The Issues
Affordability
Energy prices are spiking, grocery bills are rising, and accessible housing is out of reach for working folks. Families in the 143rd District are feeling the pain of failed economic policies of career politicians. Making life affordable for the people of Pennsylvania isn’t a campaign talking point, it’s something Tim’s seen and experienced first hand. There isn’t a single person that’s not feeling the effects of the affordability crisis.
To address energy costs, as state representative, Tim will introduce and support legislation that will expand energy capacity on our grid with a more diversified energy portfolio, bolster low-income energy assistance programs, and improve energy efficiency for the industrial and commercial sectors. Addressing food costs, Tim will work with farmers to address issues with existing agricultural supply chains that are driving up costs at the grocery store. And for housing, he’ll expand access to home repair and weatherization programs, crack down on large corporations buying up every home and inflating prices, and promote mixed-use, adaptive reuse development, similar to Dublin.
Public Safety
In the 143rd District and across Pennsylvania, police, fire, and EMS companies are struggling to get by, due to a lack of funding, resources and manpower. Volunteer fire companies in particular may have to revert to becoming paid companies, which will cost millions of dollars. Tim has worked in Dublin to get its police and volunteer fire departments more funding. For the police department, he secured new handguns, holiday pay for part-time officers, and he even personally donates his council check back to the police officers so that they can buy new clothing. For the fire department, he used the savings from cutting wasteful spending to create a new budget line item that directly invests into the firefighters. And for Point Pleasant EMS, Dublin has donated over $10,000 for new equipment.
As state representative, Tim will continue his staunch support of first responders and create more opportunities to invest in the police, fire and EMS departments in the 143rd. He’ll push to hold regular hearings on the state of fire service in Pennsylvania so that legislators can develop a plan for sustainable, long-term funding for volunteer companies to help avert a financial disaster. He’ll fight to secure additional funding for police departments to buy new gear and retain officers. And he’ll help EMS companies in the district retain their call boxes so that they don’t lose municipal funding.
Workforce Development
The son of a union sheet metal worker, Tim understands the importance of a strong, organized workforce. And that means having a state government that invests in the people that make Pennsylvania the economic powerhouse of the country. As an environmental State Policy Manager, Tim has worked to support the Blue-Green Caucus, which advocates for legislation that is both pro-environment and pro-labor. He authored one of their endorsed bills, House Bill 894, the Veterans Entering the Sustainability Sector (VETSS) Program Act. This bill establishes a new program at the Department of Community & Economic Development to train veterans in jobs in the sustainability sector, like clean energy, land conservation, water quality, and energy efficiency.
As State Representative, Tim will continue to fight for organized labor in Pennsylvania. He’ll work to protect collective bargaining rights, oppose union-busting, and support prevailing wage and project labor agreement standards. He’ll work to expand access to apprenticeship programs and trade schools. He’ll also look to the future and position Pennsylvania as the leader in new and emerging industries, like clean energy and the critical minerals supply chain.
Supporting Public Education
Tim spent his entire academic career in public schools. He attended Central Bucks West and Middle Bucks Institute of Technology for public safety, where he earned his Firefighter I certification. He attended Temple University and earned a Bachelor’s in History with a minor in Criminal Justice, and he earned his Master of Public Administration from West Chester University.
Tim believes that public dollars belong in public schools, full stop. Governor Shapiro has scored some big wins for public education in recent years, but more needs to be done to equip teachers with the resources they need to educate our future generations. Tim will increase state support for recruiting and retaining educators by cutting red tape for certification and fight to increase wages. He will work to increase investments in career and technical education to support participation in the trades, and he will ensure public money isn’t siphoned to for-profit institutions.
Protecting Our Rights
Tim firmly believes that the state government has an obligation to stand up to attacks on our civil rights. He will defend our reproductive rights and keep the government out of patients’ medical decisions. He’ll fight back against attempts to disenfranchise citizens from making their voices heard at the ballot box or dilute their vote through gerrymandering. And, as the son of a union sheet metal worker, he’ll support the rights of workers to unionize and earn a livable wage.