State Sen. Scott Wagner and Montgomery County real estate developer Jeff Bartos got a warm welcome and a few challenging questions Thursday night at the Berks County Patriots meeting held at the Leesport Farmers Market.
Wagner wants the Republican nomination for governor in the May 15 primary; Bartos is seeking the GOP’s separately nominated lieutenant governor post. The two announced in November that they would run as a team in the primary and both won the Republican State Committee endorsement on Sunday. The victors in the gubernatorial and lieutenant governor primaries will appear on the ballot as a single ticket in the general election.
Winning over the right-leaning Patriots is an important step for Republican candidates. The group had some 150 politically engaged citizens in attendance.
Wagner, who like Gov. Tom Wolf is from York County, was asked several times about his position on the Democratic governor’s Fairness Act. The proposal would extend the state’s nondiscrimination law to include sexual orientation, and gender identity. And Wagner also was asked about his cosponsorship of a bill addressing housing and employment discrimination. Questioners were concerned that he would not protect Christians’ right to religious liberty. “Today, if you have someone that has a different gender classification, you as an employer can fire that employee without cause,” Wagner said. “As a business owner I would never do that. I will not discriminate against someone who has a different gender classification.”
Bartos added that Wagner would not sign legislation that would allow a boy and a girl to share common bathroom facilities.
Bartos talked about the current move to change the state’s congressional districts. He said the Democratic Redistricting Committee, backed by former President Barack Obama and former Attorney General Eric Holder, is behind the state’s congressional redistricting controversy.
“They raised $100 million to fund candidates to seek in the courts what they could not achieve at the ballot box,” Bartos said. “In Pennsylvania, the Democrats are pushing the voters aside and they are saying to judges, ‘We don’t trust the citizens. We don’t trust the citizens’ representatives. Courts, please save us. It is no different than the Supreme Court in 1973 reaching out and telling all the people in this country who care deeply about the sanctity of life, ‘What you think doesn’t matter.’ The same arrogance and judicial overreach is playing itself out in our courts right now,” Bartos said, referring to the Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion a constitutionally protected right.
Wagner spoke largely on financial issues. As a recycling business owner, Wagner said he was tired of being an ATM for politicians and he was fed up with increasing regulations that often make no sense.
“I’m the only candidate who can beat Tom Wolf,” Wagner said.
If elected, Wagner said he would implement a zero-based budget. The approach seeks to make agencies justify every dollar they ask taxpayers to fund.
“I want to know how much is being spent on rent,” he said. “Is this agency in a building that is owned by the state? I want to know how much they are spending on heat, lighting and everything else.”
Wagner believes this budgeting method will save $1.5 billion to $4 billion in the first year. Pennsylvania’s current-year budget totals $32 billion.
Wagner said he is solidly behind a plan to eliminate property taxes and instead find school funding through income or sales taxes.
“If you want your property taxes eliminated, get me into the governor’s office,” he said. “Otherwise, kiss the effort goodbye. It will never happen.”
Other GOP candidates for governor are Laura Ellsworth, a Pittsburgh lawyer and Paul Mango, a Pittsburgh businessman. Mango will speak at the Patriots’ Thursday, March 15, meeting, 6:30-8:30 p.m., also at the Leesport Farmers Market.
Contact Beth Brelje: 610-371-5022 or bbrelje@readingeagle.com.
