Reality Vs. Rhetoric

To all those who claimed there was hate-filled rage on the Republican right.
Evidently the extreme liberals don't take a back seat.

Did The Jury Send The Wrong Message In Ciavarella's Conviction?

Before I get into Ciavarella's conviction one must take a good hard look at the picture of a mother who lost her son as a result of circumstances that started in Ciavarella's courtroom. Look at the pain captured so well in her eyes and expression by the Times Leader photography department.

For the Ciavarella family and Attorney Al Flora to claim "victory" was the ultimate slap of hypocrisy and flamboyant attitude displayed during the entire trial. His smirks, his smiles, and general demeanor where disgusting to see regardless of what he thinks he did or did not do. In the eyes of the public taking money, regardless of the charges, is something a JUDGE does not do. It doesn't just create distrust of the individual, it nutures and breeds distrust of the entire system and those working in it. Defense Attorney Al Flora's claim of "victory" will most likely be short lived when the civil cases are adjudicated.

Onto the jury. Today I read the breakdown chart in the Citizen's Voice. All of the charges involving actually money paid to Ciavarella were found NOT GUILTY. Their finding sends the wrong message to the public, but more importantly to public officials.

Mark Ciavarella can play that part that he was "duped" and "dragged into" this scheme by Robert Powell. However, according to his testimony he was up to his eyeballs in debt and saw an easy way out of the self proclaimed, excessive spending by himself and his family. He tried to keep up with the Jones but was no match.

I agree with their assertions that Ciavarella didn't "extort" money from Powell. It was an exclusive club where all shared in the profits. Attorney Al Flora exorted that Mark Ciavarella" never took a kickback, never took a bribe..." Well, Al, he did take over a million dollars, what was it a donation?

Taking money as a sitting Judge in the manner described in this matter has to be a crime of some sort, at least a kickback. Ciavvarella, in that video, stated he never took a kickback from Robert Mericle. Then why did he go to pains to try to hide it? If it wasn't a problem why didn't he claim it on his income taxes?

No one made the claim that each child sentenced resulted in a direct payment to Ciavarella. But to ignore the power of a judge to sentence enough children to a facility so that its revenue pays the bills is ludicrous. And to me, regardless of how the Ciavarellas feel, it was a kids for cash scheme- sentence the kids to keep the facility afloat and make money.

The jury found Ciavarella guilty of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, consipracy to defraud the United States, and filing false tax returns. While those verdicts are enough to send Mark Ciavarella away for 13 to 15 years, it doesn't square up with the public.

Hazleton Merchants Look For Help

Standard Speaker writer Jim Dino covered a meeting of the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce's Downtown Committee on Tuesday. MinSec quickly became a topic of those gathered to discuss the spat of crime including a recent double-murder in Hazleton.
You can read the article by clicking here.

What I found amazing was the listing by "homegal" in the comments section of all the inmates at MinSec who were involved in incidents during their stay there.

The following incidents, culled from Times Leader archives and media reports, have occurred since then:
Nov. 8, 2008: Convicted burglar James Reynaldo Mercado, 21, escapes from MinSec.

July 30, 2009: Allen Fernandez is released from MinSec, picked up in Hazleton by members of a gang who drove him to Ransom Township, Lackawanna County, and shot him 12 times.

April 2, 2009: Jamie “Cuba” Torres-Dominguez absconds from MinSec.

April 12, 2009: Julio Cesar Gonzales absconds from MinSec and is shot by an alleged drug dealer outside Station 33 on Diamond Avenue, Hazleton.

June 6, 2009: Nelson Roberto Rodriguez walks away from MinSec.

Sept. 13, 2009: MinSec resident Richard Torres is arrested on charges of indecent exposure and disorderly conduct.

Sept. 23, 2009: Convicted robber Nicholas A. Cusatis absconds from MinSec.

Sept. 29, 2009: MinSec resident William Tierno is charged with robbery.

Oct. 28, 2009: Tierno is charged with additional robberies.

Oct. 29, 2009: Media report that Tierno stated he was introduced to crack cocaine and was able to break curfew while a resident of MinSec.

Nov. 11, 2009: Cusatis is apprehended by the state Board of Probation and Parole.

Nov. 29, 2009: Russell Ryder walks away from MinSec.

Jan. 1, 2010: Ryder allegedly steals cigarettes from CeeBee’s, West Broad Street, Hazleton.

Jan. 9, 2010: Ryder allegedly smashes a window and steals cigarettes from Pantry Quik, Diamond Avenue, Hazleton.

Jan. 14, 2010: Former MinSec resident Norman Kane is charged with theft from Blockbuster Video, Hazleton.

March 12, 2010: MinSec resident Joseph Stephens, of Chambersburg, allegedly tries to steal an iPod speaker system from Boscov’s in Hazle Township.

March 16, 2010: Former MinSec resident Derrick Davidson, of Hazleton, allegedly throws a bag of urine at Hazleton police while in a holding cell after being arrested.

March 21, 2010: Marvin Brown escapes from MinSec through a back door after an argument with security about a cell phone.

March 23, 2010: MinSec walk-away Nelson Roberto Rodriguez allegedly stabs a man on Carleton Avenue, Hazleton.

April 2, 2010: Edward Eugene Hardy, previously convicted of aggravated assault, fails to return to MinSec.

April 3, 2010: Hardy is captured by police on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre.

April 4, 2010: Torres-Dominguez, who absconded from MinSec a year ago, allegedly robs Craig’s Food Mart, Hazleton.

April 5, 2010: MinSec resident Jeffrey Wright allegedly robs M&T Bank, Hazleton.

April 6, 2010: Torres-Dominguez allegedly robs Dollar General, Hazleton.

April 6, 2010: Wright absconds from MinSec.

April 8, 2010: Torres-Dominguez allegedly robs Turkey Hill, Sugarloaf Township.

April 11, 2010: Torres-Dominguez allegedly robs Craig’s Food Mart, Hazleton, again.

April 14, 2010: Wright allegedly robs M&T Bank in Hazleton again.

April 2010: MinSec resident on work release at City Hall uses computer to download pornography.

May 2010: MinSec resident Luis Lozada-Colon is charged with stealing a CD player.

May 2010: Remus Marks, who failed to return to MinSec, is charged with causing a disturbance on North Bennett Court, Hazleton.

June 30, 2010: Convicted thief Sean M. Vought escapes from MinSec.

July 12, 2010: Sean M. Vought is captured by Lehighton police. State police said he fled there with his girlfriend, whom he met while at MinSec.

July 13, 2010 – Torres-Dominguez is captured.

Jan. 16, 2011: MinSec resident Rubin Correa is caught on videotape at First Presbyterian Church, right across the street, allegedly stealing a leather coat and rummaging through other clothing articles and drawers in the church during services.

Jan. 27, 2011: MinSec resident James Edward Heller allegedly robs bank in Pike County, leads police on high-speed chase back to Hazleton area.

Jan. 31, 2011: MinSec resident Charles Humphrey is charged with retail theft at Boscov’s, Hazle Township
This was posted today in the Times Leader. Thought it was worth a read to Hazleton people.

RAW VIDEO: Pa. House Meeting Boils Over - Video - WGAL The Susquehanna Valley

RAW VIDEO: Pa. House Meeting Boils Over - Video - WGAL The Susquehanna Valley

Pennsylvania Supreme Court- Out To Touch With Reality

The American Bar Association printed an article penned by Debra Cassens Weiss about the perks Chief Justice Ronald Castille receives while occupying his office.

Pennsylvania Chief Justice Ronald Castille drives a 2010 Cadillac, but he's not paying the lease costs. He has attended dinners, golf outings and a social meeting at a luxury hotel, but he's not picking up the tab.

The state pays for the Cadillac lease, a perk provided to state appeals judges, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. Twenty-five judges lease taxpayer-financed cars, including Justice Max Baer of Mt. Lebanon. Baer drives a 2010 GMC Acadia he leases at government cost from his brother's Washington dealership, the story says. Thirteen judges don’t participate in the program.

Meanwhile some of Castille’s dinners and outings are paid for by lawyers and business people, including some with cases before the court, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported earlier this month. Last December, he attended a meeting of the Pennsylvania Society, a state booster club, at New York City’s Waldorf Astoria. The law firm Saul Ewing paid the $1,900 tab for the hotel room and dinners, just as it had done the previous two years. Since 2007 the firm was involved in around 20 cases before the state Supreme Court.

A New York Times editorial criticizes the state ethics rules that allow Castille and other appeals judges to accept gifts as long as they disclose them. The state supreme court has ruled that it alone has the authority to set the ethics rules; almost no other state has rules that would allow the gifts.

Similarly, the state auditor general can’t audit the judiciary budget. “Appellate judges spend what they want, with little accountability,” the Tribune-Review says, quoting the opinion of Duquesne University law professor Bruce Ledewitz.

Castille said in a May interview that he accepts rounds of golf as gifts from friends at golf courses he could never afford, but did not give the Inquirer an interview for its November story. Saul Ewing lawyer Timothy Carson told the Inquirer the firm financed Castille’s New York trip because the justice should have a chance to interact with other state leaders.

Leo Strupczewski of the Legal Intelligencer writes this article about the precipitous drop in work output by Pennsylvania's highest tribunal

The state Supreme Court had one of its least productive years in recent memory in 2010, issuing far fewer opinions and hearing fewer cases than it had in the last decade.

Normally one to hear about 100 cases and issue authored opinions in another 150, the high court fell short of both traditional performance marks in 2010.

And it didn't come very close, either.

According to a review by The Legal , the justices authored just 67 published opinions in 2010 — a figure that represents a nearly 50 percent reduction in output over the year before. Similarly, the court scheduled just 79 cases for oral arguments last year — less than the 90 it scheduled in 2009 and the 125 it scheduled in 2008.

Though several individuals The Legal spoke with said it's better for the court to take its time when deciding confusing and complicated areas of law, 2010's low figures don't appear to be a result of the court becoming more judicious over what cases it takes or the court becoming more efficient in its work.

The justices, for example, granted allocatur in 497 cases from 2006 through 2010. And at the end of 2009, according to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, there were 280 "pending appeals" before the court.

Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille did not respond to an interview request for this story. Jim Koval, a spokesman for the judiciary, said at the time of that request that Castille would want to see the court's statistics before discussing workload.

Hank Grezlak of the Legal Intellingencer authored a great editorial, Pa. High Court Needs to Cure Its Black Robe Disease, about the Supreme Court which can be found here.

One wonders how the mess in the Luzerne County Courthouse started. Well, from reading these articles it appears it may have started with the lack of accountability at the top. Castille said he accepted the rounds of golf he could never afford. Castille's salary, not including benefits and pension contributions paid for by you and me, last year was $191,876.00. I guess that is a measely salary to be able to afford a $200.00 round of golf.

Oh, did I mention that he gets pensions from his service in the Marines as well as his stint with the Philadelphia District Attorney's office. Poor, poor, Ron.

MinSec's Approval Process In Hazleton Part 2

MinSec's location, Altamont Building, Downtown Hazleton

The last post on MinSec dealt with its application before the Zoning Hearing Board at its meeting of October 18,2007.

Continuing with the testimony offered at the hearing Attorney Giuliani, representing MinSec, called Edward Pane, President and Chief Executive Officer of Serento Gardens, to testify. During his testimony found on page 20 of the transcript Mr. Pane opined about MinSec's operation.

Basically, this is an extension of what we have benn doing. It is a highly complemetary relationship. We're really kind of in business (that) vertically integrates building into a place where there's an outpatient center, an inpatient center.

Mr. Jonathan Wasp, facility director of MinSec's Scranton operation , was called back to testify. He stated found on page 25:

You know, the licensure we have through the Department of Health in our Scranton location, which will also be the same license that we'll be pursuing here, makes us a non-hospital inpatient drug treatment program.

However, on page 23, Mr. Wasp offered this testimony on the percentage of serious incidents that could be expected as a result of the approval and establishing a resident population in the Altamont.

So yeah,, I would say the incidents are relatively low. And it really depends on the structure of the program. I would encourage you, I would encourage the community to become familiar with our handbook. It's public information. It's available through the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections website. See how our program runs...

Back to Attorney Giuliani's questioning found on page 29 to Mr. Pane.

Mr. Giuliani: I just want to ask Mr. Pane something because this is what he told me. The basic difference, Mr. Pane, between what MinSec wants to do and what you're doing is that they're inpatient and you're outpatient?


Mr. Pane: That's correct.

Mr. Giuliano: There's no other difference, right?

Mr. Pane: That's correct.

On page 31 of the testimony Attorney Giuliani makes this statement.

What I'm saying is if there's a question as to whether you have the authority to do-- I mean, it's already been given to add for a whole floor and the only--- that's my point, the only difference between what they're suggesting and what Ed is doing is that one is residential and the other is not.

Onto page 32.

Mr. Giuliani: I just want to repeat something. The people who are buying it are also the peoplw who are making-- who are talking to MinSec, which is important. Mr. Amiano is goint to sell it to him, and then I would imagine that if you're going to do anything else differently than what they're asking for the second, third -- or fourth and fifth floor, they'd have to come here to do that as a use.

Mr. Paletski, Vice Chairman of the Zoning Hearing Board of Hazleton City asks a question found on page 39 and 40. Jonathan Wasp answers the question.

Mr. PALESTSKI: One question. I'm looking at the article from the Times Tribune here and it says, Man was part of minimal security prisoner form the MinSec housing center. Are these residents minimum security prisoners or have they released?

Mr. WASP: In the same way that you were misquoted in today's paper, so was he, apparently. I think people make the logical extension that MinSec is -- the first three letters are MIN, the first three letters of security, and they say must be a minimum security prison.


As I said, we take parole cases. We take self-paid patients. We take individuals who were referred to us by single county authorities in other locations, federal cases. So, no. I wouldn't say it's limited to prisoners, but we're taking somebody who simply can't afford it....

Let's take a look at a Standard Speaker article from February 12, 2010.

Questions persist about Hazleton halfway house
By Kelly Monitz (Staff Writer)

Members of the chamber's Downtown Committee recently met with MinSec's Jonathon Wasp, vice president of treatment services, and Doug Albertson, facility director, to learn more about the facility in the former Altamont Hotel, chamber President Donna Palermo said.

However, they were left with more questions than answers, she said.

"We thought it was a halfway house," she said. "Jonathon Wasp from MinSec stated that it was a minimum security prison. ...That is how they came by their name, MinSec.

"I think everyone is confused on what it really is," Palermo said.

The facility, which is contracted by the state Department of Corrections to provide community corrections services, has operated for about two years, expanding from two floors in the historic structure to five floors in the past year.

Back to the testimony.

Mr. PALETSKI: So some may be work release prisoners, some may be--

Mr. WASP: Well, we have some that are probation and parole--

and page 41

Mr. GIULIANI: And I suggest that this is a use that has already been used in that building.

Finally, the board convenes an executive session with is reconvened at 8:48 P.M. found on page 45.

Mr. SCHADDER: Next application is that of MinSec Companies, LLC, requesting a use variance for an operation of a residential skilled development transitional living treatment program to be located at 145 West Broad Street, a CZ Zone.

I'd like to make this contingent upon fire, health and safety codes as well as local, state, and federal licensing requirements. I'd like to make a motion to approve.

MinSec's handbook referred to in testimony is found here. From its Welcome:

Welcome to MinSec Hazelton Treatment Center

This facility, in many ways, will represent the hardest part of the correctional process for you.

One lingering question hangs like a blanket of clouds building before a thunderstorm casting gray and black shadows. Since the Department of Corrections labels MinSec as a Community Corrections Center is that the same thing as a "residential skilled development transitional living treatment program"? Does a CZ zone allow the placement of a community corrections center in it? Does Hazleton code have a licensing mechanism for a community corrections center or facility?

MinSec- A Tale Of Misdirection For Approval?

Application ZA-116-07- MinSec Companies, LLC requesting a use variance for the operation of a residential skilled development transitional living treatment program located at 145 West Broad Street, the Altamont Building, a CZ Zone

That statement comes from the transcript of the proceedings before the Zoning Hearing Board of Hazleton City on October 18, 2007. Hold onto that thought as you read this post. There are many who blamed former Mayor Lou Barletta for the placement of MinSec in downtown Hazleton. Let's see what the record states. Let's see what the press left out in its coverage of the approval process because of the obvious bias present at the Standard Speaker against Lou Barletta and now Mayor Joe Yannuzzi.

Attorney Henry Giuliani represented MinSec before the Zoning Hearing Board at these proceedings. He called several witnesses including Ed Pane, President and Chief Executive Officer of Serento Gardens, Jonathan Wasp, Vice President of Treatment Services MinSec, and Anthony Amiano, owner of The Altamont who was leasing the building to Visionary Companies, LLC on behalf of MinSec, LLC.

Mr. Wasp was called to testify and his testimony starts on page 6 of the transcript. He states he is "a facility director of a treatment program in Scranton, MinSec Scranton." "I currently serve as the facility director, so I do the administrative oversight and problematic considerations for our Scranton location. He states he will be the facility director, at least temporarily in Hazleton.

Q. Would you describe the mission of MinSec?

A. We provide transition living programs for adult males. Each of our programs are a little bit different. The programs we operate in Philadelphia, some of them operate with federal contracts, some with state contracts, some with county contracts. Our Scranton program operates entirely on state contracts. And at this point our consideration for Hazleton would be state contracts here as well.

Q. And what kind of referrals do you get?

A. We take adult males. The residents who are referred to our program have a number of issues that we do assessments on. The consideration we're giving at this time is for an inpatient drug and alcohol treatment program.

Q. How many beds would there be in the Hazleton project?

A. At this point in time we're looking at two floors, floors 4 and 5. So we currently at this point we've considered 50, 25 per floor.

Q. How many employees would there be?

A. Because we're regulated by the Department of Health which as an entity that's solely responsible for this type of program, drug and alcohol programs...and he goes on to explain staffing..

MinSec's main purpose is not a "drug and alcohol treatment program" according to its own website.

MinSec is a leading provider of private community correctional centers.

MinSec's primary correctinal focus and expertise: Developing and operating community correctional facilities.

Jack Sommers is the Director of the Bureaus of Community Corrections within the Department of Corrections.

This bureau is responsible for residential facilities located in various Pennsylvania communities. These facilities, also known as half-way houses, provide a transitional process by allowing residents monitored contact with jobs and educational opportunities. The facilities house inmates in prerelease status and inmates granted parole by the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole. The department also contracts with private vendors to provide specialized treatment and supervision service, many in the area of substance abuse programming.

This document from the Department of Corrections was issued September 17, 2008. Policy Subject: Community Corrections Centers

It states "II. APPLICABILITY
This policy is applicable to all facilities operated under the jurisdiction of, or conducting business with the Department of Corrections.

III. POLICY

It is the policy of the Department to provide housing and transitional services to residents of Community Corrections Centers and Community Contract Facilities until such time that a resident is released."

Section 21 – Specialized Community Corrections Centers

A. Location

The Specialized Community Corrections Centers (CCCs) are as follows:

1. Region 1 – Kintock-Erie;

2. Region 2 – Harrisburg CCC and Minsec of Hazelton; and

3. Region 3 – Renewal Inc. and Erie CCC.

B. Inmate Accountability and Daily Operations

An inmate paroled to a designated Specialized CCC will be subject to a morestructured/controlled daily routine.

I ask you to draw your own conclusions from the testimony and the information provided whether the testimony offered before the Zoning Hearing Board of Hazleton City was accurate and precise or general and misdirection. Is MinSec under the auspices of the Department of Corrections or the Department of Health? Are the services they provide part of a community correctional facility or a health services facility?

Healthcare Law Clears House Hurdle On Repeal

Honoring a campaign pledge the Republican controlled Congress wasted no time in repealing the outrageous healthcare bill railroaded through Congress by the Democrats last year.

I listened to Congressmen/women speak yesterday for and against the bill. One central theme emerged from the opposition. The Democrats stated the bill would create jobs. They failed to mention it would be 16,000 IRS agent jobs. More government jobs means more taxation, plain and simple.

Governor Tom Corbett's Inauguration Speech

HARRISBURG — The text of Tom Corbett’s speech at his inauguration as Pennsylvania’s 46th governor:

Chief Justice Castille; Governor Rendell, Judge Rendell; members of the judiciary; leaders and members of the General Assembly; members of Congress; my fellow Pennsylvanians: today we celebrate a long, proud, and sustaining tradition of democracy.

Over three hundred years ago, a free society took root here in Penn’s woods. The leaders of those times were uneasy with a government more prone to political favor than fairness to the people. They were deeply troubled by government exploitation and excess and through the course of human events, envisioned the potential for a new government – a new ideal – based in unalienable rights and power derived from the consent of the people.

That debate conducted by our forefathers, beginning with William Penn and carried through the 13 colonies to Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, was not without moments of rancor or sacrifice. But those noble leaders stood true to the belief that civility stands at the core of fair and peaceful governance.

As we open this new chapter in Pennsylvania’s history, let us also step forward firmly dedicated to a civil discourse. Let us not confuse acrimony with passion or partisanship with principle. Rather, let us take this opportunity to begin a new kind of debate – one that honors our shared history and unites us as citizens in common purpose. In doing so, I have great faith that we will unleash a new common prosperity to benefit all Pennsylvanians.

I would like to take this moment to recognize Pennsylvania’s new First Lady, my wife, Sue. She is my partner, my rock, my everything. Her love of culture and history has always inspired me and I know she will be an inspiration for all Pennsylvanians.

It is fitting that I assume the office of governor pledging my oath on William Penn’s bible. As governor, I will lead each day grounded in the truth of Penn’s first charted liberties and mindful of the role we have in democracy’s endurance. I will honor your trust by standing firm in my guiding principle to do the right things, for the right reasons, even in the most challenging of times. And I will dedicate each and every day over the next four years to fiscal discipline and a responsible, limited government.

The chill that we feel today isn’t solely January’s wind. We gather during uncertain times and no one has been left untouched. Pennsylvania is known for hard workers, but today they must search too hard for work. Small businesses can’t hire. Large employers can’t invest. Government has spent beyond its means and individual corrupt acts have eroded an essential element of leadership – the public’s trust.

As we turn this new page in history, Lieutenant Governor Jim Cawley and I seek to chart a new course for Pennsylvania. Together, we are dedicated to leadership that is responsive to fiscal realities; leadership that takes on financial burdens, rather than passing those burdens on to the next generation; and leadership that can see beyond today’s turbulence and into tomorrow’s tranquility.

For some, the impasse between political considerations and economic realities is too difficult. For some, the deadlock between the current size of government and the size our government should be is too daunting. I disagree.

I have had the privilege to see and experience all that is special about Pennsylvania. Our land is rich in resources. Our industry is rooted in innovation. And our people – our people are extraordinary in their diversity and determination. As they work to make a living and raise their families – our people are exceptional in their dignity.

Our Commonwealth has been built by exceptional people, with exceptional ideas. William Penn ventured into uncharted lands to fulfill his dream of a great “Holy Experiment.” Ben Franklin struggled to define a young country’s foundation. And countless men and women, honored in Soldier’s Grove, just behind you, demonstrated exceptional courage as citizen soldiers protecting those freedoms.

Today, Pennsylvania’s tradition of character and courage carries on in the single mother who works an extra job so she can send her children to a better school; in the researchers who have taken a nugget of an idea and turned it into viable nanotechnology; and in the third generation farmer who is as committed to the environmental integrity of his land as he is to keeping the family farm going.

Our people – our fellow Pennsylvanians – make this an exceptional state. Today I call upon everyone in state government to summon all of the will and talent within you to advance the promise of our Commonwealth and to perform exceptionally for all Pennsylvanians.

This will require creativity and courage, and be assured that where there is creativity and courage we will navigate the pending storms.

It will take courage, it will take courage to pursue government and legislative reform. As individuals, there are moments that require quiet contemplation; an intimate “step home within ourselves” to carry us to our ultimate destination. Today is our moment to assess our state government and choose a course that will renew the founding principles of democracy’s covenant.

In that reflection, I believe the only conclusion is the one the people expressed last November. We must act to renew the people’s trust in government. We must restore transparency, accountability and fiscal discipline. But we will move forward with government and legislative reform because, without it, there is no good government.

We need good government. The people now demand it. And they deserve it. We will lead the way toward a government that understands that, just as families have found a way to live within their means, it too must budget in a way that is responsible and honest, a government that has the courage to find fiscal strength in restraint, a government that shows compassion for those most in need and recognizes its citizens’ great investment, a government that must yield them a hopeful, realistic return.

To those who create jobs and to those who raise our future workers: you deserve a government that will not ask more of its citizens until it asks more of itself. I will not shrink from such a challenge; nor will I ignore the opportunities to set Pennsylvania on its new course, a new course where financial security leads us to prosperity and greatness.

You will never hear me say “impossible.” To say it, or worse, to believe it, would accomplish nothing. I see the possible. And in the possible I see a promising future for Pennsylvania.

I see a promising future; one that breathes new life into our existing economies such as agriculture and manufacturing. I see a future that embraces innovation in emerging frontiers of energy, life sciences and biotechnology. I see a future that sets free the kind of creativity and competition that will make Pennsylvania the envy of our nation.

I believe in Pennsylvania and I believe in Pennsylvanians. And in those beliefs is a certainty that the best way to embrace innovation – the best way to make us competitive – is to make us competitive in education. Today, our students compete not only with those from the other 49 states, but with students from around the world. Our education system must contend with other nations and so we must embrace innovation, competition and choice in our education system.

All of this will take time. The challenges we face were not created overnight, nor will they be solved in a 24-hour news cycle or an arbitrarily conceived deadline. It is more important to lead with decisive action that is accurate and precise. This is a generational moment. Our children’s grandchildren deserve our focused attention on doing only what is right to bring about this generational change.

I am confident. I am confident because as we work to steady our Commonwealth with patience and perseverance, our courage will be no less than what Pennsylvanians have already done in summoning their own best from within.

There is no more noble example of Pennsylvania’s inner strength, than the generations of courage commemorated just across the way in Soldier’s Grove. Last week, I walked among the trees and plaques that honor the men and women whose personal sacrifice have timelessly protected our freedoms. They were ordinary people serving in extraordinary times. They demonstrated their commitment during the harsh winter at Valley Forge, their courage in the bloody fields of Gettysburg, and their valor on the beachheads of Normandy. Their heroism in Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq humbles us. And today, I ask that we honor all those who continue to “hang tough” in Afghanistan.

“Wars do not make people great, but sometimes they bring out the greatness in good people.” Such was the wisdom of the beloved Pennsylvania patriot Major Richard “Dick” Winters. His recent passing is a loss not only for Pennsylvania, but our entire nation. Major Winter’s valor behind enemy lines in France was immortalized by the Band of Brothers, but I believe that what makes us look to him as a leader and true hero was his courage, his earnest humility, his private determination and the warm respect he showed and fostered among his men. Over the Capitol today, we fly a flag given to Major Winters by fellow soldiers in honor of the legacy he leaves and a reminder to all of us.

Let us honor Major Winters, and all those who have served by calling upon the best within ourselves. Let us dare to do great things, by daring to do what is right day by day. And let our legacy reflect all that is exceptional about Pennsylvania.

In doing so, we will find a true common wealth that allows this generation and future generations to dream with credible hope.

Join me. With God’s protective guidance we will lead with clear minds, full hearts, and eyes set toward new generations of Pennsylvania’s true and sustaining greatness.

May God bless you. May God bless our Commonwealth and may God bless the United States of America.

Congressman Barletta On Healthcare Repeal