Newspaper Articles & Press Releases
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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday August 2, 2006
STEVENS ASKS CONGRESSMAN RAHALL FOR APOLOGY
Grassy Meadows
"Name calling has no positive impact for the upcoming election", stated House of Delegates candidate Philip Stevens.On Tuesday Stevens, referring to the remarks made by Congressman Nick Rahall, expressed dismay with being called "evil" at a recent Democratic Picnic. "I have talked with Mr. Rahall on several occasions and I do not understand why he would make such a negative general statement. I am a West Virginian who happens to be a Republican. We may disagree on issues but that does not make one evil", explained Stevens.
"Is Mr. Rahall the voice for all the other Democrat Candidates who attended the event? I am asking for Congressman Rahall to apologize to all of his Republican constituents. He is their representative as well", Stevens concluded.
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Published: August 01, 2006 10:56 pm
Stevens: Opponents comments about contributions ‘surprising’
Republican says his Democratic opponent has spent far more money in elections
By Fred Pace
REGISTER-HERALD BUSINESS EDITOR
Republican Philip Stevens said when he read a story about a Democrat picnic in Monday’s edition of The Register-Herald, he couldn’t believe his opponent in the upcoming general election was apparently criticizing him for accepting a $1,000 campaign contribution from Massey Energy executive Don Blankenship.
“It was surprising that Virginia Mahan would want to bring up campaign contributions,” Stevens said.
At Sunday’s political picnic, Mahan said, “It’s going to take more than money to get a vote in West Virginia.”
“Just go to the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Web site and you will see that in current and past elections Virginia Mahan has accepted several $1,000 donations and outspent me by thousands of dollars,” Stevens said.
Stevens said he wasn’t accusing Mahan of trying to buy an election, but was surprised that she was make those allegations against anyone.
“In the 2004 election, she spent around $29,000 compared to $5,300 spent on my campaign,” Stevens said. “In 2002, she spent in excess of $33,000 and I spent around $3,200. In this current campaign, she has raised $12,000 and I have only $1,800. Now she is accusing people of trying to buy an election?”
Stevens said the election should be about issues and not Don Blankenship.
“Voters should look at the records of all candidates and see where they stand on issues,” he said. “Look at the voting record of someone seeking re-election and make an informed decision of if that person should be re-elected.”
Stevens said he believes the current state Democratic leadership is avoiding issues by going into “attack mode.”
“Attack mode avoids issues like tax reform, the need to eliminate the state’s tax on food, providing adequate health care, and creating a better business climate,” he said. “Instead of working together, they (Democrats) seem to want to divide the community,” he commented
Stevens said that despite Mahan’s comments, he was not going to attack her campaign finances.
“I don’t think she is controlled by everyone who donated $1,000 to her campaign,” he said. “I don’t blame her for 75 years of Democratic rule in West Virginia. I believe she should be held accountable for her time in the Legislature and her voting record.”
Stevens said he was “very disappointed” in his Third District U.S. Congressman, Democrat Nick Rahall.
“It’s one thing to disagree with someone politically, but to call Republicans ‘evil’ is another thing. Name-calling is very destructive,” he said.
“I praised Congressman Rahall on his efforts for prayer in school, but this time I believe he owes an apology to all Republicans in his district. Many in the Third District are Republicans and they are not evil.”
Rahall’s office did not immediately return a telephone message seeking a comment.
— E-mail: fpace@register-herald.com
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Published: June 22, 2006 10:07 pm
GOP wants debates in 27th District House races
Mannix Porterfield
Register-Herald Reporter
A Republican hopeful and the chairman of the party in Raleigh County are seeking debates with Democratic candidates in 27th District House races this summer or early fall to help voters learn where all stand on issues.
Philip Stevens, a retired teacher, wants at least one debate with Delegate Virginia Mahan, D-Summers, apart from the other eight candidates vying for the remaining four seats in Raleigh County.
One seat goes specifically to Summers in the two-county district, telescoping that race to a showdown between Mahan and Stevens, regardless of how the other eight candidates finish.
“We are guaranteed to have the election of two new delegates with the absence of Speaker (Bob) Kiss and Delegate (Sally) Susman not running at this time,” Stevens said Tuesday.
Kiss elected not to seek a 10th term in the House, and Susman passed up a re-election bid for a failed attempt at winning the Democratic nomination in the 9th Senatorial District last month.
“With that in the background, it is extremely important that we know as much as we can about our delegates,” Stevens said.
“Debates need to occur so that the people are as well informed as they can be.”
County GOP chairman Joe Long said he hasn’t approached the Democratic chairman yet about debates, but said he has taken steps to see if the Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce would sponsor one. Long said he was advised the matter was turned over to the chamber’s government affairs committee.
“If possible, it should be live,” Long said of any debate scheduled.
“If not, it should be taped by radio or television to be rebroadcast later. A live debate, say by the chamber, would only reach 300 to 400 people. But if rebroadcast by television or radio, it would reach several thousand people. It could be rebroadcast a couple of times. The important thing is, of the eight candidates, two are going to be new delegates going to Charleston.”
Long said the GOP would ask Democrats and local business interests to donate money to help defray costs of the requested debates.
“The bottom line is, we need to educate and inform voters not only on the issues, but where our delegates stand on those issues,” Stevens added.
In the 9th senatorial race, there has been no word from either Sen. Russ Weeks, R-Raleigh, or his Democratic challenger, Mike Green, about whether the two have struck accord on arranging any debates in their race.
— E-mail:
mannix@register-herald.com
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Published: April 05, 2006 11:20 pm
Retired teacher making 4th run for House seat
By Amelia A. Pridemore
Register-Herald reporter
In the 1930s, Philip Stevens' father and grandfather were forced to leave West Virginia for Ohio to seek employment.
"Unfortunately, people are still leaving, looking to find employment today," he said.
When he retired in 1999, after 22 years of teaching American government in the Akron and Kent areas of Ohio, he bought his grandfather’s farm in Grassy Meadows. Upon his return, he said he was amazed at the lack of opportunities for young West Virginians to find a good-paying job in their home state — and he wanted to do something about it.
Stevens, a 49-year-old Republican, is seeking a seat in the House of Delegates’ 27th District, which encompasses all of Raleigh County and western Summers County. He previously sought the office in 2004, 2002 and 2000. Besides being a retired teacher, he also works as a substitute teacher, farmer and owns “Do-It-All,” a Grassy Meadows lawn care business.
He said his experience in teaching American government showed him how, in theory, government is supposed to work. He believed he saw the opposite when he returned to his father and grandfather’s native state.
“When I looked at the entire spectrum, ... all those factors led me to do as I taught — to become actively involved with our state government,’ he said.
“... We have the Promise Scholarship, but those who receive it often move to South and North Carolina,” he said. “Unfortunately, they are not using it within our own state.”
One reason opportunities are less plentiful for West Virginians, Stevens said, is because the state’s tax structure needs to be completely redone. Small businesses in particular are taxed at an extremely high rate, which makes a business hard to run and hard for business owners to create opportunities for workers.
Also, he said, the state’s legal system penalizes businesses too much. This combination makes it easier for a new business to locate elsewhere — and it can drive existing ones out.
“It’s easier to locate south and take it outside the state,” he said. “They’re being forced to leave. This has been demonstrated by some of our border counties. Our tax structure cannot compete.”
Stevens also said he believes that citizens should receive tax relief before any government officials receive pay raises. Some of this tax relief he supports is elimination of the food tax and elimination of personal property taxes paid on vehicles.
“Many legislators say they need pay raises. This is not the time,” he said. “I know that in the business world, if you’re running the company in the ground, you get no raise.”
Stevens is also opposed to abortion and said he is a strong supporter of “family values.” Examples of family values he cites is his support of “Logan’s Law” which imposes stronger sentences on those convicted of sexual offenses against children. He also supports a constitutional amendment which defines marriage as only being a union between a man and woman, and he wants to control the state’s “gambling dependency” — making sure no gambling is expanded.
“Family is very important to me,” he said. “I am pro-life, and I am a strong believer in Christian values.”
— E-mail: apridemore@register-herald.com
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