Naughton, Strouse rack up endorsements as primaries draw near
By Tom Waring
Wire Staff Writer
Democratic voters in Bucks County and a portion of Montgomery County will go to the polls on Tuesday, May 20, to select a nominee in the 8th Congressional District.
The Democratic candidates are Shaughnessy Naughton and Kevin Strouse. Republican Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick, who is in his third term, is unopposed in the primary.
Naughton, of Point Pleasant, is a scientist and small publishing company owner.
Strouse, of Middletown, is a former Army ranger, CIA counterterrorism analyst and veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is program director of Teach2Serve, a nonprofit that teaches social entrepreneurship to local high school students.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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Naughton received the endorsement of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The newspaper wrote that Naughton’s “broad range of issues would make her a better match for Fitzpatrick in the fall.” The paper also pointed out that she’s a Bucks County native while Strouse moved to the county just last year.
The Inquirer mentioned her background as a chemist and her support for increased funding for science research and development and the disclosure of the chemicals used in natural-gas extraction to ensure that drinking water is protected.
The paper likes her call for allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower pharmaceutical prices. It believes her management of her family’s printing company gives her insight into the struggles of small businesses. And it backs her advocacy for rewarding companies that create jobs in the United States rather than overseas.
“Naughton is cut from the middle-class cloth of the Eighth District, and she has the experience and ideas to represent it well in Washington,” the editorial read.
Naughton said, “This endorsement is demonstrative of the momentum our grassroots campaign has been building since I began running for Congress last year. My focus on middle-class growth and protecting our drinking water is resonating with voters
throughout the Eighth District. I know this district as well as Mike Fitzpatrick, which is
why I’m the best choice to be a fierce advocate for our shared middle-class values if
given the chance to take him on in the fall.”
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Strouse earned the endorsement of the Southeastern Pennsylvania chapter of Americans for Democratic Action.
Glenavie Norton, chairwoman of the local chapter, cited Strouse’s record of service to his country and strong positions on issues affecting the middle-class.
“Kevin Strouse is far and away the most qualified candidate in this race. Kevin is a strong progressive with an impressive breadth of experience, from serving his country as an Army Ranger and counterterrorism officer, to his work with Teach2Serve, a nonprofit that teaches social entrepreneurship to local high school students,” she said.
“Kevin’s strong advocacy for early childhood education, raising the minimum wage, and his commitment to investment in infrastructure and job creation make him the ideal choice for Bucks and Montgomery county voters looking for someone who will be a fighter for the middle class.”
Americans for Democratic Action is a liberal political organization founded in 1947 by progressive leaders spearheaded by Eleanor Roosevelt and Hubert Humphrey. The local chapter helped draft the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter in 1951 and was a fierce opponent of former Philadelphia Mayor Frank L. Rizzo.
“ADA is an organization with a rich history of fighting for democratic values and government reform, and I am honored to have their support. I know voters are frustrated by Congressman Fitzpatrick’s continued obstruction and alliance with the Tea Party that has caused gridlock in Washington and job losses in the district. Families in Bucks and Montgomery counties deserve better, and they can count on me to go to work every day to fight to create jobs and grow the middle class in the 8th District,” Strouse said.
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Fitzpatrick joined the Bucks County Opportunity Council last week to accept the Community Action Association of Pennsylvania Community Impact Award.
The award commends Fitzpatrick for his strong support of local community service efforts and introduction of the Community Service Block Grant Act.
“While there are many responsibilities associated with holding public office, surely one of the most gratifying is being in a position to lend a hand up to families, children, individuals and seniors in tough times,” he said. “In my role as a public servant, I’m constantly working with people committed to making a difference in their communities. I’m particularly grateful for the hard work of the Bucks County Opportunity Council — including leaders like Roger Collins and many others who address the needs of the disadvantaged because they are motivated to do good in our neighborhoods.”
The Community Service Block Grant program supports more than 1,000 nonprofit community action agencies tasked with serving economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.
“With H.R. 3854, Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick continues to champion solutions to enrich the community for all residents,” said Roger Collins, executive director of the Bucks County Opportunity Council. “H.R. 3854 proposes fresh thinking for innovative capacity and strong, local solutions to help people permanently escape poverty. This approach, nationally and in Bucks County, has always enjoyed the best results.”
Meanwhile, Fitzpatrick recognized National Teacher Appreciation Week (May 5–9) and Teacher Appreciation Day (May 6).
“Teachers provide the light of education to people and children in all corners of the world, and their contribution is timeless,” he said. “We honor a profession and the individuals who touched our minds and our hearts, and whose influence often continues long after classroom days are over. Teaching is an art, and a great teacher who inspires is an artist.:
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U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz, a Democratic candidate for governor, is criticizing one of her primary opponents, businessman Tom Wolf, for refusing to release the gender pay equity audit from The Wolf Organization.
“Tom Wolf may think it’s ridiculous to ask legitimate questions about whether his company pays women and men equally. But women and men across Pennsylvania deserve to know whether Tom Wolf is practicing what he preaches in his television ads,” Schwartz said.
“Tom Wolf has centered his campaign on his business record, and these are legitimate questions about whether there is a wage gap for women at The Wolf Organization. We know for a fact there are no women on his board and only two in management.”
Former Pennsylvania Treasurer and Auditor General Barbara Hafer held a conference call with reporters, and challenged Wolf to prove that there is no wage gap at The Wolf Organization.
“Tom Wolf’s television ads paint a very pretty picture about Tom Wolf and his business. But like any fairy tale, the problem with the nice story is — — it’s just not the full truth,” Hafer said. “Tom Wolf says that pay equity is important to him but he has yet to release any of the details of his internal audit on the wage gap at The Wolf Organization. I am calling on Tom Wolf to release the full audit and report to show that he practices what he preaches on television.”
Meanwhile, the Independence Hall Tea Party Political Action Committee issued an anti-endorsement to Schwartz, calling her “the most anti-tea party candidate running for governor.”
“Pennsylvanians, in particular Democrats, must stop Ms. Schwartz from winning the Democrat primary because that would put her just one election away from becoming governor of Pennsylvania for the next four years — and we must not let that occur,” said Don Adams, president of the PAC. “That’s why we are calling on Tea Party-friendly Democrats to cast a vote in the May 20 Democrat Party primary for anybody but Allyson Schwartz.”
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Katie McGinty, another Democratic candidate for governor, proposed a plan to revitalize Pennsylvania communities by providing increased state support for local economic development projects, green community projects, the redevelopment of abandoned properties and reforms to municipal pensions.
“Too many boroughs, towns and neighborhoods throughout the commonwealth have too many abandoned buildings, distressed downtowns and too few parks and green spaces for families to enjoy. Under a McGinty administration, we are going to invest in communities to make them more livable and attractive for residents and businesses,” McGinty said.
To help distressed communities, McGinty proposes a community revitalization bond issue that would provide $300 million in state funding to increase support for municipal land banks to buy and redevelop abandoned and blighted properties; establish a “Green Communities Fund” to create parks, greenways, bike paths and open spaces; and provide loan guarantees for community development banks to expand support for local economic development projects.
In addition, McGinty proposes retooling the Redevelopment Assistance Grant program to support local revitalization efforts and to revamp the Community Redevelopment Zone Program to provide more redevelopment across the state.
McGinty also proposes pension reforms to reduce the unfunded pension liability of municipal pension plans by as much as $3.5 billion over 20 years, enabling communities to invest in local development and infrastructure improvement projects. Communities taking steps to stabilize their pension plans would receive priority in revitalization funding.
In other news, McGinty released a television commercial that calls for ethics reforms in Harrisburg and help for hard-working families.
A narrator says, “Tired of big money and career politicians? Here’s a problem solver: Katie McGinty. One of ten kids. Dad, a Philadelphia police officer. Mom, a restaurant hostess. Became senior adviser to President Clinton. And created 3,000 new jobs as environment secretary for Rendell. As governor, a total ban on gifts to Harrisburg politicians. Restore Corbett’s education cuts. Support Obamacare. She’ll take on Corbett to deliver for us.”
