State Representative
Daily News
December 7, 2009
by John Baer
BACK IN THE '90s, state Rep. Mike Gerber was a defensive back on Penn's Ivy League championship football team. "I wasn't a star," he modestly concedes.
Now he's got a new defensive assignment - one requiring a star.
Gerber, D-Montgomery, heads the House Democratic Campaign Committee. He's charged with finding cash and candidates to keep the state House in Democratic hands.
This at a time when defending state leadership passes as a Herculean task.
A corruption probe is burning through both parties - lawmakers, former lawmakers and staff; 22 charged to date - with no end in sight. The Legislature's job rating is at its lowest ebb (15 percent of voters approve of the clan), lower than after the '05 pay grab.
The year is ending with the sour aftertaste of a 101-day delayed budget, still incomplete as lawmakers stumble over details to legalize table games. And 2010 is generally expected to favor Republicans.
So Gerber's defending the party that runs the House, bollixed the budget and just saw two more of its leaders - Whip Bill DeWeese and Majority Leader Todd Eachus - make news by being invited to testify before an investigating grand jury.
"It is a challenging job," says Gerber. "But I feel good about where we are in recruiting and fundraising. When you look at historical data, we're further along than in previous years."
I think the guy's stuck in single coverage.
Democrats hold the House, 104-99, so they can afford to lose only two seats and remain in power. (A caveat: A one-seat difference triggers shenanigans and party-switch potential.) In the Senate, Republicans hold a 30-20 edge and are likely to stay in the majority, barring an A-bomb from the corruption probe.
The pressure's on Gerber. At least he's got some background, and the genes.
He's 37, a Penn grad with a law degree from Villanova, elected to the House in '04 with 50.2 percent of the vote, re-elected twice since by margins topping 65 percent. His mom, Penny, is long-time Southeast Caucus chief for the Democratic State Committee. His late father, A. Richard Gerber, was active in Democratic politics and for years a member and later chairman of the Pennsylvania Securities Commission.
Rep. Gerber's job wasn't made easier when two incumbents - Philly's Kathy Manderino and Chester County's Barbara McIlvaine Smith - said they wouldn't seek re-election.
Manderino's retiring after nine terms. She says she's "ready to do something else." She also says that there's a large Democratic registration edge in her district (the 194th), and that even if national or state moods favor Republicans the seat won't change parties.
And she doubts that Democrats are in danger: "I just don't see the state House level impacted by some general mood of the electorate, because so many districts are not competitive."
That last part is true and argues, as I have, for redistricting reforms. But if the probe hits more Democrats, it could shoot holes in Manderino's theory.
McIlvaine Smith's 156th District is a different matter. Even Gerber concedes that "that will be a competitive seat." And McIlvaine Smith candidly says she's leaving after less than two terms because the Legislature's a mess.
She blames a "fraternal culture" that "loves to play games" and avoid reforms. She says, "I came to the Legislature thinking it was honorable public service, and I find it's not . . . I owned a [water-conditioning] business for 28 years, and so I think like a taxpayer . . . I'm appalled at the money spent on getting re-elected."
So we enter an election cycle with an atmosphere potentially poison for both parties (House Republicans don't even have a campaign chairman yet) at a time when Democrats have lots to defend. I hope Gerber saved his pads.
By Thomas Celona
Staff Writer
State Reps. Mike Gerber, D-148, Josh Shapiro, D-153, and Rick Taylor, D-151, met with the Upper Dublin School Board Oct. 12 in a public meeting to discuss the newly passed state budget and its impact on education funding.
Gerber, Shapiro and Taylor are three of the four state representatives whose districts include portions of Upper Dublin Township. The fourth is Tom Murt, R-152.
The three began by discussing the state budget negotiations, which led to the longest budget impasse in the nation this year.
"There's no excuse for that 101-day delay," Shapiro said. "However, we said it was worth fighting on. At the end of the day, I think we ended up with a budget that was fair."
"This has probably been the most difficult task as a legislator," Taylor said. "We were still able to prioritize correctly and say we need to give more to our children."
All three spoke on how they opposed Senate Bill 850, the budget proposed by the Republican-majority state Senate May 1.
"The investments we wanted to make in education weren't there in Senate Bill 850," Shapiro said.
The three discussed their role in bringing about the final budget.
"I'm proud to say we really led the charge out of the Southeast," said Gerber, who is chairman of the Southeast regional caucus.
"We were all standing up for education," Shapiro said.
While the three did not get a budget that included all of the funding for education they wanted, Gerber said they feel the final budget is a much better alternative than S.B. 850.
The final budget includes $711 million more for education than S.B. 850 proposed, according to Gerber.
The three also noted the budget includes a $300 million increase in state education funding, a sharp contrast to the national norm.
"We were the only state in the country to increase funding for public education," Shapiro said.
The representatives discussed what the budget will mean to the district.
"You're going to get a 2 percent bump, which is better than nothing or a cut," Gerber said. "While I know it's tough on your district to only get a 2 percent bump, the impact we're going to make to the poorer school districts is tremendous."
However, the legislators did mention there may be flaws in how state education funding is currently distributed.
Shapiro said most Montgomery County school districts receive approximately 12 cents on the dollar from taxes and said the Legislature needs to investigate the formula.
"There had to be a more equitable way to distribute that money," Shapiro said.
The representatives also opened the discussion up to other topics concerning education, one of which was the pending state pension crisis.
In 2001, Gov. Tom Ridge and the Legislature voted for a plan that will increase pensions for state workers and teachers by 25 percent in 2012, according to AP reports. However, with the downturn the economy has taken, school districts are scrambling to cover the costs of these increases.
"It may be too much for local communities to bear," Superintendent Michael Pladus said.
Gerber said the Legislature is looking into some "actuarial tweaking" of the situation but acknowledged the state was facing a $5 billion problem he called "terribly irresponsible" of the previous administration and Legislature.
Act 1 was also a topic of discussion, with the board expressing its concerns with the legislation.
Act 1 prevents school districts from raising property taxes beyond a state-regulated annual increase unless residents approve an increase referendum.
"Act 1 froze us on our base," school board Vice President Joseph Chmielewski said. "We're worried if in the coming years we're going to be able to sustain this excellence."
"With Act 1, there's only so much you can do," Gerber said. "Very few people are ever going to fight to raise their taxes, and that's what Act 1 forces you to do. Ultimately, schools are going to suffer."
Board members also presented concerns about the proposed Keystone Exams, which would be used as standardized tests to judge student achievement beginning with the Class of 2015.
"The exams have been presented as a great equalizer ... but isn't it a great minimizer?" board member David Robinson asked, noting teaching to the tests may cause Upper Dublin students to miss out on higher-level subject material.
The representatives spoke against the Keystone exams.
"There should be local control within the school districts to make these decisions," Taylor said.
"It's exactly the wrong direction, in my estimation, we should be going in," Shapiro said.
While the representatives said they fought hard to achieve a budget they believed was fair, they said the Legislature will encounter a similar fight over education funding in coming years.
"We're going to be looking at the same type of conundrum," Gerber said, noting $2.6 billion for education funding in the current budget came from stimulus money, which will disappear in two years.
Because of the future threat to education funding, the representatives encouraged the school board members to express their views as the Legislature drafts upcoming budgets.
"We need you to be engaged," Shapiro said. "We're going to need your help in articulating those problems."
Gerber shows clout, attracts national role
Capitol Wire
January 5, 2009
Pete DeCoursey
HARRISBURG (Jan. 5) – A little more than four years ago, Rep. Mike Gerber, D-Montgomery, was one of two House Democrats who unseated incumbent Republicans in the Philadelphia suburbs.
In the last two election cycles, Gerber has been his caucus’ man running the southeast elections – with Rep. Josh Shapiro, D-Montgomery, in 2006, then by himself in 2008 – and as House Majority Leader Todd Eachus said: “Mike was my partner at HDCC and was our guy in the Southeast the last two cycles. During that time, we picked up an aggregate of ten seats in the Southeast. Mike's productivity speaks for itself.”
Gerber was the top non-leader fund-raiser among House Democrats and trailed only the major leaders of his party in fund-raising for other members, and added an interesting job to his resume.
Gerber, in addition to mother-henning and fund-raising for southeastern Pennsylvania House Democrats and others around the state, became a board member of the national Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC).
He raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for that organization, and they ended up giving more to Pennsylvania than he raised from his own sources. Which made the national organization happy since he did a lot of institutional fund-raising for them, and made Pennsylvania House Democrats happy because they were net profiters form Gerber’s national fund-raising.
The DLCC Board of Directors made Gerber the treasurer of the organization, the third-highest-ranking member of it.
That in addition to his work on alternative energy, renewable resources and and his partly-successful smoking ban bill, marks Gerber, a possible candidate for lieutenant governor or other office, as a statewide Democrat potential power.
Only 36, the former Germantown Academy and University of Pennsylvania defensive back, failed in his bid to join House Democratic leadership, because of a very strong opponent, House Majority Policy Chairman Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster. Sturla defeated Gerber partly because a key group of mid-career House Democrats moved themselves one step closer to committee chairmanships by electing Sturla and Rep. Ron Buxton, D-Harrisburg, into leadership over less veteran members Gerber and Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Allegheny.
His lack of a leadership title stands out on the DLCC board, where the chairman is Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, the vice chair is New Hampshire Senate President Sylvia Larsen, the secretary is Minnesota House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, the finance chair is Virginia House Minority Leader Ward Armstrong and the chair emeritus is Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Miller Jr.
Gerber Elected DLCC Treasurer
January 5, 2009
Dan Hirschhorn
State Rep. Mike Gerber (D-Whitpain) has been elected Treasurer of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, providing a high-profile platform for a political rising star who is widely said to hold ambitions for higher office.
Gerber, who easily won reelection to a second term in Montgomery County's 148th Legislative District in November, announced the new position in an e-mail from his political action committee this morning, framing his election by the DLCC's board of directors as an opportunity for him to play a role in Democratic politics on a national level (full release after the jump). Now the DLCC's third-ranking officer, Gerber is the only officer without a major leadership role in his or her state legislature. The DLCC works to form campaign committees in state legislatures.
In a statement provided by Gerber's PAC, Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, the DLCC chairman, said: "Mike has been a welcomed addition to the board. He is one of our most energetic and effective board members. It's rare someone reaches this level within the DLCC at such an early stage of his career."
What comes next for Gerber is an open question, but some have speculated he could pursue a seat in the state Senate in the coming years.
FULL RELEASE:
Mike Gerber Stepping Up On National Political Stage Elected Treasurer of the DLCC
Conshohocken, PA- The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) Board of Directors unanimously elected Mike Gerber ( D-Montgomery County , PA ) to serve as Treasurer of the DLCC at its December board meeting, making Gerber the third highest ranking member of the national organization. Gerber, 36, has been in the Pennsylvania House for just two terms and joined the DLCC's twenty-one member board two years ago.
Mike Gronstal, Iowa 's Senate Majority Leader, was re-elected as Chair of the DLCC and said this of Gerber: "Mike has been a welcomed addition to the board. He is one of our most energetic and effective board members. It's rare someone reaches this level within the DLCC at such an early stage of his career." Gerber is the only officer of the DLCC that is not a caucus Leader, Speaker of the House or Senate President.
"Mike has delivered here in Pennsylvania , so I am not surprised he is being elevated at the national level," says Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell. "He's done a lot in a short period of time, advancing critical legislation and his caucus," Rendell added.
Representative Keith McCall, Pennsylvania's presumed soon-to-be elected Speaker of the House, also credits Gerber with playing a major roll in Pennsylvania. "Mike works incredibly hard both legislatively and politically. Our leadership team knows we're probably not at 104 without Mike's quiet but very effective work."
Pennsylvania's new House Majority Leader, Representative Todd Eachus (D-Luzerne County), who chaired the Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee last cycle added, "Mike was my partner at HDCC and was our guy in the Southeast the last two cycles. During that time, we picked up an aggregate of ten seats in the Southeast. Mike's productivity speaks for itself."
The HDCC raised more than $6 million dollars during Eachus' tenure as Chair, a committee record. Eachus also credited Gerber for his fundraising efforts. "Mike delivered big time in just his second term. He gave directly to the committee and was our point person with some of our most important partners, including the DLCC and Governor Rendell." The Pennsylvania Department of State's records reflect Gerber's campaign committee contributed more than $250,000 to the HDCC during the 2007-08 cycle while the DLCC contributed $500,000 to the HDCC during the same period.
Congresswoman Allyson Y. Schwartz, D-PA, Gerber's Congresswoman, praised Gerber as well. "Since his surprising win in 2004, Mike has become a major force in getting Democrats elected in Pennsylvania. Because of his work, we have secured a much stronger position as we approach redistricting." Under Pennsylvania law, the state legislature controls the redistricting process for Pennsylvania's U.S. House seats. With Republicans holding firm control of the State Senate, Democrats are focused on maintaining control of the State House.
The DLCC is a national political organization headquartered in Washington , DC . The DLCC's mission is to build and maintain winning, state-of-the-art campaign committees at the state legislative level throughout the country. It partners with in-state legislative leaders to win and maintain majorities in those states where the state legislative bodies control redistricting for U.S. House seats.
Gerber takes on his role at the DLCC at an exciting time with redistricting following the next election cycle and a run of successes at the DLCC. From 2004 through 2006, the DLCC helped push 20 chambers to Democratic control. The DLCC continued its success in 2007 picking up the Virginia Senate and the Mississippi Senate . In 2008, the DLCC helped secure five more majorities. Democrats now control 60 legislative chambers to the Republicans' 36, with two chambers tied. The DLCC grew into a $12 million dollar committee in the 2008 election cycle.
The DLCC Board is made up as follows:
DLCC Officers:
Chair: Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, Iowa
Vice Chair: Senate President Sylvia Larsen, New Hampshire
Treasurer: Representative Mike Gerber, Pennsylvania
Secretary: Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher, Minnesota
Finance Chair: House Democratic Leader Ward Armstrong, Virginia
DLCC Chair Emeritus: Senate President Thomas V. Miller, Jr., Maryland
DLCC Board Members:
Speaker of the Assembly Karen Bass, California
Speaker of the House B. Patrick Bauer, Indiana
Senator Sean Burrage, Oklahama
Speaker of the House Frank Chopp, Washington
Senate President Richard Codey, New Jersey
Representative Garnet Coleman, Texas
Senate Majority Leader Ken Guin, Alabama
Senator Wally Horn, Iowa
Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, Nevada
Speaker of the House Dave Hunt, Oregon
Senator Christine Kaufmann, Montana
Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, Virginia
Representative Rachel Storch, Missouri
Representative Mimi Stewart, New Mexico
Dan Hirschhorn is a PolitickerPA.com Reporter and can be reached via email at editor@politicker.com.
Rainmaker Gerber named HDCC Chairman
Commonwealth COnfidential
Friday January 23rd, 2009
State House Rep. Mike Gerber is being recognized again for his prodigious fundraising abilities. The Montgomery County lawmaker has been named chairman of the House Democratic Campaign Committee - the political arm of the caucus, whose mission it is to elect Democrats to the lower chamber.
That news comes on the heels of Gerber's appointment to the board of the national Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee which helps Democrats get elected to the U.S. Congress. Gerber also will serve as the Pennsylvania committee's liason to the national campaign committee.
In a letter to House Democratic caucus members, Majority Leader Todd Eachus (D., Luzerne) highlighted Gerber’s fundraising skills and leadership role in Southeastern Pennsylvania, where the Democrats picked up a net of ten seats over the last two cycles.
Gerber, now in his third term, is the first Democrat to represent his Montgomery County seat in modern history. He also was re-elected by fellow caucus members as chairman of the Southeast regional delegation.
June 1, 2006
Conshohocken, PA: State Rep. Mike Gerber, D-Montgomery, will report raising more than $50,000 between May 1 and June 5th.
Gerber estimates he will have roughly $140,000 on hand by Monday’s reporting deadline. That is nearly three times the amount he had on hand this time two years ago when he was mounting his successful campaign to defeat a well-funded Republican incumbent who enjoyed a nine percent registration advantage.
In addition to raising money in his Montgomery County district, Gerber has picked up statewide support at events in Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh.
The support I am receiving statewide is exciting,” Gerber said. “It has been a wonderful opportunity to share with people what my staff and I have accomplished in just over a year. This kind of support reinforces my belief that support will follow if I serve my district well and advance sound environmental, transportation, education and fiscal policies.”
Gerber ended 2005 raising more than $175,000 and raised an additional $37,640 through May 1. His upcoming report will show he has raised more than $250,000 since 2004.
Gerber’s first term is highlighted by his tough stand against the pay raise. He voted against the pay raise, rejected the unvouchered expense and co-sponsored the legislation to repeal the pay raise.
Gerber has also received appointments uncommon for a freshman. He serves as the only freshman Subcommittee Chair, chairing the Subcommittee on Energy for the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. He has also been appointed to the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority and is the only House member from Southeastern Pennsylvania appointed to serve on the SEPTA Oversight Committee.
Gerber represents the 148th Legislative District in Montgomery County.
Norristown , PA -- State Representatives Josh Shapiro (D-153) and Michael Gerber (D-148) have been named two of Pennsylvania's political "stars to watch" by the National Journal Group Inc.
Based in Washington, D.C., the nonpartisan National Journal Group is a leading publisher of political magazines, newsletters, books and directories.
"Gerber and Shapiro are considered equals and many consider them on the same path to stardom," said the National Journal Group. It said Shapiro was "a great guy who can definitely punch his own ticket," and said Gerber was "on the fast track."
Marcel Groen, chairman of the Montgomery County Democratic Committee, welcomed the news from the national media organization, but said it was "no surprise."
"Josh and Mike are two of the brightest political stars in Montgomery County, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and in the nation," Groen said. "They are intelligent, work hard, care deeply about issues and are honorable public servants. They are the future of Pennsylvania politics, and that is good for all of us. In addition, Josh and Mike are wonderful husbands and fathers and bring strong family values to the public arena."
The National Journal Group took a look at politicians in every state from both political parties to compile its list, relying on interviews with consultants, state party officials and journalists familiar with each state's political landscape.
Pennsylvania Report
Brian O'Connell, Editor
Tall athletic-looking Mike Gerber is our choice for rookie of the year. After winning a close election against the popular Melissa Murphy Weber, Gerber has hit the field running at full tilt. He brings energy to all phases of the political game. Gerber shows a flair for political fundraising, candidate recruitment and public policy debate. He may only be a rookie, but he plays the game like a seasoned veteran.