction, State House candidates can impact higher-ticket races. The national debate starts at a local level, and state representatives, as the voices of the local debate, can set the tone for nationwide political discourse.
The General Assembly in Pennsylvania also has authority over redistricting based on the 2010 census results. Redistricting can be a very political process, and the previous redistricting, when Republicans held both chambers of the Legislature as well as the governorship, eliminated two Democratically held congressional districts and remapped the rest of the state so that Republicans could increase the size of their congressional delegation.
Heyl says that voting for local and state offices has never been more important, and we agree. Getting involved in your local State House campaign by donating or volunteering will pay dividends on all level of office, for years to come.
Thanks to Flickr photog Drama Queen for the photo.
Posted Aug 11, 2010 by Erin |
Comments ( 0 ) | Filed in:
HDCC is looking for interns to join our team this fall. If you're a college student looking to gain experience working on a competitive political campaign, this is the internship for you.
While interning for HDCC, you will be responsible for the following items. This list is exclusive of other incidental or long-term projects that will be assigned to you on an as-needed basis.
Assist the Finance Director and the Finance Assistant
Assist Representatives by planning and staffing their Harrisburg fundraising events
Work with top targeted campaigns to reach and persuade key voters
Build campaign finance databases by conducting donor research
Recruit and train volunteers to implement field plans for top targeted races
Plan fundraising and field-focused events
Execute campaign phone banking and make phone calls on behalf of target campaigns
Canvass door to door in top targeted precincts.
College credit hours are available for interns, given that you meet the requirements set by the college or institution you attend.
If you are interested in earning credit for your internship, you will responsible for the following:
Coordinate with your institution’s internship adviser to ensure that all institutionally mandated curricula and paperwork are completed
Arrange meetings and on-site visits with internship adviser/department faculty and staff
During election season, HDCC’s operating hours are 9am-10pm M-F and 10am-9pm on Saturday and Sunday. In order to get the most out of your intern experience, we require that all interns dedicate substantial time to our effort. Schedules can be arranged on a case-by-case basis, but we do ask that applicants understand that a commitment of at least 20 hours per week plus weekend work is expected.
HDCC internships are unpaid. However, if you are interested in paid campaign work after graduation or next cycle, this internship is a terrific place to start. The skills you will learn here are directly marketable to political campaigns across the state and country. Your work with HDCC will also allow you to network with political professionals who will be involved in national politics well beyond this cycle.
Internships are primary based out of the Harrisburg headquarters, although there are limited positions available in the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia area.
To apply, please send your resume and cover letter to info@pahdcc.com
It has been 20 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law, and still the more than 50 million Americans with some sort of disability continue to fight toward equality.
Jeff Faust, the Democratic candidate for the 124th State House District, is working hard to make his campaign about issues that effect his constituents, and this is one of them. Yesterday he joined residents of the district and Tamaqua Mayor Christian Morrison to encourage incumbent Rep. Jerry Knowles to install a wheelchair ramp at his district office.
Knowles' district office is not accessible to the handicapped, and meetings with disabled constituents often take place outside, on the sidewalk. Knowles said there is a "cost factor" involved in making the building handicapped-accessible.
Faust vowed to make his district office handicapped-accessible if he wins in November.
"I will make sure all of the people I represent, disabled or not, will have access at all of my district offices as state representative of the 124th," Faust told the Standard-Speaker.
Others in Tamaqua have gone out of their way to make their businesses accessible to wheelchairs, and Faust would do the same.
Rep. Bryan Barbin yesterday kicked off a multi-state motorcycle tour with a noble purpose: making sure veterans with brain injuries receive the best care possible.
More than 100,000 troops home from Afghanistan and Iraq have sustained traumatic brain injuries, but they do not always receive the treatment they deserve. Rep. Barbin is looking to put an end to that, hopping on his motorcycle and making a week-long tour of state capitols, rallying support for his cause.
“Traumatic brain injury is the signature injury of that (Iraq) war,” Rep. Barbin told the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat. “Why aren’t we looking at this as our highest priority?”
His trek will take him 1,800 miles through seven states, ending in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.
He began yesterday in Upper Yoder Township, at the Johnstown Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, a facility Barbin calls "a model for the nation." The Center helps to prepare veterans with brain injuries to reenter civilian life.
“We have 1 million veterans living in Pennsylvania,” Barbin said. “They have the right to go into our facilities. If the care they receive initially is not given highest priority, we can become overwhelmed at our seven nursing-care facilities.
“Moreover, it is the right thing to do.”
Photograph by Todd Berkey, used with permission of the Tribune-Democrat
During one 20-day span in 2009, four Pottstown and Pottsgrove high school students lost their lives in car crashes. The tragic accidents that took their lives might well have been prevented had the vehicles been manned in any of the states neighboring Pennsylvania; the inexperienced drivers packed their cars with friends and used distractive devices. Both are legal in Pennsylvania.
It’s sad stories like this that are keeping Democrats fighting to make our roadways safer.
Last week, that meant rejecting a watered-down driving safety bill that would have done little to protect Pennsylvania drivers.
"At some point in time, somebody has to do what they think is right. Lives are at stake here," said Rep. Joe Markosek, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, about why the House voted against the weakened bill.
Markosek introduced a bill last year that would make it illegal for holders of junior driver’s licenses to talk on a cell phone or send text messages while behind the wheel. It would also limit the number of passengers teen drivers can transport. The bill passed the House with strong bipartisan support, but the Republican-controlled Senate weakened the legislation. Under the Senate bill, police officers could not cite teens for texting or talking on a cell phone while driving until after an accident or some other incident has occurred.
The Mercury agrees with Markosek and House Democrats for rejecting the weaker bill. Protecting our children, they said, "cannot be allowed to languish”:
"Ending another legislative session without teen driving reform is a travesty. But a greater travesty would be giving up the fight."
"Parents, educators, teens, police, prosecutors and every citizen who values life and safety of children must demand that the state Senate work to adopt HB 67."
Posted May 25, 2010 by Erin |
Comments ( 0 ) | Filed in: Elections, Politics
Ever since Scott Brown’s surprising upset in the Massachusetts race for U.S. Senate, all we’ve heard from Republicans across the country is that this is going to be a great year for the Party of No.
Last week’s primary election showed otherwise. In fact, Tuesday’s results have given us confidence about Democratic prospects as we work to protect our majority in the State House in this crucial election year.
Here’s why:
100% of Democratic Incumbents Re-elected - Last Tuesday, all of our Democratic incumbents won their elections. Democratic voters went to the polls to support the men and women have a proven record of fighting for education, job creation and the environment. Republicans can't say the same. Incumbent Rep. Karen Beyer was defeated by her 23-year-old right-wing opponent, putting this moderate district in play for Democrats this fall.
Better Democratic Candidates - A great slate of Democratic candidates in Republican-held and open seats emerged from their primaries Tuesday, putting us in a great position to defeat even more Republican incumbents in November. Again, the GOP did not do nearly as well. Take, for example, the Republican who won the primary in Democratic Rep. Rick Mirabito's Lycoming County district. An admittedly tough district for Democrats, the Republican establishment was hoping former Rep. Steve Cappelli would win their party's nomination to become a formidable opponent for Rick. Instead, Cappelli was defeated by right-winger Dave Huffman, whose disgraceful record of domestic violence rightly kept him from winning office in 2008.
Write-In Campaign Victories - Although we're still waiting on official results in a few districts, we know we had at least three major successes in write-in campaigns last week. Democratic Rep. Rob Matzie successfully beat back a Republican write-in candidate in his Beaver County district and now faces no opponent this fall. Democrats also ran successful write-in efforts in two key seats where there was no Democratic candidate. Former congressional candidate Gail Conner got on the ballot to challenge Rep. Tom Killion in Delaware County, and Dan Rae defeated a write-in attempt by Republican incumbent David Millard to become the Democratic candidate in his Columbia County district.
Mark Critz's Special Election Victory in the 12th Congressional District - Democrat Mark Critz's special election victory in John Murtha's old district showed us that voters in southwestern Pennsylvania trust Democrats to improve the economy, create jobs and fight for working families. Critz's victory goes a long way to silence Republican claims that they will make great gains in western Pennsylvania in November.
We have a long way to go before November, but last Tuesday, our candidates proved that they have what it takes to succeed. The momentum is behind us as we head toward the general election, and we are hard at work to turn our primary-election successes into success at the polls this fall.
Pennsylvania could become the first state in the U.S. to build an offshore wind farm, joining nations such as Denmark in developing renewable energy sources.
State Rep. John Hornaman of Erie County is leading the way. He has introduced a bill to lease thousands of acres of land under Lake Erie to build the farms. Environmental groups have been consulted about the proposal, which already unanimously passed the House State Government Committee.
Within a decade, wind farms in Lake Erie could produce enough electricity to power 850,000 homes, setting Pennsylvania on the path toward energy independence.
Building wind farms would also create jobs, helping local businesses such as G.E. Transportation, which is based in Lawrence Park Township, Rep. Hornaman told the Erie Times-News.
The benefits, Rep. Hornaman said, could be substantial.
"I am hopeful that this is the start of something big," he said.
Image provided by Flickr photographer Nicholas_T under a Creative Commons license.
Last week, the House voted overwhelmingly to raise the prize limits for small games of chance, a reform that could help charitable organizations raise more money for civic projects. If enacted, volunteer fire companies, veterans' organizations, religious groups and civic and service clubs would benefit.
Rep. Tim Solobay, a Washington County Democrat, sponsored the bill.
"Our civic organizations are struggling financially," Solobay told the York Dispatch. "Not only are they having trouble covering their expenses, but (they also) have little left over for the community projects they provide."
Don Druck, a VFW quartermaster in York County, told the York Dispatch that the increased prize limits would mean his group could contribute funds to more local projects and aid more organizations than they do now. Currently, the Veteran's Relief Fund, Eastern York High School and Eastern York Middle School benefit from the VFW's work.
Despite broad bipartisan support, one-quarter of House Republicans voted against the proposal.
House Democrats are working to pass several pieces of legislation that would encourage employers to hire new workers and help employees whose work hours have been reduced.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the package of bills, called PAJobsNow, would "enhance and expand existing state job programs" by focusing on "three major areas: job creation and retention, business development and workforce development."
Among other things, the bills would:
enable participating employers to reduce work hours as an alternative to layoffs, and employees impacted by reduced work hours would be eligible to receive unemployment compensation benefits to make up for lost time ·
give tax credits to Pennsylvania companies that create new jobs and provide certain levels of on-the-job training to employees.
increase eligibility to the current Small Business First program so that companies with up to 200 employees could participate. House Democrats are also proposing to remove restrictions on hospitality and restaurant projects, and allow retail and commercial projects to participate. ·
expand current programs that allow businesses greater access to funding so that they can build and develop.
These and other important, innovative initiatives will help boost Pennsylvania's economy while aiding those who have lost their jobs.
Iraq War veteran and Delaware County State House candidate Shannon Meehan was recently featured on CNN. He spoke with reporter Barbara Starr about his combat experiences and why he's motivated to continue his public service by running for office.
To learn more about Shannon and his campaign, visit his website, www.shannonpmeehan.com, and show your support by becoming his fan on Facebook.
It has been 20 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law, and still the more than 50 million Americans with some sort of disability continue to fight toward equality.
"At some point in time, somebody has to do what they think is right. Lives are at stake here," said Rep. Joe Markosek, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, about why the House voted against the weakened bill.
A great slate of Democratic candidates in Republican-held and open seats emerged from their primaries Tuesday, putting us in a great position to defeat even more Republican incumbents in November. Again, the GOP did not do nearly as well. Take, for example, the Republican who won the primary in Democratic Rep. Rick Mirabito's Lycoming County district. An admittedly tough district for Democrats, the Republican establishment was hoping former Rep. Steve Cappelli would win their party's nomination to become a formidable opponent for Rick. Instead, 
Pennsylvania could become the first state in the U.S. to build an offshore wind farm, joining nations such as Denmark in developing renewable energy sources.