Hot Issues in the 2010 Midterm Elections

Currently both houses are majority Democrat, the same party as the current administration. Once again politicians, both Republican and Democrat, are using the current issues as a persuasive tool to turn the tides in the election. What are the salient issues this election? Which issues are particularly politically charged? Why are these such significant issues?In our effort to help you be informed before this election we have provided brief summaries of major issues being discussed and debated on the national and local forefront:

NATIONALLY

The Economy

The economy, the recession, and Obama’s stimulus package have dominated conversations during the midterm elections. The recession contributed to millions of Americans losing their jobs, homes, etc. As a response we saw the introduction of Obama’s stimulus package, which was created to help alleviate some of these losses. According to the Congressional Budget, the stimulus package prevented the situation from worsening, but unemployment remained at 9.6%, and the economy only saw growth at 1.6%. Many candidates running for office are primarily focused on recovering from this recession. Voters will have to pay particular attention to how politicians propose to recover from this recession. Depending on who you choose, their policies may greatly effect how we emerge from our struggling economy.

Healthcare

This past year, the Obama healthcare plan was signed into law. The health care plan is comprised of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, and contains many provisions including:

· Insurance companies cannot drop

people from coverage when they fall ill

· Young adults can stay on their parents’ health care plan until the age of 26

· Insurance companies cannot deny coverage to someone under the age of 19 because of a pre-existing condition

· A tax credit for small companies to help provide coverage

· A rebate for medicare drug plan beneficiaries, and a temporary reinsurance program for companies to provide coverage for those aged 55-64.

While the idea of Universal Health Care is appealing on the surface, the issue itself is very tenuous in the political arena due to implications of increased government spending and taxation.

Government Spending

The increasing federal deficit has also come to the forefront of election issues. Because of programs such as the economic stimulus package and the health care plan, government spending has come under fire from both parties. Candidates all differ on whether or not to cut government spending, what programs to cut, and whether to consider any government spending unnecessary. This issue has become so tense that a political movement emerged, the Tea Party movement, which targets the large amount of government spending as a result of federal programs such as the stimulus package and health care plan. The next wave of legislators will most certainly effect the direction and level of government spending in the coming years. It will be imperative that voters know where their legislators stand on this issue. Their decisions will effect how tax dollars are spent.

LOCALLY

Marcellus Shale

The Marcellus Shale has become a heated debate in Pennsylvania. The Marcellus Shale is a new source of natural gas that the government and gas companies wish to tap into, which is reported to be extremely large. In order to access these resources, the method of extraction would have to be deep drilling. The drilling of the Marcellus Shale has proved to be extremely contentious, due to both environmental concerns and fiscal concerns such as whether or not to tax the shale and where the tax money should be put towards. What kind of legislations would you like to see surrounding the Marcellus shale? Knowing the answer to this question, along with understanding the issues regarding the Marcellus Shale, will help you in making your decision on November 2^nd.

Throughout this election period, candidates have taken positions on multitudes of issues as well as forming plans of action. What issue matters to YOU? Which issues most impact YOU? And how you would like your government representative to address these issues? United Way of Southeast Delaware County hopes you not only embrace being a voter, but also being an informed voter. Researching the positions, the candidates and the important issues at hand will aid you in your decision! But while you are thinking about how legislators will impact you, we encourage you to think about how it will affect your community as well. Our nation, our states and our local communities are diverse. We encourage you to LIVE UNITED, and consider how decisions will affect you as well as your neighbors.

2010 Midterm Election: What are the Offices? What do they do?

This midterm election, many positions are up for election. But what exactly do these government positions do? What is their role? United Way of Southeast Delaware County simplifies what you need to know about each position:

Governor

The United States Governor is the chief ceremonial and political head of each state. Governors also retain sovereign police authority and do not have to report to federal authority except for laws contained in the enumerated clause in the Constitution. The governor is the head of each state’s executive branch and has a large amount of holding over government budgeting, a large role in legislation, and can appoint many officials such as the Governor’s cabinet as well as the Secretary of Education. The Governor also has the power to pardon or commute a criminal sentence as well. Governors also have the power to veto a state bill as well as issue a line-item veto, which is vetoing certain portions of a proposed bill. In Pennsylvania, governors may serve up to 8 years (2 four-year terms) until they are ineligible for reelection. This year, Governor Ed Rendel met his term limit and thus two new candidates are running for his position:Democrat DaOnerato and Republican Tom Corbett.

Lieutenant Governor

The Lieutenant governor is second in command after the governor. The lieutenant governor is responsible for stepping in for the governor, whether they are temporarily incapacitated or absent from the state. The lieutenant governor is also the presiding officer over the upper house of the state government. In many states, including Pennsylvania, the lieutenant governor runs on the same ticket as the governor. This year Democrat Scott Conklin will be running with Dan Onerato and Republican Jim Cawley will be running with Tom Corbett.

Senator

In the United States there are 100 senators (2 senators per state). The Senate is the upper house of the US legislature and its purpose is to pass laws. Bills can be introduced in the Senate, with the exception of tax bills which must be introduced in the House. The Senate then meets to discuss and debate these bills before finally voting. In order to make a bill into a law, the bill must pass through the Senate with 2/3 of the vote, as well as pass through the House. The Senate also approves certain presidential appointments, including the Supreme Court Justices. In Pennsylvania, the senators are Bob Casey (Democrat) and Arlen Specter (Democrat). Arlen Specter’s seat is up for re-election however he lost in the primary to a Joe Sestak. The Senatorial Race will thus be primarily between Democrat Joe Sestak and Republican Pat Toomey.

Federal House Representative

The United States has two legislative bodies; one of which is the Senate and the other is the House of Representatives. This year, many representatives are up for election. The number of representatives per state varies according to population, with Pennsylvania at 19 congressional representatives. The role of the House of Representatives is to essentially pass law; all bills must be voted on by both the Senate and the House. Some roles that are restricted to just the House are that all bills pertaining to spending must originate in the House, and the House has the power to impeach officials. Also, the House chooses the President in cases when the Electoral College is deadlocked. The House is an extremely powerful determinant in what laws get passed, and it largely depends on which party is in power. So take a close look at your Congressional District and who is running in that district, because these individuals will be representing you when they pass or reject certain bills.

State House Representative

In the Untied States, each state has their own House of Representatives. The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has 203 members, each of which represent different areasof Pennsylvania in matters of state law and policy. Find out which district you are in, in order to learn more about who will be running for election in your area! In order to ensure that the issues you find important in your district are being represented in state policy, you need to see what representative candidate best reflects your interests!

The 2010 Midterm Election!

November 2, 2010: You and many other Pennsylvania residents will have the opportunity to vote in an extremely important election. Pennsylvanians will have to choose a new senator, new governor, lieutenant governor, congressional representatives, and state representatives. All of these elected officials will represent the state of Pennsylvania in the federal government, as well as specific areas within Pennsylvania in the state government. In order to make an informed vote, you must do your research! Know what the function of each elected position is! Know who the candidates are! Know the issues! Know where and how to vote!

For the next week, United Way of Southeast Delaware County will highlight important aspects of this year’s election to ensure that residents of southeast Delaware County can make informed decisions come November 2, 2010. Every election matters. Every election is an opportunity for you to exercise your power to choose the candidate that best represents the issues, attitudes and ideals you consider important. So cast your vote, because the person who takes office will make decisions that will directly influence Health, Education, and Income-- the building blocks of a healthy community.

First of all, have you noticed this year’s campaign ads? No matter what party there seems to be a plethora of negative ads this election year.

· Have these ads swayed your opinion at all?

· Where do you get your election information; do you get it from television ads such as these?

· So far do you feel as if you can make an informed vote, or do you find yourself lost among all of the negativity surrounding election time?

Please comment with your answers! United Way wants to hear from you how you feel about this year’s election!