“Rep. Vereb would rather protect the image of Governor Corbett than protect our children,” Devine continued. “We shouldn’t expect anything more from someone who voted to slash almost $5.6 million from our local schools and cut Medicaid for more than 100,000 kids and families in order to give huge tax breaks to drilling companies.”

I'm assuming you have verifiable evidence to back this claim?

Though Mike Vereb is an amiable, though irascible, hardworking fellow, he falls quite short on the character trail.

Mike Vereb calls Vahan Gureghian a "close personal friend" (as does Governor Corbett). Who is Vahan Gureghian? Governor Corbett's leading contributor (and Vereb and Rafferty). Gureghian is a charter school operator and the driving force behind all of the Charter School legislation you see being introduced along with the ALEC legislation.

Mike is tireless in his effort, often working until very late at night responding to constituents contacts. He comes from humble beginnings, a Hungarian heritage, a policeman, township supervisor and now state representative. He has done a fairly good job as selling himself as all things to all people.

Mike would like to be a career politician and take advantage of the lucrative state pension, the same pension plan as public school teachers, though more lucrative. At the same time he is trying to strip teachers of their pensions and passing charter school legislation to benefit "my good friend" Vahan Gureghian.

So Kelly is quite correct. Mike knows what side his bread is buttered. It's just that it's not your side. More later.

Why is Kelly Devine quoting herself as if she had scored some kind of exclusive interview with herself? "I think the accusations that Kelly Devine makes in this awkwardly worded Patch announcement are ridiculous," said Olivia, a Patch commenter."As a Penn Stater and a citizen, I'm appalled that Kelly Devine has abandoned truth in her district. Equating a waste of taxpayer money on a Sandusky-related partisan witch hunt against Governor Corbett with the 'abandoment of PA's children' sounds like the desperate ramblings of a very weak candidate."

Hi Olivia - Patch encourages readers to post press releases as announcements.
Most of our announcements are press releases from businesses, non-profits, and politicians in the area.

Well, Olivia, I see you have come to your husband's defense....pathetic.

Mike Vereb's campaign is flailing. Disingenuous is a kind description.

Vereb's rubber stamping of the ALEC legislation, disenfranchising his "constituents" and stealing lobbying money from PSEA as well as other organizations is despicable.

Mike, though working long hours, is certainly not working for the average citizen who fails to have his ear or his support. Mike Vereb is bought and sold by Vahan Gureghian and others similarly situated.

Vereb has become so desperate as to both threaten and extort his constiutents so as to silence them. He knows that his message is bereft and that his record is not only lacking but severely tainted by his biases.

Look for further efforts to hide from his record, escape from voting for key legislation, support for charter schools and his buddy Vahan Gureghian. Vereb also includes Governor Tom Corbett among his close friends. It would be kind to call Mike Vereb naive. It would be more accurate to call him clever and dishonest.

No Olivia, I know you like you nice West Norriton home. But Kelly not only has the right but the responsibility to keep the constituents informed.

Sorry for your inconvenience.

Joshua,

These numbers come from the PSEA. If you go to the drop down menu at the bottom half of the page, the numbers are available by district and county:
<http://www.psea.org/apps/budget/budgetimpact.aspx>;

The effects in the Medicaid come from cuts to those most in need, those in poverty and the disabled. These people use the General Assistance (GA) program to afford these services.
- The elimination of GA cash assistance will affect 67,000 Pennsylvanians living in poverty, including survivors of domestic violence, disabled or sick individuals:
<http://www.phlp.org/state-budget-proposal-governors-cuts-would-affect-most-vulnerable>;
- 41,467 Pennsylvanians were affected after AdultBasic was shut down:
<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/health/policy/02pennsylvania.html?_r=1>;]

Wow. What an incredibly self-serving blog you've written, Kelly.

Sorry Feodor, or Mohandus, but I'm not Rep Vereb';s wife, only a constituent satified with my representation. On the other hand, I think it's very sweet the way you rush to defend your girlfriend. Unfortunately, I'm really not interested in electing a rep who is only interested in playing partisan gotcha politics, so in fairness to Kelly, I did check out her website and her platform is very vague. Where does Kelly stand on the issues I care about? For or against 422 tolling? How does she feel about HB 1776? What are her plans to address the pension bomb?

A comment was deleted because it violates the Patch Terms of Service.

The title alone is laughable. Mike Vereb Flees. Anyone who knows Mike Vereb knows that Mike does NOT flee. I think Kelly really needs to rethink her position. This is an amateur attempt to gain attention.

Let's examine a few things. Let's start with HR 520. Does Kelly really believe that Eric Holder (of Fast and Furious fame) is unaware of the Sandusky situation? And that maybe, just maybe his office might already be involved? I would like Kelly to address why the House Democrats made their end-run attempt at the resolution, I can tell you---politics. Rather than work on legislation that would actually protect children (HB2318), the Democrats chose politics. And politics have no business in a criminal investigation. Maybe she should do a little bit more homework and read the following: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/opinion/perspectives/they-just-stood-by-penn-state-administrators-may-have-let-sandusky-slide-but-tom-corbett-didnt-644519/#ixzz28QzpXhiZ

Ok, now that we have that out of the way, let's talk about PSEA. If PSEA thought for a minute that Mike Vereb was taking millions of dollars away from the kids, why on earth would they support him, much less donate money to him? Kelly---how much have you received from PSEA?

I would like to know what Kelly is FOR? Let's hear about 422.

No, Mike Vereb flees. Whatever image Mike presents he is beholden in his entirety to the ALEC agenda, to "my good friend" Vahan Gureghian, and to "my good friend" Tom Corbett.

I agree that Mike comes off as a nice guy. He also comes off as an extortionist and thin skinned when called out of his record. Mike, a resident of West Norriton, was eerily silent when he watched his NIMBY neighbors nix a YMCA.

Yeah he is not all that he is cracked up to be. Why? Because if Mike is not re-elected, he is not going to go back to being a cop, he won't get paid to be a township supervisor, he won't be eligible to work with children in his friend Vahan Gureghian's charter schools. He's going to have to get a job that won't have the pension plan he currently enjoys, one more lucrative that he opposes for teachers as he accepts PSEA money.

No Caroline, you are quite wrong. You don't know the Mike who would sell his soul for a political position he loathes yet exploits to his personal advantage.

You and other R's are going to have to do much better name call. And you can help Mike by re-acquainting him with the ethics he is obliged to follow.

Mohandus, obviously you and Kelly are monitoring this site yet you still refuse to answer a basic question: 422 tolling, HB 1776 and the pension bomb are the biggest issues that the state house has been dealing with for the last two years, and Kelly hasn't defined a position on any of them less than four weeks before the election. (I can only assume the gushing on her website about infrastructure is some sort of Democratic code for "full speed ahead on tolling 422"). The shadowy cloak and dagger stuff you are slinging at Rep Vereb doesn't ring true to those who have ever dealt with him. So rather than tells us why we SHOULDN'T vote for Vereb, how about a reason---any reason---to vote FOR Kelly? And the earlier comment on this thread that was deleted contained a pretty startling relevation itself---I can only speculate as to why it was deleted, but it's still in my inbox so I know what it said----but if true, Kelly should disclose. The voters have a right to know if she will be able to perform her duties in the state house unencumbered with other responsibilities.

The comment was deleted because it contained false information. Posting inaccurate information violates the Patch Terms of Service.

I would be disappointed if this were the extent of the race for the 150th.

Thanks for clearing that up, Brittany. Though I could make a case that this blog and about half of the comments on it contain false information. Just saying.