Pa. Mayors React to Romney's Choice of Paul Ryan for Running Mate
Mayors of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Allentown weigh in on Romney's running mate.
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The Democratic National Committee Rapid Response Team issued a release on Sunday featuring statements from three Pennsylvania mayors – Philadelphia's Michael Nutter, Pittsburgh's Luke Ravenstahl and Allentown's Ed Pawlowski – on Mitt Romney's choice of U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan as running mate.
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter:
"If there was any doubt that Mitt Romney was the wrong choice for people in Philadelphia and cities across this country, today’s pick of Paul Ryan as a running mate makes it crystal clear just how wrong his priorities are. The Romney Ryan budget is an attack on our most precious resource, the very people who make up the fabric of this country: our parents, our children, our soldiers and our seniors.
"Paul Ryan is the mastermind behind the extreme Republican budget that would hike middle class taxes, turn Medicare into a voucher system and would severely reduce resources for veterans programs and early childhood education programs. All this would be to fund trillions of dollars of tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires.
"Mitt Romney has applauded this misguided plan. By choosing Ryan as his running mate, Romney has made it abundantly clear that he will rubber stamp this extreme Republican plan that brings us back to the same failed economic policies of the Bush Administration and leaves the most vulnerable of our citizens to fend for themselves."
Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl:
"While President Obama has worked tirelessly to ensure that all Americans have a fair shot, Mitt Romney’s choice of Congressman Paul Ryan farther cements his out-of-touch vision for America. Romney and Ryan would pass a tax cut for the wealthiest Americans that would be paid for by the middle class. Further, Ryan was the chief architect of a budget that would annihilate America’s investment in education, Medicare and other programs that help residents of Pittsburgh get a fair shot. Simply put, President Obama will continue to take our country forward while Romney and Ryan would be America’s Go Back Team."
Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski:
"I find it amazing that Mitt Romney would pick a running mate who has so little respect for seniors that he has proposed eliminating both Medicare and Social Security. We must make seniors aware of his extremist views and let everyone know that President Obama is the best choice not only for seniors but for a more prosperous America."
SMYRNA-X
4:01 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
Gasp! Three tiresome democrats in failing cities are not happy with paul ryan? Romney could have pick lib darling bill ayers or mike moore and they would still complain. Paul ryan is a good man with good ideas. Obama merely says he wants "change" and hes elected. Ryan wants change and wants this country to be healthy and strong long after we are gone.
John Bahn
10:21 am on Monday, August 13, 2012
Great post...right to the point Philadelphia has been bleeding jobs for over 30 years and all they can show for it is more taxes, more regulations, more benefits for those who won't work (welfare mommas) and essentially flying in the face of people who disagree with their policies about homosexuals and illegals having more rights than you and I then calling us bigots because of our disagreement. If I were Martin Luther King I would be having a fit in my grave over the black on black violence lack of responsibility by black men in Philadelphia who impregnate women then take off. Lovely...America's getting sick of it. It's high time these mayors start feeling the same or these cities will continue to have more of the same that they complain about.
Stephen Eickhoff
12:46 pm on Monday, August 13, 2012
I just don't understand why they didn't ask Newark mayor Cory Booker for his opinion. Oh yeah, he tried that with Obama and got soap in the mouth.
Hale
4:38 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
"...Three tiresome democrats in failing cities are not happy with paul ryan..."
What else would you expect?
Can't have somebody in place that actually knows what they're doing now, can we?
Let's see...A Businessman with a proven record and an Economics genius, versus a Marxist Affirmative Action "community organizer" who never held a real job in his life and his bumbling gaffe machine VP...
Yeah...Of COURSE we'll stay with the "Hope and Change" bandwagon...sure.
/sarc
SMYRNA-X
4:52 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
The other day michelle was telling the people of upper dublin how her and barak are just like us. Same values, pressures, ect. Take 5 min to look at paul ryan. Look past the granny killing silliness, and see how he really is a normal person. He is a mature and wise person. Democrats have nothing bad to say about him personally. While the media cry about partisain bickering that not his style.
Stephen Eickhoff
12:49 pm on Monday, August 13, 2012
The Ryan family holds anywhere from 2-5 million in assets, while the Obamas hold 11.8. Yet everyone acts like Ryan is the 1%-er, and lets Michelle make asinine statements reminiscent of "I feel your pain".
Bill A
12:30 pm on Thursday, August 16, 2012
Comparing Ryan's wealth/background to Obama's is kind of silly. Ryan was born into a wealthy family and pretty much rode the wave into the political circus. Obama, as we all know certainly did not enjoy the same beginning. His was rather meager. BTW, the President's assests are listed at between $2.6 and $8.3 million. Not 11.8 as you suggest.
Ryan may not be a 1%er, but he sure caters to that elitist group. He's going to hurt middle america if he and Mitt find their way into the WH.
Stephen Eickhoff
1:33 pm on Thursday, August 16, 2012
Barack Obama's net worth: https://www.google.com/search?q=barack+obama+net+worth&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
Ryan's dad died when he was a teenager, and he had to help his mom care for his grandmother who was suffering from Alzheimer's. Not such a smooth ride.
Bill A
2:55 pm on Thursday, August 16, 2012
Ryan took his surviver benefits and used them as tuition for his college education. He didn't have to work to pay for his higher education.
Obama's net worth: $5M... http://www.businessinsider.com/american-presidents-republican-candidates-net-worth-2012-1?op=1. You got your info from something called "Celebrity Net Worth". "Celebrity"?? That's a bit of a reach, don't you think? Waaaa! My wife and i had to take care of her mother for 8 years before she finally passed on. Kind of makes you wonder why his mother left her responsibilities to her son, (she went back to school: "Ryan attributes his serious nature to growing up fast. His father, a local lawyer, died of a heart attack when Paul was a teenager, leaving the young Ryan to care for his grandmother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s, while his mother returned to school.") instead of staying to care for her own mother. Odd, i think.
Doodlyscott
7:18 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
cant wait until ALL of you right wing loonies need to rely on (and you will)the very services that romney,ryan and the rest of the republicans are doing away with,then you will(and you will)cry and kick and scream about all the stuff the democrats got rid of even though it is the republicans who did it,blame the democrats for everything,republicans are always right and the democrats are always wrong,you dolts are all brain dead!
Tim Lewis
9:30 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
No one is talking about doing away with services for those truly in need. I am confident the services I need will be there when I need them. Try thinking for yourself once in a while.
Stephen Eickhoff
12:51 pm on Monday, August 13, 2012
I eagerly await the facts to back up your claims.
drew markley
8:09 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
What ever happened to fair reporting? Did you ever think of quoting one republican mayor?
James Myers
8:16 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
Drew, this was a release issued by the National Democratic Committee and we identified it as such. I would be thrilled for the Republicans to send us the same info, but they haven't.
We did do a survey of local Republicans though (http://norristown.patch.com/articles/ryan-a-strong-vp-choice-say-pa-republicans) and ran the responses from both parties' state chairman (http://norristown.patch.com/articles/local-party-chairs-react-to-romney-s-choice-for-running-mate).
Mike Shortall
3:33 pm on Monday, August 13, 2012
I have to agree with Drew here. Regardless of who sent it to Patch (You do know why they call it a "rapid response team", right?), it's not "news"; it's propaganda!
The Democrats simply throw something, anything out there to take the edge off the Ryan announcement. Am a bit disappointed that Patch ran this like it was newsworthy.
drew markley
8:27 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
Jamie- why wouldn't you link those stories to this one? Oh, that would be fair and balanced reporting. We can't have that now can we?
Christine Whalen
8:52 am on Monday, August 13, 2012
Fair and balanced is a deceptive ploy used by faux news. And you think Faux News is really Fair or balanced you really have been deceived.
Stephen Eickhoff
12:54 pm on Monday, August 13, 2012
Someone needs to learn the internet! You see, each link added to an article must be approved and installed by a union worker (the AJAX local 204, I believe). We can't throw links around willy-nilly-- the costs will kill Patch. And hiring web designer scrubs simply won't do... that's a quick way of having a backhoe "accidentally" dig up your communication line.
Stephen Eickhoff
12:55 pm on Monday, August 13, 2012
Christine, if you just make comments based on magic keywords, you are really not going to contribute anything to discussions here.
drew markley
8:29 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
Sorry, James
Bill
8:49 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
Wasn't Harrisburg the lead in the special about failing American Cities last night. Right before the other blue cities Phila, Pitt etc... wonder if they called each other up to make sure they were all wearing the same shirt when they made that announcement.
john bahn
12:38 pm on Thursday, August 16, 2012
Every failing city in the state of Pennsylvania is Democrat controlled. Nothing more, nothing less.
If Romney and Ryan are so bad then show me some facts, not innuendo. Fear is Obama/Bidens greatest friend...they have no record to run on, Biden may as well be stand up comedy for some of his stupid cracks and all the nazi style, lockstep democrats fall right in behind them with the class envy and racist division. Compare nazism (national socialism) and dazism (democrat socialism). They're not much different in how they operate.
SMYRNA-X
9:18 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
James this was from the " Democratic National Committee Rapid Response Team." They cant fix the economy or employment in 3 years, but 3 politicains can say something bad about a guy in a day? Why dont they take the time to understand or vet him themselves? No dems have to rapidly respond for what effect? To trash a man. Simply trash a guy because he is the opponent. Disgusting
Bill A
12:40 pm on Thursday, August 16, 2012
Do you seriously believe that any one president can, with the congress in extreme failure mode, solve the economic problems in one term? This economy has been in a downward spiral for 13 years; it won't be "fixed" in 3. Romney and Ryan are simply a bad thing for middle america, and Santa Claus for the wealthy.
Tim Lewis
9:35 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
Nutter is just a bit over the top. Trillions of dollars of tax breaks? Seriously? One, Romney has not proposed any such thing at all. Two, if the tax rate doubled for the "1%", the most that would be raised is about $500 billion.
SMYRNA-X
2:06 am on Monday, August 13, 2012
More well covered, biased reporting for the patch.
susan p
11:41 am on Monday, August 13, 2012
Does any brain dead lib out there,understand that ss,medicare and medicaid,are going bust in a few yrs,what do u want the republicans to do about it nothing?If nothing is done,those programs won't be there,when there needed.So all of you groaning about not touching those programs,will have no one to blame,but yourselves when the monies not there.
JAmes Mason
12:08 pm on Monday, August 13, 2012
I live in pa the economy is terrible and there is no jobs its terrible. This state always leans democrat because of these three big cities,but if you go around the state besides these cities we want change and we want Romney and Ryan. PEOPLE wake up and smell the coffee this country needs change asap
and Obama is leading this country to the dumps. I have nothing against President Obama I think he is a great man, he is just not what we need right now. PEople if you are smart vote Romney/RYan you will regret it the next four years if u don't.
Sharyn McNair
6:27 am on Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Start looking neither left or right for answers. Almost all working plans are in the middle. In Congress we have the House with all kinds of proposals and bills that go to the Senate and Harry Reid and the Democrats do nothing in the Senate. No talk or bills of their own. Nothing! Not even a budget plan in nearly 4 years. I guess doing nothing looks safer than trying to fix our problems. Who in the world thinks they got hope and change? Sounds more like "apathy and don"t touch it" to me.
Janis C Sheridan
8:53 pm on Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Christine, I don't recall hearing from the main stream media that the Romney/Ryan plan would not change medicare for those of us 55 or under...I heard both sides on Fox. I don't recall receiving a clear explanation of how the plan would change medicare for those younger in the main stream media either. I do recall getting a complete explanation of both plans from Fox. So, if you are so against watching Fox news, I suggest you do some homework on your own. Check out both sides in depth by researching and then make up your own mind. Not the mind that main stream media wants you to have.
Bill A
12:55 pm on Thursday, August 16, 2012
Fox News is not some rogue news source, it is a part of the MSM. They are as biased as any of the other cable network 24 hr. cycle news programs. People seem to make that mistake on a regular basis.
http://robertreich.org/
"The Ryan plan would also turn Medicare into vouchers whose value won’t possibly keep up with rising health-care costs – thereby shifting those costs on to seniors.
At the same time, Ryan would provide a substantial tax cut to the very rich – who are already taking home an almost unprecedented share of the nation’s total income. Today’s 400 richest Americans have more wealth than the bottom 150 million of us put together."
His plan worries me...
Janis C Sheridan
10:50 pm on Tuesday, August 14, 2012
sorry readers....In my above comment, I meant to say 55 or older. As Paul Ryan so adequately stated, those people have planned their retirement around that which was in place. The changes will be for those who, by around 2020 or 2023 will have nothing if nothing is done since without restructuring, those funds will dry up. OOOO and by the way, any body hear VP Mr. Biden stating that his father always said show me your budget and I'll see what your priorities are. Hmmmm....well, Mr. Obama, Mr. Reid and the other democrats still, after 4 years do not have a budget. So, I'm just wondering what are their priorities.
Joe Koenig
1:58 pm on Thursday, August 16, 2012
@Bill A: Robert Reich is even left of President Obama. He is as close to a socialist as you can get. His opionion should be taken in that vein. He is a Keynsian who believes our problems sould be solved if we were all members of labor unions, and no stimulus is enough stimulus. As Sec. of Labor, he was a disaster!!