CAN PENNSLYVANIA REVERSE ITS DECLINE?

NOTE: MY NEXT COLUMN WILL APPEAR FRIDAY MORNING (JAN. 4). I'M FIGHTING A HEAD COLD, AND IT HAS BEEN WINNING!


Murtha, the human equivalent of the Johnstown Flood

In recent years, as Pennsylvania has become "Bluer," more Democratic, the state has accelerated its long decline. Here's how Michael Barone's and Richard Cohen's The Almanac of American Politics, 2008 edition, puts it:

"[The state has had] the slowest population growth of any major state. There were 9.5 million Pennsylvanians in 1930, 12.4 million in 2006. Pennsylvania cast 36 electoral votes for Franklin Roosevelt in 1940, and 21 for John Kerry in 2004; it had 30 congressmen, as many as California, in 1960, but now has 19 to California's 53. People growing up here are as likely to leave the state as stay, and few out-of-staters move in. Pennsylvania looks and sounds more like it did in the 1940s than any other major state. With the significant difference that Pennsylvania in 1940 had lots of young people, while the Pennsylvania of 2006 has the second largest elderly population (after Florida) of any state."

The Median Household Income (MHI) in Pennsylvania is about $2,000 less annually than the U.S. average. Tuition costs at public colleges and universities are the highest of any state. The state has many fine institutions of higher education, but as Barone and Cohen point out, there are few jobs for graduates -- and many have to leave the state to find decent jobs.

In the congressional districts centered in the two large cities -- the 1st and 2nd districts in Philadelphia and the 14th District in Pittsburgh -- the MHIs are $10,000-plus below the Pennsylvania average and more than $11,000 below national averages. The seats in the 1st, 2nd, and 14th Districts are extremely "safe" for Democrats.

What about another traditionally safe seat -- that of Rep. Jack Murtha in the 12th District? There, population growth has not just been slow, but rather non-existent. Barone and Cohen estimate there's been a decline of 17,000 residents since the turn of the century. Population in Murtha's hometown of Johnstown has been in decline for two generations -- and has fallen about 6% since the year 2000.

When Murtha was born 75 years ago, the population of Johnstown was more than 60,000, but now it's just over 20,000. As a leader, unfortunately, he's been the human equivalent of the Johnstown Flood.

The MHI in the 12th is $30,600, almost exactly the same as in inner-city Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. It has been a depressed area, and there's little prospect that will change under its current Congressman, John Murtha. What jobs have been created in the Johnstown area are the type that result from short-term government handouts ("earmarks") and that rarely outlast the tenure of a powerful congressman. They're the kind of jobs not available to most recent graduates.

Murtha gets great credit for all he's "done" for the 12th District -- and especially Johnstown. A critic would say that Murtha has driven such a huge number of people -- especially the young -- from Johnstown that unemployment appears to be relatively low (although still higher than national averages).

Some Republicans in Pennsylvania, particularly the 12th, throw up their hands. They'll tell you that Murtha is an "icon," that he's the "savior" of his district. Of course, the facts are very different. He's handed out hundreds of millions in earmarks, and the main beneficiaries have been corporate executives, high-priced professionals, and lobbyists.

One lobbying group headed by a former Murtha aide (PMA Group, led by Paul Magliochetti) has given him over a million dollars in contributions. They certainly didn't do so for his expertise in good government or his talents in job creation.

The points I've been making about Murtha aren't easy ones to get across to typical voters. However, when many people are relatively poor and short on prospects, they know it, much as they might wish things were otherwise.

Can Bill Russell win against an entrenched, cash-rich incumbent like Murtha? He can if he can raise enough money to get his message across and mobilize supporters who know the real story in Pennsylvania generally -- and in the 12th District particularly.

Truthboating John Murtha: "Moldy Bacon"

John Murtha is known in the 12th congressional district as the man "who brings home the bacon."

Unless the "bacon" is a metaphor for low household incomes through the district, then it's the wrong term. The median household incomes in the 12th District are among the lowest in Pennsylvania. Population in 12th District has been in a steady decline -- including Murtha's hometown of Johnstown -- a sure sign of economic distress.

What I'm saying about median household income will come as news to quite a few people in the 12th. If John Murtha has been so good for the district, why are economic conditions so bad?
If you have any doubts about what I'm saying, go to the web site dedicated to outlining conditions in towns across America. It's called epodunk.com.

Fill in the names of towns in the 12th, including Johnstown, Windber, Latrobe, Monongahela, Monessen (hometown of Joe Namath), Waynesburg, and even beautiful Washington, PA. Check the median household incomes against the national averages -- and against Pennsylvania averages. The web site use data from the U.S. Census Report.

William Russell's campaign manager (Larry Stiles) tells the story of meeting two middle-aged women in Johnstown. Both of them were quick to sing the praises of Congressman Murtha. But when Larry pressed them about economic conditions, one woman said, "Well, the kids get a good college education, but when they graduate from college there are no jobs for them, so they all move away."

If you're a corporate executive, a lobbyist, or a cancer surgeon in the 12th, John Murtha probably done well for you. If you're member of the other 90%, he's done little or nothing for you.

What's wrong with that picture?

What's right with the 12th District in this election cycle is William T. Russell.

The people in the 12th District are wonderful, and the area is beautiful. It deserves better than Jack Murtha.

Stephen R Maloney

Bill Russell Needs YOU

If you're a blogger supporting Russell, please re-post the following on your blog. If you don't have a blog, please forward it as an e-mail to your friends and associates. Thanks so much for your help!

WILLIAM RUSSELL
FOR CONGRESS

“Embrace the Future”

Friends:

The holidays are in full swing, and we're all making lists and shopping for gifts for our friends and family. Add Bill to your list and make sure that he has a Merry Christmas and a happy election season! We are counting down the 7 days leading to Christmas with a variety of important items the campaign needs to roll full steam ahead into the 2008 election season.

Your gift will be the difference in how the 2008 election season starts for Bill. His campaign needs the resources to travel, run ads on TV, host rallies and contact voters directly. The contribution you make to Bill's campaign will buy tangible things that will go a long way towards making Bill's bid for Congress successful.

Your gift of $1000 will make a day on the bus possible. $500 today will allow the campaign to run four television ads in the 12th Congressional District. Even your gift of $50 or $25 can make a big difference in what we're doing. These are things that Bill's campaign needs and this is your opportunity to give Bill a gift that will really help him in his bid for Congress.

Bill has a vision for a secure, unified and prosperous 12th Congressional District and America, but we can only make it real if his campaign has the funds to win. Making a contribution to Bill's campaign in the 7 days leading to Christmas will ensure that. Give his campaign a Christmas present that will help carry Bill to victory!

“You know, I am a strong consistent common sense conservative, but the most important issue facing our country and will be for a long time, is national security, and the safety of our people. I've spent a lot of time both in and out of the 12th Congressional District traveling, and talking to leaders. I know the country and the community we live in and I know what we need to do. I know that it's going to require strong leadership.”

Thanks for your help.

Bill Russell

PS: Give Bill a Christmas gift of $1000; $500; $100 or even $50 or $25 to help him beat Mr. Murtha.

Larry Stiles, USMC-Vietnam Veteran
Campaign Manager
William Russell for Congress
P.O. Box 630
Johnstown, PA 15907
http://williamrussellforcongress.com
Phone: 814.243.8662

Please volunteer for William Russell for Congress at http://williamrussellforcongress.com

PAID FOR BY WILLIAM RUSSELL FOR CONGRESS

John Murtha: "Where's The Bacon?"

Wednesday, December 5, 2007 (This is part of a column from my other site: Scroll down a little to see the "Where's the Bacon" piece, the most important one I've ever written about John Murtha.

MURTHA: TREATING VOTERS LIKE CHILDREN
As more and more of you are learning, I'm "transitioning" from this web site to a new, permanent site at: http://stevemaloneygop.blogspot.com/. I'll be writing this month (December) about some extremely important races for the House and Senate -- Melissa Hart (R.) against Rep. Jason Altmire (D.) in the PA 4th District, Lt. Col. William Russell (R.) against John Murtha (D.) in the PA 12th District and Heather Wilson (R.) against Steve Pearce (R.) in the Republican primary for the New Mexico Senate race.Please visit my new site (you're on it now) and bookmark it.

You're always welcome here. My goal is not, unlike many other blogs, to "steal" tidbits of news from the campaigns or the MSM. Instead, I will dicuss how Republicans (moderates AND conservatives) can wage effective campaigns against tough opponents, such as John Murtha and Jason Altmire.

I will not accept "conventional wisdom," such as (erroneous) statements about how much Murtha has done for the 12th District.In short, I'm not into gossip, titillation, and nonsense. What I say about the Russell-Murtha race applies to many other districts around the country.
___________________________________________________________

In the 12th Congressional District, people in the Johnstown, PA, home of John Murtha (and of Lt. Col. William Russell) often say something like: “Yeah, ole John is something of a loudmouth and a bully, but he sure does one thing: He brings home the bacon.”

Mark Twain once said, “The problem with many people is that what they KNOW is true . . . isn’t.”

In the 12th, John Murtha has brought home something, but it doesn’t really qualify as bacon.

Here's how the wonderful Almanac of American Politics describes the 12th District:"The mountains and valleys within a 100-mile radius of Pittsburgh comprise one of America's most beautiful--and economically troubled--regions. This has been tough, hard-working country ever since Scots-Irish farmers settled here in the 1790s. Their first big product was whiskey--this was the site of the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794--but historically the most important product was bituminous coal. Discovered in the 19th century, it was the basic energy source for the production of iron and steel."

The Almanac continues: "The offspring of the original settlers were joined by immigrants from Italy, Poland and Czechoslovakia, living in little frame houses packed into the towns on interstices between hills and rivers, within walking distance of steel factories, foundries and coal mine shafts."

Now, the steel mills are mostly closed and coal mines mainly abandoned. They haven't really been replaced. And the District has more in common with traditional Appalachia than it does the pricey ‘burbs of Philly and Pittsburgh.

So, John Murtha, “where’s the beef?” And, especially, where’s your legendary bacon?

It’s nowhere, unless the bacon consists of federal handouts – “earmarks” for special projects -- that benefit the few -- and have little or no effect on the many.

In the 12th congressional district, the median household income (MHI) in the Almanac's 2006 issue was $30,600. In the inner-city mostly Black 2nd district of Philadelphia, represneted by Democrat Chakah Fattah, , the MHI is . . . $30,600. Wow.

Fattah's district is one of the two in PA that's losing population -- the other being the city of Pittsburgh district (the 18th) represented by Democrat Mike Doyle. Most areas of the 12th have also lost population, but that's balanced by strong growth south of Pittsburgh. (See the discussion below of Washington County.)

In Mike Doyle’s mainly down-at-the-hells city district, the median household income is $30,100 -- just a hair below the number in Murtha's 12th.

In contrast, look at the Pennsylvania 4th District, where I vote. Half the district consists of old mill towns, such as Aliquippa and Ambridge, where I live, as well as semi-rural areas north of Pittsburgh. However, the MHI in this district is $43,500 -- nearly $13,000 more than in the 12th.

In Republican Rep. Tim Murphy's 18th district, mostly area south of Pittsburgh, the MHI is $45,000. If Murtha lives to age 125, the 12th will not see a MHI that high.

Many people in the 12th, particularly those in Johnstown, firmly believe that "John Murtha takes care of us." If we just look at MHIs, we find they're dead wrong.

Washington County, far west of Johnstown, is largely ignored by Murtha. That County is increasingly dominated by Republicans, such as Diana Irey, and economic growth, job creation, and tax restraint are very strong. Once a Democratic bastion, Washington should go strongly for Russell.

Generally, however, the 12th is a place where young people can get a good education (at places like Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Washington & Jefferson, Pitt-Johnstown, Waynesburg College). Then, many of those college graduates say good-bye to their families and go elsewhere to get a decent job.

John Murtha's temporary infusions of taxpayer-funded jobs has no appeal to them. Yes, some people, mostly corporate executives and lobbyists, have benefited greatly from Murtha's earmarks.

He has apparently used "earmarks" to raise the compensation of some hospital surgeons from roughly $200,000 annually to $250,000 and up. And a few Johnstown lobbyists far from their corporate headquarters wait in vain for their phones to ring while they meditate on their six-figure salaries.

For the most part, the people of the 12th, particularly those in rural Greene County, have not prospered as a result of any actions by Murtha. He has abjectly failed to bring in the kind of businesses that would raise the wages and benefits of real people -- the kind that make up most of the population of the 12th. That district has MHI at or below the numbers we find in areas identified with urban poverty.

Granted, some voters in the 12th fear that, for all his faults, Murtha's leaving would make things worse. Frankly, that may not be possible.The region, as the Almanac suggests, is beautiful. The people come from sturdy stock and are willing to work hard. It’s an area that yearns for some good-paying manufacturing jobs.

So, why is Toyota be establishing a huge auto assembly plant in tiny Blue Springs, Mississippi -- and not in the 12th District? One reason may be that they don't want to deal with a congressman, John Murtha, famous for pushing people around and extorting huge campaign “contributions.”

Trust me, Toyota and other successful companies want nothing to do with "The Prince of Pork."The solution obviously is to elect a man dedicated to creating real jobs and promoting private enterprise businesses. That individual is Lt. Col. William Trower Russell.

If Murtha stays as congressman, the 12th will remain in its own version of suspended economic animation.