PA: "Unions protect the worst teachers" "should have two-year contracts"

[rabid_nerd]

Incumbent:
- "Unions Protect the worst teachers"
- "(teachers) should have two-year contracts"
- School Board members should be compensated high enough so they "care if they are reelected or not"
- "Act 72 should be repealed" (in its entirety, not modified)
- Filed a lawsuit against a gay couple who doesn't live aywhere near his district because they said to a newspaper they might sue because they were denied a marriage license.
- "I am militantly anti-smoker" does this means he shoots smokers? I am anti tobbacco company myself.
- Introduced law that requires parents to be present and consent for a minor to be pierced or tattoed. Includes earrings. Passed and signed. http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/BI/BT/2003/0/HB0832P3805.HTM
- Introduced law that would require mandatory DNA sample of Martha Stewart if she were convicted in PA.
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/2003%5F0/hb0835p3555.htm

Our guy:
- Former IUE Local President, endorsed by the International IUE-CWA (amazing for an underdog state house race)
- Believes Act 72 should be modified so districts don't have to spend their surplus for a construction project without a referendum, but not repeal.
- Believes grandma should be able to take granddaughter to get earrings for her birthday.
- Believes stock trading violations have nothing to do with DNA. Waste of money on blanket DNA testing for white collar felonies.

This area goes for Casey but not because of the Union issue - this are is an area where you request union shops to leave the bug OFF your signs. It goes for Casey because he's a centrist Pro-Life democrat. That he's pro-Union is a plus.

Alan Henry is in the same mold. First off, he can win here because of the profile of conservative democrat. Second, the incumbent is politically naieve. Doesn't seem possible as a 12 year incumbent, but other (Republican) house members say so. Locals say he's a "nice kid". He's a good man, but a terrible representative. Third, whether or not he's AOK with New York City or San Francisco Democrats (or more importantly Philly or the 'burg) we overlook what's important - regaining the majority.

While the PA HDCC dumping $500,000 into Philly to retain one seat seems like complete lunacy to me, the cost-per-vote in a rural area with a strong candidate such as we have we would need less than 5% of the same to easily win - perhaps even only 2-3%. Yet we get $0. (We did get our lit cards cut and some oppo research - thanks Dan - but maybe could've given them $400,000 and all the nickel and dimers $500 x 200? You'd probably have 200 less calls a day!)

We have raised about 1/3 of what we feel we need to win.. about $3-5,000... We have more coming from another union and more from the county party so where we are at the moment I'm not sure. I know it will show up soon at http://web.dos.state.pa.us/perl/camp_fin/dsf/cf_data_srch.cgi

(Just reported Monday but not up yet)

Needless to say, we've done 2004 from the ground up. We actually scouted a very qualified candidate, and we've built what we can on a shoestring to mount a challenge. We've made waves locally and we'll make more - debates are coming up and we're the strongest the area has seen in over a decade. They're attacking our county party daily - a sign of desperation.


I haven't been around much lately and I will be probably more so AFTER November 2, but always great to come back every once in a while and vent ;)

[Freddie Stubbs]

1. This area goes for Casey?

Official 2000 General Election Results

Franklin County

TRUE, KATIE (REP) 26,920
CASEY, BOB JR. (DEM) 19,309

http://web.dos.state.pa.us/perl/elections/elec_results/dsf/county1.cgi?choice=28&eyear=2000&etype=G

TRUE, KATIE (REP) 17,320
CASEY, BOB JR. (DEM) 14,301

http://web.dos.state.pa.us/perl/elections/elec_results/dsf/county1.cgi?choice=1&eyear=2000&etype=G

This doesn't appear to be an area where a Democratic House candidate would do very well, especially against a well-established incumbent.

[rabid_nerd]

2. Not well established

just never seriously challenged...

And to be blunt, Maitland is politically naieve. He was hired to run (never registered to vote until he ran for office), and has done nothing for the county. He's been a puppet of the Republican party. Our candidates until now were either flaming Democrats or perceived as too green. Plus he's breaking multiple promises by running again, including to his own party (intra-party division).

Casey has won this county vs. (R) in the past and in the 91st district in 2000 he did win (the southern half of Adams).

We're going over tonight to hammer out the TV script for WITF/PBS and work on our media budget after some more door knocking tonight (we've done a few thousand doors so far with the candidate himself).

Appearances can be deceiving, which is what they are counting on. If we could get some thick skulls at the top to see that this numbskull is vulnerable we'd be set, but we're lost in the state wide noise because:
a) we're not rich, we're just smart.
b) our friends aren't rich, either.
c) many of the other hundreds of state house candidates are running as placeholders so the party doesn't look bad but end up thinking they can win. (I was originally asked to run as a placeholder, but I wanted Alan to run because he was who we knew could win with the right resources)

That said, the friends we do have that have some money are helping where they can.

International IUE-CWA COPE - Endorsed/$$$

Coming Soon:
Pennsylvania UAW CAP - Endorsed/$$$/Mailing
County Party - Endorsed/$$$$/Mailing

[Freddie Stubbs]

3. If he has been serving for over a decade,

odds are that his office has done a lot of constituent work. Helping people with their car registration and helping senior citizens with the state's prescription drug program is the bread and butter of any State Rep's staff. Those people who have been aided over the years will remember the name of the guy who's office helped them. That is one of the reasons that so few incumbent legislators lose in PA.

[rabid_nerd]

4. Good point

but fewer and fewer people here have been here for ten years...

And the previous seat holder was also a long time seat holder who lost in an upset, albeit because the State Republicans are better at going for house seats then State Democrats here in PA by far, and apparently have been so for quite a while.