Voting Category

Category: Voting

I Support Steve Bacher for Congress

There is a difference between the three Democratic candidates for Congress representing PA District 1. Steve Bacher is my choice for many reasons, but primarily because of his position on the environment and marijuana. Read his opinion piece published in today's Bucks County Courier Times:

Guest Opinion: Steve Bacher’s Position on the Environment and Marijuana

Listen to my podcast interview of Steve. He discusses environmental issues of concern to Newtown residents as well as his opposition to the 287g program, in which local police are trained to act as immigration officers:

Posted on 08 May 2018, 01:05 - Category: Voting

Steve Bacher Supports Teachers, Not Guns

[The following is an email message I received from Steve Bacher, candidate for U.S. Congress in District 1 (Bucks County). I thought is worth publishing here.]

On Sunday, the Bucks County Courier Times published two opinion pieces on gun safety: one from its Editorial Board and one from Bucks County resident Jaclyn E. Miller. Ms. Miller called for Congress to pass gun safety legislation, including “stricter laws for the sale of fire-arms, background checks for mental health, longer wait periods, and the banning of assault weapons.” The Courier Times called for reducing the number of teachers or administrators at each school to pay for armed security guards (see below).

Fire Teachers to Pay for Armed Guards in Schools?

Before I get into gun safety, a brief word about student-teacher ratios: Everyone with a child in public school today knows that classes are too large. We need more teachers, with fewer children in each class, to enable more personal attention to the individual needs of each student. Cutting teachers to pay for security is not an option.

We need to make it more difficult for people to obtain military-style weapons, such as the AR-15, which was used in so many school killings. I don’t want our schools to be treated like war zones, with soldiers holding military weapons guarding them. I want safe neighborhoods, where guns are kept locked in safes in their licensed, trained, owners’ homes.

Some schools do need to improve their security systems, and these should be paid for with a special tax on gun and ammunition sales, not by stealing from existing school budgets.

Adding armed security officers is a non-solution. Parkland had a security officer. How many teachers and administrators does the Courier Times propose we eliminate so we can have multiple guards at every entrance? Their policy will lead to schools that feel like prisons and have even larger class sizes.

Even if we could fund high quality perimeter security without stealing from school education budgets, that would do nothing for the safety at nightclubs, concerts, movies, workplaces, or churches. All have been targeted by gun violence.

Most of the time, no “good guy with a gun” is able to protect us from a bad guy with a gun. That’s just a marketing slogan by the NRA to help their masters, the gun industry, sell more guns. Ronald Reagan was surrounded with armed Secret Service and police officers when he was shot. He, James Brady, Tim McCarthy, and Thomas Delahanty were all shot while surrounded by "good guys with guns."

We must stop sacrificing our children and other fellow citizens on the altar of the Second Amendment. Sensible gun reform could protect us. The United States is the only country not at war where thousands of people die every year due to gun violence. It needs to stop. Turning our schools, night clubs, churches, and public spaces into armed camps is not a solution. Only sensible gun reform is.

[Please chip in with five dollars here to help Steve get the message out that the people of Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District want sensible gun safety legislation now. Feel free to forward this message to five friends.]

Posted on 05 Apr 2018, 01:31 - Category: Voting

Rally for Democrats 2018

Turn local wins into state and federal wins!

JOIN US on SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11th from 1 to 4 p.m.

The Temperance House, 5 South State Street, Newtown, PA

The Rally for Democrats 2018 is your chance to:

Learn how we plan to defeat Republican Representative Fitzpatrick and elect Democrats to the Pennsylvania House and Senate;
Meet and talk to our state and Congressional candidates;
Hear our newly-elected Democrat majorities in the Borough and Township outline their plans for responsible government;
Find out what you can do to help!

The Event is FREE, but Sponsors are welcomed: $250, $100, $50 (or any amount).

Agenda

Arrival and Registration (1 to 1:30 p.m.) - Enjoy complimentary beverages (cash bar available)
Presentations (1:45 to 2:20 p.m.) - Welcome; Newtown Democrats overview and "Thank You's"; how we won in 2017 and how we can win in 2018; Newtown Borough and Newtown Township key goals for 2018; how to advocate for our values and positions; and what YOU can do to help!
Keynote Speaker (2:20 to 2:30 p.m.) - Pennsylvania State Representative Perry Warren
Key 2018 Candidates (2:30 to 3:00 p.m.) - Introduction and statements from Pennsylvania House candidate Perry Warren, Pennsylvania State Senate candidate Steve Santarsiero, and U. S. Congressional candidates Steve Bacher, Rachel Reddick and Scott Wallace
Social Time (3:00 to 4:00 p.m.) - Converse with the candidates, talk with old and new friends, and enjoy complimentary appetizers and beverages (cash bar available)

Only 150 seats are available for this event.
RSVP (on a first-come basis) IS REQUIRED TO CONFIRM ATTEND YOUR ATTENDANCE.

Please RSVP via phone (215) 310-5007 or via email to NewtownDems@hotmail.com

Posted on 25 Jan 2018, 12:06 - Category: Voting

Mack Clobbers Couch!

It doesn't get sweeter than this: To use the opposition's attack piece in a victory posting!

A little more bragging: I received the most votes of any candidate - Republican or Democrat - for Supervisor going back to 2007 (the earliest year of election results reported by the Bucks County Board of Elections) as shown in the following chart.

Posted on 08 Nov 2017, 12:57 - Category: Voting

Every Vote Counts!

[Excerpted from a speech I made on Sept 29, 2017, at a "Get Out the Vote" rally outside Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick’s Langhorne office.]

As a member of the Country Bend Homeowners’ Association Board I have been very effective in implementing much needed improvements that have enhanced the quality of life of residents. From that experience, I’ve learned that you cannot implement change alone – you must get the community involved. One way of doing that is by better communication and volunteerism.

That is why I am here today – to communicate to you the need to get more involved in local elections by volunteering. Many of you here are already doing that. Thank you! If not, let me introduce you to Joe, the Field Organizer for Lower Bucks County Democrats, which means he coordinates the efforts of volunteers who wish to help with canvassing, phones call, or whatever else is needed to win.

As Joe will attest, Democrats cannot wait until the 2018 and 2020 elections to build the grassroots infrastructure needed to secure victory; they must build now during the 2017 elections. This includes investing in local and county races, as theory and research suggests that higher voter turnout during local elections leads to higher voter turnout in the following mid-term or presidential election (read "The Importance to Democrats of Getting Out the Vote in 2017").

Here's a video of the rally, which, in addition to my speech, includes a song by Lynda Mintz and a speech by David Bria, Democratic candidate for Yardley Borough Council.

Posted on 21 Oct 2017, 01:07 - Category: Voting

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