9th District voters being offered a choice in Tuesday’s election
Fayette County voters who are new to the 9th Congressional District have the son of a longtime politician and a restaurateur as choices on the ballot in Tuesday’s general election. Because of redistricting in the wake of the 2000 census, the 9th District in January will officially include the southern and eastern sections of the county. In the running for the opportunity to represent this area are U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster on the Republican ticket and John R. Henry on the Democratic ticket.
Shuster, who lives in Hollidaysburg, was elected to his 9th District seat in a special election May 2001 upon the retirement of his father, Bud Shuster.
Shuster was born in Allegheny County and previously worked on the family farm and owned and operated Shuster Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep.
He is married and has two children.
Henry, 41, lives in Breezewood. He operates a family business, Fort Littleton Family Restaurant, at the Fort Littleton exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. He previously worked as a credit analyst.
Henry is married and has three children. This is his first political experience.
Henry and Shuster, in the midst of campaigning in the last days before the election, talked in separate interviews about several topics of interest.
American economy
Henry said Congress should pass legislation to enable quick recovery from recession. He suggested that extending and continuing to extend employment benefits to people laid off from their jobs would mean they have money to spend. He also suggested tightening up on foreign imports.
“Unlike Bush tax breaks to business and wealthy companies, I believe tax breaks and cuts should go to working people,” he said. “When you give the money to the rich, it goes in the bank, and when you give it to working people, they spend it. They give it back to the economy.”
Shuster said the federal government on its own cannot restore the economy, which he said is supported by the American people and industry. He said what the government can do is cut taxes for the people and give opportunities to small businesses to continue to operate and expand.
Fayette County
The candidates hail from outside this area, but both said they have visited.
“I’ve been to Fayette County 10 times in the last 10 months,” Shuster said.
Shuster said what would help Fayette County the most would be infrastructure like the Mon/Fayette Expressway. He visited Markleysburg recently for a celebration of a $5.3 million waterline installation project along Route 40, saying that was a perfect example of infrastructure as a building block to economic development. He said improved roads and public water and sewerage systems help attract new businesses and residents.
Henry said he visited Fayette County three times and enjoyed those visits.
He said Fayette County could get beyond the old industrial base with tax incentives for new industry. He said as part of an energy policy, he is interested in increased coal production in the United States and construction of coal gasification fuel facilities, which he recalls were proposed in the region years ago. He also cited wind-turbo electric facilities. He said such facilities could benefit from government investment and help the area by promoting economic spin-offs like related jobs, new infrastructure and housing.
Candidates’ differences
Henry said Shuster was a rich young man raised in a totally different atmosphere than he was and does not relate to the common person.
He talked about his opponent’s voting record, claiming Shuster’s actions have favored what he referred to as “fat cats in (Washington, D.C.) and big business.”
Shuster countered, “Right off the bat, the big difference between my opponent and I is that I traveled to all 14 counties (of the 9th District) and been to Fayette County 10 times. I’m out here listening to the people, listening to their issues. I’m accessible to the people.”
Shuster said he did not know where Henry stood on the issues and could not say how they differed on what matters to the voters, like the need for new infrastructure, a strong national defense and prescription drug benefits for senior citizens.
War on terrorism
In the wake of Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, both candidates commented in favor of fighting back against terrorism.
“We’re waging the war on terrorism, but it’s a long-term proposition. We need to stay out there,” Shuster said.
He said at the same time homeland security is important and must be maintained. Concerning a war on Iraq, Shuster said he voted in support of the president’s plans. Of talk that North Korea is developing nuclear weapons, Shuster said he thinks there could be a diplomatic solution.
“I hope for peace and prepare for war,” Shuster said.
Regarding Iraq, Henry said he supports use of whatever force is necessary to enforce restrictions from the end of the Gulf War.
Henry talked about Iraq as a dictatorship and said attention should be focused on known terrorist groups.
Of North Korea, Henry said he is not surprised that the country is said to be developing nuclear weapons and could be an attempt to “get more money or a bribe off of us.”
Social Security privatization
Regarding Social Security, Henry said he is against privatizing the system.
“Just think if we had put it all in the stock market, where would we be?” he asked.
Henry said he believes everyone should pay a fair share into the system, and there should be no cap on the contributions made by the rich. He added that the system would be solvent if government would stop taking money from Social Security for other programs.
Shuster also opposes the privatization of Social Security. He said he favors the government continuing to administer the program but giving people the choice to take 2 or 3 percent of their contribution for a personal savings account.
Shuster said the greatest risk to the Social Security program is to do nothing, and the program must be strengthened for the sake of current participants’ children and grandchildren.
Prescription benefits
The availability of prescription drug benefits for senior citizens is something Shuster said he has heard is important to the local constituents and something he supports.
He said he wants to make sure senior citizens do not have to make the decision between buying heating fuel for the winter or refilling their medications.
Henry said he supports a Democratic plan for prescription medicines, which includes a payment by the participant to join the plan, in exchange for a percentage of coverage for prescription costs up to a point where there would be further coverage.
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Both candidates have Web sites.
For Henry, visit www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Congress/4876/John_Henry_for_Congress.html
For Shuster, visit www.shuster2002.com.