Bob Guzzardi Statement

Since Gov. Corbett has for some strange reason been flooding the airwaves with advertising this primary season, we figured we bring you this statement by his opponent.

 

Bob Guzzardi

By Bob Guzzardi

The Republican establishment during the three years that it has controlled Harrisburg has pursued polices that will raise the annual tax burden by close to $1,000  for many Pennsylvanians by 2018— at least those who own homes and have jobs.

If this angers you, if this sickens you, if this makes you feel betrayed vote for me on May 20.

I am running to be the Republican nominee for governor against incumbent Tom Corbett.

I will not implement the Corbett gas tax

I will move to sell the liquor stores.

I will fight to ban school strikes and other things that cause unnecessary increases to your property tax.

I will stop Common Core.

I will not sign any union contract that contains automatic forced union dues deductions.

I will not sign any budget that spends more this year than last and I will gore the special interest spending oxen to protect The Forgotten Taxpayer.

Tom Corbett cannot win in November. I can.

 

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Guzzardi Defends Charter Schools

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Guzzardi has released the following statement about pending legislation that would severely harm charter schools in Pennsylvania.

Bills are pending before the Pennsylvania legislature that will halve funding for special education students in charter schools.

Dr. James Hanak of PA Leadership Charter School says many of the schools that serve the neediest children in the worst neighborhoods will close if they should pass.

This means those children will be forced to return to the dangerous snake pits from which they had escaped.

The bills are HB 2138 introduced by Rep. Bernie O’Neill of Bucks County and SB 1316 introduced by Sen. Pat Browne of Allentown.

Both men are Republicans.

Charter schools cost 20 percent that of public ones and in most cases do a better job.

I ask that these bills be tabled permanently.

If I were governor I would not sign them.

Children must always come before public employees. Always.

 

 

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David, Guzzardi, Goliath, Gleason

Today’s link concerns yesterday’s The Daily Salvo report about GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob Guzzardi’s court victory allowing him to stay on the May 20 ballot despite the intense efforts of unpopular incumbent Tom Corbett and Pennsylvania GOP boss Rob Gleason.

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Vote Guzzardi, Avoid Future Pain

Republican reformer Bob Guzzardi in his gubernatorial campaign has been making an issue of the pending spike in state pension obligations namely that they will rise to  $6.1 billion by 2017. In 2011 — Corbett’s first year — they were $1.7 billion.

This means that on top of everything else,  Pennsylvania taxpayers will be obliged to pay $4.4 billion in taxes. In other words every man, woman and child in Pennsylvania will be on the hook for $344 a year more.

As children don’t pay taxes nor do those who don’t have jobs and own homes, well it’s going to put even a whole lot more of a burden on the poor old Atlases.

And, remember, this is along with the annual $100 property tax hikes,  and the ultimate annual $132 increase for gasoline via the Corbett gas tax hike.

All this alone will make the tax burden for the working, home-owning Pennsylvanian at least $900 per year more by 2018. Don’t forget those property tax hikes are cumulative.

And let’s also not forget the more expensive health  costs due to the Affordable (ho ho ho) Care Act. Yes, those who work are going to pay more albeit they will not pay as much if they are not working as much. Ponder that.

And let’s not forget the greater energy costs due to the “green” mandates.

Now you know why you are getting poorer. Those who control government are not interested in widows and children and retirees and newlyweds and people work their tails off in pizza shops. They are interested in themselves. The people in government are not getting poorer. They are getting very rich.

If you are not part of those who dedicate your lives to getting a living off of tax dollars it is imperative for your sake and the sake of the children to start getting people like Bob Guzzardi in power.

The primary election is May 20. Independents and Democrats have through Monday to switch registration so they can vote in the GOP Primary.

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Corbett Gang Files Appeal


This is not a caricature of Gov. Tom Corbett but of the late Leslie Nelson in his role as Frank Drebin from the Naked Gun movies. You can be forgiven, however,  for thinking otherwise.

It’s official.

Gov. Tom Corbett has, figuratively, taken a 10-guage double-barreled shotgun and blown off both of his feet.

The party hacks, who for some unfathomable reason are desperately trying to keep Corbett on November’s Republican ticket, appealed, yesterday, April 16, the well-grounded decision handed down the day before by Commonwealth Court Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt that lets reformer Bob Guzzardi stay on the May 20 primary ballot.

Guzzardi, it should be noted, is purposely running a shoestring campaign and refusing all campaign donations.

Only two things can happened with the case now officially before the state Supreme Court.

— Corbett wins it. This means the Supremes overturn a decision made after a fair hearing that revealed Guzzardi did not use fraud to get on the ballot and that a significant number of Pennsylvania voters want him there. This would cement in the minds of those voters that the judicial system is corrupt and the Republican establishment cannot be trusted to protect them from government which is after all their reason for voting Republican. This not only kills Corbett but severely damages the party.

— Corbett loses it. This means Guzzardi gets publicity he otherwise would not have, and still causes the GOP base to wonder why the party establishment wants so badly to keep this guy off the ballot.

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Frightened Corbett Faction Plans Appeal?

TribLive.com is reporting that the Tom Corbett faction is planning an appeal of Commonwealth Court Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt rejection of their challenge to throw Republican gubernatorial challenger Bob Guzzardi off the May 20 primary ballot.

If accurate, it would not merely indicate that Corbett is scared of Guzzardi — who is running a shoestring campaign and pointedly refusing all donations — but that they are terrified and absolutely desperate.

If they fear Bob Guzzardi in the primary what hope can they possibly have in November?

Of course, what they fear, perhaps, is that Guzzardi is putting the needs of the state ahead of politics.

Maybe they should be afraid and maybe the Democrats should fear as well.

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Guzzardi Wins Ballot Challenge

Guzzardi Wins Ballot Challenge — Bob Guzzardi, the reformer seeking to unseat incumbent Tom Corbett and give the Republicans a halfway chance of keeping the governor’s office, is on the ballot in a decision handed down today by Commonwealth Court Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt.

Corbett’s team sought to keep Guzzardi off the ballot claiming he lacked the minimum number of valid signatures, misrepresented his occupation on his nomination petition and did not timely file a Statement of Financial Interests with the State Ethics Commission.

It is thought they spent between $25,000 and $50,000 in the futile endeavor.

Corbett’s team managed to knock the total number of signatures in Cumberland County from 131 to 104; in Delaware County from 182 to 159, from Lebanon County from 142 to 104 and from Northumberland County from 127 to 108.

The rule for ballot access requires 2000 signatures with at least 100 coming from 10 counties.

The objectors then levied challenges against 20 of the remaining names in Cumberland, 14 in Lebanon and 19 in Northumberland.

Corbett’s team picked over clear typographical errors, the use of diminutives rather than full names and even hired forensic document examiner J. Wright Leonard in a futile attempt to impeach the signatures.

Guzzardi’s attorney Gretchen Sterns successfully defeated the challenges citing case law and, at times, getting affidavits from those whose names were allegedly wrongly marked.

The occupation misrepresentation claim was based on Guzzardi describing himself as a “semi-retired businessman and lawyer”.

Corbett’s team said this was false because his state attorney license has been in inactive status since 2011 hence he was falsely calling himself a lawyer.

Judge Leavitt noted that Guzzardi’s description of his occupation was logical and consistent with common usage, and that there is no evidence that the electorate was deceived.

Regarding the Statement of Financial Interests, Guzzardi had filed one with the Department of State. Judge Leavitt found that the procedure changed this year and the directions for submission were confusing. She said the Guzzardi’s campaign was given incorrect information by “a Department of State employee with apparent authority” that he only needed to file with that department rather than submit a separate filing to the Ethics Commission. She noted the Department of State issued a receipt to Guzzardi that it shouldn’t have as he was filing with them the original rather than the required copy.

She noted that Guzzardi promptly correct the omission up learning of the problem.

Bob Guzzardi is on the ballot for May 20 in the Republican gubernatorial primary. As noted Corbett supporters spent at least $25,000 in an attempt to knock him off.

 

Guzzardi Wins Ballot Challenge

Guzzardi Explains Campaign

Guzzardi Explains Campaign — Bob Guzzardi, whose roots and sympathies are firmly in the middle class of the Springfield, Delaware County where he grew up, is opposing incumbent Gov. Tom Corbett in the May20 primary election.

Guzzardi is running a self-funded campaign in which he is pointedly refusing all donations. It may be historic.

Here are the policy answers he provided to a questionnaire from the York Daily Record.

Should Pennsylvania sell and privatize the state-owned wine and liquor stores?

It is not the government’s core function to operate, control and promote the use of beer, wine and liquor. There needs to be a “separation of sin and state”. It is the role of government to tax and regulate. We need the traffic cop. If the liquor stores had been sold, the proceeds could have been used to fund both pension spike and “crumbling roads and bridges falling down.”

Do you support privatizing management of the state lottery?

The lottery is not only gambling but it is a rigged game. It is not a core function of government to operate, control and promote gambling. There needs to be a “separation of sin and state”. It is the role of government to tax and regulate. We need a traffic cop. Proceeds of a sale can be used to finance both the pension spike and “crumbling roads and bridges falling down.

Should Pennsylvania raise the minimum wage?

The best job training is a job. Raising cost of labor means fewer jobs. An arbitrary, artificial and inflated wage rate centrally planned government bureaucrats punishes silent victims, particularly, in inner city by reducing jobs available. Higher minimum wage correlates with higher unemployment among young adults, particularly, those with limited work experience, limited training and limited skills.

Spiraling unemployment about young black men will not be helped by an artificial wage.

Do you approve or disapprove of the transportation spending bill that was signed into law in November?

Act 89 of 2013, clearly, violates Article VIII, Section 11 of the Pennsylvania Constitution as well as Articles III, Section 1 and Section 3. It imposes a $2.4 billion dollar tax increase on motorists, truckers and the trucking industry. There was no grassroots demand to repair crumbling roads and bridges falling down injuring and killing children but an industry driven initiative by campaign contributing crony hacks benefitting from billions of highway contracts. Secretary of Transportation Barry Schoch was, in effect, a highway contractor lobbyist before Gov. Corbett appointed him Sec. of Transportation.

Do you support state funding for charter schools?

I support expanding parental choice and control in education decisions. Parental control over a child’s education is the key to providing a “thorough and efficient system of public education” as required by Pa Con Article 3 Section 14.

I support expanding and funding Charter Schools, Cyber Charter Schools, Education Improvement Tax Credits, and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credits. Charter schools are safer than government schools which are unionized bureaucracies. Non-union charter schools cost about 80% of cost of unsafe and educationally dysfunctional government schools.

I will not increase government spending and that may mean goring the ox of the unionized government bureaucracy school monopoly. If government schools are so good, why are parents forced to use them?

Do you support or oppose a plan to require new state employees to participate in a 401(k)-style retirement plan as opposed to a current state employee pension system?

“Perhaps the most important thing taxpayers should know is that the state has
been spending more than it collects in revenue for six straight years. Gov.
Corbett’s proposed budget would make that a seventh year.”
Elizabeth Stelle of Commonwealth Foundation Feb. 6, 2014

Auditor General DePasquale warns of municipal tax increases and bankruptcies
because of the pension spike.
Scranton Times Tribune, March 2, 2014

“State Spending is at an All-Time High
Elizabeth Stelle of Commonwealth Foundation Feb. 6, 2014

PSERS and SERS project total taxpayer contributions for these two plans will increase from $1.7 billion in 2011-12 to more than $6.1 billion in 2016-17
a 257 percent increase.

Commonwealth Foundation, March 15, 2014

For drilling, should Pennsylvania have a severance tax based on the volume of natural gas produced or an impact fee based on the number of wells in operation?

All gas, oil and drilling companies pay all Pennsylvania business taxes like any other business corporation. “The Power to tax involves the power to destroy”. When one business is singled out for special taxation, then any business can be targeted; no business is safe from the General Assembly’s avarice. More power to the General Assembly means fewer resources for individual citizens to pursue happiness in the way they choose.

SPENDING IS THE FOCUS OF MY CAMPAIGN. THERE IS FISCAL ICEBERG AHEAD THAT WILL TAKE US ALL DOWN. Pennsylvania needs to be a place to grow businesses and to grow old and government spending is taking so much money that we cannot feel safe in our businesses or in our homes.

Do you approve or disapprove of Pennsylvania’s 2012 voter ID law?

I am beginning to think this is not as important as I once did. There have been no prosecutions or even reports in Philadelphia from Commission Al Schmidt that evidences any voter fraud which is surprising. Both Commissioners Schmidt and Stephanie Singer are very smart and very honest and if there were wide spread voter fraud we would know about it.

Do you approve or disapprove of how the state legislature has been handling its job?

Republican Governor Corbett broke his promise of “No New Taxes; No New Fees” and is now lying about it in his campaign commercials. The Republican General Assembly has been more than complicit in spending more, borrowing more and taxing more. I want to be the voice and the hand of the Forgotten Taxpayer. Article IV Section 16 of the Pennsylvania Constitution is a powerful tool.

Do you support legalizing online gambling? Expanding Casinos?

From what I know, internet gambling cannot be taxed or regulated so I don’t think it is a good idea. The expansion of casinos is a decision for local municipalities. I neither favor nor disfavor but prefer to let the people decide if they want more gambling or not. Where people prefer to spend their money is their business, not mine.

Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape (and six other abortion questions)?

The questions are simplistic and do not address difficult and complicated moral, theological and personal matters. Life begins at conception. Medical science is clear. It is common sense. An iPad does not begin at conception. Infanticide
cannot be tolerated. Late term abortion, partial birth abortion is infanticide and barbaric. Who would advocate for such a thing? Why would they?

Abortion is a moral wrong but most of us do a lot of immoral things. The way to reduce, even eliminate abortion, is to change hearts and minds, not to enact more coercive laws. No law can make you a more moral person or love your neighbor. If you won’t obey God’s law, why would you obey mine?

Pennsylvanians have reached a compromise between anti-abortion purist position and the pro-abortion 24/7 position. Interfering with this compromise by the citizens is not a priority. Let us see how society evolves

Should we have more laws to regulate gun ownership (and three other gun questions)?

Pennsylvania Constitution Article I Section 21

The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State shall not be questioned.

This language is contained in the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776. The original 1776 Constitutional provision was modified in the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1790 and the words have not changed since 1790.

Guns should not be in hands of felons or mentally ill people who are a danger to themselves or others. We do not need more laws. The police and the Courts need to enforce the many gun laws we do have.

Do you support or oppose allowing adults in Pennsylvania to legally possess small amounts of marijuana for personal use? Do you favor or oppose allowing adults to legally use marijuana for medical purposes if a doctor recommends it?

The science about the value of medical marijuana is ambivalent and inconclusive. Oncologists have not advocated using medical marijuana. I will defer to science on this issue. Colorado is experimenting with legalized marijuana. Let us see how it works out. I think it will end badly but I may be wrong.

Should Pennsylvania legalize civil unions for same-sex couples? Should Pennsylvania legalize same-sex marriage?

Historically and etymologically marriage is between a man and a woman. Men and women are different, spiritually and physically. There is no reason that homosexuals, to be authentic, should act like heterosexuals. The dynamics between a man and a woman have a totally different dynamic than between two men or two men.

Why should your party’s voters choose you on May 20?

Because it is clear that I will be the voice and the hand of the Forgotten Taxpayer. That I will gore the spending oxen that need to be gored to reduce state government spending at all levels, state government borrowing at all levels and reduce the tax burden on taxpayers in order to make Pennsylvania a place to grow businesses and to grow old. Tom Corbett broke his “No New Taxes; No New Fees” promise to those who voted for him in 2010 and he is lying about it in his campaign commercials. The polls have consistently told us that Tom Corbett is a November loser. There is a reason for that. does not deserve to represent the Republican voter.

I am a Limited Government Constitutional Republican who will not increase state spending or borrowing or taxes or fees. Count on it.

Guzzardi also notes that he is a strong opponent of Common Core.

 

Guzzardi Explains Campaign

 

PCN Hosts Guzzardi March 18 2014

PCN Hosts Guzzardi March 18 2014 — Bob Guzzardi, the Republican alternative to Tom Corbett in the May 20 gubernatorial primary, will be the guest 7 to 8, tonight, on Brian Lockman’s call-in show on PCN.

Those with questions are encouraged to ask that by calling 1-877-726-5001.

The show can be heard here.

Bob Guzzardi (right) with Roger Howard who is seeking to represent the 158th District in the State House

 

 

PCN Hosts Guzzardi March 18 2014

Guzzardi Seeks Answers Regarding Waugh Job

The man mounting a primary challenge to unpopular Republican incumbent Gov. Tom Corbett, today, March 12, asked for an investigation into a sweetheart job received by one of the governor’s political allies.

Bob Guzzardi has sent letters to state Attorney General Kathleen Kane and Peter Smith, who is the U.S. Attorney for Middle District of Pennsylvania asking them to look into the appointment of Mike Waugh as executive director of the state Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg

Waugh represented the 28th District, which is  in York County, in the state Senate from 1999 until Jan. 13 of this year when he stepped down to take the sweet job.

Waugh had initially said he would quit when his term ended in December. He moved up the date, however, after businessman Scott Wagner, who draws the ire of state party bosses, announced he would seek to replace him.

This allowed a special election to be called in which a person backed by the party organization would hold the cards, and which would allow the winner to run as an incumbent in the May 20 primary.

The special election is March 18. Wagner declined to seek a spot on the ballot albeit he is running a write-in campaign.

“It appears that former State Senator Waugh was given the job, paid for with government money, as an incentive to resign his seat by Republican Party leaders in order that they could manipulate the outcome of Primary election for Senate District 28,” Guzzardi says.

Guzzardi notes that Waugh is getting a $104,000 salary plus benefits as Farm Show Complex boss, and that the person who had held the job remains as “special adviser.”

The special election is costing the taxpayers about $200,000.

 

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