Having been a resident of Pennsylvania all but four years of my 61, I have had ample opportunity to see
the kinds of political representation we have had in the commonwealth. Never have I seen a political mystery like Sen. Rick
Santorum; a politician who represents the many working families in our valley, but who consistently votes against many of
their interests.
Consider the following: The good senator voted to end enforcement that required employers to educate workers
about ways to prevent injuries from repetitive motions in the work place (SJ Res. 6); he voted against agricultural programs
in soil, land and water conservation along with wetlands restoration (Any duck hunters out there?). He voted against increased
funding to promote American agricultural products overseas and increases in nutrition programs for the poor; against food
stamp eligibility for blind or disabled legal immigrants (HR 2646); he voted against requiring country-of-origin labels be
placed on various food products and that "made in the U.S.A." mean they were created, raised and processed within the U.S.
In S. 1637 he voted against extending for an additional 13 weeks unemployment benefits for people who have exhausted their
state jobless benefits.
He voted against giving patients the right to sue insurance companies even with the stipulation that the
patient had to prove physical harm by the doctor or hospital before going to court (S. 1052). The good senator voted against
requiring the federal government to assist in investigating and prosecuting hate crimes (S.625), and voted against adding
sexual orientation, gender and disability to the hate crime list. In SJ Res. 17 he implicitly approved by his lack of criticism
of the continued consolidation of print and electronic media under fewer owners, a trend to "one voice" information for the
public (I thought we were fighting for more democracy everywhere).
In addition to these actions against working people, he has demonstrated his hypocrisy and poor judgment
in receiving a $157,000 salary along with innumerable perks, and charging a local school district $100,000 to cyber-teach
his children in Virginia. According to an article in an area newspaper, this senator has been delinquent in taxes at least
once in the Penn Hills School District, has failed to show for jury duty in the district, has other people claiming to live
in his Penn Hills residence at 111 Stephens Lane, and spends only $2,000 per year on taxes in the district. Sen. Santorum
is indeed a fiscal conservative when it comes to his family's budget.
And in keeping with the idea of "following the money," according to vote-smart.org, 90 percent of political
action committee dollars going to the senator originate from the business community, and less than 1 percent from labor. This
is not meant to impugn the business community, heaven knows this region needs more responsible and productive businesses,
but it does demonstrate who is buttering the senator's toast. I think the hard-working people of this region deserve fairer
representation than we are getting from Sen. Rick Santorum.
Bob Klaput, Ford City
