John
November 7 of this year, Pennsylvanians in the 48th Senate district will be electing a new state senator. Many people will view this as a new beginning, considering the current Republican state senator for the district was responsible for one of the most unpopular legislative pay raises in the history of the commonwealth.

Voters will have to decide whether they want the same old corruption in Harrisburg or a better change for all Pennsylvanians in the 48th district.

Democratic candidate John Liss wants to make those changes. Liss believes that the people come first. He has already shown this in the fact that, unlike his Republican opponent, whose money has come mainly from outside the district, all of John Liss' campaign contributions come from ordinary people within the district.

Liss also believes in eliminating the school property tax. This property tax unfairly burdens some school districts over others.

Liss believes that income and sales taxes are the only ways to adequately provide for our district's schools. If school property taxes cannot be eliminated, a fixed cap should be placed on them.

Liss himself has worked and owned several small businesses. He grew up in Reading and knows what the people of the district need. In terms of healthcare and employment, he has proposed real benefits for Pennsylvanians.

Healthcare should be taken back to its roots. It should be in the hands of Pennsylvanians and not the big medical companies that have raised prices.

Liss also supports the original minimum wage bill and not the altered one the Republicans passed through. The original bill covered creation of full-time jobs of 40-hour work weeks and full benefits. Simply creating temporary jobs will not solve unemployment.

John Liss believes that senators should serve their communities and not themselves.

He honorably served his country during the Vietnam War in the U.S. Coast Guard on board the USCG Cutter Bibb and Castle Rock.

After the war, he worked for 30 years as operator of the Western Berks drinking water plant. In 1980, he received his associate's degree in environmental science from Reading Area Community College.

This experience has given him the knowledge and experience to create new legislation in ensuring clean water and air for the state.

John Liss' work and understanding of the 48th district has given him the hands-on experience needed to be an effective decision-maker in Harrisburg.

While his opponent is simply a new name with the same agenda, John Liss wants real change that will benefit all Pennsylvanians.

Paul and Matthew
Mike Folmer should be the next Pennsylvania state senator to represent the 48th district. Mike did not want to be a candidate against the powerful majority leader Chip Brightbill, and was reluctant to run against him until after his organization, Constitutional Organization of Lebanon, found no other potential candidate to run against the man who lost touch with the citizens.

He took the name "Citizen Mike" to indicate his strong belief that working in government was not supposed to be a career but rather a temporary occupation, as the founding fathers believed. Instead of spending vast amounts of money in an attempt to buy an election, Mike campaigned on behalf of the issues and a return to common sense. He was outspent in the primary by a margin of nearly 20 to one.

Mike's platform leaves no ambiguities for how he feels. Realizing that government funds come from the people, he is an ardent supporter of a "Taxpayer Bill of Rights" which emphasizes limited government with lower taxes and less governmental regulation.

Mike would like to see the government restrain spending to the current rate of inflation, so that the size of the government does not expand. He also supports term limits so that the founding fathers' principle of a government "of the people, by the people, for the people" may be upheld.

With the idea of government for the people, Mike has pushed the issue for legislative reform. The Pennsylvania General Assembly should face an audit for waste and abuse, as well as enforce a law that bans all public officials from outside influence by accepting gifts.

Mike stands behind the movement to require all legislative meetings to be publicized, as well as require public comment on all legislation so that the citizens know what is happening on their behalf.

Mike is a strong advocate of legal and labor law reform. This initiative would give thousands of Pennsylvanians a vote on legal reform measures, as well as end unlimited jury awards. He stands strong on this reform, based solely on the fact that it will give citizens the ability to choose whether or not to join a union.

He is also a strong advocate for the right to life. He has stated his beliefs that elected leaders must take action in order to promote a culture that accepts life at all stages.

We have mentioned little about Mike's opponent, and this exclusion was intentional. Mike would like to see a campaign based on the issues, not feeble personal attacks on the opposition.

He saw the negative effects of one of the dirtiest races the state has ever seen. Mudslinging does nothing for the constituents of the 48th district; in fact it is counterproductive, leading to inaccurate reporting of the facts.

This campaign is not about him or a goal for reaching grandiosity, but rather about doing what is best for the citizens of Pennsylvania.