Jobs and the Economy

As your State Representative, task number one is to help the economy by creating more and better jobs. We need to put in place incentives to increase job creation and capital investment. However, in the new economy we also need to focus on new, environmentally friendly, “green collar” jobs. These jobs will help us protect, preserve, and enhance Open Space and strengthen our energy security, while allowing for Smart Growth that will grow our economy while protecting our historical and natural beauty. Green Jobs promote conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy – and can’t be outsourced. Green Jobs represent the future our economy here in greater West Chester, across the Commonwealth and Country and around the World.

Quality, Affordable Health Care

Building off my experience as the Executive Director of the not-for-profit Pennsylvania eHealth Initiative, as your State Representative I will work to ensure high quality, affordable and accessible healthcare for all residents of Pennsylvania. We need to lower healthcare costs while raising accessibility and quality. To help accomplish this we need to create incentives to ensure that more physicians stay and practice in Pennsylvania, and we need to foster the broader adoption of health information technology to reduce medical errors and costs while raising the quality of care.

Property Taxes and Government Reform

As your State Representative, I will eliminate wasteful spending to reduce property taxes. I will work against entrenched interests to reform Government at all levels in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania needs campaign finance reform, especially in the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling, as well as lobbying reform to lessen the impact of special interests.

In addition, we need to streamline government administration, while looking at new ways to broaden and balance revenue raising options like expanding local PILOT programs. We also need to actively work with Pennsylvania’s Congressional delegation to bring home more federal support, such as stimulus funding to support shovel-ready public transportation projects.

I support the establishment of appointed judges in Pennsylvania, as well as Senator Andy Dinniman’s proposal to mandate non-partisan School Board elections. We need to keep politics out of our courtrooms and out of our classrooms. We need to ensure the best education for our children, who are our future.

I think the best way to accomplish all of these tasks and to change the corrupting culture in Harrisburg is for “We the People” to convene a Constitutional Convention in the State Capitol to help bring our government into 21st century.  Let’s together preserve the best of our Commonwealth’s Constitutional traditions – the oldest of their kind in the nation – while leveraging the new ideas and greater accountability necessary to ensure a bright future.

Open Space and the Environment

We need to promote Public Transportation in order to lessen our impact on the environment and to increase the livability of the area. Accordingly, we need to bring the R3 Commuter Train back to West Chester. By bringing back commuter rail service, we can protect the environment, enhance public transportation, create jobs and raise community property values and “livability” while reinforcing our strong and historic connection to neighboring towns.

I pledge to protect the Open Space of Chester County. Our natural landscape is our most important natural resource and is endangered by increasing development. The confluence of conservation projects and smart growth can give the district the opportunity to grow while protecting Open Space.