The campaign of Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey is criticizing Democratic nominee Katie McGinty for her views on Philadelphia’s sanctuary city policy.
“It’s outrageous, but not surprising, that Katie McGinty is so liberal that she refuses even to join the Obama administration, former Gov. Rendell and former Mayor Nutter in denouncing Mayor Kenney’s dangerous sanctuary city policy,” said Toomey for Senate spokesman Ted Kwong. “This policy not only undermines safety in Philadelphia, but threatens Pennsylvanians well beyond the city. Pat Toomey once again calls on Katie McGinty to drop her liberal sanctuary policies and support the bipartisan call for public safety.”
Toomey recently sent a letter to McGinty, calling on her to support the Obama administration’s request for Philadelphia to work with federal immigration agents to track dangerous criminals in sanctuary cities. Toomey asked McGinty to call on Kenney to join Obama and Rendell in opposing sanctuary cities.
“Sen. Toomey has been a leader on sanctuary cities, working to keep Pennsylvania families safe from violent criminals who slip through the legal cracks,” Kwong said. “In contrast, Katie McGinty’s elitist, liberal policies are out of touch with the vast majority of Pennsylvania families. If she truly opposes sanctuary cities, then she should join the Obama administration’s efforts and call on Mayor Kenney to end these dangerous policies. It’s not that hard.”
Meanwhile, nine Pennsylvania mayors, including Jim Kenney, sent a letter to Toomey, urging him to stop playing politics and get serious about fixing the broken immigration system.
In the letter, the mayors call out Toomey for what they say is his “inflammatory and misleading rhetoric” surrounding immigration. They contend that Toomey has refused to put forward solutions to actually solve the problem that would benefit cities like those they serve.
The mayors highlight Toomey’s opposition to the 2013 bipartisan immigration reform bill that was intended to strengthen the economy and border security, while providing the solution to sanctuary cities.
The letter reads, in part, “Your vote against comprehensive immigration reform was inexcusable. If you were serious about fixing our broken immigration system, you would have joined the bipartisan coalition along with businesses, labor, faith leaders, the tech industry and many others in support of this legislation.
“Senator Toomey, your solutions to fixing our broken immigration system to date range from supporting a discriminatory Arizona law that permitted racial profiling and co-sponsoring legislation that would defund police departments across the country. You even voted against legislation that would have provided the solution to sanctuary cities — the very issue you and your campaign now wish to politicize.
Enough with the inflammatory and misleading rhetoric, Senator Toomey. It’s past time for you to get serious about fixing the problem and move past the expected political games. The people of this Commonwealth deserve better from you.”
The letter was signed by the following mayors: Bill Courtright (Scranton), Kim Bracey (York), Carolyn Comitta (West Chester), Elizabeth Goreham (State College), Richard Gray (Lancaster), Jim Kenney (Philadelphia), Josh Maxwell (Downingtown), Rohan Hepkins (Yeadon) and Sal Panto (Easton).
Toomey is using the issue in a radio ad highlighting his efforts to stop sanctuary cities. A narrator says, “There’s a clear difference. Katie McGinty supports dangerous sanctuary cities, Pat Toomey is fighting to stop them.”
“Katie McGinty’s support for extreme liberal policies like sanctuary cities, which puts her to the left of the Obama administration, just shows how out of touch she is with Pennsylvania families,” Kwong said. “McGinty should reconsider her support and recognize, like the Obama administration says, that this is a public safety problem that needs to be stopped.”
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Anthony Campisi, a spokesman for Philadelphians Against the Grocery Tax, issued a statement on news that former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is helping to fund a campaign in favor of a sugary drinks tax in Philadelphia.
The group is a coalition of citizens, businesses owners, movie theaters and community organizations.
“Bringing in a New Yorker to force his personal agenda on Philadelphia families is the latest desperate act from an administration that admits it is losing in its attempts to foist this regressive tax on our city,” Campisi said. “The people of New York rejected and resented Mayor Bloomberg’s overreaching policies when he was mayor, and now he’s trying to export them to Philadelphia families. Mayor Bloomberg’s ideology represents a slippery slope of government intrusion in our lives,” Campisi said. “What will he try and mandate on Philadelphians next? Will Flyers fans have to start donning Rangers jerseys? Will Citizens Bank Park switch out “High Hopes” for “New York, New York” during home games?”
While campaigning in the Pennsylvania primary, Hillary Clinton came out in favor of the tex. Bernie Sanders is opposed.
Daniel Grace, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 830, said, “With all due respect to Secretary Clinton, her stated support of Mayor Kenney’s regressive three-cents-an-ounce sugary drinks tax is misguided. We sincerely doubt she was made aware of the significant loss of family-sustaining jobs that will result if this outrageous tax is passed. Similarly, she likely has no idea that the projected revenues from the tax will never come to fruition as a result of the precipitous decline in sugar-sweetened drinks and the rise of underground markets that will surely occur if the tax proposal becomes law. Politicians have been known to pander for votes, even presidential candidates, especially when they’re less than a week out from Election Day. We suspect Secretary Clinton was simply currying favor with Mayor Kenney. Ultimately, her position on a tax that will only affect already tax-weary Philadelphians is irrelevant.”
Philadelphians Against the Grocery Tax issued the following statement: “We appreciate Sen. Sanders standing up for the hard-working Philadelphia families who would be harmed by this destructive tax. Pre-K is a worthy program, but a regressive tax borne most heavily by low-income and middle-class Philadelphians is not the right way to pay for it. The fact is we can protect the future of our children and not harm these families in the process with more burdensome taxes. It’s disappointing that Secretary Clinton chose to play old-school politics rather than take into account the full impact of this local issue. We urge both candidates to call upon the administration to redirect existing federal funds for early education to Philadelphia to support the proposed initiative and, if elected president, to commit they will send these federal funds to the city to support Pre-K for the future.”
Philadelphians for a Fair Future, a coalition of more than 50 organizations citywide that support the tax, claimed that Clinton’s win in Pennsylvania’s presidential primary demonstrates that voters support her endorsement of the proposed sugary drinks tax as the best way to pay for expanded pre-K services throughout the city.
Clinton’s victory “demonstrates that Philadelphians strongly support the effort to invest in our children’s future,” said Kevin Feeley, spokesman for Philadelphians for a Fair Future. “Voters understand that our children can’t wait any longer for programs that will provide them with a quality public education, and they said so in overwhelming numbers in this election.”
Meanwhile, the America Rising political action committee is criticizing Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Katie McGinty for twice failing to answer whether she supports the soda tax during an interview on NBC 10.
“Katie McGinty has a record of pushing massive tax hikes like the Philly soda tax, so her dodge is cynical politics at best and proves she’s willing to say or do anything to get elected. Katie McGinty won’t be able to avoid tough questions forever; sooner or later, she will have to say whether she stands with hard-working Pennsylvania families that are tired of tax-and-spend politicians, or with Secretary Clinton and liberal Democrats’ nanny state agenda,” said Amelia Chassé, America Rising PAC press secretary. ••
