Mass. State Rep Visits Easton in Support of Obama

Massachusetts State Representative John Scibak made a brief stop in Easton Thursday at the local in support for the President's re-election and to express disapproval of Republican challenger Mitt Romney's handling of affairs when he was governor of Scibak's home state.

“We know how important it is to re-elect (Obama), not only for the country, but for Pennsylvania,” Scibak said at a press conference.

Scibak said the President needs more time to pull the country out of the economic slump, adding that four years is not enough to fix problems he said were created by the previous administration over it's eight-year tenure.

Electing Romney over Obama would hurt economic recovery, Scibak said, adding that the former Massachusetts governor's policies weren't beneficial to his state.

“(Romney) talked about creating jobs,” Scibak said, adding that Massachusetts was 36^th in the nation when it came to job creation when Romney was elected, but fell to 47^th out of the 50 states by the time he left office.

“My purpose in Easton is to say, 'don't look at the rhetoric, look at the facts,'” he said. “I've lived through this before. It's sort of like (the movie) Groundhog Day. His words, and even his gestures are the same.”

Massachusetts lost 40,000 jobs during Romney's time in office, Scibak said, adding that the rate was twice the national average.

“He's failed. I think the message here is, it didn't work there and it won't work for the country,” Scibak said.

He added that during his time as governor in Massachusetts, Romney wasn't willing to reach across party lines to come up with bipartisan solutions.

“What would that person do in the case of an international crisis? I just don't think he can do it...If you think Washington is broken now, it will be total gridlock if Romney is elected,” Scibak said.

Additionally, Romney raised the tax burden by $1,200 per person and implemented or raised user-fees from everything from marriage licenses to the cost of state IDs certifying disability for the blind, he said.

“Massachusetts was not better after he was elected...but Massachusetts has thrived after he left,” Scibak said. “People criticize Obama...but he's also faced the worst economic crisis, not just here, but in the world.”

Scibak is not only disappointed with Romney's “dismal” economic legacy, but for other reasons as well, including his handling of the state's universal health care program.

The former governor signed Massachusetts universal health care bill in Faneuil Hall with fanfare, but then vetoed several provisions privately later the very same day back in his office in the state hall without even notifying the bill's sponsors in the state legislature or the public, Scibak said. Additionally, he later cut funding for the senior prescription plan, the state representative charged.

“How can you live in one of the richest countries in the world and deny people health care?” he asked.

Scibak said his reason for campaigning against Romney are because he feels it's important people hear his personal experience with the former governor.

“I'm disappointed with the lack of the truth. This isn't the sort of thing you're going to see in a 15-second sound bite,” he said. “I see a president who tries and is willing to get his hands dirty...versus someone who's like the Wizard of Oz. I've seen behind the curtain, and I don't like what I see.”

Scibak's visited three cities in Pennsylvania Thursday, stopping in the Lehigh Valley right after speaking briefly in Reading. He was headed to Wilkes-Barre next.

He said he plans to make more day trips in various states until the Massachusetts State Legislature ends its sessions at the end of July, and then he will travel more extensively in support of the Obama campaign and to continue getting his message out.

“We're thrilled,” said Easton Democratic Chairwoman Sandra Vulcano of his visit to the city Thursday. “We're just so happy to have him.”