Senate Candidates Debate in Rural Valley

Incumbent Senator Don White (on stage, center) responds to a question posed by West Shamokin High School students during a debate last night featuring Senator White and his two opponents - Democrat Tony DeLoreto and Independent Stanley Buggey.

Incumbent Senator Don White (on stage, center) responds to a question posed by West Shamokin High School students during a debate last night featuring Senator White and his two opponents - Democrat Tony DeLoreto and Independent Stanley Buggey.

by Jonathan Weaver

Next week, three Indiana County men will compete for the 41st Senatorial District seat to represent both Armstrong and Indiana Counties.

In front of about 50 students and voters at West Shamokin Junior/Senior High School last night, Republican Incumbent Don White, of Indiana, and challengers Democrat Tony DeLoreto, of White Township, and USA Minutemen Candidate Stanley Buggey, of Homer Center, gave their views on several topics brainstormed by students – including regarding the economy, rising heroin and opioid use and the agricultural community.

Senator White said the 41st District has lost 2,500 jobs in the last two years – most of which in the energy sector. He aimed to keep millennials in the region by offering them more educational training at Lenape Tech in Manor Township and the Indiana County Tech Center in White Township.

Buggey’s plan includes a geothermal heating system in conjunction with solar panels to conserve energy and reduce carbon use.

DeLoreto proposed eliminating property tax and wants to see more innovative ideas to entice job creation.

To combat rising heroin and opioid use, Senator White - a member of the Rural Pennsylvania Task Force - suggested re-training medical doctors.

 

Buggey would closely-analyze government programs, including welfare.

DeLoreto proposed working with and seeing how countries around the world are also combating the drug problem, and also looking at the issue instead as a mental health issue.

Other issues discussed during the 80-minute debate include school safety, the state budget and graduation requirements.

All three candidates are veterans and would support legislation calling for term limits.

Sophomore Leanne Kintz, of Rural Valley, was glad the candidates addressed school safety.

“(All three candidates) had separate personalities in how they addressed the audience (but) I think they all did (well),” Kintz said.

Sophomore Melina Murray, of Dayton, also proposed questions regarding student issues and thought the three candidates did well Tuesday evening. Though she is not old enough to vote, she chose her favorite.

“I liked Mr. Buggey – he seemed really down-to-earth,” Murray said. “He knows what’s going on.”

Before both students want to cast their ballots, they hope to learn more about the issues.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8.

categories Local News | November 2, 2016

3 Comments

  • By jorn jensen, November 2, 2016 @ 9:09 AM

    I attended this event. It was very well done as was the final commissioner debate about a year ago.

    The questions presented were definitely from a student-aged group (I think that takes out the lowfatnosugar complaint about Randy Cloak having worked for Don White). One good one that I recall was regarding students staying here for jobs in Armstrong County - what will you do about it? The answers from all 3 candidates were weak - no specific actions to create jobs - like tax cuts instead of abatements, going right-to-work so that companies can set up shop and not be ruled by unions, and so forth.

    The term limits question would not have been there had Randy Cloak have had a negative influence on the event via past ties to Don White - Don has been in there 12 or 16 years, so to be in favor of term limits sort of says yes, I shouldn’t be here. But the fact is, we don’t have term limits and Don has as much right as anyone else to run.

    HB/SB 76 never came up, but was skirted around with some rhetoric. Local agriculture. Deloretto said that property taxes are killing the farms and property taxes should be eliminated (not relief) for farmers. Very nice. What about the rest of us? Okay for the rest of us to lose our homes, but not okay for farmers to lose their farms?

    We don’t need any more democrats in Harrisburg - that is why Harrisburg is such a mess. Budget topic came up. Deloretto says we have to work within a budget and ‘reach across the aisle’ - he said that many times. Seven out of eight years of Ed Rendell and he couldn’t get a budget done on-time. Corbett - 4 years - budgets done on-time with cuts - and he gets booted. Next comes along millionaire cabinetmaker inherited Joe-average Jeep driver, in his commercials, Tom Wolf and we’re back to not getting budgets done. Don’t need any more of that.

    I stand with Don White. He is a sponsor of SB 76, property tax elimination, and we’re going to get it done.

  • By jd718, November 2, 2016 @ 9:54 AM

    More Jensen Rhetorical here!!! Job creation under Corbett ranked Pa. 47th in the nation, WOW! Great Republican Leader! Pa. happens to be one of the most corrupt states in the Country that should explain somethings!

    Glad to see these students get this kind of experience! Hope all these fine young people have a wonderful education at the next level.

  • By Just sayin, November 2, 2016 @ 12:01 PM

    Re: the new anti-Hillary sign on Oliver’s digital sign…
    Guess what? Hillary is not being investigated [again]. What a bunch of wasted money and propaganda.

    Trump lovers are blinded and are fools…sheep to the slaughter.

    Buggey made some sense last night on David’s show…until the end.

    Can’t wait until these whackadoodle races are over. Trump is growing horns…

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