What’s at stake in the 91st state legislative district race
My name is Marty Qually and I am running for PA State Representative for the 91st Legislative District because we need to end business as usual in Harrisburg. Dan Moul has become a part of the Harrisburg establishment and it is time for a new representative. It has become obvious that the six-term incumbent takes his marching orders from lobbyists and party leaders, not district residents. He has become part of the gridlock keeping meaningful reform from moving forward in Harrisburg. As a two-term County Commissioner I have a proven track record of working with others, even those with whom I disagree. It takes bi-partisanship to get things done. It only takes one person to begin to reform Harrisburg.
Twelve years ago, Dan Moul made two promises to voters. First, he would take no money from special interest Political Action Committees (PACs). Second, he anticipated staying in the position for only 10-12 years—“as long as I’m getting something done” (Gettysburg Times 9/5/2006). He broke his first promise immediately when his first reported donation was from the PAC of another candidate. Fast forward to today: since his last election, seventy-five percent of his donations have come from PACs. This is public information which can be found at www.dos.pa.gov/campaignfinance. Most of these funds have come from party leadership or special interests dedicated to housing development. This is not how government should work. The job of a representative is to work for us, not to work for party bosses and lobbyists. Not all PAC money is a sign of corruption, but for someone to promise zero and now accept seventy-five percent is inexcusable. If elected, I will take my marching orders from you—the residents and local officials of the 91st district.
Dan Moul promised to serve for only 10-12 years, and yet he is running for his 7th term. At a public debate in 2016 he claimed that it takes more than 10 years to get anything done in Harrisburg. That argument is wrong on two levels. First, other representatives have been able to pass significant legislation in less than ten years, whereas Mr. Moul has only passed eight bills in eleven years. I believe this is more a function of his desire to fight, instead of compromise, and less a function of seniority. The gridlock in Harrisburg, some of which he is proud to create, makes it very difficult to get any bills passed. Sending the same legislator to Harrisburg and expecting a different result is not a reasonable solution. We need a representative willing to work with others and willing to accept reasonable term limits.
What’s at stake in this election? Education funding, reducing property taxes, protecting water quality, ending the opioid crisis, and creating jobs are all at stake, but we will get nowhere until we have meaningful campaign, election, and legislative pay reform in Harrisburg. Here are three simple reform measures which I will support to take power away from the Harrisburg establishment and make our government work more efficiently. First, I would introduce legislation to limit terms to a maximum of 12 years. Second, no budget no pay. I am tired of representatives being paid during these prolonged budget impasses. It’s that simple. Elected officials will think twice about political impasses, if their paycheck is on the line.
And lastly, reduce the size of the legislature. Recently, during an interview on “Face the State” the incumbent flip-flopped on the important issue of reducing the size of the state house of representatives from 203 to 175 members. Last year he voted for a bill to shrink the legislature, but this year he is bending to lobbyists and saying that he no longer supports this common sense reform measure. We need to reform Harrisburg and change the rules of the game. There are just too many elected officials, making too much money, and getting nothing done.
Another example of a flip flop playing to the Harrisburg establishment: after years of fighting for pension reform Dan Moul, voted for the bill which creates a cheaper pension for new state employees and gives existing employees the ability to opt into the new pension. When asked if he would take the cheaper pension, Dan Moul states that “he would consider doing so if he were near the beginning of his career, instead of just a few years from retirement” (Gettysburg Times 6/10/17). Once his benefits were on the line, he opted for the plan that costs taxpayers more money. He started in office fighting Harrisburg. Now, he has simply become a creature of Harrisburg.
If elected on November 6th, I will work with other representatives in Harrisburg to change a broken system and will focus my efforts on constituent services and local legislative priorities. As a County Commissioner I make myself available to the public seven days a week. That will not change if elected as a State Representative. As a County Commissioner I have worked with fellow Commissioners Jim Martin and Randy Phiel to improve our local economy, fight substance abuse, keep property taxes low, and provide transparent government. That will not change if elected as a state representative. If you believe that we need change in Harrisburg, then please support my campaign and vote for me on November 6th. There is only one month to go, so if you have any questions about where I stand on important issues facing our district or how to help my efforts call me or email me. I can be reached at 717-339-6514 ormartyqually@gmail.com. Let’s work to change Harrisburg for the better.
Marty Qually has served as Adams County Commissioner since 2012 and is running for PA State Representative for the 91st Legislative District.