Republican David Molony held a press conference Nov. 16 to get the word out on some of his campaign commitments. A special election is scheduled Dec. 5 to fill the seat vacated by Dan McNeill for the 133rd Legislative District.

“I’ve talked to more than 25,000 people in the district over the past years,” Molony said. “They want to participate more in how decisions in Harrisburg are made.”

To meet that demand, Molony said he is going to use his constituent contact mail to show voters important pending legislation and solicit feedback on how he should vote.

“Rather than use my two mailings a year to tout my accomplishments, I want to have a list of important bills that are on the agenda and set up a way people in the 133rd District can respond with their thoughts on legislation,” he said. “I’ll vote the way the majority wants to go.

“I don’t know why more representatives don’t do this. When people, rather than special interests or political parties, participate in the process, there will be a sea of change in how government works,” Molony said.

And there are big decisions coming up in the immediate future. There is a state funding deficient to deal with, but importantly there is a big question on how schools will be funded. Molony wants to set up town hall meetings to discuss issues like funding education.

“These need to be addressed in detail,” he said, “and it may take more than one town hall meeting.” Molony said the average tax bill is now $5,000.

“Young families cannot afford to purchase a home because the monthly tax escrow is simply too much, putting the dream of home ownership out of reach,” he added. “Multigenerational farms are being sold off piece by piece to pay tax bills. We need local farming.”

Molony has extensive experience working with politicians in Harrisburg. He and his team authored three pieces of legislation on professional licensing. He shepherded the bills through the legislature and onto the governor for signature. He worked with Governors Ridge and Rendell. Molony worked with state Sen. James Rhoades, whom he considers his mentor.

“He taught me a lot about how to work both sides of the aisle for constituents,” Molony said. “Rhoades believed firmly in looking at education as a lifelong experience.”