Mr. Smith goes to Plains

Thom Shubilla is hosting an event for Lt. Governor candidate Mark Smith tonight at Leggio's on Rte 315 near the Woodlands. It starts at 6PM.

Smith is a Bradford County Commissioner and  a critic of the Corbett administration like all the other LG candidates. Thom sent me an invitation a few weeks ago in snail mail but the campaign has done a piss poor job of promoting the event. There is not an events page on Smiths website or a mention on his Facebook page. Nothing on Thom's FB page or a press release.   I'm a blogger and need to link to things.

Mark Smith with his best campaign asset

2014 Lt Guv race

Bradford County Commissioner Mark Smith and Harrisburg City Councilor Brad Koplinski came to the Spring Blogfest and impressed me and many others. Brad sent me a bunch of campaign buttons including a "I Like Ike"  (collectors item)  after I told him that I collect them. Mark has been to other Luzerne County events including the Yuddy get together at the PAV and the county Dem Picnic in Ashley and he  brought along his best campaign asset,  W-B native Jane Clements Smith. One of the jobs of the Lt. Guv is to deal with local government issues and these guys know what challenges cities and counties face.

Former Congressman Mark Critz (PA-12) has also jumped into the race  and has got off to a  mixed start. He snagged the endorsement of the Steelworkers Union. but  his positions on social issues are a problem for some Democrats.He also offended many people with a rape joke. Rape is not something you joke about.

Former U.S. Rep. Mark Critz runs afoul of some Democrats over rape remark and marriage equality

 

 “The joke, and the main setup of the joke, was a home invasion and a rape scene, and in the end the perpetrator is gay,” said Missa Eaton, a Mercer County Democrat who attended the meeting....Lancaster County state committee woman Sue Stoltzfus was receiving a “Woman of the Year” award at the meeting.

“It had been a great day, and that ruined it,” Stoltzfus said. 

He got booed at the state committee meeting


Critz is presently running for Lieutenant Governor. This morning when he took the podium at the South Central Caucus meeting, past PFDW president Michelle Lellito was in the audience. She called him out again for the joke, saying he was unrepresentative of the Democratic Party. According to several people who were in the room, Critz fumbled through an apology and left the room without completing his speech.

Yuddy Picnic

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Michelle Bednar and John Yudichak

My second favorite PA State Senator had an event at the PAV in Plains Twp. today. What a turnout! You couldn't find a parking space in the lot. There had to be a least 500 people who came and went.

2 statewide candidates showed up. Mark Smith is running for Lt. Gov and Rob McCord looking to take the place of Gov. Corbett.  I think McCord just got into this thing. Lot's of locals pressing for votes Eddie Day and Mike Carrol looking to next year. It looked like every Democratic candidate for County Council was in attendance. Eileen Sorokas , Kick Hefron, Mike Giamber, Renee Ciaruffoli-Taffera

I reminded them all that we have Blogfest coming up September 27th.

More pics at this link

Mark Smith for Lieutenant Governor

Democratic Bradford County Commissioner Mark Smith Running for Lt. Governor

Towanda, PA - Second-term Bradford County Commissioner Mark Smith will seek the 2014 Democratic nomination for Lieutenant Governor. He announced his candidacy at The Weigh Station Cafe in downtown Towanda this afternoon.

In his remarks, Smith said, “I will take Pennsylvania and the office of Lt. Governor in a new direction. It’s time to re-write the job description of the Lt. Governor so it meets the needs of the people and Pennsylvania's future. The next Lt. Governor must be more than just a placeholder. As Lt. Governor I will work relentlessly as a public advocate to give a voice to those people and communities that are all too often left behind by the bureaucracy in Harrisburg.” 

A full copy of his remarks as-prepared is available at:

http://www.marksmithforpa.com/wp/2013/02/21/announcement-speech/

From 2008 to 2011, Mark Smith served as Chairman of the Bradford County Board of Commissioners, overseeing enormous economic development and job growth, while leading important government modernization and reform initiatives. He was only the second Democrat ever to be elected Chairman.

Under Smith’s watch, Bradford county's private sector employment increased by 15%, while statewide and national employment decreased by 2% and 4%, respectively. During those years, Bradford County had the second-best employment growth in the state. As Bradford County became the number one county in the state for Marcellus Shale development, Smith became a recognized expert on the state, regional and local impacts of the natural gas industry.

He has been an outspoken critic of the Corbett administration and Department of Environmental Protection's failures to properly engage with county and local leaders on the oversight and regulation of the natural gas industry.

He was a strong supporter of a tax on natural gas, which was needed revenue for communities across the shale region to meet the increased demands from growth.

While serving as Commissioner, Smith cut taxes, passed four balanced budgets, refinanced the county's debt and revamped the county's energy usage and efficiency policies, saving taxpayers millions of dollars.

Before entering public service, Smith was an industrial design engineer. He grew up in Ridgebury Township in Bradford County and studied industrial design at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and then at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan. He is also continuing his education working toward a business degree. Smith is an accomplished musician who plays lead guitar in the rock band, One Floor Away. The band is currently signed with the studio New Vine Media where they are recording their first album.

Smith looks forward to a spirited campaign, but more importantly, he is looking forward to his June wedding when he will marry his fiancé, Wilkes-Barre native, Jane Clements.

Another candidate for PA Lieutenant Governor?

A few weeks ago Harrisburg city councilor Brad Koplinski dropped his announcement for Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. in my inbox. I never heard of the guy but appreciate that he included me in his media list. I was very pleased that he accepted my invitation to Blogfest on April 19th.

Yesterday I got a teaser from another guy I never heard of. 

 "This Thursday, Democratic Bradford County Commissioner Mark Smith will make a major announcement that could have long-term impacts on Bradford County and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
For several years, Bradford County has been the number one county in the state for Marcellus Shale development, job growth and impact. Smith has become a recognized and outspoken expert on the statewide, regional and local impacts of the natural gas industry."

I can't make it because of my work schedule but I'm going to make a wild guess that he is  announcing that he is  running for Lt. Gov. We hope to see him at Blogfest.