Category: Bob Small

We Could Have Had a Better Man Than Fetterman

We Could Have Had a Better Man Than Fetterman

By Bob Small

Alternative history can be a tricky concept. I suspect both major parties, if they had use of a Tardis would want to redo the 2022 PA Senate primary, and select different U.S. senatorial candidates. Dave McCormick comes to mind, and you can fill in any name for Fetterman. Watching the one lone debate between Fetterman and Oz made me glad we only had one to watch.

There were any number of alternative-party and write-in candidates, who, unfortunately, had the same chance as any Republican running in Swarthmore — that is, zero to none.

We Could Have Had a Better Man Than Fetterman

However, when I came across one Everett Stern, I had to stop and wish it were possible. This is the same Everett Stern who blew the whistle on his employer, HSBC Bank which was discovered to be only aiding drug dealers and terrorist groups. The story was profiled in the Netflix documentary “Dirty Money” and in a  Rolling Stone  article.

Stern is also the founder and director of Tactical Rabbit, a private Intelligence agency.

Stern’s postions were:

On gun control: I believe in keeping weapons out of the hands of criminals and in the hands of law-abiding citizens.

On national defense: It also means not getting into wars that are not in the interests of the U.S. and its allies, which he sees as “a waste of blood and treasure”, that diverts “funding and investment” from our critically important problems and challenges”.

On personal responsibility and rights: It is not the responsibility of government to pressure corporations like Facebook and Twitter to restrict the speech of those of whom they do not approve.

However, Stern “decided” not to run, in favor of endorsing Fetterman. Undoubtedly, there is some hidden history there.

It is to be hoped that some of the better candidates who were defeated, such as Frank Agovino and too many others to mention, will choose to run for office again.

Full disclosure: I saw the line “a better man than Fetterman” on a Dr. Oz sign.

15-Term House Member Upset in Chesco

15-Term House Member Upset in Chesco

By Bob Small

There were five incumbents who won’t be returning to the Pa House after the results of November’s election. Two of them, one from each party, were incumbents of three decades’ standing.

Democrat Paul F. Friel, Jr., won 55.6 percent of the total votes, while incumbent Timothy F. Hennessey garnered only 44.24 percent.

Timothy F. Hennessey was first elected to Pennsylvania House District 26 in 1992. Bob Casey, Sr., was then the governor. The newly redistricted PA House District 26 now covers Phoenixville and 10 other Chesco municipalities. 

Friel cited many factors for his victory, including the redistricting of House seats to favor the Democrats, the importance of the abortion issue, and the appeal of the individual candidates at the top of the ticket.

Timothy F. Hennessey has been active throughout his terms in office. Most recently, his safe-driving bill was  signed into law. In addition, along with others, he advocated for funding for Montgomery County’s New Missions Child Advocacy Center, and he has been involved with other issues including the issue of driverless cars. See his website for more details.

On Dec. 4, 2021, Hennessey was one of the 64 Republicans who signed a four-point objections bill challenging Pennsylvania’s electoral votes in Congress on Janury 6. Hennessey was later quoted as saying he was “shocked and appalled by”  the violence of January 6. He went on to say “the election is over, Biden won”.

Friel is a member of the Owen J. Roberts (OJR) School Board. He says OJR hasn’t been caught up in CRT (Critical Race Theory) or gender and trans issues. In fact, OJR   hasn’t changed its stance on these policies for at least a decade.

The other long-term State House incumbent to lose his position on Nov. 8 was Democrat Chris Sainato of Lawrence County in the 9th District.

15-Term House Member Upset in Chesco
15-Term House Member Upset in Chesco

Killing Trees For Green Energy With PECO

Killing Trees For Green Energy With PECO

By Bob Small

PECO is planning a $12 million investment in Swarthmore as part of a larger statewide electricity initiative that calls for removing lots of trees.

You can call the plan “We Kill Trees To Go Green”

The current utility poles are 35 feet tall, and PECO wants to replace them with fifty footers.

The assessment at the Nov. 15 borough council is that 124 trees must go, most of which are decades old. PECO promises to replace them with 2-and-a-half-foot saplings

PECO refuses to use underground electrical lines it was revealed despite their use in Springfield and at Swarthmore College.

PECO cites higher costs as among the reasons they don’t want to tunnel in the dirt in the borough.

Swarthmore Borough Council has been in negotiations with PECO, but has not found a way forward as of last night’s meeting.

In keeping with our tradition, Swarthmore residents are beginning to organize, with letters and phone calls as the first salvo in the battle.

While PECO has not approached my block yet, but we don’t know that they won’t. To be clear, my household is not involved with the organizing.

There are numerous other examples of PECO’s attempts to destroy trees in a similar fashion. A few are listed below.

https://delco.today  ›  2022 › 08 › peco-plan-to-replace-trees-with-poles-sparks-nether-providence-protest

peco-poles-trees-nether-providence – DELCO.Today

https://www.change.org  ›  p › stop-peco-from-destroying-trees-in-lower-merion-township

Stop PECO from destroying trees in Lower Merion Township

https://www.theintell.com  ›  story › opinion › letters › 2021 › 01 › 17 › lte-why-peco-cutting-down-trees-landisville-road-plumstead › 4178989001

Why is PECO cutting down trees? – The Intelligencer

Killing Trees For Green Energy With PECO
Killing Trees For Green Energy With PECO

Westtown Votes Tax Hike For Open Space

Westtown Votes Tax Hike For Open Space

By Bob Small

Yes, you read that right. In a ballot question this past election day, Westtown residents voted 3,459 to 1,745 (67 percent) to approve a tax increase for the preservation of Crebilly Farms as one of Chesco’s major open spaces.

The earned income tax rate goes from 1 percent to 1.08 percent and the real estate tax rate increases from 3.5 mills to 3.92 mills.

Crebilly farms is the site of the Battle of Brandywine on Sept. 11, 1777, then the largest single-day battle of the American Revolution, which was won by the British/Hessian forces. This  victory  led to the British occupation of Philadelphia.

The estimated cost of the tax increase for a household earning $100,000 would be an additional $80 in local earned income tax. A household with an assessed house value of $250,000 would pay an additional $105 per year.

The Natural Lands Trust  hopes to land about $2.5 million in grants, and says they are well on their way to doing that.

The Daily Local News of Chester County has been ovewhelmed with letters.

Here is one.

Westtown Votes Tax Hike For Open Space
Westtown Votes Tax Hike For Open Space

Keystone Party Fields Candidate In York County

Keystone Party Fields Candidate In York County

By Bob Small

Kristine Cousler-Womack is the candidate for Pennsylvania’s 93rd State House race from the newly minted Keystone Party.  

The 93rd District is in York County

York and Lancaster counties are named for the warring sides in the  English War of the Roses, even adopting their symbols with York having the white rose and Lancaster the red and naming sporting rivalries for it.

The incumbent in the 93rd is the Republican Mike Jones, with Chris Rodkey being the Democrat in the race.

“The most important person in my life is my grandmother, Margaret Cousler.  She was elected in the 1960’s as the tax collector for Springgettsbury Township, where she served her community for over 45 years,”Ms. Cousler-Womack says on her Ballotpedia page, and that she wants to follow her “in being a voice for those who do not have one.”

“All of us, listening to each other and each playing our role, will be critical in our efforts to raise up our communities, from Dallastown to Shrewsbury and everything in between,”she says on her campaign website.

Keystone Party Fields Candidate In York County

She has been a teacher’s assistant in the Dallastown area and a volunteer in various areas.  She is also involved with Job’s Daughters International.

The organization was founded in 1920 as a companion group to the Masons and is a leadership organization for girls between the ages of 10 and 20.

The name comes from Job 42:15 “And in all the land were no women found so fair as the  Daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren”, which was rare in those times.

David Kocur is the only other non-statewide candidate from the Keystone Party.

Keystone Party Fields Candidate In York County

Green Party Faces Deceased Incumbent In 32 District House Race

Green Party Faces Deceased Incumbent In 32 District House Race

By Bob Small

Green Party candidate Quenoia “Zarah” Livingston, a healthcare worker and community organizer, is running against a dead man in Pennsylvania’s 32 District State House race, which is in Allegheny County.

The 85-year-old incumbent Democrat Tony Deluca died Oct. 9 of lymphoma and the GOP didn’t field a candidate.

Ms. Livingston is a leader of No Cop Money PA

They are fighting against what some see as the “Pennsylvania Police State.

These positions are taken from her campaign web site.

She says she would “ban fracking and retrain industry workers for equivalent green trades union jobs and protect our rights to alternative fuel sources, including solar”

Green Party Faces Deceased Incumbent In 32 District House Race
Quenoia “Zarah” Livingston

She says she would guarantee housing.

She would seek to end a US-Israel law enforcement exchanges which she calls “deadly exchange.”

She wants to raise the minimum wage to $20.

She would earmark funds for fire and emergency services in rural areas.

She would legalize marijuana and magic mushrooms and back safe injection sites and needle exchanges.

If the late Mr. Deluca gets the most votes the seat will remain unfilled until a special election could be called.

Lastly, the only other non statewide candidate for the Pennsylvania Greens is Jay Ting Walker in the 23rd Legislative District.  See  his website for information.

Green Party Faces Deceased Incumbent In 32 District House Race

Libertarian In 166th District State House Race

Libertarian In 166th District State House Race

By Bob Small

The Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania has 14 candidates running for State House seats. State House Candidates including Edward Clifford III in Delaware County.

Clifford is facing incumbent Democrat Greg Vitali and Republican Kimberly Razzano in the 166th District which is Haverford Township along with the along with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd wards in Marple, and the 1st and 3rd divisions of its 4th Ward. Vitali has held the seat since 1993.

Descriptions of some of his positions can be found at www.pafamilyvoter.com

Libertarian In 166th District State House Race

Clifford is against Pennsylvania joining  the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative as it will “reward wealthy polluters.”

He advocates replacing taxes with GoFundMe.

“Taxpayers should not fund anything,” he says.

He says adults should be allowed to consume any drug they want.

“The racist war on drugs is a complete failure and disaster for us,” he says.

Clifford has a BA in business and finance from St. Joe’s University.

He has worked as a consultant and in related positions for seven different companies, most recently ION Trading. He is very involved with the Boy Scouts of America.

Libertarian In 166th District State House Race

Bill Foster Explains Candidacy

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/

Bill Foster Explains Candidacy
Bill Foster

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.

Independent Candidates In Pennsylvania

Independent Candidates In Pennsylvania

By Bob Small

There are two independent candidates on Pennsylvania’s 2022 ballot.

James Love Jackson and Rob Ronky are challengers in State House races, running against candidates endorsed by the major parties.

Rob Ronky is running in the 29th District against Tim Brennan (D) and Diane Smith (GOP).

The 29th District is in Bucks County and includes Buckingham, Doylestown, Solebury, Chalfont, New Britain and New Hope.

Independent Candidates In Pennsylvania
Rob Ronky

Republican incumbent Meghan Schroeder decided not to seek re-election in February.

Rob’s career includes stints with Dream with Ukraine.

“I would support open primaries where people can vote across party registration and I would support a national primary,” he says.

He says he wants more money spent on infrastructure including bike lanes and sidewalks.

He wants “kids to be taught a second language earlier than 8th grade” though he doesn’t advocate for a specific language,

He cites him mother and his wife as his role models.

Much the way Dr. Oz has advocated he says “we need officials that can come up with a compromise”.

The other independent candidate is James Love Jackson from the 190th Pa House District. He seems to be running a stealth campaign as there is very little information on him in the internet, besides his name.

Independent Candidates In Pennsylvania

Daniel Wassmer Is Keystone Party Senate Candidate

Daniel Wassmer Is Keystone Party Senate Candidate

By Bob Small

Daniel Wassmer is the US Senate candidate in Pennsylvania for the new Keystone Party

“The fact that two parties control all of the dialogue in the US creates a fundamentally flawed system in which ordinary people are left out of the process and the entire political environment becomes a supercharged example of partisanship,” Wassmer said in an Oct. 22 email interview.

He expressed concern about misuse of the legal system especially with regard to appeals and voting.

Daniel Wassmer Is Keystone Party Senate Candidate
Daniel Wassmer

“Evidence of this manipulation is the perpetual lawsuits followed by both political parties to exclude voters,”  he said.

He said this is often used to exclude third parties.

“People need to understand how corrupt our system has become and who created that atmosphere,” he said.  “Continuing to vote for corruption is not addressing these concerns but merely perpetuating it!”

In a discussion with GoErie.com he made these points:

“Abortions are a medical decision to be made solely by a woman and her doctor.”.

“May I also point out that supposedly hyper environmentalist Jimmy Carter is largely  responsible for freeing gas production in shale deposits here, (regarding fracking)”

“I would prefer to see Coca-Cola and Pepsi banned since we lose more people every morning to diabetes related comorbidity (regarding gun control)”

He sees himself as “an adult in a playground of chaos who will speak the truth..”

Wassmer received a J.D. from New York Law School in 1989, after degrees from Adelphi and Utah State Universities, etc.  He states he has worked as an adjunct professor, artist, and scuba diving instructor. 

On his Facebook page he said that “Also for the record I had reached out to the Oz campaign to debate him in the event that Fetterman was unable.”

For further information about his candidacy:

https://www.facebook.com  ›  Wassmer4USSenate

Daniel Wassmer for US Senate – Facebook

Www.Wassmer4PA.com