Gov. Tom Corbett is pleased with the latest jobs report for Pennsylvania.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, the state’s unemployment rate held steady in the month of June at 5.6 percent — the lowest level since September 2008.
The state added 5,600 private sector jobs, bringing the total amount of private sector jobs added during Corbett’s term to 184,000.
“The people of our state didn’t send me to Harrisburg to make friends, they sent me to build a stronger Pennsylvania, and we continue to see that vision reflected in another positive jobs report,” the governor said. “We have now created 184,000 new private sector jobs and have more people working in our private sector than at any other point in the history of the commonwealth. That’s our vision — and that is the stronger Pennsylvania we will continue building over the next four and a half years.”
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The Pennsylvania AFL-CIO last week endorsed candidates for the U.S, House of Representatives and the state Senate and House.
Not surprisingly, the union heavily favored Democrats.
In fact, the union endorsed 12 Democrats and no Republicans for Congress. Among those earning a nod were Rep. Bob Brady and state Rep. Brendan Boyle, the Democratic nominee in the 13th Congressional District.
Boyle is also running for re-election to his state House seat, and the AFL-CIO endorsed him in that race, in which he is unopposed.
In the nine state House races that include at least a portion of the Northeast, there is only one contested election. That’s in the 173rd Legislative District, where Rep. Mike McGeehan decided not to seek another term. The candidates are Republican Mike Tomlinson and Democrat Mike Driscoll. The AFL-CIO is with Driscoll.
The AFL-CIO endorsed the following unopposed candidates: Republican Reps. Tom Murt and John Taylor, Democratic Reps. Kevin Boyle, John Sabatina Jr. and Mark Cohen, and Jason Dawkins, the Democratic candidate in the 179th district. The union did not endorse Democratic Rep. Dwight Evans, who is unopposed.
In the 2nd Senatorial District, the union went with Democratic Sen. Tina Tartaglione over Republican John Jenkins.
Last month, the AFL-CIO announced its backing of the Democratic ticket of Tom Wolf for governor and Mike Stack for lieutenant governor.
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The 58th Ward Republican Executive Committee will hold a crab and shrimp night on Wednesday, July 30, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Polish American Citizens Harmonia Club, at 2404 Orthodox St.
The all-you-can-eat event is nonpartisan. The cost is $40.
For more information, call 215–816–5942. ••
