Bowman/Pyle Look for Votes in the 60th District

by David Croyle

A crowd of approximately 60 people gathered at the Smith Complex near Elderton last night to watch Democratic new-comer Jo Ellen Bowman face off with Republican incumbent Jeff Pyle in a debate for State Representative of Pennsylvania’s 60^th District.

Members of the audience were permitted to come to the microphone and ask their question. Each candidate had two minutes to give initial responses, followed up by rebuttals to each question.

Ron Larch asked the candidates for reaction to the Marcellus Shale industry and asked if it should be taxed. Pyle said he never supported tax on Marcellus Shale, for the record, although Bowman said she had documentation that proved otherwise. Pyle felt if the industry was taxed, they would move the operation to another part of the nation. Bowman said the industry should be taxed “appropriately and reasonably. The companies are not going to leave. We are sitting on the ‘Saudi Arabia’ of Marcellus Shale. They will be here to stay.”

Neither candidate was for using a tax on Marcellus Shale to fund property tax reform. Angelo Bleggi of Rural Valley said he felt the state would grow if property taxes were eliminated. “The first thing we need to do for property tax is dedicate all gambling revenues to it,” Pyle said. “I favor sales tax options or raising the corporate net income tax. I oppose taxes on Marcellus Shale so any answer I will give would be a false one. Marcellus Shale can drive our economy for the next 50 years. We can’t blow it by an erroneous tax that drives them elsewhere.” Bowman said she favors finding another sustainable revenue for property taxes that would include our schools.

Jessica from Kittanning Borough said she worked in the human service field. She asked the candidates to identify the human services area they would be willing to cut funding in order to balance the budget. Pyle said there is a gaping hole due to the disappearance of Obama stimulus money. He said he would cut PA Medicare subsidies to illegal aliens and blamed last year’s $3 billion deficit on the Governor. Bowman blamed budget mismanagement by lawmakers and said identifying a segment of the population to balance the budget is not realistic. “If a child comes to me and needs medical care, I cannot deny them medical care. I think there are things we owe and responsible for. There are ways to cut,” Bowman said.

Justin Staron from Shelocta challenged their viewpoint. “If a kid asks for help, everyone would give. Where does it say a State Rep is allowed to get in my wallet and give my money to someone else? In my book, that is stealing. If I give, that is charity. If a Rep takes from me, that is thievery!”

Pyle responded that he supported the CHIP program. “There are people not capable of offering health care to kids. I agree with my Opponent because I could not turn a kid away. Every kid in Pennsylvania should have a life. I will take the beating cause I feel better knowing a kid had health insurance.”

Martin Early from Shelocta asked if the candidates believe abortions terminate the life of an individual. Pyle said yes and pointed to his endorsement by pro-life groups. Bowman disagreed with Pyle’s stance. “If you support abortion in any way, you are pro-choice,” she told the audience. She indicated in her closing remarks that, according to the website “VoteSmart,” Pyle indicated he believed in abortion in cases of the health of the mother, rape, or incest. “We both hold the same view,” she maintained. When asked again by Early if she felt abortion was the termination of a human life, she said, “I believe it is a human being.”

Jim Wolfe from Ford City asked about new legislation that would empower people to be able to protect their homes (Castle Doctrine). Both candidates favored the legislation and said they were in support of the second amendment rights.

“I believe everyone has a right to defend themselves. You have to be able to use reasonable force,” Bowman said.

“I agree with House Bill 40 that allows us to protect our home or vehicle. We have a right to defend ourselves,” Pyle said.

Amy Carney from Kiski Township discussed school voucher programs. Bowman felt it was a violation of separation of church and state. “It could have an effect on public education. Public schools have to take everyone. Private schools can screen out students with lower scores. There will be unintended consequences. We have to be careful we don’t make decisions that will raise property taxes,” Bowman said.

“The quality of the student population is how the teacher executes a course of study,” Pyle said. “Some people equate money with quality of education. A teacher’s ability to execute a lesson plan has very little to do with innate ability in a student.”

Ray Borkoski of Ford City wanted the support of the candidates to call for a General Constitutional Convention for Pennsylvania.

Bowman supported a Constitutional Convention. “Government is broken. Pennsylvania is too large. We need to reduce the size of legislature. I am supportive of reducing it. We have to carry your voice to Harrisburg,” she said.

Borkoski asked if she was willing to go to the doghouse because she would be going against the leadership of the Democratic party.”Do you have the guts?” he asked.

“I am 55 yrs old. I am pushy and an advocate. I am not doing this for me. I am doing it for the people I serve. As an advocate, you fight systems. I have been doing that for 27 years. That is what I will do as a State Rep. I don’t need to be like my leadership,” she responded.

Pyle said he favored a limited Constitutional Convention “with a fine scope. I believe in initiative referendum and recall. Put it on a ballot and let them express what they want. I knew what I was getting into when I took the job.

“The problem with a General Constitutional Convention is that you open the whole thing up,” Pyle continued. “We do not have ability to have an open voting block in the east. It should be a limited one with specific parameters.”

As Bowman gave final comments, she hammered at inconsistencies in Pyle’s record.

“There is a lot of misrepresentation in a lot of things. Jeff slams the Governor about WAM money. But using tax dollars, Representative Pyle sends out newsletters that slams the Governor for doing it - but in the same newsletter, has a photo of him giving computers to law enforcement using WAM money,” she said.

Bowman maintains that Pyle violated laws by promoting his re-election in state-funded booklets. “These are using tax dollars. These are exactly the kind of things that people are taking issue with (other legislators).”

Bowman said that during the budget impasse last year, Pyle had $18,000 of expenses, pointing out his expense reimbursement during those several months was more than someone making minimum wage for a year.

“Representative Pyle needs to do what he says and cut from the top,” Bowman continued. “He had $70,000 of expenses last year. I can stand here and tell you I haven’t had $70,000 of expenses in my whole career. We need to set an example for the people we were elected to serve.

“I won’t tell you a different story at a different time,” she continued. “You are going to hear the same story from me no matter where you see me or what my audience is.

“I am here to try to bring good jobs to Pennsylvania. I think that is critical to reduce the tax burden of all of us if we have family-sustaining jobs. We need to recreate and fix the broken corporate tax system. It is not business friendly.

“I think we need to adequately fund education to make sure our students get the education to become productive members of our society, be workers, and give back to the community.

“I am not a Nancy Pelosi liberal Democrat. I am a fiscal conservative. I run a very tight budget. I get clean audits. That is what you need in Harrisburg… someone that lives within their budget, that is accountable. I am known for that and my ethical leadership.”

Pyle did not refute any of Bowman’s accusations in his closing remarks, but rather focused on his accomplishments.

“For the last six years, I’ve stood up and been your voice against runaway spending with back-loaded taxes that I fear over the next two years will come to surface. I support Tom Corbett whole-heartedly. I make no qualms about it. I hope with your support and your vote on November 2, I’ll be one of the guys helping him right the boat and get it upright. I do not feel taxing the Marcellus is an adequate move that benefits us best. Armstrong County sits astride the greatest deposit of natural gas the world has. We have ability to change the entire country from right beneath our feet and the prosperity that could come with it. With your help, November 2, you are going to continue to get a guy who puts 38,000 miles per year on his vehicle. The 60^th District is 571.4 square miles, 27 townships, butt across two counties with Allegheny to the west and Cambria to the east and I’ve crawled over nearly every inch of it. The concerns in Kinport are different than Freeport. The concerns in Yellow Dog where water is paramount are very very different than Brush Valley. I have spent six years creating a personal relationship with this District. I gave my personal cell phone number to about 50 people in Apollo and told them, ‘If you are afraid drug dealers are going to blow your house up because you turn them in, call me. I will get it done. One doesn’t assume this job, one lives this job. And with you help, you will let me continue life.”

Tom Smith, President of the Indiana-Armstrong Patriots analyzed each candidate but had a much wider observation of the evening.

“I think the people that were here won. We had both candidates here giving their opinions and that is what we were after. That is the whole purpose of the Indiana-Armstrong Patriots. It’s education. Now these folks can go home with what they heard and what they learned and make their decision. I think this is the way it is supposed to work. So I think we all won.”

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2 Comments

• 

  By scott_starr, October 22, 2010 @ 4:01 PM

  Hey Jeff,
  Check it out the Marcellus Shale formation can’t be moved, if it gets taxed a little.
  Sheesh.
• 

  By ASDpayer, October 24, 2010 @ 4:55 PM

  Jeff, how much money have you taken from gas drillers to fund your campaign? This is important. Have you been bribed to vote against a gas extraction tax?

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