Ron Ruman

Ron Ruman earned a high school diploma from Philipsburg-Osceola Area High School and a bachelor's degree from Penn State University in 1981. His career experience includes working in communications.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am an elected township supervisor, and have served my community on my township and county planning commissions, currently serves as a senior center board president, am active in my church, and have served on the local Penn State Alumni Assoc. Board and the York County SPCA Board. I have a deep understanding of state government, having covered the legislature and administration as a television reporter, and served in both the legislative and executive branches as a senior staff member.

My work includes serving four governors, two of each party, in senior communications positions. These PA leaders trusted me to deliver for all the people of Pennsylvania, and that is the commitment I bring to the residents of my district.

During my time in state government I worked across the aisle to support improvements to the state's Brownfields Law, to return $20 million from the Insurance Department to the General Fund, and to build support for a law to protect consumers from annuity fraud.

As a township supervisor, I created a rainy day fund to protect taxpayers, passed four straight no tax hike budgets, and spurred updating our 40-year-old zoning law to create jobs and housing, and preserve open space.

I will take this results delivering, collaborative way of conducting business to the state Legislature.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Control the cost of living with a practical plan to 1) lower property taxes, by changing the local earned income tax to a personal income tax, and requiring a dollar for dollar reduction in residential property taxes; 2) make data centers pay for the electricity they use, and 3) end excess funding of cyber charter schools. This will allow cyber charters to provide for their students but also return $3 million a year to the schools--Dover, West York, and Spring Grove--in this legislative district. I will lower the cost of college by increasing support for lower cost technical schools, to meet the demand for skilled tradespeople, and reform the PSU Board of Trustees, so Penn State serves the students, families and communities of PennsylvaniaI will return more power to the people in four ways.

1) I support opening primary elections to all voters, including independents, the fastest growing voter segment. Excluding all voters from the contests where many seats are decided is wrong.

2) As a member of Fair Districts PA, I support a citizens commission to draw state legislative and Congressional districts, ending gerrymandering for political gain.

3) Require all bills that have bipartisan support to receive a committee and floor vote in both chambers.

4) Give PA voters the power to put proposed laws before the voters through an initiative, and to recind laws through the referendum process. These powers are enjoyed by citizens of more than half our states.I will listen to all views respectfully presented. Whenever possible, I will take parts of different ideas and bring them together, to forge practical, compromise solutions to issues, moving us forward together as a community.

I will always treat every person with respect and dignity.

We need to start listening to each other, and stop yelling at each other. None of us has a corner on wisdom, and we function better as a society if we strive to work together to solve our problems whenever possible.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Finding better ways to share the responsibility of funding vital government services, including public education and local government services such as public safety, roads, and quality of life issues such as zoning protection and parks and recreation.

I also believe we must contain the cost of living through making data centers pay for the electricity they use. At the state level, we need to work with municipalities to plan and zone to responsibly grow our economy while creating more affordable housing opportunities, and preserving our farmland and open space, to preserve the great quality of life enjoyed throughout Pennsylvania.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

The Pennsylvania State Education Association and the Democratic Party of York County.