Election Day is Tomorrow - November 6th, 2012

TOMORROW IS ELECTION DAY !!!!!

I’m sure you have been bombarded, like myself, with Phone Calls, E-mails, Comments on Social Networks, as well as being inundated with TV & Radio Ads. A lot of you have already made up your minds as to which candidates you will be voting for, or not voting for. For that matter, you may have decided not to vote.

Regardless of what your position is, as an active Democrat and local party official, having been a delegate to the 2012 Democratic National Convention, I am quite confident in why I am supporting the following candidates.

I would suggest and request, especially if you are currently undecided, to view the following synopsis’ of each candidate listed below. Remember, your VOTE does count. In 2000, the Presidential Election was  basically decided by the Supreme Court. There are many issues out there on the National Level. This issue has not received enough attention at the Presidential Level, as during the next four years, whoever is the sitting President will more than likely replace, through nomination to the U.S. Senate, 2 or 3 Justices to the Supreme Court. This will have an impact on many issues for decades to come, that will affect not only yourself, but your children and grandchildren alike.

I wholeheartedly urge you to go to your polling place to cast your votes tomorrow.

President Barack Obama

The Link below is an excellent summary as to why President Obama deserves re-election !!!

Please watch this Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1WbQe-wVK9E

Senator Robert P. Casey

Senator Casey has been an independent voice who puts Pennsylvania families first.  He has a record of working with Democrats and Republicans to work out fair solutions to problems facing Pennsylvania families.

As Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, Senator Casey is focused on putting Americans back to work, improving competitiveness to spur economic growth and helping families hit hard by the recession.  He has supported billions of dollars in tax cuts for working families and supported small businesses so they can grow and create jobs.  And he has fought against unfair trade by countries like China that is hurting Pennsylvania manufacturing. 

A former Pennsylvania Auditor General, Senator Casey has a record of rooting out government waste and safeguarding taxpayer dollars. He is working to hold government accountable, force Washington to live within its means and cut government waste. In the Senate, he has voted for a trillion dollars in spending cuts.

Job Creation and Tax Cuts for Pennsylvania Families

Senator Casey led the effort in the Senate to extend the payroll tax cut that will put $1,000 into the pockets of the average family.  To help spur job creation, Senator Casey has voted to provide billions for tax cuts to encourage businesses to hire workers and he voted for legislation that provided tens of billions in capital for small businesses to expand their operations.

To spur growth in Pennsylvania’s life sciences industry, Senator Casey introduced the Life Sciences Jobs and Investment Act to promote innovation and job creation in life sciences research and development.  To increase funding for medical research, Senator Casey has led the effort to increase funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  Senator Casey has received the Pennsylvania Federal Official of the Year award from PA BIO and the Legislator of the Year award from the national Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO).

 As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Senator Casey secured key victories for Pennsylvania’s agriculture in the Farm Bill.  For his work supporting agriculture, Senator Casey has received the Friend of Farm Bureau award from the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and the Golden Triangle Award from the National Farmers Union.

Targeting Unfair Trade

Senator Casey has called for a crackdown on Chinese currency manipulation that allows China to cheat and put American workers at a disadvantage.  He joined a bipartisan group to introduce legislation, passed by the Senate, to make it harder for the Administration to avoid taking action against China.  Senator Casey also voted against new NAFTA-style trade agreements because they would put Pennsylvania jobs at risk while not doing enough to level the playing field for Pennsylvania workers.  Legislation introduced by Senator Casey to extend the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program was signed into law last year.  TAA provides essential help to workers who lose their jobs due to unfair trade practices through no fault of their own.

Changing the Rules in Washington

Senator Casey has helped lead the effort to end automatic pay increases for members of Congress.  He called for strong changes in Senate rules to reduce obstruction and gridlock. The very first amendment introduced by Senator Casey in the Senate was signed into law as part of the landmark ethics reform legislation.  Senator Casey’s law shut down the K Street Project and made wrongfully influencing hiring practices a federal crime.

Increasing Security at Home and Abroad

As Chairman of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs, Senator Casey has been an outspoken critic of Iran’s nuclear program and he helped pass legislation that has been signed into law to allow tougher sanctions against Iran including his bipartisan Iran Sanctions Enabling Act to make it easier to divest investments in Iran’s oil and natural gas sector. To protect our troops in Afghanistan, Senator Casey has been the leader in the effort to stop the flow of ammonium nitrate, a key ingredient in Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), from Pakistan into Afghanistan.

Protecting and Nurturing Children

Senator Casey is a nationally recognized advocate for children because of his work to protect and expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program and to support early childhood education and child care.  In recognition of this work, Senator Casey has received numerous awards including the Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children (DVAEYC) Champion for Young Children Award, the Children’s Champion Award from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Champion for Children award from First Focus.

Family and Career

Born and raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Bob Casey, 52, graduated from The College of the Holy Cross in 1982 and spent the following year teaching fifth grade and coaching eighth grade basketball in inner city Philadelphia for the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. He received his law degree from Catholic University in 1988 and entered the practice of law in Scranton.

He served two terms as Pennsylvania Auditor General from 1997 to 2005. He also served as Pennsylvania State Treasurer before being elected to the Senate in 2006. In state government, he was a fiscal watchdog who made nursing homes safer, child care more affordable and government more accountable. He led the fight to reform Megan's Law to better protect Pennsylvania communities and children. He also aggressively fought to stop waste and fraud involving tax dollars and improve the effectiveness of government services and agencies. His efforts directly resulted in changes that saved Pennsylvania taxpayers more than $1 billion.

Senator Casey lives in Scranton with his wife Terese. They have four daughters: Elyse, Caroline, Julia and Marena.

Manan Trevedi – 6th Congressional District Candidate

Who Am I?

A son of immigrants from India, Manan Trivedi was born and raised with his brother in Fleetwood, Berks County. His parents worked at the old Red Cheek apple juice factory. He attended public schools and graduated from Fleetwood High School. He went on to college and medical school before embarking on a naval career that took him to the front lines of the war in Iraq. Now, he’s a primary care physician in Reading, board certified in internal medicine. 

Commitment to Community and Country

Manan Trivedi’s passion for community service began at a very early age. As a young boy, he won a national contest for launching a healthy eating initiative. . As a physician, he has treated the poor and uninsured in the inner city.

From 2001 to 2003, Trivedi served as the battalion surgeon for the 1st Battalion, 5th Regiment Marine Corps Infantry Battalion. His battalion was among the first U.S. ground forces to enter Iraq. Trivedi served on the front lines of battle, commanding a medical team that cared for over 1,200 of our troops and hundreds of Iraqi civilians. For his service, Lt. Commander Trivedi earned the Combat Action Ribbon, the Navy Commendation Medal, and his unit was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. 

After his service in Iraq, Trivedi received a Master’s degree in health policy. He drew on his experience with combat medicine to become one of the early researchers to investigate the unique mental health issues affecting our troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Trivedi went on to serve as health policy advisor to the Navy Surgeon General and was an assistant professor of medicine at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences.

Trivedi Today

Since leaving the Navy, Trivedi is a primary care physician at Reading Hospital and Medical Center. He met his wife Surekha while they were in college together. They live with their daughter in Birdsboro, Berks County, where they enjoy outdoor activities and are avid Philadelphia sports fans.

Why Am I Running?

Washington politicians continue to allow their personal ambitions and ideology get in the way of accomplish positive outcome results that benefit Americans. When I served with the Marines in Iraq, I looked to my left and my right and didn't ask who was a Democrat or Republican. We just got things done and accomplished our mission. As a physician, I don't ask my patients their political affiliation when I am trying to make them healthy. We need more of that approach in government.

Hold Me Accountable!

Work toward creating jobs through clean energy manufacturing and production. 
Ensure that our veterans and their families are receiving the care they need and deserve.

My Core Values:

My commitment to my community has been something that I have demonstrated throughout my life. As a teenager, I was a volunteer EMT. As a physician I worked in low income neighborhoods in order to provide care to those who could not afford it. And as a battalion surgeon, I served with and took care of the very first Marines to enter Iraq.

With regard to security and liberty, I am proud to have been selected as a Truman Security Fellow in which leadership and the promotion of progressive policy are taught and enhanced.

Mark Painter – 146th Legislative District Candidate

Who Am I?

I am an eighth-generation Pennsylvania German, and grew up in the district, in Stowe, where my father worked at the Stanley G. Flagg Co. plant. I graduated from Pottsgrove High School, and went on to the University of Pennsylvania on a full scholarship, where I earned degrees in electrical engineering and law. There I met my wife, Coleen, a United Methodist minister and retired Army Reserve chaplain. We married in 1981.

Coleen and I raised two refugee foster children from Southeast Asia and two biological sons, who have autism. The experience of having disabled children led me into the field of special education law, where I represented parents advocating for better services from their school districts.

In 1997, I was elected tax collector in Limerick, where I’ve became known for giving back tens of thousands of dollars of my salary to Limerick's parks and fire companies. I attend St. James Lutheran Church in Limerick, where I also teach Sunday School, and am on the Board of Directors of the Royersford Free Public Library and Royersford Community Chest.

Why Am I Running?

I’ve always cared deeply about public policy and service. But the experience of raising two disabled sons has convinced me of the depth of Pennsylvania’s public education challenges. I know we can do more to fund our local schools, spur innovative learning techniques, and send more students to quality public universities. As Limerick’s tax collector, I’ve also seen many local residents struggle with property tax rates that are too high. As I’ve knocked on doors in my numerous campaigns for tax collector, I’ve talked to scores of local voters who all expressed to me a desire to see local taxes reduced, while funding schools and other important services. The state government has made some strides in this area, but I know we can go further by expanding current tax relief programs, streamlining and updating current tax collection methods, and eliminating antiquated taxes. I understand these issues, and know how to bring genuine property tax relief to Pennsylvanians. I’m tired of pointing the finger at Harrisburg, I want to go to the capital and do something about it.

Hold Me Accountable!

Job creation: Our district has faced a lot of economic pain in the past few years, with loss of jobs and declining property values. Commercial development continues to be unbalanced, with too much in Limerick and not enough in Pottstown. As state representative, I would dedicate myself at the local level to help new businesses start and existing businesses grow. With its wide range of living options, from Victorian charm to modern developments, our district has the potential to be a great place to live and work for people of many lifestyles. At the state level, I would support greater state assistance to help communities modernize, and job-training programs and infrastructure modernization to create and sustain high-paying jobs. The Marcellus Shale offers Pennsylvania an exciting economic opportunity, but careful consideration of environmental and local economic concerns is essential, and gas extraction must be subject to strict oversight.

Property tax relief: For too long, the legislature in Harrisburg has been balancing its books by shifting budget costs onto local school districts. This has resulted in excessive and unsustainable property tax rates, a problem I’ve seen firsthand as tax collector. State government needs to take responsibility for increased school funding statewide, with the benefits going to students, not buildings. Only then will Pennsylvania homeowners be able to get off the property tax treadmill. 

Beginning in 2008, we’ve had the homestead exemption in Pennsylvania, which gives eligible homeowners some property tax relief. Under this system, revenue collected from the casinos is funneled directly to taxpayers in the form of tax reductions. In this district, homeowners save from $200 to $250 per year because of it. As representative, I would fight for increased funding for further local tax relief.

Education: I believe in investing in education, which in turn will lead to economic growth. I support early childhood education programs that have been proven to give students a boost throughout their school years. I support accurate metrics to measure student achievement. Schools should have some freedom to experiment with new educational approaches. Innovation should be monitored – successful programs should be replicated and unsuccessful programs should be discontinued. And public money should be spent on public schools. As the parent of two disabled children, I also emphasize the importance of innovative and inclusive practices in special education.

My Core Values:

I believe, like Governor Dean, that Democrats can be competitive everywhere. My district is one such example. Democrats have never won this seat, despite huge increases in the number of Democratic voters in the district in recent years. Democrats now hold a sizable registration advantage in the district, and yet no Democrat has yet been able to pose a serious challenge to the Republican incumbent. Consequently, my opponent has been able to vote significantly to the right of the values of his district in three terms as State Representative. I plan to expose his conservative voting record, and turn out the many Democratic voters in the district. I also plan to reach out to Democrats, Independents, and Republicans, and help restore accurate representation to the district.