Double zero In the House, two painful non-endorsementsThis is amazing news and a wonderful victory for Bill Ogden.
The P-G did NOT endorse Tom Petrone. Tom Petrone should retire from the state house. Other suggestions for Petrone will follow later.
Bill Ogden, Republican, was able to push out some of his ideas. However, he felt the interview didn't go as smoothly as it could have. Regardless, this is a big victory for Ogden.
Bill Ogden is much, much more than a personal trainer. He owns his own gym. He has been there for many years.
To call Ogden a 'personal trainer' is the same as calling Kevin Joyce, owner of a downtown restaurant, a cook or a waiter. Bill Ogden is a long-time small business owner. He employs people. He helps the economy by doing business here, in his home town.
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In the House, two painful non-endorsements
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
In two different Allegheny County House districts, Democratic incumbents who voted for the 2005 pay raise are seeking re-election, but have not atoned the way other lawmakers have. Although the Post-Gazette is not able to back their challengers, we cannot recommend election of the incumbents either.
Rep. Tom Petrone, 69, of Crafton Heights is in his 13th term in the 27th District, which includes neighborhoods in Pittsburgh's West End, plus Avalon, Ben Avon, Crafton, Dormont, Emsworth, Glenfield, Ingram, Neville and parts of McKees Rocks and Stowe. His challenger is Bill Ogden, 45, of Crafton, a personal trainer.
Mr. Ogden got into the race because of the pay raise and he's running on a platform pushing term limits and a smaller Legislature. His grasp of other issues is not as strong. When asked whether he would help to alleviate Pittsburgh's financial pressures, he said "personal responsibility" was in order and that the state should try to attract business and fix roads. Mr. Petrone said the city has done much to tighten its belt and that the state needs to help by relieving Pittsburgh's pension fund burden.
While both candidates favor property tax relief, Mr. Ogden said he would also cut taxes for businesses that had "a lot of Pennsylvania employees." He also complained about the county's 1 percent sales tax, the Regional Asset District tax that funds key public attractions, and mistakenly called it temporary. Mr. Petrone supports a ban on indoor workplace smoking, while Mr. Ogden would leave the matter up to individual businesses.
The challenger said he would support a ban on abortion if Roe v. Wade were overturned, but Mr. Petrone said he is satisfied with present state law, which permits abortion within certain limits. We don't know what to make of Mr. Petrone's statement, however, because both Life-PAC and Planned Parenthood list him as anti-abortion.
Our confidence in the incumbent is also tested by his response to the pay raise. He voted for it and took it. Then he said he gave money from the raise to two families who lost servicemen in Iraq. After the great public outcry, he voted to repeal it and now says he is paying it back in $100 monthly installments.
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