Shimkus and Murphy: sticking to issues

Before the cameras began rolling for a live, televised debate for the 113th Legislative District race Tuesday, state Rep. Frank Andrews Shimkus and challenger Kevin Murphy shared a somewhat unexpected exchange, given the recent verbal attacks the two have traded.

They shook hands.

Mr. Shimkus characterized the event in his closing remarks as the first time he and Mr. Murphy have addressed the issues pertaining to voters.

“This has been a nasty campaign,” he said.

The two appeared at a debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Lackawanna County at the Scranton Cultural Center. The 7 p.m. debate aired live on WNEP-TV.

Each candidate had two minutes to answer each of 11 questions read by moderator Mindi Ramsey, co-anchor of WNEP’s morning and noon newscasts, and two minutes to give a closing statement.

Although both candidates stuck mostly to those questions, Mr. Murphy used some of his response time to weave in issues about his opponent that surfaced in a memorandum distributed by the Murphy campaign last month.

The memorandum cross-referenced the legislator’s testimony at a February Commonwealth Court hearing with House records and alleges Mr. Shimkus either perjured himself in his testimony or took per-diem payments to which he was not entitled.

On a question about whether health insurance coverage is a priority for the state, Mr. Shimkus said it was, and cited a bill he co-sponsored that would extend health care to more people and cover pre-existing conditions.

Mr. Murphy responded by reminding people “that the gentleman to my left is one of the biggest abusers of per diems” and he drives a state-owned Dodge Durango.

He then went on to say health care need to be reformed to include coverage of pre-existing conditions.

“We need to focus on health care, especially at a time when Blue Cross-Blue Shield has a $600 million surplus,” Mr. Murphy said. “That money should go back to the taxpayers in the form of health care premium reductions.”

During a question about education in the 113th District and statewide, and expenditure levels for school districts, both candidates said more money needs to be put into education.

Mr. Murphy said more money needs to be delegated to early-childhood education and secondary programs, and to do that, lawmakers need to look for tax dollars “being squandered by our state legislators.” He referenced getting rid of vehicle leases and the “excessive per diem abuse going on in the state Legislature and right here in the 113th District.”

Mr. Shimkus, who sits on the education committee and subcommittee for special education, responded by saying it’s worse for taxpayers when legislators drive their own cars, because of the state’s mileage reimbursement of 59 cents per mile.

“They end up making a fortune on the taxpayer’s back,” he said.

The lawmaker then cited a costing-out study commissioned by the education committee to determine what minimum cost should be spent per student.

“I brought $3.6 million back to our four school districts ... so that our kids could have more money invested in them, and so that the $3.6 million would not come off the back of the taxpayers,” he said.

Energy issues were another hot topic, with Mr. Murphy stating the need to reduce dependence on foreign oil in favor of alternatives like wind and solar energy.

Mr. Shimkus spoke of keeping rate caps on utilities.

When asked what other key environmental concerns they had, Mr. Shimkus spoke of the Marjol battery site in Throop and his plans to introduce legislation in January to require 1-particulates-per-million air monitoring around the site and at landfills.

Mr. Murphy applauded Mr. Shimkus on his environmental concerns and commended him for his push at the Marjol site. He also spoke of the need to support public transportation.

During closing statements, Mr. Shimkus appealed to voters by saying: “Folks, you know me. You’ve known me for a long time. You know everything about me. I have been open and honest with you.”

He said he has worked hard for residents in the 113th District and will continue to work to bring money from the taxpayers back to the area and to fight for school districts and senior citizens.

Mr. Murphy used his closing statement as an opportunity to attack his opponent.

“The Open Records Act is very important, but you have to show up and vote for it,” he said, noting Mr. Shimkus failed to show up for the vote but submitted his nomination petitions for re-election the following morning in Harrisburg.

Mr. Murphy also said there are two main issues that need to be focused on — the economy and legislative reform. He said his first vote will be on reform, to elect new leadership in the House.

“This election is very simple: It’s about change, or it’s about more of the same,” he said.

Contact the writer: ssanger@timesshamrock.com