Has anyone in the 12th District had a conversation with Erin McClelland?

[MrMickeysMom]

I had received telephone messages from her or staff asking for campaign contributions, and finally called to talk to her the other day. Before I share anything, I wondered if other persons had done the same. I have my point of view, but wanted to hear from your first.

Where I live in Monroeville, my ward is actually split into 3 (count em) US congressional districts. It's pathetic. So, when the state re-districted again (I call this gerrymandering) I no longer tormented the Tim Murphy staff, because I joined the jagged district of the 12th, even more bizarre on how it's cut up. Keith Rothfus is Murphy drone, so I was naturally anxious to see who'd run against him.

Any takers?

[Divernan]

1. She & Rothfus will be answering questions at my AAUW chapter's meeting on Oct. 14.

Last edited Sun Aug 17, 2014, 07:35 AM - Edit history (1)

It's a candidate forum just for the two of them. Members are submitting special issues/topics of interest in advance, and a list of topics will be sent to the candidates around mid September. If you have any issues or questions you'd like addressed, please PM them to me, or put them in this thread. Guests are more than welcome to the AAUW meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, October 14th, at 9:30 a.m. in the Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church, corner of Field Club and Fox Chapel roads. That's about a 30 minute drive from the PA Turnpike entrance in Monroeville.

I have not talked to McClelland personally but worked with her campaign manager, Adam Stokes, to gather signatures for her primary campaign. I have worked with Adam on other Dem. campaigns and he has a good reputation. She won the primary. "According to unofficial results posted on the Pennsylvania Department of State’s website, McClelland received 29,120 votes, or 66.5 percent, while Hugya had 14,622 votes, or 33.5 percent. Rothfus, 52, of Sewickley, did not have a primary challenger during his first re-election bid and he received 20,637 votes."

I found her positions on a range of issues just fine, and of course her primary opponent, who didn't declare interest in running until a (gasp!) woman was already running was John Hugya, who had a scandal riddled background from his time working for John Murtha - in part, from spending campaign money for a personal purchase of a high power rifle - he's a big NRA member and runs a shooting range. Once Hugya entered the race, McClelland was forced to spend most of the money she'd raised (lots of union contributions) on the primary, and now is in poor financial shape, particularly compared to Rothfus who had no primary opponent, and gets money from the likes of these:

Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services, the company that bought the Friendship Ridge nursing home from Beaver County earlier this year, gave $2,600 to Rothfus on May 8, as did Sam Halper, Friendship Ridge’s chief executive officer.

A second $2,600 contribution from a Sam Halper was made to Rothfus on June 30, but this Halper listed a New York City address and was described only as a self-employed business owner and indicated no connection to Comprehensive.

Rothfus’ report shows multiple contributions from PACs representing the energy, banking, financial and medical/health care sectors. Consol Energy’s PAC (BIG FRACKING)gave Rothfus $2,400 last quarter and $10,000 for the election cycle, and the Koch Industries PAC gave $3,000, also reaching $10,000 for the cycle.

Koch Industries is a worldwide conglomerate owned by the controversial Koch brothers that has subsidiaries involved in petroleum refining and distribution, manufacturing, chemicals, paper, finance, commodities trading and other investments.

http://www.ellwoodcityledger.com/news/local_news/rothfus-still-holds-huge-money-advantage-over-mcclelland/article_9f770214-36b9-5731-ab96-a9f048138ac5.html

The district includes Beaver County, southern Lawrence County, the North Hills area and portions of Westmoreland, Somerset and Cambria counties. It is the most outrageously gerrymandered congressional district ever, stretching over SIX counties, and shaped like one of those dragons in a Chinese new year's parade. (Besides Hugya's conservative/NRA positions and ethics shortcomings, he was 79 years old & in very poor physical shape - simply couldn't see him having the stamina to handle a six county district. )

McClelland rode massive support from her home county, where she trounced Hugya, a Somerset County resident, 13,550 votes to 1,047. In Beaver County, McClelland beat Hugya by more than 7,000 votes, 9,426 (80 percent) to 2,278 (19 percent) with all 129 precincts reporting.

Rankled at what she saw as extreme conservative views from Rothfus, McClelland, a 39-year-old Harrison Township resident, launched her campaign early last year. She was the only Democratic challenger until Hugya, a 79-year-old Jenner Township resident, retired Marine colonel and former district director for the late U.S. Rep. John Murtha, made an unexpected entry in September.

During the campaign, McClelland touted her experience in health care, which includes founding an addiction and behavioral health center in Blawnox, and her family’s deep union ties. She got a big boost with the endorsement of the state AFL-CIO.

McClelland has a tight grasp on policy details but laments the dearth of women in Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation. U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz was the only woman in Congress from the state and she left that seat to run a losing campaign for governor.

http://www.ellwoodcityledger.com/news/local_news/mcclelland-beats-hugya-takes-on-rothfus-next/article_395600a1-346b-517f-8006-c959e1c11852.html

[blue neen]

3. Thanks for the info, Divernan.

I'm very interested in Erin's campaign, but feel it has been difficult to find out when and where she is speaking.

[Divernan]

2. Here are her issue statements:

http://www.erin14.com/issues/

When it comes to the issues, I am a solid pragmatist.

Most of the policies that come out of Washington aren't working for us. They fail to identify the root causes of our problems, leading to unintended consequences that increase costs for the average American and create new long-term problems. This is the disconnect between DC and the rest of us- sometimes they cause more problems than they solve.

We need to make sure that Washington addresses the real problems facing our community and come up with solutions that will make a difference in your life and help change our community for the better.

ECONOMY
As a small business owner, entrepreneur, and the daughter of a nurse and a utility lineman, I know well the struggles we face and the pride we feel in a hard day’s work that provides for our families. I also know that the greatest weapon in our country’s economic arsenal is the purchasing power of a vibrant and growing American middle class. As your voice in Congress, I’ll fight to make sure our region has stable, well-paying jobs and successful small businesses that create and support that middle class.

WOMEN'S ISSUES
When women are paid 70 cents for every dollar a man makes, that’s not just a women’s issue - it’s an economic issue. When restrictions are placed on women’s health care and yet they pay more for coverage, it’s not just a women’s issue - it’s a civil rights issue. And when a woman faces an impossible choice between her job and her child because her workplace doesn’t offer maternity leave, it’s not just a women’s issue - it’s a family values issue. While our sisters, mothers, and daughters are fighting for equality every day in our homes, doctor's offices, and workplaces, I’ll make sure they have someone fighting for them on the floor of Congress.

HEALTHCARE
I’ve spent my career in the healthcare industry, so I know firsthand the problems we face. An inefficient and outdated system that leads to errors, coupled with a lack of preventative care, drive up costs and make our system too expensive. Our country has the best medical professionals in the world. In Congress, I’ll fight to make sure we also provide the best care to our citizens at affordable rates by continuing to reform and improve our healthcare system.

VETERANS
Every day, our armed forces work tirelessly to keep us safe from those who seek to do us harm. But often the greatest battle they face is the difficult readjustment to life back at home. After World War II, we passed the GI Bill to give our veterans the training they needed to build the American middle class. We need to ensure that today’s veterans receive the training and resources as heroes they deserve - including proper physical and mental health care.

EDUCATION
When Pittsburgh Plate and Glass hired union members like my great-grandfather, it was because they knew they were the best in the world at what they did. We need to make sure our kids have the same opportunities in a new economy. This means improving underperforming schools and making sure our children graduate with the skills they need to succeed in today’s job market.

INFRASTRUCTURE
When we built our country’s network of bridges, roads and highways, we constructed the backbone necessary to support for the world’s strongest economy. Now, those same bridges and roadways are filled with potholes and becoming unsafe. Rebuilding our transit infrastructure is necessary to keep our economy running smoothly and safely.

[blue neen]

4. I haven't had the opportunity to speak to Erin McClelland.

I've made some campaign contributions but don't want to make anymore until meeting her or listening to her speak.

The Annual Labor Day Celebration at Northmoreland Park is coming up. She could certainly meet a lot of voters from District 12 there.

So, what's your point of view?

On edit: Erin can win this district-----people just don't know who she is at this point. That despicable Rothfus only won it by 3 percentage points over Critz.

[MrMickeysMom]

5. Alright, I'll tell you my POV, at the risk of criticism, but I asked for it...

I have been getting phone calls from her, since we probably supported her run earlier. I can't stand the Republicans, which is no shock…

I asked to speak with her when calling back, and she graciously did. I wanted to know what she though the most important issues were, which lead to a well prepared speech about the unfunded liabilities. There was a figure of $60 trillion at the beginning of the conversation, which turned into $86 trillion. This could be addressed by capturing all the waste in health care delivery. I wanted to know more, so I kept asking short questions and listening to a lot of what has come off her website upthread.

I explained about the years I've been a licensed practitioner (didn't say what, but respiratory care delivery since 1975) and told her that I understood the importance of medical errors and how electronic databases figure into this. Since she only addressed hospitals, I asked her what could be done about the horizontal integration of this system over the years and the other areas of the health care continuum, sighting examples of how the "revolving door" errors there, not because of persons who do not understand orders (which electronic databases address) but the delivery of that care, and third-party payer of that care. I then asked her if she didn't think that much of this could be addressed by operating as the Canadian Health Care System does, or to put it another way, "single payer… Medicare for All"… She immediately told me that this had nothing to do with the addressing the problem. She initially hesitated when I used the term, "health care continuum", and I needed to explain what this meant.

After this, and much more of her canned (sorry, but this is what is sounds like to me) talking points, she ended with hoping I could donate again. I thanked her and politely said I'd be discussing this with spouse.

Bottom line… I wish if a woman were running and talking to Democratic constituents, that they'd know a HELL of a lot more than what she does. I think she's a bullshit artist and I'm very disappointed!

Well… there it is… Hope this isn't going to draw fire from others, but damn it. I know how hard it is to be an elected official in local government. I wonder what it's come to in order to raise enough money to be supported. Do I really have to hold my nose and vote for someone who seems so full of it?

[blue neen]

6. No criticism. :)

Last edited Sun Aug 17, 2014, 10:26 PM - Edit history (1)

That's your point of view and your experience with her so far----I appreciate hearing what you thought.

I do think that Rothfus will have unlimited money for this campaign, thus the need for Erin to ask for the donations. Unfortunately, this is politics "post Citizens United". Money will rule elections.

I hope to be able to meet Erin soon. Keith Rothfus is so horrible that I will gladly be voting for her. I would, however, like to know more so that I can confidently tell voters about her candidacy.

[Divernan]

7. I am shocked at the harshness of your condemnation of her.

Last edited Wed Aug 20, 2014, 11:43 AM - Edit history (1)

"She's a bullshit artist" who is "full of it"? So she didn't share your expertise re "health care continuum." Well, I was a NIMH research fellow for three years, immediately after receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology, and I have kept up with DSMs, but I had to look up a definition of "health care continuum". The phrase sounds deceptively simple enough, but it turns out to be complex. Here it is:

Continuum of care is a concept involving an integrated system of care that guides and tracks patient over time through a comprehensive array of health services spanning all levels of intensity of care. This article presents a definition of continuum of care, including objectives, basic components, and operating principles. The purpose is to provide a concept that will encourage leadership by offering a vision for the future and providing a framework to guide day-to-day decision-making. Two case scenarios illustrate the effectiveness of the continuum of care concept in providing a framework for delivery of optimum health care to patient populations.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10293297

I'm just going from your abbreviated description of the conversation, but it appears she was focused on hospitals and you then asked her to expand the discussion to the whole universe of health care. You also asked her to agree that the Canadian Health Care System would address what you call "the problem", by which I think but am not certain that you meant this whole universe of health care, and she would not go along with you on that. I can understand that - she's talking to someone over the phone, whom she's never met - you could be anyone - who asks her to commit to a health care policy with which she is not familiar and the details of which are not spelled out.

My relevant bona fides are that I went to law school at age 40 - practiced civil trial law, taught at a law school and ended up as an executive director and staff attorney for the state legislature Dem. caucus, and then retired. There are many specialized areas of law about which I know next to nothing (bankruptcy, estates and trusts, patent law)but I cannot imagine another attorney condemning me as "full of it" because I held myself out as a lawyer but didn't share their specific area of legal knowledge. The point I wish to make is that there is a large universe of health care, with many highly specialized sub areas. One size does not fit all. However, when it comes to health issues, this candidate has a much stronger background than at least 95% of elected officials. If you sent her a few papers/reports detailing the position you would like her to support, at least she is capable of understanding them. I cannot help but compare her background, education and experience when first running for office, to the majority of male legislators I worked with. She comes out way ahead. She certainly is a hell of a lot better oriented, from her family background and her own occupation, to relate to Democratic values than the likes of former GOP state senator Jane Orie or former state Senator and GOP Congresswoman Melissa Hart - both of whom I worked with on committees in Harrisburg - not to mention Rothfus.

You say you're disappointed that she does not know a hell of a lot more - on your issue of health care continuum. And you also accuse her of canned responses on issues. In my 10 years working for the Democratic Caucus I saw that all the politicians, both male and female, had canned responses. I mean they have to deal with legislation and hearings on everything under the sun, and deal with masses of constituents, each with different issues and problems. That's why they have a whole office dedicated to legislative research, plus caucus staff to research and brief them. And those briefings have to be updated year after year to be current. Some legislators deliver their canned talking points with more earnest charm than others, but they all rely on canned talking points.

I realize I have gone on at great length, but I truly feel you are holding this candidate to unrealistic expectations. That's your choice. I do think it is wrong of you to trash her on DU and in the Pennsylvania forum - on the basis that she did not agree with you on one issue and that you did not like her tone of voice or delivery. I don't think I can change your mind, but I write to get other PA voters to support her. When I looked at the backgrounds and qualifications of McClelland and her doddering, 79 year old opponent in the Dem. primary, I was so thankful that we had a young, bright woman ready to take on the GOP machine and Keith Rothfus. The choice is stark - her or Rothfus. It will be a tough race, given the disparity in funding and gerrymandering of the district, but even if she doesn't win, I hope she stays active in politics and runs again.

[blue neen]

8. From what I understand,

Erin received a fantastic reception at the Vandergrift "Festa" on Sunday. The Festa may occur in a small town, but it attracts thousands of people from all over District 12 and beyond.

[MrMickeysMom]

9. I didn't think anyone would try to change my mind, but...

... please, a bit more accuracy in what you're assessing of my encounter. RE-read it.

1) I didn't ask her to agree with anything. I kept asking her about what she said was the #1 issue.

2) I didn't complain of the tone of her voice, either. However, I recognize when someone is blowing me off on questions regarding an issue, once I've given them a lot of time to address it, especially if they say it's their most important issue.

3) If she knows more than 95% of elected officials about health care, which is a huge issue, then this doesn't say much about the majority of persons who legislate over it, does it? After all, congressional have staff devoted to the issues over which they should understand.

4) The health care delivery system structure is not rocket science. It's screwed up royally over the years since introduction of 3d party reimbursement, I can tell you, and fee for service models to the current capped prospective payment system. For anyone to separate the hospital portion of it (acute care with emergency and their intensive care) from the rest of the system, shows that they do NOT understand the fundamental way costs are NOT well contained. The costs at the most expensive end are a DIRECT result of an unending, disconnected and revolving door at the "lower cost" end). You can't even go to first base unless you know this much. Maybe she needs some advisors. I would be happy to advise, along with many of my colleagues. She was disinterested. This is a bad sign.

5) "Medicare for All" means lower cost, everybody's cared for, all the doctors and hospitals continue to be administered privately, all basic care is provided and anything extra like breast implants or nose jobs are going to be the patient's responsibility. This should be understood by elected officials, especially ones who expect to be sitting at the helm over single payer systems, which is our only way out of this mess. That is why I gave an EXAMPLE of Canada.

Don't you think we should nurture good candidates? Or, are you of the school of thought who say, "It's too difficult to learn"…??? The best teachers don't teach, they allow their students to learn. When you're raising money for a candidate to run, don't forget to teach them why. As a Democratic Caucus member for 10 years, what were you doing to nurture someone like McClellend?

I am exhausted with the kind of choices we have… which are "non-choices".

As a Democrat, why should I continue to holding my nose when those in the party should nurturing this allowance of learning. So….. LEARN, Erin, LEARN!