web1_Kaufer.jpg

Aaron Kaufer seeks second term representing 120th District

web1_Sandusky.jpg

Man claiming to be shower victim to testify in Sandusky case

<p>A self-described handywoman, Betsy Summers would take her tool box to Harrisburg if elected as state representative.</p><p>&#8220;I like to fix things,&#8221; she said, adding there&#8217;s plenty to apply her hands-on approach in the state legislature.</p><p>A Libertarian, Summers is making her second attempt to unseat Democrat Eddie Day Pashinski in the 121 Legislative District.</p><p>She focused on four issues - online gambling and education funding asked of all candidates and property tax and pension reform selected specifically for this race - during a pre-election interview with the Times Leader.</p><p>The latest state budget included $100 million in revenue from online gambling even though no such legislation has allowed its approval, she said.</p><p>&#8220;So it doesn&#8217;t matter what I say about online gambling because it&#8217;s a done deal,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Summers, who works in sales, criticized the state&#8217;s reliance on &#8220;sin taxes&#8221; on alcohol, tobacco and gambling to raise revenues. &#8220;To me, that&#8217;s a sin that our state budget is based on these issues without them tightening their belts,&#8221; she said of current legislators.</p><p>Public education funding isn&#8217;t something that can be addressed by itself, Summers said, who sees that funding as tied into property tax and pension reform.</p><p>&#8220;I think the state needs to be way more progressive in the way it taxes,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Eliminating school district property taxes and replacing them with a higher personal income tax and sales tax applied to a broader list of goods and services, as pending legislation calls for, would create a funding source to be distributed by the state based on a per-student basis, she explained.</p><p>&#8220;So if the Wilkes-Barre Area school system can prove it educates its children better than Dallas and they bring in more students, they get more funding,&#8221; Summers said.</p><p>The state legislature&#8217;s vote for a 50-percent pension increase in 2001 and its avoidance of addressing pension reform has created an estimated $63 billion unfunded liability, Summers said.</p><p>&#8220;Part of the problem is is that, for years and years and years, they&#8217;ve been kicking this thing down the road and saying, &#8216;OK we&#8217;ll worry about this next year,&#8217;&#8221; she said.</p><p>Summers proposes auditing the state legislature with a Libertarian auditor general who&#8217;s not been a state representative to determine how much is in its Rainy Day Fund. However much it has stashed away should be applied to the estimated $400 million owed for its pension obligation, she said.</p><p>&#8220;Let&#8217;s show people that they&#8217;re actually doing something about this pension issue,&#8221; Summers said.</p><p>She acknowledged she thinks her opponent is a nice guy but her opinion of him as her elected representative is much different.</p><p>&#8220;I truly believe he thinks he is doing an exceptional job in Harrisburg and he is, according to the Democrat machine, because he does whatever they tell him what to do,&#8221; she said, adding, &#8220;But when it comes to my pocketbook, he&#8217;s not.</p><p>&#8220;I would align myself with the ones who feel that their master is the taxpayer and the voter who elected them and not their campaign contributors,&#8221; she added.</p><p>To learn more about key Election Day races and issues, visit the <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/tag/Election2016" target="_blank">Times Leader election page</a>.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL101816Betsy-Summers1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Summers </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL101816Betsy-Summers1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Summers </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL101816Betsy-Summers2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Summers </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL101816Betsy-Summers2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Summers </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL101014Betsysummers1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Betsy Summers is running for state Representitive on the the Liberitarian Party ticket. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TTL101014Betsysummers1.jpg</photo2><caption2>Betsy Summers is running for state Representitive on the the Liberitarian Party ticket. </caption2><photoCredit2>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>BETSY SUMMERS</strong></p><p><strong>Political party:</strong> Libertarian</p><p><strong>Incumbent:</strong> No</p><p><strong>Age:</strong> 59</p><p><strong>Hometown:</strong> Schenectady, N.Y.</p><p><strong>Family:</strong> Daughter, Amber</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Libertarian Betsy Summers makes another try for 121st seat