PA 49th Senate Candidates Talk Role Models and Government Mandates
By: Kim Thomas
Updated: May 31, 2012
First, we focus on the race for the PA's 49th Senatorial seat.
JET 24 Action News asked the candidates questions about their personal and political role models, what they feel the role of government should be as well as their thoughts on PA Governor Tom Corbett and the way government is functioning in Harrisburg now.
Who will replace longtime Pennsylvania Senator Jane Earll?
Will it be democrat Sean Wiley or republican Janet Anderson?
Anderson has 26 years of experience in economic development and has worked with elected officials.
Wiley has worked in both the public and private sector and is now in the health care industry.
Both have role models for where they are today and who they hope to be.
For Anderson, it's Governor Tom Ridge and PA Senator Jane Earll.
"I've worked for both of them. They are fine, upstanding individuals, and I would love to be just like them," said Janet Anderson (R) PA 49th Senatorial Candidate.
Wiley's role model is his grandfather, Dave Wiley who worked in Erie County politics for 20 years.
"I chased him around the courthouse for years. I had the opportunity to work in the courthouse and walk the same halls. Truly, he's instilled a lot of my principles and beliefs as I move forward towards November," said Sean Wiley (D) PA 49th Senatorial Candidate.
A recent hot topic is how much of a role should government play in everyday life. Wiley says state government should fund local governments in a sustainable way.
"We're putting mandates on local government, these local entities, but we're not funding them properly and basically what that does is it falls on taxpayers locally," said Wiley.
Anderson says, "mandates are difficult. More and more government, in my opinion, is not where we want to go. We want to decentralize government and allow those decisions to be made on the local level."
So, what do these candidates think about Governor Tom Corbett's time in office so far and state government in general?
Anderson worries employers might tell you they're not getting good educated people for the workforce and much of that has to do with mandates and funding.
She says, "we need to function in a way that supports these programs that are expected of government and required of government."
Wiley says, "I've been publicly critical of some of the policies of this administration. The policies to make systemic cuts to education that are jeopardizing schools and education. I've been publicly critical of the cuts to public safety."
JET 24 Action News asked the candidates questions about their personal and political role models, what they feel the role of government should be as well as their thoughts on PA Governor Tom Corbett and the way government is functioning in Harrisburg now.
Who will replace longtime Pennsylvania Senator Jane Earll?
Will it be democrat Sean Wiley or republican Janet Anderson?
Anderson has 26 years of experience in economic development and has worked with elected officials.
Wiley has worked in both the public and private sector and is now in the health care industry.
Both have role models for where they are today and who they hope to be.
For Anderson, it's Governor Tom Ridge and PA Senator Jane Earll.
"I've worked for both of them. They are fine, upstanding individuals, and I would love to be just like them," said Janet Anderson (R) PA 49th Senatorial Candidate.
Wiley's role model is his grandfather, Dave Wiley who worked in Erie County politics for 20 years.
"I chased him around the courthouse for years. I had the opportunity to work in the courthouse and walk the same halls. Truly, he's instilled a lot of my principles and beliefs as I move forward towards November," said Sean Wiley (D) PA 49th Senatorial Candidate.
A recent hot topic is how much of a role should government play in everyday life. Wiley says state government should fund local governments in a sustainable way.
"We're putting mandates on local government, these local entities, but we're not funding them properly and basically what that does is it falls on taxpayers locally," said Wiley.
Anderson says, "mandates are difficult. More and more government, in my opinion, is not where we want to go. We want to decentralize government and allow those decisions to be made on the local level."
So, what do these candidates think about Governor Tom Corbett's time in office so far and state government in general?
Anderson worries employers might tell you they're not getting good educated people for the workforce and much of that has to do with mandates and funding.
She says, "we need to function in a way that supports these programs that are expected of government and required of government."
Wiley says, "I've been publicly critical of some of the policies of this administration. The policies to make systemic cuts to education that are jeopardizing schools and education. I've been publicly critical of the cuts to public safety."
