2020 Candidate Profile: Deb Ciamacca, State Rep, 168th District

Deb Ciamacca

Age (as of Election Day)

61

Position Sought

Pennsylvania State House of Representatives 168

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

Husband- Rich is a lawyer....former US Navy submarine officer; Son - Chris is an IT analyst

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

no

Education

BA - Journalism/History Penn State University; MBA - New Hampshire College; MA Political Science -Villanova

Occupation

US Marine Corps Officer (5 years - left as a Captain) Manufacturing Manager (15 years - Unisys, Raytheon, Neutronics) ; High School Social Studies Teacher ( 19 years - Conestoga HS) President Tredyffrin Easttown Education Association (5 years)

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

no

Campaign website

www.debciamacca.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

After the Parkland shooting one of my students asked me why no one was doing anything to protect kids' lives....she asked me why were people only fighting to protect Second Amendment lives. I realized that she was right...and that I needed to do something. I wrote an article for Time magazine that said teachers should NOT be armed in the classroom and advocating for common sense gun reform. I appeared on tv and radio and made speeches...but I realized that that was not enough. Harrisburg is broken. Gun reform bills are not even being considered. I want to go to Harrisburg to represent the 80% of Pennsylvanians who want background checks and common sense gun reform.

The single most pressing issue facing our state/nation is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Over the last 50 years the "power elite" in our society....those with money and power...have used that money and power to write the economic and societal rules in their favor. Issues ranging from education to the military to gun reform are being held hostage to big money that is given to politicians to influence them. Pennsylvania is one of the worst states in this regard. We have NO limit as to how much money can be given to politicans. A millionaire could literally give one million to a politician in return for influence on a particular issue. Pennsylvania needs to implement ethics reform and transparency in government so that this sordid state of affairs is brought to the public's attention.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Leadership. Leadership. Leadership. I am the oldest of six kids. My mom died when I was 11 and my dad needed my help with the other kids...so I had to be a leader. I didn't have the money to go to college so I applied for and won a Naval ROTC scholarship to Penn State and was commissioned one of the first women Marine Corps officers to go through combat training. After the military, I helped to break the glass ceiling in business, working as one of the few women Manufacturing Managers to lead a department. As a Social Studies teacher at Conestoga High School, I became president of the teacher's union, where I tried to balance the needs of teachers with the needs of the community. My entire life I faced hard issues head on. People look to me to help them because I "lead from the front" and take the harder right rather than the easier position.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the incumbent failed the district?

Chris Quinn is a very nice man who has not challenged his very conservative Republican leadership. He claims to be a moderate Republican but his party recently held hearings reinforcing the idea that there is no climate change. He claims to represent moderate positions, but the chairman of the Judiciary Committee (a Republican) will not even bring a background bill for a vote. Mr. Quinn often votes for a bill at the committee level...then votes against it on the floor of the House. He has not been a leader on the big issues facing our Commonwealth. Voters need to understand that Quinn's vote is a vote for a Republican leadership that is as conservative as Alabama's. That leadership has not allowed Democrats to offer amendments or to even speak in committee hearings. The leadership needs to be changed...and the only way to do that is to flip the House from Republican to Democratic.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

Education

I am a proud graduate of Phoenixville High School and I firmly believe in public education. As a 19 year teacher at Conestoga High School, one of the finest public high schools in America, I believe that public education is the pathway to a better life for all of our citizens.
I will work tirelessly to increase education funding, free our students from restrictive standardized tests, support our teachers’ independence, and adapt our schools to meet the needs of the 21st Century. I also believe we should increase funding and access to vocational training.

Fiscal Responsibility

As a former Manufacturing Manager at both small and large corporations, I was responsible for keeping and maintaining a budget. I couldn’t borrow endlessly to balance the budget. I had to make tough decisions. In Harrisburg, politicians are playing games with the budget rather than making the tough structural decisions that need to be made. We need to achieve fiscal sustainability by cutting unnecessary spending, instituting a severance tax, and by closing tax loopholes.

Environment

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the trustee of the people’s resources. We have a duty to preserve these resources for future generations of Pennsylvanians. To that end, I believe that we need to immediately review the permitting of the Mariner pipelines and shut down the pipeline when it endangers our citizens.
I support a moratorium on fracking in the Delaware River Basin, increased funding for the Department of Environmental Protection, a fair severance tax, and stricter laws to protect our air, land, water, and natural environment. I have also taken the #NoFuelMoneyPledge

Gun Violence

As a teacher and as a former Marine Corps officer, I am angered by the scourge of gun violence in our schools and country. I am tired of waking up to news of another school shooting. I am also tired of the quick and seemingly easy solutions such as arming teachers with guns.
I believe in common sense measure that will make our schools and communities safer:
-A bump stock ban
-Universal background checks on all gun sales
-An assault weapons ban
-A limit on the types of ammunition that can be purchased
-Gun buyback programs
-Increased funding for mental health
I will fight tirelessly to work with my fellow legislators to achieve these reforms

Fair Elections and Fair Government

Voters should pick their representatives, not the other way around. It is imperative that we establish a bipartisan commission to draw the district lines for both congressional and state house elections. The people of Pennsylvania deserve to vote in elections that matter. Every vote should count.

Voting itself should be easy to do. We should increase the amount of time that voting can occur. We must make the registration process easier and more accessible. Absentee voting restrictions should be removed so that every Pennsylvanian can easily participate in the government.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

1. I can handle stress and challenges. As a Marine Corps officer leading both men and women Marines, I learned that real leadership means setting the example and taking responsibility for your actions. I was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal for excellence in leadership.
2. I have technical competence. I worked in the electronics industry as a manufacturing manager. I supervised hundreds of employees in a fast paced, highly technical environment. I can think on my feet and react to challenges.
3. I can communicate. As a high school social studies teacher I taught AP Economics, AP US Government and many other subjects to some of the finest students in the country. I was voted both the PECO teacher of the year and was voted the Most Compassionate Teacher by the students.
4. I can represent people. As president of the teacher's union I represented over 500 teachers and negotiated fair contracts for the teachers and the community.

The best advice ever shared with me was …

You're never as good as you think you are when you win; and you're never as bad as you feel when you lose.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I think the biggest thing missing from our politics is authenticity and caring. People want to know that their representatives are there for them, to listen to them even if they can't solve their problems. State reps need to be more representatives and less legislators. I care deeply about the people in my district and will always listen to them even when I cannot fix the problem right away.