CITY LIMITS: The big leagues

Voters will cast their ballots Tuesday in the Pennsylvania primary to determine who will be the final candidates in the heated race for a seat in the United States Senate. In addition, Pennsylvanians will vote for candidates looking to gain seats in the United States House of Representatives, as well as in other federal offices including Auditor General of Pennsylvania, Attorney General of Pennsylvania and State Treasurer. Pennsylvania's presidential primary election will also be an important key in deciding which candidates will be selected as Democratic and Republican nominees for president at this summer's national conventions. In the senate race, two Republicans are competing for the party's nomination. Arlen Specter, the incumbent candidate, is currently serving in his second term as U.S. Senator. Specter, a University graduate and a graduate of Yale Law School, served as District Attorney of Philadelphia and also served on the Warren Commission to Investigate the Assassination of President John Kennedy. Specter developed the single bullet theory of the assassination that recently came under debate for its legitimacy after the recent release of Oliver Stone's film JFK, which debunks the single bullet theory. As District Attorney, Specter helped restore the death penalty in Pennsylvania. As Senator, he helped pass laws such as the Terrorist Prosecution Act and helped establish an Inspector General for the CIA, an act emerging from the Iran-Contra affair. Specter is also an advocate of legislation that would grant individuals access to federal courts to halt the import of products in violation with the U.S. trade laws. Recently, Specter attracted questions based on the manner in which he behaved while on the Senate committee that questioned Anita Hill during the Judge Clarence Thomas hearings. Specter's opponent is Stephen Freind, a 16-year member of the Pennsylvania State Legislature who labels himself as having "strong conservative voice." Freind may be best known to University students for his leadership in opposing abortion rights and for his authorship of the 1989 Pennsylvania Abortion Control Act which made Pennsylvania the first state to pass legislation limiting the right to have an abortion. The Supreme Court began hearings on an appeal of the Act yesterday to determine its constitutionality. According to a press release, Freind believes it is "illogical for a society to protect seals, whales and snail darters and yet permit the killing of 1.5 million innocent unborn children every year." In addition, Freind supports an immediate federal tax cut which, he believes, would stabilize the economy, and as a member of the state legislature he opposes Governor William Casey's tax proposal. He supports immediate federal spending cuts on social programs. And Freind supports free trade only if the country with which the United States is trading imposes no trade barriers on American products. Freind is a graduate of Villanova University and Temple Law School. He served as a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and as assistant district attorney of Philadelphia under District Attorney Arlen Specter. He also owns his own law practice. Five candidates are facing off in the Democratic primary -- Robert Colville, Frederica Mann Friedman, Mark Singel, Philip Valenti and Lynn Yeakel. Lynn Yeakel, a Philadelphia native who is running in her first campaign for an elected office, said her goal is "getting Pennsylvania to work again for all of us." In her Economic Plan for the 1990's, she outlines six steps she believes the federal government must take to "get the nation working again." The plan promotes a tax reform, which would include raising taxes on the wealthiest one percent of Americans and making sure the middle class gets services for their money, as its first step. The reform opposes an across-the-board capital gains tax and encourages targeted tax incentives for businesses. Other steps include supporting a national health care system in which patients are free to choose their physicians and hospitals. She believes that the health care and insurance systems need to be streamlined. The final steps in her economic plan are providing more jobs to the unemployed by allocating more federal funds for infrastructure needs, increasing the federal government's investments in state and local governments and supporting free trade while supporting American industries from unfair subsidizing of the interntional competition. Yeakel, a graduate of Randolph-Macon Women's College, is the president of Women's Way, a coalition of organizations that raise funds to help women and their families. Mayor Edward Rendell endorsed Bob Colville for United States Senate seat on Monday. In a letter written in January, Colville said he decided to run because he wants dedicate himself to the "restoration of economic stability." The ex-marine is currently the district attorney of Allegheny County, and he has also served as the chief of police of Pittsburgh. In the letter, Colville, who is a graduate of Duquesne University and Duquesne University School of Law, said he supports education for the American dream. Lieutenant Governor Mark Singel is another candidate on the Democratic ticket. Singel said he believes that "Washington has turned its back on state and local governments over the past 12 years," according to a press releases. Singel is known for his work on environmental and energy issues. He worked for a state energy policy which stresses conservation, research and development of safer, cleaner alternative fuels. The Penn State University graduate also served on the Pennsylvania State Senate for two terms and has served as lieutenant governor since 1986. Philip Valenti, who is an ardent follower of Lyndon LaRouche, is another candidate running for the Democratic nomination. Valenti said his "main concern" is giving people an opportunity to vote against the current economic program and reverse the economic depression. He supports Congress nationlizing the Federal Reserve System to create a fund of at least $600 billion for low cost lending to states, cities and public authorities for building the large scale infrastructure projects including railroads, power projects, nuclear fission and fusion and water projects. He added that these projects would create jobs and tax payers and will not raise taxes or budgets. He believes the "moral collapse" of America began the same way as it did in Nazi Germany. He said the collapse began with the devaluing of human life including abortion, euthanasia and promoting genocide by not supporting more research and funding of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. "To be pro-life is not sufficient," Valenti said. "We must also provide productive employment so families can be raised decently." He most recently helped form opposition to the Gulf War and helped dairy farmers stop foreclosures on their farms and send milk powder to children in Iraq. Valenti is a graduate of Queens College in New York City. The final candidate running for Senate, Frederica Mann Friedman, could not be reached for comment. Six candidates are running for Auditor General, two Republicans -- Barbara Hafer and Jack Bower -- and four Democrats -- Craig Lewis, Roy Afflerbach, John O'Brien and Don Bailey. Only three candidates are competing for the Attorney General position -- Republican Ernie Preate and Democrats Joe Kohn and Richard Orloski. Only one candidate from each party is running for State Treasurer -- Republican Lowman Henry and Democrat Catherine Baker Knoll. Running unopposed for the three spots on the Republican ticket for representative to the United States Congress are Craig Snyder, Larry Hollin and Charles Dougherty. Thomas Foglietta and Robert Borski are running unopposed on the Democratic ticket for representative in Congress. The only Congressional District with competition in the Democratic primary will be between Lucien Blackwell and Delores Tucker in District Two.

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