Horsham Democrats Annual Reception

The Horsham Democrats held their annual reception on August 12, 2014 at the Horsham Pub in Ambler.  Several local officials and candidates attended.  Former 8th District Congressman Patrick Murphy was a special guest.  Joe Hoeffel, who has held office as a Congressman (13th), Montgomery County Commissioner, and State Representative (153rd) and is now an author (of Iraq Lies) was also in attendance but did not make formal remarks.

These are my rough notes from the event.  Public remarks were longer and more detailed; this is in no way intended as a transcript.  It is just my notes from what people said.  My apologies in advance for any errors or misconceptions.  A few personal observations are given at the end of the post. 

MC:  Horsham Dems co-chair Pat Costello

Co-host:  Horsham Dems vice chair Ron Kolla

In addition to speakers the following were present:

Joe Hoeffel, D. Bruce Hanes (Montco Register of Wills), Ann Thornburg Weiss (Montco Clerk of Courts, JeanneSorg (Mayor of Ambler) and Rick Taylor (First Gentleman of Ambler and former State Representative), Greg Holt (Montco State Democratic Committee), Mark Levy (Montco Prothonotary), Madeleine Dean (State Representative for 153rd district), Dottie Miller (State House candidate in 53rd district), RuthDamsker (former Montco County Commissioner, candidate for State Senate in 12th district), [Mary Ellen Balchunis -- 7th district congressional candidate -- she was mentioned but I'm not sure she was there in person]

Brendan Boyle, candidate for Congress in the 13th district and current state representative in the 170th district, who had to leave early, spoke before the other formal remarks.  He referenced being the first Democrat in history to win in his district, and now people were saying a Republican couldn’t win the seat.  He said he looked forward to growing the party.

Pat Costello gave opening remarks, welcoming everyone.  He pointed out the labor leaders in the room and said labor is the backbone of Horsham.  He mentioned candidates in the room (see list above)

Josh Shapiro, chairman of the Montco Commissioners:  Recognizes Pat Costello.  Understands what it takes to build a party.  Bullish on Horsham Dems.  Believe in one another.  This is a tremendous group of people, who know how to mobilize.  Ruth Damsker will vote with Tom Wolf to put more money back into education.  Starts with boots on the ground.  Introduces Patrick Murphy, watches him on MSNBC, doing great things with veterans.  Murphy is raising awareness, and being a voice for the voiceless.

Patrick Murphy, former congressmen in the 8th district:  thanks.  When he signed up with MSNBC he can no longer endorse candidates but got special permission to be here tonight.  The only thing you have is your word.  Special mention of Hoeffel, who is the conscience of the party in this area.  A lot of great things going on in Horsham.  He was only elected to Congress because of the voters Montgomery County who were in the 8^th district.  He recognizes Wendy Rothstein (??), who is also a lawyer at Fox Rothschild, and mentions that Montgomery party chair Marcel Groen is also at Fox Rothschild.  References Joe Hoeffel’s book, Iraq Lies.  Less than 1% of Americans have served in Iraq.  Many have come home broken.  Leave no one behind.  Every day 22 veterans commit suicide, over 70% with a gun.  Heart broken over Robin Williams’s death; he did a lot for veterans.  Tells the story of getting a death threat the night the Affordable Care Act.  He slept on the floor of his congressional office and someone called him and said he was dead.   Mentions that while in Congress he did the PX90 workout with Paul Ryan.  Mentions ISIS conflict, and humanitarian drops by US.  Says Tom Corbett has been called the most ineffective governor in the country. 

Leslie Richards, Montco Commissioner:  Great to see so many old and new faces.  When Josh and I won we made history.  Not possible without work by Joe Hoeffel and Ruth Damsker.  Elect Ruth to the State Senate.  Let’s help Tom Corbett make history by being the first PA governor not to win a second term. 

Josh Shapiro:  Thanks Pat Costello and others.  

Personal observations:  This was a lively gathering.  Boyle, Hoeffel and Murphy were the popular kids; there was always a crowed around each of them.  The room was full and the event well-attended, especially on a rainy night.  The food looked good, too.  I had already eaten but did have some blueberries.  There were more influential women there than I am used to seeing, which was encouraging.

Selected Campaign Thank Yous

As campaigns have wound down candidates, both those who met success at the ballot box, and those who did not, are sending out thanks you emails to supporters. Here is a selection of messages that I received or were sent to me:

Patrick Murphy (congressman, 8th district)

From the bottom my heart thank you all so much.

It has been quite a fight and I'd like to say a special thank you to all the volunteers and to everyone who supported me throughout the years.

You put your hopes and hearts in my hands -and for that I will be more grateful then I can ever express or you will ever realize.

The fight to change the direction of our country will be long and hard. And whether as a Captain in the United States Army, a Prosecutor, an elected official, a husband or a father, I will never back down on my pledge to fight for the greatness that I believe this country can achieve. I hope no matter what happens, I’ll still make you proud.

I am honored to continue this fight with all of you in this community, which we all love so much.

My faith in America, and in all of you, will never fade.

Joe Sestak (congressman, 7th district, candidate for senate)

As I write this, I know I will never be able to express the level of admiration I have for every one of you who supported me -- and our principles -- so selflessly over this (and, for so many, other) campaign(s).

I am in awe of your caring and desire for a better future. Anyone who doesn't have faith in that, did not have the wonderful opportunity to know you.

Please accept my deepest respect, the knowledge that I am so very indebted to you, and the commitment to always return your belief in me by striving to better what our youth will inherit -- as every generation in America has done.

Thank you, for always!

Dr. Manan Trivedi (candidate, 6th congressional district)

Please forgive me for taking a day to send this to you. Yesterday I decided to do something I have wanted to do for the last 6 months: Spend the entire day with my family. It really brings everything into perspective. And it is my family I want to thank first. To my amazing wife, Surekha and my absolutely adorable daughter Sonia; you have been so supportive and understanding throughout this entire campaign. I love you both.

When we began this campaign fourteen months ago, it was hard to find any of the press, pundits or Washington insiders who thought that a brown kid from Berks County with a funny sounding name and no money in the political coffers would make it very far. Throughout the race, we were met with many obstacles, but we didn't let them get us down. We never gave up because you and only you were there at each and every step of the way. You helped us overcome so much and I will be forever grateful to you for that.

So while the end results of this election were not what we had hoped for, our work is not over. There is certainly a lot that needs to be changed in Washington and we cannot let one election stand in our way.

The folks in Congress still need to regain the public's trust, so while there are so many people struggling in this economy, they should lead by example and take a pay cut when the new session begins.

Congress must put forth every effort to get our nation back to work and they need to do it without loading up legislation with unnecessary pork spending. As a physician, I know that our health care system is imperfect and that we must do everything possible to ensure that every American has accessible and affordable coverage.

And as a battalion surgeon during the Iraq War, I will never stop fighting for veterans and their families. They make our nation stronger each day and we must honor them for their service.

I promise to never give up the pursuit to change how Washington works and I hope you will too. Do it for whatever reason motivates you. For me it is the story of my father coming to this country in the 1960's and working his way through school in the back of hotel kitchens of the segregated South. He did because he believed in an American dream that you would be rewarded for your hard work and merits, not on the color of your skin, your family's last name or the wealth that may come from it. I will never forget my father's pursuit and I will certainly never allow his vision to die.

It is my father's story and the stories I have heard from so many of you in the diners, the coffee shops, the train stations and your homes that made me realize one truly significant thing during this campaign: We all share a common thread. From the Steelworker to the social worker - from the small business owner with a new start-up to the small child starting school - whether you're white, black, brown or shades in between - or if your name is as familiar as Smith or even if it sounds as unusual as Trivedi, America is about fairness and it is up to only us to do everything in our power to ensure its continued existence.

I thank you again for everything you have done to support this endeavor and I look forward to carrying on our fight for fairness.

Bryan Lentz (161st state house, candidate for 7th congressional district)

I want to express my sincerest appreciation for all of your support of the campaign. Your financial contributions, your donated time, and your words of encouragement helped us become one of the most competitive races in the country. While Tuesday’s results were not what we had worked for there are still reasons to be hopeful as we move forward.

In the last year we created one of the most efficient and effective operations in the history of the 7th District and left a legacy of coordinated Democratic activism in Delaware, Montgomery, and Chester counties. In the three days leading up to the election our campaign went to over 120,000 households to promote the entire Democratic ticket but despite these historic efforts we were unable to hold these seats in the toxic electoral climate.

I want to publicly thank my dedicated and motivated staff for their incredible commitment to this campaign and its ideals. I want to thank my family for their support and sacrifices during this last year and I also want to thank Pat Meehan for a spirited campaign. I wish Pat great success in his new role as our Congressman.

Allyson Schwartz (congresswoman, 13st district, re-elected)

n one of the toughest electoral climates in decades, you helped me win a resounding victory on Tuesday, and I want to say thank you. My district is just 52 percent Democratic and 12 percent Independent, but yet on Tuesday, Democrats, Independents and Republicans joined together to give me a strong 12 point victory.

We knew we were up against a very difficult political environment, and against an aggressive candidate who poured over $500,000 of his own dollars into the race.

But, we ran a smart, door to door campaign and pulled off a powerful win, winning both Northeast Philadelphia and Montgomery County.

Given my swing district, it took our collective efforts over the last several months to touch as many voters as possible through as many avenues as we could.

Tuesday night we celebrated a 12 point victory thanks to you, and the efforts of the countless volunteers and supporters. You helped us to get out the vote and ensured that we had the resources necessary to run the biggest, strongest campaign since I was first ran for Congress in 2004. I could not have done it without you.

Now, I return to Washington to continue fighting for you, just as you have fought for me – to grow private sector jobs, protect health reform, reduce our deficit, and make sure that economic recovery and future economic opportunities reach all of our families.

In the new Congress, I will work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle – as I always have – to meet the challenges we face as a nation. But, do know that I will stand up and speak out when I need to promote our core values.

I hope that you will stay involved. Keep in touch with my political activities and my work in Congress on my website and through Facebook.

Once again, and from the bottom of my heart, thank you!

Ruth Damsker (candidate, 12th state senate)

Over the past several months, we have waged a determined campaign to change the way Harrisburg does business. Given the national political climate, it was particularly challenging. However, we succeeded in putting issues on the agenda and building toward further success in the future. I am grateful to you for sharing your time, talent, and treasury in support of my campaign.

When I spoke with Senator Greenleaf on Tuesday night, I wished him well and made it known that I will continue to work for the continued improvement of our Commonwealth.

Please stay in touch with me and remain engaged in the political process. Your involvement will make the difference in the future as we continue the effort to improve our State.

Rick Taylor (incumbent, 151st state house district)

I first ran for office to make sure that our most vulnerable have a voice. Corporations and special interest groups have plenty of lobbyists, and I have held myself to a simple principle: give a voice to the little guy and let us hear the every day citizen.

At the end of this long campaign, I am saddened that I will no longer be that voice for you in Harrisburg. Through this disappointment, I’m also overwhelmed with gratitude. I am in awe of how hard you worked to allow me to continue representing you in the 151st District.

This campaign was built by the hard work of all my supporters, volunteers, staff, friends, and family. To you, I am forever in your debt. Thank you for working so hard. Please feel free to give me a call and let me know if there is anything I can ever do to help you.

Shannon P. Meehan (candidate, 163rd state house)

My deepest gratitude...

Friends—

After some much-needed rest, I wanted to take the time to thank you for all you have done for me and my campaign over the eight months. Although we came up short last Tuesday, we accomplished extraordinary things, and I am incredibly proud of the work we were able to do with your support.

As a first time candidate, campaigning was all new to me. I was told there would be hard work and long hours, but I never expected the positive feedback I received from voters—of all political affiliations—and the overwhelming support of people like you. Because of your contributions—financial, time, energy, and words of encouragement—we were able to do all that could be done leading up to this election.

Over the past eight months, we knocked on almost 10,000 doors, built a strong grassroots organization, and fought hard against the Republican establishment. While we were not successful this time, I hope that you stay involved in local politics and continue to support our Democratic candidates.

Josh Shapiro (153rd state house, re-elected)

I'm writing to simply say, thank you.

With your help along with thousands of volunteers and donors, we were able to mount a strong campaign and win reelection to the Pennsylvania state House of Representatives. In a competitive district and facing strong political headwinds, we received 70 percent of the vote. I'm grateful to the more than 17,000 voters--Democrats, Republicans and Independents--in Abington and Upper Dublin who again entrusted me with their vote.

You're sending me back to Harrisburg to continue our efforts to create jobs, reform state government, improve education and much more. I'm ready for that fight, but Harrisburg will look different next year. We'll have a new Republican Governor and the Republicans will control the House and the Senate. I won't be afraid to cross the aisle to work with them to advance our goals but I also won't be afraid to stand up to them respectfully when we disagree. The political circumstances in the Capitol may be different but I'll be working for you with the same energy and determination.

I hope you'll keep up with our efforts on Facebook and Twitter and stay in touch by email.

Thanks again for your outstanding support.

GOTV Rally in Ambler with Rick Taylor and Rendell

This afternoon a number of elected officials gathered in support of State Rep. Rick Taylor (D-151), who is running for re-election this year. It was a beautiful crisp fall day. These are my notes from the rally.

Montgomery County Democratic Chair Marcel Groen started the festivities. He mentioned some of the local officials present, including Mayor Bud Wahl and Bob Pesavento, President of the Upper Dublin Township Board of Commissioners. Other local elected officials were present but not named. Groen introduced Ruth Damsker

Ruth Damsker, candidate for state senate in the 12th district. She said everyone knows what needs to be done. We need to preserve what has been done for open space. We also need to tax Marcellus shale.

Next up, State Rep. Josh Shapiro (D-153), whose district contains part of Upper Dublin Township. He said if the GOP wins a majority in the state house it will mean we didn’t go our job here. Rick Taylor is key. We need to make the gas drillers pay for cleanup. We need to keep communities safe.

Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel welcomed the crowd and introduced Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz.

Schwartz said we need everyone to come out and vote. Ambler is a great place. Rick Taylor is responsible to the community. She cited his work on the Willow Grove Naval Air Station as an example. Not only is Taylor a good legislator but a really good person.

Taylor himself took the microphone. We have the heart we have to get the votes. Nothing is more important than education. The GOP wants to gut education. On Marcellus shale, the state senate walked way without getting anything done. He and his campaign have knocked on over 30,000 doors.

Gov. Ed Rendell arrived in a big bus. He said Rick Taylor has the courage of the heart of a lion. On the statewide elections, Dan Onorato [Democratic candidate for governor] and Joe Sestak [Democratic candidate for Senate] are within the margin of error in polls and can win. We should go out and talk to people and motivate voters. Allyson Schwartz has done a great job with CHIP; 4 million more kids are now insured. With the Lilly Ledbetter Act women now can receive equal pay for equal work. Credit card reform means no more families put in the poor house. We took the middle man out of student loans. The health care reform bill isn’t perfect but it protects us in many ways.

Rendell continued, saying that, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the stimulus bill kept unemployment lower than it would have been otherwise. The stimulus worked. The GOP seems to think the health care reform bill was written by the devil. We are the only developed nation without universal health care. The Congressional Budget Office says the health care reform bill will cut the deficit 20 trillion dollars [not sure this amount is right and did not catch the time period this would cover.] With the bill, young adults can stay on their parents coverage until they are 26. There is no cap on coverage, and insurance companies can no longer drop people when they get sick. Let’s not be ashamed of what we’ve done.

He said we cannot even get a vote in the state senate on taxing Marcellus shale. Tom Corbett [Republican candidate for governor] is against a severance tax because he has received nearly a million dollars from the drilling industry. On the state level Rendell said he has targeted programs that work, pre-kindergarten and full day kindergarten, free after school tutoring; he said Pennsylvania is the only state to make substantial progress in all areas on educational tests. We’ve tone a good job. The tea party has some scary ideas. Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann, in line to be chair of the government oversight committee under a Republican majority, has said she would issue subpoena after subpoena. President Obama didn’t do that when he took office. John Boehner, in line to be speaker of the house if the Republicans win a majority, campaigned for a candidate who posed in a Nazi uniform. Mitch McConnell has said his top priority is to keep President Obama from getting anything done.

Rendell ended by saying that like long distance runners we need to find the energy to sprint at the finish line.

Personal notes: I’ve been a fan of Rick Taylor since his first run for office in 2006. My favorite photo of him is when he took on Tom Corbett for using subpoena power to try and find out who owned a twitter account.

A Few Endorsements and a Newsy Bit

Bob Casey has endorsed State Rep. Rick Taylor, incumbent Democrat for the 151st state house district.

The Bucks County Courier Times has endorsed Bryan Allen in the 6th state senate district.

Fellow blogger the Liberal Doomsayer has looked into Mike Fitzpatrick's congressional history.

Progressive Kick to Match Taylor and Painter Donations

Progressive Kick has picked state-level candidates around the country and will match donations to those candidates made on Progressive Kick's Act Blue site. There are two Pennsylvania state rep candidates from this part of the state on their list. Rick Taylor (D-151) is running for his third term. I happen to know his 41st birthday is coming up (he's having a combined birthday / Eagles watch party this weekend -- see his facebook page for details.) The other is Mark Painter, the Democratic candidate for the 146th district.

The Magnetism of Todd Stephens

Todd Stephens, Republican candidate for the 151st state house district, is hoping to unseat Rick Taylor. One tactic he is using is the time honored door to door lit drop. Someone gave me one of the items he is leaving with residents -- a refrigerator magnet. You can see a poorly scanned representation alongside this post. It shows his photo with the text "Todd Stephens for State Representative," along with the web address and a note that it was paid for by Friends of Todd Stephens, his campaign committee. Not for him the list of emergency numbers or district info that many campaign magnets have.

Note is it in full color and is shaped like the state of Pennsylvania. It isn't just a blue outline on a white magnet -- it is actually shaped like Pennsylvania, with the Erie bump in the northwest and the squiggly outline on the border with New Jersey. This seemed a little extravagant for a campaign that, on its more recent finance report, listed just over $26,000 cash on hand.

I did some quick checking on the price of magnets. Stephens's measures just under 3.5" tall and about 5.25" wide. I found two sites that listed 4" x 6" inch 4 color magnets for just over $1,000 for 2500. The campaign would probably buy more than that if they are distributing them door to door, but that gives some idea of price, although a higher volume might lower the cost.. That looks like it is for a 4" x 6" rectangle, not a custom shape. I found one place that listed state shaped magnets but that was an outline on a plain background, not something cut in the exact shape.

Looking at the expenditures for his campaign from I found one campaign expenditure for campaign supplies at $4,400 on March 18th, and some expenditures for a little over $1,000 but they were often for postcards or website expenses. A political organization provided in-kind donations for postcards. Nothing listed magnets, which leads me to the theory that the $,4,400 is for the magnets (note: one of the sites that lists prices online charges $4,400 for 10,000 4" x 6" full color magnets).

I'm not sure that a candidate with just $26,000 in the bank after the primary should have spent so much for large, colorful magnets, but, hey, I'm no campaign consultant. As someone whose refrigerator is covered with assorted papers, held on by magnets, I can say that the size of it would make it problematic; smaller magnets are more useful.

In any event, I found it interesting.

Rick Taylor Updates Website

State Rep Rick Taylor has updated his campaign website: www.taylorforpa.org

Taylor represents the 151st state house district in Montgomery County, and is running for re-election.

Welcome Rick Taylor to Twitter

Hey, one of my favorite PA state reps, Rick Taylor (D-151) is now on twitter. You can follow him at: www.twitter.com/RickTaylor4PA

Rick Taylor is Spartacus

Anyone remember the old Spartacus movie? Wasn't there a scene where Spartacus is going to be punished for something and one by one several people step forward and say "I am Spartacus!" State Rep Rick Taylor (D-151) has adopted that strategy. CasablancaPA has a photo of Taylor standing in front of his office door, which has a "I am Signor Ferrari" note on it.

Signor Ferrari is the username of the main blogger at CasablancaPA. Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett, also the Republican candidate for governor, subpoenaed twitter last week to find out who was twittering as CasablancaPA.

Kudos to Taylor for taking the Spartacus approach.

Best Mother's Day Email

A flurry of election related Mother's Day emails arrived over the weekend. This was, by State Rep. Rick Taylor's wife, Jeanne Sorg, was the most creative. How do you top bears?

On this Mother's Day, the first one my family will spend after the passing of Rick's mom, I thought it important to recognize and help my children remember their amazing grandmothers both of whom embraced the challenge of entering the bear's den. One did so figuratively to fight gender discrimination in the 1970's workplace and the other did so literally in order to tag a slumbering bear in the wild.

The memory of Rick's mom, Kay, that is most vivid to me occurred while Rick and I were first dating. I was in my senior year of high school in a little town up near the boundary waters in Northern Minnesota. Kay was working as a secretary for the US Forest Service. Not one to pass up an adventure, Kay grabbed her swanky new boots - she was always known for looking her best - and volunteered to take the trip up North to my neck-of-the-woods in the middle of winter to stay at the one-and-only motel in town - The Red Carpet Inn which still advertises "B&W TV in every room" - in order to tag hibernating bears. She didn't complain about the two feet of snow. She didn't worry about being in a hungry bear's den if it was awaken from its slumber. The woman had guts.

Kay needed that spunk. As a young woman, she traveled with her career navy husband from Navy base to Navy base around the world. She raised her young son, you guessed it - Rick, far from family. One of the many stories she told was of living in Ethiopia with an active two-year-old during the tumultuous early 70's. US Forces had been assigned to help protect the government and a key ally of the West, Haile Selassie; and she and her little family were right in the middle of it. Guts.

In the 1970's, women all over the US were building on the work that had been done by their mothers and grandmothers. They were continuing to change their rolls in society. On this Mother's Day, I celebrate the roll my own mother played. The year was 1974, I was two, my older sisters were three and nine. Bernice, my mom, confronted the biggest employer in town and demanded the right to the same good paying jobs up until then only given to men. She faced the threats and scorn of an entire town who saw her as trying to take a job from a man and upsetting the social order. She did not back down but fought and won the right to work in the taconite mines taking her place both in women's history and mining history by becoming the first permanent female miner on the iron range. Her fight opened the way for other women and three months later another woman was hired at a nearby mine. (This woman's story is told in "North Country" starring Charlize Theron. It wasn't completely accurate; but my mom says it was darned close.) My mom is looking forward to retirement this summer. Maybe you can see her when she comes for a visit.

So on this Mother's Day, I celebrate all of the women with guts who have worked for better lives for their families and other women. I especially celebrate the woman who raised me and the woman who raised such a caring son who has taken what he learned from his mother and has worked as a state legislator for the women of this community by fighting to protect families from domestic violence, bringing a mobile breast cancer screening van to the district for women without health insurance and collecting interview clothes for low income women to better their and their families' lives.

PhillyMag: Rick Taylor is a Good Neighbor

The March issue of Philadelphia Magazine has an article called "10 awesome neighborhoods to call home," which describes a selection of areas around Philadelphia and why they are good places to live. Each description has a "residents you ought to know" section. Two elected officials are mentioned by name.

For Skippack you find: "Graterford Prison is right outside town. But don't worry; former Montco D.A. and current commissioner Bruce Castor lives here, as does his old buddy, fellow former D.A. Michael Marino."

Note this "residents you ought to know" for Ambler: "Eight-time Gold Glove winner Bobby Shantz; State Rep. Rick Taylor." Not necessarily because he's a state rep, but just because he's a nice guy.

[Update: the initial post didn't have closed quotations after Taylor's name. The comment about him being a nice guy is mine and not the magazine's. However, they did list him so I think they would agree.]

Two Todd Stephens Updates

Todd Stephens, an assistant district attorney in Montgomery County, has announced that he is seeking a rematch against State Rep. Rick Taylor in the 151st district. According to "Rematch sought for Taylor, Stephens," by Rich Pietras (2/07) on Phillyburbs.com:

Stephens lost to Taylor by 431 votes in 2008 and hopes to give the GOP back the district it had controlled before Taylor pulled an upset over Eugene McGill in 2006. Before that Taylor victory, the GOP held a House stronghold on the district that dated back to 1940.

Stephens was also in the news in the Inquirer, "Two Montco prosecutors fined in 2009 slaying case" by Derrick Nunnally (2/05). He and another ada were fined $350 for playing a tape before the court without first giving the defense a transcript as the judge had ordered.

LWV Event in Abington

Last Thursday the League of Women Voters of Abington – Cheltenham – Jenkintown, along with the Rydal Meadowbrook Civic Association held the annual LWV legislators’ forum.

State House Reps. Rick Taylor(D-151), Josh Shapiro (D-153), Larry Curry (D-154), Brendan Boyle (D-170), and State Senator LeAnna Washington (D-04) attended.

The League had three prepared questions and then took written questions from the audience. I’ve attended this event a few years ago and, as always, found it very informative.

These are rough notes and should not be taken as transcripts. Apologies in advance for any errors or misconceptions.

Q1: Will next year’s budget be adopted on time and will the legislature be pressured to make serious public policy decisions that should be made independently of budgetary considerations?

RT: Thanks for holding the forum. It was a regrettable moment. We need to do better. We should start the process in earnest earlier, perhaps moving to a biennial budget. I don’t’ believe in penalties, such as docking legislators pay, though voluntarily gave up salary until budget passed. Penalties will lead to a bad product [budget].

JS: It was a debacle; there was no excuse for the delay. How much more can you realistically cut and now much revenue can you realistically raise. Does think the legislators should not be paid if the budget goes over schedule and voluntarily gave up his own pay. We should tax Marcellus shale extraction.

LW: Thanks. By law we should finish the budget by June 30th. Gaming was the only revenue source we had. WE should have done marcellus shale the same way.

LC: Hard thing to live through. Budget season began in the state senate. The GOP said no tax increase.

BB: Thanks. 1) enormity of the problem, 12% deficity, 2) divided government; Democrats control the House, Republicans the senate, 3) obstinance of leadership of both parties.

Q2: What reforms, if any, would you propose to make the legislature operate more efficiently?

BB: campaign finance reform. disagrees with recent Supreme Court decision. 16 states have public financing of elections.

LC: fundraising is the least pleasant aspect of the job. We need spending and contribution limits. Some legislators talk too much on the House floor, but you can’t limit free speech.

LW: legislation is online now. Senators and senate employees pay a percentage of their health insurance. The senate doesn’t have debate and discussion.

JS: 1) greater transparency, 2) reduce cost of legislature When he was on the commission on reform they passed a lot of reform legislation. A lot of irresponsible spending practices have gone way. Now the chair of the audit committee. You can see where the money goes. There is $200 million in the legislative leadership accounts. Should be returned to the general fund.

RT: Shapiro hit on a number of his points. Legislature is a deliberative body, not built to be inefficient. Rewards seniority not merit. Should elect committee chairs and empower chairs. Now leaders control what legislation gets to the floor to be voted on.

Q3: Please provide your thoughts on how the state constitutions comment on the environment (see Article 1, section 27) should guide legislative decision making on environmental issues.

LW: guided by mandate. we should take a serious look at the Marcellus shale situation.

LC: water issues because of Marcellus shale.

JS: one of the most progressive parts of the constitution. worked to pass growing greener 2, fund to clean up hazardous sites. How to deal with Marcellus shale, ensure safety of environment. voted to tax Marcellus shale.

RT: economic development vs environmental protection.

BB: very strong believer in energy independence. Marcellus shale is a great opportunity but must protect the environment. cant keep cutting DEP. Mentions Delaware and Chesapeake River watersheds.

Audience questions

Q: As Montgomery County legislators, do you support the expansion of commuter rail to avoid parking garages?

LW: alludes to proposed Jenkintown SEPTA station parking garage. SEPTA said she supported it and she doesn’t.

JS: absolutely should support commuter rail

Q: paper trail for elections?

JS: yes

RT: yes

LW: yes

BB: yes, implicit in right to vote is right to have that vote counted.

Q: small business and health care costs

LW: introduced legislation to classify businesses with 250 or less employees as a small business, up from current 150.

JS: For years I introduced legislation to allow small businesses to work together to form pools for health care. Has passed in the House.

Q: movement for more gun control in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania generally

LW: introduce 1 handgun a month for Philadelphia with an opt in for the rest of the state, will introduce each year. People like to hunt and she likes deer meat. People in the western part of the state don’t like gun control.

LC: difficult to get the bill going.

RT: Been working with CeasefirePA, lost and stolen guns, too many straw purchases. Believes in the right to own guns and hunting.

LW: Lynn Abraham had begun to support legislation, closed down gun shops that were lax on straw purchases

Q: 2010 census, redistricting by nonpartisan independent commission?

LW: yes, ethics laws changed some things of the past.

BB: yes, he represents the most gerrymandered district, looks like the letter C. not correct way to conduct democracy.

JS: HB 1805, and LC”S HB 619 bills, key is to take politics out of it, better policy.

LC: must be careful with HB 1805, talks about legislative reapportionment that doesn’t mention congressional districts, HB 619 does.

Q: SB 935, same sex marriage

JS: Three years ago he voted against a bill in the house to do away with same sex unions, including domestic partnerships. PA has to be catch up with the times, and be compassionate.

BB: It is legal to discriminate in the workplace and housing on the basis of sex orientation. This is wrong.

RT: We recently celebrated Martin Luther King Day, a day of service. Think of same sex marriage as a civil rights issue.

LW: Government should get out of people’s bedrooms.

Q: Adult Basic [state health program], waiting list is growing

JS: We are in limbo with Adult Basic, waiting to see what Congress does. 2 problems 1) less money available, and 2) federal matches set to expire at the end of the calendar year. We can’t continue to use Adult Basis to be insurer for the poor, can’t afford it.

LW: universal health care is important. Preventive medicine saves money.

RT: There has been a 40% increase in the uninsured since he took office.

Q: extraction tax

LC: some opportunity before floor vote, helpful. in legislature felt some pressure to pass tax, rebuild DEP.

JS: all 4 House members voted for it, not a tax on people but on companies. Sent to the Senate. GOP leadership did now bring it up for a vote. Look at their campaign finance reports and see who is donating to them.

LW: everyone needs input on what legislation is voted on.

BB: theme – need for govt reform. Instead of extraction tax someone came up with the arts tax and taxing small games of change. Those did not pass.

RT: Proudest of his vote against the arts tax. All forms of tobacco should be taxed. Instead of Marcellus shale extraction and tobacco tax we got table games.

Q: greater transparency with disclosure of lobbyists

JS: already voted on it, on the PA Secretary of State site.

Q: number of signatures required for third party candidates to get on the ballot

BB: not fair. Pennsylvania has very restrictive requirements for this. There should be some requirement but it should be reasonable.

JS: agree

RT: bring back the Bull Moose Party!! [this was a joke]

Q: given the judicial scandal in Luzerne County, should we elect judges?

JS; merit selection is gaining steam

RT: We want the best quality people in the judiciary, support merit selection but might not be realist, campaign finance reform

BB: RT;s bill on public financing for judicial elections. Teddy Roosevelt came up with campaign finance reform to address a scandal. That is a pattern – scandal, reform, unintended consequences.

Q: tax increase, teacher’s pension fund

JS: pension system in PA, in 2011, 2012 will have a deficit. Is that the question? [yes] This is a 10 billion dollar problem, fundamental restructuring of government, no answer yet. Sponsored legislation, passed twice in the House to keep pension money out of Iran and Sudan. It is in the Senate now, but sitting, not being acted on

Q: 2 top priorities

RT: unemployment and job creation

JS: jobs, jobs, jobs, health care system for small businesses, use of hand held cell phones and texting while driving

LW: jobs jobs jobs and job training

LC: jobs and job training, poisons chemical in making of plastic bottles

BB: spurring economic growth in the sate. getting more regular ordinary Pennsylvanians involved in state and local government.

Another Willow Grove Naval Air Station Update

There is general agreement that no one wants to see the runways at the Willow Grove Naval Air Station used to commercial or cargo flights. In 2011 the Navy and the Marines will be leaving. What will then be known as the Joint Interagency Installation is slated to become a homeland security base, available for military and emergency services use.

In May, 2008 Congress pass a bill to prevent the base being used for commercial and cargo reasons. According to the Associated Press (via Navy Times, h/t Democratic Underground)

Reps. Allyson Schwartz and Patrick Murphy introduced an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act to outlaw such use. The amendment, which passed the House on Thursday night, says the airfield can only be used to aid the mission of the installation.

As an additional safeguard the state legislature can pass a similar bill. Legislation introduced last year did not make it through the process. This year State Representative Rick Taylor (D-151) introduced a bill, co-sponsored by, among others, Tom Murt (D-152). HB 111 which provides even stricter guidelines on who may use the base, and ensuring that private businesses pay local taxes. Stewart Greenleaf has introduced a similar bill in the state senate.

Taylor’s office distributed his remarks on the legislation. Here is an excerpt:

Some are quick to point out there is already a federal law that is clear on the issue - no flights outside the mission. In a briefing legislators had a few weeks ago we learned the law is already working. The program manager of the Horsham JII was approached by a discount airline to use the space with $100M in potential revenue. It was immediately rejected because their proposal was outside the mission and the federal law clearly bans the use of commercial flights.

However, any legislation can be repealed. That is why we need to have the belt and suspenders approach to ensure that if the federal legislation is repealed it will not be at the state level.

Furthermore, our legislation speaks to appropriateness of who is an allowable tenant or associated user. Let me be clear: if you are not making the U.S. a safer place to live you've got no business setting up shop at the Horsham JII. And this legislation spells that out. I understand this base could be a real cash cow, even if we could make a ton of cash we should not let just anybody in. It's all about quality of life, quality of life and quality of life.

There is some disagreement over the specifics. As noted in “Officials join efforts to limit use of airspace,” by Rich Pietras, in the 3/21 Intelligencer:

If anything speaks of the potential fight ahead, it may be the news of one prospective tenant for the base, Teva Pharmaceuticals.

Although Teva, which is the largest generic drug company in the world and is located in Montgomery Township, has only engaged in preliminary discussions over moving onto the base, Greenleaf, as well as Horsham officials, do not believe it fits the base's mission or model.

Rendell disagrees.

Bradley Vasoli in the 3/25 Bulletin (“Greenleaf, Taylor bills to prevent civilian flights) notes another point of contention in the region:

They introduced a similar measure last session, but it did not pass. Some of the opposition came from Delaware County lawmakers who view Willow Grove as an airfield that could lift some air-traffic pressure off of Philadelphia International Airport, much of which currently flies over Delaware County.

The redirection of flights bound for Philadelphia International over Delaware County was intended to reduce delays, but it has increased aircraft noise for the county’s residents, and adding runways to the airport currently is on the drawing board. This would further increase the airport’s capacity beyond current air-traffic levels.

This has Delaware County legislators concerned.

The wording of legislation is always important but in this case it is especially so. The phrases “should be related to the mission of …” and “must meet the primary mission of ...” can make the difference between a company or organization being allowed to use the runways or not.

This is an interesting situation and definitely one worth watching.

Rick Taylor and Todd Stephens on Comment Please by Univest

State Rep.Rick Taylor and his Republican challenger Todd Stephens appeared on one of my favorite radio show, WNPV's Comment Please by Univest,on Oct. 17th. Darryl Berger is a very skillful interviewer

Comment Please by Univest
Host: Darryl Berger

(incumbent Democrat) Rick Taylor and (Republican) Todd Stephens
Friday, Oct. 17
151st district state house district

1 minute opening, questions, 1 minute closing

RT: Thank you. It’s good to be here as always. Thank listeners. [describes district] Two years ago when I ran for this office I ran because I believed I could make peoples lives better. I’ve been fighting for that. Health care, education, dignity for older citizens. Ambler, fight over asbestos. Willow Grove Naval Air Station. Fight for quality of life to be preserved. My experience in public and private industry has taught me how to work with all kinds of people.

TS: Appreciate opportunity to be here. Been an assistant district attorney in Montgomery County for almost 8 yrs. Opportunity to serve the people of Montco in that capacity and US Attorney’s office in Philadelphia. Being a state rep provides opportunity to serve people in a greater way. Disappointed in state house of rep. Too much time spent bickering. Indictments and continuing investigation. As it relates to the average individual. No one says how great state legislature is. In fact, headlines to the contrary. Lived in Horsham all my life. Time we made some changes. Been fighting for people in the courthouse and would like to move on to state house and fight for people there.

Q: bonusgate. Rick, you are involved in this to some degree. One of the people indicted was your cm for a brief time. Have you answered all the questions on that? You ran as a reformer.

RT: Yes, what has happened as far as Bonusgate goes. If allegations are true it is saddening and disappointing. Let me be clear, there has never been an accusation that I did anything wrong. Two weeks before the election there was a need to replace my campaign manager. We called state party as the campaign manager was not my employee. Said I could go it alone but called them first. I did not know she was on state money until the day indictments announced. While in Harrisburg I have worked to change the problems that have eroded the trust. First issues were legislation being rammed down people’s throats late at night. Lessened power of leadership on rules committee. Increased time for legislators to review legislation. Used to be asked to vote on legislation with no time to read it. Worked on open financing. Need campaign finance reform. Worked with Common Cause. Redistricting reform is another thing. Upper Dublin. 8 years ago there was one representative. Now in 4 different districts in Upper Dublin. Would like a nonpartisan commission. Rep. Samuelson has a nice bill on that. As soon as Bonusgate came out I introduced a bill to ban bonuses. We have to deal with systemic issues.

TS: quite frankly, with all due respect to Rep. Taylor it’s great to talk about redistricting reform but now the time has passed. Can’t happen before 2010 when redistricts. Had 2 years to address it and didn’t. Bonusgate issues. Rep. Taylor hasn’t ever shown on his campaign finance report the in kind donation for Rachel Manzo’s work. He hasn’t amended his report to show he received her work for 2 weeks. There was already a bill banning bonuses sitting in the house, passed in the senate. Sat in committee. But he introduces another bill. This whole notion that the rules were tightened is wrong. The most important bill that comes up is the budget but they suspended the rules on the budget bill. We need to make sure the caucus expenses are put online. I and others have asked about the amount spent on Rep. Taylor’s newsletters. He didn’t start putting his expenses online until Dec. of last year. Nothing in there about newsletters or tv commercials. Need to make sure one committee chair, like chair of State Govt committee chair, can’t derail legislation. We have got to stop allowing our tax dollars to defend against criminal investigations. When legislature said they were in favor of open records but D caucus fought Bonusgate subpoenas they were using tax dollars. Whole lot of lip service but no substantial changes.

RT: As far as the bonus issue goes. The existing bill banning bonuses was on all of state government. Too broad in scope. We were really concerned about people using it for political purposes. So that’s why I introduced the bill to fastrack it. On committee chair bottling legislation, just had a discharge resolution on MCare abatement (helps doctors pay medical liability). On the budget. I voted against suspending the 24 hour deadline. I agree the budget is important but the majority voted to suspend.

Q: Leadership has too much power?

RT: Having a strong leadership is frustrating. They still have a lot of powers. It’s not all bad. The legislative accounts not all bad, sometimes all four caucuses will share costs of something with the governor. I believe in kind services were reported from HDCC. They gave us a statement saying what services were rendered. Both campaign managers were same, an in kind service provided. On the mailings, I think these mailings serve an educational purpose for constituents. For example, announce free breast cancer screenings for low income women. Not excessive. Property tax rebates for seniors. Education people about these services. Has gone to visit constituents even in off years to help them and educate them. I have more constituent service hours than any other rep according to a survey. Televised publis service announcements also serve to educate public. One early PSA on TAP 529 programs. Dual enrollment, get college credits while in high school. Work on making college more affordable.

TS: Still confused. Open records. How much did we spend on newsletters. You don’t’ even know how much you spent?

RT: That comes through the caucus.

TS I don’t disagree that there is important issue information to disseminate to constituents. I worked on Internet crime safety. Developed on my own time and distributed Mouse pads with Internet safety. Got corporate sponsorship. Ricks’ tv ads, 45K spent on 529 programs. If every state legislator spent that kind of money wouldn’t it be smarter if there was one commercial from the treasurer’s office instead of individual ad from each legislator.

Q: RT not the only one doing this.

TS: We need to change these things.

Q: Willow Grove Naval Air Station (Joint Air Reserve Station at Willow Grove)

RT: There are 3 principles I’ve been working with. Base and runway is important. After 9/11 it became apparent that the old way of working needed change. We need to keep it and keep runway. Need for national defense, emergency preparedness. Whatever happens at the base should not diminish quality of life who live in the surrounding communities. Been a strong proponent of working with both sides. Been working with the state and local representatives. Greatest concern being commercial flights. Two pieces of legislation given to locals to mark up until they are comfortable with it. I’ve been working in a very bipartisan fashion. Have worked with different cultures and be an honest mediator. Legislation would block commercial flights and narrow definition of associated user. I’ve spurred the debate and brought Gov. Rendell in to meet with some of the township officials. At the end of the day you cannot diminish quality of life in Horsham.

TS: On Horsham planning commission for years. We need to abate traffic around Horsham. Maybe use some of the land to decrease traffic. When the military said they don’t want it ever other gov’t agency given the option of coming to WG for free. All declined. Gov. came in and said it should be preserved as joint agency installation. I have mixed feelings on whether it is necessary or not. All agencies had previously declined. Gov. has found he can’t possibly afford to maintain base with just gov’t monies. Kimball Report said some private use. RT said he endorsed Kimball Plan, more buildings and hangars. Issue is you will be using commercial air traffic to foot the bill for the base. Congress passed legislation to allow for commercial and cargo air traffic for WG. Keeps trying to wrap this up in national security but ask and pharmaceutical companies keep coming up. I was at the meeting when Burger King was listed as being part of national security. [read from committee minutes]. If you told me this was going to be a gov’t facility with gov’t planes and gov’t pilots for national defense and homeland security, I could support it. I’ve been a neighbor of the naval air base all my life. There’s nothing like watching a fighter taking off. But that’s not what is happening here. Those associated users would access to the runway so they will foot the bill.

RT: What I endorsed was the vision of a homeland security hub with a runway. The associated user is part of the discussion the township and the state need to have. We do need to make sure the township has a say. The governor said the township would have a say. I am trying to work with the township to make sure they have a say. Trying to be an honest broker. I’ve knocked on thousands and thousands of doors. We’ve got to define what associated users are. Taxation issues. Sovereignty of the state should not be given up. Fed legislation said no commercial and cargo flights.

TS: You can’t be a broker you’ve got to take a side. Horsham declared a great place to live. We didn’t get that by letting the state come in and dictate what happens to all these acres. The decisions need to be made in Horsham and Montgomery townships. If we’re going to relocate businesses from Montgomery Township to federal land in Horsham where they won’t pass taxes; that is a concern. Never once has RT talked about land use or local taxes. Just ban non-gov’t flights. None of that has happened. We heard from the state there would be a public meeting back in March. There have been no public meetings. All closed door meetings. Kimball Plan made in closed door meeting. Footing the bill for that facility is wrong. I would fight tooth and nail.

RT: Horsham also part of this Kimball Report. I was supporting the vision. There was legislation we were going to run right before we broke for the budget. A lot of the issues the twp wanted to deal with and they asked me to hold up that legislation. We redrafted the legislation.

TS: When you were asked if you will support this legislation you said you didn’t know and then made a phone call and said you would support it.

RT: At the meeting I said to the twp I said I supported what they were doing in principal but wanted the conversation to continue. You have to have a number of legislators and the governor to pass legislation. I told Horsham I believed in the principal but did not want dialogue to end.

TS: you didn’t go and introduce the legislation. Tom Murt did and you jumped on. How are you going to pay for that runway unless you’re going to use commercial tenants to pay the bill.

RT: We drafted the legislation, sent it to solicitor of Horsham twp, didn’t hear back. It was after Murt’s bill was introduced that we heard back. Rep. Murt and I are communicating but I heard about the bill after it was introduced.

Closing

TS: I certainly appreciate you having me here. I would love to have another debate. We need some new leadership, someone who understands the issues are it relates to WG, traffic issues. I have a 98% conviction record in DA’s office. Deserve and opportunity to go Harrisburg www.toddstephens08.com

RT: In the last 2 years I have worked hard to make a difference in people’s lives. Helping push Bo-Rite on national list. Dual enrollment. Asbestos. Work for those who don’t have a voice. www.taylorforpa.com

Upper Dublin Site Proposed for Superfund

From the inbox:

On September 3rd, 2008, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] proposed adding the BoRit Asbestos Site to the Superfund National Priority List [NPL]. The EPA is currently seeking public comment on the proposal.

Located by the Wissahickon Creek at the intersection of Whitpain Township , Upper Dublin Township and Ambler Borough, the BoRit site has been waiting for clean-up for decades. Getting it placed on the NPL is the best way to insure that the surrounding community and future generations will be free from the health and environmental threats the site poses.

“Having the BoRit Asbestos Site recommended to be placed on the National Priority List is a victory for the community and for the hard working individuals who united with the specific intent to protect the safety and well being for generations to come. I am very proud of all that has been accomplished and look forward to continuing the task of protecting and preserving our community,” said Rick Taylor, PA House Representative for District 151, one of the elected leaders involved in working with the EPA on the BoRit site.

Community and environmental groups like Clean Water Action, Citizens for a Better Ambler and the Community Advisory Group have been working alongside local politicians like Rep. Taylor and Rep. Mike Gerber and the EPA to address this long overdue problem.

“This is the largest asbestos waste pile in the United States and it has never been properly dealt with. The site is hazardous to the health and environment of the communities living by it and should have been made a Superfund site long ago,” said Anne Misak, Program Organizer for Clean Water Action and a member of the Community Advisory Group for the BoRit site.

Citizens and organizations in the area are encouraged to submit comments in favor of the site being listed. The comment period is open through November 3rd. To submit a comment, visit http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/pubcom.htm and make sure to include the docket number for this site: EPA-HQ-SFUND-2008-0582.

“Clean Water Action encourages everyone to take a few minutes to post a comment in favor of the BoRit site becoming a national priority for clean up,” said Misak.

On the Air: Rick Taylor

Rick Taylor, freshman Democrat for the 151st state house district in his first re-election race, has a new television commercial. You can view it on ActBlue.

Rick Taylor Receives Environmental Endorsements

From the inbox:

State Representative Rick Taylor (D-151) was recognized today by leaders in the Environmental community who have endorsed him because of his leadership on alternative energy, his success in cleaning up hazardous waste sites for re-development, and his role in fighting for sound policies for all of Pennsylvania. The endorsements took place at the at the Wetlands Restoration Project in Fort Washington, a project that would not have gone forward without the advocacy of Representative Taylor.In addition to these endorsements, Representative Taylor was recognized for a 100% Environmental voting record by Penn Environment.

Susan Curry, an environmental champion from Ambler, was on hand to talk about Representative Taylor's role as a broker for local issues. "Rick Taylor has been a consistent advocate for environmental issues, during his campaign and in legislative actions" said Curry, "He supported funding for Ambler to develop a downtown tree management policy, and he joined with local citizens in a successful request that EPA list the Bo Rit asbestos site in the National Priorities List for Superfunds. He listens carefully and then acts decisively."

Brady Russell, the Eastern PA director of Clean Water Action, was on hand today, to speak to Rick's role in the Democratic Caucus on the environment.

"Rick Taylor understands the connection between public health and natural spaces and is willing to stand up for them. People who care about environmental issues should know that Rick Taylor is always willing to be a leader, both within the Democratic Caucus and on the floor of the House, whenever we have a high priority. "


In offering their endorsement, Mark Schmerling of the Sierra Club also recognized Representative Taylor's commitment to alternative energy sources.

"Today we're happy to endorse Rick again, this time for an even better reason than in 2006, his perfect voting record on environmental issues during his first term in Harrisburg. He voted for a bill to allocate $650 million over five years to renewable energy; for a bill to require utilities like PECO to teach people how to use less electricity; for a bill to require utilities to install smart meters in people's homes, so they'll know to use less electricity at times of the day when it's most expensive; and for a bill gradually to increase the percentage of cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel in vehicle fuels. Rick is a future environmental leader, and we urge people to vote for him."

Rick Taylor to DeWeese: And Don't You Come Back

The deluge has started. Rick Taylor becomes, I think, the 7th state representative to call for State Rep. Bill DeWeese to step down as Majority Leader.

From the inbox:

“I have also spoken with Representative DeWeese and asked him to resign his role as Majority leader. He has become a lightning rod for controversy, and we need to get back to the issues. Unfortunately this scandal has cast a cloud over our efforts to reform Harrisburg and the accomplishments we have already achieved.”

Taylor is also asking his Republican opponent, Todd Stephens to step down as a Montgomery County assistant District Attorney while he is running for office.

News Update II: 151st House District

State Rep. Rick Taylor is running for re-election in the 151st house district. His opponent is Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Todd Stephens. Unlike other areas, Montco doesn't have any rules against ADAs running for office while still working as a prosecutor. This has led to some back and forth accusations in the campaign. From "Criminal defense attorneys filling war chest," by Rich Pietras (Intelligencer 7/26):

The Democrats cited several cases Stephens prosecuted, including a case heard Tuesday against Norman Brooks, who was arrested for allegedly molesting a 13-year-old girl. Democrats point out Michael F. Dunn, the defense attorney representing Brooks, has contributed to Stephens' campaign.

The article also references the same issue in regard to judicial elections. Stephens' campaign responds with some questions of its own for the Taylor campaign. All in good fun!