Candidates in the 170th and 177th legislative districts will take part in a forum on Saturday at Community College of Philadelphia’s Northeast campus.
Candidates in the 170th and 177th legislative districts will take part in a forum on Saturday, Oct. 20, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Community College of Philadelphia’s Northeast campus, 12901 Townsend Road (at McNulty Road).
Organizers have invited state Rep. Martina White (R-170th dist.) and her Democratic opponent, Mike Doyle, and Democrat Joe Hohenstein and Republican Patty-Pat Kozlowski, who are running in the 177th district.
Doyle, Hohenstein and Kozlowski have committed to attend. White has another obligation and will not attend.
The moderator will be radio personality Loraine Ballard Morrill. The candidates will give opening and closing statements and answer questions from the moderator and audience members.
Sponsors include the Committee of Seventy, Northeast Philadelphia Chinese Association, Overseas Resident Malayalees Association, SEAMAAC, United Voices for Philadelphia, HIAS Pennsylvania, Nationalities Service Center, the Coalition of African Communities, Penn Asian Senior Services, the Faculty and Staff Federation of Community College of Philadelphia AFT Local 2026, the Asian Pacific Bar Association of Pennsylvania, Radio Haiti of Philadelphia, CAIR-Philadelphia, the Arab-American CDC and the Northeast Times.
Daryl Boling and Mike Doyle, the Democratic candidates in the 152nd and 170th legislative districts, respectively, are two of the first 65 Pennsylvania candidates, 92 nationwide, to endorse the Opioid Crisis Action Network’s policy platform, which would mandate medical best practices treatment be provided to those suffering from substance use disorder and that this level of care be covered by private health insurance policies, Medicaid and Medicare.
Boling and Doyle support a five-plank policy platform mandating coverage of a long-term continuum of care of no less than 90 days; coverage of medication-assisted treatment; that no patient suffering from effects of substance use disorder reporting to a treatment facility be refused treatment, whether or not he or she is intoxicated; the regulation of sober living homes; and that all prisons provide drug treatment programs adhering to medical best practices.
The Opioid Crisis Action Network was founded in January by Heather and Larry Arata after the overdose death of their 23-year-old son, Brendan, to research and promote solutions to this public health emergency. Over 72,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2017, up 7 percent from 2016 and double the total from a decade ago.
The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry last week endorsed Scott Wagner, the Republican candidate for governor.
“I’m honored to receive the Chamber’s endorsement and to have the support of their members,” Wagner said. “Tom Wolf has done everything possible to cripple job creators and stall the economy. With excessive permit delays, rampant over-regulation and some of the highest business taxes in the nation, Pennsylvania’s economy ranks near the bottom of almost every single economic category. I have taken risks, started businesses and signed paychecks, and I know what stifles growth. It’s time we have a leader who will lower taxes, reduce regulations and turn Pennsylvania into the economic powerhouse it should be.”
Gene Barr, president of the Chamber of Business and Industry, said of the endorsement, “The PA Chamber’s mission is to advance public policies that will strengthen our economy and set Pennsylvania apart as the best place for businesses to invest, grow and hire. Through his long tenure as a successful business owner, Scott knows first-hand the unique challenges that employers in the commonwealth face each day. During his time as a state senator, he was a champion of legislation that would help to grow the economy, creating better opportunities for employers and employees alike. Scott knows that a strong and thriving economy will benefit all Pennsylvanians. His record speaks for itself. His campaign platform includes decisive plans to grow jobs and harness the full potential of the state’s resources. The commonwealth’s residents would be well served to have Scott as their governor, and ChamberPAC is proud to support him in the upcoming general election.”
The National Federation of Independent Businesses endorsed Wagner in early September.
The Intelligencer, of Doylestown, endorsed Wagner for his specifics on opioids, the state pension system and the prices of healthcare.
The board said Gov. Tom Wolf did a little too much tooting his own horn and dismissed Libertarian Ken Krawchuk’s proposal to privatize public education and the Green Party’s Paul Glover’s plan to buy back and eliminate college debt as nonsensical non-starters.
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. and Rep. Lou Barletta will debate on Saturday at 6ABC studios. The moderator will be Action News anchor Jim Gardner. Panelists will be Sharrie Williams, of 6ABC, and Univision 65’s Ilia Garcia. The debate will be broadcast on Sunday, Oct. 21, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It’ll also be streamed on 6ABC.com ••
