Just got this in an email from Zack Byrnes:
More power to him!FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 21, 2009Zack Byrnes to Announce Candidacy for 12th District State Representative Seat
CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, PA – Democrat Zack Byrnes will announce his candidacy for the 12th District state representative seat on Sunday, November 1st, 2009 at 2:00 PM at the Butler County Democratic Fall Event at South Butler Fire Hall.
Byrnes will challenge Representative Daryl Metcalfe, who has held the office for nearly 12 years. For Byrnes, the decision to run was made after Metcalfe’s most recent outburst against veterans. In an email to Operation FREE, a veteran’s group focused on the national security implications of climate change, Metcalfe called veterans supporting the organization traitors and compared them to Benedict Arnold.
“Government in a democracy is about cooperation in our communities. As Americans, we value diverse skills and perspectives. Attacking others, especially the brave men and women who serve our country in the military, simply for voicing their opinion is a dangerous precedent to set. Rep. Metcalfe’s behavior is not only disgraceful and demeaning to his office, it also wastes time and reduces his ability to work effectively on behalf of the 12th District’s residents,” said Byrnes.
A lifelong resident of Butler County, Byrnes will outline his vision for effective and efficient government, focusing on education, employment, and eliminating waste and corruption in his official announcement.
“On day one, I will introduce legislation to reduce the size of the state legislature, mandate 5% contributions towards health care benefits, and make public all expenses by state legislators. We’re all feeling the strain of a struggling economy, and our government needs adjust to this reality," said Byrnes.
Byrnes is no stranger to public service and tight budget constraints. As director of development and public relations with The Blind Association of Butler and Armstrong, Byrnes has striven successfully to serve the people of Butler County, even amidst budget and personnel cuts.
“Working with non-profits, you learn very quickly how to prioritize and accomplish important missions with extremely limited resources. As a state representative, I’ll bring these skills to Harrisburg and work to focus efforts on improving education and the economy in the 12th District," said Byrnes.
For more information, or to schedule an interview with Mr. Byrnes, please contact the candidate directly at byrnesforstaterep@gmail.com
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Maria, thank you for this wonderful news.
ReplyDelete“On day one, I will introduce legislation to reduce the size of the state legislature,
ReplyDeleteRight. Good luck with this one. Ain't gonna happen. Evah. [It should, btw.]
mandate 5% contributions towards health care benefits,
5%? 5%? Is that all? Is that 5% of income or 5% of health insurance costs? If 5% of health insurance costs, EVERY public employee, including TEACHERS, should contribute a MUCH larger percentage, say 20% (Example, my Company's monthly premium for Single is $562, that would mean ~$112/mo; Family is $1,450, that would mean $290/mo). If 5% of income - good. It's about time those who suck off taxpayers experience real-world pain.
and make public all expenses by state legislators.
Again, right. As if this would ever happen. [It should, btw.]
Oh, how about.. eliminate WAMs, eliminate per diems, institute actual expenses, contributions should be disclosed IMMEDIATELY on the Internet, etc.
Reduce the size of the legislature? Does this mean in numbers or impact? Going from 253 to 153 in the Assembly solves essentially nothing. If the programs still exist, and are still funded, and if money continues to be wasted with over $100 in daily per diems and additional money wasted in WAMs, then reducing size of the Assembly is so minor, it won't result in any noticeable impact.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I should run. Any chance the party will support a different candidate in the primary?
Hmm...