The York Daily Record has graciously agreed to run op-eds periodically from the candidates running for Pennsylvania's 19th Congressional District.
In honor of Labor Day, Democratic Candidate Phil Avillo wrote about the struggles faced by the middle class in today's Bush-league economy:
Last Monday, America celebrated Labor Day in honor of the working men and women who are the backbone of the U.S. economy. They are the ones who work long hours (and sometimes two jobs) to give their children a better life, and passing their vision of the "American dream" to future generations.
At the heart of that dream is the idea of opportunity: If you apply yourself, work hard, and take opportunities when they come, you can succeed and build a better life for your family.
Phil talked about his working-class roots:
That's what my working-class grandparents and parents did. They believed in the American dream, and they lived it. I remember especially my grandmother taking me proudly to the factory to show me her station on the assembly line. It was tedious and monotonous work, but to her it represented the opportunity she had to make a better life for her children.
My father, too, worked hard all of his life. He was a bus mechanic who never finished high school and worked two jobs so he could provide me opportunities he never had. My mother began working on a factory assembly line when I was a very young child so that she, too, could contribute to our financial well-being.
Many of you know these stories. They describe the lives of so many Americans who were able to take advantage of the opportunities this great country offered, to pass those opportunities to their children. In the process, they created a middle-class culture rooted in the values of service, civic duty and leadership.
The American Dream is slipping away for many families due to the economic policies promoted by the Bush Administration:
As I campaigned around the district over the Labor Day weekend, I heard repeated concerns about stagnant wages, high gas and home energy prices, the increasing cost of health insurance and higher college costs. A report this week from the Department of Commerce confirmed the plight of the American worker:
· Wages account for only 45.3 percent of Gross Domestic Product, the lowest level on record and nearly 5 percent less than in 2000.
· Corporate profits increased to 10.3 percent of Gross Domestic Product, the highest percentage since the 1960s.
While Phil talked about an issue--the economic hardship faced by today's workers--that affects the majority of the voters in the district, Platts basically talked about how he's a nice guy, how he has always been a nice guy, and how he'll continue to be a nice guy who runs a nice campaign:
In each of my campaigns for public office, I have run for the privilege of serving my fellow citizens, not against other candidates seeking the same office.<snip>.
I have long believed that America wants, and deserves, better than today's negative attack-style politics. Incivility in politics and partisanship in Congress are significant road blocks to sound public policy solutions to the challenges facing our great nation and its citizens. This incivility and partisanship are amplified throughout the country by so-called 527 organizations, or "shadow campaign committees," and other groups twisting and distorting the public debate.
While vigorous debate plays an important role in the political arena and the governing process, the debate should be honest and civil.
Platts pats himself on the back for rising above party politics (Of course, he fails to mention how he voted with Tom DeLay 90% of the time):
The recent debate over lobbying and ethics reform is but one example of political gamesmanship overriding sound public policy. Republican members were told that they must support the bill drafted by the Republican leadership, a bill which was clearly a missed opportunity for meaningful lobbying and ethics reform, in order to be part of "the team." Ultimately, I was one of only 16 Republicans to cross party lines and support a competing measure on lobbying reform, a measure which would ban lobbyist-paid meals and gifts, stop privately sponsored travel, create a nonpartisan ethics watchdog for Congress, and enact comprehensive earmark reform.
After all that talk about playing nice and being civil, the real Platts comes through in this passage:
It is fair to say that certain House Democrat leaders, including Nancy Pelosi, supported the alternative measure for disingenuous reasons - that is, not because they are sincerely committed to ending the perks handed out by special interest group lobbyists. Rather, the Democrat leaders were most interested in the political benefits of offering the alternative measure knowing that it would not be adopted.
The Democrats were being disingenuous. How dare they! The nerve of them to find a sliver of a spine and stand up to Karl Rove and Dick Cheney and George W. Bush and the rest of the Republican machine!
Platts wrapped up his op-ed with these thoughts. (For a nice guy, he sure seems pretty egotistical...notice how many times he uses the word "I".)
In the weeks ahead, at the invitation of this newspaper, I will be articulating my thoughts on a variety of issues pending before Congress. In so doing, I pledge to discuss the issues in a positive and honest manner, the same manner by which I will conduct my entire campaign for re-election. The readers of this paper and all residents of the 19th District deserve nothing less.
While Platts was pledging to play nice, Phil ended his op-ed this way with a call to action:
It is time to do more than offer lip service and praise for the virtues of the laboring middle class. It is time for us to recommit ourselves as a nation to ensure all Americans have the opportunity to achieve the American dream. We can begin to do that by:
· Passing a minimum-wage hike that is not linked to rewarding the wealthiest families in this country.
· Establishing health-care programs that are efficient, accessible and affordable.
· Reinstituting low-cost loans for students eager to pursue an education beyondhigh school.
· Encouraging companies to invest in our communities rather than overseas through economic incentives.
· Easing the burden on our children by returning our federal budget to a "pay-as-you-go" model to eliminate the huge deficits that hobble and erode our economy.
We can do that the way working Americans have always done it - with the will and determination to get the job done and to do it right.
We can do it as Americans banding together for a strong and vibrant nation. We can do it, but only if we believe the middle class and working poor deserve the attention and support of our government. We must do it for future generations, so the nation they inherit is healthy and not burdened with debt.
We can do it, we must do it, and together - we will do it.
All the pundits have PA 19 as a safe Republican seat and incumbent Todd Platts as a sure thing in a republican-dominated district.
Well, the conventional wisdom ain't always so wise. This race is going to surprise a lot of people. The first official debate is next Monday--watch out!