McNeill, Molony face off in 133rd Pa. House race
NOTE: This is one in a series of election Q&A’s for candidates for the state House of Representatives in the Lehigh Valley region. The Morning Call asked the candidates to respond to written questions in 150 words or fewer.
Democratic Rep. Jeanne McNeill and Catasauqua acupuncturist David Molony, a Republican, are running for the State House of Representatives seat serving District 133, which includes the Whitehall Township area.
McNeill was sworn in for her first term in January 2018, after she won a special election to fill the seat of her husband, Dan McNeill, who died in office. Molony, owner of Lehigh Valley Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Centre, has challenged McNeill and her late husband in each of their elections to the 133rd since 2012.
Molony did not respond to questions, despite several attempts to reach him.
Q: COVID-19 hit the state in early March. Since then, the Wolf administration’s attempts to keep people safe have affected the lives of millions of Pennsylvanians. Has the administration done a good job, or not? Please explain your answer. McNeill:
Whenthe pandemic first began we were not given the early information available from the federal government of the potential rapid spread. Therefore, steps had to be taken quickly in order to protect the lives of our citizens. I do agree we needed to shut down to keep people safe until we could learn more about the virus and how it spread. Some aspects of the shutdown disadvantaged small businesses over large big-box retail; for example, Home Depot and Lowe’s remained open while mom-andpop hardware stores could not. The waiver system should have been adjusted to ensure fairness for our struggling small businesses. Our state unemployment compensation system was not meant to handle this number of claims, unfortunately that caused hardships that were
unintended and unforeseen. I know that the state had people working round the clock and my office did everything in our power to help all those who contacted us.
Q: Myriad changes to election laws have taken place in Pennsylvania within the last year, and more are being talked about right now. Do you feel comfortable with the state’s election process? Please explain your answer. McNeill:
I do believe our election process and vote by mail is safe and secure. It is political rhetoric meant to frighten people to say otherwise. Mail-in ballots are processed and requested via the same method as “absentee,” which has been a method used by the military since the Civil War, with virtually no issues. In fact, I would suggest it is more secure, because there are layers of verification for the ballot including ID and signature that isn’t all required at the polls. My bigger concern is the U.S. Postal Service slowdown in getting the ballots to the voters and back to the board of elections. Which is why there are secure and guarded lock boxes for ballot drop off across the county.
Q: The state currently faces a budget shortfall of billions of dollars, largely related to the effects of the pandemic. At the same time, it is unclear if the federal government will give more help and one PA lawmaker has publicly predicted an “economic collapse” early next year. How should Pennsylvanians feel about the state’s financial future, and what will you do to make it better? McNeill:
There is no getting around it, Pennsylvania and every state in the nation are facing budget shortfalls due to the pandemic. I will work with my fellow legislators to trim the budget where feasible and push for the federal aid needed to keep Pennsylvania and our businesses afloat during our recovery. What I won’t do is put additional tax burdens on our citizens, allow this crisis to affect the education of our children, or cut programs for the basic needs of our most vulnerable.
Q: What is the most pressing issue in your district, and how would you use your seat to benefit the people in your district? McNeill:
My district faces the same as most in our commonwealth. We need real solutions for recovery for our small businesses. Better state funding for our children’s education to ensure businesses and schools can operate safely until a treatment and/or vaccine is widely available to contain the spread of this virus, and real tax reform to keep our seniors and all those on a low or fixed income in their homes. I will continue to push for the funding allocations needed to make these issues a reality.
Q: Why should people vote for you? McNeill:
Since taking office in December 2017, I have a record of working for the district. I maintain a 100% voting record. I have successfully brought over 5 million tax dollars back home for projects that include: school safety and technology upgrades; senior, family and youth programs; transportation, infrastructure and economic development projects. In Harrisburg, I have sponsored and co-sponsored legislation on issues such as capping insulin costs; veterans’, seniors’, crime victims’ and animal rights; among dozens of others. Out in the community I hold events for seniors, the disabled, jobs, recycling and more. You will find me and my chief of staff helping at the Hunger Initiative food banks and other volunteer programs around the district. I work hard for the people of my district and will continue to dedicate myself to the best interest of those I serve.