Day: November 1, 2022

Bill Foster Explains Candidacy

By Bob Small

After the most recent redistricting our 165th Pa house District went from being represented by Leanne Kruger to Jennifer O’Mara, basically an exchange of one Democrat for another.  Then a blank GOP line was seized by Nichole Missino.

 Then retired Swarthmore scientist Bill Foster decided that he would run and realizing the other two party lines were taken over, decided to create his own party.

He gathered enough signatures to acquire ballot status, and thus we have three Candidates running for one seat.  But then the weekly Swarthmorean came out on Thursday.   The letter from former Swarthmore Borough Council member Lauren McKinney began “Will someone explain why we need an independent “middle of the road” candidate to run against incumbent Jenn O’Mara for the 165th District?”

Bill  Foster explains his candidacy on his website: https://www.fosteringourvote.com/

The party system attacks our ability to choose a candidate that will represent most of us, he says.  He feels the major parties “value campaign donation and election victories more than our welfare”.

Bill promises that he will “work for legislation that requires committees to create their agendas in public well before their meetings”. 

The Swarthmore Borough Councol and Committees now have their agendas available online at least 24 hours before the meeting. He is also a proponent of ranked-choice voting.

He believes  “Harrisburg has put so much work onto school boards and their central office administrators that they have become overwhelmed, unresponsive, and inaccessible”.

“We can fix county systems so child abuse information is shared and children are not left in danger,” he says. 

Part of his extensive resume includes a stint with the Peace Corps, five years as a volunteer with the Council Rock School Board (Pa’s 12th largest).  Other volunteer stints include working with Swarthmore Borough, Swarthmore Boy Scouts, and the Delaware County Citizen Corps, and others.

To return to the beginning, why do we need yet another term of Jenn O’Mara as opposed to one of the other candidates, who have never had the chance to change things.