Mt. Lebanon man announces candidacy for Congress
With education the centerpiece of his campaign, Mike Crossey chose the backdrop of Aiken Elementary School in Keystone Oaks, a school district in Allegheny County where he once taught, to formally announce his Congressional candidacy Aug. 21.
The 66-year-old retired teacher from Mt. Lebanon would have to emerge as the nominee in the 2018 Democratic primary to challenge U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, in the 18th Congressional District, which includes parts of Washington, Greene, Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.
Acknowledging last week on his way to campaign at the Washington County Fair that he was inspired to run by former Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Crossey discussed what he called a seven-point “college affordability action plan” that would, if enacted, cut the cost of public college tuition in half.
Among Crossey’s points is that manufacturers requiring employees with highly-skilled, specialized training would be provided a tax credit equal to the cost of the program for partnering with an institution of higher education or apprenticeship program if the training results in at least 75 percent graduation and employment rate in that field. Crossey proposes funding this plan by imposing what he called “a small speculation fee on Wall Street investment houses and hedge funds.”
“Let me emphasize very strongly (that) this fee is not on ordinary investors, mutual fund investors or pension plans. It is a transaction tax on high-speed, million-dollar plus speculative trades,” Crossey said, adding that he expects would raise up to $500 billion per year.
To revive an American manufacturing base, Crossey said he supports a $2 trillion per year infrastructure rebuilding program of roads, bridges, rails, schools and energy industries that would prioritize solar and wind power.
“Our American workers are fighting an uphill battle. Hardworking Americans should get every financial shot we can give them,” he said, supporting clean coal while not denying market forces, such as the growth of the natural gas industry.
Crossey said he was a Republican when he volunteered for the campaign of former South Hills legislator Mike Fisher of Upper St. Clair. Since changing his party affiliation, he has also been a delegate to the Democratic National Convention and was president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association. He said the 180,000-member union reimbursed the Keystone Oaks School District for his salary and benefits package while he was serving in the elected statewide position.
In Harrisburg, Crossey worked with other statewide leaders and union officials to create the Coalition for Labor Engagement and Accountable Revenues and became co-chair of the state labor table during Republican Gov. Tom Corbett’s administration. He also served on Allegheny County Council and was a Mt. Lebanon commissioner.
“My strength is building relationships with people.” he said “My advantage here is that no one will ever outwork me. I will be in all four counties. I won’t concede any of them.”
He cited what he called “anxiety about the economy and now health care,” and noted that Murphy has voted repeatedly to repeal the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare. Crossey also questioned how Murphy’s mental health bill will be funded.
Murphy, an eight-term incumbent, has not had a primary or general election opponent since 2012, when he handily defeated Democratic Washington County Commissioner Larry Maggi of Buffalo Township. Voters within the district have chosen Republican nominees for president by increasingly wide margins since 2000, with Donald Trump garnering 58 percent of the vote to Hillary Clinton’s 38.5 percent last year.
Saying that he does not expect his candidacy to be a referendum on the Trump presidency, Crossey opined, “I don’t think the Republican trickle-down theory has ever worked. I think Tim walks that fine line in what he says, but Tim has a 97 percent voting record with the Republican Party.”
Petition circulating is more than six months away, but Crossey has already been on the campaign trail this summer.
“I’ve never been in a race where I was not the underdog,” Crossey said.