DeWeese, Hopkins debate issues
WAYNESBURG – Thirty years of state government experience and knowledge met cool and confident young blood in a debate aimed at helping voters in the 50th Legislative District decide who would serve them better for the next two years in Harrisburg. Democratic Rep. H. William DeWeese, who with a victory in the Nov. 11 election could become House speaker, and Republican challenger Greg Hopkins, who argued that DeWeese has not done enough to benefit the district in his 30-year tenure to deserve another chance, participated in a debate at Waynesburg Central High School.
The candidates answered questions submitted from the audience of more than 100 people who attended the debate, which the Washington County League of Women Voters conducted Monday night.
“I’m very, very optimistic about Greene County and its future along with the Albert Gallatin School District, the Brownsville School District and the Beth-Center School District,” DeWeese said in his opening remarks.
Creating “jobs a plenty” in Greene County using Southpointe in Washington County as the model would be DeWeese’s primary objective, he said.
With water and sewer line infrastructure in place and its location in a corridor between Morgantown, W.Va., and Pittsburgh, Greene County is a prime place for job growth, DeWeese said.
Hopkins, is his opening comments, said DeWeese is one of the longest-tenured legislators in the state and, as minority leader, he sits atop the food chain in Harrisburg.
His position and seniority should make constituents at home proud, but that isn’t the case, he said.
“The fact is he’s been there for 30 years and we here in Greene County have been and remained as the third poorest county in Pennsylvania for that time period,” Hopkins, an arena league football player, said.
The first question asked the candidates how they would bring good-paying jobs to Greene County.
Hopkins said few jobs are available now. Tax and legislative reform are needed for economic growth.
DeWeese said Hopkins didn’t answer the question, but new jobs are “very, very near” at R.J. Lee and other companies move into the Evergreen Technology Park.
He said developing water and sewer infrastructure in the Route 21-Interstate 79 area will help turn it into a smaller version of Southpointe.
He said he and Sen. Barry Stout have obtained millions in state money to enhance business parks in Greene and Fayette counties.
The next question was about lobbyist reform legislation.
Hopkins said Pennsylvania is only state without a law requiring lobbyists to disclose their political donations.
He said lobbyists being able to take legislators out for dinners and sporting events, and send them on vacations to the Bahamas leads to corruption.
DeWeese said he voted for lobbyist reform legislation, but the measure stalled after Republicans in the House and Senate couldn’t agree on it.
Republicans have controlled the House for last 12 years and the Senate for the last 30 years, DeWeese said.
He said dinners in which lobbyist pick up the tab are reported, but the notion of a lobbyist taking a legislator to the Bahamas is “absurd.”
The pay raise that the House and Senate approved and the governor signed during the early morning hours in July 2005 was the subject of the next question.
“The pay raise is one issue that I never had to bring up,” Hopkins said, referring comments he heard from voters while he was campaigning.
Hopkins said DeWeese was one of only two legislators who initially voted against repealing the pay raise.
He said DeWeese gave his raise to local school districts, but the raise increased the pension he will receive when he retires to $93,000 a year.
DeWeese said the pay raise was “terribly handled” in the legislature and he admitted making a mistake.
He said the raise shouldn’t have been addressed at such a late hour, it should have been 8 percent instead of 16 percent and it should have taken effect in January 2007, so he would not have received the raise.
He said his pension is high because he once served as House speaker.
DeWeese said budgets and many laws have been passed in late-night sessions, but the legislature should do its work during the daytime.
Property tax reform was the next subject.
DeWeese said he introduced an amendment in June that would increase the sales tax by 1 percent and cut property taxes in half.
Next year, people will be allowed to pay taxes in installments and senior citizens with incomes of up to $35,000 will receive tax cuts ranging from $300 to $750, he said.
Seniors would not have to pay any taxes after the state begins receiving revenue from gambling, DeWeese said.
Hopkins said gaming revenue would reduce Greene County property owners’ taxes by only $75 or $100.
He said he favors increasing the sales tax in order to reduce property taxes, but the idea of raising the sales tax has been around for many years
“He’s had his chance to fix it and it hasn’t happened,” Hopkins said.
Another question was about school funding.
DeWeese said subsidies to school districts were about 30 percent of their budgets under the administration of former Republican Gov. Tom Ridge.
Under Gov. Ed Rendell’s administration, districts now receive 43 percent, DeWeese said.
Hopkins said the state does not provide funding for districts to meet the federal education mandates.
In West Virginia, Hopkins said, a high school senior who graduates with a grade point average of at least 3.0 and scores 1,000 on the SAT can attend West Virginia University for free.
In contrast, in-state college tuition for Pennsylvania residents is among the highest in the country, he said.
DeWeese, in his closing statement, said he has a wonderful opportunity to represent the 50th District as speaker of the house.
He said he has led the Democratic Party as the minority party for most of his tenure in the House, but it has been an aggressive minority that led the effort to raise the minimum wage.
DeWeese said he proud of what he has done to help working families.
Hopkins said he his life has been blessed and he wants to give something back to the community.
He said honesty and integrity “have been lost on the road to Harrisburg” and his goal is bring them back.