Lynn Swann for Governor?

This was an opinion piece I wrote after I listened to Lynn Swann speak at the Pennsylvania Press Club. I took several students from Shippensburg University and it was their first look at a big name celebrity. I was not impressed. Something interesting about this is it was one of the few instances I got to write in first person.

By ALAN FOSTER
Op-Ed Patriot-News


I am rarely embarrassed for politicians, but I was for Lynn Swann after
hearing him at the Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon on Monday. He wants to
be governor of Pennsylvania, but is so woefully ill-informed that his lack
of depth on the issues and politics is beyond explanation.

In the space of five sentences he advocated cutting the corporate net income
tax, cutting property taxes, reducing the personal income tax and
eliminating the estate tax, which he called the death tax. On the other side
of the ledger he wanted to strengthen Pennsylvania’s educational system and
make schools more accountable, but had no plan to pay the bill. He seems to
think the $24 billion the state needs every year will appear out of thin
air.

In an almost bizarre statement he said he wanted to reduce the time it takes
to start a corporate farm. Corporate farms are huge enterprises usually
centered around hogs. Lots of hogs, usually 5,000 or more, and all the stink
and waste that comes with them. There is a reason state and local
governments want to be involved in regulating these enterprises.

A theme he presented was a “need for change” which has been advocated by
every challenger in every election since the beginning of politics. Another
novel idea was requesting all department heads reduce their budgets by 5 per
cent. Gee, I wonder if anyone ever considered that one before? He even
suggested enacting a cap on state spending, like the “Colorado Plan,” but
I’m sure he’s never heard of the “Colorado Plan.”

The one solid answer he gave to a question was when he was asked about the
future of wide receiver Terrell Owens of the Philadelphia Eagles. Saying
there is a coach somewhere who will be willing to take a chance on him. On
that subject, he was in his element and credible.

I don’t go to these events that often because I’m a media professor at
Shippensburg University and usually in class. This time I took ten students
the lunch. I thought they might make a few contacts that could help them
after graduation, be introduced to a different atmosphere than they
experience on campus, and get to know a little more about Pennsylvania
politics. One young woman brought along a football, and one of the guys a
Steeler towel for Swann to autograph.

The young woman wanted the football as a Christmas present for her dad, who
is a big fan. When approached, Swann told them, “I don’t do that.”

I challenge anyone in a, friendly, informal setting to ask: Rick Santorum,
Ed Rendell, Bob Casey, Tom Ridge or Arlen Specter for an autograph. They
will not only comply, but put “Best Wishes” in front of it. These guys have
learned that to get elected, people have to like you. Sounds basic, but it’s
something Swann has yet to learn. He thinks he’s a big celebrity, and that’s
all it takes to win an election.

I don’t have that much experience with big celebrities, but two years ago my
wife met former Steeler Rocky Blier at a conference in Pittsburgh. I think
it’s fair to say Blier's story of injury, recovery and success is a lot more
compelling than the prissy, privileged upbringing experienced by Swann.
Blier was gracious, posed for pictures, and yes, signed autographs. Swann
could learn a lot from his former teammate.

So far I’ve resisted the obvious sports metaphor, but in this case Swanee,
you dropped the ball.

Sen. Arlen Specter Interview

This is my biggest interview to date. Sen. Specter came to town on a Saturday and nobody else wanted the assignment, so I took it, and it was great. In another time this guy would be a French nobleman, but for now he is still the senior senator from Pennsylvania. I thought all the time I would get was a few minutes after his his Q & A, but he invited me to travel with him and his press secretary to Indiana, Pa where he was going to meet June Allison (It' a Wonderful Life) for a dedication at the Jimmy Stewart museum. So I went. As any good reporter I had 20 questions prepared, but there I was for two hours in the back seat with the senator and his press secretary on the road. Well, I ran out of question after 15 minutes and we discussed everything imaginable. His kids, travels, the death penalty (He really paused when I told him I thought he was wrong about quick executions, because what if there was an error. Did he want to execute the innocent?)
Finally we got to the Warren Commission Report on the assassination of President Kennedy. I knew was in over my head here because HE WROTE THE WARREN COMMISSION REPORT ON THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT KENNEDY. He was kind as he walked me through his single bullet theory. I thought about this interview later because recently a detailed computer model of the assassination seemed to show (not prove) that theory might be correct.
One last reflection on the senator. I always want my leaders to be smarter than I am, and for sure, this guy is.
I had the opportunity to see Sen. Specter again in April 2008 at a book signing. He was not as I remembered and I don't see him running again. He will be missed.
Boy did I miss the boat on this one. I thought the only way he would stand a chance against Toomey was to become a democrat and I would have bet the farm that would never happen; but it did.
It was time for Sen. Specter to go, but we will miss him. He was a real statesman.

By Alan Foster
Daily American

Pennsylvania's senior senator Arlen Specter got an earful in Somerset Saturday as he answered questions from about 40 residents in Courtroom number one of the Courthouse.

On the completion of Route 219 from Somerset to Maryland Specter was asked if he would actively support finishing the highway. His two-word response, "I will." He said he is very close to becoming chairman of the Senate appropriations committee a post from which he would be in a strong position to help Pennsylvania. "That's a spot senator Byrd has used to have half of West Virginia paved," Specter joked.
Specter was in the area as part of a four-county series of town meetings. He said his number one priority was balancing the budget.

"Somerset must live within its means. The state must live within its means. Only the federal government can print money, and that's wrong," Specter said." I have been blessed with two grandchildren and it is unfair to saddle them with our debt."
He said the Congress is working on balancing the budget in six years and the difference between the Congress and the Clinton administration is timing. Former senator Dole wants the cuts to come evenly and the president has most of the cuts coming in the last two years when he will not be around, even it he is re-elected.

Also on the top of his priority list is crime control. " I think the death penalty is a deterrent, but it must be swift and certain. It now can take up to 20 years to carry out a death sentence. My legislation would reduce the appeal time and the sentence would be carried out about 2 1/2 years from when it is imposed," Specter said. He said a swift punishment provides closure for the victim and does not force the condemned to languish on death row year after year.

On his failed presidential bid he said it allowed him to go beyond Pennsylvania and gain a greater perspective of the problems America faces as a nation. He said that while he differs with Pat Robertson and Ralph Reed he got to know them on a personal level and gained a measure of respect for their positions. He was speaking of his pro-choice stance on the abortion issue, an issue that is "as divisive as any in this country since slavery." He said we must find ways to bring America together on this issue and suggested more information about the consequences of sexual activity and abstinence would be a good place to start.

He said he was surprised at the support he received after he dropped out of the presidential race. "The Wall Street Journal said only Pat Buchanan and Arlen Specter spoke from the heart during the campaign"
On recent events in the Dole campaign, Specter said, "It was an excellent decision, (Dole's resignation from the Senate) it will allow him to speak his own mind and liberate him from DC. Now he can travel America and respond to the people."

When asked about the Simpson verdict he said an event like that does shake your faith in the judicial system, but that it was also educational, and that we should look to find ways to "stop this kind of miscarriage of justice." He was critical of Judge Lance Ito saying he should not have let Jonnie Cochran run wild. It was a shock, a great eye-opener." He elaborated that racism in America is a problem and that there is racial tension and mistrust in the black community. "These days we see a lot of immigrant bashing. I'm sensitive to this, because both of my parents were immigrants." He said immigration has been a strong factor in building this country.

On the recent suicide of naval operations chief Jeremy "Mike" Borda Specter said," It was a total shock. I knew him and he has been before our committee. He was an outstanding individual and I think there is something more to this than we have heard. One of his notes said he did not want to hurt the Navy, but suicide is hardly a way to avoid that."

Specter said he tries to visit all 67 Pennsylvania counties at least once a year and now that his presidential race is over he is going to focus on Pennsylvania, because "there is lots to do here." He will seek re-election in 1998 and would like to serve as long as Strom Thurmond, who has been in the senate for 53 years. Specter, the optimist, said, "America's best days are ahead. We will solve problems that are not yet known."

Garbage in...No Garbage Out

This is an old story, but one of my favorites because it is just as relevant today as it was when it was written. I found it while covering a meeting of the Derry Township supervisors. Some guy mentioned he knew of a family who didn't have any trash and I wondered if it was true, and if it was how they did it. He contacted them and they called me allowing me to do the story. This is a magazine piece, so I had more time to work on it. The interviews were conducted over a few days rather than one shot.
There is an interesting quote here about how Mr. Quimby said he could take a shower in two quarts of water. That seemed impossible to me, so I asked him again if he was serious and he said yes. After the story was published he called me on it and told me he said a gallon, not two quarts. I stand by what he told me, but it just goes to show you it is best to ask again when someone tells you something that sounds outlandish.
Because a lot of time has gone by I've often wondered if I should do a follow up on this family to find out if they are still living this lifestyle. I still may.

By ALAN FOSTER
Apprise Magazine (It is now Central Pennsylvania Magazine published by WITF.)

The Quimbys, of Hershey, have figured out what to do with their disposables---everything except dispose of them. (This was the subhead, the story starts below.)

Serious campers, those with the aluminum-frame backpacks that tower over their heads, have a saying about parks and streams: “Take only pictures, leave only footprints.” It means when you use nature and enjoy its beauty, you should allow the next person the opportunity for the same experience.

A family in Hershey has taken this philosophy and applied it to their visit to Earth. When the trash truck is in the vicinity of their house, it does not stop. It passes by, because nothing is on the curb. No large, dented garbage cans. No green plastic bags. Nothing.

Meet the Quimbys.

John Quimby,46, is a forest entomologist (studies bugs in the woods) for the Department of Environmental Resources in Middletown. His wife, Jodi,30, is a graduate student studying environmental pollution control at Penn State/Harrisburg. She also works as an environmental consultant for local government and supervises the household. Sarah,17, and Christine,16, attend Lower Dauphin High School. Sarah is a musician and a member of the Harrisburg Youth Symphony. Christine is a track star, and last spring won the 3200-meter race at the Mid-Penn meet.

While not fanatical about their lifestyle, they are persistent. They are concerned. They think about what they consume.

According to Jodi Quimby, their commitment to recycling begins with the grocery cart. The Quimby family ponders every purchase, always asking, “What are we going to do with what is left over?’ One place they shop is the Country Store near Mt. Joy, owned by Lillian and Jim Zimmerman. The store has lots of bulk foods: noodles, pasta, rolled oats, assorted beans, and spices. Jodi always brings along her own egg cartons and paper bags. She buys in as large a quantity as possible, because it is easier to recycle one big box instead of three smaller ones. On this shopping day, she spends about $30, which includes bulk foods and the fixings for a giant sub for Christine’s sixteenth birthday party coming up.

While the small store has many items, Jodi still visits the supermarket. She chooses Pronio’s in Hershey. They have refillable milk jugs, and they stock A-Treat soda—which is bottled in Reading—in returnable bottles. Again, she brings her own bags. She says she avoids plastic jars, recommending, for example, Smucker’s or Peter Pan peanut butter, packaged in glass jars. She never buys variety packs of cereal in all those little boxes: she picks the biggest box of Cheerios she can find. She stays away from Ocean Spray cranberry juice in plastic, opting for it in glass. Since all of the vegetable oils are in plastic, she buys a gallon jug. She prefers meat from a farmers’ market because it is usually fresher and wrapped in paper rather than plastic. She selects Marcal toilet tissue because it is made from recycled paper.

The visit to Pronio’s ends with more plastic than Jodi wanted to buy, and a store employee who not only helps with the bags but insists n carrying them across the street to the car.

“There are economic reasons to do without the trashman,” John Quimby says. “No landfills. It does not make sense to throw away what can be recycled.” John has fond memories of the 1970s and the first Earth Day. Much of what he does now, he says, we all did years ago—like buying soda in returnable bottles, and, as kids, gathering them for a two-cent refund at the local grocery store.

John Quimby does more than just talk about his family’s environmentally conscious lifestyle. He leads by example. He rides his bicycle to work every day. Yes, even in winter. “When I grew up, you just did it,” he says. “Now I go about ten miles and it is normal. I don’t need to listen to Traffax.” He can somehow take a bath in two quarts of woodstove-heated water, which even his wife admits is a little strange.

The Quimbys are not all as Spartan as Dad. The whole family complains about Sarah’s long, luxurious, steamy showers, but she insists they are a vice she will continue to enjoy.

And even John himself has visited the package-intensive Mcdonald’s. Christine said he went to the drive-in window and ordered a “Big M-A-C,” spelling out the second part of the sandwich’s name. About a year later, the legend goes, he confidently drove to Wendy’s, announced, “I’ve got it right this time,” and ordered a Big Mac. Visits by the Quimby family to fast-food restaurants are infrequent because they are concerned about the use of plastic and foam packaging, but Jodi admits to a passion for yogurt in “those little plastic cups,” and Christine craves The Country’s Best Yogurt (TCBY).

“We don’t feel that we live that differently,” Jodi says. “Both adults work: the kids are in school.” Recycling is automatic. “It is really easy. You don’t have to change your whole life to do it.”

Sarah, too, says, “It has never been an effort to do this.”

A walk around the Quimby home underlines their commitment to their “leave only footprints” lifestyle.

In addition to the woodstove, the Quimby home has a solar collector, a large garden, and lots of boxes for cans, bottles, paper, and plastic to be recycled. The solar water heater has been in operation for nearly ten years and provides 60 percent of the family’s hot water. The initial cost was about $500, and maintenance, they say, is not difficult.

The home is heated with wood, and the Quimbys use about four cords a year. The heating system is backed up by an oil burner, which, so far has kicked on once---back in 1980.

There are a few things the family does not recycle: these things must be burned. Among them: paper towels, and plastic bags and other items (like yogurt cups). The Quimbys have found a way to recycle everything else.

Burning trash, says Jodi, “is not something we like to do, but it is done at a low temperature to lessen pollution, and it is better than putting these items in a landfill.” The ashes are spread in a wooded area of their property. Jodi cites a recent Environmental Protection Agency study that says that 41 percent of solid waste is paper and paperboard, 25 percent is food and yard waste, 8 percent is glass, 9 percent is metals, 7 percent is plastic, and the remaining 10 percent things such as textiles, dirt, stones, rubber and leather. “Of these items, we recycle all of the paper, except for those things I mentioned. All glass, all metal, and some plastics are recycled.”

Most landfills, Jodi says, “do not have enough oxygen or sunlight to decompose anything properly. Some people think of a landfill as a very large compost pit. This is not the case…Waste buried in landfills does not decay as fast as we think.” She cites a study done by William Rathje, of the University of Arizona, who explored four landfills in the United States. “Hot dogs and pastries are still recognizable after 15 years. Newspapers can still be read after 30 years in a landfill.” Predictions are, she says, that a disposable diaper can last 400 years, and estimates are that there are enough disposable diapers thrown away in the United States to fill a barge every six hours.

“Everything you do has a price environmentally—we have been sheltered from this. It is unfair. If the public knew, we would be more willing to change our ways.”

Jodi summarizes her feelings about recycling by paraphrasing an Indian parable: The land belongs to the people—some dead, some alive, but most not yet born.

School Budgets can be Interesting

I included this story because of the lead. It is important to grab readers with the big picture and walk them through the rest. You might notice the fluff at the end of the piece about who was hired, or fired and what they were paid. I asked my editor how much of the agenda he wanted and he said "everything." It might not seem important to you, but it is news to someone. Write it all and allow your editor to cut the story.
Something that happened here that was amusing was how I got the quote from the board president, when he said, "we just don't know." The board went into executive session to discuss a few personnel matters and I waited for almost two hours to find out if there would be additional action or comment on the budget. After that long wait all I could get was that quote and the board went home. To this day when I run into Charlie Randall he says to me, "we just don't know."

By Alan Foster
Daily American

Think of the Rockwood school district budget as the Titanic, and the assessment appeal filed by the Seven Springs resort as the iceberg, and you will have an idea of the dilemma faced by the Rockwood school board as it adopted a tentative budget last night. The new tax rate was set at 17.89 mills.
School directors put together a 8.1 million dollar spending plan and added five per cent to allow for a unfavorable ruling on the Seven Springs appeal. If the county assessment figure holds, it will be smooth sailing. If the courts drastically cut the value of the luxury resort, district taxpayers will be fishing for more money. When asked about the chances of a favorable ruling on the appeal, Board president Charles Randall said, "We just don't know." The appeals by Seven Springs and Hidden Valley, in the Somerset school district, have been previously reported on in the Daily American.
Without the appeal scenario, the budget shows a modest increase from 7.9 million for this school year to the projected 8.1 million for next year. What this means to property owners is, if a property is valued at $100,000, bringing the assessed value to $50,000 (or 50%) times the millage rate of .01789, then the tax liability on the subject property would be $895. This according to district business manager Brian Coughenour.
These new millage rates cannot be compared to those of previous years because of the new property value figures from the countywide reassessment conducted last year. The new school budgets are the first to have the new values available. The last reassessment was done in the early 70's.
Other taxes remained the same as previous years: per capita, $5; occupation, $10; earned income, 1/2 per cent; and real estate transfer, 1/2 per cent.
The board dueled over allowing teachers to attend conferences during the school year as often as they have in the past. Board vice president Dan Cramer made a motion that the $10,000 allocated for such conferences be spent using s 75 per cent in the summer and only 25 per cent during the school term.
"We've got the keep them (the teachers) here, doing what they were hired to do," Cramer said. Board president Charles Randall said he did not feel the educational process was being hurt by the system now in place. Cramer's motion failed by a vote of 4-2. District superintendent Andy Demidont commented that even though the district allocated $10,000 for these conferences the teaching staff spent only a little over half of the funds. Cramer said money was not the issue, but the time away from the classroom.
The school directors agreed to update the district's math textbook series for all 12 grades at a cost of $45,000 and to sell outdated Apple computers for $200 per bundle.
Board member Dennis Nicklow was re-elected district treasurer.
The board accepted the resignation of Dorthea Dinning, effective June 30. Agreed to employ Nancy Thomas as a full-time employee in social studies and approved the extended year contract of John Blakley.
In a rebuff to superintendent Andy Demidont the board refused to allow for the advertisement for a high school principal for the new school year. Demidont has been serving as both superintendent and principal in the current academic year and had requested the change.
In other personnel matters the board agreed to advertise for a chemistry/physics teacher and instructional assistants, one for kindergarten and three for first grade. The hiring of these teacher aides was opposed by Doug Wheaton who felt the teachers should be able to handle the students at the present class size.
The board approved donations to the Somerset county and Rockwood libraries in the amount of $350 each and to participate in the Summer Youth Employment Training Program through Tableland, Inc.

Cops are not Cheap

This is a typical local government story about the unlimited wants of citizens and how municipalities try to pay for them. I wanted to provide some perspective on how much things cost in terms that would be easily understood by any reader. In this case starting a police force in a community that does not have one.

BY ALAN FOSTER
Patriot-News

As communities grow, so do their problems. More roads. More water and sewer lines. More parks, and unfortunately more crime. Not always the television-type crimes like murder and holdups, but everyday events like domestic violence, burglary and speeding.
West Hanover supervisor Gloria Zimmerman has seen some of this growth in her Dauphin county township and feels it is about time the township consider it’s own police force.

“I think it’s time we think about a police force,” Zimmerman said at a recent supervisors meeting. Zimmerman was responding to a complaint about speeding from a township resident. The woman had allowed the state police to use her home as a speed trap, and with in an hour the officer had issued four tickets to drivers who had zoomed past the woman’s home.

“It is becoming necessary with new building and new development. Pet paths are a gateway to (residents) backdoors,” Zimmerman said. “We also have the truck stop. There were nine arrests for prostitution last week and six this week. The state police are wonderful and I respect them, but they can only do so much.”

There is nothing new about small communities (West Hanover’s population is about 7,000) having their own police protection, but the issue is commitment and cost. When a township decides to start a police force it needs to hire, train and equip the officers, it needs to purchase cruisers, communication equipment and find a place to house the new branch of local government. Also, a police force can easily take over the budget of a community.

Hummelstown is a community of 4,300 residents and has a police force of seven full-time and five part-time officers. “We spend about $500,000 per year on our force, which is just under half of our total budget,” Mike O’Keefe Hummelstown Borough manager said. O’Keefe said health insurance alone is $10,000 per year per family.

Cops are not cheap. The second largest force in Dauphin County is the 50-officer force in Lower Paxton Township. According to township manager George Wolfe Lower Paxton spends 3.7 million for this force with another $500,000 for benefits. That figure includes support for six clerical staff and school crossing guards. Wolfe said his township (which borders W. Hanover) is interested in providing police protection to West Hanover.

“It (contracting police protection to West Hanover) has been talked about for years, and they were fairly active talks seven years ago. We are receptive to it, but we’ve had no formal request for a proposal,” Wolfe said.

There are four options available to smaller communities in Dauphin County. The first is no force of your own, with all of your coverage provided by the Pennsylvania state police. This is an option that works very for many communities, the only drawback being slow response time when there is an increase in calls at a given time.

The second is, your own local officers, paid for, equipped and housed by the township. He third is belonging to a regional force where several communities join together to provide protection. This is now being studied in northern Dauphin county. And the fourth is to contract police protection with a neighboring municipality. All of these options are available to West Hanover.

Even a fictional force like the one from television’s Mayberry would cost $150,000 per year today, just to keep Andy and Barney on the job.