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Defining ‘Progress’

by Tom Knox

I believe Pennsylvania voters are less concerned with which candidate claims to be the most “progressive,” and more concerned about which candidate is most focused on progress—in solving the challenges and problems in their lives.

Labels such as “conservative” and “progressive” offer little solace to working families that are struggling to pay their utility bills, save for college tuition or obtain affordable medical care. For all the taxes paid by middle class homeowners, very little is returned to them in the form of relevant services for their families. We have a rare opportunity to reassess and respond to this fundamental issue. Unless we stand unabashedly—without pretense and without reserve—for quality-of-life issues that matter to working Pennsylvanians, we will have ignored the real problems facing our state.

It is no longer enough to be a “progressive” candidate. We must elect a candidate who demands progress.

As Theodore Sorensen, JFK’s former advisor and speechwriter, wrote in his book Why I Am a Democrat, “I care very little for labels. I care about contents.”  I believe that being a Democrat is less about labeling oneself “progressive” and more about seeking tangible “progress” in resolving the concerns and problems most of us face on a daily basis.

Electing a “progressive” or “liberal” governor accomplishes little if that person lacks an understanding of the needs and concerns of working families or the capacity to reach across the partisan canyon that exists in Harrisburg and compromise political ideology for tangible results. What is important is how each candidate proposes to use the tools of government to correct the problems most families face as they struggle to succeed and meet the challenges of a difficult economic environment.

The future success of the Democratic Party will depend on how effectively it is able to serve as a voice for working families and assert workable solutions to problems they face.

The next Governor of Pennsylvania must recognize the impending crisis of rising electric rates and provide a workable plan to protect ratepayers; acknowledge the critical role community colleges play in providing affordable post-high school education opportunities and provide needed job training programs; and perhaps most importantly, create jobs, foster economic growth and encourage small business development so that everyone has an opportunity to earn a living wage.

I do not know if I am “progressive,” though I support effective gun control measures, reproductive rights of women and legal equality without regard to sexual orientation. I do not know if I am “conservative,” though I believe that government must operate within its means and placing more tax burdens on families is no longer acceptable. I am a Democrat because I believe it is the proper role and moral responsibility of government to aid those in need and to improve the quality of life for all. I am running for Governor because I know, from my own life experiences, what it means to face and overcome economic hardships and I believe that government can be used to improve the condition of life for all.

I am a Democrat, plain and simple.

The writer, a former deputy mayor of Philadelphia, is a Democratic candidate for governor.

September 8, 2009 at 10:36 am

--Tom Knox

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