I asked Cliff what I should talk about tonight, and he simply said, talk about why you’re running. The easy answer is, I’m running because he asked me to, the longer answer is - I'm running because a long time ago, my father told me I shouldn’t complain if I wasn’t willing to work for change. After fifteen years in Delaware County, I’ve decided the time has come to get off the sidelines.

Like many of you, I’ve chafed at what I thought seemed to be the Democratic Party trying to out-republican the Republicans. We seemed to accept the premise that being a Democrat was something we should be embarrassed about, and being a liberal was something to be ashamed of. The fact my friends, is that’s not true, and we all know it. The fact is that it’s almost impossible to name anything good the government in this country has done in the last century that hasn't been the idea of liberal Democrats, Democrats like Franklin Roosevelt and John Kennedy, and hasn’t been opposed by conservative Republicans like Ronald Reagan and George Bush. These ideas changed the country for the better, like social security, Medicare, civil rights, women’s rights, environmental protection, the list goes on and on.

In Delaware County, we’ve gotten used to hearing that Democrats can’t be elected. And where does that come from? This is a working class county, populated by good people who work hard to protect their families and give their kids a good life. In short, this is a county that should be Democratic. And yet, we accept it when the Republican state controlled media tells us that a Democrat can’t win. Well they’re wrong, and we’ve proved it. Greg Vitali proved it. Connie Williams proved it. Thaddeus Kirkland proved it. Ed Rendell proved it, and yes my friends, Al Gore proved it. In fact, I truly believe that the only thing that keeps the Republicans in office in this county is a toxic mix of patronage, no show jobs, pay-to-play contracts and political dirty tricks. Because they certainly haven’t done the job of running the county. They’ve loaded up a one-party council, judiciary, county service system and public works, and then sat back and enjoyed the fun for fifteen years. Well, I’m here to tell you that party’s over.

This is the year the Democrats reclaim Delaware County. This is the year we take back the soul of the party, the year we say the job of government is not to do a bad job on the cheap, but to work efficiently, openly, honestly and inclusively in the best interests of the people of Delaware County.

What does that mean? Well, for starters, it means that Delaware County needs a Health department. We are probably the largest county in the United States without a health department. Let me give you one quick example of why that’s so. Two years ago, when I was researching these numbers for Tony Campisi, Delaware County had the highest rate of Lyme Disease in the state, a little over 1400 cases. This year, we reported just 375. I’d like to believe that number is real. But with no county effort to reduce the number, I have to believe it’s just bad reporting. There is one other possibility, of course, and that is that we’ve plowed under so much of the county in reckless, uncontrolled urban sprawl that there aren’t any places left for deer ticks. But without a county health department, there’s no way to know.

Now, we’ve listened to the Republicans tell us we can’t afford it. I’d like to know what these guys know that the rest of the country doesn’t. I’d like to know how they explain turning down state and federal money that can only go to county health departments. I’d like to know why Delaware County doesn’t get state matching money for health department support, money which could be more than $3 million dollars a year. I'd like to know why the county doesn't have a health department to deal with infectious diseases like SARS, like West Nile Virus, and, yes, bioterrorism. Of course, I suppose we could all go buy duct tape, but I think it’s the responsibility of county government to do better.

Delaware County needs progressive, visionary leaders to plan careful growth, real economic recovery, and an open, representative government in Media. We need to work with Governor Rendell to enact the laws we need to save our schools without impoverishing our seniors. You can’t send the man to Harrisburg to do a job, and not give him the tools he needs. He needs a legislature to work with him, not against him, and for starters, he needs Bill Thomas in the 168^th.

And that’s why I’m here tonight, with Debbie Thomas and Bob Small, to say that the time has come for a united Democratic Party to bring about the end of 25 years of the Republican Guard in Media, in Harrisburg, and in Washington.

We need to register voters, yes. We need to vote, of course. But we also need to put on a button that says I’m a Democrat and I’m proud of it, and I won’t be bullied by the cabal of Republican fat cats who run this county. We need to talk to our friends, our neighbors, our families, to reach out to young people, seniors, minorities, to get out the vote if we have to drag it out, to say to the people of Delaware county you can do better for your kids, for your parents, for your schools, for your courts.

Thank you, and let's go out and win.