Showing posts with label Bucks County. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bucks County. Show all posts
Friday, April 4, 2014
Webb critic failed to reveal union membership (Courier Times Guest Opinion, 4/4/2014)
Suzi Drake’s March 11th letter “Wolf in Democrats’ Clothing” seeks to discredit Ritchie Webb as a candidate for state representative by using wild and unfair accusations. What Ms. Drake didn’t tell you is that she is a member of the Neshaminy Federation of Teachers (NFT) which was in a five-year contract battle with the school board. The NFT had refused to pay toward health care and sought to increase their existing pay and perks during the worst recession in our lifetime. During this lengthy contract battle, Ms. Drake showed her unwavering support of her union’s unaffordable demands by bringing the battle to the students and their parents by working to contract, picketing at Back to School night, and striking.
Taking out her frustrations on school children — is that really the example Suzi Drake wants to set as a model Democrat?
Another thing Ms. Drake conveniently leaves out of her letter is that eventually the NFT had to concede to the school board’s offer, and this resulted in savings of millions of dollars to the bottom line. Now this money can go toward classroom education, possibly toward the funding of a full-day kindergarten program next school year. All this was accomplished by Ritchie Webb and the school board without a tax increase to burden Neshaminy homeowners.
For the 10 years that Mr. Webb was on the Neshaminy School Board, he was the voice of reason working with members from both parties for the good of the community. Throughout his tenure, he never allowed his membership in the Republican Party to interfere, and he will never do so as a Democrat.
His voting record and accomplishments on the Neshaminy School Board speak for themselves. Ritchie Webb is all about doing the right thing and he is greatly disappointed with the Republican Party in Pennsylvania for not doing the right thing, in particular the Pennsylvania School Employee Retirement Fund (PSERS), which will have a direct financial impact on every school district and taxpayer if not addressed.
Mr. Webb also believes that Harrisburg has failed its citizens by raising the gasoline tax and not doing enough to stimulate the economy to create jobs during a time when people are struggling to make ends meet.
Ms. Drake tries to spin that Mr. Webb is a business person with connections to the billionaire Koch brothers and other extreme conservatives, but nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, as long as I have known him, he has worked a full-time job, and along with his wife operated a small catering business (now closed), tax service and food safety training service in his spare time. I’m not sure why a good work ethic doesn’t fit in with Suzi Drake’s core values, but I believe voters will see Mr. Webb’s hard work as a strength instead of a weakness.
Ritchie Webb comes from a very humble background, from the hills and hollows of West Virginia, the son of a union coal miner (something he is very proud of). He is the father of five children, two of which are union workers, including myself, a dues paying member of the Carpenters union, Local 1462. Mr. Webb is the treasurer of a PSEA meet-and-discuss group, and his union dues are deducted from his paycheck (which is something Ms. Drake falsely accuses him of opposing).
No doubt people like Suzi Drake want to paint Ritchie Webb in a bad light because he doesn’t serve their special interests. I believe the community knows Ritchie Webb as someone who will fight for taxpayers and their families. As for me, I am proud to call him my Dad.
Aaron Webb, Lower Southampton
Member of Carpenters Union Local 1462
Taking out her frustrations on school children — is that really the example Suzi Drake wants to set as a model Democrat?
Another thing Ms. Drake conveniently leaves out of her letter is that eventually the NFT had to concede to the school board’s offer, and this resulted in savings of millions of dollars to the bottom line. Now this money can go toward classroom education, possibly toward the funding of a full-day kindergarten program next school year. All this was accomplished by Ritchie Webb and the school board without a tax increase to burden Neshaminy homeowners.
For the 10 years that Mr. Webb was on the Neshaminy School Board, he was the voice of reason working with members from both parties for the good of the community. Throughout his tenure, he never allowed his membership in the Republican Party to interfere, and he will never do so as a Democrat.
His voting record and accomplishments on the Neshaminy School Board speak for themselves. Ritchie Webb is all about doing the right thing and he is greatly disappointed with the Republican Party in Pennsylvania for not doing the right thing, in particular the Pennsylvania School Employee Retirement Fund (PSERS), which will have a direct financial impact on every school district and taxpayer if not addressed.
Mr. Webb also believes that Harrisburg has failed its citizens by raising the gasoline tax and not doing enough to stimulate the economy to create jobs during a time when people are struggling to make ends meet.
Ms. Drake tries to spin that Mr. Webb is a business person with connections to the billionaire Koch brothers and other extreme conservatives, but nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, as long as I have known him, he has worked a full-time job, and along with his wife operated a small catering business (now closed), tax service and food safety training service in his spare time. I’m not sure why a good work ethic doesn’t fit in with Suzi Drake’s core values, but I believe voters will see Mr. Webb’s hard work as a strength instead of a weakness.
Ritchie Webb comes from a very humble background, from the hills and hollows of West Virginia, the son of a union coal miner (something he is very proud of). He is the father of five children, two of which are union workers, including myself, a dues paying member of the Carpenters union, Local 1462. Mr. Webb is the treasurer of a PSEA meet-and-discuss group, and his union dues are deducted from his paycheck (which is something Ms. Drake falsely accuses him of opposing).
No doubt people like Suzi Drake want to paint Ritchie Webb in a bad light because he doesn’t serve their special interests. I believe the community knows Ritchie Webb as someone who will fight for taxpayers and their families. As for me, I am proud to call him my Dad.
Aaron Webb, Lower Southampton
Member of Carpenters Union Local 1462
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Sunday, March 30, 2014
A Message from Ritchie Webb
After I retired from the Neshaminy School Board, I fully intended on taking some time off before deciding what I wanted to do next. But in the days following my departure, I became angry and frustrated all over again when I picked up the newspaper and read how local school districts were cutting programs and closing school buildings because they lacked funding or they could no longer afford their staggering share of the State pension fund for teachers (PSERS).
We dealt with these issues as best we could on the school board, but these are matters to be fixed at the state level. Education funding and the pension crisis have been unresolved issues for years, yet for some reason our elected officials in Harrisburg do little more than talk when it comes to fixing these problems.
I am tired of politicians getting elected on promises they never keep.
I am fed up with politicians crowing about meaningless legislation they have proposed while the really important issues are ignored.
I am sickened when I hear stories of how residents cannot afford to live in their homes.
I couldn’t sit back anymore. It was time to do something. This is why I decided to run for State Representative.
And this is why I am asking for your support.
On Tuesday, May 20th, I am asking for your vote in the Democratic primary. I want to bring my leadership skills and track record of working across party lines to Harrisburg so that together we can make a difference.
Running a campaign for a state-level office isn’t cheap. And as one of my campaign advisors keeps reminding me, we angered all the special interests while we were fixing things in Neshaminy so you know we won’t be getting donations from them! So unfortunately, I must also ask for your financial support.
At the top right portion of this website you will see the ways that you can contribute to my campaign. I know how tight money is these days, and I don’t make this plea for your support lightly. But Harrisburg isn’t going to fix itself, and so I am asking for your help so that I can help you.
In the weeks leading up to the May 20th Democratic primary, I encourage you to take a close look at the candidates, the issues they support, and the experience they bring to the table. Once you consider all these factors, I am both hopeful and confident that you will agree that I am the best candidate to represent the people of the 142nd Legislative District.
Thank you for reading, and THANK YOU for your support!
Ritchie Webb
We dealt with these issues as best we could on the school board, but these are matters to be fixed at the state level. Education funding and the pension crisis have been unresolved issues for years, yet for some reason our elected officials in Harrisburg do little more than talk when it comes to fixing these problems.
I am tired of politicians getting elected on promises they never keep.
I am fed up with politicians crowing about meaningless legislation they have proposed while the really important issues are ignored.
I am sickened when I hear stories of how residents cannot afford to live in their homes.
I couldn’t sit back anymore. It was time to do something. This is why I decided to run for State Representative.
And this is why I am asking for your support.
On Tuesday, May 20th, I am asking for your vote in the Democratic primary. I want to bring my leadership skills and track record of working across party lines to Harrisburg so that together we can make a difference.
Running a campaign for a state-level office isn’t cheap. And as one of my campaign advisors keeps reminding me, we angered all the special interests while we were fixing things in Neshaminy so you know we won’t be getting donations from them! So unfortunately, I must also ask for your financial support.
At the top right portion of this website you will see the ways that you can contribute to my campaign. I know how tight money is these days, and I don’t make this plea for your support lightly. But Harrisburg isn’t going to fix itself, and so I am asking for your help so that I can help you.
In the weeks leading up to the May 20th Democratic primary, I encourage you to take a close look at the candidates, the issues they support, and the experience they bring to the table. Once you consider all these factors, I am both hopeful and confident that you will agree that I am the best candidate to represent the people of the 142nd Legislative District.
Thank you for reading, and THANK YOU for your support!
Ritchie Webb
Friday, March 28, 2014
Frank Farry is worried about tanning beds causing cancer but thinks a medical waste incinerator within minutes of several schools and millions of people is ok
Tanning bill the wrong focus (Bucks County Courier Times editorial, 3/28/2014)
State Rep. Frank Farry, R-142, Middletown, is sponsoring a bill to regulate the indoor tanning industry. Many states already have such laws; Pennsylvania is not among them. Farry wants to protect young people from the serious hazards of overexposure to ultraviolet light, which can lead to premature aging of the skin and, more seriously, melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
The bill would prohibit anyone 16 and under from using commercial tanning equipment that emits ultraviolet light; 17-year-olds would need parental permission before hopping on a tanning bed.
Given what’s known about the deleterious effects of ultraviolet rays on the skin — whether from the sun or man-made sources — Farry’s legislation is not a bad idea. Sensible regulation no doubt could have some positive health benefits. If nothing else, the rules would send a message that forcing a tan very often produces unpleasant long-term consequences.
That said, we would suggest the people of Pennsylvania would be much better served if Rep. Farry and his colleagues focused their attention — and the limited time remaining before they scatter for their biennial electioneering — on more pressing matters. Things like a law banning lawmakers from receiving gifts — all gifts, not just cash. Or facing instead of ignoring the impending pension catastrophe that threatens financial ruin for school districts and municipalities. Or addressing property taxes. Or placing limits on campaign contributions. Or assuring that social service agencies receive the funding they need. Or making higher education more affordable.
There are many, many issues that cry out for legislative remedy. And so little time to achieve anything — maybe only the next couple of months. When June rolls around, lawmakers will be focused on the budget. Then will come summer vacation. Then, if history is any guide, only a few session days interrupting what for many representatives and senators will be nonstop campaigning until November.
Lawmakers don’t have the luxury of debating relatively minor bills while matters of extreme urgency are begging for their attention. Pennsylvanians will survive an unregulated indoor tanning industry. But they might be consumed by the pension avalanche or a crushing tax structure. Or by their own elected representatives who base their decisions on the gifts they receive and not what’s best for the people they were elected to serve.
State Rep. Frank Farry, R-142, Middletown, is sponsoring a bill to regulate the indoor tanning industry. Many states already have such laws; Pennsylvania is not among them. Farry wants to protect young people from the serious hazards of overexposure to ultraviolet light, which can lead to premature aging of the skin and, more seriously, melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
The bill would prohibit anyone 16 and under from using commercial tanning equipment that emits ultraviolet light; 17-year-olds would need parental permission before hopping on a tanning bed.
Given what’s known about the deleterious effects of ultraviolet rays on the skin — whether from the sun or man-made sources — Farry’s legislation is not a bad idea. Sensible regulation no doubt could have some positive health benefits. If nothing else, the rules would send a message that forcing a tan very often produces unpleasant long-term consequences.
That said, we would suggest the people of Pennsylvania would be much better served if Rep. Farry and his colleagues focused their attention — and the limited time remaining before they scatter for their biennial electioneering — on more pressing matters. Things like a law banning lawmakers from receiving gifts — all gifts, not just cash. Or facing instead of ignoring the impending pension catastrophe that threatens financial ruin for school districts and municipalities. Or addressing property taxes. Or placing limits on campaign contributions. Or assuring that social service agencies receive the funding they need. Or making higher education more affordable.
There are many, many issues that cry out for legislative remedy. And so little time to achieve anything — maybe only the next couple of months. When June rolls around, lawmakers will be focused on the budget. Then will come summer vacation. Then, if history is any guide, only a few session days interrupting what for many representatives and senators will be nonstop campaigning until November.
Lawmakers don’t have the luxury of debating relatively minor bills while matters of extreme urgency are begging for their attention. Pennsylvanians will survive an unregulated indoor tanning industry. But they might be consumed by the pension avalanche or a crushing tax structure. Or by their own elected representatives who base their decisions on the gifts they receive and not what’s best for the people they were elected to serve.
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