Tweets from 2014 PA Gov Debate, of Sat, Nov 23, 2013

From 4-6 pm, the top five candidates for PA governor – Hanger, Schwartz, McCord, McGinty & Wolfe – participated in a forum at the Temple Performing Arts Complex, 1837 N. Broad St, Philadelphia, Pa. on http://www.mediamobilizing.org/govforum

2014 PA Gov Debate – Fracktivists ran on with this banner, crowd chants “Ban fracking now.”

It streamed live from Temple, at the link above.  It is still posted in its entirety, if you want to watch the whole thing.  My Tweets summarize the event and the general statements of all five candidates below.

John Hanger seemed like the winner to me. Lots of good ideas and lots of good leaders on that stage, any of them would be better than Corbett. But he just had more specifics, and presented them in the most calm and organized fashion. The others were good, but too general or too flamboyant or both.

Read through and judge for yourself, though.  We have a few months to vet these fine candidates.

Audience comment: Where are our leaders when biggest corp get tax breaks and cut public schools?

Diane Martinez, student: Seniors teach history to 9th and 10th graders in her center city Philly school.

@GovernorCorbett invited but did not attend. Allyson Schwartz: This Gov has been absent, and failed education across PA

Tom @WolfForPA: We all agree, we must take advantage of the shale beneath our feet. We will tax that.

@RobMcCordPA: Starts with reversing billion dollar theft from public education. Need to fully fund higher education.

John @hangergovernor: Problem: @GovernorCorbett and some legislators trying to privatize public education. @AutoKthonous – Thanks for ReTweet!

@hangergovernor: I will stop funding charter schools that fail, and that is just about every cyber charter. @AutoKthonous – Thanks for ReTweet!

@hangergovernor: The attack on public schools is also an attack on unions. @AutoKthonous – Thanks for ReTweet!

Katie @McGintyForGov: Some good: We are fourth in reading and 8th in math. My top priority: restore the billion dollars

Allyson @SchwartzAllyson: Sent my children to Central High School, public school. I would abolish School Reform Commiss

Nearly half of employees have no retirement benefit, most saw 401k wiped out by reckless Wall St behavior.

@McGintyForGov: My dad had a pension he earned from 35 years of working. We need affordable retirement and healthcare.

@hangergovernor: Will stop raiding of public pensions cold. Raise minimum wage to at least $10 an hour. @AutoKthonous – Thanks for ReTweet!

@SchwartzAllyson: Social Security, Medicare under threat . I’ve led fight against: imagine if SS invested on Wall St.

Fracktivists ran on stage with “Good Governors don’t frack their people”banner. Crowd chants “”Ban fracking now.” @frackoff_ and @StormyRavenhawk – Thanks for ReTweet!

Nicole Upshaw, 32BJ @SEIU Security Officer at Temple: Worked here several years w/out union. Got 1st raise & healthcare

Nicole Upshaw, 32BJ @SEIU Security Officer: Average worker at Philly Intl Airport makes less than $8 and no healthcare.

MC Next Governor: must raise minimum wage. Like slaves asking Pharaoh for straw to make his bricks, but is a beginning.

MC Next Governor: All businesses requiring tax dollars must pay a living wage, in every sector.

@RobMcCordPA: Working with credit unions and labor unions for alternate to payday loans and protect prevailing wage.

@RobMcCordPA: Any idiot career politician can read poll, say “”Good jobs.”Need true economic security: wages & benefits

@SchwartzAllyson: Working to increase federal minimum wage to at least $10.10. Use carrot & stick to push & help bosses

Fracktivists cut of @SchwartzAllyson promise to tax #Marcellus to say “”Ban it.”MC: You an leave and heckle outside.

@McGintyForGov: Economic growth requires living wage. First candidate here to push for raise minimum wage.

@WolfForPA: I get it, because I’ve created good jobs, treated employees fairly, gave 20-30% cash profit sharing each yr

@WolfForPA: Talking heads say manufacturing dead in US. All my products made in US, compete with China.

@hangergovernor: Say yes to expand Medicaide, create solar and wind jobs. Gamesa has union jobs, I know how to do it.

@hangergovernor: “”Time to stop mass incarceration, legalize marijuana, stop arresting African-Americans.””

@hangergovernor: “”Arresting African-Americans for marijuana is why the schools-to-jails pipeline is full.” Crowd roars

A full-time home health aide says she has no healthcare, only knows diabetes bad when gets sick, goes to emergency room

Uninsured leave emergency room with instructions to make an apptment with GP or specialist. Can’t afford, so come back.

MC: Immediate expansion of Medicaide, invest in maternity care, family leave, stop corporatizing healthcare.

@WolfForPA: One of only developed countries in world to not have universal healthcare. I will expand Medicaide.

@McGintyForGov: #ACA rollout: is @GovernorCorbett part of problem or solution. Power is about human dignity.

@SchwartzAllyson: Expand Medicare: Paid for ChIP w/couple pennies of cigarette tax. I helped make CHIP avail across US.

@hangergovernor: Healthcare is a human right, and it must be universally. Expand Medicare, but also need Single Payer.

@hangergovernor: Wife is physician, trained in Philly, I saw patients w/o health insurance 20 years ago.

@hangergovernor: Healthcare must include MH and addiction: “I lost son to depression to suicide at 23 from depression.”

@RobMcCordPA: We (on stage) are in raging agreement that wrong to refuse expand Medicare when it was already paid for.

Event sponsor: One thing to come here & demand candidates do things. Need to register people to vote, so we get new Gov

Event sponsor: We in unions have a saying: If we can’t get what we need to survive, we shut it down. @HarrisburgU_F – Thanks for ReTweet!