Sam Bennett for Congress

Background:

I am a businesswoman and community leader, and the Statewide Director/CEO of Properties of Merit of PA, Inc., a non-profit organization I established to spur citizen involvement and "bottom-up" private and public investment in the critical work of revitalizing communities. In 2006, Governor Rendell provided ongoing seed money to take this highly successful program statewide, and it was recently honored as an official partner of Pennsylvania Downtown Center and PA’s Main Street and Elm Street Programs.

After graduating from SUNY in Oneonta NY, I simultaneously launched a successful cookie company and purchased, renovated and managed rental properties in Oneonta.

Relocating in 1986 to the Lehigh Valley, I moved to corporate business management with Bell Atlantic.
In 1998, concerned about the direction of Allentown, I focused on non-profit, civic and political leadership endeavors, driven by the desire to make a difference in my Lehigh Valley home. I created Good Neighbors as a parent- and community-driven advocacy organization for the Allentown School District. Key projects included the William Allen Construction Company, and the founding of the Allentown Academy of the Arts non-profit at William Allen High School. In 2006, I was honored as the Allentown Education Association’s “Educator of the Year,” one of the few non-teachers ever to receive the award. In 2002, I led the regional Mayfair Festival of the Arts from a $250,000 deficit and failed financial audit to the only black ink in its 20-year history. I am Chair of the Allentown Democratic party and Vice-Chair of the Lehigh County party, in charge of GOTV operations county-wide.

I am married to Martin Estrada, a computer professional, and we have a five-year-old son David. We also have two college-age daughters, Emma and Rachael. We are actively renovating a formerly boarded-up Allentown landmark, the Historic Benner Home, now the site of numerous community events and winner of the Allentown Historic Association Award in 1999. I am a member of the congregation and choir of the First Presbyterian Church and have served as a board member of numerous Lehigh Valley non-profits including HADC, (the oldest housing redevelopment organization in the Lehigh Valley), Great Valley Girl Scout Council and WDIY Community Radio.

Goals:

The Lehigh Valley is a very diverse congressional district, with groups ranging from classic labor communities, new suburbs, a large population of seniors, and a growing immigrant population. For the last eight years, I have watched an out-of-control Republican administration dismantle the social services that make life better for all Pennsylvanians, and like many of us, I’ve had enough. Our Congress should be responsible to all citizens of this country, not just to the privileged few.
As the 15th district’s representative in Congress, I would be as devoted to public service as I have been as a civic, non-profit, and political leader. With a Democratic majority, the 110th Congress made great strides in promoting progressive legislation ��" with more Democrats, we can go even farther.

Issues:

My priorities include promoting:
1. Fair economic growth that benefits all Americans;
2. Universal health care so that all Americans can benefit from the best hospitals, doctors, and nurses in the world,
3. A reasonable and sober foreign policy that protects our country without sacrificing lives, that includes a decisive withdrawal from Iraq accompanied by humanitarian, civic, and diplomatic investment in the country.

Grassroots Support:

Politically, I come from a grassroots background. It is invaluable to rebuilding communities, sustaining our democracy and building the party long term. During the last Presidential election I served as Regional Coordinator for America Coming Together, where we were the highest performing swing district in the nation, and the relationships I built there will be invaluable on this campaign.
As the chair of the Allentown Democratic Committee and the chair of Lehigh County GOTV committee, I have worked with many grassroots partners to significantly improve local Democratic performance. Our success is the result of hard, door-to-door, voter by voter engagement. I helped coordinate the write-in candidacy and field effort for 2006 Democratic congressional challenger Charles Dertinger. The Republican Dent only won with 53% of the vote against this candidate, who he outspent 14-1.

DFA Values:

I believe that a government can be both socially progressive and fiscally responsible at the same time; in fact, the two must go together. Our federal government must keep deficit spending at an absolute minimum in order to provide social services on an ongoing basis while planning for long-term infrastructure improvements, such as bridges and highways. My non-profit and civic work has focused on maximizing fiscal resources through volunteerism, and solid management while working to ensure better quality of life for all citizens regardless of income, race, gender identification, or age. I support unwaveringly a woman’s right to medical privacy and her right to make decisions about her body, and I also am committed to rigorous environmental protections and carbon emissions cutbacks to alleviate the threat of global warming.