Why I Voted for Conor Lamb

 

There are three good choices for Senate on the Democratic ballot. While I haven’t been active politically the last few years I have kept an eye on what’s going on. Not a close eye, mind you, but an eye. This post will not debate the qualifications of all three or compare them; you should do your own work on that. I’m just sharing why I decided to vote for Congressman Conor Lamb. [congressional site: lamb.house.gov ; campaign site: www.conorlamb.com]

I looked at websites, read some articles, and attended a Lamb event. I was trying to decide between Lamb and another candidate. There were a few things that pushed me towards Lamb. Here they are:

He’s a veteran. This isn’t the sole reason I vote for a candidate, and I don’t vote for every vet solely for that reason. But PA does have a high percentage of veterans, and military service forces people to work together even if they have significant differences; handy experience in elected office. If I’m deciding between two candidates and one is a veteran that person gets extra point in my book. Not every person in the service sees active duty in a war zone, but every person in uniform could, and they know it. On any given day any one of them could be given orders to go anywhere. It isn’t the only way to demonstrate patriotism or serve your country, but it is one way. I haven’t been in the military, though many of my relatives have, and it is something I respect.

He is pragmatic. This isn’t a popular word right now, so this isn’t a quality a lot of people would look for, but it is one I value. You work for things you can get done, and play a strategic, sometimes long game, on others, keeping an eye open for opportunities. But day to day you look for things you can get done. When I heard him speak he mentioned about raising the wage cap on Social Security deductions. For those who don’t know, there is a dollar wage limit on how much of your salary is taxed for Social Security. Raising that limit would help solve any long-term issues with Social Security funding.  I don’t think he brought this up but I’m mentioning it here – paying people with stock options means Social Security taxes aren’t deducted, because that isn’t a wage. (see this site for an explanation of this https://www.thebalance.com/taxation-of-employee-stock-options-2388965)

He has experience in federal government; I think that tends to help. It isn’t a necessity and I have definitely supported candidates who didn’t have this experience, but, for me, it is usually a plus. He's currently serving in the US House, in a district that often votes Republican. Being able to pull in R votes is another plus. Some people split their votes; let's give them a reason to do that.

Some of the things he discussed are adding vision, dental, and hearing aid coverage in Medicare (blogger’s note, for a list of things Medicare doesn’t cover see this site, note that insulin, other than an insulin pump, is listed: https://www.medicare.gov/coverage?coverage_search=dental). I think these things are priorities as well. You focus on the issues that can bring the largest number of people together to get something passed. I admire passion and ideological purity but you can only pass what you can get the votes for.

He supports things that are important to me – voting rights and women’s bodily autonomy.

This last thought is most decidedly an old-fashioned one these days. He practices civil discourse. He doesn’t seem to engage in name calling or smack downs. I imagine things get livelier in a general election, but when he was asked about his primary opponents, he pointed out differences in a straightforward but polite manner.

So, there you have it. That’s why I voted for Conor Lamb. [Full disclosure I also donated a small amount to his campaign.] You may decide differently. I can easily support any of the candidates in the general election.

Leave My Voter Info Alone

 So the PA Senate GOP wants to subpeona the driver's license number and last four digits of the social security number of all PA registered voters. They also want to know what method each person used to vote (in person, by mail, provisional ballot, etc). If they simpled wanted the list of voters, addresses, etc., they could easily get it. The point of this is to get the more personal information, voting method, and for more than one election (May, November, and so on).

I am peeved about this for a few reasons. One, drivers license and last for SSN numbers are used for various security reasons. My bank will ask for last for SSN digits sometimes, as do some medical providers or insurance companies. That's private information. I don't want it floating around, especially since the PA Senate GOP hasn't said who they plan to hire to do their "forensic audit." They won't say they intend to hire anyone with experience doing election audits. I don't think they are making any guarantees of confidentiality of information.

Another is that I have always voted in person. It is a matter of civic pride to me, and I enjoy seeing my neighbors and talking with the poll workers. I just enjoy it. Then a few years ago I developed an usual health condition. How unusual? It's on the NIH's list of rare diseases. It's that rare. If caught early, as it was in my case, it is very manageable. It's hard to catch early, though, because the primary symptoms are things like feeling tired and achy. Ummm, yeah. Everyone over 55 who is frequently tired and achy raise your hand. [raises hand]. What does this have to do with voting? In and of itself not much.

But then the pandemic came along. The primary form of treatment for the rare disease I contracted involves at least temporary immune suppression. So, no going to the polls (or much of anywhere else) for me, at least for a bit. I signed up for vote by mail and that's what I did in 2020 and in May of 2021. I'm undecided about this November. I've had the third shot but it is hard to social distance at my polling place because it is usually busy and the hallways are narrow.

I was allowed by law to vote by mail and so I did. It's nobody's business that I did, or even why. I missed voting in person, but I was not prepared to die to do it, especially when there was a safer, legal alternative. I took my ballot to secure drop off places which had staff or a guard at a drop box.

Voting is serious business and I take it seriously. I also take it seriously when someone tries to mess with my ballot or my personal election information.

Back off, people, just back way off.

Shapiro and Buttigieg Video Event

This evening Pete Buttigieg and Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, currently running for re-election, held an online "conversation" (this is how it was billed). The first half hour was set aside for those contributing at a higher level. The grassroots event followed and lasted a little over half an hour, attended by nearly 150 people.

Shapiro talked about his first experience as a candidate, running for state representative. These are stories I have heard before but they are good stories. A Labor Day poll had him down 65 to 21 but he went out and knocked on 18,000 doors and listened to what people had to say. He won the election that November.

He mentioned issues he has taken on in the first three years of his term, including education, health insurance, child abuse, fracking companies, gun violence, pharmaceutical companies and the opioid epidemic. He and other AGs had taken cases to the Supreme Court, including those pertaining to dreamers, contraception, and LGBTQ rights.

There were some good sound bites in his remarks. In answering a question on anti-semitism he said "Leaders must speak and act with moral clarity." Someone asked about his top three issues. He mentioned serving as the people's lawyer. As an example he talked about people who had signed with companies to drill on their land (fracking) in return for royalties which were not paid, or not paid in full. He said "You know who their lawyer is? I am." That's a good line. Near the end of the event he said "If it won't solve a problem, but will just make noise, I'm not interested in doing it."   

If you are wondering what happened to Mayor Pete -- he was there! He did talk! He gave a good introduction to Shapiro and talked about the importance of the race. This was the first time I had seen Buttigieg outside of the Democratic presidential candidate debates earlier this year. He is very personable. To be honest, I didn't pay a lot of attention to what he said, just studied him (adorkable is the word that came to mind), tried to figure out if he hadn't had a haircut in awhile or if he had trimmed it himself, and looked at the large bookshelves behind him. I caught Ulysses, the Iliad, Medieval Lives (not sure of this), and something with the word Loyalty in the title.

Buttigieg has been doing a lot of online events in Pennsylvania lately. His Midwestern appeal will play well in much of Pennsylvania. I think we will be seeing a lot of him in the future, not just Pennsylvania but the country as a whole.

[This post was written while listening to a Johnny Flynn mix on YouTube.]

Spotted Lanternfly

The Pennsylvania Agriculture Dept. is asking people within the commonwealth to watch for spotted lanternflies and report sightings.  This invasive insect is damaging trees.  Here are two websites for more information and pictures to help with identification.

PA Dept of Agriculture

Penn State Extension 

New Names on the Ballot

The PA Democratic Party sent this out today:

PENNSYLVANIA -- The Executive Committee of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, after receiving a recommendation from the relevant county democratic committees, voted this week to nominate candidates to fill vacancies on the ballot following the May Primary.

The new Democratic candidates are:

• HD-82 (Franklin, Juniata, and Mifflin counties): Robert Cunningham
• HD-153 (Montgomery County): Ben Sanchez
• HD-175 (Philadelphia County): Mary Isaccson
• HD-187 (Berks and Lehigh counties): Michael Blichar Jr.

Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairwoman Nancy Patton Mills issued the following statement:

“For too long, Republicans in Harrisburg have been pushing policies that hurt Pennsylvanians. That’s why we need more Democrats in Harrisburg who will fight for the values we hold dear. Robert, Ben, Mary, and Michael will stand up for access to health care, workers rights, and well-funded education for all Pennsylvanians. These candidates will be the champions the people of Pennsylvania deserve.”

Executive Director of the Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee, Nathan Davidson, released the following statement:

“Democrats are running in 180 out of the 203 districts in the State House in 2018, the highest number in a generation. We are thrilled to see these four candidates join our class this year because not only do they showcase the diversity of our state, but because they are running to represent the people of Pennsylvania not the special interests who call the shots in Harrisburg.”

Biographies:

HD-82 (Franklin, Juniata, and Mifflin counties): Robert Cunningham

Robert Cunningham was born and raised in Mifflin County. He’s a graduate of Indian Valley High School, Cabrini University, and the Imperial College in London. He has worked for the YMCA in several areas of Pennsylvania in various capacities, including running a portion of its Annual Giving Campaign. He is a passionate, driven leader, who is running to help Pennsylvania families achieve their very best.

HD-153 (Montgomery County): Ben Sanchez

Ben Sanchez is a lifelong resident of the 153rd Legislative District. He is a graduate of Abington Senior High School, Villanova University and Temple Law. He’s an experienced attorney, a certified public accountant, and an adjunct professor of law at Drexel University. He is also a board member of Jefferson Health and the Inter-Faith Housing Alliance of Montgomery County. He is a proud husband and father to two young daughters.

HD-175 (Philadelphia County): Mary Isaccson

Mary Isaacson will be a fighter to fairly fund Philadelphia’s schools, protect the environment, and reform the redistricting process. She will be a vocal advocate for the LGBT community and a fighter for women’s rights, equal pay, and a safe work environment. Mary was Chief of Staff to Representative Mike O’Brien for twelve years and a member of Democratic State Committee for eight years. Mary and her husband, Chris, live in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia, have been married for 18 years, and have two children.

HD-187 (Berks and Lehigh counties): Michael Blichar Jr.

Michael Blichar Jr. is running to help make an effective government that works and to put its focus back on the people of the 187th House District. He is an advocate for LGBT rights as a member of the community, civil rights, voter rights, and education. He serves on the Kutztown Borough Planning Commission, the Berks County Democratic Party, and is a leader with the It’s On Us Campaign. Michael was born in Lehigh County, is a graduate from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, and is a current resident of Kutztown.

 

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Katie Muth on "Two Broads Talking Politics" podcast

I just discovered a new podcast, Two Broads Talking Politics.  They have been interviewing some PA candidates in the last few months.  One of them was Katie Muth, who appeared on the June 25th, 2018 episode (episode 87).  Danielle Friel Otten was the other guest.  Each interview took about 20 minutes.  To post these notes in a more timely fashion I am doing one at a time.  Katie Muth was the first guest so this post is the notes from that segment.

As always, this is not intended to be a verbatim transcript.  These are just notes, and any errors are my own and should not, in any way, be attributed to the candidate.  I encourage everyone to listen to the podcast for themselves.

Two Broads Talking Politics Podcast

Episode 87:  Katie Muth and Danielle Friel Otten

Hi, I’m Gary from Youngstown, Ohio and you are listening to Two Broads Talking Politics, two Midwestern moms talking about politics and activism with expert guests.

Hi everyone this is Kelly and today I’m here with Katie Muth who is running for PA state senate in district 44.  Can you tell us who you are and why you decided to run?

I grew up in Western PA, outside the suburbs of Pittsburgh. My mom’s family was from there. My dad’s family is from Latrobe nearby.  I grew up with humble means but I had great parents so we didn’t know any better.   Unfortunately, I lost my mom when I was 11.  She had a brain aneurysm so my brother and I were raised by a single dad.  One of the reasons I wanted to run is that most of the public resources that allowed my dad to raise us on a single income, like social security benefits, public schools, public libraries. We couldn’t afford cable tv so the public library was where we went for a reward.  I used planned parenthood.  My grandmom used Meals on Wheels and many of these public programs that help people get by or get to the next level are on the shopping block at the federal or state level.   I went to Penn State on student loans and Pell grants, as did my brother.  Penn State is a great school and my dad couldn’t afford it on a single income.  I got a degree in athletic training and sports medicine, as did my husband and that opened my eyes to gender barriers.  It is hard for a woman to get a job get a job with a high profile team or a job with health benefits.  My husband works in the same field and makes twice what I do.  I was the first female athletic training student to get an internship with the NFL and it wasn’t that long ago; this helped me realize the inequity.  Higher level sports operative like government, on power and money.  I worked on the Hilary Clinton campaign as a Fellow.  After the election I waited anxiously to see what would happen.  It came to this moment that you can’t wait for someone to save you.  It’s you.  I started an Indivisible group, which is doing a great job and still meets monthly.  I stepped up to run after meeting Art Haywood.  Met some great folks.  I realized you don’t have to be a lawyer; I have a masters degree in sports training.  My experience with health care.  Kids I knew in public schools, couldn’t afford to get knee replacements or even tennis shoes.  That’s why things are the way they are -- we have a government that it is a pay to play system.  To know that you come in to this, you come in to this as hard working middle class candidates, without a lot of money.  Pay to play.

Your opponent is the incumbent first elected in 2002 and has been in office a long time.  It looks like in recent cycles he’s won by large margins.  In primary you were running unopposed but you had nearly the same number of votes as the incumbent.

It is interesting, I had 123 fewer total votes than the incumbent.  The district is the most gerrymandered senate district in the state.  I have parts of three counties.  In Berks Count I only had three municipalities.  I only knocked on doors there one weekend.  After the primary we looked at the votes.  Everywhere we knocked on doors we had higher vote totals.  We pulled this together knowing we were coming after incumbents, that had been elected mostly in tea party years.  In 2010 and 2014 the Dem vote totals don’t look so hot.  In 2017 the district woke up and Democrats were elected in local seats, some of which had never elected Democrats before, row offices, my town of Royersford elected its first female mayor.  My Indivisible group had a lot of these candidates in our group.  We got out and knocked on doors and really got out the vote and now the district looks purple.  We called out a lot of these incumbents that just sit back and collect a paycheck.  I hope I am voted out if I don’t have anything to show for being in office; if you’ve been in office that long you should make a real impact.  Now we’re on our 4^th weekend of persuasion campaigning.  People want this new energy and view government as ineffective.  It’s a movement not a one cycle thing.  I’m proud of this.  Of course it is going to be hard.  I’m 34 and short and small and people look at you and say “that’s so sweet, you’re running for office.”  It took a long time for everyone to take you seriously.  I’ve been doing this for a year, but people know who you are and it’s a people powered campaign.  I’m proud of all the people working to help get me and others elected.

Looks like you have a large number of strong endorsements.  What kinds of endorsements and what that means

I’ve been really lucky to earn this support, very grateful to have these endorsements.  Named a champion by Bold Progressives.  II went to candidate training last year.  Got a lot of advice.  When they named me a champion and went back this year.  Reinforced what I thought, run a people-powered campaign.  Endorsed by Planned Parenthood’s PAC, Run for Something, Equality PA [blogger’s note – this is not the entire list].   Sister District projects, groups in Calif and Hawaii have written postcards, made phone calls.  Amazing, people bring handwritten post cards to the polls.  Endorsed by PA NOW, and RepresentPAC, which contributes to women candidates, and I’m humbled that that support.  As a newbie people think you don’t have what it takes but they see these endorsements and get respect.  Especially Planned parenthood as I’ve relied on their resources.  My opponent has some labor support; the GOP has the majority in the House and Senate.  Labor unions are held hostage to avoid retaliation when a Democrat runs against a Republican incumbent.  One of only two candidates not endorsed by state AFL-CIO.  I don’t look at it as a setback but a different path to victory.

PA used to be a blue state until 2016 but has had rep majority in state house and senate for awhile.  You mentioned gerrymandered.  What’s going in PA.  Recent case on congressional seats.  What’s going on in with state level?

Did have some success in congressional lines, thanks to a Democratic state supreme court.  People think it is fixed but not on state level.  We are very gerrymandered, not a fair process.  Majority party has control.  Census in 2020.  Many legislation pieces have come through this session, SB 22 was a bipartisan effort with the help of the Fair District group, worked on this bill for over a year.  And so 72 hours before the bill was to be voted on the majority party hijacked the bill and gutted it, so it now had no independent commission to draw district boundaries but now had lines for geographic boundaries for electing statewide judges.  It was a retaliation for the state supreme court ruling.  Saw great bill go to garbage.  I would like to say we’re in a good place but one thing I’ve learned is that when you’re dealing with people who don’t care about doing the right thing you can’t negotiate with them.  If people are willing to rig the system so they always win it’s very difficult to have any collaborate effort.  I feel bad for all the people who worked on this for a very long time.  Their voices weren’t heard nor were the rest of Pennsylvanians.  This is a blatant example of what we are dealing with in Harrisburg.  That’s unacceptable.  November has to be a success.  We are being represented by people who don’t care.  That’s dangerous.

Anything else we should now?

I’m one of many amazing candidates this cycle running people powered campaigns, trying to get the money out of politics, get rid of pay to play.  I think that we’re making a statement here.  We stepped up to run knowing there would be intense scrutiny.  We’re here to make change happen.  If everyone puts in their time and talents and treasure we can win.  Everyone that listed can hopefully persuade one more person to get involved or give a dollar or vote.  It’s such a different slate of candidates.  If we keep working hard we can make this happen.  We have small donations from 48 states, none from N or S Dakota.

Jared Solomon's Office Gets NYT Mention

The New York Times included a photo of a volunteer in Jared Solomon's office and his chief of staff.  See "Leaving New York to Find the American Dream in Philadelphia," by Matt Katz (7/20/2018).  The article focuses on immigrants.