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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State Rep. Jesse White |
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TO: Editor, PA Focus
FROM: State Rep. Jesse White, D-Washington/Allegheny/Beaver
RE: A Christmas list for the 46th Legislative District
Dear Santa,
Another Christmas season is upon us. As the state representative for the 46th Legislative District, I wanted to let you know that the overwhelming majority of my constituents have been nice. I know you can’t be everywhere at once, so I thought you might like to know what we would like for Christmas this year:
1. Property Tax Reform
We’ve been hearing about it forever, and everyone is pretty much ready to blow their stack unless and until we get some sort of property tax reform. We need to shift the burden of paying for our schools away from homeowners who are struggling to make ends meet. If you are only going to give us one gift this year, this is the one we all want.
2. A Health-care Revolution
I don’t know if you get the local news up in the North Pole, but recently a woman was charged $135 for a flu shot that should have cost no more than $22 by UPMC, her “nonprofit” health insurance company. Santa, we have become caught in a culture where the quality of health care is directly related to what kind of health insurance you have. We need to take the insurance companies out of the equation and focus on getting people affordable health care without the unbelievable overhead costs.
3. Serious Energy Independence
You should be glad that your sleigh doesn’t run on unleaded gasoline, because it would cost a fortune for you to get around the world in one night. With our gas prices regularly over three dollars per gallon with no end in sight, the time has arrived for real energy alternatives. We have the best scientists in the world - there has to be a way for us to finally break free of our dependence on foreign oil.
4. A New Approach to Fighting Crime
Instead of passing feel-good gun control laws that only punish lawful gun owners, the time has come to examine the root causes of the explosion of crime in our cities. By putting more police on the streets to seek out drug dealers and thugs and actually prosecuting them and putting them away in jail, we can work towards a real solution without violating the rights of law-abiding gun owners.
5. Good Uses for the Slots Money
Washington County’s municipalities will be receiving millions of dollars per year in grants from the slots revenue at the Meadows. The problem is that this is a big county with a ton of great potential uses for the money. I hope that the money is put towards projects that benefit everyone in Washington County.
6. A Pony
No joke here. I just think that everyone deserves a pony for Christmas at one point in his or her life.
I know this is an extensive list, Santa, but I hear that you’re a pretty influential guy. And like I said earlier, most of my constituents have been very good this year. Sure, there were some that were naughty, but I figured you’d know on your own and I don’t want to embarrass anyone in the newspaper. It’s just bad politics.
Merry Christmas,
Jesse
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