Anyone that knows me knows that I have picked Jim Gerlach to lose the past two elections. Thanks to Berks County, I have been wrong the last two times. I always push for the woman to win and I thought that Lois Murphy (though a wet fish as a campaigner) would have done a pretty good job in an opposition party role. This year is different.

Jim has proven himself to be a committed public servant to his constituents here in Chester County. I am confused as to how a fiscal conservative (as he claims) can bring home $10 million for the Schuylkill Valley Metro since it has been pretty well dead for 5 years now but we will let that one slide. He is a left of center legislator that fits in with the district. He has always been environmentally minded and has championed Open Space legislation.

Here is a list of some of the money brought back to the area:

In Fiscal Year 2004, Jim secured $14,475,000 for the following Chester County projects:

• The proposed Schuylkill Valley Metro project received $14 million for design and engineering work.
• The Phoenixville Area Economic Development Corporation received $225,000 to restore the former Foundry Building.

In FY ’05, Jim secured $10,100,000 for the following Chester County projects:

• The proposed SVM project received $10 million for design and engineering work

2005 Federal Highway Bill:

$5 million toward the construction of the French Creek Parkway in Phoenixville.

It is hard to unseat an incumbent for these kinds of reasons but Congressman Gerlach has not made a complete ass out of himself like many of my party's elected officials. I am still struggling to find out who Bob Roggio is. Name recognition at this stage of the game is not what you should be struggling for. Just because you are unhappy with the current cast of characters in DC doesn't mean you just elect anyone off the street.

Take my thoughts under consideration when you make your choice or just ignore me but Jim would be a pretty solid choice.