Sam Rohrer Asks Gleason To Hear The People — Reader PhilM asks if we had received the letter from prospective GOP U.S. Senate Candidate Sam Rohrer regarding his request to sign an on-line petition to state Republican Party Chairman Robert Gleason that party leaders refrain from making an endorsement in the primary race.
The answer is yes and here it is:
(And yes, I signed the petition) Dear Friends,
My entire career I have fought for openness and reform, and in this Senate race, that will not change.
That’s why I have stated my view today that the Pennsylvania Republican Party should not make a formal endorsement before the Primary. We have launched a petition at DearMrGleason.com, asking Chairman Gleason to keep the Primary process open and fair. Will you join me and sign the petition?
A top-down endorsement process is counter-productive to defeating Sen. Casey and winning Pennsylvania for our eventual Republican nominee for President. Let me explain: after endorsing, the Pennsylvania GOP sends out a letter to all the County Chairman, and here’s what they tell them:
1. Only candidates endorsed by the PA GOP should be recognized and/or allowed to speak at official events such as county dinners, endorsement meetings, candidate forums, etc. Endorsed candidates and staff should be able to attend gatherings as complimentary guests.
2. County Chairs, county party staff, and county party members should NOT be circulating petitions for statewide candidates who have been endorsed by the PA GOP.
3. County Chairs, county party staff, and county party members should only be distributing materials for candidates that have been endorsed by the PA GOP.
4. County Chairs should decline any promotion materials from non-endorsed candidates.
These kinds of pressure tactics are not worthy of the Republican Party. This kind of thing will only serve to alienate the members of the Tea Party, sow division within our ranks, and make it harder to ultimately elect a Republican U.S. Senator.
We’ve got nothing to be afraid of from having a fair, unbiased Republican Primary in April. In fact, it will strengthen our Party and allow us to bring new people in to the process. If you agree, please go to DearMrGleason.com, and sign the petition.
When you’re done, if you could forward it to your family and friends, and share it on your Facebook and Twitter pages, I’d be ever so grateful.
You have my word that in this campaign, I will always stand up for grassroots conservatives, even when sometimes it makes folks uncomfortable. And as your nominee, I will speak the truth to Sen. Casey and President Obama.
Sam Rohrer Unofficially Enters Senate Race — Sam Rohrer, the statesman who gave Tom Corbett a scare in the 2010 Republican gubernatorial primary, will officially announce on Nov. 21 his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Little Bobby Casey (D) according to an email blast sent by Nathan Rohrer, his son and campaign advisor.
The announcement will be made 4 p.m. in the Governor’s Ballroom of the Camp Hill Radisson, 1150 Camp Hill Bypass.
If you can’t get to Camp Hill to meet the man, Rohrer will be among the GOP senate hopefuls appearing before the Delaware County Patriots Tea Party group, 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 17 at the Knights of Columbus Mater Dei Hall, 327 N. Newtown St. Road, Newtown Square.
The others schedule to appear are Steve Welch, Marc Scaringi, and John Kensinger. Moderator will be Kevin Kelly of the Loyal Opposition, a Philadelphia-based Tea Party group.
Seating is limited. To reserve a seat call 610-572-3442.
Sam Rohrer, the Tea Party candidate who made a surprisingly strong showing in last year’s Republican gubernatorial primary, is being touted for U.S. Senate.
A Facebook page has even been set up to push him into a candidacy.
Run, Sam run. It is time to retire Little Bobby Casey.
Americans For Prosperity Taps Rohrer — Sam Rohrer, the man who Michele Bachmann says inspired her to run for office has been picked by Americans For Prosperity as its Pennsylvania Director.
The quiet, gentlemanly Berks County man represented the 128th District in the Pennsylvania House as a Republican from 1993 until last year when he chose not to seek re-election to pursue a run for governor.
During his tenure he was one of the loudest voices warning of the looming train wreck regarding the financing of state pensions. Perhaps his greatest accomplishment was authoring the the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program which he describes as the most successful school choice program in the country.
Despite being GOP chairman of the House Finance Committee, Rohrer was never close to party leaders and never warmed up to the Tom Corbett who beat him in the gubernatorial primary and would eventually win the office.
This story from the primary campaign sums up where Rohrer stands on things.
Farewell Sam Rohrer — Sam Rohrer who has represented the 128th District in the Pennsylvania House since 1993 is stepping down with the end of this year’s session, Nov. 30. He gave his farewell address on Oct. 5, which can be found here .
Sam Rohrer took his underdog gubernatorial campaign to the auditorium of the Delaware County Christian School in Newtown Square Pa., Friday night. He spoke for about an hour and a half to crowd of about 50 then gave detailed answers to any and all questions, then mingled in the lobby with those attending.
His talk was dry, in fact it was often downright dull, but the details he provided — whether on budgetary, educational, constitutional or on energy matters — were done extemporaneously and effortlessly, and with respect to cold reality. For any Obama fans reading this, that means there were no teleprompters. Rohrer very well might be what Pennsylvania is looking for right now.
Ruth Ann And Sam Rohrer in the lobby of the auditorium of the Delaware County Christian School in Newtown Square. Mrs. Rohrer is a graduate of the school.
Rohrer, who represents the 128th District in the State House and is Republican chairman of the House’s Finance Committee, is challenging party-endorsed Tom Corbett, the state attorney general, for the Republican nomination. The primary election is May 18.
After introducing his wife, Ruth Ann, and his two youngest sons — the Rohrers have three other sons and a daughter — Rohrer gave the audience a dose of cold water.
“The challenges facing the next governor will be the greatest in Commonwealth history,” he said. He noted the state is nearing bankruptcy and is expected to take in $4 billion less than the $28 billion it has budgeted. He also pointed out the looming pension crisis.
He said the budget crisis could be traced to the Casey administration when a choice was made to deal with a budget deficit by increasing spending and for which we now must pay.
He then noted that Pennsylvania is a horrible place to start a business.
“We are not unfriendly to business but downright hostile,” he said.
Rohrer said The Keystone State’s business problems come down to taxes, regulations and labor. He said Pennsylvania has the highest business taxes in the nation. He said, in fact, that if the state were a nation it would have the highest business taxes in the world.
With regard to regulations, he said the state regulators go out of their way to place obstacles in front of entrepreneurs. He said a permit for a new coal mine that cost $1,000 a few decades back was now six figures. He, said, however that was easiest problem to fix due to the regulatory outlook largely being the result of direction set by the governor.
He said biggest hurdle for business was the labor environment. Pennsylvania is a “union shop” state which means that all employees at a business with a union must pay dues to the union. Rohrer said Pennsylvania is losing jobs yearly to “right to work” states such as North Carolina that don’t have that requirement.
Rohrer supports the state’s Open Workforce initiative that was introduced in the legislator in November.
In the good news department, Rohrer brought up the natural gas waiting to be tapped in the Marcellus Shale, which cover a good part of the state. He said it has not been widely reported but an additional layer has been found in the formation which possibly doubles the amount of gas it holds. He said some now estimate it as meeting the nations energy needs for the next 100 years.
Rohrer’s next topic was education and property taxes which fund most of Pennsylvania’s public schools. He said he was the author of Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program which he describes as the most successful school choice program in the country and provides assistance to 50,000 children a year. He wants it expanded.
Rohrer said that 30 percent of the school districts in the state are insolvent.
Regarding the property tax, Rohrer wants to get rid of it.
“How many of you own your home?” he asked the audience. “I used to think I did too.”
Rohrer said the property tax is among the cruelest tax and disproportionately affects the poor. He said that 70 percent of those below the poverty line in Pennsylvania are home owners. If they fail to pay their taxes for two straight years the state is likely to take their home.
If you want to see what your child’s teacher made in 2009, btw, visit here.
Rohrer’s plan is to replace the property tax by expanding the sales tax to things such as labor; getting fees from Macellus Shale; and casino money. He noted that food and utilities would remain exempt and the tax would remain at 6 percent.
He noted he could easily cut each department in the state budget by 10 percent to more than cover any left over shortfall.
Rohrer final, and maybe most important, point involved ethics. He said the mistrust many hold for government comes from their elected officials unwillingness to tell the truth and to humbly consider themselves as public servants.
Corbett ought to keep his eye on the rear-view mirror. Rohrer is clearly playing to win and is getting a lot of help from the Tea Party groups.
“Seventy percent of those polled said they would support a Tea Party endorsed candidate over a party-endorsed candidate,” Rohrer said.
Long-time Delaware County activist Rick Lacy backed up that point when he introduced him.
“This year for the first time in 25 years of being involved in politics, I will not be voting for the lesser of two evils,” he said.
Rohrer was scheduled for a stop in Scotland, Pa. in Franklin County. 9 a.m., Saturday.
State Rep. Sam Rohrer, the underdog challenger to be the GOP gubernatorial candidate, will hold a town hall, 7 p.m., Friday, at Delaware County Christian School, 462 Malin Road, Newtown Square, Pa. 19073.
And Dwight Weidman informs me that Sam will hold a town meeting 9-10:30 the following morning at the Scotland Community Center, Main St., Scotland, — the one near Chambersburg not Northumbria.
