By way of background, the UMTA at its zenith had a dues paying ($5/year/household - $4/year/senior citizen household) membership of over 800 households in a township with less than 8,000 housing units. Though the organization eventually faded after several years of 10% of the members doing 90% of the work as is usually the case, we became a force to be reckoned with because our focus was to promote "fiscal responsibility" on the part of the Township Commissioners, local Sewer Authority, and School Board members. Our sole "social issue" was to oppose the move at that time towards "Outcome-Based Education (OBE)" in the public schools whereby the curriculum was to be dumbed down to increase the self-esteem of the chronic underachievers at the expense of motivated students so that failure rates would decrease and the "Bell Curve" would essentially be eliminated: enshrining equal educational outcomes, mediocrity, and social promotion as the new normal. Many politicians, the PSEA, and the PSBA were supporters of OBE. The UMTA and other community taxpayer groups throughout the state eventually turned the tide against this movement which was popular with the education elites back in the mid '90's.
Though the UMTA was non-partisan and endorsed no particular candidates, we did favor a Township and School system which promoted the uniquely American ideals of hard work, thrift, and the pursuit of the dream of every person to achieve to the highest levels of their God-given talents in the striving for individual excellence.
Those of us who led this small community group were a "Tea Party" of township activists 15 years before the term was coined.
Having researched the backgrounds of the three most likely candidates on the Republican side most likely to emerge after the April 24th primary as the official opponent to Robert P. Casey, Jr. in the Fall general election, I have after thoughtful consideration decided to endorse Sam Rohrer for U.S. Senator. Unlike the endorsed PA Republican establishment candidate: Steve Welch, a former Republican, turned Democrat, turned Republican again in the mold of Arlen Specter, a man who changed parties whenever it suited his career political aspirations, Sam Rohrer is a lifelong conservative. He is pro-life, pro-family, and pro-2nd Amendment. Sam has supported constitutional principles in the PA House for 18 years.
Another candidate: Tom Smith, is a lifelong Democrat who specifically changed his party affiliation to run for Senate. Further, he is self bankrolling his campaign, and thus in my opinion is attempting to buy a seat of power in the upper house of 100 princes commonly referred to as the United States Senate. No thank you! We already have enough self serving pomposity in Washington, D.C.
I have had the pleasure of meeting Sam Rohrer personally and questioning him. I was impressed by the content of his character and the clarity with which he articulates constitutional positions through the same lens our Founders did: morality. That is: Sam believes in his core that our rights as free people are derived from our humanity and not bestowed on us by a benevolent big government that can just as easily void them when it suits their purpose to control the populace in the name of some nebulous greater utopian socialist goal, like "fairness," or "social justice" for example.
To me, the character of a person running for or occupying high office in America is not just important, it is critical. Having looked into the eyes of this man I have judged him worthy of my vote because he is the closest philosophical match to my beliefs as a constitutional conservative - and I always vote my conscience.
Sam Rohrer would be, if elected to the U.S. Senate, an ally to Sen. Pat Toomey (PA), Jim DeMint (SC), Mike Lee (UT), Ron Johnson (WI), and Marco Rubio (FL), who all believe as did Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine "that government is best which governs least." After 100 years work by the Progressives in both parties to slowly erode our freedoms of speech, practice of religion, rights to preserve our property, defend our very lives, legislate every aspect of our lifestyle choices through "healthcare," and regulate every decision by private sector business owners, it is time to turn the "Titanic" ship of state around before it is bankrupted on the iceberg of debt and deficits. Sam Rohrer is the only candidate willing and able to change course.
Eloquently articulated by a true patriot. Well done Cliff....
ReplyDeleteAndrew Starr