Re-elect Levdansky: The 39th District has a reform-minded legislator

Thursday, October 02, 2008

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Voters in the 39th Legislative District have two high-contrast candidates to consider on Nov. 4: a 12-term incumbent who is sometimes at odds with his caucus leadership or a political newcomer who is an executive in her county party.

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Monica Douglas, Republican for the 39th House District, talks about:

David Levdansky, Democrat for the 39th House District, talks about:

Rep. David Levdansky, a Democrat from Forward, has served in the state House of Representatives since 1985. His recent call for the party's House leader, Rep. Bill DeWeese, to step aside as caucus chief and drop his re-election bid due to the Bonusgate scandal is typical of Mr. Levdansky's occasional independent streak.

While he's a generally reliable Democratic vote, Mr. Levdansky, 53, is a reform-minded lawmaker. He's pushed campaign finance reform for two decades. This year he offered a bill to eliminate school property taxes for homeowners by raising sales and income taxes -- an honest, though not inconsequential plan.

As a sportsman, he has defended gun ownership while promoting a sensible measure to curb the illegal trade by requiring owners to report lost or stolen handguns in three days.

His challenger, Monica Douglas, 37, would have voted against the bill. The president of Elizabeth Borough Council and executive director of Allegheny County's Republican Committee, she did not want the incumbent to go unchallenged. She ran against Mr. Levdansky six years ago and faults him for not accomplishing more. She, too, wants action on the property tax and praised a plan that would have eliminated it for seniors with incomes under $40,000.

Both told the Post-Gazette editorial board they wanted to reduce the size of the Legislature, with Mr. Levdansky adding that a constitutional convention could take up other reforms, too.

They differed on the proposed consolidation of the Allegheny County and Pittsburgh governments, with Mr. Levdansky supporting it as long as county taxpayers are not stuck with the city's pension debt. Ms. Douglas said that "the devil's in the details" and had the mistaken impression that municipalities like hers would disappear.

She also criticized the new law that will cut the number of tax collectors in the state, saying it will take away her town's ability to hire the firm it wants. Mr. Levdansky said the law will improve efficiency and reduce fragmented government.

Those benefits should appeal to residents of the 39th District, who live in Clairton, Forward, South Park, Elizabeth Borough, Jefferson Hills, West Elizabeth and part of Elizabeth Township in Allegheny County, plus Nottingham, Union, Finleyville, New Eagle and part of Carroll in Washington County.

For backing these and other forwarding-thinking ideas, David Levdansky has earned the Post-Gazette's endorsement.

First published on October 2, 2008 at 12:00 am