Tony Dastra Campaign for Governor of Pennsylvania
www.dastraforpa.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, May 8, 2026

MEDIA CONTACT
Chris Robinson, [email protected]

“The fossil fuel industry is polluting our air, soil and water because politicians from the two corporate parties easily bend over,” said Dastra. “Our governor promised the people of Dimock, that they would get a fresh water line to replace the well water polluted by the fracking companies. They are still waiting for that fresh water line.

“Now we have a new cash grab called artificial intelligence, which is offering donations in return for the right to pollute our land and drinking water while devouring energy, Dastra continued. "Just look at our Governor, who is running for re-election. I read in the Philadelphia Inquirer that his campaign has already raised almost $17 million. Half of that was donated by '240 CEOs, founders, business owners, and other top executives.' Many of them do not live in our Commonwealth. So, they vote with their wallets.”

Chair Craig Bolton of the Green Party of Philadelphia agrees with Dastra. Bolton, who is running to be Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor, joined in, “My general thoughts on corruption in Harrisburg are that it ultimately stems from the two-party system. I believe there are organized efforts by Republicans to intentionally and vindictively withhold state resources from Philadelphia -- particularly crucial education and transit system funds. As usual, Democrats in both Harrisburg and Philadelphia make no true efforts to fix this. Instead, they present strategic half-measures which allow them to play off of the Republicans electorally, while they avoid addressing the root causes of corrupt cronyism in our Commonwealth’s partisan politics.” 

Dastra has solutions: “It doesn’t have to be this way. Right now, 14 states have public campaign financing of elections. The impact of public campaign financing can have two results. The first is to amplify the voices of small donors, working people – those that can’t write big checks. The second is to ensure that we will have more candidates running for office who may not have felt like they had a shot to do so without selling their soul.

“Another reform, which I like, is Democracy Dollars,” continued Dastra, “sometimes called Democracy Vouchers -- under which each voter receives four $25 vouchers to donate to candidates of their choice. When this program was introduced in Seattle in 2017, it increased the amount of small donations from 25 percent of contributions to 66 percent. After Democracy Vouchers were introduced, campaign donors have become closer to the city’s population in age, race, gender and income."

Bolton also believes that a new administration led by a Green Party executive could bring change to Harrisburg. He said, “Other reforms which would take the corruption out of Pennsylvania politics are:

• Establish a Gift Ban,
• Prohibit Personal Use of Campaign Funds,
• Prohibit PA Corporations from Donating to Campaigns, and 
• Prohibit Foreign Spending on Our Elections.”

Tony Dastra and Craig Bolton are currently gathering voters' signatures on their nomination papers. Please contact the Dastra-Bolton Campaign to help clean up Pennsylvania politics.