119th District
Upcoming Events
NEPA Libertarians Monthly Meeeting
Sunday, October 17th, 2010
2pm.
Grotto Pizza 36 Gateway Cntr. Rt 11, Edwardsville , PA 18704
Fund Raiser for Tim Mullen
Saturday September 25th, 2010
7pm-10pm
Entertainment @ 9pm
Grandaddy's Cafe
(Vaughn & Buckingham St. In Luzerne Boro, PA)
$15 Dollar Donation Includes Pizza & wings.
Cash Bar.
NEPA Libertarians Monthly Meeeting
Sunday, September 19th, 2010
2pm.
Grotto Pizza 36 Gateway Cntr. Rt 11, Edwardsville , PA 18704
NEPA Libertarians Monthly Meeeting
Sunday, August 15th, 2010
2pm.
Grotto Pizza 36 Gateway Cntr. Rt 11, Edwardsville , PA 18704
NEPA Libertarians Monthly Meeeting
Sunday, July 18th, 2010
2pm.
Grotto Pizza 36 Gateway Cntr. Rt 11, Edwardsville , PA 18704
NEPA Libertarians Monthly Meeeting
Sunday, June 13th, 2010
2pm.
Grotto Pizza 36 Gateway Cntr. Rt 11, Edwardsville , PA 18704
2010 National Libertarian Party Convention
When:Start: 05/27/2010 - 9:00am End: 05/31/2010 - 7:00pm
Where: St. Louis, MO
For More information Please visit http://www.lp.org/event/2010-national-libertarian-party-convention">http://www.lp.org/event/2010-national-libertarian-party-convention
NEPA Libertarians Monthly Meeeting
Sunday, May 16th, 2010
2pm.
Grotto Pizza 36 Gateway Cntr. Rt 11, Edwardsville , PA 18704
April 10, 2010
12pm-5pm
2010 Liber-Tea Party
Town Park Band Shell
Bloomsburg, PA
April 10, 2010
6:30pm
2010 Challengers Town Hall
Educational Conference Center
1333 S. Prospect Street Nanticoke, PA
ISSUES:
Tolling I-80:
Interstate 80 is a mess. Something needs to be done. But making it a toll road is not the answer. The interstate commerce that flows on I-80 would see this as another expense to their businesses and would look for other ways to deliver their products. The money generated by the current traffic (gas, lodging, food, etc) would be shunted to other interstates, onto the Pennsylvania Turnpike or have the delivery totally changed, to barge, rail or air. Any of those options would cause an already depressed economy to fall even further. We can't let that happen. No tolls for I-80.
Special Interests:
All of my campaign contributions have come from private individuals - family, friends, and voters who are tired of the system as it is and desperate for positive change. My votes have not, and will not, be nought by any special interests, PACs, business, professional groups, lobbyist, etc. My vote is my own, and will be cast in the service of the people of the 119th District and Pennsylvania.
BonusGate:
In May, a Grand Jury, after nearly two years of investigation, published a 59-page report on the corruption within Harrisburg. Among the list of item noted, the Grand Jury recommend:
~Per diem payments should be elimiated ore reduced to actual expenses per day (with receipts)
~The General Assembly becomes a true part-time legislature
~Budget planning process must be open and transparent
Size of Governemnt:
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the largest full-time state legislature in the nation. As the largest, it's also the most expensive to maintain. We have 203 House members and 50 Senators, each with their own staff, that is costing $309 million in the 2009-2010 budget. It's time to reduce the size of the legislature and control costs.
Eminent Domain:
In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, decided that under Eminent Domain, the government can take property from one private owner and give to another private owner to further their economic development under the "public use" section of the Fifth Amendment. This may be within the letter of the law, but it violates the spirit of the law as it was intended by the Founding Fathers. One of my first acts would be to limit the usage of Eminent Domain to use by the municipality only, and for that property to be held for no less than 5 years before being tranferred to another municipality, public entity or private owner.
Property and School Taxes:
Our current system of taxation does not work. By taxing the homeowner, you are essentially 'paying rent' to the government for the residence and property you live in. Those people that rent may be patrially paying in the form of rent to the owner, but they have much less liability than the property owner. We need to move to a system where the liability for these services are spread in a more equitable method over renters and owners. I don't know what that system is, but I look forward to working on a solution and implementing it in the near future.
Gun Rights:
Many politicians have talked about protecting the 'rights of the sportsmen'. Under the 2nd Amendment, there is no restrictions on shooting for sport. Pennsylvania citizens have an absolute right to own firearms. But like every right, those firearms need to be used responsibly. The basic reason for owning firearms, in my opinion, is for the gun owner to protect their life, family and property, up to and including protection from the government.
"State Store":
The government has no business being in business. I'll let their facts speak for themselves: "The PLCB operates approximately 621 stores, which are leased from private landlords, infusing over $39 million to the Pennsylvania Economy. The PLCB is the largest purchaser of wine and spirits in the United States." In 2008/2009 fiscal year, the State Stores collected over $1.8 BILLION in revenue, with a profit of $125 million. I want to close ALL of the State Stores and transfer the sale of liquor to private businesses.
Per Diems:
My current representative, John Yudichak, who co-owned a home in Harrisburg while collecting per diems for lodging, is now talking about sweeping reforms, after being caught with his hand in the cookie jar. I pledge not to take any compensation without a valid receipt for the producst or services.
Real ID / National ID:
A National ID card or any card with biometric identifiers is a government that is too big, is fast approaching a "Big Brother" status and will have the ability to monitor any move you make by the use of that ID. I say NO to Real ID and if elected, I will help in the fight to reject Real ID in Pennsyvlvania.
Budgets:
Just like with your household budget, the General Assembly cannot spend more money than it takes in. Any future budget needs to be balanced, by cutting government spending until revenue equals expenses.
Marcellus Shale:
The extraction of natural gas from Marcellus Shale has the potential to be a great resource for the US as well as northeastern Pennsylvania. But there is also the potential for great harm if things are not done properly by the business involved in the drilling, recovery and waste storage. Before any more wells can be started, the General Assembly needs to put an immediate moratorium on drilling and draft any legislation necessary to guarantee the residents of Pennsylvania that our natural resources will be preserved.
Pennsylvania Constitution, Article I, Section 27
The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and aesthetic values of the environment.
Public Corruption:
In the last week (May 28th), the 30th person was named in the federal corruption probe in Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties. Grand Jury hearings are still on going in Harrisburg for BonusGate. In Wilkes Barre, Scranton and Harrisburg, we see elected officials, many of whom have been re-elected for decades, gathering more power and becoming more corrupt, and grooming handpicked successors to keep up with 'tradition'. It is time to send new people to Harrisburg. People who have new ideas, people who are not politically connected, people who are outsiders and have the best interests of all Pennsylvanians at heart, and not lining their own pockets with more payoffs and bribes.
Medical Marijuana:
There are, as of today, 14 states that have legalized medical marijuana for relief from pain, nausea, diarrhea, recovery from chemotherapy, and other medical symptoms which can sometimes severely reduce the quality of life of the patient. I listened recently to a local radio talk show with a large number of people who called in talking about how consuming marijuana has assisted them in leading normal lives while dealing with cancer, multiple sclerosis, nausea and loss of appetite, among others. This is a viable option, that if approved, would be regulated with guidelines on when it could be prescribed by a licensed physician and how it could be dispensed. How can we not help out our friends and family members with serious illnesses find comfort and relief?