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| TERM: | Two years. |
| SALARY: | $76,163 |
| DUTIES | |
We asked candidates for State Representative in the General Assembly two questions:
1. What should the state government do to ensure that every Pennsylvanian has health-insurance coverage?
2. In light of the current economic downturn, what can state government do to safeguard both the commonwealth’s and citizens’ assets?
Lisa Romaniello
Willow Grove
Health care: We have to look at the industry and ask why are there only a handful of insurance companies here, and where is the oversight in the insurance market? Individuals, small groups and those with pre-existing conditions have been hurt the most. If we are going to provide coverage that’s affordable, we have to include everyone. There are 12.5 million people living in Pa., there’s more than enough business to go around.
Economy: I believe the state government should work on creating meaningful policy to attract new industries and business to our state. By focusing on green technology and clean technology industries, we can boost our economy with new jobs and protect our environment. We need a long-term solution that invests in our most important resource — Pennsylvania’s citizens. We need a plan that invests in infrastructure, spurs innovation and green-building manufacturing.
Thomas P. Murt
Hatboro
Health care: The commonwealth’s first objective should be to lower the cost of health care so that more employers can afford to offer these benefits, and so that more employees can afford their coverage. Other initiatives should include the expansion of Health Savings Accounts, and increasing tax credits to employers who offer health-care coverage for their employees. Additionally, there needs to be a push for more transparency and competition in the marketplace, thus lowering costs.
Economy: We must freeze state spending right away. Without immediate action, our commonwealth is looking at a deficit that could swell into the billions. The commonwealth should cease all WAM grants, stop nonessential spending and freeze reckless borrowing practices. These decisions require careful discernment and should ensure compassionate treatment of Pennsylvania’s needy families. Welfare reform is a longer-term approach for addressing state spending, but this discussion should begin as well.
Lawrence Curry
Jenkintown
Health care: Enact the governor’s health package; guarantee coverage for pre-existing conditions; expand CHIP to cover all children; expand PACE to cover adults without pharmacy benefits; convene the General Assembly to enact this package.
Economy: The federal government has responsibility for currency and the nation’s economy, generally. Although there are 50 lesser sovereignties who have some limited powers, the federal government is responsible when a state faces severe economic distress. A model for recovery would be the model used for welfare issues developed in the 1930s. The United States economy in the 21st century is too complex for states to seek their own solutions to a crisis.
Dennis O’Brien
Answer to Questions
No Response Received.
Brendan Boyle
Philadelphia
Health care: If every criminal has the right to a lawyer, then shouldn’t every American have the right to a doctor? The fact 47 million Americans lack health insurance is strong evidence we need to change our system. We must help both the uninsured and the underinsured. Specifically, I favor providing tax credits to employers so they can cover their employees, and creating a network for those without coverage so they can group together to purchase insurance at a group rate.
Economy: Government should take three steps. First, the FDIC must extend insurance on up to at least $250,000 worth of deposits. This is necessary to inject confidence into our banking system. Second, the state must adopt a more cautious strategy when investing public pension funds. Third, to prevent a further slowing of the economy, both the federal and state governments should pass stimulus packages. Gov. Rendell’s stimulus package in 2003 was credited with helping boost the state’s ecomony.
Matt Taubenberger
Philadelphia
Health care: Pennsylvania should expand on both PACE and PACENET for seniors and expand on CHIP for children. For those who are neither, Pennsylvania should take steps to provide basic care to all and also enable those who desire more coverage unfettered access to a doctor and care of their own choosing.
Economy: Concerning the citizens’ assets, the best way to safeguard would be to keep the assets in their pockets by lowering taxes. As for the commonwealth’s assets, the General Assembly needs to crack down on wasteful spending, financing only those programs with proven records of success.
Richard Costello
Philadelphia
Health care: We need to penalize employers who don’t provide decent health care to our families, while providing incentives to companies who do. We should also make the State Lottery a more efficient vehicle for generating funds for our most vulnerable residents — our seniors. Lastly, we need to closely regulate our health-care carriers and have an insurance commissioner from outside the industry that will place our priorities first.
Economy: First, the state needs to thoroughly review and ensure state pension funds are not invested in poorly managed companies. Second, we need to pursue the white-collar criminals who started this problem — especially predatory lenders who took advantage of seniors. Third, we must make sure our municipalities have the funding necessary to ensure that a downturn doesn’t increase crime in our neighborhoods. Last, we should make legislators accountable for shady corporate dealings, which caused the harm.
John Perzel
Philadelphia
Health care: We are unable to create new programs without a substantial tax increase. We need to work with health-care providers to ensure that those who need help can get access to quality health care. A very large number of Pennsylvania’s uninsured resist signing up for available programs. Better outreach to these individuals/families is vital so that programs already in existence are properly utilized to help our citizens.
Economy: First, we need to make sure that Pennsylvania banks are fiscally and structurally sound. We also need to work with lending institutions to keep lines of credit readily and easily available to Pennsylvania companies so that employers can weather the current crisis. Between now and the end of the fiscal year, we need to trim spending so that NO TAX INCREASE in needed. Any increase in state taxes will only deepen this crisis for families.
Michael Patrick McGeehan
Philadelphia
Age:47
Health care: The No. 1 issue for Pennsylvanians of all ages and income levels: affordable and accessible health care. House Democrats have put forth a plan that would help hundreds of thousands of working Pennsylvanians without health insurance gain access to affordable coverage while continuing our commitment to helping doctors pay their medical-malpractice insurance premiums. Our plan also would help small-business employers who already offer their employees health care.
Economy: No response received.
Belinda Nelson
Philadelphia
Health care: The state government should see where and how the city tax dollars are being spent. Also, see if the government can allocate some funding from other resources and pull that money into health insurance.
Economy: Make sure the money that they give out will secure the commonwealth and citizens’ assets. Get in writing from the corporations that even if they fall again, the citizens’ assets will be secured.
John Sabatina Jr.
No Response Received.
Michael H. O’Brien
Philadelphia
Health care: With the passage, by the House, of Adult Basic Coverage, we took a dramatic step to ensure every Pennsylvanian would have access to comprehensive medical coverage, with a common-sense approach to its funding, as well as taking steps to remedy the malpractice crisis that plagues the commonwealth. Sadly, this measure died in the Republican-controlled Senate. It must be the first order of business in the new session.
Economy: First and foremost, the commonwealth must guard against the knee-jerk reaction to sell off commonwealth assets for a quick financial fix, as with the attempted lease of the Turnpike. In the long term, the General Assembly must look to cost-cutting measures within government, while continuing to protect the neediest with quality education, medical care and funding of Emergency Mortgage Assistance to provide a safety net against foreclosures.
Harry Enggasser
Philadelphia
Health care: No Response Provided.
Economy: No Response Provided.
John J. Taylor
Philadelphia
Health care: Create State incentives for all employers to offer health care to their employees and expand CHIP and Adult Basic programs that currently exist. Make sure affordable policies are available to employers and individuals.
Economy: Just like individual investors, the state and its pension funds cannot panic but should continue to invest wisely with a diverse portfolio that ensures security along with long-term growth. We should eliminate predatory loans and help people renegotiate current untenable loans.
Tony Payton
Philadelphia
Health care: Universal health care would cover all Pennsylvanians that should be explored and that is the ultimate goal, but in the meantime we could pass Pa. ABC today and cover an additional 270,000 people.
Economy: Reevaluate our investment portfolio and start investing in precious metals like copper and aluminum — these things will have steady growth as countries like India and China have a growing demand for those commodities and other emerging countries around the world continue to grow. With that being said, the best thing we can do is stimulate job growth and put people to work on rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure. At the heart of the economic downturn is massive job loss and we need a green New Deal to counter those losses.
Republican
William Kennedy
Answers to Questions
No Response Received.
Angel Cruz
Answers to Questions
No Response Received.
Erik Sanchez
Philadelphia
Health care: The best thing that state government could do is create a very attractive business atmosphere, which would encourage businesses to establish long-term roots in the Philadelphia area as well as the rest of the state vastly, expanding the job market, with some investment in top-notch education and vocational training so that our residents are able to enjoy these new opportunities with better wages and the ability to afford the health care they need and take the burden away from the state. Low-income families in need would still receive help but with more jobs and better education it will be less needed.
Economy: Safeguarding jobs in the state would have a positive effect on both citizens’ and the commonwealth’s assets, as long as people have jobs they can pay their mortgages, car notes, go shopping, etc. This will keep the commonwealth’s revenues healthy and the citizens alike.
W. Curtis Thomas
Answers to Questions
No Response Received.
Babette Josephs
Philadelphia
Health care: Babette supports the Pa. ABC (Access to Basic Care) plan that will provide 270,000 uninsured working Pennsylvanians with basic health care and affordable health insurance to 80,000 Pennsylvanians who are on the Basic waiting list; provide $42 million in grants to small businesses that provide health coverage to employees; help doctors pay malpractice insurance premiums; and lower uncompensated care costs for hospitals. Babette looks forward to covering all Pennsylvanians with a single-payer health plan in the future.
Economy: We need to intensify state oversight of professional appraisers and increase penalties for misconduct; require pre-license and continuing education for mortgage brokers; permit the Banking Department to inform the public about adjudications and fines against mortgage brokers; reduce interest rate on subsidized mortgage loans, and require lenders to send copies of foreclosure notices to the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency for monitoring. I hope to see the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which will help people with limited incomes buy homes.
Wally Zimolong
Philadelphia
Health care: We need to increase health-care options. For those that can afford it, we need more competition in order to lower prices. Buying health care should be as easy and as competitive as obtaining car insurance. For those that cannot afford it, state government can provide a safety net.
Economy: Set capital gains taxes at zero. Taxing capital gains makes no sense. Capital is not grown without creating jobs. A paycheck is the best form of economic stimulus.
William Keller
Philadelphia
Health care: The Legislature should move quickly to enact compromise health-care coverage legislation that insures quality health-care coverage for all Pennsylvanians. I support a combined initiative that includes both Gov. Ed Rendell’s “Cover All” Pennsylvanians health-care initiative and the House Democratic Caucus’ initiative to cover some 300,000 uninsured Pennsylvanians. I will continue to support Pennsylvania’s Children Health Insurance Program that covers over 150,000 uninsured children.
Economy: Government must stay focused on using all available resources to weather the current economic storm by rejuvenating our economy and creating good high-paying and long-lasting jobs for Pennsylvania’s residents.
Anthony Biondo
Answers to Questions
No Response Received.
Robert C. Donatucci
Answers to Questions
No Response Received.
Kamalah K. Brown
Answers to Questions
No Response Received.
Kenyatta Johnson
Philadelphia
Health care: Supporter of CAP (Cover All Pennsylvanians) Program. The plan that all Pennsylvanians have health insurance provides incentives for health-care providers to improve quality services to its patients. The CAP plan is a component of Governor Ed Rendell’s Prescription for Pennsylvania Health Care Reform Plan.
Economy: State government can protect the assets of the commonwealth and its citizens by engaging in such initiatives as providing greater oversight of the banking industry, specifically, addressing the issues of predatory lending and engaging in such initiatives as moratoriums for mortgage foreclosures. Similarly, the state must implement public policies empowering consumer-advocate groups with the tools necessary to address issues of unfairness in all areas of business and commerce while working in partnership with the Pennsylvania State Attorney General’s Office.
James R. Roebuck
Philadelphia
Health care: I believe we should build upon existing state programs like CHIP and Adult Basic to ensure that all Pennsylvanians will have access to health care.
Economy: While the major initiatives must come from the federal government, the state should take proactive steps to promote financial stability and protect the assets of individual citizens. It should also monitor government spending to provide a cushion against future economic challenges.
Vanessa L. Brown
Answers to Questions
No Response Received.
Rahim Foreman
Answers to Questions
No Response Received.
Ronald G. Waters
Answers to Questions
No Response Received.
Louise Williams Bishop
Answers to Questions
No Response Received.
Kathy Manderino
Philadelphia
Health care: Access to quality and affordable health-care coverage is a right, not a privilege, and government has an obligation to make sure that this most basic need of its citizens is met. I supported Pennsylvania’s Cover All Kids and Adult Basic plans, and I support the current proposal to expand Adult Basic to cover more of the uninsured. I also am an advocate for single payer universal health care plan and have introduced HB 1660 to provide a state plan for all Pennsylvanians.
Economy: In this economic downturn, state government spending must be prudent and must meet basic human needs. Passing the expansion of health care for uninsured adults can be done with existing revenue and does not require new taxes. This should be done now because citizens need it. We also must make sure our laws on foreclosure are supportive of homeowners needs and that our HEMAP housing and LIHEAP heating assistance programs are working to help families in need.
Thomas C. Rolland
Answers to Questions
No Response Received.
Frank Oliver Sr.
Philadelphia
Health care: Pass Gov. Rendell’s reasonable health-care proposals to ensure that every Pennsylvania has access to quality health care. The Republicans in the state Senate have not acted in the best interests of the citizenry in refusing to act on this important piece of legislation. A “scaled down” version simply will not suffice.
Economy: An immediate hiring freeze, while laudable in and of itself is sadly not enough. I believe the General Assembly will, as an effort in good faith, have to provide a portion of its appropriation to the general fund to assist in this tough economic climate. Also, a portion of the Rainy Day Fund will have to be expended, and, while difficult, further cuts in state government will be required.
W. James Kernaghan
Philadelphia
Health care: I think the state of Pennsylvania and its General Assembly are taking steps in the right direction by introducing Senate Bill No. 300; The Family and Business Health Care Security Act “Single Payer Health Care.” This proposed plan could cover all Pennsylvanians by either being the primary plan for those without coverage or the secondary or supplemental plan for those with existing health coverage. This plan could reduce or eliminate most of the soft cost;
Economy: The commonwealth needs to take the important steps to identify and ensure the protection of key assets and services. The commonwealth legislatures should develop a strategy and that strategy should consider the commonwealth’s responsibility to itself and its citizens by running an accountable, efficient and effective government. With this in mind, we need to make sure our legislatures have oversight on the collective strategy of making sure that there is inter-departmental cooperation, transparency and reporting between the key departments.
Jewell Williams
Philadelphia
Health care: The importance of health-insurance coverage for all Pennsylvanians is a much-needed mandate that federal and state government agencies ought to find a way of funding. It is a travesty to know that our country lags behind the world in providing universal health care. According to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, the United States is the only wealthy, industrialized nation that does not provide universal health care.
Economy: State government should impose a spending freeze and operate within a bare-bones budget, charging all commonwealth departments and entities to re-evaluate their spending and cut wherever needed provided it does not impede upon services. Further, we need to review any and all commonwealth investments and garner professional economic opinions on high risk ventures. We should review the past several quarter tax revenues and anticipate future revenues thus establishing a plan on where funds should be housed.
Rosita Youngblood
Philadelphia
Health care: Depending on which numbers are accurate, hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians have no health insurance. And many others are underinsured. Despite our best efforts, even thousands of children have no health insurance. This is a CRISIS! I support Governor Rendell’s Cover All Pennsylvanians proposal. It will go a long way in providing quality health insurance to our residents. But, even the Governor’s program will not solve the problem. The health insurance crisis must be addressed at the federal level
Economy: Education is critical in understanding the short-and long-term effects of economic trends. State government can safegaurd the commonwealth and citizens’ assets by taking a closer look at the commonwealth’s investment practices. Consumers need to be informed as well as educated on how certain financial trends will have a long-term effect on consumers. The commonwealth has to continue to track and make adjustments to lending regulations especially concerning predatory lending and usury rates.
Cherelle Parker
Philadelphia
Health care: Presently, hundreds of thousands of children and adults are without health insurance in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The state provides coverage through Adult Basic and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) which have made an impact; however, the supply has not met the demand. The state must allocate enough funds to: expand the budget for Adult Basic and CHIP and create and subsidize low-cost plans for small businesses.
Economy: Due to the record number of families who are facing the loss of their homes here in Pennsylvania, we must continue to support and expand the commonwealth programs, which have been created to rescue homeowners, such as: the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency’s HEMAP — Homeowners Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program, REAL — Refinance to an Affordable Loan and HERO — Homeowners Equity Recovery Opportunity. In addition, economic development and tax incentives should be accelerated to make jobs available to those who have been seeking employment.
John Myers
Philadelphia
Health care: Gov. Rendell has presented a health plan that I believe that will ensure that every Pennsylvanian has health care coverage. We need to support the governor’s plan.
Economy: No Response Received.
Joseph Messa
Answers to Questions
No Response Received
Mark Cohen
Philadelphia
Health care: The federal government should work to eliminate unneeded paperwork by expanding eligibility for existing programs such as CHIP, Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. The federal government should also work to rationalize the cumbersome senior citizens prescription plan, and make it more similar to Pennsylvania’s precedent-setting PACE program. Single-payer health insurance is a worthy goal if it can be achieved without ending or dramatically reducing employer responsibility to contribute to employee health care.
Economy: No Response Received.
Dwight Evans
Answers to Questions
No Response Received.