Tim Wants Your Opinion

Also on the Tim Murphy (PA-18) front:

The congressman has sent out two messages in as many days to his "E-News" mailing list asking for opinions on upcoming votes. While he has certainly held public forums in the past, this is the first time the Gentleman from Upper St. Clair has ever asked for opinions en masse in an e-mail like this. One has to assume the Democrat takeover of Congress has motivated him to operate in different ways.

But, I do think it's a smart move - both from public policy and politics standpoints.

I am posting both e-mails below in their entirety:

Message #1:

From: RepMurphy Newsletter [RepMurphyNewsletter@MAIL.HOUSE.GOV]
Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 9:22 PM
To: MURPHY-PA18@LS1.HOUSE.GOV

Subject: Key Vote Alert: Embryonic Stem Cells

From the desk of Congressman Tim Murphy

KEY VOTE ALERT

Dear Friend:

On Thursday, January 11, 2007, there will be a very important vote in the House of Representatives regarding stem cell research. Congress will be voting on the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, H.R. 3, which would mandate the use of federal tax dollars to fund the use of human embryos for scientific research.

The stem cell debate is one of the most controversial issues facing Congress and the nation. Stem cells are cells from which all other cells originate. Medical research has indicated that there is great promise that many stem cells can lead to cures for many different diseases.

There are many different kinds of stem cells including embryonic, amniotic, and adult stem cells. Unfortunately, the media and public information campaigns often do not differentiate between the different types. While all are similar, they have shown different levels of potential and different levels of risk. No research has yet shown embryonic stem cell research to be fruitful to curing any disease.

Tomorrow's vote is not whether or not to fund stem cell research, but rather whether or not to federally fund research in embryonic stem cells. This is where the controversy lies. Medical research involving embryonic stem cells requires destruction of the embryo. For those who believe life begins after conception, this is equal to ending life. Others think the research benefit outweighs the concern of ending life if it will find cures for such diseases as Parkinson.

Many U.S. companies, universities, and states are engaged in a great deal of embryonic stem cell research already. California is currently spending $3 billion on stem cell research. The President and the U.S. Congress have supported research with over $90 million for embryonic stem cell lines derived from embryos that had already been destroyed with more than 700 shipments to researchers since 2001. The upcoming vote upcoming is whether or not to use federal funds that would result in the destruction of more embryos for research purposes.

Those who support embryonic stem cell research have stated that these are embryos would have been destroyed and discarded anyway. However, many parents have asked Congress to consider that they want the opportunity to adopt these embryos and raise the children as their own infants.

In fact, according to the non-partisan RAND Corporation the 'vast majority' or 88 percent of the 400,000 embryos that have been frozen since the late 1970s are not going to be discarded but are held for family building and not for medical research.

As previously mentioned, there are other types of stem cells with great potential that can be used for research. Adult stem cells have already been used to treat humans for 72 different types of conditions, ranging from different types of cancer to Chronic Coronary Artery Disease to Spinal Cord Injuries.

Just this week, an amazing scientific breakthrough was announced in which stem cells taken from amniotic fluid have the ability to develop into human tissue. These amniotic stem cells have the potential to develop human brain, muscle, bone, liver, and other cells. The tissues developed from amniotic stem cells cannot be rejected by the human body because they genetically match developing fetuses. The cells can be used to treat birth defects in newborns, frozen for personal use later on in life, placed in a bank for use by the entire population, or used for advancing research. Given the fast pace in which amniotic stem cells have matured, it would not take long to develop a bank large enough to ensure every U.S. citizen had access to cells that could cure them of countless diseases. According to the scientists involved in the breakthrough, just 100,000 women will need to donate their amniotic cells for this to happen.

Many argue that if we federally fund embryonic stem cell research there will not be enough money to fund research for other types of promising stem cells.

Given that this policy change is not going through the regular Committee process and further Congressional investigation will not take place, I am anxious to hear how you feel about this issue. Are you in favor of using federal tax dollars to conduct embryonic stem cell research which would involve the destruction of a human embryo or are you in favor of extending federal funding for research even if it involves embryo destruction and could divert funding for other stem cell research? Please email me your thoughts at Murphy@mail.house.gov or call my office at 412-344-5583.

Thank you for being an E-News subscriber. E-News is a great way to provide up-to-the minute information to the people who live and work in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District. In the coming weeks you will notice several changes to our E-News format that will provide you with more specific information on the issues you are interested in and make it easier for you to provide me with your input. This will greatly help with the decisions I face in Congress. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Congressman Tim Murphy

504 Washington Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15228 412-344-5583
322 Cannon Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 202-225-2301
2040 Fredrickson Place, Greensburg, PA 15601
Visit Us On the Web: http://murphy.house.gov/
E-mail: murphy@mail.house.gov


Prepared by the Office of Congressman Tim Murphy

Message #2:

From: RepMurphy Newsletter [RepMurphyNewsletter@MAIL.HOUSE.GOV]
Sent: Thursday, January 11, 2007 7:43 PM
To: MURPHY-PA18@LS1.HOUSE.GOV
Subject: Key Vote Alert: Medicare Prescription Drugs

From the desk of Congressman Tim Murphy

KEY VOTE ALERT

Dear Friend:

On Friday, January 12, 2007, there will be a very important vote in the House of Representatives regarding prescription drug medications, and I would like to hear your input on the issue. Congress will be voting on the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act, H.R. 4, which would allow the government to directly negotiate prices with drug manufactures that are part of the Medicare prescription drug program.

Whether or not the government plays a direct role in medication pricing has important implications for Medicare. The Medicare prescription drug program started one year ago. In this first year 80 percent of seniors who have selected Medicare drug plans said that they were satisfied with it. The Medicare prescription drug program is federally funded, and administered by a group of private companies. It is designed to give seniors a choice of pharmacies and prescription medications at a low cost. Under the current system, there are 66 Medicare private prescription drug plans in Pennsylvania for seniors. The private plans negotiate with drug manufacturers to get the lowest price possible for each drug. The plans vary in cost and the number of drugs available.

Under this system of private plan negotiation, the Medicare program has worked with great success and yielded significant savings for seniors. These private plans continue to negotiate throughout the year for lower prices. These price reductions have led to dramatic savings for seniors. The Medicare Trustees report the average senior's premium was 33 percent lower than projected for 2006, down from $37 a month to $24 a month. The 2007 projection is for still further savings, down to $22 a month on average. Seniors are saving an average of $1,100 each year on their medication costs under the program.

However, some people have proposed that these savings could be even lower if the government (not the private plans) "negotiated" drug prices with manufacturers. Manufacturers would submit bids to the government to offer a drug to Medicare patients at a certain prices. The government would then select the drugs that cost the least. As a consequence, similar drugs offered by other manufacturers may no longer be available to Medicare beneficiaries despite possibly having fewer or different side effects or other benefits, because the government would be selecting only the least costly drugs. Some analysts have worried such a system would lead to just a few or even only one manufacturer controlling the drug market if companies whose bids are not selected reduce manufacturing of these drugs altogether. This may lead to fewer medication options for seniors. However, some argue that cheaper drugs are worth the drawback of fewer choices of prescription drugs.

Another concern is that seniors will be limited to receiving their prescription drugs only through the mail and not be able to get the prescriptions filled at their neighborhood pharmacies. For some, this could be positive, but for others they may miss the personal relationship they have developed with their pharmacists who review their medications, and provide advice and consultation.

The Veterans Administration directly negotiates with drug manufacturers for its prescription drugs and it is often touted as a model for government negotiations to keep costs under control. Veterans enjoy lower drug costs; however, there are limits to what drugs are available. Some popular medications such as Celebrex and Lipitor are not available through the VA. For some, lack of prescription drug choice is not something they are willing to give up. There remains concern that government negotiations for Medicare may lead to limited prescription drug choices similar to the VA program.

Finally, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which is responsible for providing non-partisan analysis of legislation, state that government negotiation would not lower prescription drug prices any further: "CBO estimates that H.R. 4 would have a negligible effect on federal spending because we anticipate that the Secretary would be unable to negotiate prices across the broad range of covered Part D drugs that are more favorable than those obtained by PDPs under current law."

This bill is moving quickly through the House of Representatives and supporters are bypassing the customary procedures that would permit further investigations and hearings prior to a vote. I am anxious to hear how you feel about this issue. Do you believe private prescription drug plans should continue negotiations with manufacturers to lower prices for seniors? Or are you in favor of the government negotiating prices even if it restricts access to certain medications? Please email me your thoughts at Murphy@mail.house.gov or call my office at 412-344-5583.

Thank you for being an E-News subscriber. E-News is a great way to provide up-to-the minute information to the people who live and work in Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District. In the coming weeks you will notice several changes to our E-News format that will provide you with more specific information on the issues you are interested in and make it easier for you to provide me with your input. This will greatly help with the decisions I face in Congress. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Congressman Tim Murphy

504 Washington Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15228 412-344-5583
322 Cannon Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 202-225-2301
2040 Fredrickson Place, Greensburg, PA 15601
Visit Us On the Web: http://murphy.house.gov/
E-mail: murphy@mail.house.gov


Prepared by the Office of Congressman Tim Murphy

Murphy & the Minimum Wage

It's interesting that Congressman Tim Murphy (Republican, PA-18) yesterday supported the federal minimum wage increase of $2.10 an hour. Under the bill passed by the House, the minimum wage would increase in three steps to $7.25 an hour.

According to the New York Times in this graphic about the first 100 hours of the new Democrat-majority Congress, Murphy was one of 82 Republicans who voted yes. In fact, Murphy issued a press release touting his co-sponsorship of the bill and noted he didn't think it went far enough in also addressing health care.

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with his vote -- if government is going to mandate a minimum wage, it probably should keep up with inflation and other economic indicators.

But, I'm not certain this is a vote that's going to endear the Congressman to some of the corporate leaders who support him. There is an argument in the business community that minimum wage increases harm economic growth and have a net negative effect on jobs numbers.

Of course, Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District is only about 37 percent Republican. By voting for the minimum wage hike, Murphy has perhaps neutralized at least one potential attack issue for the Democrats in '08.

Mike Neville for Washington Co. Commissioner

Yesterday, Mike Neville formally announced that he will be a candidate in 2007 for the GOP nomination for Washington County Commissioner. Today's O-R has the story.

I've known Mike since 1998 when I covered Peters Township Council as a newspaper reporter. When I moved into politics in 2002, Mike became a supporter of mine -- working many, many hours outside the polls for me during all three of my bids for the State House.

I think Mike would be an excellent commissioner. He's the kind of person who would not tolerate delays in important county projects and would be a strong fiscal conservative on budget matters. I think he also would be incredibly responsive to the needs of the county's citizens.

Holding 200K

The financially-troubled City of Washington has a $200,000 check in its possession that the City Treasurer doesn't want to cash.

The O-R's Terri Johnson tells us why.

Hypocrite

Greenlee Partners, the lobbying firm that publishes Harrisburg Online, has this lead brief on their Website today:

Senatorial Privilege! Not noted over the Christmas shopping season was U.S. Senator (and Presidential candidate) John Edward's attempt to get to the front of the line at a local Wal-Mart Store to secure a rare Sony PlayStation3. An Edward's campaign staffer made the call to a Raleigh, N.C. Wal-Mart in an unsuccessful attempt to get the new game for a Senator who consistently bashes Wal-Mart.

A Coalition Legislature for PA?

Could a coalition arrangement work for the Pennsylvania legislature?

This Patriot-News article by Charles Thompson asks the question.

I think they should give it a try. Share power. Split up the committee chairmanships. Try to work together for the good of all Pennsylvanians. Stop worrying so much about partisan gain.

Some of the new back-benchers need to push for this. Good policy can sometimes make good politics.

(Hat-tip: Chris Lilik of GrassrootsPA)

Mary Beth Buchanan for Chief Executive?

After reading yesterday's post, a friend told me something interesting:

Perhaps U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan is considering an '07 run for Allegheny County Chief Executive.

She might make an interesting "out of the box" GOP nominee, especially if she ran on an anti-crime platform -- with a strong accent on improving the quality of life in the City of Pittsburgh and other urban areas in Allegheny County.

Candidate Needed

Today's P-G carries a story about how Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato has no known challengers as the gears begin to turn for the 2007 election cycle.

This is disappointing -- for our democracy to be healthy, we need strong candidates in competitive races in which the issues of the day are debated. With the Penguins management visiting Kansas City and the Port Authority facing the biggest service cuts in its history, there certainly are issues that need to be debated.

Little Christmas

Many Christians today celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany or "Little Christmas" -- remembering the the visit of The Three Kings a.k.a. The Wise Men a.k.a. The Magi to the Christ Child.

Today's Gospel at Mass was from the Gospel of Matthew 2: 1-12:

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage."

When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel."

Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the star's appearance.

He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage." After their audience with the king they set out.

And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.

They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

Molly Ray Welch

I am pleased to report that yesterday, January 5, 2007, my friends John and Allison Welch became parents for the first time. They named their baby girl Molly Ray Welch.

Everyone from the 2006 State House race will remember John and Allison, who contributed in so many ways -- from organizing our Relay for Life team to helping to writing out friend-to-friend postcards to working outside Chartiers 6 on Election Day. The photo at left of John and Allison is from our Night at the Wild Things.

Congratulations, John and Allison. I know the Holy Spirit will always be your guide.

Pace e Bene, Molly Ray. Welcome to the party.

Snatchko.com

Getting to this blog just got easier.

The domain name of my former campaign Website, Snatchko.com, now redirects here.

Cheap Sunshine

Last night, we went to see "Little Miss Sunshine" at what was formerly called Star City Cinema on Route 50 in South Fayette Township. Star City recently reopened as a discount theater with tickets at $1 (before 6 p.m.) or $1.50 (evenings).

I had missed "Little Miss Sunshine" when it came out this summer so it was nice to have the chance to check it out for only $1.50. Good movie. Good ensemble cast. It has been well described as a "funny, but slightly dark comedy."

On The Line

Mike Jones has a follow-up article in today's O-R about the proposed total elimination of bus service to McDonald, Oakdale and the villages along Noblestown Road. The topic was the O-R's lead editorial today, too.

According to an article in the Post-Gazette, the Port Authority's proposed cuts would be the largest service reductions in its history.

End of an Era?

Today's O-R carries a story by reporter Mike Jones about the decrease in Port Authority of Allegheny County bus service to McDonald.

Turns out the story was just one day too early for a bigger hook. PAT announced today that it now wants to totally eliminate service to McDonald and the other southwestern suburbs (Oakdale Borough and the villages of Rennerdale, Noblestown and Sturgeon) serviced by the 33F and 28G.

We're going to speak out against this proposed route elimination at the upcoming public hearings. If PAT's plans do go through, it would mean the end of an era for McDonald. A town founded in the late 1800s at least in part due to the location of a train station would no longer have any public transit.

It would also make life much more difficult for many local commuters. I know many of them personally -- I was a passenger on the 33F for the three-plus years I worked Downtown at the Carnegie Hero Fund.

Yes, Virginia, there is a budget

Yet another member of Washington City Council has written to the O-R to weigh in on WashPA's budget woes. Virginia Ullom's description of events is not pretty.

Battle for the Gavel

Mario F. Cattabiani has more about the election of the new speaker of the PA House at his blog: Pennsylvania: Battle for the Gavel.

The photo above comes via from GrassrootsPA. Check out the look outing Speaker John Perzel (left) is giving new Speaker Dennis O'Brien. I believe Chris took the photo from The Morning Call Online which they say is an AP photo. (Apologies to the originial photographer for not giving proper credit.)

Dennis Who?

Looks like all hell broke loose in Harrisburg today.

GrassrootsPA and PA Water Cooler are providing coverage.

Dennis who? It's a name yours truly had never heard before.

Calculations

A letter in today's O-R disputes budget numbers from an article published last week about funding and staffing levels for the City of Washington Fire Department.

E-mail from Haiti

From Page B1 of this week's Pittsburgh Catholic:

Rebecca Newlin, religion teacher at Oakland Catholic High School, is spending a year’s sabbatical working among the people of Haiti. Kenneth Ogorek, diocesan director of the Office of Catechesis, recently received the following e-mail from Newlin.

Hi Ken:

I hope all is well in Pittsburgh and that the peace of Christ rests in all hearts!

After spending three months in Fondwa, Haiti, I feel very much at home. I have been teaching English to 65 seventh-graders, 34 eighth-graders, 47 ninth-graders and 17 tenth-graders.

The classrooms are small and dark. The desks, made for three, sit about six or seven each. The expectations are low and there is little accountability. It is not like the United States. I have five seventh-graders who are in their early 20s.

Many students drop out of school to let a younger sibling go, since the price of education is very high. At some point, they jump back into the system. Or they have never started school, show up and are placed pretty much randomly, or it appears that way.

In the ninth grade the students are given a national exam and many quit after that either because of not passing, or more likely because there is a lack of money. I always thought myself to be a woman of hope, but when I look into these children’s eyes filled with enthusiasm and hope I notice that my hope is lacking. There are no jobs and a lack of economy and social services. Here is where the cross is relived and only God and an honest group of people can change Haiti. We pray earnestly every day for a resurrection.

I love it here even though it is hard sometimes. There is often no running water and we haven’t had electricity for three months, but we do have an electric current for about one and one-half hour a day.

We currently have Internet access, but we didn’t for the first two months. Travel is difficult. Yesterday was a national local voting day. Another volunteer and I wanted to go to the polls to experience voting in Haiti, so we went with the sisters. We started out at 10:30 a.m. and returned at 2 p.m. I think we walked about four miles each way, up and down the mountains. Luckily it was not a very bad road. Well, I just wanted you to know that all is well and what I have been up to. The current will be turned off in a minute. I was just warned, so until next time.

Peace and love,
Becky

Happy New Year 2007!

Happy New Year '07!

May it be one of peace and happiness.

Photo above by Robert Stolarik for The New York Times. His caption: With the countdown complete, confetti filled Times Square at midnight to mark the beginning of 2007.

Mummers

Rocco Palmo has an interesting post with some great photos at his blog "Whispers in the Loggia" about the Mummers parade in Philly.

Feast of the Holy Family

Today, the Sunday after Christmas, Catholics celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

The Gospel reading at Mass (Luke 2:41-52) was the story of the 12-year-old Jesus in the temple:

Each year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom.

After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him.

After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers.

When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.”

And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?"

But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.

And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man.

In The Rough

Last night, we saw "Blood Diamond," a film about the illegal diamond trade and civil war in Sierra Leone in West Africa.

It is an important movie to see -- to learn more about conflict diamonds and how First World brides encourage their flow. But, with some iffy acting and contrived action sequences, the film itself comes up short.

I had trouble with Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role of the diamond mercenary. Except for a good final scene, I was never able to accept him in the part. Maybe it was the accent.

Jennifer Connelly, playing an American journalist, saves every scene in which she is featured.

Djimon Housoun was excellent as the father dragged away from his family and plunged into the chaos. I would not be surprised to see him receive an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for the part. (Although, some might argue it's another MAAF role.)

Michael Sheen had a bit part at the end of the movie as a London-based diamond merchant. While he has only a few lines here, be sure to check him out as Tony Blair in "The Queen."

Juxtaposition

The juxtaposition in today's news of the execution of Saddam Hussein and the funeral services of Gerald Ford is telling.

Saddam Hussein was an absolute dictator who achieved and maintained executive power through mass killings, repression and fear. His decades of tyranny came to end via a spider hole and a hangman's noose.

Gerald Ford was a true democrat who had executive power thrust upon him by constitutional means. After less than three years of service, he lost an election and peacefully exited. He died surrounded by his family and is now honored by a grateful nation.

May God bless democracy. May it spread peacefully throughout the world and improve the quality of life for all people.

Putting Out Fires

Terri Johnson penned an article in yesterday's O-R about discussions at a Washington City Council meeting on understaffing at the WashPA Fire Department -- and the effect of the all-paid FD on the city's troubled finances.

Also, there is a letter to the editor from City Councilman Bob Nicollela in today's paper about financing for the city's downtown revitalization project.

Long But Good

Last night, we saw the new spy movie "The Good Shepherd." It stars Matt Damon as an operative in the formative years of the CIA.

It was a bit too long but overall worth seeing.

I thought director Robert De Niro did a good job showing connections between World War II and post-war intelligence gathering and Cold War intelligence gathering. (The fictional relationships in the movie specifically make a connection to the botched 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion.)

Several big names had supporting roles. Joe Pesci had an unnecessary cameo. Michael Gambon, who portrays Professor Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films, played an old English spy masquerading as a Yale poetry professor.

Presidents

As democratic as we Americans like to consider ourselves, I think there will always be in our national psyche some Old World fascination with the high and powerful among us -- our modern-day royalty if you like.

This fascination and interest is often seen in regard to American presidents. It's likely one of reasons The West Wing was such a popular television program.

The death yesterday evening of Gerald Ford brings this point home. In his case, however, I think President Ford will be more remembered for his times than for his own life -- but his impact upon those times was great.

Had President Ford not pardoned Richard Nixon for his Watergate sins and been elected in 1976, it's impossible to know what America would look like today. Perhaps we would not have known the Reagan era and the Clinton era -- and all the changes those times entailed for our body politic and our American culture.

To borrow words from John Henry Newman, President Ford was "a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons."

(The photo above is from the National Archives via wikipedia. Pictured are Presidents Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Reagan, Carter and Ford with their wives at the April 27, 1994, funeral of Richard Nixon.)

Merry Christmas!

From the Gospel of Luke 2:1-14:

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled.

This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son.

She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock.

The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear.

The angel said to them,

“Do not be afraid. For behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

(Image above from Catholic Online.)

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Because Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday this year, many Christian traditions consider today both the Fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve.

In the last week of Advent, many Catholics pray what are called the "O Antiphons." These ancient prayers speak to an increasingly urgent longing for the coming Messiah:

O Wisdom, you come forth from the mouth of the Most High. You fill the universe and hold all things together in a strong yet gentle manner. O come to teach us the way of truth.

O Adonai and leader of Israel, you appeared to Moses in a burning bush and you gave him the Law on Sinai. O come and save us with your mighty power.

O stock of Jesse, you stand as a signal for the nations; kings fall silent before you whom the peoples acclaim. O come to deliver us, and do not delay.

O key of David and scepter of Israel, what you open no one else can close again; what you close no one can open. O come to lead the captive from prison; free those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

O Rising Sun, you are the splendor of eternal light and the sun of justice. O come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

O King whom all the peoples desire, you are the cornerstone which makes all one. O come and save man whom you made from clay.

O Emmanuel, you are our king and judge, the One whom the peoples await and their Savior. O come and save us, Lord, our God.

Literal

Last night, ABC re-aired the Barbara Walters special "Heaven: Where Is It? How Do We Get There?". The special included interviews with several religious leaders, among them Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the Dalai Lama and Pastor Joel Osteen. According to ABC:

Osteen's televised sermons attract about 7 million viewers on Sunday mornings, and 36,000 evangelicals pack his Lakewood church in Houston every week, the largest weekly religious gathering in the country.

There is much to appreciate in Pastor Osteen's message -- which is positive and hope-filled. We need more of this in our world. But, I do have a critique.

Early in the interview with Walters, Osteen states he believes in the Bible literally. Later in the show, he speaks favorably of prosperity and is seen praying for people to get promotions, raises and bonuses.

From my reading of the Gospels, seeking material wealth is what Christ says we are not to do -- if we are taking a literal interpretation of Christ's words. I am specifically thinking of the following passages from the Gospel of Luke:

Luke 6:24-26; 12:13-21; 16:13-15, 19-31; 18:9-14, 15-25; 1:50-53.

This is from Luke (18:18-25):

An official asked him this question, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Jesus answered him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother.'"

And he replied, "All of these I have observed from my youth."

When Jesus heard this he said to him, "There is still one thing left for you: sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

But when he heard this he became quite sad, for he was very rich.

Jesus looked at him (now sad) and said, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!

For it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God."

Road Trip to Cleveland?

As unlikely as it seems to be saying this, I think it may be time for a road trip to Cleveland.

Purpose? To visit the "A Christmas Story" House. The wood-frame house in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood has been restored to how it looked in the movie. It's now open to the public for tours. They even have the "major prize" illuminated in the window.

CNN and NPR and the P-G have already been there. Marylynne Pitz of the P-G called the house "a kind of glowing, Midwestern Taj Mahal."

(Photo from achristmasstoryhouse.com which credits Scott Shaw of The Plain Dealer via the AP.)

Shopping

Last night, I bought one last Christmas present while shopping at J.C. Penney at the old Washington Mall. I'm pleased to report that there were some Christmas shoppers at Penney's and there were a decent number of cars in the parking lot (in front of the remaining stores).

It was good to see activity at the Washington Mall, which these days is usually a ghost town. The mall's wikipedia entry refers to it as "ailing" and notes that Penney's will move in 2007 to a new site less than a mile away.

The photo above of an empty corridor in the Washington Mall is from an article at labelscar.com, "the retail history blog." The article provides background on the mall's demise.

I was once a more frequent shopper at the Washington Mall. As a kid, it's where we went back-to-school shopping. I shopped there when I was first out of college and working in WashPA. But, like others, as so many of the food outlets and stores left the Washington Mall, I found myself headed more often to the other newer retail centers in the vicinity -- as well to Robinson Town Center and The Pointe at North Fayette.

In fact, I only went there last night because I was in the area and wanted to use a Penney's gift card. (I admit it. I was re-gifting. Don't hate me.)

In Washington County, we have many elected officials and bureaucrats (at the county, state and local levels) who talk a good game about economic development projects and all that they have done for job creation... blah...blah...blah...

Here's hoping one of these Masters of the Universe steps forward and pushes/assists the owners of the Mall toward the reinvigoration of this once-vibrant retail hub. It has an excellent location adjacent to I-70 and Route 19. Instead of applauding the development of more green space for new retail activity, why not actively encourage the revitalization of this existing mall?

Speaking of economic development and government officials ... on to the topic du jour in Southwestern Pennsylvania:

Sick of the cheesy carols that dominate so many radio stations this time of year, I was listening to talk radio in the car after leaving the mall.

The show was about the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board's decision to award the City of Pittsburgh's only stand-alone slots casino license to a location on the North Shore -- and the bleak outlook for the Penguins franchise in Pittsburgh due to the losing bid for the slots parlor attached to a new arena Uptown.

One caller, who identified himself as a union carpenter, said something provocative.

This caller suggested that perhaps there is a behind-the-scenes (and he implied sinister) connection between the award of the license for the "Majestic Star" casino and the construction of the North Shore connector (a the light rail line soon to be built between Downtown Pittsburgh and the North Shore underneath the Allegheny River).

Huh.

No Synergy

The AP's Alan Robinson has an article in today's papers about the displeasure of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pirates organizations with the decision of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to locate a slots casino on the North Shore west of the Carnegie Science Center.

The Penguins wanted it and didn't get it. The Steelers and Pirates don't want it -- and they got it. So much for synergy and coordinated efforts among Pittsburgh's major league sports franchises.

If the Rooney family and the McClatchy/Nutting group didn't want a casino on the North Shore why didn't they put their significant political and economic clout into stopping it?

(Hat-tip: Chris Lilik of GrassrootsPA.)

Sleeping in Airports

Website of the Day: Sleeping in Airports

Be sure to check out what stranded sleepers have said about PIT.

Hat-tip: NPR's Marketplace. They featured this site in a segment on Wednesday evening.

Patricia Lowry on the slots parlor

For many years, I have enjoyed the writing and perspectives of Patricia Lowry, the P-G's architecture critic. Yesterday, her column was about the three proposals for the slots casino slated for the City of Pittsburgh.

She gives a nod to the "Majestic Star" casino proposed for the North Shore. But didn't Dan Rooney say he doesn't want it there? The Steelers owner probably knows the Northside better than anyone.

Ms. Lowry references an op-ed piece in last week's P-G by Pittsburgh-based architects and urban designers Dan Rothschild and Ken Doyno in which they endorse the North Shore plan.

A majority of PUMP members favored the Isle of Capri plan for the Hill District that would include building a new arena for the Penguins.

If the Isle of Capri plan were to be successful, I wonder its impact on Epiphany Catholic Church (pictured below). Being across the street from the site, a casino there could pose a challenging but unique opportunity for ministry.

According to an article in today's P-G, the successful applicant will be announced this a.m.

Tearjerker

Last night, we went to see the new Will Smith movie, "The Pursuit of Happyness." (They talk about the incorrect spelling in the movie.)

It was pretty good. Look for Smith to get an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Chris Gardner.

Take some tissues.

The film references the phrase "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" from the Declaration of Independence.

Update: Yesterday on NPR's Fresh Air, David Edelstein called "The Pursuit of Happyness" an "economic cliffhanger." He used the same term in his New York Magazine review. It's a very apt description.

People of Spirit

Sometimes obituaries are the most compelling part of the newspaper:

In today's O-R: Stella Olesky, 84, who played Championship Girls B'Ball at Wash High in the late '30s and then served in the Air Force during WWII and Korea.

In yesterday's P-G: Rev. Benjamin Walker, 76, a Benedictine priest who loved God and the Steelers.

Letters on WashPA's debts

Dueling Letters to the Editor appear in today's O-R about the City of Washington's financial problems. The first was penned by Councilman Matt Staniszewski and the other by former Councilman Lou Waller, Jr.

A Tom Collins for Toronto

The newly-announced archbishop-designate of Toronto has an appreciation for John Henry Newman and "The Lord of the Rings."

Sounds like a good guy to me.

Hat-tip: Whispers in the Loggia, a blog about Catholic Church-related matters by Rocco Palma, age 23, of Philadelphia. Rocco also writes for BustedHalo.com.

Rejoice!: The Third Sunday of Advent

Today is the Third Sunday of Advent, or what Catholics call "Gaudete Sunday," when the pink or rose-colored candle is lit on the Advent wreath. ("Gaudete" translates from the Latin as "rejoice" -- reminding us to be joyful as we contemplate the coming of the Messiah.)

The second reading at Mass today was from the Letter to the Philippians (4:4-7):

Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice in the Lord always.
I shall say it again: rejoice!
Your kindness should be known to all.
The Lord is near.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

No Trans Fats in Philly?

Big Brother Government Alert:

The Associated Press is reporting that Philadelphia Councilman Juan F. Ramos has introduced legislation to ban food products with trans fats from the city's restaurants.

Exposing the health detriments of trans fats is a good goal. But, how can banning the use of legal food products (just for not being healthy) possibly be considered the proper role of a city government?

Shouldn't there be a "non-trans-fats section" first?

(Hat-tip: Chris Lilik at Grassrootspa)

A Witness of His Own

Can/should judges be able to call their own witnesses?

Bill Toland penned a piece for today's P-G about one Allegheny County judge who yesterday did just that.

Paraphrasing an attorney, Bill said the move was: "...if not unprecedented, at least pretty darned unusual."

Beards

Here's one for the "never would have known this" file:

Associated Press brief in the P-G on the intersection of faith customs and fire protection in Lancaster County.

Diva

Post-Gazette classical music critic Andrew Druckenbrod notes today:

Tenor leaves La Scala stage amid boos

Upset by a herald of boos, tenor Roberto Alagna walked out of a performance of "Aida" at Milan's La Scala opera house Sunday.

Alagna shocked the audience by walking offstage after he was booed during his singing of "Celeste Aida," the Associated Press reported. It was not clear why he was being heckled, but Italian audiences often have factions that support their favorite singers.

The exit put the opera house in a bind, and Alagna's understudy ran onto the stage still wearing his blue jeans.

Photo above by Marco Brescia taken from PlaybillArts.

Our Lady for the Americas

For Catholics in the Western Hemisphere, today (December 12) is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

To read about our belief in this appearance in 1531 of Mary to St. Juan Diego on a hill outside present-day Mexico City, visit this site or, for a more scholarly look, check out this entry at wikipedia.

The Gospel reading this morning at the Feast Day Mass was from the Gospel of Luke (1:39-47). It tells of Mary's visit to her kinswoman Elizabeth after learning that she was to be the mother of Jesus:

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said:

“Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

And Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”

"Excluded From The Process"

Another punch landed today in the very public fight taking place over the City of Washington's fiscal woes.

Former WashPA mayor / current city treasurer L. Anthony "Sonny" Spossey penned a letter in today's Observer-Reporter going after Councilman Matt Staniszewski for incorrectly stating the amount of the city's 2006 collected tax revenues. He also defended the tax office staff and claimed that he and other members of the city government were wrongly excluded from development of the WashPA's 2007 budget.

Problems with the Machines?

There recently have been several items in the local media about the 2006 General Election performance of the new touch-screen voting machines:

Dave Brown had an article in last Tuesday's Tribune-Review coming out of an Allegheny County Elections Board meeting with citizen complaints about vote "flipping."

Bill Toland at the Post-Gazette also has been reporting on these complaints. Here is an article he co-wrote with Jerome L. Sherman in last Tuesday's P-G about the same Elections Board meeting and a public hearing of a National Institute of Standards and Technology advisory committee.

Barbara Miller has a story in today's O-R about the equipment at the Washington County Elections Office used to tabulate precinct results and what caused the long delay to get the county's results on November 7. (It also includes AP background on the NIST committee hearing.)

(Photos above from VerifiedVoting.org)

Waiting for a Shepherd

Ann Rodgers has an article in today's P-G about speculation on who will be the next Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh.

I wonder if the wait means the Vatican wants to make the announcement as a Christmas present?

Prepare the Way

For many Christian traditions, today is the Second Sunday of Advent. The Gospel at Mass was from the Gospel of Luke (3: 1 - 6). It quotes an Old Testament passage:

“Prepare the way of the Lord,

make straight his paths.

Every valley shall be filled

and every mountain and hill shall be made low.

The winding roads shall be made straight,

and the rough ways made smooth,

and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

Reading the Report

One of the hot topics this week was the Iraq Study Group Report. Go here to download it and read it in full.

Something I didn't know until just now: The U.S. government funds an Institute of Peace, which facilitated the Iraq Study Group.

Do Not Be Afraid

For Catholics, today (December 8), is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. We mark the day to celebrate our belief that the Virgin Mary was sinless to prepare her for her role as the mother of Jesus.

Tonight, at Mass, the Gospel reading was from the Gospel of Luke (1: 26-38):

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.

And coming to her, he said,“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”

But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.”

Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Related Aside: One of my favorite places is the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on the grounds of The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. They recently completed the installation of a mosaic on the interior of a dome in basilica's Upper Church. It's called the Redemption Dome.

A Date that Lives in Infamy

Today is the 65th Anniversary of the December 7, 1941, bombing of Pearl Harbor. The attack brought the United States into World War II.

Pottersville?

Over at Life in Progress, Heidi Price has a post about her stop at one the slot machine parlors that now dominate the small towns of the West Virginia Panhandle.

I can't find the article online but Heidi's post put me in mind of the item that appeared some time ago in one of the papers about how many of the ice cream shops in and near Chester, West Virginia (home of Mountaineer Park), had closed to become slots parlors.

Could this be a sign of things to come in the Pennsylvania of Governor Rendell (free drinks) and a Speaker DeWeese (table games)?

Being the Christmas season, I guess all of this also put me in mind of the George Bailey-less Pottersville in "It's A Wonderful Life." Will slot machines change our own versions of Bedford Falls?

Photo of George Bailey in Pottersville from wikipedia.com

Finger-Pointing in WashPA

Finger-pointing. Passing blame. That's how officials of the City of Washington are addressing WashPA's financial meltown.

See Christie Campbell's article in today's O-R for the play-by-play.

Teen Struggles

Heidi Price has penned a two-part series on childhood depression and bipolar disorder for the Observer-Reporter.

"Another Bad Day" appeared on Sunday. It included the story of one local teenager, a chart with suggestions on how to identify the signs of childhood depression and a list of questions to ask about depression medications.

"When Will I Get Better?" appears in today's paper with a chart that includes suggestions on how to identify bipolar disorder.

Also in today's paper was Amanda Gilooly's accompanying article "Sorting out symptoms: Is it normal teen angst or something more?".

The source of the charts is the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. There are also these other resources.

Truly

Jerry Lewis in France.

David Hasselhoff in Germany.

Lionel Richie in Iraq and Libya.

Go figure.

(Hat-tip: NPR's Day-to-Day. I would link to Andrew Corsello's original GQ article but it's only in print. Photo by the AP's Richard Drew.)

Not Our Bag, Baby!

The Christian Coalition doesn't care about poverty?

From Elizabeth Fisher's article in the Bucks County Courier Times (hat-tip: Chris Lilik of GrassrootsPA):

The Rev. Joel Hunter was president-elect of the Christian Coalition of America, but he won't be taking up the reins. Not after raising issues that have divided the 2 million-member organization and led the Bucks County Chapter to sever ties altogether.

Hunter had hoped to expand the coalition's agenda of opposing abortion and gay marriage to include poverty and the environment, calling the last two “issues that Jesus would have cared about.” But his plans were shot down at a Nov. 21 board meeting in Orlando, spurring his resignation of the position he had not yet assumed. ...

Hunter's resignation was a blow to the national organization, whose power seems to be deflating because of friction about its finances and plans by some members to push for nontraditional policies.

“[The board] pretty much said, "[poverty and the environmental issues] are fine, but they're not our issues; that's not our base,' '' Hunter said.

First Sunday of Advent

Many Christian traditions recognize today as the First Sunday of Advent. Advent is the season of preparation for our celebration of Jesus Christ coming into the world.

The first reading at Mass today speaks of the coming Messiah:

From the Book of Prophet Jeremiah (33: 14-16):

The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah. In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land. In those days Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure; this is what they shall call her: “The LORD our justice.”

(Photo from catholic.org)

WashPA's woes

Christie Campbell has an alarming article in today's Observer-Reporter about the City of Washington's cash flow problems. It has become increasingly obvious that WashPA's tax base is no longer able to sustain the city's government operations and services.

The city's officials should approach the leadership of the neighboring municipalities and begin taking serious steps leading to municipal consolidations or at least some consolidated services. WashPA is bordered by East Washington Borough, South Strabane Township, North Franklin Township and Canton Township -- one or more of which could join with the city to realize economy-of-scale savings.

It's also time for Washington County Commissioners Bracken Burns, Larry Maggi and Diana Irey as well as State Senator Barry Stout and State Representative Tim Solobay to spend some of their political capital to push the city officials and the leaders of the neighboring municipalities to come together in support of such municipal consolidations and/or shared services agreements.

These county and state-level officials need to push these hard decisions to be made. They need to push the municipal officials to make some unpopular decisions and possibly lose their fiefdoms for the greater long-term good.

There have been enough meetings. There have been enough studies. It is time for action.

Defined Benefits

Tracie Mauriello of the Post-Gazette's Harrisburg Bureau has an article in today's paper with a good accompanying chart that shows the expected pension benefits for the local legislators who won't be returning to Harrisburg in January due to retirements and election defeats.

While it's good to know that the legislators are contributing to their pensions, it would be better if they were moved out of a defined-benefit pension system into individualized 401k plans -- so that they have a real-life appreciation for the dynamics of modern retirement planning facing most Pennsylvanians.

Fifty-three legislators from throughout PA won't be returning next year -- an incredibly high number for the modern General Assembly. It's not quite a clean sweep, but probably a step in the right direction.

For some new analysis of this from outside the state, check out these posts at reason.com and wonkette.

Home with the flu?

The Philadelphia Inquirer's Mario F. Cattabiani and Angela Couloumbis have an interesting article at philly.com that outlines possible ways John Perzel could remain PA House Speaker even if the Democrats become the chamber's majority party by a count of 102 to 101. How?:

He could try to lure a Democrat to turn Republican. And he implied last week that efforts were under way to do just that.

Or he could attempt to go where few lawmakers have gone: run for speaker in January, and try to get a few Democrats - possibly from the Philadelphia delegation -to vote for him. Or even to convince them to stay home with the flu on the day of the election, ensuring that Republicans outnumber Democrats that day.

Whatever path he takes, those who have worked with him or observed him over the years say it is unlikely he will let go of his leadership position, and all the power and perks that go with it, without a battle.

"Perzel will fight to the last dead dog to hold on because that's the nature of power," said political analyst G. Terry Madonna of Franklin and Marshall College.

Fascinating.

A Pittsburgher for President?

In March 2005, during my brief stint as a local Congressional staffer, I attended a breakfast gathering of the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The chapter's speaker that morning was Governor Tom Vilsack of Iowa, a native of Pittsburgh who grew up in Squirrel Hill. In his remarks, Governor Vilsack came off as friendly and very knowledgeable about sustainable economic development and smart growth.

Today, Governor Vilsack announced he will be a candidate in 2008 for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.

Not that I expect many Democrats to take this Republican's advice on who should be their nominee for President -- but I think they would do well to give consideration to this native son of Western Pennsylvania.

Bobby

Last night, we went to see the new movie "Bobby," a fictional portrait of the kinds of people who may have been present in the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 4, 1968, where Senator Robert F. Kennedy was shot shortly after midnight after giving his '68 California Primary victory speech in the hotel's ballroom.

The most compelling part of the movie is its ending -- RFK's own voice from his "On the Mindless Menace of Violence" address delivered the day after Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated on April 4, 1968.

Below is what I believe is the complete text of the speech. There are some paragraphs and phrases here that are not in the audio clip in the movie -- I'm not certain if RFK omitted them himself in the delivery or if they were taken out by the movie's editors.

On the Mindless Menace of Violence

An Address by Senator Robert F. Kennedy

City Club of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio

April 5, 1968

This is a time of shame and sorrow. It is not a day for politics. I have saved this one opportunity, my only event of today, to speak briefly to you about the mindless menace of violence in America which again stains our land and every one of our lives.

It is not the concern of any one race. The victims of the violence are black and white, rich and poor, young and old, famous and unknown. They are, most important of all, human beings whom other human beings loved and needed. No one - no matter where he lives or what he does - can be certain who will suffer from some senseless act of bloodshed. And yet it goes on and on and on in this country of ours.

Why? What has violence ever accomplished? What has it ever created? No martyr's cause has ever been stilled by an assassin's bullet.

No wrongs have ever been righted by riots and civil disorders. A sniper is only a coward, not a hero; and an uncontrolled, uncontrollable mob is only the voice of madness, not the voice of reason.

Whenever any American's life is taken by another American unnecessarily - whether it is done in the name of the law or in the defiance of the law, by one man or a gang, in cold blood or in passion, in an attack of violence or in response to violence - whenever we tear at the fabric of the life which another man has painfully and clumsily woven for himself and his children, the whole nation is degraded.

"Among free men," said Abraham Lincoln, "there can be no successful appeal from the ballot to the bullet; and those who take such appeal are sure to lose their cause and pay the costs."

Yet we seemingly tolerate a rising level of violence that ignores our common humanity and our claims to civilization alike. We calmly accept newspaper reports of civilian slaughter in far-off lands. We glorify killing on movie and television screens and call it entertainment. We make it easy for men of all shades of sanity to acquire whatever weapons and ammunition they desire.

Too often we honor swagger and bluster and wielders of force; too often we excuse those who are willing to build their own lives on the shattered dreams of others. Some Americans who preach non-violence abroad fail to practice it here at home. Some who accuse others of inciting riots have by their own conduct invited them.

Some look for scapegoats, others look for conspiracies, but this much is clear: violence breeds violence, repression brings retaliation, and only a cleansing of our whole society can remove this sickness from our soul.

For there is another kind of violence, slower but just as deadly destructive as the shot or the bomb in the night. This is the violence of institutions; indifference and inaction and slow decay. This is the violence that afflicts the poor, that poisons relations between men because their skin has different colors. This is the slow destruction of a child by hunger, and schools without books and homes without heat in the winter.

This is the breaking of a man's spirit by denying him the chance to stand as a father and as a man among other men. And this too afflicts us all.

I have not come here to propose a set of specific remedies nor is there a single set. For a broad and adequate outline we know what must be done. When you teach a man to hate and fear his brother, when you teach that he is a lesser man because of his color or his beliefs or the policies he pursues, when you teach that those who differ from you threaten your freedom or your job or your family, then you also learn to confront others not as fellow citizens but as enemies, to be met not with cooperation but with conquest; to be subjugated and mastered.

We learn, at the last, to look at our brothers as aliens, men with whom we share a city, but not a community; men bound to us in common dwelling, but not in common effort. We learn to share only a common fear, only a common desire to retreat from each other, only a common impulse to meet disagreement with force. For all this, there are no final answers.

Yet we know what we must do. It is to achieve true justice among our fellow citizens. The question is not what programs we should seek to enact. The question is whether we can find in our own midst and in our own hearts that leadership of humane purpose that will recognize the terrible truths of our existence.

We must admit the vanity of our false distinctions among men and learn to find our own advancement in the search for the advancement of others. We must admit in ourselves that our own children's future cannot be built on the misfortunes of others. We must recognize that this short life can neither be ennobled or enriched by hatred or revenge.

Our lives on this planet are too short and the work to be done too great to let this spirit flourish any longer in our land. Of course we cannot vanquish it with a program, nor with a resolution.

But we can perhaps remember, if only for a time, that those who live with us are our brothers, that they share with us the same short moment of life; that they seek, as do we, nothing but the chance to live out their lives in purpose and in happiness, winning what satisfaction and fulfillment they can.

Surely, this bond of common faith, this bond of common goal, can begin to teach us something. Surely, we can learn, at least, to look at those around us as fellow men, and surely we can begin to work a little harder to bind up the wounds among us and to become in our own hearts brothers and countrymen once again.

Banning "robo-calls"?

Should political "robo-calls" be banned to households on the "Do Not Call" list?

Tom Barnes of the P-G's Harrisburg Bureau has an article in today's paper about one state representative who thinks so.

In Memoriam: Gilbert Tucker: 1919 - 2006

Northwestern Washington County lost another local leader Tuesday with the passing of Gilbert Tucker. Mr. Tucker gave decades of service to the McDonald posts of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).

He will be remembered for wearing his own white WWII-era U.S. Navy uniform each year during McDonald's Memorial Day ceremonies.

Mr. Tucker's obituary appears in today's O-R.

The Rock: "A New Place To Go"

Several times during the 2006 campaign, I was extremely impressed when visiting "The Rock," the new youth center fashioned out of the former Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church in Oakdale. Freelance writer Andrea Iglar this week penned an article for the Post-Gazette about the center. At the end of the piece, she interviews my cousin, Jeff:

Last Wednesday evening, Jeff Snatchko arrived to pick up his daughter and son, who'd come to the center to get help with math homework and to play games.

"When I was growing up in Oakdale, there was really nothing like this for us to do," Mr. Snatchko said. "It's a great thing for the town that the kids can look forward to coming and doing things and maybe get some guidance. It does get them out of the house and away from the TV."

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's overwhelming to think of the number of people to whom I owe gratitude this Thanksgiving. In the past 12 months (and for the past several years), so many friends, family members, neighbors and supporters accompanied me on the journey of my campaigns for the State House.

THANK YOU to all of you for all of your contributions – by circulating nominating petitions, hosting events in your homes, taking me door-to-door in your neighborhoods, writing friend-to-friend postcards, making phone calls, putting up yard signs, helping on Election Days, attending fundraisers and making contributions. So many were so very generous over and over again – and there is no way I can fully express my thanks. Please accept my apologies for any instance in which I neglected to thank you personally for a contribution of any kind.

May God bless all of you during the holidays!

And, a little Small Town Americana this Thanksgiving 2006: below is a campaign photo we never posted to the blog:

Pictured (clockwise after yours truly) are Betty Brodmerkel of Frankfurt Springs Borough; our assistant campaign manager, Andy Walz; my goddaugher, Georgianna Horvath; Rocco Giglio of Mt. Pleasant Township; my cousin, Casey Horvath (holding her son, Brandon Richard); and Ernie McCullough of South Franklin Township. This photograph was taken by Harry Giglio, a Pittsburgh-based photographer who lives in the Village of Primrose in Mt. Pleasant Township.

Today's O-R

An editorial in today's Observer-Reporter notes the vote totals in our race.

A Second Tour in Afghanistan

Another area native currently serving overseas in the military is Captain Jonathon Malone, a Hanover Township native and 1993 graduate of Burgettstown High School. Captain Malone, whose unit orignates from Fort Drum in New York, is currently on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. He's expected home in February, 2007.

Captain Malone's sister, Jennifer Bertha, is the elected Republican Committeewoman of Burgettstown Borough and one of the founders of the Burgettstown Area Republican Committee (BARC). Jen was a strong supporter of my campaigns in both 2004 and 2006.

Please e-mail Jen at usaluv2dance2002@yahoo.com for Captain Malone's address if you would like to send him a package or letter of encouragement.

THANK YOU, Captain Malone, for your service! May God Bless you and all those serving with you. You are in our prayers.

Kami leaves for Kuwait

On Saturday, Staff Sergeant Kami Demnyan leaves for a tour of duty with the U.S. armed forces in the Middle East -- beginning with convoy duty in Kuwait. Kami, who grew up in Midway Borough, is a fellow member of the Fort Cherry High School Class of 1994.

Kami has spent her career in the military -- and all of us from the FC Class of '94 are incredibly proud of her!

Kami, may God bless you and all of your fellow soldiers during your service in the Middle East. You are in our prayers.

Letters and packages can be sent to Kami at:

SSgt Demnyan, Kami
70th MTD (USAF)
APO, AE 09366

(A note from Kami's recent e-mail update: "Remember it takes about a month to get our mail -- so start sending now!")

Pictures from the Campaign Trail

Thanks to Sarah Zablotsky for sending us these photos that were taken on our final Thursday of the campaign:

I'm here with Herkey and Gos following lunch at the Midway Senior Center.

Sarah with Tom and Andy.

Yours truly with Sarah at our Campaign HQ in McDonald.

In Memoriam: Don Zalaznik: 1923 - 2006

I met a lot of characters over the course of my campaigns for the PA House of Representatives. On Sunday, we lost one of them: Don Zalaznik of Smith Township.

It would not be accurate to say Don was a supporter of my campaigns -- he was a loyal Democrat and a supporter of both Vic Lescovitz and Paul Walsh. But, Don was a friend -- I can't begin to count the number of times he growled at me (in a friendly way) for being a Republican. I think I confounded him -- in Don's world, a guy with family roots in Primrose and McDonald with a vowel at the end of his name had no business being a Republican.

Don's obituary from today's O-R is below. It's a fine obit but fails to mention his role as a community activist for the towns and villages of northwestern Washington County. Annually, he would bring together municipal and county officials and other leaders for an informal breakfast at Village Green Golf Club -- for the attendees to get to know each other better and perhaps work together on future projects. Don also was a generous donor to all kinds of community organizations -- from the McDonald Volunteer Fire Department to the Burgettstown Knights of Columbus.

Don will be missed by many -- including this "damn Republican." In Memoriam:

Donald A. Zalaznik

Donald A. Zalaznik, 83, of Bulger, died Sunday, November 12, 2006, in Wyngate Personal Homecare, Parkersburg, W.Va.

He was born June 9, 1923, in Thomas, a son of Frank and Johanna Zalaznik.

Mr. Zalaznik graduated from Union High School. He was a general contractor and co-owner of Fallen Timber Golf Course and Midway Block Co.

He was a member of Burgettstown Senior Citizens Center, Cantankerous Model T Club, Covered Bridge Antique Club and Midway SNPJ.

His wife, Donna L. Nagode Zalaznik, died January 12, 1990.

Surviving are two daughters, Diane (Dan) Brucker and Debbie Zalaznik, and two sons, Donald (Paula) Zalaznik and Dennis (Cindy) Zalaznik, all of Bulger; nine grandchildren, Bryan, Kevin, Niki, Donnie, Robby and Chris Zalaznik and Jaclyn, Jessica and Chris Brucker; and three sisters, Wilda Janeshek of Alabama, Lillian Sray of Cuddy and Della Janeshek of Midway.

Deceased, in addition to his wife, are four sisters, Jean Dornan, Frances Bucheli, Katherine Martin and Emma Roach; and two brothers, Frank and Ray Zalaznik.

Friends will be received from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and noon to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday in Thomas-Little Funeral Service Inc., 106 St. John Street, Midway (724-796-3301). Additional visitation will be held from 10 to 11 a.m., the hour of services, Thursday, November 16, in Center United Presbyterian Church, 110 Washington Avenue, Midway. Everyone please meet at the church. Interment will follow in Center Cemetery, Midway.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Society or a charity of one's choice.

Sacrifice

In the storm before and after Election Day, it's easy for us to overlook that tomorrow, November 11, is Veterans Day. This Associated Press photo speaks to the sacrifices our veterans have made in the past and present:

The AP's caption: "Pearl Harbor survivor Houston James of Dallas embraced Marine Staff Sgt. Mark Graunke Jr during a Veterans Day commemoration in Dallas. Graunke lost a hand, a leg and an eye when he defused a bomb in Iraq last year."

I pray that God blesses all of our veterans and all of the men and women serving today in our Armed Forces. I pray that these men and women may becomes peacemakers in their own ways and return home soon and safely. I pray we may soon have peace in Iraq, Afghanistan and everywhere in the world where there is violence and unrest.

May God also bless all of the families and friends of those in the military, with special prayers for the families of those who have died in service to their country.

Family Photo

In the interest of complete blog coverage:

It's not a moment I will remember will undiluted pleasure but below is a picture from today's O-R that Gregg Tarr captured last night at our Election Night party at Fort Cherry Golf Club:

Greg's caption: Republican state House candidate Paul Snatchko looks over polling results in the 46th District race Tuesday night at Fort Cherry Golf Club along with his mother, Diane Hertzler, brother Joe Snatchko, second from left, and friend and supporter John Welch, right. (GREG TARR/O-R)

Not mentioned in the caption is my cousin, Luke Snatchko, who is also in the background. THANK YOU to all of my family members and friends who stayed late last night to wait for the results.

Epilogue

According to the Pennsylvania Department of State's election returns Website, the unofficial returns show that we received 46.2 percent of the vote in yesterday's election to choose the new state representative from the 46th District.

THANK YOU to all of the voters who supported my candidacy and to all of my supporters -- family members, friends, neighbors, campaign volunteers and donors. This was an effort of hundreds of people and I'm thankful for the contributions that all of you made.

THANKS AGAIN in a special way to everyone who worked yesterday for me outside the polls, as well as to our poll watchers, drivers and those who made phone calls. I am extremely grateful for all of your efforts. Your work had an impact!

It's hard to put the results into perspective the morning-after. But, what I do know is this: Representative democracy is the best system of government available to us. For democracy to work, we need candidates to run for office. And, as it's a zero-sum game, at least 50 percent of those candiates have to be unsuccessful. Without that, we would not have democracy.

I hope that my State House campaigns have inspired others to become active in local politics and perhaps consider being candidates themselves someday.

Some food for thought from Theodore Roosevelt:

"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorius triumphs, even though checkered by failure ... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat."

Public Service

Earlier tonight, I took part in the regular monthly meeting of McDonald Borough Council, of which I have had the honor to serve as a member for more than four years. Serving on council has been a tremendous experience for me -- and I am grateful to the voters of my hometown who have given me this opportunity to serve.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 7, I am asking the voters of Pennsylvania's 46th Legislative District to elect me to be their next representative in the General Assembly -- and give me the opportunity for public service in a larger capacity. It's a historic moment -- the first time in more than 26 years that the district's voters are guaranteed to elect a new state representative.

If elected, I would work hard to be a servant leader and put the interests of the people ahead of my own and those of the political bosses. As one voter told me earlier this year: "Don't be a politician. Just be a human being."

With just hours before the polls open, I'm overwhelmed by the hundreds and hundreds of people from all three counties of the 46th District to whom I owe thanks for walking with me on this journey. Family members, high school friends, college friends, past co-workers, neighbors, donors, advisors -- some I have known since childhood, others only for a few months. So many people have been vital parts of my campaigns.

In a particular way, I want to say THANK YOU to all those who will be outside the polls speaking on my behalf tomorrow. Thank you for sacrificing all or part of your day for this important part of the campaign!

THANKS also to all those family members and friends who have been in and out of our campaign headquarters in these last few weeks making phone calls and writing friend-to-friend postcards. Your active involvement means a great deal to me -- and your companionship has helped to keep me sane. (Special thanks to my campaign chairwoman, Meryl Hatton; to my cousin, Luke Snatchko; and to John Welch -- all of whom took on leadership roles.)

A HUGE debt of THANKS is owed to my assistant campaign manager, Andy Walz. Andy sacrificed his first months out of college for this campaign and his dedication and spirit gave new energy to our efforts. We would have been much less without him. THANK YOU, ANDY!

Finally, I need to say that my 2006 candidacy would not have been possible were it not for the work of my campaign manager, Tom Baker. Tom sacrificed a year of his life for this campaign. Every day for the past year, he worked diligently to spread the word about me and the race -- most of those days making an hour-long drive from the East End of Pittsburgh to Washington County to do it. Tom's friendly tenacity was often what kept me going. Regardless of whether I am the top vote-getter tomorrow, Tom Baker's efforts have strengthened the body politic of the 46th Legislative District.

THANK YOU, Tom, for all of your work!

Polls are open tomorrow from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Please remember to VOTE and take a friend with you!

From Beaver County

Yesterday's Beaver County Times included an article on the 46th District race.

Our Commercial

Today, our campaign commercial began airing on the local Comcast cable system. You can also view it here.