In response to a recent campaign mailer from my opponent addressing my record on Borough Council:
“The political mailer attacking my integrity is off base. If the other members of Millersburg Borough Council and I and our mayor had not voluntarily eliminated our salaries from the budget for three out of the last four years, borough tax rates would be higher than what they are now,” stated Chris Dietz, candidate for State Representative in the 104th.
Last Wednesday, my opponent, Sue Helm and House Republican leadership fled the chamber in the middle of session and cancelled Thursday’s votes in order to block discussion of HR 520, a resolution urging an investigation into Governor Corbett’s handling of the Jerry Sandusky investigation. Other members remained on the floor in hopes of getting bipartisan support for an independent investigation into Corbett’s conduct.
“This isn’t the first time Sue Helm abandoned the young people in our district. After slashing nearly $1 billion from Pennsylvania schools, and cutting hundreds of thousands of people from basic health services for children and middle-class families, Sue Helm has demonstrated once again that her priorities are not with the children of Pennsylvania. Her tag line is, ‘An independent leader putting people before politics.’ Is fleeing the House floor, in lock step, with her party leaders independent? Is walking out on Sandusky’s victims, putting people first? I think not.“
“As a Penn State Alum and President of Millersburg Borough Council, I am deeply disappointed in my opponent’s actions,” Dietz continued. “When Sue Helm walked off the house floor and away from her duty to represent us, she turned her back on our kids and put partisan politics ahead of Pennsylvania families. We shouldn’t expect anything more from someone who voted to slash almost $7 million from our local schools in the 104th district. Our local districts have spent down their reserves and are now forced to increase property taxes to balance their budgets. Sue Helm’s “trickle down tax increases” are the result of her failure to invest in the future success of our young people.”
“Shame on Sue Helm for attacking the goodwill of seven municipal officials that eliminated their tax payer salaries to keep taxes low, and shame on her for walking out on our children.”
