Susan Rzucidlo
Susan Rzucidlo officially announced her 2016 campaign for the 158th District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Thursday.
This marks Rzucidlo’s fourth bid for the seat, but the first with the seat open — long-time State Rep. Chris Ross is retiring.
Rzucidlo founded and runs a non-profit organization, SPEAK Unlimited Inc., which has earned a national reputation for innovative solutions to complex problems. Through her determination, programs like the PA Premise Alert, SPEAK’s first responder communication tools, and other safety resources are in use in communities across the nation. As a public advocate, Rzucidlo has worked with the state bureaucracy to deliver outcomes that have been good for families in Pennsylvania and fiscally responsible for the state.
“I am running to make Harrisburg work better for all of us. I am running because I know that government can do good things but it must be held accountable,” she said. “I am running because Harrisburg has become no better than Congress, unable to even pass a budget in more than 6 months. I will be a reformer in Harrisburg, even when it is not popular with either party. Both parties have forgotten that we must first, treat everyone with respect, then we must be willing compromise and act when when there are opportunities for long-term progress. I am known as a tenacious but fair advocate who will stand up to power because I believe that people matter more than politics or policies.
“In Pennsylvania we must:
- Enact strong ethics laws for legislators
- Provide quality public education for all children, starting at Pre-K
- Bring good paying jobs to Pennsylvania to build our middle class
- Significantly reduce or eliminate property tax
- Reduce the tax burden for families and small businesses
- Protect our environment and open space
- Make sure women have access to health care
- Protect our Seniors and vulnerable people
- Implement uniform background checks for all gun purchases
- Eliminate Keystone Exam Graduation requirement
- Implement a severance tax on natural gas
- Ensure equal protections under the law for all people
- Bring transparency and citizen participation to government
- Stop Legislators and Governor’s pay if there is no budget by July
- Ban gifts to legislators and pay-to-play contracts
“When I first ran for office, I ran to bring practical, real world solutions to a state capital that has become too partisan and detached from the interests of everyday Pennsylvanians,” said Rzucidlo. “I’m running again because the situation has only gotten worse! I have raised a family, I have run a small business, I have founded a non-profit and I have advocated as a private citizen on behalf of families across Pennsylvania and won! I believe that these experiences have prepared me to do even more for our community as its representative in Harrisburg.”
Rzucidlo and her husband of 29 years own and operate Silent Z Farm Inc., a farming operation based in Landenberg where they’ve raised their four children, one of whom has a severe disability. Her passion and determination to serve people shows in the work she has done for nearly 20 years and now she is seeking to expand the good work that she’s done in the private sector to public service for our whole community.
“I pledge to lead by example on ethics, transparency and responsiveness to residents,” she said. “If I am elected I pledge to post my expenses and my votes on my website for all to see. I pledge to be accessible and to really listen to people about the issues that are most important to them. I will do everything in my power to provide honest answers to residents’ questions about government and policy.”
Learn more about Susan Rzucidlo and her campaign by going to www.SusanForPA.com.
