Republican candidate for Pennsylvania governor, Stacy Garrity, made a campaign stop Thursday in Altoona to talk about her plan to address affordability.
“My administration will unleash Pennsylvania’s natural gas industry, and encourage investment in reliable, affordable power," Garrity said. "We will oppose carbon taxes, cap and trade programs, and the costly energy mandates that drive up monthly utility bills.”
Garrity, along with other Republican state leaders and community members, gathered inside Family Pizza & Pub, a small restaurant in Altoona.
Dave Servello, the owner, said he’s seen the cost of wholesale foods go up under Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration.
“Actually, I just had a price increase, and it took me two years to do that because I don’t want to punish the people that are responsible for me and my family earning a living," Servello said.
Food prices are on the rise nationwide. Economic experts point to several reasons, including tariffs and the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Democrat Josh Shapiro’s campaign has pointed to Garrity’s support of the war in Iran and of President Donald Trump. Garrity said Shapiro needs to take accountability.
“It’s not Donald Trump’s fault that Pennsylvania has become less and less competitive than our neighboring states for attracting new businesses," Garrity said.
Garrity said Pennsylvanians face a greater economic burden than the rest of the country because of high tax rates in the state. She said she plans to cut certain energy and gas taxes.
Garrity also said she plans to cut regulations for small businesses like Family Pizza & Pub, but didn’t say exactly which regulations when asked.
“Oh, you know what? We’re going to have a team that looks at them, every single one of them, because I’m going to tell you that, I would say, probably over 95% of the regulations were not even legislated," Garrity said. "They’re just from, you know, bureaucrats.”
Democratic response
During and after the event, a person with Shapiro's campaign drove a mobile billboard outside of Family Pizza & Pub and through the surrounding neighborhood. The electronic signs on each side of the small truck connected Garrity with increased costs of gas, tariffs and health care.
Lieutenant Gov. Austin Davis spoke to WPSU in an interview ahead of the event, defending the Shapiro administration's track record.
"Over 8,800 residents in Blair County received over $9 million in relief through the Property Tax Rent Rebate program that Gov. Shapiro and I helped expand," Davis said. "We have estimated that over 1,500 families in Blair County were eligible for the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit that we were able to expand."
Davis said there is economic hardship in Altoona and other rural communities, but he said the Trump administration is making it harder to reduce costs for working families.
Election Day is Nov. 3.
