Monday, September 29, 2008

McCracken for Congress -- Who Understands the Problems Facing the 5th District and the Nation -- September 28th, 2008

Throughout the campaign I've been involved in several candidate forums with my opponents for the open seat in the 5th Congressional District. Additionally, during the final 5 weeks of the campaign there will be several additional opportunities for voters in the 5th district to watch all three candidates debate the important issues facing the district and the nation. The important question voters should consider while watching or listening to these events is which of the three candidates really understands the important problems facing our nation.

There are several issues that clearly define and differentiate where I stand and what I believe in versus my two opponents. I've found that my stances on Health Care Reform, the future of Social Security, understanding the economic problems in the 5th district and, most importantly, fiscal responsibility by the federal government separate me from my two opponents.

Starting with Health Care Reform, my Republican opponent has repeatedly stated "the United States has the best healthcare system in the world" and says "we don't turn people away." But, the sad fact is there are 45.7 million uninsured people in the United States and many more underinsured. He also regularly says that a "tremendous debate needs to occur" and that the way to solve the nation's health care crisis is to "peel away the layers of federal regulations."

In contrast, I understand that too many of our citizens, both here in the 5th district and across the nation, lack access to affordable health care. The statement that "we don't turn people away" is completely false. The fact remains that people who have no health care coverage do get turned away and those who finally get treatment once it is a critical situation that requires a trip to the emergency room are then faced with harassment from the billing department at the hospital or by a collection agency.

On health care reform, my opponents are wrong on several counts -- we don't need a "tremendous debate" we've talked long enough and we need more detailed solutions than just "peeling away the layers of federal regulations." Throughout the campaign, I have proposed as a first step a voluntary national health insurance purchasing pool to provide low cost health care coverage for individuals and small businesses. Once this proves successful, then we can move forward on the real solution which is universal health care for everyone.

On Social Security, the contrast is also clear. On numerous occasions my Republican opponent has touted his strong support for the idea of allowing young people to take part of their Social Security to invest in private accounts. I have stressed that we must work to save and strengthen Social Security for all future generations and any policy that includes private accounts like those proposed by my Republican opponent would only weaken Social Security.

Of even greater concern is the fact that private financial investments fail as we've clearly witnessed in recent weeks. What happens in the future if funds diverted from Social Security to private accounts fail? Will the taxpayers in the future have to bailout millions of individuals who chose to go the private accounts route when their investments fail and they have no retirement to fall back on. The choice must be to save and strengthen Social Security for our children and grandchildren. Policies that would weaken the system while placing the future retirement of millions of our young people at risk is unacceptable and candidates proposing these ideas should be rejected.

Finally, the one issue that I'm asking the voters in the 5th district to really judge the candidates on is the issue of fiscal responsibility in Washington. This is an issue I understand as a citizen, as a former school board member and now as a county commissioner. I will continue to stress that the most important thing we need from Congress is fiscal responsibility with a commitment to balancing the federal budget which currently has a $482 billion deficit, building a solid surplus and, most important, paying down the $9.7 trillion federal government debt. My Republican opponent continues to build his campaign around "extending the Bush tax cuts" while at the same time proposing increases in spending.

As proof of my commitment to supporting fiscal responsibility and my honesty with the voters in comparison to my Republican opponent's mixed signals on fiscal matters go to www.yourcandidatesyourhealth.org and compare both of our responses on increased federal funding for research. Throughout the campaign and in surveys I've been asked to complete, I stress that there is a fiscal crisis in Washington and there is NO MONEY for increased domestic spending until we make the commitment to solving the fiscal crisis. In contrast, my Republican opponent continues to support the failed fiscal policies from the last 8 years and he continues to suggest that federal funding increases are possible in many areas.

In the closing weeks of the campaign, I'm going to stress to voters to use the fiscal crisis as the key issue to decide the 5th district race. The question voters must ask themselves is this: Do you want a person representing you in Congress who understands our biggest problem is the $9.7 trillion debt owed to nations like China and Saudi Arabia OR do you want a person who disregards this threat in favor of extending tax cuts that benefited the most wealthy and affluent citizens? Perhaps more important to consider is this: Will we send people to Congress who will confront and solve this threat now, or will we pass responsibility for this problem on to our children and grandchildren?


More on the Bush bailout plan: I wrote last week of my concern about President Bush's plan to provide a $700 billion bailout to rescue failing financial institutions. Earlier this week I watched President Bush speak to the nation about his plan where he attempted to explain what he was doing and why he wanted to do it. While we heard the what and the why, he failed to offer the most important information the nation needed to hear -- How is he going to pay for it. Sadly, the facts are out in his proposal that the $700 billion bailout will be paid for by increasing the federal debt limit which means the bailout will be funded with more borrowed money AKA fiscally irresponsible policies.
If I was a member of Congress now, I could not support any bailout bill that fails to address funding the bailout and I would strongly and vocally oppose adding this cost to the debt. However, I would be offering solutions on how to raise the funds to pay for the bailout. Specifically I would suggest the following recommendations to raise revenue to fund the bailout:

1. I would call for immediate investigations to identify any corporate executives who were responsible for this financial fiasco and would demand that the bailout bill include language to freeze and seize the assets of those responsible for the mess. The assets of those responsible would then be liquidated to pay restitution to the federal government to help fund the bailout.

2. I would propose 2 funding streams that would expire once the bailout costs are recovered. First, there would be a ½ % stock transfer fee. In order to waive this fee for private citizens who dabble in the stock market, the first $5,000 per year would be exempt from the fee. Second, there would be a ½ % mortgage fee that would be waived from the first $75,000 of the mortgage amount so it would not severely impact first time home buyers.

These two suggestions would raise significant revenue to fund the bailout plan and would also keep the cost from being applied to the federal debt. It would also place responsibility for funding the bailout costs on those who will benefit from the bailout rather than the middle class taxpayers. The most important language that would be included in regards to both the stock transfer fee and the mortgage fee is that they will expire once the crisis is over. This will provide the incentive for leaders in the financial services industry to do everything they can to get us through the financial crisis so the added fees to the federal government will expire as soon as possible.


Schedule for the Upcoming Week:

Monday -- Newspaper Interviews -- The Progress / Clearfield, Clarion, Ridgway and St. Marys, Daily Collegian

Tuesday -- WJAC Interview, Meet the Candidates -- Clearfield Chamber of Commerce at Elks Club

Wednesday -- Meeting with Fayette Resources / DuBois, Interviews with PCN and Lewistown Sentinel, State College Borough Democratic Committee event -- 6 PM Ramada Inn in State College

Thursday -- Newspaper Interviews during the day, Debate in Bradford at Pitt / Bradford Campus 6 PM

Friday -- Event in State College with PSU Students

Saturday -- Clarion Leaf Festival and Parade


FUNDRAISING REMINDER
-- Keep talking with people about the 5,000 Friends to Flip the Fifth project. We can win the 5th District Congressional District for the first time in 32 years but we need to be organizing our forces heading into the final weeks. The only way to turn this country around is to send people to Washington who will make the tough decisions. The choice in the 5th district is clear. My opponent regularly states that he supports the fiscal policies of the Bush administration AKA "the Bush tax cuts" and will continue them -- More of the Same. While I continue to stress that we must balance the budget, built a surplus and pay down the debt.

In order to get the message out to voters we will need to advertise which costs money. Please contact your family and friends and urge them to financially support our campaign as we move into the final weeks. Donations can be made online through www.actblue.com or by direct mail to McCracken for Congress, PO Box 332, Clearfield PA 16830.


Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

McCracken for Congress -- Before Any Bailouts Are Approved Those Responsible MUST Be Held Accountable. -- September 21st, 2008

The last few weeks have seen our nation's economic and financial institutions in the most critical condition since the days in 1929 when the stock market crashed and banks failed sending the country into the Great Depression. This morning I came upon an online headline that read "Bush team, Congress negotiate $700 Billion Bailout". At first glance, the general public probably feels that this is welcome news. However, there are many troubling details about this plan by the lame duck Bush administration that the American people need to be aware of. Below are some of the details about the plan found online at http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080921/D93AVJUO0.html.

1. The rescue plan would give Washington broad authority to purchase bad mortgage-related assets from U.S. financial institutions for the next two years. It does not specify which institutions qualify or what, if anything, the government would get in return for the unprecedented infusion.

2. The proposal is a mere three pages long, but it gives sweeping powers to the government to dispense gigantic sums of taxpayer dollars in a program that would be sheltered from court review.

3. Lawmakers digesting the eye-popping cost and searching for specifics voiced concerns that the proposal offers no help for struggling homeowners or safeguards for taxpayers' money.

4. The proposal would raise the statutory limit on the national debt from $10.6 trillion to $11.3 trillion to make room for the massive rescue. -- FISCAL IRRESPONSIBILITY ALERT!

Perhaps most troubling is there is no mention of placing responsibility for this disaster on anyone, especially the financial geniuses that made millions of dollars in salaries and bonuses overseeing and mismanaging their firms. In fact, there are reports that people involved in the failures of these financial institutions had guaranteed buyout contracts that will pay millions of dollars to them as the go out the door.

Let's be blunt - any bailout plan offered by the federal government should immediately freeze all funds going to those who perpetrated this disaster on our nation. Additionally, any person responsible for this mess should have their assets seized and eventually liquidated with the funds generated going towards financial restitution to help reimburse the federal government for the bailout. Those who were responsible for this mess must be held accountable!

Finally, it is completely unacceptable that the bailout plan includes language that raises the statutory limit on the national debt from $10.6 trillion to $11.3 trillion. There it is, more of the same borrow and spend mentality from the Bush administration and Congress. They will again place the financial cost on our children and grandchildren rather than making the tough decision on how to fund this bailout.

I will go on record that I will not support this type of legislation while I am serving in the United States Congress. It is completely unacceptable that the Bush administration and leaders in Congress are negotiating a bailout that fails to address holding those accountable who are responsible for this mess. Instead, they are going to tack an additional $700 billion on the deficit and debt while those responsible slink off to their compounds in the Hamptons with golden parachute buyouts that will leave them set for life. These are probably the same people who most benefited from the Bush tax cuts.

As a reminder -- here is the Debt Clock which is available on line at http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock


U.S. NATIONAL DEBT CLOCK


The Outstanding Public Debt as of 21 Sep 2008 at 03:02:37 PM GMT is:

$ 9 , 6 6 9 , 6 3 3 , 2 3 6 , 9 6 3 . 9 1

The estimated population of the United States is 304,768,519
so each citizen's share of this debt is $31,727.80.

The National Debt has continued to increase an average of
$1.84 billion per day since September 28, 2007!

I believe Barack Obama said it best -- ENOUGH! It is time to start sending people to Congress who will make the tough decisions and hold those people accountable who are tearing our country apart.


Defining a "Cowards Tax Increase"


I've received many positive comments about my statement referencing a "coward's tax increase" I made during a candidate forum in Philipsburg this week. As a school board member and as county commissioner, I've seen many unfunded mandates come down to the local level from both Washington and Harrisburg. A perfect example of a "cowards tax increase" is the No Child Left Behind legislation that was implemented by the Bush administration and the Republican controlled Congress.

While they were granting record tax cuts for the wealthiest 5% of Americans, they were mandating that all public school systems adopt No Child Left Behind without providing adequate funding down to the local level. Washington knew when they mandated No Child Left Behind that it would cost money at the local level. When they knew that it would cost additional money from the taxpayers but they passed responsibility for raising taxes to pay for it down to the local level they are guilty of a "Coward's Tax Increase". It should also be recognized that cutting taxes on the wealthiest 5% while passing the cost for No Child Left Behind to people who pay school property tax is clearly another shifting of tax burden from the wealthy to the middle class that has been a consequence of "trickle down" economics.


Schedule for the Upcoming Week:

Sunday -- Union Township Fire Company Anniversary Celebration and Truck Show -- Rockton P

Monday -- We're Backin' McCracken Golf Outing - Belles Springs Golf Course - Clinton County, Tour of CATA Facilities -- 2 PM, Meeting with Representatives from PA Office of Rural Health -- 3:15 PM

Wednesday -- Jefferson County Democratic Meeting -- 7 PM

Thursday -- Newspaper Interviews during the day, WPSU Radio Debate -- 6:30 PM

Friday -- Event at Bob Sheppard's House -- PA Furnace -- 6 PM

Saturday -- 1890's Festival Parade and Festival -- Tioga County

Sunday -- Fall Festival -- Snow Shoe


FUNDRAISING REMINDER -- Keep talking with people about the 5,000 Friends to Flip the Fifth project. We can win the 5th District Congressional District for the first time in 32 years but we need to be organizing our forces heading into the final weeks. The only way to turn this country around is to send people to Washington who will make the tough decisions. The choice in the 5th district is clear. My opponent regularly states that he supports the fiscal policies of the Bush administration AKA "the Bush tax cuts" and will continue them -- More of the Same. While I continue to stress that we must balance the budget, built a surplus and pay down the debt.

In order to get the message out to voters we will need to advertise which costs money. Please contact your family and friends and urge them to financially support our campaign as we move into the final weeks. Donations can be made online through www.actblue.com or by direct mail to McCracken for Congress, PO Box 332, Clearfield PA 16830.


Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

Monday, September 15, 2008

McCracken for Congress -- Turning Around This Country Will Require Tough Choices and Leaders Who Have the Courage to Make Them -- September 14th, 2008

This past Friday morning in Venango County all 3 candidates for the 5th Congressional District appeared at the Venango County Chamber of Commerce Breakfast Candidate Forum. During this event, the issue of fiscal responsibility, the $482 billion budget deficit and the $9.7 trillion federal debt came up several times. Fiscal responsibility is perhaps the single issue that clearly defines the difference between me and my opponents in this campaign.

Since day one of my candidacy I've stressed that we must bring the federal budget back in balance, return to growing a surplus and make the long term commitment to paying down our debt to foreign countries. My Republican opponent stated again on Friday that he supports extending the Bush tax cuts. Contrary to what he says, I continue to believe the first step to return to fiscal responsibility is to allow the Bush tax cuts to expire. Below is a chart from the Congressional Budget Office that shows the negative impact the Bush tax cuts had on the federal budget along with projections of what will happen when they expire.

Be advised, the chart above was released in January of 08, months before the Bush administration themselves announced a record deficit of $482 billion when they leave office in January of 09. The chart above actually had a more optimistic projection of a deficit of around $220 billion for 08/09.

While John McCain and many Republicans running for Congress continue to support the idea of "trickle down" economics, there is no proof that this type of fiscal policy will succeed, especially with the unstable condition the nation's economy is in. Consider that banks are failing, the housing bubble has burst, the mortgage / foreclosure crisis, the bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the American auto industry is seeking federal loan guarantees along with and other economic indicators that show the US economy in turmoil. There are too many problems that require financial intervention from the federal government at a time when our federal government is in it's fiscally weakest condition ever.

I continually point to the fact of how well off the economy was in the late 90's when we were showing fiscal responsibility with a balanced budget, a growing surplus and a decreasing debt load. Then, George W. Bush took office on January 20th, 2001 with a record budget surplus and he, along with the Republican controlled Congress, chose to halt fiscally responsible policy for the quick gratification of a tax cut that mostly benefited the wealthiest 5% of the citizens. Even more problematic was when President Bush made the decision to begin the Iraq war, he failed to adjust his fiscal policies to pay for it.

We must recognize that the fiscal mess, while blame lies directly with George W. Bush and Congress, is our nation's #1 problem and it must be dealt with before we can move forward on solving other domestic problems. In order to fix this problem, it is going to take sacrifice on the part of everyone. Unfortunately, it is the people at the top who benefited the most from the Bush tax cuts that cry out "they want to take away MY TAX CUT". These same people must be reminded that while they benefited from the Bush tax cuts, it is now "our deficit and our debt" regardless of who the politicians were that made the irresponsible decisions to get us in this hole. If we were to assign a moral to the story of the George W. Bush presidency, it would be reasonable to say "The Rich Got Richer, The Poor Got Poorer and the Middle Class Had To Pay For It".

While members of the next Congress will have tough choices to make on how to deal with this fiscal mess, voters will first have to make their own tough choice on November 4th. Before you vote on November 4th ask yourself this - Do you want to solve this problem now or have it grow larger and pass it on to your children and grandchildren? Make no mistake -- The Bill Must Be Paid at some point. Voters need to look at this issue in this context: If you were running a business that was having financial problems and you had the choice to hire a person that identified why your business was failing and how to fix it VERSUS a person who was in denial that the problem exists and fails to recognize what caused the problem -- which person would you hire to solve this problem?

I am the only candidate on the ballot in the 5th Congressional District who recognizes the problem and will commit to making the tough / responsible choices to solve this problem that will ultimately secure a better future for our children and grandchildren. It won't be easy, but we were on the right track in the 90's and we can get back there again.


Here is a link to a story about the 5th District race that is on goerie.com

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008809140378


Highlights From The Past Week:

Last Sunday, Kelly, Amanda and I had a wonderful time attending the Democratic picnics in Clinton and Lycoming Counties. On Tuesday, I invited Art Goldschmidt of State College to travel with me to Tioga County to attend the opening of the Tioga County Obama / Democratic Headquarters. Wednesday we were in St. Marys attending a labor rally for both myself and State Rep. Dan Surra that was organized by various labor unions. Special thanks to the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO for providing the Billy Bus for an appearance at the rally in St. Marys. Friday was the aforementioned Venango County Chamber Candidate Forum. In the evening on Friday I attended the 50th Anniversary of the Brady Township Fire Company in Luthersburg, Clearfield County.

Saturday, Henry Guthrie and I spent the day in Warren County attending the opening of the Obama / Democratic Headquarters in Warren and later in the day we attended the Warren County Democratic Committee Steak Dinner. Below are some pictures from the events in Warren County.


Warren County Obama HQ Opening Pictures:


Warren County Democratic Committee Steak Dinner:


Schedule for the Upcoming Week:

Sunday -- Mike Hanna Event in Moshannon PA -- 3 PM

Tuesday -- Visit to Clarion County Democratic HQ -- Meeting with Clarion / Venango County Supporters -- 7 PM

Wednesday -- Moshannon Valley EDC Candidate Breakfast Forum -- 8 PM Philipsburg Country Club, Centre County Realtors Lunch -- State College -- Noon / Elk County Democratic Meeting -- 7 PM

Thursday -- DuBois Chamber of Commerce Legislative Day -- DuBois Country Club -- 5 PM

Friday -- Venango County Chamber of Commerce Breakfast Candidate Forum -- Franklin PA -- 7:30 AM, Brady Township in Clearfield County VFD 50th Anniversary Dinner -- 6 PM

Saturday -- Festival in Johnsonburg -- Elk County / Elk Expo -- Kersey / Sykesville Gun Raffle -- 5:30 PM

Sunday -- Union Twp Fire Co. 50th Annv. Celebration / Truck Show -- Rockton PA


IMPORTANT - Keith Bierly is still signing up people to participate in the "We're Backin McCracken Golf Outing" on Monday September 22nd beginning at 8 AM at the Belles Springs Golf Course - Clinton County. Please contact Keith at keithbierly@yahoo.com.

REMINDER -- Keep talking with people about the 5,000 Friends to Flip the Fifth project. We can win the 5th District Congressional District for the first time in 32 years but we need to be organizing our forces heading into the final weeks. While it's my name that will be on the ballot on November 4th, this victory will be for all the hard working people of the 5th Congressional District.

Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

Monday, September 8, 2008

McCracken for Congress -- Calling for a Rural Renewal in the 5th District -- September 7th, 2008

As we move into the final 2 months in the campaign for the 5th Congressional District, the economic conditions in the 5th district will play a key role in the outcome of this race. The facts are clear that rural north central and northwest Pennsylvania lags behind the rest of the state and nation in economic development and opportunities for our citizens. Recent unemployment statistics released by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry shows that 2 counties in the 5th district, Cameron and Forest, have the 2 highest unemployment rates in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Additionally, 15 of the 17 counties in the 5th district have unemployment rates over 5%, which is unacceptable.

While the unemployment news is bad enough, worse is the most recent median household income figures reported by the US Census Bureau -- 2006 American Communities Survey showing that citizens in the 5th district earn on average almost $12,000 less per year than the rest of the United States. This is an abysmal number and is one of the main reasons that the best and brightest of our young people tend to leave our communities after high school and college graduation. Why would they stay when the cost for food, clothes, gas, utilities and other necessities are the same as the rest of the country while income levels are much less in the 5th district?

What is needed for the 5th district to combat a continuation of the high unemployment rates and lower than average income levels is a commitment to have a "Rural Renewal" in the 5th Congressional District. When I am your congressman, I plan to work on the idea of having a rural renewal for rural north central and northwest Pennsylvania that will bring investment for necessary infrastructure improvements to all our counties and communities. I will work as a direct partner with county commissioners and economic development agencies to determine what upgrades are needed in the various counties and then work with state and federal level officials to secure funding for important projects.

The idea for a "Rural Renewal" will only work if voters in the 5th district realize that turning around the economic fortunes of this district starts with them on November 4th. While the economic indicator numbers referenced above are recent numbers from June of 2008 for the unemployment figures and from 2006 for the median income levels, these are trends that have continued in the 5th district for several decades. These trends have continued over the last 12 years under our current representative in Washington and likely will continue unless the next member of Congress from the 5th District makes a real commitment to changing these trends. My commitment is that I will be the lead partner with our state and county level elected officials along with economic development and business leaders to bring a rural renewal to the 5th district.

The question voters must ask themselves is this: Do you want More of the Same high unemployment and low wages or do you want Something Better in a Rural Renewal for the 5th Congressional District?


Schedule for the Upcoming Week:

Sunday -- Clinton County Picnic at 1 PM / Lycoming County Picnic at 3 PM

Monday -- American Federation Of Government Employees Council Of Prison Locals, Local 3974 -- Bradford PA -- 5 PM

Tuesday -- Tioga County / Mansfield -- Obama / Democratic HQ Opening -- 5 PM

Wednesday -- Surra / McCracken Labor Rally -- St. Marys -- 3 PM

Friday -- Venango County Chamber of Commerce Breakfast Candidate Forum -- Franklin PA -- 7:30 AM, Brady Township in Clearfield County VFD 50th Anniversary Dinner -- 6 PM

Saturday -- Warren County HQ Opening -- 3 PM Warren County Democratic Steak Cookout Picnic -- 5 PM

Sunday -- Mike Hanna Fundraiser -- Moshannon PA -- 3 PM


We look forward to seeing you out there on the campaign trail!


Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress

Monday, September 1, 2008

McCracken for Congress -- Jobs and the Economy in the 5th District -- August 31, 2008

This week, I had the opportunity to participate with my fellow 5th district candidates in a forum sponsored by WPSU TV to discuss job creation and economic conditions in the 5th Congressional District. As we fielded questions on the various issues, I paid close attention to how my views on job creation and retention along with overall economic development strategy differed from my opponents. What I heard from my Republican opponent was numerous statements about "incentives" and "tax credits" to entice businesses to locate or expand in the 5th district.

Talking about issues with WPSU.

When government provides "incentives" they give funding to a business through grants / loans, while "tax credits" grant certain exemptions that allow a business to omit paying some taxes by writing off eligible expenses. Regardless of what form they take, "incentives" spend federal government funds and "tax credits" decrease revenue coming to the federal government. While this may be a reasonable plan when the federal government is fiscally strong with a surplus, it is impractical to suggest at a time when the federal budget has a $482 billion deficit and $9.6 trillion in debt is owed to foreign countries including the likes of China and Saudi Arabia.

Throughout this campaign, I have made the case to the voters in the 5th district the federal government cannot help revive our failing economy, much less deal with other important domestic issues, until the federal budget is balanced, a surplus is growing and the debt to foreign nations is paid down. It is irresponsible when a candidate for federal office proposes creating new "incentives" or offering "tax credits" to corporate America while we have record deficits and debt at the federal level. Sadly, this is more of the same failed fiscal policies we’ve seen during the last 8 years.

The same day as the WPSU forum, the Centre Daily Times printed a story about the recent unemployment rates released by the PA Department of Labor and Industry. Throughout the 5th Congressional District, unemployment and economic conditions are some of the worst in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In fact, the 2 counties with the highest unemployment rates in the state were here in the 5th district with Cameron County at 7.6% and Forest County at 8.4%. Perhaps even more troubling was the fact that 15 of the 17 counties in the 5th district are above 5% unemployment with the only exceptions being Warren County just slightly under at 4.8% and Centre County at 4.2%.

Not only do we have the highest unemployment rates, but the US Census Bureau reports that median family incomes in the 5th district are, on average, almost $12,000 less than the rest of the nation. The US Census Bureau -- 2006 American Community Survey lists the Median Family Income for the 5th Congressional District of Pennsylvania at $46,863 versus the U.S. average of $58,526. Worse yet, while we are averaging significantly less in income than other areas of the country, we are paying the same rising costs for food, gas, energy, automobiles, clothes and other necessities that we need in daily life. During the WPSU forum the issue of young people leaving the 5th district after graduating from high school and college was discussed. It is obvious the difference in income levels plays a huge role in the departure of our young people from rural central Pennsylvania.

Of course, the question still remains, how do we create jobs, lower record unemployment rates and increase income levels in the 5th Congressional District and spur the economy at the national level? The federal government isn’t going to fix this for us because they don’t have the financial resources to do so. The time has come for certain sacrifices to be made by those who have profited in recent years.

We need our business leaders to realize there are no more handouts for them if they are running a profitable business. Too often, businesses on solid financial ground want the government to provide incentives and tax credits before they will expand and create new jobs. We need corporate America to voluntarily reinvest their profits to rebuild our nation’s economy without the expectation of incentives and tax credits.

And to the wealthiest citizens, the time has come to stop complaining if you have to pay a little more in taxes to get us out of the fiscal mess from the last 8 years. To accomplish this, the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans must expire as scheduled in 2011. Once we get the fiscal mess straightened out, then a new set of tax cuts for poor and middle class, roughly 90% of the working population, can be put in place.

At the federal government level, a strong, stable fiscal policy that balances budgets, builds surpluses, pays down the debt and stops borrowing from foreign governments will eventually allow the federal government to get back to supporting economic development and job creation. This can only be accomplished if voters send fiscally responsible people to represent them in Washington. Contrast my message of fiscal responsibility to that of my opponent who continues to voice support for failed fiscal policies that will continue to threaten our national security through higher deficits and more debt to foreign sources.


2008 Continues to be Historic

When I decided to enter the race for the US Congress, I did so with a slight thought in the back of my mind that, in some small way, I might be involved in an election that was historic. Now, with September upon us and just over 2 months until Election Day, it is obvious that history will be made in 2008. We could see the first African American elected President of the United States in Barack Obama, whom I support, or we could see the first woman elected Vice President in Sarah Palin (as part of the McCain ticket, I'm not so excited about that prospect). At the DNC Convention in Denver, the speech by Barack Obama on Thursday was one of the greatest presentations I’ve ever watched. He was flawless in his presentation and he showed the country and the world that he is the strong, articulate leader we need to solve the problems facing our country.

And the announcement on Friday by Senator John McCain that his choice for a running mate was the first term Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin was a gutsy call to say the least. It will be interesting to watch the rest of the campaign and learn more about Governor Palin.


Happy Labor Day and Prayers for the Gulf Coast.

On behalf of the McCracken for Congress campaign, I want to offer a Happy Labor Day to the working people in the 5th district. People in rural Pennsylvania are known for their strong work ethic. All they ask for in return is a fair wage and benefits that will allow them to care for their families and put food on the table.

Finally, we all need to be sending our prayers to the people and communities on the Gulf Coast as Hurricane Gustav moves across the Gulf of Mexico. We never want to see a replay of the destruction and despair that we saw during Hurricane Katrina.

Please help in any way you can to help the residents of the Gulf. You can donate to the Red Cross at this link:




Mark B. McCracken
Your Candidate for Congress