Northeast Times

Fitzpatrick gets FOP nod

Campaign Bits
By Tom Waring

Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 on Monday morning endorsed Mike Fitzpatrick, the Republican candidate in the 8th Congressional District.
Bob Eddis, a Parkwood resident and president of the FOP, made the announcement in the parking lot of the Leo Mall, at 11749 Bustleton Ave.
"He’s so dynamic and we shared so many concerns," Eddis said of his prior meeting with Fitzpatrick. "It was an easy endorsement to make."
Fitzpatrick faces Democrat Ginny Schrader and two others in the Nov. 2 election.
The Republican has served as a Bucks County commissioner since replacing Mark Schweiker, who was elected lieutenant governor in 1994.
In that job, he’s worked to provide funding for equipping and training law enforcement officers.
"That’s been an important part of my service for the last ten years," he said.
Eddis and Fitzpatrick were joined by U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, a South Carolina Republican.
Wilson believes Fitzpatrick will be effective in fighting for funding local homeland security measures. In Bucks County, he helped secure $30 million in state and federal funding to develop emergency response teams.
"We know that first responders are more important than ever," Wilson said.
Also on hand was Mike Lutz, a former Philadelphia FOP president and the immediate past president of the Pennsylvania FOP. He serves on the state executive board.
Lutz now lives in Langhorne and has been impressed with Fitzpatrick’s job as commissioner. He cited his support for open space, his work with the business community and his service to the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Boy Scouts.
Fitzpatrick has also been endorsed by Bucks County FOP Lodge 53 and the state FOP.

U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, a Missouri Republican who serves as the majority whip in the House of Representatives, was in the area last week to campaign with Fitzpatrick.
Blunt cited Fitzpatrick’s endorsement by the National Federation of Independent Business. The congressman likes the candidate’s belief that tax cuts will create jobs and provide affordable health care.
"He’s head and shoulders above his opponent on the issues," Blunt said of Fitzpatrick, who faces Democrat Ginny Schrader and two others in the Nov. 2 general election.

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden was in the Northeast last week for partisan purposes, but he brought a bipartisan message of how to improve prescription drug coverage for senior citizens.
Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, visited with senior citizens at the JCC Klein Branch during the lunch hour on Oct. 13. He was in town to support Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic presidential nominee.
Kerry favors a bipartisan bill sponsored by Wyden and Maine Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe that would improve the prescription drug law by allowing Medicare to bargain with pharmaceutical companies for cheaper prices.
"That’s how you lower costs," said Wyden, former co-director of the Oregon Gray Panthers, an advocacy group for senior citizens.
District Attorney Lynne Abraham joined Wyden. The two were asked about issues of specific concern to senior citizens. They also fielded questions about topics including the war in Iraq, ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the environment, outsourcing of jobs to other nations and even the FBI bugging of Mayor John Street’s City Hall office.
Wyden, answering a question about stem-cell research, declined to politicize the death of actor Christopher Reeve.
Some say Kerry’s running mate, North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, did just that after the paralyzed actor died, suggesting that federal funding of stem-cell research would allow people in wheelchairs, like Reeve, to walk again.
Abraham thinks Reeve’s struggle with his paralysis, his support for stem-cell research and his death will be considered when public officials discuss federal funding of research in the future.
"To that extent, that’s going to make the debate more crystallized," she said.
Wyden, noting the number of baby boomers that will turn 65 and be eligible for Medicare in the next few years, wants to see the government focus on disease prevention in order to control the high costs of hospital care.
"To me, that’s the wave of the future," he said, adding that Kerry shares his view.
As the population ages, Kerry favors increased funding for hospice and in-home care, Wyden said.
"We’ve got to get our arms around how to tackle these issues," he said.

America Coming Together, an organization that supports Democratic candidates, held a rally on Monday morning outside the Frankford Transportation Center to protest George W. Bush’s economic policies.
The group said Bush was "squeezing" the middle class and offered pedestrians orange juice to make its point.
"Pennsylvania has not done well under this administration," said ACT’s Pennsylvania communications director Rebecca Kirszner, a former staffer for U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah and ex-aide for Allyson Schwartz’s Senate and U.S. House campaigns.
ACT members handed people "billing statements" to show how much each American needs to pay to erase the debt.
The literature criticizes Bush on issues such as job loss, declining household income and his seeming reluctance to increase the minimum wage.
ACT’s CEO is Steve Rosenthal, a former official of the AFL-CIO. It is funded, in part, by Hungarian-born billionaire George Soros and the Vote for Change concerts.
The organization was criticized in the battleground presidential states of Missouri, Florida and Ohio for using convicted sex offenders and other felons to register voters door to door.

Republican Sam Mirarchi and Democrat Brendan Boyle visited with seniors at Northeast High School on Monday morning.
The candidates accepted an invitation from teacher Donna Sharer, who helps lead classes as part of the Student Voices Project, an initiative of the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center.
Mirarchi, who is challenging state Sen. Mike Stack (D-5th dist.), told the students of his background as a lawyer and legislative director for City Councilman Frank Rizzo (R-at large).
Boyle, who is facing state Rep. George Kenney (R-170th dist.), spoke of his background as a consultant to the Department of Defense.
Both candidates are young. Mirarchi is 30. Boyle is 27. They invited the students to visit their campaign Web sites.
The candidates spoke of their modest upbringing. Mirarchi is the son of Italian immigrants who’ve built a successful automobile-repair shop. Boyle is the son of Irish immigrants who were grateful when he earned a scholarship to the University of Notre Dame.
Mirarchi told the kids he opposes city cuts to recreation centers and supports additional funding for public transportation, public education, state colleges and universities and loan and grant programs.
He’d like to end frivolous lawsuits and perhaps make losing plaintiffs pay to lower car insurance rates.
"The cost of auto insurance is out of control," he said.
Boyle outlined his proposed Hope Scholarship, which would provide free college tuition for any high school student who maintains at least a B average and an 80-percent attendance rate.
The program is successful in Georgia.
"Why can’t we have that here in our state?" he asked. "Imagine the burden it would take off a lot of families."
Boyle said the program is needed in Pennsylvania because of high tuition rates. Those rates dissuade some people from enrolling in college and are a burden to college graduates who have to pay back loans.
The scholarship program would serve as a supplement to the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA).
As for car insurance, Boyle wants a law that would prohibit companies from basing rates on ZIP codes. He cited statistics showing that city motorists pay 50 percent more than suburban drivers "even if you have a perfect driving record. That’s not right."

Mirarchi is calling for the creation of Pennsylvania Prescription Outlets.
PPOs would purchase prescription drugs in bulk from pharmaceutical companies. Savings would be passed on to consumers.
Mirarchi also favors creating a Web site that would offer information on drug discount availability.

Firefighters Local 22 has endorsed state Rep. George Kenney (R-170th dist.) in the Nov. 2 election.
"It is important to the entire community that George Kenney retain his seat in Harrisburg," said Tom O’Drain, the union president.
In addition to receiving the endorsement, Kenney was named 2004 Man of the Year by the Retired Police, Firefighters and Prison Guard Association.
"Rep. Kenney values the dedicated professionals who protect our citizenry, and he has demonstrated time and again his own dedication on our behalf," said Joe Galeone, president of the organization.
Kenney, who faces Democrat Brendan Boyle, received the award on Saturday at Dugan’s banquet hall on Roosevelt Boulevard.

ChamberPAC, the political action committee of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, has endorsed Kenney’s bid for re-election.
"George Kenney understands the needs and concerns of employers — particularly small business owners," said Gene Barr, vice president of the organization. "He knows that a healthy business climate drives the economy and creates jobs."
ChamberPAC cited votes against taxes on municipal waste, for reductions in business taxes, for limits on lawsuit awards and for workers’ compensation reform.

The Intelligencer has endorsed Democrat Ross Schriftman in the 152nd House District.
Schriftman is challenging Republican Rep. Sue Cornell, who beat him in a special election in March. The seat was formerly held by Roy Cornell, the incumbent’s father, who died Jan. 1.
The newspaper cites the challenger’s experience as an insurance agent and his involvement in legislation on behalf of his clients.
The paper senses that Cornell will be controlled by the powerful Republican leadership in the House of Representatives.

Tom Corbett, the Republican candidate for attorney general, was in Philadelphia last week to discuss his plan to create an Elder Abuse Unit.
Corbett met with Delaware Attorney General Jane Brady, who created the Elder Abuse and Exploitation Project to protect senior citizens and prosecute those who harm them.
"The sole mission of the Elder Abuse Unit will be to investigate and prosecute all forms of abuse of the elderly, including financial exploitation, physical abuse and sexual assault," Corbett said.
The unit will be staffed with specially trained investigators and prosecutors. The personnel will be hired from within and outside the attorney general’s office.
They’ll handle cases such as foreign lottery scams, "too good to be true" investment schemes and identity theft.
Corbett believes the unit can be as effective on behalf of Pennsylvania’s 2.5 million residents over age 60 as the attorney general office’s focus on fighting drug dealers. He would create a toll-free hotline to report suspected abuse.