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Campaign Press Releases  
Media Coverage of Peg
Media Coverage of Pennsylvania Issues
      The Governor's Club
      Rite Aid / Eagle Managed Care
      Kvaerner / Philadelphia Navy yard deal
      Gas Tax Increase
      State Officials Pay Raise
      Envirotest Buyout
      Business taxes
      Walking Around Money (WAM) / Community Revitalization Program (CRP)

• Oct. 22, 1998  Luksik and Harrah Reveal Ridge Record on Abortion
• Oct. 16, 1998   Luksik Challenges Governor on Abortion Policy
• Oct. 7, 1998  Luksik Town Meeting, Free Library in Warminster, Bucks County
• Oct. 3, 1998   Luksik Reveals Planto Preserve Family Farms
• Sept. 29, 1998  Luksik Unveils Action Plan for Education
• Sept. 21, 1998   Luksik to VisitBlair County
• Sept. 09, 1998  Luksik Plan for Small Business
• Sept. 08, 1998   Luksik ChampionsSmall Business
• July 29, 1998   Luksik/Clymer willpresent petitions in Harrisburg
• March 14, 1998   1998 Convention,Part II
• March 13, 1998   1998 Convention,Part I

• Interview with Peg Luksik By John Mallon
  "We have publicstatements that the same Governor Ridge in Pennsylvania, who isimplementing school-to-work by executive order, is writing fund-raisingletters, saying, "I've killed OBE in Pennsylvania." Well, does he think wecan't read his own executive orders? Obviously, he thinks we won't findthem, but they are there, so you know, they say A and do B. It's importantfor people to understand which way it really is."



• Oct. 24, 1998 - Philadelphia Inquirer
  Luksik passes Itkin in funds for governor race
  "In a development that has political scientists blinking, third-party gubernatorial candidate Peg Luksik has surpassed Democrat nominee Ivan Itkin in campaign fund-raising."



• Oct. 23, 1998 - Philadelphia Inquirer
  Luksik's made transition from activist to candidate
  " On Gov. Ridge's support for abortion rights: He "proclaimshimself to be a Catholic and pro-abortion in clear violation ofchurch teaching. Someone who tells you 'I believe in X and willdo Y' tells you they can't be true to themselves. . . . They aresaying, 'I will violate my own value system . . . if it is financiallyadvantageous or politically expedient.' "



• Oct. 19, 1998 - Reading Eagle/Reading Times
  Luksik says contest between her, Ridge
  "The current governor is more concerned about who is sellingthe booze than he is with babies," Luksik said, referring to thedebate about selling state liquor stores.



• Oct. 7, 1998 - The Jim Quinn Show
  Partial transcript of radio program
  "And you're right.Because, if you say to yourself, I can't vote for the thirdparty candidate because I'm afraid that the other side is goingto win, what you're doing isshifting the responsibility for this tragedy to yourselfand the responsibility lies with a Republican party that supportssomeone who is as much of a Democrat as Tom Ridge is."



• Oct. 6, 1998 - Tribune-Review
  Letter to the Editor - Alive and well
  "We cited OBE's similarities to the new 'standards' - same wording,same old stuff! Coming away from that meeting, I became aware thatthe members of the state Board of Education, with few exceptions,had never even read the OBE contents and were not prepared to speakfor or against it."



• Sept. 29, 1998 - Tribune-Review
  Ridge challenger urges tougher stance on crime
  "Luksik said mandatory sentencing of criminals who use handguns wasbeing enforced 'one-half of one percent of the time' and that shewas 'absolutely prepared to be ruthless' in enforcing that law."



• Sept. 25, 1998 - Tribune-Review
  Third party rally cry: Less government intrusion
  "Luksik called for an end to federally-mandated educationprograms, which she believes are just new versions of OutcomesBased Education. If elected as governor, Luksik said she wouldallow those federal contracts to lapse and would end funding."



• Sept. 24, 1998 - Tribune-Review
  Letter to the Editor - Rejecting Ridge
  "We feel that for us to continue with the Republicansin support of Tom Ridge would be a greater betrayal to you in the longrun."



• Sept. 23, 1998 - Philadelphia Inquirer
  Luksik is close to Itkin in fund-raising pace
  "I have never heard of a third-party candidate in this state raising more money than one of the major-party candidates," said Morton Coleman, director of the Institute of Politics at the University of Pittsburgh.



• Sept. 6, 1998 - Tribune-Review
  Luksik backers plan OBE protest
  "Hoge, an education policy analyst forthe Pennsylvania Coalition For Academic Excellence, was there Saturdayto point out where Ridge broke promises in his newly proposed educationstandards that he claims will end OBE."



• Sept. 6, 1998 - Tribune-Review
  Mom's House plays mother for 15 years
  "Mom's House was born from an ideato help single moms in the Lancaster area. Luksik said she felt a solutionto the despair of teen-age pregnancy was to provide free day care for thechildren of students who wanted to finish their schooling."



• Sept. 3, 1998 - The Wanderer
  The Wanderer Interviews ... Peg Luksik, Candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania
  "I don't do deals for dollars. It isn't, "I'll give you this moneyif you agree to do this." I base my positions on what I believe in,and I don't change them for money."



• Aug. 26, 1998 - The Patriot-News
  Luksik would put hold on factory farms until water, waste questions answered
  "Ridge may choose to ignore the hog factory issue, if he can, butit looks from here that Luksik has put the ball in his court with anissue that could well prove more potent than many might assume atfirst glance."



• Aug. 26, 1998 - Springfield Press
  Mrs. Luksik Has Hat in The Ring
  "Mrs. Luksik, who has taught in regularand special education classrooms, said that the parents should be ableto sit in on any class at any time and they should be able to see the coursework that will be taught to their child."



• Aug. 25, 1998 - Tribune-Review
  Luksik blasts Ridge spending habits
  "Gov. Tom Ridge has spent state money on publicschool reading and crime prevention programs without correctlyidentifying the problems intended to be solved or devising propersolutions, Constitutional Party gubernatorial candidate Peg Luksikof Johnstown said Monday."



• Aug. 13, 1998 - Tribune-Review
  Luksik ready for gubernatorial fight
  "She said she favored taking thestate's estimated $673 million surplus and returning it to taxpayers. Shealso wants to eliminate the inheritance tax that she said is unfair tosingle people."



• Aug. 10, 1998 - Philadelphia Daily News
  Candidate Luksik brightens the scene by John M. Baer
  "I, for one, always liked her. Enjoytalking with her. Think there's little "pretend." Some say she'swasting time and missing her kids for no real gain. I say Pennsylvaniahas enough predictable, phony politicians who believe in nothing the pollsdon't tell them."



• Aug. 1, 1998 - Philadelphia Inquirer
  Luksik files to run for governor a third time
  "This is the mostsuccessful governor's petition drive ever conducted in the history of Pennsylvaniapolitics," Luksik said at a news conference in the Capitol rotunda.



• July 17, 1998 - Tribune-Review
  Luksik kicks off gubernatorial campaign
  "Luksik also alleged that incumbent Republican Gov. Tom Ridge hasmade a backdoor political deal with the federal government on a controversialoutcomes-based education program, or OBE. She also claimed that Ridge hasseriously jeopardized gun ownership rights in the commonwealth."



• July 12, 1998 - The Patriot-News
  Ridge interested in Peg Luksik's finances
  "The Republicans and Democratswrote the laws, and enjoy the benefits third parties don't," Luksiksaid. Now they have to live with the flip side of their laws, when it doesn'tbenefit them. Sometimes it's fun to make career politicians live by theirown rules.



• May 25, 1998 - Tribune-Review
  Luksik has her hand on hot-button issue
  "Specifically, Luksik will probablyattack the incumbent governor's nonstance on abortion. She's also likelyto criticize the governor for signing a gun control bill two years ago andto note he may have violated his oath to uphold the commonwealth's constitution,which plainly states a citizen's right to own firearms "shall notbe questioned."



• March 15, 1998 - Philadelphia Inquirer
  Constitutional Party runs Luksik for governor
  "We're going to work torestore government to its rightful place in society, helping families,not being families," said Luksik. "



• Feb. 9, 1998 - Philadelphia Daily News
  For Dems, a short field - Not many want to run against Ridge
  "Shedoes confirm that people talked to her about running as a Democrat thisyear because her name and experience could lead to an upset primary win.But she's not interested."



• Jan. 12, 1998 - KQV-AM
  Luksik Wins Telephone Poll
  "Of the 1262 people who voted, 833 said they would vote for PegLuksik "



• Jan. 8, 1998 - Tribune-Review
  Luksik may join governor's race
  "When our founding fathers incorporatedthe Bill of Rights into the Constitution, they were affirming the inherentrights of the individual against the government collective," Luksiktestified. "To preserve those individual rights, they gave us a republic,not a democracy. In a republic, the rights of the one, or the few, areprotected from the tyranny of the many."



• Nov. 6, 1997 - The Wanderer
  Joseph Sobran, on Tom Ridge
  "He is, of course, pro-abortion. He doesn't evenenforce the state's Abortion Control Act, which requires counseling anda 24-hour waiting period before feticide. He has also increased state fundingof family planning clinics, where kids can get contraceptives without theirparents' knowledge."



• Sept. 29, 1997 - Philadelphia Inquirer
  Dynamic Peg Luksik eyes another run for governor
  "For more than adecade now, she has been a force in Harrisburg, bird-dogging issues rangingfrom sex education to the controversial outcomes-based education (OBE)guidelines that the state wanted to use to measure student performance."



• June 22, 1997 - Tribune-Review
  ANALYSIS: It'll take more than 5 little stones to topple Harrisburg Goliath
  "With the growing public disdain for both Democrats andRepublicans, Luksik could win in a three-or-more-way gubernatorialcontest, resulting in severe diminution of power for both Democraticand Republican legislative leaders. Thus, Luksik is viewed as a dangerousthreat to the political status quo."

• April 27, 1997 - Philadelphia Inquirer
  Want Access to Gov. Ridge? Join the Club.Members Pay $25,000 or more.What do they get for their money?
  "Thirty-seven Governor's Club members and directors are with companiesthat held state contracts worth about $530 million as of December, themidpoint of Ridge's term, records show. Roughly $375 million of the contractsbegan since January 1995, when Ridge took office."



• Aug. 3, 1997 - Philadelphia Inquirer
  An HMO Finds Lots of Money in Poverty.Six Special Audits Found HMA Profited Too Much From Taxpayers.But No Audit Called That Illegal.
  "As a member of the Governor's Club Board of Directors, he gave $20,000 toGov. Ridge's 1998 reelection campaign and has pledged $30,000 more. Welters and his wife, Beatrice, have given a total of $28,000 over the lasttwo years to congressional and senatorial candidates and to partyorganizations, generally in states where Welters does business, campaignfinance records show."



• June 1, 1998 - Philadelphia Inquirer
  Office leases granted to Ridge contributor
  "Ridge aides declined to release the losing proposals and theirwritten evaluation of those bids, saying Pennsylvania's Right to Knowlaw does not require it."



• Sept. 12, 1998 - Philadelphia Inquirer
  Backers of Ridge Get State Contract.Their Firm Will Help Insure a State Project.Previously, Contractors Chose Underwriters
  "A firm co-owned by a Republican transportation commissioner and hisbrother - both major contributors to Gov. Ridge - has been picked to share afirst-of-its-kind insurance contract on a new state office project."



• April 7, 1998 - Philadelphia Inquirer
  Donors Dominate Ridge's Picks for PA. Board
  " All but one of the 11 citizen members named by Gov. Ridge to theboard that runs the Pennsylvania state university system gave money, or hadfamily members who contributed, to the governor's campaign committee."



• Dec. 8, 1995 - Philadelphia Daily News
  Ridge Contributor Hired to Defend State in Suit.Zimmerman firm was paid 300G
  "Zimmerman was state attorney general from 1981 to 1989. He has held avariety of top posts in the Republican Party. He and his law firm gave nearly$20,000 to Ridge's campaign for governor last year."

• Feb. 19, 1998 - Philadelphia Daily News
  RX contract goes to Rite Aid -Ridge supporters run the drugstore chain
  "Rite Aid's retired chief executive officer, Alex Grass, and its newexecutive vice president, William A.K. Titelman, are longtime Ridgesupporters. They reportedly raised $230,000 for Ridge in 1995 at a dinner at Titelman'shome. "



• March 5, 1998 - Philadelphia Inquirer
  PA. Drug Contract Goes to Ridge Contributors -A consultant proposed eliminating Eagle's bid.The firm will manage state workers' prescription plan.
  "Eagle Managed Care, a subsidiary of Rite Aid Corp., won the contractdespite an independent consultant's recommendation that it be eliminated fromthe bidding. The consultant, after reviewing the bids of 10 firms, selectedfour finalists. The consultant's summary said Eagle's financial proposal wastoo high."



• Aug. 30, 1998 - Philadelphia Inquirer
  Rite Aid's role in managed care riles competitors -The big chain sees no problem in its dual position asretailer and overseer of drug reimbursement rates.
  "The Rite Aid competitors say the company has taken unfair advantage ofEagle's role by setting the amount it pays other pharmacies so low that theycannot afford to fill prescriptions. The low reimbursements don't affect RiteAid the same way, its competitors say, because whatever Keystone Mercy moneythat Eagle doesn't pay out in reimbursements is profit."

• Aug. 9, 1998 - Tribune-Review
  Regional firm overlooked when shipbuilder selects a foreign company forlucrative job
  "A controversy has erupted 10 months before Kvaerneris slated to begin operations. The Swedish shipbuilder has ordered a specializedhorizontal gantry crane from Portugal. The 250-foot-high unit will be builtto lift 600 tons and cost around $28 million. "



• Sept. 1, 1998 - Tribune-Review
  Senator wants probe of tax-supported shipyard project
  Noting the promises of administration officials and legislativeleaders that the Kvaerner deal would boost domestic manufacturing,Bodack wrote: "Unfortunately, from what we've seen so far, thegrand promise of Kvaerner is shaping up as yet anotherbroken promise for our people."



• Sept. 2, 1998 - Tribune-Review
  Investigation sought into shipyard agreement
  "Bodack said the $28 million purchase may violate the state's 1978 lawthat mandates the use of domestically produced steel in publicly fundedprojects."



• Sept. 13, 1998 - Tribune-Review
  Navy Yard project may be a sinking ship for taxpayers
  "And so, thequestion recurs: Have state, federal and local tax dollars been used tosubsidize an ailing foreign company and boost the short-term politicalfortunes of Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell and the guv? "



• Sept. 20, 1998 - Tribune-Review
  Casey prepares to audit shipyard conversion deal
  "Terms call for the Norwegian shipbuilder to construct at leastthree vessels there over the next several years."



• Oct. 20, 1998 - Philadelphia Inquirer
  Kvaerner shares have sunk in last year
  "On Oct. 21, 1997, Kvaerner traded at $29.25. Yesterday, it closedat $7.00, for a 76 percent loss. Kvaerner stock trades as Americandepositary receipts on the over-the-counter exchange. Its primaryexchange is in Oslo, Norway."

• Sept. 10, 1997 - Philadelphia Inquirer
  Common Cause sues to void PA. Gas Tax -House Democrats were told they had one hour to consider the bill -The suit calls it "sneak" legislation.
  "H.B. 67 represents 'sneak' legislation, devoid of proper public notice,''says the lawsuit against Gov. Ridge and members of his cabinet. "Thelegislative and executive branch leadership, determined to reduce thelegislative process to a meaningless show-piece acted out at the end of the'real' secretive and anti-democratic process, apparently believe thatcitizen's groups . . . will simply go away. . . . They are wrong."

• Oct. 26, 1995 - Philadelphia Inquirer
  Hundreds gather in Harrisburg to protest state officials' pay raise
  "I don't go to these things," Stumpf said of the rally. "But this reallyupset me. I'll vote for anybody but Ridge next time. He lied. This isabsolutely outrageous."

• Dec. 8, 1995 - Philadelphia Daily News
  Ridge Contributor Hired to Defend State in Suit.Zimmerman firm was paid 300G
  "Ridge announced Wednesday the state and Envirotest agreed to a $145 millionsettlement - believed to be the largest state settlement offer ever - to bepaid over 2 1/2 years with interest. The deal still needs state legislativeapproval."



• Feb. 22, 1998 - Tribune-Review
  ANALYSIS: Envirotest haunts lawmakers
  "LaValle and Kukovich noted the total payment to Envirotest couldexceed $200 million. That would include the 6 percent annualinterest on the unpaid balance. Plus, the state must compensateEnvirotest for any of the "E-Check" stations that are unsold as of July 1."

• June 28, 1998 - Tribune-Review
  State tax laws still tough on business
  One told the magazine "We never look to expand here and taxes area major reason for that." Another said the current tax system has"a negative economic development aspect to it."

• July 29, 1998 - Tribune-Review
  Review faults grant program
  "Millions of tax dollars subsidize questionableprograms or organizations across the state atthe whim of the Ridge administration andlegislative leaders, a bipartisan oversight committee charged Tuesday."



• March 8, 1998 - Tribune-Review
  Pot of Gold?
  "Democratic House Leader William DeWeese would notname names but he charged that some Democrats inAllegheny and Lehigh counties have been sellingtheir votes to Gov. Tom Ridge in exchange forCommunity Revitalization Program grants to financepet projects in their district."



• March 8, 1998 - Tribune-Review
  WAM challenger now sets sights on RAMs
  "In 1996, Ridge replaced WAMs with Community Revitalization Programgrants. The administration insists the new grant program is competitiveand accountable. Although the money is now identified in the statebudget, some lawmakers charge it's just a new for an old game.They derisively refer to the grants as RAMs, for RidgeAppreciation Money."



• March 8, 1998 - Tribune-Review
  WAM-rich Marshall memorial group now struggles for funds
  "The project - which Cluss estimates will cost between $600,000 and$700,000 - is being funded through various sources, including a$540,000 legislative initiative grant under the now defunct "WalkingAround Money" program."

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