Democratic Spring Dinner

I gave the following speech tonight at the Democratic Spring Dinner:

Just over three years ago I was sworn in as your Bradford County Commissioner. It has been a pleasure, a challenge, an opportunity and a blessing. First, I want to give credit to one of the best men that I have ever come to know, John Sullivan. Serving with him has been an honor. He is generally known as the laid back guy, funny; always quick with a joke. Whether they be funny or not? Now that’s debatable. But seriously, I have enjoyed working with him to the utmost and we should be proud that he gave eight years of service in the commissioner’s office.

I have also had the opportunity to work with a great staff in our commissioners’ office and across the rest of our county workforce. In the past few years I have been able to take a lead role in many great projects to improve our county government and our county overall. Some accomplishments I am most proud of include;

Working with the warden to create Bradford County’s Community Workforce Inmate Program. This program puts inmates to work improving communities across Bradford County and it is working. To date we have put nearly 1,000 hours of inmate labor into many different projects across the county and we just approved several more for this year. We also utilize inmate labor for laundry, printing and other general county labor needs. Using inmates in the county workforce saves taxpayer dollars and our inmate work program is good for both the communities and the inmates alike.

Over the past few years we have been implementing a guaranteed energy savings project which is now in the construction phase. Replacing antiquated heating and cooling systems, windows and utilizing energy generated by the Solid Waste Authority are just a few pieces of this large project to save on energy costs for the county.

As a county we have created a grant program from revenues received at the Solid Waste Authority to aid in environmental education, to fund our county parks, and most importantly to help fund local emergency responders.

We have taken Bradford County to a new level in terms of utilizing technology to better inform and communicate with county residents. We redesigned our county website and created a monthly e-mail newsletter.

As a member of the Bradford County Tourism Committee I have been proud to use room tax money to help fund our most sacred community events such as the Troy Fair and the Wyalusing wine festival. I have been proud to be a part of a committee that is able to use those funds to help enhance organizations across Bradford County such as the LeRoy Heritage Museum, and the Bradford County Historical Society.

Recently we read about how several other commissioner candidates do not support a hotel room tax. All of us should be opposed to their ideas, especially now, as we all know these hotels are occupied in large part by the gas industry. The gas industry does not need a Mclinko/Miller sponsored tax break at the expense of our precious community events and resources. We need the ability to invest every penny we can to keep our communities maintained, strong, and vibrant.

The fiscal situation of our county, despite our new challenges, remains strong. Our beloved Bradford County Manor is doing better than ever, financially and operationally. Our debt is one of the lowest in the state and we have an excellent bond rating.

However, all of the positive work that has been done in the administrative aspects of county government, an improved fund balance, county infrastructure improvement, whatever it may be; it all falls under the long shadow of this county’s most challenging, most prolific, most debated issue; the development of Marcellus Shale natural gas development.

Bradford County now has the lowest unemployment rate in the Commonwealth. There is no doubt the development has brought with it economic prosperity and wealth for some but it has brought many challenges for others. There is no doubt it is redefining our government services, our economy, our people and our countryside. It is true and now readily apparent the economic prosperity comes at a cost of its own.

This development carries with it controversial issues surrounding the overall impact on our local communities and how we deal with those impacts. Our once quiet county has been thrust forth into a statewide, and sometimes a national debate, about natural gas development and its overall implications.

In our commissioners race we are hearing candidates from the other side proudly state their opposition to any sort of tax or impact fee on natural gas companies. Yet, here we sit in the most drilled in county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We are experiencing the most impact and that impact could not be more obvious; the costs could not be more obvious.

How can we responsibly provide for our local development and protection without revenues generated by an impact fee or tax? How can commissioner candidates be looking out for what is best for Bradford County if they oppose something as basic as an impact fee, now being proposed by members of their own party?

Those candidates are behind in their thinking and our county cannot afford to remain behind. We must continue pushing ahead for ourselves and for our generations. We must continue to fight.

We need the resources to meet our new challenges head on. This is too big, this is too important. This is about trying to hold on to the lifestyle. It is about getting back the quality of life to which we are accustomed. It is to ensure our roads are taken care of. It is to ensure that the people and their property are protected. It is to ensure the water that comes out of their faucet is protected.

South of here in our state capitol we are watching the work of Governor Corbett take shape. His Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission led by Lt. Governor Jim Cawley is excluding Bradford County and others like it from being a part of the commission’s official work. However, this administration has felt it appropriate to place a billionaire, whose residence is listed in Florida, on the Commission. I think that says it all. It is perhaps the most insulting blow Harrisburg has ever dealt Bradford County and to the northern tier of Pennsylvania. It is a move that all residents should be outraged over.

Our state legislators, whose job it is to be our voice, are cowering with locked lips. In no way have they expressed disapproval of this action by Corbett and Cawley to exclude their most affected districts, in some instances they have defended it. I ask; How can this be? How is it that the changing lives of our residents mean less to them than the political machine for which they have become a part?

As Democrats I think we have a unique opportunity to be the ones that fight for rural Pennsylvania. Recently I have been talking, sometimes very bluntly, to Democratic legislators in Harrisburg trying to convey to them that there is important work to be done here; That they have an opportunity and responsibility to serve rural Pennsylvania at a time when the Republican administration is casting our county out as irrelevant.

We should take this opportunity to be the political party listening and working for the people. We should strive to be the party of the people; the ones that works the hardest, the one that seeks out the best ideas.We need to be the ones bringing a fair and reasonable balance between business, profits, economic prosperity, and jobs while safeguarding our heritage, health, and environment.

Ladies and gentlemen, this opportunity has, presented itself and we must take it. The Corbett and Cawley administration has decided to embrace a multi-billion dollar industry. In doing so they have let loose of the peoples’ best interests. They are ours for the taking. So I encourage Democrats across the state to grab on, fight for us here in this county. And we must remember as local Democrats to never let go, to never let up, to never cower, to never cede the best interests of our neighbors, friends and families here in Bradford County.