Issues
The Campaign Platform: Serving Our District
When politics and politicians focus more on soundbites, attention grabs, and spitball contests, our district loses opportunities to secure our future and preserve our traditions. We don’t have time to waste in Harrisburg, and Nick doesn’t either.
At 23, Nick is facing the same questions that all our young people do: Where can I build a life for myself? How can I raise a good family? What can I do to contribute to my community and country?
Our platform in this campaign will make the 85th District the obvious choice for any young (or not-so-young) person looking for a place in which to answer these questions. The issues we tackle are real, important, and focused on what we can do for our district, commonwealth, and country. We invite you to read more of our plans below, and to send in your suggestions for what we need to add to the list.
Educating our children is one of the greatest responsibilities and opportunities we have as a people, and I will fight to make sure all Pennsylvanians have access to an education that guarantees the opportunity to build a life and instills the principles of citizenship, curiosity, hard work, and morality. I will always stand with the local public schools that have educated our children–and been governed by our neighbors–for 150 years.
We need new solutions, new investment, and better systems to support small businesses and workers. Pennsylvania has among the most regressive tax systems (lower income people pay nearly 2.5x their share of income as higher income people) and among the highest small business taxes in the country. We must do better.
The character of a community is seen in how it cares for the most vulnerable among it. Everyone in our district–from newborn infants to retired people–deserves access to the health care they need at prices they can afford. Our healthcare system needs our attention right now, both locally through the completion of the Wellspan/Evangelical merger and in Harrisburg as we work to keep bad actors out of our nursing homes and patient clinics and continue our comeback mission from the pandemic. Investing in healthcare workers on the front line of serving our community and using the state’s buying power to contribute to lower drug costs are two major areas of work we need for our community.
In the 21st century, internet is not a privilege. It is essential for everything from economic opportunity to healthcare to education. Our district is one of the poorest-served districts in the state–internet/cell service where available is almost all DSL with some cable infrastructure. For kids whose school districts go online on a snow day, no internet (or insufficient internet) means no education. For older residents, as telemedicine becomes increasingly available (and in-person appointment wait times grow), internet access regulates healthcare access. The issue is essential to the area, and now is the time to act. If you are connected to a community institution (rec., library, coworking space, or other accessible space), consider applying for the Multipurpose Community Facilities Program before April 20th to expand broadband access in our community right now.
Government should work from the bottom up, not the top down. Harrisburg needs to do a better job listening to local business and nonprofit leaders and elected officials like county commissioners, township supervisors, borough councilors, police departments, sheriffs, planning commissions and all the people who keep our area running. Nick has pledged to visit every municipal and county government at least twice throughout the campaign–and he’ll do it every year as state representative, too.
One major issue for local governments and our area is declining state revenues from the Liquid Fuels Tax, which is distributed to municipalities to pay for road maintenance and other essentials. Whatever vehicles Pennsylvanians drive–electric or gas-powered–everyone should contribute to maintaining our roads and bridges. As the energy market evolves, we cannot leave our townships and boroughs without the funds they need to keep up our district.
Our veterans and military families have served our country with distinction and bravery. Even one veteran without access to healthcare (including mental health), without a home, without the support they deserve is a disgrace to our country and community. Nick is the son and grandson of people who served our country overseas. One of his grandfathers, Hal, fought in World War II as a mortarman in the liberation of France. Hal turned 21 on a boat to Japan when the atomic bomb fell on Nagasaki, ending the war and likely saving his life. Another grandfather, Norman, served in Korea and continues to be involved in supporting fellow veterans. Norman recently made a documentary about the struggles veterans face today in America. Nick’s mother, Shari, served in the Peace Corps in the present-day Democratic Republic of Congo.
Veterans are also at the forefront of the struggles our communities face, from complex and expensive healthcare to living without a house to navigating jobs and entrepreneurship. Thinking about supporting veterans is a step to identifying the challenges facing our whole district–and the ways we can begin to surmount them.
Resources for Veterans and Military Families
With new programs available to veterans as a result of the PACT Act, the responsibility is on us to make sure veterans are getting access to the health care and services they have earned. The Veterans of Foreign Wars and AMVETS (Annville, PA Office: 717-865-9982) are two organizations veterans can turn to for assistance. You can also call our campaign directly and we will connect you with more expert support.
We also know that veterans are at greater risk of mental health struggles as a result of their service, and we must work to ensure no veteran is left without a support system in times of crisis.*
We must honor veterans’ and military families’ service by respecting and defending the freedoms they fought for, the rule of law, the sanctity of our halls of government, and the United States and Pennsylvania Constitutions.
*Note that the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7 by dialing 988 or 1-800-273-8255. Press 1 after dialing to reach the Veteran Crisis Line.
The right to gun ownership is enshrined in both the Pennsylvania and U.S. Constitutions, and central Pennsylvania has a long and proud history of responsible gun ownership. Unfortunately, we have also seen terrible gun violence in our area and across our commonwealth and country. In 2021 alone, for example, 163 veterans in Pennsylvania died by suicide with a gun. Gun violence hits all of us differently every day, and we need leadership from Harrisburg on common sense legislation to address this uniquely American crisis. Read more here to learn about our proposed solutions.
Click here to learn more about my thoughts on gun violence education.
Nick recognizes abortion is one of the most difficult and divisive issues in our commonwealth and country. He takes seriously the beliefs and concerns of all the residents of the 85th district. Ultimately, Nick believes the government should not be able to control the bodies of pregnant Pennsylvanians. When a parent cannot be confident that their doctor will be able to keep them safe during a pregnancy because of government bans, our families suffer. Every Pennsylvanian should have the right to follow their faith and their convictions when making decisions for their families.
Unfortunately, too often the conversation about supporting parents and families starts and ends with abortion. There is so much more that we can do as a commonwealth to support our families. Expanding support for childcare programs and pre-K educational opportunities for young families would make a fundamental difference in the lives of so many Pennsylvanians. We know that the first years of a child’s life are critical for their future, and stepping in early to help our kids makes a difference for the rest of their lives. In Harrisburg, Nick will redirect funding to where it is needed in childcare and put our families above politics every day.
Agriculture is a leader in Pennsylvania’s growing economy, and our commonwealth is home to a great reservoir of family farms that stretch back before our country’s founding. The 85th District is a prime example of this tradition, and Nick will be proud to deliver for our farms and farmers.