Published: April 15, 2008 09:26 am      

Tribune-Democrat 2008 Voters Guide: Pennsylvania row offices

State row offices



(Information courtesy of The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania. Printed with permission.)



Attorney General



(Vote for one)



Job description: The attorney general shall be the chief law- enforcement officer of the commonwealth and shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as may be imposed by law. The Commonwealth Attorneys Act establishes the attorney general as the chief legal and law-enforcement officer of the commonwealth and provides the duties and responsibilities of the Office of Attorney General.

The attorney general, in addition, serves as a member of the Board of Pardons, the joint Committee on Documents, the Hazardous Substances Transportation Board, the Board of Finance and Revenue, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, the Civil Disorder Commission and the Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Commission.



Term: Four years



Salary: $141,565



Question: What specific priorities do you have if elected to the office of attorney general?



Democratic

John M. Morganelli

Bethlehem

Born: Nov. 12, 1955.

Education: Bachelor’s degree from Moravian College, 1977; Villanova Law School, 1980.

Occupation: District attorney.

Qualifications: District attorney for 16 years, prosecuted numerous murder cases; state Commission on Crime and Delinquency, five years; President, Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, two years; special deputy district attorney; special prosecutor.

Answer: “1. Pass a gang statute that makes gang membership a crime so as to attack the gangs before they commit their next murder or drug deal. 2. Address the proliferation of handguns into the hands of criminals, young children and those with mental illness. 3. Abolish parole for violent criminals. 4. Crack down on illegal criminal aliens who have no respect for our laws, commit crime and use fraudulent identities.



Republican

Tom Corbett

Harrisburg

Born: June 17, 1949.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, Lebanon Valley College, 1971; St., Mary’s University School of Law, 1975.

Occupation: Pennsylvania attorney general.

Qualifications: Pennsylvania attorney general, 41/2 years; assistant district attorney, Allegheny County, 31/2 years; assistant U.S. attorney, 31/2 years; U.S. attorney for the Western Division of Pennsylvania, four years; chairman, state Commission on Crime and Delinquency, eight years; private-practice lawyer, 12 years; corporate government affairs and relations, three years. Member of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, 28th Infantry Division, 13 years; chairman, U.S. Attorney General’s advisory committee; member, President Ronald Reagan’s Drug Task Force – Great Lakes Region; commissioner, Shaler Township, two years.

Answer: Throughout my career, I have fought to protect all Pennsylvanians and as attorney general I will continue to aggressively pursue those who prey on the most vulnerable of our communities – our children and our seniors. I am committed to providing safety and security for Pa.’s families in our homes, neighborhoods, schools and businesses. As attorney general I will: Protect our children from child sexual predators and child pornography, ensure that our schools are safe havens where our children can learn without the threat of violence.





Auditor General



(Vote for one)



Job description: The auditor general has been the Commonwealth’s fiscal watchdog since 1809, when it was created by an act of the General Assembly. The auditor general was appointed by the governor until 1850, when the position became an elected office. Auditors general were elected to serve three-year terms until 1909, when a constitutional amendment increased the terms to four years.



Term: Four years.



Salary: $141, 565

Question: What specific priorities do you have if elected to the office of auditor general?



Democratic

Jack Wagner

Pittsburgh

Born: Jan. 4, 1948.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in safety management, IUP, 1974.

Occupation: Pennsylvania auditor general.

Qualifications: Auditor general since 2005; state senator, 10 years (Allegheny County); Pittsburgh city councilman, 10 years (president, four years); certified safety professional, 10 years; U.S. Marine Corps, Vietnam combat veteran; husband and father of two children.

Answer: I look forward to continuing to work in an independent and bipartisan way to protect the taxpayers’ hard-earned money and improve the lives of Pennsylvanians. I will continue to focus on creating jobs, strengthening education, improving infrastructure and protecting pensions. I am the only candidate with more than 30 years of experience in both the public and private sectors watching the bottom line, reforming operations and protecting working families.



Republican

Chet Beiler

Penn Township

Born: May 19, 1963.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, Pepperdine University, 1987.

Occupation: CEO, business owner.

Qualifications: County chairman, two years; campaign chairman, various candidates; Rotary Club of Lancaster, six years; 20 years of business building.

Answer: We expect to empower our auditors and honor their findings by systematically making more audit results public. Performance audits will be expanded. As an independent fiscal watchdog, I will not play favorites. No government department or entity will be of limits as we seek to protect our tax dollars. Quarterly press conferences will be held to report on our progress.

State Treasurer



(Vote for one)



Job description: The position of state treasurer is an independently elected office established under the Pennsylvania Constitution. Pursuant to the Administrative Code, the state treasurer serves as the chief executive of the Treasury Department. The powers and duties of the treasurer and the Treasury Department are delineated for the most part in The Fiscal Code and generally involve the receipt and disbursement of funds by the Commonwealth, as well as the deposit, investment and safekeeping of money and securities belonging to the Commonwealth.



Term: Four years



Salary: $141,565



Question: What specific priorities do you have if elected to the office of State Treasurer?



Democratic

John F. Cordisco

New Hope

Born: Feb. 17, 1955.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, Rider University, 1977; Temple University School of Law, 1987.

Occupation: Lawyer.

Qualifications: Bristol Borough school board, 1978-81; state House of Representatives, 1981-86; United Vietnam Veterans Organization; Vietnam Veterans Appreciation Award, Department of Veterans of Foreign Wars; VFW Legislative Award.

Answer: My first priority is to protect the hard-earned dollars of Pa.’s taxpayers by making public all data concerning the performance of Pa. investment funds and by cutting excessive fees charged by Wall Street investment firms. Secondly, I would promote economic revitalization by using Pa. funds to create Pa. jobs. Lastly, I would invest in clean technology and alternative energy firms to help reduce global warming.



Robert McCord

Lower Merion

Born: March 5, 1959.

Education: Harvard University, 1982; MBA, University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, 1989.

Occupation: Full-time candidate.

Qualifications: 15-year career in finance; managed more than $1 billion in assets; raised money for startup companies that have created more than 2,000 jobs in Pa.

Answer: In these uncertain economic times, it is more important than ever to have a state treasurer with appropriate business and financial expertise. As a business leader who has managed more than $1 billion in assets and helped fund startup companies that have created more than 2,000 Pa.-based jobs, I will serve as a catalyst for positive economic change. In addition to generating jobs, I plan to help improve pension performance, cut wasteful spending, and invest in environment-protecting technologies.



Dennis Morrison-Wesley

Harrisburg

Born: Jan. 13, 1950.

Education: Philadelphia Community College, 1974; bachelor’s degree, Almeda University, 2002.

Occupation: Account executive, financial adviser.

Qualifications: 19 years in the financial industry; licensed and registered investment adviser.

Answer: My most important job as Pa. state Treasurer is to seek good returns in the invested dollars of the Pa. citizens. My order of investment would be first in Pa., secondly in the United States and lastly in the international market. When we can get the same monetary return from a company in Pa. as a company outside of Pa., then Pa. will get the fair advantage if we invest in Pa. first. The same can be said about a company in the United States.



Jennifer L. Mann

Allentown

Born: May 17, 1969.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in government and economics, Lehigh University, 1991.

Occupation: State representative, 132nd Legislative District.

Qualifications: State representative since 1998; chosen speaker pro tempore by speaker of the house; vice chairwoman, House Finance Committee; national board chairwoman for the Democratic Leadership Council; former successful small-business owner.

Answer: The treasurer is the first line of defense for Pennsylvania’s taxpayers. It ensures that your tax dollars are being invested wisely. I will establish the highest ethical standards and accountability so that you know that your taxes are used appropriately. The best investments not only have the highest rate of return for the Commonwealth, but promote the common good. Therefore, I will invest in Pa. first and help create jobs here.



Republican

Tom Ellis

Cheltenham

Born: July 14, 1959.

Education: Bachelor’s degree (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa), University of Pennsylvania, 1982; University of Pennsylvania Law School, 1985 (cum laude; editor, Law Review).

Occupation: Public finance lawyer; partner, Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, since 1985.

Qualifications: Chairman, Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, 2004-07; reduced property taxes, saved $30 million; Cheltenham Board of Commissioners, 1990-2002 (chairman, Finance Committee); 22 years experience in finance.

Answer: 1. Use more than 22 years of public finance experience to protect tax dollars and ensure financial responsibility in the office of Treasurer. Saved more than $30 million in debt service as a county commissioner. 2. Enhance 529 college savings program to make best in nation – encourage college savings and provide incentives to save, such as matching funds (not taxpayer dollars). 3. Implement policy prohibiting investment in nations that sponsor terrorism (enacted as county commissioner).