In Central PA, DFA Activists in the 19th Congressional District have been building momentum behind Phil Avillo, a Professor of American History at York College.
Avillo is a former Marine officer & Vietnam Vet who earned a Purple Heart after losing his left leg above the knee following injuries sustained during a flight reconnaisance mission.
Democratic Congressional Candidate Phil Avillo, a Professor of American History at York College and a grassroots campaigner, is pleased to announce that he has received the endorsement of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) District 98.
IAMAW District 98, represents 6400 hourly workers throughout the state of Pennsylvania, including workers at the Harley Davidson plant in Springettsbury Township. This afternoon Avillo's opponent Congressman Todd Platts will be touring the plant alongside President Bush in a PR attempt that apparently came up too little, too short, and too late.
In explaining the union's support for Phil Avillo, Tom Boger - Directing Business Representative for the Union said, "We believe he (Avillo) won't be a `yes man' to the President, and Todd Platts' record shows that whatever the President wants, he'll give him."
"Union workers are the backbone of this country, and I'm proud to receive the endorsement from Local 98," said Avillo, a decorated Vietnam Veteran with a long history of community service.
According to recent media reports, Rep. Todd Platts lobbied hard to get President George W. Bush to make a campaign stop in the 19th District. However it was not enough to earn the support of the Union workers who assemble the Harley Davidson Motorcycles, one of the most recognized American icons worldwide.
"It's a shame," said Avillo, "that my opponent hasn't put more effort into representing working men and women during the last six years. If he had put his energy into the right priorities, maybe the Federal budget would be balanced, and maybe minimum wage workers would have a shot at the American Dream."
Platts' critics site his support of tax cuts for the "super-rich", his vote increasing the costs of college loans, and support for privatizing Social Security as evidence he has lost touch with the values of his district.