October 13, 1998

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Ray Masters
Phone: 717-476-1530
E-mail: gail4rep@mailexcite.com
Website: http://www.angelfire.com/pe/gail4rep
 

POCONO TOWNSHIP, PA - Candidate Gail Mastroberte today urged both Republican and Democrat legislators to cease the practice of redistributing taxpayer money to businesses, corporations, and special interest groups.

Mastroberte cited a guide produced by the Department of Community and Economic Development and distributed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania called the "Funding Source Directory".

The directory is described as a one stop shopping guide on how to obtain government subsidies and low interest loans, and has been touted by State Representative Joseph Battisto (D-Monroe) as "funding available to help entrepreneurs, community and non-profit groups, economic development agencies, local governments and other entities to make Pennsylvania an even better place to live."

"There is no such thing in life as a free lunch," said Mastroberte,  "These subsidies and tax breaks have to be paid for by those who don't get this preferential treatment."  "I am a strong defender of the free enterprise system," the Libertarian candidate continued, "but that system depends upon the market rewarding businesses who invest wisely; not upon politicians picking which businessman gets a subsidy."

"Corporate welfare may not be the name that they give it, but that's really what it is," Mastroberte maintained.  "Take the push for taxpayer funding of stadiums, for example," she said, "that is a tremendous subsidy to the teams' owners, who then can afford to bid up the salaries of sports stars."

"Governor Ridge wants Pennsylvania in the shipbuilding business, but if he guesses wrong that will be a tremendous misallocation of investment capital," Mastroberte declared, citing another recent example.

Meanwhile, state legislators have introduced protectionist legislation triggered by the proposed buyout of AMP Incorporated of Harrisburg by Allied Signal Inc. of New Jersey.  "The state legislators supporting this bill want to claim election-year benefits while refusing to consider the effects this bill will have on the future decisions of businesses to open or relocate here," charged Mastroberte.  "Centralized state economic planning has failed all over the globe, do we have to repeat the same mistakes the Japanese have already made?" questioned the Libertarian candidate.

Gail Mastroberte is a registered nurse running for the 189th legislative district seat currently held by 8-term incumbent Joseph W. Battisto. She lives in Pocono Township with her husband and two children.