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Endorsements
for 2002 Elections
Vote YES for Green Space in Northampton County
If you live in Northampton county, you now have the opportunity to make a huge impact on the future of your local environment, simply by pulling the right lever in your voting booth this November 5.
U.S. House of Representatives
15th District
|
Ed O'Brien
|
Governor
|
Ed Rendell
|
Pennsylvania General Assembly
Representative
in the Pennsylvania General Assembly
U.S.
House of Representatives – 15th District
For the Lehigh Valley House seat
currently held by Representative Patrick Toomey, the Club has endorsed
the challenger Ed O'Brien.
O'Brien received high marks on the Sierra Club questionnaire, and he met
with members of the ExCom to explain his positions on environmental issues.
His opponent, Patrick Toomey, has a weak environmental record (National
League of Conservation Voters score of 7%) and has made no public statements
on environmental issues, and did not return our questionnaire or even
contact our group. O'Brien has made strong commitments in his public statements
to work for legislation on many critical environmental issues, and has
expressed particular interest in issues of sprawl, interstate waste imports,
toxic waste cleanup and protection of environmental quality in global
trade.
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The Sierra Club has endorsed the
incumbent Senator Lisa Boscola,
who in her first two environmental scorecards has earned 100% and 75%
voting records on environmental issues (only one senator scored higher).
Boscola has also taken strong public positions on local environmental
issues in her district especially on land use, zoning, and waste facility
issues. In particular, she has supported legislation dealing with waste
imports and funding open space protection. Her opponent did not return
the environmental questionnaire. Boscola should be returned to the legislature
to continue her good work for the environment.
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This district has been redrawn
as a result of the 2000 census, and now includes areas from three different
Sierra Club groups, and is an open seat due to the retirement of the longtime
incumbent Edwin Holl, a Republican with a strong environmental record.
The Lehigh Valley portion includes the Easton area. The Club has endorsed
Jim Maza, who is currently
a township supervisor and has served as a county commissioner in Montgomery
County. Maza earned a perfect score on the environmental questionnaire,
and has been a leader in his region on issues of land use, water quality
and toxic waste cleanup, including chairing a Montgomery County task force
that established a multi-million dollar open space program and founding
the Montgomery County Land Trust. His opponent, Rob Wonderling, never
returned the environmental questionnaire.
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In the 131st, the Sierra
Club has endorsed the challenger, Peter Schweyer, a young and energetic teacher and legislative aide
who has taken a strong position on land use issues. His questionnaire
score was a perfect 14 out of 14, and he would be a much stronger environmental
advocate than his opponent, incumbent Pat Browne, whose legislative scorecard
ratings have been consistently low and who has not returned the environmental
questionnaire.
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Pennsylvania State Representative – 132nd District
The Sierra Club has endorsed the
incumbent in the 132nd, Representative Jennifer Mann, who in her first two
terms in office has compiled a 100% voting record on environmental issues,
and has a position on the key House Environmental Resources and Energy
Committee dealing with environmental legislation. Mann deserves to be
returned to the legislature to continue her work supporting environmental
protection.
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Incumbent T.J. Rooney has been a consistent supporter
of environmental legislation in his time in the House, scoring 86% in
2002 and 100% in 2000. He also had a perfect score of 14 on the Sierra
Club questionnaire. His record earned him an endorsement from the Club.
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Pennsylvania State Representative – 135th District
In the 135th district
the Club has endorsed two-term incumbent Representative Steve Samuelson. Samuelson received high marks both for his 100%
voting record in his first two terms and for his responses on the Sierra
Club questionnaire. His record of support for environmental legislation
indicates that he should be returned to the House to continue his efforts
there on behalf of environmental quality.
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Bob Freeman's response to the Sierra Club questionnaire was excellent. His legislative
record has consistently been one of the best, and he is a widely recognized
leader on several environmental issues, most notably open space preservation
and comprehensive community planning. No one in the Lehigh Valley (and
probably the state) is a better advocate for environmental protection
than Bob Freeman. Returning him to the House and his seat on the Environmental
Resources and Energy Committee is undoubtedly a major plus for environmental
protection in Pennsylvania.
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In the 137th, the Club
has endorsed two-term Representative Richard
Grucela, who has demonstrated strong leadership on critical environmental
issues like farmland preservation, reducing out-of-state waste imports,
and toxic pollution from cement kilns. His Sierra Club questionnaire score
was 100%, and his voting record on environmental issues averaged 95% over
his two terms. He clearly deserves the Sierra Club endorsement for reelection
in the 137th.
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In the 176th, an open
seat in a newly formed district in Monroe County, the Club has endorsed
Gratz Washenik, currently a township
supervisor in Coolbaugh Township. He is well acquainted with key environmental
issues in the district, particularly water quality and open space preservation.
His Sierra Club questionnaire score was 100%. He will be a strong supporter
of environmental quality if elected.
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This race offers a critical and
important opportunity to elect a legislator more supportive of environmental
concerns. The Club has endorsed challenger Mike Mullen over incumbent Julie Harhart. Mullen, currently chief
of staff to Representative Steve Samuelson (another endorsed candidate),
answered the Sierra Club questionnaire correctly on 12 out of 14 issues.
Harhart did not respond to the questionnaire, and has a poor voting record
in the legislature on environmental issues. Mullen has spoken out about
environmental issues in his campaign, and would be a strong environmental
advocate in the legislature. He would clearly be a major improvement over
the incumbent.
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