Republicans have had the opportunity - & failed
To the Times:
“I’m on the ticket.” “Pretend I am on the ballot.”
Donald Trump is telling voters across the country that this election is all about him. However, in his last oped, Republican Party Chairman Andy Reilly asks voters to ignore the president and his policies, his rallies and his tweets – that have divided our country with fear.
Mr. Reilly asks us to look at his local candidates’ positions and forget the Republican President – but he did not really talk about their positions. Mr. Reilly also wants you to forget about former Congressman Pat Meehan, who resigned after allegations of misconduct with a staff member. Those in his district remember – they have had no voice in Congress for five months.
Mr. Reilly also wants you to forget the actions (and inaction) of the Republicanled Pennsylvania legislature. Despite having the majority in both the Senate and the Assembly, they Republicans have:
• failed to fairly fund our public schools;
• failed to tax the fracking companies;
• failed to protect residents from dangerous pipelines;
• voted to defund healthcare for our families and neighbors;
• failed to bring justice to victims of child sex abuse;
• failed to enact legislation to stem the tide of illegal guns in our communities.
• The Republican Party’s candidates want you to believe that somehow this time – if you only give them another chance – this time, it will be different.
Instead of detailing his own party’s goals, Mr. Reilly claims that Democratic leaders are more interested in “smearing” their opponents than in engaging voters. Anyone who has received Tom McGarrigle’s hatefilled mailers would laugh out loud at that one. Mr. McGarrigle seems to believe that living in one town in his district is somehow a horrible offense – even though Mr. McGarrigle has taken an oath to represent all of his constituents, not just the ones he agrees with politically or who live in favored parts of his district.
Anyone who reads this paper knows that Mr. Reilly engages in the very fearmongering that he claims comes from the other side. Recently, in a Republican Party letter encouraging absentee ballot requests – normally a benign bit of partybuilding – Mr. Reilly used his mailing to stoke fear among voters. Mr. Reilly wants Republicans to believe that Democratic voters – who are your neighbors and may even be your friends – want a society full of crime, failing schools and unlimited taxes. Nothing could be further from the truth. We all want the same thing – safe communities, good schools, and economic prosperity for all. We love this country. We value our military and our firstresponders. But if voters understood that, and saw that the Republican supermajorities in Congress and the state Legislature are not getting the job done, they might realize that it is time for a change.
Mr. Reilly claims I have not detailed the position statements of our candidates - that would take many pages. Instead, I referred Daily Times readers to the www.Delcodems.com web page, with links to all our candidates. There are variations between our candidates, as they seek to represent their individual districts across Delco. The common thread between our candidates is a commitment to represent every voter and their family, not just those who look like the candidate, or live in the same town, or attend the same place of worship as that candidate. We are a fact-based group. We work to create transparent, accountable government that serves all the people in a cost-effective, wellmanaged manner – as you can see in the service of our current legislators and new County Councilmen, Controller, Register of Wills and Sheriff.
The local Republican Party, like the national Republican Party, has lost its moral compass. Mr. Reilly thinks that the Republicans in this county will follow his lead as he and his candidates seek to divide Delaware County and this great country. We hope that the voters in Delaware County understand that we deserve a government that is not built on fear and division. The people of Delaware County can and will do better than what Mr. Reilly and Mr. Trump have to offer - but only if we all participate.
Please vote – for facts, for transparency, for justice.