Oley physician running in 130th House District
There’s growing sentiment among Americans that incivility in politics has reached a crisis level.
Lamar Foley is concerned about that.
The Oley Township resident said he wants to do something to help reverse that troubling trend.
And he believes the best way to do that is by making sure state lawmakers set a good example for the people they represent. He believes they should set aside time to listen and consider the perspectives of the people they represent — not just those who voted for them at the ballot box.
Foley, 62, is confident he can set that example.
The longtime family physician, a Democrat who is taking some time away from his patients to pursue this new venture, is running to represent the 130th Legislative District in the state House.
The district, which has been represented by Republican David M. Maloney for nearly a decade, includes communities in southeastern Berks County.
Maloney has announced he is running for a sixth two-year term.
Foley said he believes it’s time for change.
“It would help if our government servants provided more thoughtful and conscientious efforts directed at satisfying the needs and desires of the vast majority of us and not a particular few,” Foley said during a recent interview. “We, as members of this district, have a need to discuss relevant issues and present our input to Harrisburg effectively.”
Foley said his experience as a physician has helped inform his position on the need for a better health care system. He said the time has come for his neighbors to have an honest conversation about the shameful practices used by the insurance and pharmaceutical industries to benefit off those who are sick.
His preference, he said, is a single-payer health care system.
“People having proper and affordable health care is probably the primary issue,” he said. “Some of that needs to happen at the federal level, but there are things that can be done at the state level. We need to get a coalition of people together who understand the problems and are committed to finding solutions.”
Other issues at the top of his list to examine include the need to invest in renewable energy sources, the urgency to protect valuable farmland from overdevelopment and the potential benefits of legalizing recreational marijuana use.
Foley said he would also be a big supporter of eliminating property taxes to fund public schools.
“There has been a sensible proposal on the table that many people support,” he said. “And it’s unacceptable that our lawmakers haven’t been able to get this accomplished in the past 10 years.”
Foley is the only Democratic candidate running for the 130th Legislative District in the April 28 primary.
State representatives serve a two-year term and receive an annual salary of $90,300.