Cuevas, Whitcomb campaign on affordability, data centers in 187th House Democratic primary

LOWER MACUNGIE TWP., Pa. — Democratic voters in northern and western Lehigh County in the May 19 primary election will pick between two township residents to represent them in the state House of Representatives.

Rachel Cuevas and Geoffrey Whitcomb are touting their commitments to working families, raising taxes on the wealthiest Pennsylvanians and protecting the region's quality-of-life as the seek the party's nomination for the 187th District.

The winner will take on Republican incumbent Gary Day in the November general election. Day, who has spent a total of 16 years representing parts of Lehigh County in Harrisburg, is uncontested in the Republican primary.

Cuevas previously was employed in the health insurance industry and as a human resources professional for the Boston Beer company and Amazon.

She also volunteers for veterans programs run through the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Whitcomb, a Reading School District music teacher, originally considered running for Pennsylvania's 16th Senate District but dropped out following a straw poll. He described himself as a good soldier who would respect the wishes of his party.

Instead, he pivoted to the state representative race. He also is minister of music at St. James African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Allentown

The race is the first time either candidate has run for public office, though both said they have made point to attend municipal meetings throughout the district to better learn the needs in the community.

The 187th District represents Heidelberg, Lower Macungie, Lynn, Washington and Weisenberg townships, Alburtis and Macungie and parts of Upper Macungie Township.

Republicans account for 46.1% of all registered voters in the district, giving the party an advantage in general election. A Democrat hasn't represented the region in decades.

Affordability issues

Cuevas and Whitcomb both made lowering costs for working families a central plank of their platforms, but differed on how to accomplish that goal.

Whitcomb said that if elected, he would push for Pennsylvania to declare a state of emergency for gas prices. The war in Iran has caused gas prices to skyrocket over the past two months, and global economists predict they could remain elevated for months.

Declaring an emergency would let the state enforce its price-gouging law, which prevents businesses from charging "unconscionably excessive prices" due to limiting access to high-demand items, Whitcomb said.

"People need a break," he said. "You have to give people temporary relief because of a temporary situation."

Pennsylvania's price-gouging law is intended to prevent unscrupulous venders from selling items 20% above market rates during emergencies — such as a store hiking the cost of water during a hurricane.

For price-gouging rules to apply during a period of a global supply pinch, gas stations would need to raise costs excessively beyond the price they paid to acquire the fuel or refineries would need to raise costs significantly above the cost to produce fuel.

Whitcomb also said Pennsylvania needs to raise its minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $15 an hour and ought to increase cost-of-living adjustments for retired state employees.

Workers who retired before 2000 haven't seen their COLA rate increased in decades, he said.

The state is in the middle of reducing the corporate net income tax, but hasn't offered the same support for the working class and seniors, he said.

"Right now, they're focusing on corporations and big businesses, but they’re forgetting about the people," Whitcomb said.

Taking on taxes

Cuevas focused her attention on raising taxes on Pennsylvania's wealthiest residents to contribute more funding toward programs supporting seniors and healthcare.

She said the rich were using tax loopholes to lower their tax rate; she could not identify those loopholes but said she would work with partners to identify them once elected.

"I shouldn’t be paying more taxes than a billionaire," she said. "What we need is a coalition to work with to make sure the taxation percentages are tiered."

Cuevas may face a difficulty seeing those plans to fruition. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has consistently ruled that the state constitution mandates a flat income tax rate.

Unless a constitutional amendment is passed, lawmakers would be hamstrung to create income brackets that would make millionaires or billionaires pay higher tax rates.

Cuevas also said she wanted to pass legislation that would promote apprenticeships between businesses and technical schools.

While the Lehigh Valley has a proud history in manufacturing and trade schools, there's often a waiting list for students to get into programs where they pick up the skills needed for well-paying jobs.

The legislature should be doing more to build connections between employers and technical schools, she said. That would ensure that young adults have in-demand jobs that will pay them living wages in the community, she said.

"Companies and manufacturers that have been here for over 30 years, they are amazing at seeking local talent, but they’re looking outside the state to meet their needs," she said.

Data centers

Whitcomb expressed deep misgivings about data centers, likening them to the Dot-com boom and bust from the late 1990s.

He said data centers present a risk to the environment with their incredible water demands and suck up too much power. He also raised doubts about data centers' ability to create new jobs in their host communities.

"Data centers are just going to chew up everything," he said. "They need to be thought of in a way that is based on reality and still provide for something in the future that is more than conjecture."

Whitcomb said he opposes 98% of data center proposals; the one caveat would be for projects proposed in brownfields where the developer or tech company can express a demonstrated need for the project.

If elected, Whitcomb said he would work with environmental groups to craft legislation that would grant municipalities greater power to reject data center proposals in their borders.

Meanwhile, Cuevas pointed to Lower Macungie Township as an example of a municipality that is taking the necessary steps to protect its community while still allowing for economic growth.

The township has proposed a data center ordinance that would allow the facilities only as a conditional use and with provisions on noise levels and energy and water consumption.

The bill would ban data centers within 1,000 feet of homes, places of worship and schools, as well.

Cuevas said that if elected, she would work with municipalities to ensure they have the tools to protect their residents from major developments.

While putting up those barriers may cause developers to move to less stringent communities, Cuevas said, she wouldn't regret passing on those businesses.

"If they cannot meet our standards, that means they are not good for our residents," she said.

Primary voting

In the Democratic primary, only those registered as a party member can participate. Voters can visit the state website to confirm their polling place.

People voting by mail-in ballot must turn in their ballots by 8 p.m. May 19. At this late stage of the election, voters are best served turning in their ballots at a drop box location.

Because of an error by the Lehigh County election staff, some voters may have received a mail-in ballot they did not request.

Unsolicited mail-in ballots will not be counted; voters can confirm if they should have a mail-in ballot by checking their mail-in ballot status online.

If the system can't confirm your mail-in ballot status, you should not be voting by mail.