The Publisher's Page BY HAROLD T. BECK

FEBRUARY 27 - MARCH 5, 1999

MARCH 5, 1999

Your letters

Good morning. It is 11.7 degrees at 6:15 A.M. Another good nights sleep! I must be part bear and trying to hibernate. Either that or it was all the darn snow I shoveled yesterday. We have over 18 inches here in Marshburg.

Getting right to the chase, you had a lot to say since yesterday's column.

"Dear Mr. Beck,
I laughed out loud when I read Bill Kilmer's comment on your proposed debates in The Bradford Era. "That doesn't sound like a debate to me....A debate is not where a guy sits there and says what you are going to talk about. Don't the other five or six candidates have a right to say what they want to discuss?" Even keeping in
mind that your topics were only suggestions, and a debate would certainly have a moderator, I can see why the prospect would confuse Mr. Kilmer. The place where "a guy sits there and says what you are going to talk about" is a Hamlin Township Supervisors meeting.....and Chairman Kilmer is the "guy". The people who don't
have a right to say what they want to discuss are the taxpayers.....one of his latest targets is denying veterans' preference. Recent appointments to the Vacancy Board, a Road Department foreman's position and a supervisor's position were filled without regard to The Veteran's Preference Act. At a township meeting, a veteran who protested these actions was told he was "out of order". "Out of order" is a code phrase for anything that Chairman Kilmer doesn't want to talk about. Another is, "your 3 minutes are up!", after he takes up
the whole three minutes talking over or interrupting the taxpayer who is trying to ask a question or make a comment. I can see why Mr. Kilmer would not be interested in a debate....unless you let him be a candidate and the moderator, too. And don't ask him any questions.
I think your idea for debates is a wonderful one. I hope it happens. Good luck! "

Publisher's Comment: I find your letter interesting in the sense that Mr. Kilmer does not limit his comments to 3 minutes at the County Commissioners' Meetings. In fact, Mr. Kilmer, as you know, has been afforded courtesy and as much time as he felt he required to make any and all statements. That is why we are not afraid of the truth or an exchange over any issue. We have engaged in debate with Mr. Kilmer on occasion. Myself, in particular, have had many exchanges with him. The idea of discussing issues must have scared him to death.

"Bud: We can all see who owns the field of candidates - except maybe for Kilmer who would be the odd man out so to speak. Odd how they all declined to speak on issues. They would rather allow, as you put it so well, smears against you and Larry in order to give them an advantage over you. You two guys have done a great job. Not one of these so called candidates have said anything to the contrary. If that is true, why the hell are they running? Is this a high school popularity contest? Keep up the good work. You two have my vote."

"Harold: You new friend Jim Buck knew where to go to make a story out of a simple challenge to have real debates for once. Buy him a cold beer for me the next time you meet at the Bradford Hotel. Getting quotes from that old cow Comes and that Cow's rear end Johnson was priceless. Do they own the challengers or not! The next time you send a challenge in the mail you have better copy Betty and Russ. By the way, did your story evolve the way you wrote it? Did the paper really come as you were finishing the story?"

Publisher's Comment: Yes it did. The paper arrived at 7:30. I had been writing for an hour and a half with some breaks to plow the driveway so Sharyn could get out to go to work. I also had a second cup of coffee. I was already going after the old goat when I read the paper.

"Mr. Beck: What do you think about Al Pingie and the rest of the challengers refusing to talk about issues? Is it because they haven't a clue as to what is expected of a County Commissioner? Your challenge has only served to point out to many of us that if we would be so stupid as to elect any of them in you and Mr. Stratton's places we would immediately return to the days of three minute meetings and all decisions made behind closed doors whenever Russ and Betty got around to tell the dopes what to do. Good luck. You have my vote."

"Bud: How dare you to ask someone to give their knowledge of certain key issues that affect the county! How dare you play dirty pool! You are a low and cunning human being. You are to be despised for wanting Senior Citizens and the rest of us to know what is going on in this county. Didn't anyone tell you that is not the Republican way? You should be a Democrat. We at least don't have an old pig like Russ Johnson running our party."

"You have my vote, Buddy old boy. I love the way you picked on the field of low lifes starting with Ray McMahon and going all the way to Slocum and how he is trying to wreck unemployment. You have the votes of labor. You are to be congratulated for you stand against your own party. Good luck."

"Mr. Beck. I have always enjoyed your writings. I enjoy them more now that I can read something new every day. Keep up the good work and good job exposing the other candidates so early in the race. You are doing a good job writing and a better job in Smethport."

"Mr. Beck. Thank you for the job you are doing and thank you for our Family Centers. I know you are behind them. We need to keep you and Mr. Stratton in office because Al Pingie will take these fine places away from the people that need them. You have all of our votes when the time comes."

There are more but they say pretty much the same thing. No one called me a dirty skunk this time. I was disappointed. I like printing letters like that.

There is no need for me to comment on my proposal to debate on issues. It was a novel idea. Obviously Russ and Betty will not allow it. Obviously - well - I don't even have to say that. Have a nice weekend.

Comment on this editorial at rdhedbud@penn.com.

MARCH 4, 1999

Me, a politician?

Good morning. It is 20.4 degrees at 6:01 A.M.

I had one of the best nights sleep in a long long time. I spent the greater part of the day yesterday out meeting people and getting signatures for my petition to be on the ballot in May. I enjoyed it thoroughly, even the people who refused to sign my petition - because they hate my guts, or hate my politics, or both.

You see, I am used to it. As much as you might think that it bothers me, it really doesn't. It is part of the territory called politics and it really goes with the job. You had better not have a thin skin when you want to run for public office.

I really do have one thing that bothers me. It is being referred to as a "politician." I believe that reference is insulting and degrading. It is because it categorizes me with others whom I believe are true "politicians" and the very reason why I chose to run for office. Take a look at some of them.

Ray McMahon and C. Russell Johnson are slimy sneaky people who move around behind the scenes and if you shake hands with them, beware, count your fingers on the hand that you used! They epitomize the "bosses" who make and break people and see to it that projects are either started or crushed.

In McMahon's case, the election of Connie Cavallero was designed to break the back of his power. It in fact did not.Wielding a Lifetime Contract (one that gives him the only right of termination by allowing him to serve until he decides to retire) he moved gracefully from Arvid Nelson to Connie. In fact, the presence of Connie in the Mayor's office, only served to enhance his stranglehold on the City of Bradford and surrounding townships.

While in other parts of the state the Office of Economic and Community Development is an accountable organization, this OECD is autonomous and imperial in the sense that it answers to absolutely no one and in fact has become one of the larger property owners in the area. It is chartered as a non-profit corporation and it would be very interesting to see exactly how "non-profit" it really is. It would also be interesting to follow the money on some of the deals that are put together and attempt to understand the reasoning behind them.

C. Russell Johnson, while not commanding a private non-profit organization, does have a stranglehold on the Republican Party per se, in the sense that Harrisburg recognizes him as the leader of all of us Republicans up here in McKean County. He participated in the defeat of Pat Costello in 1988 and put forth Harrijane Hannon in his place. In the same election he sponsored Dick Kallenborn and when the two won he owned the County Commissioners.

John Peterson never was indebted to Johnson. As State Senator he paid lip service only to the County bosses and really played off his own popularity and devices to be elected time after time. When Bill Clinger retired he was the natural heir apparent to the seat. Johnson and Ash Khare of Warren County really had nothing to do with his victory over all comers in the primary. However, that was not the case with Bill Slocum.

The former Democrat became the unanimous and instant choice of the Republican bosses in Warren and McKean Counties because when elected he would literally owe them his existence. That is in fact the case and since taking office he has voted as he has been told, including the sponsorship of a bill designed to wreck unemployment compensation.

That piece of legislation is particularly sensitive to the laborers of McKean County in the sense that they are out of work in the winter months. While in the past compensation was based on the highest quarter, under Slocum's Bill it would be base on a yearly average. A painter earning $500 a week is now eligible for the highest benefit. By averaging, the same painter would lose$55 a check. Going farther with the Slocum Legislation, part time employees would become ineligible for unemployment compensation.

While on the surface that might no mean very much, look closer. Look at Northwest Savings Bank where Richard McDowell, President of Pitt is also the high muckety muck. The majority of their employees are part time and part time by design. In that sense the bank does not have to pay for benefits for the girls who are the tellers in the windows. If Slocum's Bill is passed by the Republican Legislature, they would become ineligible for unemployment compensation and thus save the bank even more money.

Look at Slocum's area of greatest support - the Powdered Metals Industry. They are already in the process of busting the unions. If the Slocum legislation passes, full time employment with benefits like health insurance and paid vacations will disappear. Why? Because like Northwest Savings, all of the workers would be part time. There would be no incentive for any employer to hire anyone for full time employment and they would save thousands of dollars a year in unemployment compensation - as would the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

This is nothing more than an attempt to give hundreds of thousands of dollars to business at the expense of the workers and our own Bill Slocum is working for that at the behest of the robber barons and the Party Bosses. Bill Slocum is a politician. There I draw the line.

Who do we serve when we are elected to public office?

Slocum's Legislation makes it very obvious who he serves. I could never be a part of such a destructive law that would not only be a step backward, but a leap back to the despots who controlled industry at the turn of the last century. Slocum is obviously not serving the people who elected him.

Neither is Connie Cavallero when she allows Ray McMahon to continue to not only do business as usual, but enlarge the empire, too. The OECD is to serve the community at large, not become an competing force within the community and answering only to itself. The weakness of Connie Cavallero becomes very visible when OECD (Ray McMahon) makes decisions apart from and without the approval of City Council.

Why even have a City Council? Why not just make Ray king? Why even have public meetings? All the decisions are already made long before council convenes!

No, I am not a politician. Even as I am finishing this article I have been handed The Bradford Era. Beck proposes series of debates is the headline on page three with a sub-headline Only Stratton accepts right away.

A politician would not be so bold to come right out and challenge the entire field of seven candidates to meet in a series of four one and a half hour issue oriented debates.

A politician would allow the political machine and the bosses to slander and smear their opponents so they could gain an advantage that way.

A politician would never allow himself to be forced into taking a stand on any issue.

A politician would defer to the party bosses and participate only in party sponsored functions and shun anything else that could not be manipulated in their favor (maybe like the ones Betty Comes, vice chairwoman of the County Republican Party, refers to when she limits each speaker to three minutes and allows candidates to talk one on one after the meeting.).

As for party boss C. Russell Johnson and his comments about me, he is 100% correct.  When he says:  "He doesn't represent the Republican Party, he is a candidate, that's my opinion" he is correct. 

I represent the Republican Voters! I do not represent the Republican Party. The party is a closed organization that represents itself - not the people.

C. Russell Johnson and his kind do not represent people like you and me. They represent themselves and the wishes of their bosses in higher positions in the Republican Chain. The same is true of the Democrats and the Democratic Party. The organization is out of touch with the people it allegedly represents. The "politicians" carry out the wishes and desires of the party and only pay the people lip service.

I am not a politician.

Comment on this editorial at rdhedbud@penn.com.

 

MARCH 3, 1999

Happy Birthday Scotty!

Good morning. It is 36.3 degrees at 4:59 A.M. Actor James Doohan is 79 today - You know, Scotty from Star Trek!

Mary from Bradford wrote to me sometime during the night:

"You are oh so right about the political climate here in Bradford. George Pascarella is a fine man and will make a great City Councilman. It is time for us to have people on the Council who know working people and understand what our real needs are. George knows.

"You are oh so right about Mark Austin, too. I like the way you describe him as a pin head. He was a cop and quit. He was a fireman and quit. He was a Councilman and quit. He is a quitter. How is it that you are so right about so many things?

"Michelle is ready to be Mayor and Connie needs to be sent to Bradford Manor. She is out of touch and has outlived her usefulness to the people of Bradford. Thank you for being so right and telling it like it is. You have my vote for Commissioner. I like what you have been doing for the people."

Tracy passed this along to everyone.

This makes me a little paranoid about people. I really like to think of
trusting people as the "right thing to do". I guess I better not throw
caution to the wind, when it comes to strangers.
Shannon could hear the footsteps behind her as she walked toward home. The thought of being followed made her heart beat faster.
"You're being silly," she told herself, "no one is following you."
To be safe, she began to walk faster, but the footsteps kept up with her pace. She was afraid to look back and she was glad she was almost home. Shannon said a quick prayer, "God please get me home safe." She saw the porch light burning and ran the rest of the way to her house. Once inside, she leaned against the door for a moment, relieved to be in the safety of her home. She glanced out the window to see if anyone was there. The sidewalk was empty. After tossing her books on the sofa, she decided to grab a snack and get on-line.

She logged on under her screen name ByAngel213. She checked
her Buddy List and saw GoTo123 was on. She sent him an instant message:
ByAngel213: Hi I'm glad you are on! I thought someone was following me home today. It was really weird!
GoTo123: LOL You watch too much TV. Why would someone be following you? Don't you live in a safe neighborhood?
ByAngel213: Of course I do. LOL I guess it was my imagination cuz' I didn't see anybody when I looked out.
GoTo123: Unless you gave your name out on-line. You haven't done that have you?
ByAngel213: Of course not. I'm not stupid you know.
GoTo123: Did you have a softball game after school today?
ByAngel213: Yes and we won!!
GoTo123: That's great! Who did you play?
ByAngel213: We played the Hornets. LOL. Their uniforms are so gross! They look like bees. LOL
GoTo123: : What is your team called?
ByAngel213: We are the Canton Cats. We have tiger paws on our uniforms. They are really kewl.
GoTo123: Did you pitch?
ByAngel213:: No I play second base. I got to go. My homework has to be done before my parents get home. I don't want them mad at me. Bye
GoTo123: Catch you later.. Bye
Meanwhile......
GoTo123 went to the member menu and began to search for her profile. When it came up, he highlighted it and printed it out. He took out a pen and began to write down what he knew about Angel so far.
Her name: Shannon Birthday: Jan. 3, 1985  Age:13  State where she lived: North Carolina Hobbies: softball, chorus, skating and going to the mall. Besides this information, he knew she lived in Canton because she Had just told him. He knew she stayed by herself until 6:30 p.m. every afternoon until her parents came home from work. He knew she played  softball on Thursday afternoons on the school team, and the team was named the Canton Cats. Her favorite number 7 was printed on her jersey. He knew she was in the seventh grade at the Canton Junior High School. She had told him all this in the conversations they had on-line. He had enough information to find her now.
Shannon didn't tell her parents about the incident on the way home from the ball park that day. She didn't want them to make a scene and stop her from walking home from the softball games. Parents were always overreacting and hers were the worst. It made her wish she was not an only child. Maybe if she had brothers and sisters, her parents wouldn't be so overprotective.
By Thursday, Shannon had forgotten about the footsteps following her. Her game was in full swing when suddenly she felt someone staring at her. It was then that the memory came back. She glanced up from her second base position to see a man watching her closely. He was leaning against the fence behind first base and he smiled when she looked at him. He didn't look scary and she quickly dismissed the fear she had felt. After the game, he sat on a bleacher while she talked to the coach. She noticed his smile once again as she walked past him. He nodded and she smiled back. He noticed her name on the back of her shirt. He knew he had found her. Quietly, he walked a safe distance behind her. It was only a few blocks to Shannon's home, and once he saw where she lived he quickly returned to the park to get his car. Now he had to wait. He decided to get a bite to eat until the time came to go to Shannon's house. He drove to a fast food restaurant and sat there until time to make his move.

Shannon was in her room later that evening when she heard voices in the living room. "Shannon, come here," her father called. He sounded upset and she couldn't imagine why. She went into the room to see the man from the ballpark sitting on the sofa. "Sit down," her father began, "This man has just told us a most interesting story about you."
Shannon moved cautiously to a chair across from the man. How could he tell her parents anything? She had never seen him before today!
"Do you know who I am Shannon?" The man asked.
"No", Shannon answered.
"I am a police officer and your online friend, GoTo123."
Shannon was stunned. "That's impossible! GoTo is a kid my age! He's 14 and he lives in Michigan!"
The man smiled. "I know I told you all that, but it wasn't true. You see Shannon there are people on-line who pretend to be kids; I was one of them. But while others do it to find kids and hurt them. I belong to a group of parents who do it to protect kids from predators. I came here to find you to teach you how dangerous it is to give out too much information to people on-line. You told me enough about yourself to make it easy for me to find you. Your name, the school you went to, the name of your ball team and the position you played. The number and name on your jersey just made finding you a breeze."
Shannon was stunned. "You mean you don't live in Michigan?"
He laughed. "No, I live in Raleigh. It made you feel safe to think I
was so far away, didn't it?"                                                             She nodded.
"I had a friend whose daughter was like you. Only she wasn't as lucky. The guy found her and murdered her while she was home alone. Kids are taught not to tell anyone when they are alone, yet they do it all the time on-line. The wrong people trick you into giving out information a little here and there on-line. Before you know it, you have told them enough for them to find you without even realizing you have done it. I hope you've learned a lesson from this and won't do it again."
"I won't," Shannon promised solemnly.
"Will you tell others about this so they will be safe too?"
"It's a promise!" That night Shannon and her dad and Mom all knelt down together and prayed. They thanked God for protecting Shannon from what could have been a tragic situation.

Please send this to as many people as you can to teach them not to give any information about themselves. This world we live in today is too dangerous to even give out your age, let alone anything else. Be safe. PLEASE PASS THIS ON!

Wow! These things can be scary.

From our State Capitol (notice the "o" instead of the "a") in Harrisburg, PA Lisa wrote:

"We enjoy your daily editorials here in the Offices of the Legislature. I can't tell you who I work for but he enjoys your comments about your State Senator and even calls him The Sludge King now (behind his back of course). He also enjoys, as we all do, the way you pick on Governor Ridge and the elected officials in general. You are a genuinely funny man and please keep writing your daily editorials. It is the first thing we read every day when we get to work. We print you out and pass you around. P.S. I hear Elmer Fudd reads you every day too. LOL."

Me, funny? Oh well. Beam me up Scotty. There is no intelligent life down here.

Comment on this editorial at rdhedbud@penn.com.

MARCH 2, 1999

Let George do it; or, The Return of the Pinhead

Good morning. It is 24.4 degrees at 5:54 A.M. on a wintry and blustery morning high in the Alleghenies.

Well known Bradford barber, George Pascarella, announced his candidacy for a seat on the Bradford City Council. That pleasant piece of news comes on the heels of several other interesting items. Michelle Corignani has announced that she will not run for her seat on City Council. Instead she will run for Mayor against Connie Cavallero. When her intentions were made public, former Councilman Mark Austin decided to run for the seat being vacated by Michelle.

If anyone was ever qualified to represent the people of Bradford on City Council, it is George Pascarella. And, if anyone was ever needed, desperately, to represent the people of Bradford at any time in history, it is George Pascarella.

Michelle Corignani has done an excellent job in that seat for the past three plus years. She brought youth and common sense to City Council and set the tone for what could have been a very productive session. However, the old powers were not prepared to let go. Michelle was not able to hold them off alone. Instead, she had to respond to problems instead of anticipating them.

Connie Cavallero captured the minds and hearts of the people when she bucked the system and ran a write in campaign against Arvid "Boss" Nelson. She was opposed by the boys in the Club, the autonomous and imperial OECD, and the insiders who have always run City Hall. Winning the chance to run in a Special Election, Connie, everyone’s grandmother, aided by Bob Cummins, Greg Henry, Ron Orris, and Mayo Funari to mention a few, won in a landslide. Before the ballots had even left Bradford for the 22 mile trip to Smethport, long time opponents Ray McMahon and Peggy Comilla walked into the victory celebration at Howard Johnsons.

It took about as long for Connie to turn to the "Dark Side of the Force" and join with McMahon and Comilla as it took for Mark Hollenbeck to write the despicable letter to Mayo Funari accusing him of "malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance" when he voted against Connie’s wishes and refused to approve the Comfort Inn permit. Bob Cummins, hoping for fair treatment in bidding on City jobs, immediately found that nothing had changed, even with Connie as Mayor. It was business as usual for McMahon and we asked: Will the real Mayor of Bradford please stand up?

McMahon went about his merry way making deals and then telling the Mayor and City Council after the fact. It seemed to more than just a few of the people that when they were in public together, Peggy Comilla spoke for Connie. While Connie was wearing the vestiges and the robes of office, it was plain to all casual observers that others were calling the shots. If Connie was capable of independent thought, she kept it well hidden. Her decisions and her choices were limited. The control of City Government was in the hands of  the same crew that always has had its way.

Michelle Corignani stepped forward. She asked the obvious question and demanded to know where the City was headed. Bringing issues out into the sunlight she is now challenging those who would continue to have their way. In that quest, she is joined by George Pascarella.

George admits that he is not a politician. "I am a working man who wants to see a lot of other people working, too.

"I’ve lived in Bradford all of my life and I am dissatisfied with the current direction of our community. I am willing to work as hard as I can to change things and I am willing to work with anyone who has ideas to turn things around."

Bravo George! You understand! You recognize that Ray is not the beginning and the end of making Bradford a better place. In fact, George, if you are dissatisfied with the current direction, then you are certainly dissatisfied with Ray because he has set that course using his own crooked sextant and folded over star charts. For McMahon, the world is flat. If we continue to follow his lead we will certainly fall off into oblivion.

Then there is Mark Austin.

What can we say about Mark Austin besides that he is a quitter? What about his taking the City to court and making them pay his legal fees when he challenged City Council and refused to attend the meetings? What about Mark wanting to disband the fire department and close the East Main Street Fire Station in favor of a volunteer fire department? Mark still has that pin head look about him and it is very unlikely that he has had a lobotomy and a personality over haul. No, this is the same Mark Austin who decided not to run for re-election and then changed his mind and ran as a Dawn Clark write-in. This is the same Mark Austin who resigned his seat on City Council and then said he had his fingers crossed and came back.

Mark. Get real! Who do you think will vote for you?

Certainly, the advent of Michelle Corignani and George Pascarella is without a doubt the best news that Bradford has heard in a very long time. Michele is fully qualified to step in and lead the city and council into the future. George will bring to council a freshness and the  completeness that it needs. With the experience of the remaining council members, Bradford only stands to gain and move forward. Together they bring the promise of new and exciting things.

Meanwhile, one of our many readers sends along to us an interesting tale of travel along Interstate 80 near Clarion.

Four guys were on Interstate 80 making a cross-country trip. One was from Idaho, one from Iowa, one from Ohio, and the other guy was from McKean County in Pennsylvania. As they were traveling down I-80, the guy from Idaho starts throwing potatoes out of his duffel bag.

The guy from McKean County said, "Hey,what are you doing that for"? He said "We have so many potatoes in Idaho, we have to get rid of some".

The guy from Iowa started to toss kernels of corn out the window he had in is overnight bag. The guy from McKean County said, "Hey, why are you throwing the corn on the highway?" He said, "In Iowa, we have so much corn, we have to get rid of some".

Just then, the guy from McKean County tossed the guy from Ohio out the window.

Comment on this article at rdhedbud@penn.com.

MARCH 1, 1999

Buck and Beck; or, Beck and Buck?

Good morning. It is 31.3 degrees. It is 6:04 A.M. and we are having snow flurries. Is this the way March is supposed to start? Doesn't seem like much of a lion to me - more like a cub.

While we were hanging new curtain rods and draperies yesterday and watching and listening to The Sound of Music, my good buddy and fellow journalist Jim Buck called.

"You did it now," he said.

"What?" I asked.

"Those cracks you made about President McDowell in your Saturday editorial. Since when did you go back to writing columns on Saturdays and Sundays? I thought you were going to take those days off."

My memory failed me. I had to take my new cordless drill back to Value Home Center. The trigger kept sticking and I couldn't turn the drill off once I started it. They were very nice. Of course they were - they were Bradford people - and they gave me a new one right on the spot.

"What did I say about Dean Wormer" I asked making reference to the President of the college in Animal House and trying to rattle Jim's cage at the same time.

"What did you say?" he exclaimed. "Should I quote you word for word?"

"Sure," I said.

"I am your watch dog in Smethport and I represent you - not the rich fat cats like McDowell who have always run things in this county. They think they know what is best for us poor dumb common folk because we ain't as educated or as fancy as they are. We don't live in no tax free mansions on School Street. We pay our taxes and we work darn hard for the money we make to pay those taxes. If any of these people ever had to work like we have had to, then they wouldn't be so quick to try and put their dirty business and lies over on us. "

"Oh, that," I said. "That was in answer to an e-mail letter I got."

"Come on," Jim said. "Give it up. Everyone knows you write all those letters yourself. You write them to make it look like the people are supporting you. It's all part of your big lie theory."

"Wait a minute," I said. "The big lie theory is Jeff Duke's and Michele Alfieri's. They were busy trying to convince us, along with Prince John, that we had high crime here. That was the big lie - along with that bull they dreamed up about me. Now that we have a police officer shot down in the line of duty everyone is running for the hills because Capital Punishment offends their sensibilities. They were all bleeding heart liberals hiding behind the appearance of being Republicans all along. And what's more, I do not write those letters. In fact, I am getting so many of them it is becoming an impossibility to publish them, let alone answer them.

"Listen to this," I said. "This came today: I would like to see an article about William C. Hoag and Dora Tall Chief. I understand he was a full blooded Seneca and president of the Seneca nation about. 1911. Are any of his descendents still alive and active in the Seneca
Nation? How could I make that up? I never heard of these people before that e-mail came."

"Okay, okay," Jim conceded. "Why do you have to pick on the President of the University? He's a good guy."

"I didn't say he wasn't. I just think he should stick to running the University and leave tourism alone."

"It's not him," Jim said. "It's Rick Esch."

"Bull," I said. "He is calling the shots and using Esch. If he wasn't, Esch wouldn't have all this time on his hands away from his responsibilities at Pitt to be involved in so much."

"Did you have to make him out to be the bad guy? Did you have to start that them and us routine again?" Jim asked.

"Hey Jim. Wake up. That's the way it is."

"Maybe it is," he conceded. "I don't have the energy to fight you on that and I might even agree to some extent with you - but you've gone and ruined everything."

"How is that?" I asked.

"I had it all set up to do the Buck and Beck thing in my classes. We could have been like Siskel and Ebert and taken opposing views on subjects and had the students report on it as writing assignments. Now, President McDowell won't allow you to drive through the campus, let alone help me out in a class."

"That is pretty damn presumptuous of you," I said.

"What?" Jim asked. "The man will never agree to allow you to set foot on the campus again!"

"Not that," I said.

"What?" he asked.

"Taking top billing," I said. "If it is going to be anything, it will be Beck and Buck, not Buck and Beck."

"Are you serious?" he asked in disbelief.

"Of course I am," I insisted, smiling while Julie Andrews sang about the Hills are alive with the Sound of Music in the background. "Of course I am. And you can tell Dean Wormer that, too."

Comment on this article at rdhedbud@penn.com.

FEBRUARY 28, 1999

Formal Announcement of Harold T. Beck

Harold T. Beck today formally announces that he is seeking re-election and the Republican nomination for McKean County Commissioner.

Mr. Beck said he is running again because the job that the current board began is only half done.

"We have worked hard. McKean County is on the way back. We need to maintain a steady hand and bring it the rest of the way. It won’t happen if we go back to the way things were. We must maintain our government out in the open and allow for public input. That has been the highlight of our administration. Dialog is an important part of any healthy government."

Mr. Beck was elected County Commissioner in 1995 and has served for the past 3 years in that capacity. During that time he has taken an active role overseeing and writing county budgets. He has seen McKean County come back from the brink of bankruptcy and return to sound fiscal policies by being part of a team that was dedicated to that purpose.

"We were able to institute financial controls. We worked together and scrutinized each and every expenditure. We made pre-approved purchase orders mandatory and made a point to see that departments lived within their budgets. At the same time, without raising taxes, we were able to bring new money into the county by learning about reimbursements. We became experts on reimbursements and eliminated guess work.

"Children and Youth Services became financially accountable to the commissioners and we saw to it that we received every penny that was due to us. But beyond the money part, we became involved with the daily workings of that department. Instead of the people who took your kids from you, we put them in a situation where they worked with parents to see that the family remained in tact. We stressed Family Preservation and watched our out of home placements decrease for the first time in history."

Mr. Beck, acting in a role as part of a progressive team of commissioners, saw the Enhanced 911 response system become a reality.

"It was a matter of having the courage to step up and make it happen. We needed to make the expenditures to buy the state of the art equipment to operate the system. We needed to hire the people to do the county wide addressing. It was a job that had to be done and we did it."

Mr. Beck feels the same way about the county wide reassessment.

"Everyone had ducked the issue. The assessment office was operating with an assessment that was twenty years old. Once more we stepped up and took the lead. We hired the firm to do the reassessment. There were problems. There always are. You don’t run and hide from them. You  face them and we did. We held formal hearings and listened personally to taxpayers from 8 in the morning until 9 at night five days a week. We fixed mistakes. We still are. A reassessment is not an easy task."

Happily, Harold Beck points to the Family Centers as a central achievement in his tenure as County Commissioner.

"I was appointed to the board of the Bradford Family Center. Their grant was over at the end of that year. I could see the wonderful work that was being done and I went back to Jim and Larry and told them. Family Services Systems Reform was just beginning and we jumped in with both feet. We went to Harrisburg and brought back over a half a million dollars. With it we kept the Bradford Family Center open and started three new ones in Kane, Smethport, and Port Allegany. We got especially creative and located CYS in the Family Centers and allowed CYS and its reimbursable budget pay the rents. That left us more money for programs. Every year it is a battle to get the funding from Harrisburg, but we do it and we are successful."

Mr. Beck also says the same about the Senior Centers.

"When we took office six Senior Centers divided $4,800 between them. We immediately changed all of that. Even though we were looking a huge deficit in the face, we gave each of the six centers $4,800. The allocations were increase in each year: 1997 they received $6,000, 1998 they received $6,800, and this year we gave them $8,000 each. At the same time we used Community Development Block Grant monies to get some of them new heating systems and new roofs. We also lobbied Harrisburg and got them involved in the moneys allocated by the Governor and saw a new center built in Bradford. I am on the board for the Office of Human Services and oversee the Department of Aging in our area."

Mr. Beck is the Publisher of THE MOUNTAIN LAUREL REVIEW, and the author of RIPE FOR THE PICKING, a work of non-fiction currently being printed and available in May, 1999. He also writes a daily editorial column on the world wide web called The Publisher’s Page.

Mr. Beck lives in Marshburg with his wife, Sharyn, and his aunt, Roselle Beck Eschmann.

The Becks have three children: Kimberly, Jason, and Geoffrey, and look forward to their first grandchild in late summer.

FEBRUARY 27, 1999

Letters to the Publisher

It has not been our practice to write on Saturday or Sunday but this is a good time for you to get some things off your chest.

Mr. Beck:
Recently in the opinion column of The Bradford Era, a letter was
published lambasting the comment you made regarding Michele Alfieri's lack of aggression in prosecuting the killer of officer Jerman.
Michele Alfieri wants to discuss options with the family of Timothy
Williams upon whether the death penalty is the best course of action.

HUH?

I don't believe that Timothy Williams had any such discussion with the
family of Steve Jerman...Trying to rationalize the idea of "options", other than the death penalty is a mockery to this fallen officer's memory. I've often wondered why some people of my generation don't feel that their actions have consequences, but I guess the answer lies in district attorneys such as Michele Alfieri who would try to save the life of a cold blooded murderer.

Incidentally, I have never followed any local politics before picking up
a MLR, and I must say that you have a lot of guts to do and say what you do. You have my vote in May. Thank you for your time.

Publisher's Comment: Thank you for your support. It is a no brainer that you forfeit your life if you take the life of a Policeman in the line of duty. It appears that Michele has a problem with Capital Punishment. She needs to state this to the public and withdraw from the case and allow someone who has the guts to ask a jury to execute this man for his crime to take over. This is not like plea bargaining with a child molester - something Jeff Duke taught her how to do when she was his assistant.

MR. BECK,
GIVE 'EM HELL. YOU GOT MY VOTE. YOU ARE NOT IN THE SMETHPORT COURTHOUSE GANG. I LIKE YOU.
THANKS FOR THE GOOD WORK. PAT YOUR - SELF ON THE BACK. YOU DESERVE IT.

Publisher's Comment: That I can do and thank you for your support.

Mr. Beck:

It seems to me that you are calling everything before it happens. Are you psychic or something. You have been saying all along that Rick Esch was lying to us about maintaining our local integrity in tourism. From the accounts of his meeting in Smethport on Wednesday of this week he is selling us out for a larger organization where we will lose out once more.

I don't care if people don't visit other counties. I only care if they visit this one. My business in here. Not in Erie, or Clarion, or Warren for that matter.

You are right about Dick McDowell. Where does he get off putting his people out there on time that is being subsidized by taxpayer dollars and having them interfere in the way things are run in this county? He should tend to his university and leave running the county to you guys. All three of you are doing a damn fine job. Thanks for listening.

Publisher's Comment: No, I am not psychic. I am only doing the job you elected me to do. I am your watch dog in Smethport and I represent you - not the rich fat cats like McDowell who have always run things in this county. They think they know what is best for us poor dumb common folk because we ain't as educated or as fancy as they are. We don't live in no tax free mansions on School Street. We pay our taxes and we work darn hard for the money we make to pay those taxes. If any of these people ever had to work like we have had to, then they wouldn't be so quick to try and put their dirty business and lies over on us. Thank you for taking the time to write and comment.

All comments are welcome at rdhedbud@penn.com.

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