PA-09: Economics, Accountability, and Action

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Saturday October 28, 2006 · 11:01 AM PDT

2006/10/28 · 11:01

"When you get in, don't forget about us, don't forget about the working man," said the logger who had a striking resemblance to Willie Nelson and a grip that could rip your arm off. His words rang in my head as I finally drove home last night. It had been quite a day--teaching a full day of school, a discussion with a wrestling coach who has a Swann sticker on his truck but who supports me, meeting with the editorial board of the Uniontown Herald-Standard, and my aforementioned conversation with the loggers in the mountain joint over wings. I've been talking and listening a lot lately, and last night as I drove home, I worked on organizing my thoughts. What the people are asking for, what the people are hungry for, and what the people are demanding is what I want to deliver. To me, it comes down to three things--Economics, Accountability, and Action.

Everybody that I talk to stresses an issue that falls into one of these three categories. It is time for Congress to address issues that actually concern the people. Enough with Terri Schiavo and the other distractor issues, let's do the peoples business.
    The people want good jobs, they want somebody to do something about energy prices, they want health insurance, they want their social security protected not privatized, and they want the same thing for their private pensions. These are the issues that government should be concerned with, and these are the issues that I will focus on.
    The people are angry. They feel that Congress is not doing their jobs. The occupation in Iraq, the response to Hurricane Katrina, and the lack of attention to terrorism are all high on the list of things that piss off the people. This Congress has had the fewest days in session, the fewest hours of oversight hearings, AND in only 6 short years they have managed to raise our national debt by 3 trillion dollars. The people feel that lobbyists have more say in their government than they do. This is wrong, and I aim to put a stop to it. I have already signed a pledge stating that I would publish my daily schedule 24-48 hours after completing it stating all meetings that I had with constituents, lobbyists, and other officials. Bill Shuster has refused to sign stating that he was worried about his personal safety. After the fact? Come on now. Let's get real. In addition to this, I will push for more oversight hearings. Billions of dollars have gone missing in both Iraq and the response to Hurricane Katrina. Bill Shuster voted against oversight hearings in both cases. Is he making sure our money is being spent wisely? No. The people know this, and they want change.
    Finally, the people want some action. Time and time again, I hear that Bill Shuster has done nothing since he has been in office. In Fairchance, he was asked to donate a flag to a new VFW. He refused. In Chambersburg, a woman was having trouble with Medicare. He did nothing. In Somerset, a woman whose husband incurred severe injuries in WWII is not receiving survivor benefits and risks becoming homeless, Shuster does nothing. In Northern Cambria, a township supervisor needs help with clean water. Shuster does nothing. I hear variations of this story constantly as I travel the district. I have discussed this with members of my campaign team, many of who will become part of my Congressional staff. These issues may seem trivial to a certain big shot Congressman, but I know that these issues are hugely important, life and death even. My staff knows this also, and we will get action taken on these important issues.
This past week I was in Gallitzin at a rally. A former mayor introduced himself to me, and he thanked me for coming to his town. I was taken aback. Thank me? I was glad to be there. I was practicing to do my new job. Do you like what you hear? Join me at www.tonybarr2006.com

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