We need everyone’s help. As the campaign moves through the summer we will need everyone’s help to knock the doors and make the phone calls necessary for victory.

Join the campaign today!

http://joinraja.com/volunteer/

As we enjoy today and tomorrow’s activities let’s remember that Memorial Day is about the sacrifice made by our men and women in uniform. Thank a Veteran or an Armed Service Member this weekend.

I hope everyone enjoys the kick off of summer with their friends and family. As we take part in cookouts and baseball games, family get togethers and one another’s company it should remind us of those who have given everything to allow us the freedom to enjoy weekends like this one.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend Everyone!

Raja

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2011/05/18/raja-fitzgerald-set-to-face-off-in-county-executive-race/

Just because the primary came to an end last week doesn’t mean we don’t need your help. Come out to our campaign headquarters and help make history.

Raja for County Executive
Suite 100
Manor Oak One
1910 Cochran Rd
Pittsburgh, PA 15220

You can also send us an email at james@joinraja.com or call us at 412-567-8448.

Thank you everyone for your support. A first step in our path to victory.

Text of Speech as Prepared:

INTRODUCTION

Thank You. Thank you all very much. I am honored to stand before you as the Republican nominee for Allegheny County Chief Executive.

Tonight the voters sent a resounding message that they are ready for something new. Tonight’s victory is the next step in a long and difficult journey to bring a new direction to Allegheny County.

Our journey together began four short months ago as we announced our campaign in a downtown office building. The building housed dynamic high-tech companies such as Timesys but it also had entire floors that were empty.

That building symbolized both the challenges and the opportunities we face as a region. I said then and still believe now that there is no reason that that building and many like it should not be crowded with new companies – and with new opportunity.

Tonight, we are at an important step along on our journey. I am so grateful for all you have done. And I want you to know we are just getting started.

THANKS

I want to thank everyone who contributed to our tremendous victory tonight. I want to thank all of you for joining us here today and for your support and encouragement. This wouldn’t have been possible without the tireless work of all our wonderful grassroots volunteers.

I congratulate Chuck McCullough on a fine campaign and his service on the Allegheny county council.

I thank all the voters who showed their confidence in me and in the ideas we share—voters who believe that innovative ideas are more important than a familiar name or political ties going back decades. [
I owe a special debt to Republican chairman Jim Roddey and to countless Republican leaders across this very large county. In particular, I want to thank Governor Tom Corbett, Senator Pat Toomey, Congressman Tim Murphy, State Senator John Pippy, and Majority Leader Mike Turzai for their early and enthusiastic support.

I owe tremendous thanks to my wife Neeta and our daughters Isana and Omisa.

Tonight we ask everyone to make a choice for Allegheny County to reach new heights. My family also has reached new heights in our campaign. Neeta, who is a life-long Democrat, changed her registration from Democrat to Republican for the Primary. The election going forward is not going to be about Democrat or Republican but about the individual best qualified to move Allegheny County forward.

MAKING THE CHOICE

I know that tonight’s victory isn’t about me. It is about getting Allegheny County moving in the right direction again.

The choice in November will be a stark one—and the path we choose will affect this county for years to come. This is not an election where anyone can stand on the sidelines or rely on the old political habits that have brought us to where we are today.

As many of you know, I came to Pittsburgh 25 years ago, alone, to go to school. Even thought I had the opportunity to move to the Silicon Valley, I chose to stay in Pittsburgh to build a successful company and to raise my family. My journey isn’t very different than that of generations of western Pennsylvanians who have gone before us, who came here and made Pittsburgh what historian David McCullough called “the indispensible American City.” We truly stand on the shoulders of giants and we cannot sit idly by and watch their legacy squandered by slow decline.

Let’s look at the facts objectively and you will see we are in a slow decline:
• Our unemployment rate has gone from 4.1% to 7.96% in 2010
• Our airport utilization has dropped from 500 flights to about 75 flights
• Our local bus transportation has cuts of 15% in just the past couple of months
• Our debt has increased $127M in just the past 5 years
• And on and on and on…

As Albert Einstein said “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity.” We need new leadership. Our potential is great and our time is now.

During this campaign, I’ve knocked on doors and talked to voters throughout the County from my hometown of Mt. Lebanon to Plum to McCandless to Clair-tin and many points in between. The reception has been very welcoming and feedback has been consistent that Allegheny County is ready for new leadership to get us to greater heights.

The role of County Executive is to primarily foster economic development and create jobs. I co-founded a company in the spare bedroom of my townhouse and have grown the company to hundreds of American jobs. I bring the experience and expertise needed for the role and will do so with integrity and fairness.

I am not a career politician. I don’t have the political alliances and will do what is in the best interest of the taxpayer. Whether it’s contacts or services – merit will take the highest precedence.

I refuse to believe that Allegheny County’s best days are behind us. We can be a leader again in job creation, quality of life, education, and innovation. But we will not seize the great opportunities of the 21st century if we continue to elect the same people whose policies and style of politics are left over from a bygone era.

To reach these heights we need Democrats, Independents, and Republicans alike to join this campaign. The voters will have a clear choice in November. Make no mistake about it. It’s a choice between an outsider who has spent his life creating jobs and solving problems and an insider who represents the politics of the past.

Let me be clear. This race is not about parties or personalities, but a clear choice between the past and the future.