This is an archive of a past election.
See http://www.smartvoter.org/pa/state/ for current information.
Montgomery County, PA November 4, 2008 Election
Smart Voter Political Philosophy for Bob Mensch

Candidate for
State Representative; District 147

This information is provided by the candidate

Property Tax Reform Representative Mensch has voted for the Rohrer plan to effect new tax change. He is committed to continuing the fight and is leading efforts to find a fiscally accurate design to immediately grant permanent tax relief to our most vulnerable residents--seniors and handciapped; and to aggressively continue to expand the tax elimination plans to include all residential property tax payers within 5 years.

Economic Initiatives I. Pennsylvania presently has grim business statistics which translate into a stuggling economy: PA is 49th in business tax strucutre in the US (only Wyoming is worse); 47th in the US for new job creation. To help our economy grow again,

  • Bob is leading the fight to reduce the corporate business tax so businesses can reward our workers;
  • create a single sales factor to allow PA businesses to compete on a more even playing field with companies from other states;
  • continue the phase out of the capital stock and franchise tax, to help put our state's businesses on equal footing with businesses in neighboring states;
  • provide workable net operating loss guidelines to encourage new capital investment in new technologies and new jobs;
  • to reform our unemployment compensation laws to ensure fair and equal treatment for both labor and industry, and to hold both labor and industry to the highest standards to help our businesses grow;
  • to provide reasonable, affordable health insurance to provide coverage for individuals and families, and to be able to expand for the family as the need grows.

Healthcare Reform The healthcare system in PA is one of the finest in the world, but there are issues that must be resolved immediately. Representative Mensch is working to see that our healthcare system is not only good, but also affordable and available for everyone who needs it, through initiatives like:
  • supporting MCare liability insurance for our doctors. Today PA continues to see doctors and specialists leaving our state because of the lack of suitable liability insurance for doctors. MCare is due to expire in December 08 without reauthorization, and Bob is working with other legislators on both sides of the aisle to keep it funded;
  • fighting to keep PA Health Cost Containment Council fully funded and on course for fulfilling their charter to the legislature and the residents of our state. HC4 as it is commonly referred to is a tremendously valuable tool that helps identify cost drivers within our system, but recent budgetary attempts to reduce or eliminate HC4 is putting the future of this cost saving tool at risk;
  • working with every medical consituent group--the doctors, the hospitals, nurses, insurance companies and patients groups to find a more practical, workable and lasting solution to the health care situation for all Pennsvylvanias.

Next Page: Additional Endorsements

Candidate Page || Feedback to Candidate || This Contest
November 2008 Home (Ballot Lookup) || About Smart Voter


The League of Women Voters does not support or oppose any candidate or political party.
Created from information supplied by the candidate: September 30, 2008 19:21
Smart Voter   <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright © League of Women Voters of California Education Fund   http://ca.lwv.org