Richey and his wife Melissa are raising three teenage sons.
Posted on 07/03/2021 12:38:47 PM PDT by lightman
Jason Richey, 49, a native of Aliquippa, Beaver County, and partner of Pittsburgh’s K&L Gates law firm, has entered the 2022 GOP Pennsylvania gubernatorial race to succeed the current Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, who is in his second and final term.
Richey has never held public office before. He told The Epoch Times, “We need to have a political outsider like myself, who has had 25 years of law experience. [I am known] as an expert in state law. I’ve spent my time representing energy construction, in addition to doing state law issues in 40 different states and finding corruption. I’ve represented the energy industry, construction industry, and manufacturing industry.”
Government Mismanagement During the COVID-19 Crisis
When asked what prompted him to run for governor, he said, “Well, I was initially very upset by our government’s response to COVID. … there were nursing home patients that were sent to the hospital, and they were COVID positive. And Governor Wolf ordered those patients back into the nursing homes, which was very dangerous for all of the elderly that were still in those nursing homes that didn’t have COVID.”
He continued, “It’s one of the reasons I’m running for governor because we have to have good people that care about the health and safety of everyone when you have that kind of power.”
“We had a governor that was picking winners and losers, letting some businesses go forward … his own cabinet company was allowed to proceed with the business, but his competitors were denied exemptions. And then he took over dictator powers, under the Emergency Powers Act, which is something that never should have happened.”
“With the legal cover of [Attorney General] Josh Shapiro, the Wolf administration’s arbitrary COVID-19 policies significantly damaged Pennsylvania’s economy in the short term.”
Richey’s 12-Point Plan: A Contract With Pennsylvanians
The “Keystone State” is incredibly rich in natural resources, but according to Richey, the Commonwealth is growing slower than most other states, and economic productivity remains on a downward spiral, while taxes and government continue to grow.
He said, “Pennsylvania’s lack of long-term economic and population growth has been caused by Harrisburg’s failed leadership and its archaic laws.”
Richey said that if elected, he will initiate his “Contract with Pennsylvanians,” a 12-point plan for “The Great Pennsylvania Comeback.”
“The Contract with Pennsylvania is a contract with our citizens to renew their individual rights and make their government accountable to them. It’s a contract to energize the growth and prosperity of the citizens of this great state, well into the future,” he said.
The points of the contract are: Ensure Liberty and Transparency; Increase Wealth & Create More Jobs; Responsibly Shrink Government, Spending & Property Taxes; Election Integrity; Fund the Police and Ensure Security; Support the Development of All Types of Energy & Manufacturing; Improve Education Choice and Competition; Reduce Health Care Cost and Protect Life; Improve a High-Speed Rail System and Infrastructure; Eliminate the Turnpike Commission; Eliminate the Liquor Control Board; and Improve the Election Process & the Judiciary. Abating the Uncontrolled Growth of Government and Taxes
The need to trim the size and scope of government is very obvious to Richey.
Pennsylvania has the most expensive and largest full-time legislature in the country, with 253 legislators. Conversely, the most populous state, California, only has 120 legislators. The state executive branch is also bloated with too many departments, he said.
“We have 2,563 municipalities, which is the third most in the country. And we have 500 school districts, which is the seventh most in the country.”
f municipalities and school districts were to be consolidated, Richey said that would result in lower local property taxes for Pennsylvanians.
He also noted that excessive regulations plague businesses that try to operate in Pennsylvania.
To make Pennsylvania competitive again, increasing wealth and creating more jobs, he stressed the need to eliminate both the state personal and business income taxes and establish a 0 percent income tax rate.
“The moment this change becomes effective, Pennsylvania will instantly be competitive again with other states. Such change will unleash the economic power Pennsylvania is capable of.”
He maintains that all Pennsylvania tax revenue could be effectively collected through sales taxes and consumption taxes imposed on people who do not live in the state.
These fiscal changes would thus “accelerate the state’s economic recovery from decades of decline and create tens of thousands of new jobs.”
He believes that with a “laser focus,” integrity and trust can be restored in our elections and government institutions.
In addition to Richey, four more Republicans have declared for the Republican primary’s nomination: former congressman Lou Barletta, restaurant owner and former Corry Mayor Jason Monn, Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale, and cardiothoracic surgeon Nche Zama.
To date, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro has been the only Democrat to express interest in running for the position.
Richey and his wife Melissa are raising three teenage sons.
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Penna Freepers: Who is the most electable conservative?
Or, the most conservative electable?
Charlie Gerow announced this past week too. I know both Lou and Charlie. I prefer Lou over Charlie. I am not too sure about some of these things Richey is proposing. This consolidating school districts does not necessarily lead to cost reductions. Just take a look at the budgets for school in MD, which are on a county basis. (Actually look at expenditure/student). Massive cuts in school, teachers, administrators and support people need to be made. Get things back to the way there were 50+ years ago.
Lou Barletta is very conservative. He was one of the first to endorse trump in ‘16. He’s my former congressman and previously mayor of Hazelton. He was well known for his strong stand against illegals when he was mayor. He is very polished, but he is a regular guy. I know him from hanging around in bars in Hazelton. He probably has the best name recognition out the bunch because he ran for state-wide office before. But that isn’t saying and doesn’t mean much. Who knew Tommie the Commie before he ran for governor?
Some of us remembered him as Secretary of Revenue under former Governor Ed Rendell.
"Thanks" to Tommie the flat rate "use tax" line was added to the PA personal income tax form, and now almost everyone has to write a check to the Commonwealth on April 15.
Lou gained national recognition when as Mayor of Hazelton he pushed an “anti-sanctuary” agenda to stem the illegals from NYC.
From NYC? He was cracking down on wetbacks and those that rented to them. He wouldn’t allow city services to be offer to them.
“Lou gained national recognition when as Mayor of Hazelton he pushed an “anti-sanctuary” agenda to stem the illegals from NYC”
OK, now I remember. His name sounded familiar and not because it sounds like a firearm.
Or, the most conservative electable?
I don't know if there's a good answer for that yet. Statewide PA republican politics is still very much polluted with Chamber of Commerce cheap labor types and the state legislature polluted with machine politicians who don't want to rock the boat too much because they like their generous per diems and benefits.
I think Barletta has the type of political ideology that would be appealing to conservatives, but he's not been effective outside his local district. His anti-illegal immigrant positions have made him an enemy of CoC donors and party operatives. They sat on their hands, didn't donate or mobilize for him, and watched him flounder against a beatable Bob Casey. Barletta would have to have an answer for the mobilization and enthusiasm gap to be the candidate I support.
A candidate who hasn't entered the race yet, Doug Mastriano, has a lot of potential. He'd be the candidate I'd most like to see in office. Whip smart and unafraid to pick a fight with the Harrisburg machinery that has so much corruption and graft all over -- but he's got an even bigger uphill battle for a statewide race than Barletta. As one of the main proponents of auditing the 2020 election in PA, he's certainly turned off the party establishment and could expect them to similarly sit on their hands rather than offer support. But unlike Barletta in 2018, Mastriano also knows that and as a deliberate contrarian to party establishment and a retired high-level military planner, he'd probably only enter the race prepared to work through those obstacles with a plausible path to victory.
I like Lou. But he’s not electable. He tried and failed miserably.
Thanks for the great info. I’ll keep my powder dry for now.
Josh Shapiro for the Dems the annointed successor to Tom Wolf so whoever the Republicans pick faces Mr. Shapiro.
If you want to get a feel on Mr. Shapiro the Dem for Gov here in PA next year here’s his Twitter feed active with new posts today....
https://twitter.com/JoshShapiroPA
I’ve also heard rumblings that Philadelpha DA Larry Krasner is among the anointed ones.
He would make Tom Wolf look like Rush.
Larry K would get the Philly vote but Shapiro is the man he won Pennsylvania last year over the GOP AG candidate.
Larry K smells like a scare tactic to herd people towards the GOP Governor candidate who is not guaranteed my support.
Shapiro and Biden won PA you know...sarc....and two Republicans won Tim DeFoor for Auditor General and Stacy Garrity for State Treasurer.
How did that happen in November of 2020?
Joe Gale is pretty good but i do not think electable. I like this guy Richie but don’t know if he can make it. Lou is probably electable and is ok. Never heard of the others.
We have 2 Lou Barletta signs out. He’s a Trump guy & very conservative with a lot of charisma. We met him twice at Allentown Tea Party meetings. He’s tough on illegal immigration & against sanctuary cities. Very impressed with him.
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