Pattye Benson

Community Matters

PA State House 157 Democratic Candidate Jed Grobstein withdraws, Marian Moskowitz (D) to challenge incumbent Warren Kampf (R) in November

The Chester County Democratic Nominating Committee held their convention this past Saturday. Prior to the election, Democrat Jed Grobstein withdrew his name from the PA State House 157 race and Democrat candidate Marian Moskowitz was endorsed by acclamation. Grobstein provided the following press release explaining his withdrawal from the race:

Jed Grobstein stepped back in the interests of party unity today to throw his support behind long-time Tredyffrin Township resident and Phoenixville developer Marian Moskowitz in the race for the Pennsylvania State House, 157th district. In a statement posted on his campaign facebook page and website, Jed said,

“I regret to announce that I am withdrawing my name from contention for the State House in the PA 157th. Over the last several weeks it has become clear that the Democratic Party has rallied around the campaign of Marian Moskowitz. With her endorsement at the County Convention she deserves all of our support. I believe that Marian’s achievements as an entrepreneur and as a prime architect in Phoenixville’s redevelopment make her exactly the sort of leader we need in Harrisburg.”

Further, he urged his supporters to focus on November, saying, “I look forward to supporting [Marian] as we all focus on defeating Warren Kampf, Tom Corbett and their ‘governance by crisis’ in November.”

Chester County Commissioner Ryan Costello (R) is seeking the vacated seat of Republican Congressman Jim Gerlach in Pennsylvania’s sixth district. The Chester County Republican Committee endorsed Costello at their nominating convention last week. The Chester County Democratic Committee endorsed candidate Manan Trivedi on Saturday at their convention This marks Trivedi’s third run for Congress and is hopeful that Gerlach’s retirement will provide him the opening he needs. However, it is my understanding that Democrat Mike Parrish, a successful businessman from Malvern, plans to stay in the race, making for a contested May primary.

The Chester County Republican Committee endorsed current State Rep Warren Kampf (R-157) for another term and with the withdrawal of Grobstein, he will face challenger Marian Moskowitz (D) in November.

I was very surprised to see that former T/E School Board member Anne Crowley has quickly stepped back into politics. Not seeking a second term on the school board when her term ended in 2013, Crowley is the endorsed Democratic candidate for the PA State House 167 seat, currently held by Dwayne Milne (R). By a very narrow margin of votes, Milne defeated Crowley for the 167th District seat in 2006. As a personal note, Crowley’s presence is missed on the T/E School Board!

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  1. Ted Leisenring is seeking the Republican nomination in the 167th (Easttown, Willistown, etc) in the primary. The GOP committee gave Leisenring their support 37 votes to 25 for Milne at their nominating convention. The support was one vote shy of the 60% required to endorse Leisenring. Reports of inappropriate tactics (berating & yelling at a 70 year old Easttown committee person) by Milne supporter & Easttown GOP leader are being repeated by many on the committee.

    FYI In 2006 race Crowley only lost by 144 votes.

    Article on GOP Endorsements at the link
    http://www.dailylocal.com/general-news/20140219/county-gop-endorses-candidates

  2. Milne is a political science professor and an administrator at West Chester University.

    That explains why he did not and probably will not ever fight for pension reform.

    Please read, The fall of the Faculty: The Rise of the All-Administrative University and Why it Matters by Benjamin Ginsberg a political science professor at Johns Hopkins University. He says power in colleges have shifted dramatically in recent years to the administrative side. Universities have shifted their resources and atttention away from teaching and research in order to feed a cadre of administrators who, he says, do little to advance the central mission of universities.

    On the TE School Board, we have Karen Cruinkshank, ex college administrator, Chris Graham, ex school teacher and our, President Kevin Buraks, whose law firm the school district employs to collect delinquent taxes.

    In his book, Ginsberg says, Board Members who profit from their relationship with the university will not provide effective oversite of its administration and will resist efforts to remove even clearly inept administrators.

    Such board members cannot possibly provide proper managerial oversight.

    I’m not suggesting TE employs inept administrators. I do think it is a conflict of interest for Mr. Buraks to serve on this board when his firm financially benefits from the district. What incentive does he have to provide effective oversight?

    1. Shining Light–your argument makes no sense. You are pointing to a publication entitled “The Fall of the Faculty: The Rise of the All-Administrative University…” to complain about Cruikshank and Graham?

      First of all, you reference their “ex-” status regarding their past jobs. They are no longer doing those jobs. You can’t attribute your PRESENT day complaints about what some general university administrations “somewhere” have evolved into to positions those specific two people “here” held in the PAS,T as if they fit neatly into your despised interest groups, which appears to be the people responsible for doing the educating.

      Second, you refer to Graham as “ex-teacher”–i.e., The Faculty, and as Cruikshank as “ex-college administrator,’ i.e., All-Administrative. What is your issue with that? Isn’t that balance to have both Faculty and Administration on the school board?

      You’ll just have to get over your problem with Buraks–no other firms bid on or wanted to do the work. T/E school district doesn’t have a lot of delinquent tax accounts that need collecting. Probably took him more time to bid on the work and do the contract than to actually do the collections needed. They call that “pro bono.”

      1. Wow. Calm down Centered.

        I think someone’s past work experience can indicate alot about their attitudes, opinions and beliefs.

        I don’t “despise” anything.

        I stand behind my statement about Mr. Buraks. It is a direct conflict of interest for him to serve on this board when he benefits financially from the relationship.

        He cannot possibly provide effective oversight.

        It definitely is not pro bono. He is employed by other school districts as well.

        I see their slipping something in the consent agenda again about this very topic. If there’s nothing for him to hide, why slip it in a consent agenda?

  3. This post and following discussion reminds me of why it is important to have discussions started by and participated with people that know what they are talking about.

      1. In order to make a judgment as I did, I would first have to read the post and discussions, right? I don’t find much insight. That fact that SL even has to ask the question, just as you did, pretty much proves the point.

        Mrs. Moskowitz possess some interesting characteristics that could make her a formidable competitor to Kampf. She has a significant business in PVille and lives in Tredyffrin. That itself is an interesting dynamic. She will be well financed, which is important. Kampf won’t be able to use the 422 tolls issues. Although, Moskowitz was a big Drucker supporter, so that may make it an issue.

        We don’t much about her. If she is consistent with Kampf on issues, then there is no case to make a change. She needs to be different. The question is, will her difference translate into votes? As a woman, on the matter of reproductive rights and such, where is she? How about legalized marijuana? Gay marriage? Infrastructure? Where is she willing to spend money that Kampf won’t?

        By the way, Jed Grobstein was never a serious contender. The fact he got any airplay here was interesting. Crowley? No shot. She didn’t take her first defeat well. So what if she only lost by 144 votes in 2006? Milne wasn’t an incumbent. Milne is a 4 term rep. That counts for something. To compare 2006 to 2013 is like comparing apples to oranges. Crowley was an ineffective school board member and would be a more ineffective rep.

        So there you go.

        1. reproductive rights? Give me a blooming break.. But I have learned something right here on CM and I thank you for that… She supported Drucker? While Drucker did one or two good things for the community, and it is true he cared about the community, her support for MR Drucker leads me to think away from her immediately. Mr Drucker never had my vote, and couldn’t earn it now.

    1. Really?,

      LOL. Yes really. No worries Pattye. Everyone has a right to their opinion.

      How is it exactly that I don’t know what I am talking about? I think it’s important to keep this discussion going. Thank-you.

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