Three vie for 53rd District
Malagari, Szekely and Waldenberger in running
Three candidates are vying to succeed retiring Republican Bob Godshall to represent the 53rd state house district.
On the ballot will be Lansdale councilman and Democrat Steve Malagari, Republican and former Lansdale Mayor Andy Szekely, and Libertarian candidate John Waldenberger.
The 53rd District consists of Franconia, Hatfield, and Salford Townships and Hatfield, Lansdale, Souderton and Telford Boroughs.
All three candidates were asked the following questions, and below are their answers:
Malagari DESCRIBE YOUR BACKGROUND, AND WHY YOU ARE RUNNING.
I’m the proud grandson of a coal miner and son
of a public school teacher. I grew up here in Lansdale, where I graduated from North Penn High School and now live with my wife, Rachel. My upbringing taught me three important tenets: work hard, go to school, and fight for what is right. It’s those tenets that inspired me to become one of the youngest council members on Lansdale Borough Council and to run for state representative. To put it simply, I’m running because I believe the number one job of an elected official is to improve the standard of living for all Pennsylvanians.
On that job, Harrisburg is failing. We need new leadership in Harrisburg who will prioritize working Pennsylvanians.
WHAT MAKES YOUR BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT FROM YOUR OPPONENT?
I know what it is like to struggle, to continue to pay student loans, and put food on the table. It’s these experiences that inform my plans for this district.
We need a system of government that works for all of us; that puts people first, instead of profits. We need a healthcare system that makes it easier for Pennsylvanians to get the care they deserve. And we need an economy that uplifts working people.
The contrast between my opponent and I could not be starker on these issues. When it comes to prioritizing everyday Pennsylvanians, we have a choice this election: continuing with the status quo, or coming together to fight for the things we should have had long ago.
WHICH MAIN ISSUES HAVE BEEN RAISED THE MOST BY RESIDENTS? YOUR POSITION OR VIEWS ON THOSE?
My campaign team and I have knocked nearly 25,000 doors in the district, and what I hear the most is that people want a system that educates our future but does not tax homeowners to death.
I am a strong advocate for responsible property tax relief and a new fair funding formula to fund our schools. It’s why the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, and the Pennsylvania Realtor’s Association back me in my race for state representative.
HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE OR ADDRESS THE STATE’S ONGOING BUDGET ISSUES?
Working and middleclass families deserve a state budget that prioritizes them. It’s clear we need to not only prioritize working people in our state’s budget, but we also need to pass a budget on time.
I am a proponent of a “no budget, no pay” bill that would effectively stop pay for legislators if they do not pass a budget on time. If working Pennsylvanians cannot access vital services because of budget shortfalls, state legislators should be on the hook. Additionally, I believe we need new revenue sources that alleviate the tax burden on Pennsylvania families. I support a severance tax on natural gas that would help the state pay for our education system and improvements to our roads and bridges.
TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE — WHAT NEW APPROACH OR TACTIC WOULD YOU USE TO FUND REPAIRS AND PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED?
Since 2013, I have served on the Montgomery County Transportation Authority, working to repair and improve our infrastructure. Pennsylvania is known for its roads and bridges, and not in a good way.
It is clear: we need traffic signal upgrades, road and bridge repairs, and more travel options that divert traffic from smaller roadways. I am advocating for the completion of the 309 Connector, which will move tractor-trailers and large vehicles off of local roads and give drivers a more efficient route to reach their destination.
From day one of this campaign, I have strongly supported the implementation of a natural gas extraction tax to pay for road and bridge repairs. It’s time natural gas companies paid their fair share. This is an untapped revenue source in our state and I am committed to working towards its enactment in Harrisburg.
DO YOU SEE THE NATIONAL POLITICAL CLIMATE IMPACTING YOUR LOCAL RACE? IF SO, WHY OR WHY NOT?
I do. Whether it’s Washington or Harrisburg, people are fed up with a political system filled with career politicians and business insiders. When I travel this district and knock doors, voters tell me that this status quo is just not cutting it and they plan to go to the polls with that in mind.
Pennsylvanians want good representation that actually fights for them. In this district that means fighting for public school funding, fixing our roads and bridges, and improving our healthcare system.
YOUR CAMPAIGN WEBSITE AND/OR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS.
Website: Votemalagari. com
Facebook: VoteMalagari
Szekely DESCRIBE YOUR BACKGROUND AND WHY YOU ARE RUNNING?
I was born and raised in Lansdale and my family business, Szekely Chiropractic, has been in Lansdale since 1957. Prior to becoming mayor in 2008, I was involved in the community through the North Penn Rotary Club and the Southeastern Symphony Orchestra. During my nineand-a-half years as mayor, I’d like to think I made in difference in town recruiting businesses without the use of paid consultants. I also helped create events such as the Oktoberfest, which then led to the Craft Beer Festival. While I was mayor, I was also critical of spending, most notably on our borough hall/police station, which never went out to bid.
I was also critical of the developer of the Madison Parking Lot project,
which reneged on several items such as the parking garage, the $200,000 contribution to the skate park and the rehabilitation of Railroad Plaza. These are all things that the taxpayer now must pay for. I also vetoed the 2018 tax increase, and in August the independent auditors showed a $1.2 million surplus at the end of 2017. I was critical of spending in Lansdale, and I will continue to be critical of spending in Harrisburg.
WHAT MAKES YOUR BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT FROM YOUR OPPONENT?
I have been a chiropractor for 17 years. This has given me insight into the healthcare needs of our residents. Health insurance— most notably Medicare— is an issue that I deal with on a daily basis. I know that residents are fearful about their coverage. As a chiropractor, I was an advocate for my patients and I fought insurance companies on their behalf. As a state legislator, I will continue to advocate for residents’ healthcare just as I do every day now as a chiropractor.
I have served on the Montgomery County Prison Board for six years and currently, I am its president. As part of this board, I have seen the workings of law enforcement, incarceration and the justice department. What concerns me is the role mental health support plays in all three of these areas. The prisons unfortunately, are having to play more and more the role of a healthcare facility when dealing with mental health issues. I believe that more funding is necessary for mental health treatment ,which I hope will ultimately keep people out of prisons. This will ultimately save the taxpayer money by reducing the inmate population.
WHICH MAIN ISSUES HAVE BEEN RAISED THE MOST BY RESIDENTS? YOUR POSITION OR VIEWS ON THOSE?
The biggest issue in the 53rd District is burdensome taxes especially for seniors on fixed incomes. My position on taxes, most notably school taxes, is there should be some sort of reduction and/or elimination. We can not have seniors selling their homes because they can’t afford their taxes. This is not a new problem and there is no an easy solution, but I will work every day to find a way to address it while still funding our schools.
Other issues that have been raised include the 309/Turnpike Connector which will alleviate heavy truck traffic on Derstine, Mininger and Forty Foot Roads. I will push for the completion of this project. Many residents have asked me about the future home of the 53rd District field office and whether it will remain in Hatfield. Since Hatfield is in the center of
the 53rd District, I intend on keeping it in the Giant Shopping Center if elected. Residents have also questioned the size — and more importantly the cost — of the Pennsylvania State Legislature. Pennsylvania has the second most expensive legislative body per capita in the nation and in this age of communication technology I would be a proponent to reduce its size and cost.
HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE OR ADDRESS THE STATES’ ONGOING BUDGET ISSUES? SUGGESTIONS?
We need to continually attract new businesses and industries to the commonwealth. With those companies, brings great jobs and a stronger economy. It also brings more tax revenue for the state. I have a proven record of doing just that as Lansdale mayor. I’ve been credited with bringing new businesses that revitalized Lansdale’s downtown.
My general philosophy is that our citizens are already taxed heavily, and I will fight for lower taxes and oppose tax increases that will hurt families and seniors. As Lansdale mayor, I vetoed a 22 percent tax increase to protect taxpayers. Another consideration would be to pass the Taxpayer Protection Act (TPA), which would limit tax increases to the rate of inflation. This has worked successfully in other states, including Colorado, to put the brakes on excessive spending. To put it simply, Pennsylvania government has a spending problem, and the TPA is a long-term solution that addresses this.
TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE-WHAT NEW APPROACH OR TACTIC WOULD YOU USE TO FUND REPAIRS AND PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED?
State Representative Bob Godshall has done a great job ensuring our community receives its fair share of funding for local roads and bridges. I’ll use my position to ensure that we receive the funding we need for vital local road projects. I am constantly spending time in all areas of our district, and I will be sure to identify roads ways in need of paving, repair, expansion, and safety improvements.
I will also work closely with our local government to ensure they have the resources they need to properly request grants from the state government, and I will be an advocate for those grants. I would also look at the Public Transportation Fund and the Multimodal Transportation Fund that have huge cash reserves that should be tapped to help fund repairs and projects that have been neglected. Another possibility would be to stimulate private sector infrastructure investment by reducing the state’s onerous tax burden and repealing burdensome tax regulations.
DO YOU SEE THE NATIONAL POLITICAL CLIMATE IMPACTING YOUR LOCAL RACE? IF SO, WHY OR WHY NOT?
Certainly, the national political climate is affecting the race, but not to the extent that is portrayed in the news. I have knocked on close to 10,000 doors and overwhelmingly people have been pleasant, civil and respectful. Of course, there have been about a dozen who have said, no thank you and shut the door in my face, and there have only been two people who yelled expletives at me and one person who chased me down their walkway.
But overall, it has been a positive experience and people have been nice. I try to emphasize the good that I have accomplished in Lansdale, and I promise to try to do the same in Harrisburg. In fact, when talking to one woman whom initially was quite cynical of Republicans, I explained to her what I did in Lansdale and how I worked across the aisle with Democrats to get things done. She then took me around to meet her neighbors and she became my advocate; that was a nice experience.
YOUR CAMPAIGN WEBSITE AND/OR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS.
Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/AndySzekelyforStateRep/
Website: https://andyszekelyfor53.wordpress.com
Waldenberger NOTE: WHEN SENT THE SAME QUESTIONS AS THE OTHER TWO CANDIDATES, WALDENBERGER PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT:
Hello 53rd District! My name is John Waldenberger. I am a 29-year-old, lifelong resident of the Souderton area. I am a graduate of Souderton Area High School, and hold a Bachelor’s of Music Performance from Chestnut Hill College. I am married to my awesome wife, and we have three children. I am also a small business owner, and recently took my part-time business full-time. Like many folks I am tired of seeing my life controlled and being under-represented by the people elected to office. I have decided to take the chance, and do something about it.
I am tired of seeing and hearing about new laws, new taxes that do nothing but place more and more restrictions on our daily lives. I am tired of seeing other small businesses struggle, because the government demands more and more (money and regulations) from them. I am tired of seeing people struggle day to day, while our individual liberties are slowly stripped away.
The biggest reason I have decided to run, is that I am tired of our elected politi-