Pitts provides boost to Royer campaign

U.S. Congressman Joe Pitts, R-16th, recently visited West Chester to stump for Shannon Royer, the Republican candidate in the 156th District race, according to the West Chester Daily Local News.

Royer hopes to unseat incumbent state Rep. Barbara McIlvaine Smith, D-156th, of West Chester, in the November general election.

From the Daily Local News:

"I'm looking forward to working with you on the campaign trail," Pitts said to a lunchtime crowd of supporters at Royer's South Church Street office. "It's a winnable office."

Royer campaigned against McIlvaine Smith in 2006 and narrowly lost following a recount. The publicity surrounding the recount has proved helpful in this campaign.

"I've been out since January knocking on doors. Everyone remembers me," Royer said.

"People are frustrated when the economy slows down. People look at how the state spends money, and they want new leadership," Royer said.

He unveiled an eight-point plan for changing the way the state spends money and taxes families and businesses.

Chief among his proposals is to increase state funding for education. The West Chester Area School District, in particular, receives the minimum state funding increases, he said, which is one reason why property taxes are rising.

McIlvaine Smith did not support a measure to eliminate property taxes and voted in favor of the $28.3 billion deficit budget introduced by Gov. Ed Rendell. McIlvaine Smith has one of the worst records in the House when it comes to supporting reform measures and votes with the Democratic Party leadership nearly 100 percent of the time.

Read more about this closely watched House race at the newspaper's Web site.