Biographical Information
County
Mckean
Occupation
Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) Administrator, Imaging Technologist (Xrays, CT Scans)
Education
MBA degree: New England College (Healthcare Administration / Management), MS degree: New England College (Management/ Health Admin), BS degree: University of Pittsburgh (Radiological Science)
Qualifications
Advocate for change
What do you see as the most pressing issues facing Pennsylvanians, and how would you address them?
Public Education: Follow the BEFC Report. Invest! Budget surpluses as a temporary means to increase funding. Raising the minimum wage and the legalization of recreational marijuana to boost revenue. Learn from others and apply creative ideas to fund and educate our future.
Minimum Wage: There is no excuse for not raising it. I’m a strong supporter of raising it to $15. This can be done in multiple phases to allow businesses time to adapt. Someone making minimum wage and working full-time should be able to live in Pennsylvania without worrying about affordability of their basic needs.
Infrastructure: We need to invest more in transformative infrastructure – infrastructure that provides lasting social and economic value for everyone
What changes would you support making to Pennsylvania’s voting laws to expand access, ensure security, and support local election officials and processes?
The Election Code must absolutely be overhauled. . It has not evolved to reflect changes in technology, legal precedents, and current practices. Any amendments since have only added to its confusion and potential contradictions. Comprehensive training for our election directors and officials is needed.
Election policies on mail-in ballots differ across the 67 counties. To ensure mail-in ballots remain safe, secure, and counted: these policies need to be specific and uniformly adhered to throughout.
Ballot curing should be a routine policy for fatal defects.
Postage always included, not an additional barrier to casting a vote.
Pre-canvassing ballots permitted prior to election day.
No expanded voter ID. In-Person fraud is very rare.
What legislation would you support to comply with the Commonwealth Court's ruling that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed?
An educated society makes for a better society.
Basic Education Funding Commission (BEFC) has provided a roadmap to close the funding gap and provide the transformational change we need. It’s imperative we listen!
I support Governor Shapiro’s plan to increase funding by $1 billion this year and the use of budget surpluses to make future increases. However, it will take creative funding ideas to move forward to prevent the complete exhaustion of these surpluses. I am a firm believer in raising the minimum wage and legalizing recreational marijuana to generate significantly more dollars.
We need to fund public education to eliminate poor districts, putting them in the best position to succeed – lessening the so-called “need” for vouchers.
What changes, if any, would you support making to Pennsylvania’s abortion laws?
Abortion is health care and should always be treated as such. It’s an extremely difficult decision that is not taken lightly and will never be forgotten. I support access to safe, legal abortions without exceptions. This includes eliminating the Medicaid abortion ban which only serves to punish our poor and underserved people.
The right to an abortion should be protected under the Equal Rights Amendment. I support an amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution providing for personal reproductive liberty. Continue to protect people seeking care in our commonwealth from their restrictive home state laws.
Increased funding for education, contraception, and a full range of reproductive & sexual healthcare (including abortions, IVF).