Thanks for taking time to check out my blog. I hope to update it often on how things are going as I cross the district over the next several weeks of this campaign.

John Stroup's Web Blog - This link will take you to my brand new Blog site - where you can leave your own comments.

All Blog Entries:

A Great Week
Stroup Full Statement on Enactment of Millionaire’s Amendment
Campaign Announcement

 

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Copyright2008 | Paid for by Friends of John Stroup

Press Releases

March 25 -State Representative Fred McIlhattan Endorses Mayor John Stroup for Congress
March 18 - Stroup Shocked by Candidates’ Opinions
March 16 - Stroup Shares Financial Disclosure
March 7 - Stroup reacts to Democrat’s I-80 Study
March 3 - John Stroup Meets with OOIDA and Federal Highway Administration

News Articles

March 4 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Report Opposes Turnpike Leasing Plan

 

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Copyright2008 | Paid for by Friends of John Stroup

I am running to be your Congressman because I have the experience to lead the fight to improve our communities, here in Rural Pennsylvania and across Rural America.  I understand the challenges that our families, cities and towns face because I have faced them myself.  As your Congressman, I will focus on fighting for jobs, improving health care, and developing new opportunities for rural communities like innovative energy sources.

 

Protecting Access to I-80

As Mayor of Clarion, I stood up against the proposed tolling of Interstate 80 long before it was the popular thing to do or before I was a candidate for Congress. I understood the negative impact this proposal would have on our region's economic development and way of life.

The decision to toll Interstate 80 is the single most controversial governmental action in Northwest PA in a generation.  It is an issue that cuts across social and economic lines, angering conservatives with its tax (toll) increases and political leaders with its negative economic consequences.  The loss of jobs, traffic, and population, as well as the effort to break yet another governmental promise (of free access to a major highway) has united people across the district and brought them in large numbers to public meetings and debates.  While, other candidates have embraced the cause, I have led the cause.  I organized the initial opposition and the efforts of Clarion are widely recognized as the bedrock of the large, anti-toll movement. 

As your Congressman, I will use every available option to stop the tolling of I-80. 

Fighting the War on Terror

Meeting the needs of our military as they face the fight against terrorism across the globe is a responsibility that Congress should never shy away from.  Playing politics with these important resources as our forces continue their hard work is irresponsible.  As our military has implemented its new strategy in Iraq and continues to work hard on rooting out terrorism in Afghanistan, Congress should focus on meeting their needs and not needlessly arguing over proposals that would prevent our generals from doing the job Congress sent them to do in the first place. 

We chose to ignore the enemy before 9-11, even as it attacked us on multiple fronts.  We cannot choose to ignore threats in the future.  Iran, Syria, and other countries are not ashamed to tell us about their desire to attack us – we have to take a hard-line stance with them. 

At home, we have to be able to use all that is legally possible to catch terrorists that wish to do us harm.  Technology will play a big role, as will vigilance by the American people.   The massive restructuring of the US government after 9-11 has not been without bumps along the way, but things will improve the more we focus on actual risk and not simply window dressing. 

Producing Energy & Protecting the Environment

I must question the intentions of those who say they have the needs of our environment in mind.  Many of those out in front of this issue are actually profiting from it with their rhetoric.  Companies are being formed to make money on science that is not fact.  Other companies and governments are being coerced into buying carbon credits – “indulgences” – that do nothing but give them good media attention.  All of this focus has us truly ignoring the challenges ahead of us as a nation. 

Instead of the current “feel good” response to our energy needs, we need a firm policy that includes exploration and development of new oil and gas fields and the contraction of new domestic refining capacity to meet our near-term goals while committing ourselves to the development of new sources of energy for the future.  We have proven that we can protect the environment and still have the responsible production of energy – that is a capacity we can build on for both today and the future. 

There is a chorus of powerful interests out there saying that ethanol will be the solution for all of our energy problems – yet common sense and scientific study proves that will not be.  We have resources right here in Pennsylvania, from coal to waste wood that can provide important energy sources.  One example is coal gasification - if we can refine coal at a cost effective price we will have choices in the future.  Another is fuel cells – an innovative technology that is being researched right here in the 5th District.  I was involved in several of the coal gasification and fuel cell programs when I worked for Westinghouse, so I know the challenges, and the opportunities with both of these energy technologies.   

Reforming Healthcare

Pennsylvania’s current health care system is probably the best example of how a universal system would fail our nation.  Instead of the monopoly that exists here in Pennsylvania and that would exist under a national, universal system, we need more of a market-based system that puts people in charge of their health care.  As someone who is deeply involved in the health care system here in rural Pennsylvania, I know what works and what doesn’t, and a universal system will most definitely fail our area. 

Market-based solutions that are seeing success in other areas of the country are Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Association Health Plans (AHPs).  By giving patients more choice over their health care spending through HSAs, we can go along way towards encouraging preventative medicine instead of encouraging folks from waiting to the last minute to address their health problems.  AHPs are a perfect fit for rural America because it allows the small businesses that define these communities to band together to provide lower-cost health care for their employees.

One of the most important priorities for rural health care is ensuring that technology improvements make their way into small hospitals and village doctor’s offices.  Health care Information Technology not only reduces costs, but it improves quality of care.

Addressing the Needs of Rural Healthcare

Rural health care, both here in Pennsylvania and across the country, is something I focus on every day.  I know the issues, the challenges facing our hospitals, doctors, and patients, and what solutions will work to improve and maintain access to affordable health care in our region.

The biggest challenge facing rural hospitals today are the current inequities in reimbursements.  This systematic failure in the system makes it harder and harder on rural hospitals, placing many on in the red with no hope of getting out soon.  While larger regional hospital have a chance to take over and cover reimbursements, this puts rural areas at risk of become little more than band-aid stations.  We have to find a way to make it advantageous for small hospital to work together in building relationships.  Keeping patients close to home doing treatments will always be the best way and will keep travel to a minimum.

Another significant challenge to our rural health care is the current broken medical malpractice system.  It is hard enough to get and keep quality doctors here in rural Pennsylvania, but high cost malpractice insurance is an even greater barrier.  We need to end frivolous lawsuits, cap non-catastrophic damages, and do more to end the ability of lawyers to “shop” cases around to a friendly judge. 

Fixing our Immigration System and Security our Border

The challenge of immigration is one that cuts across so many issues here in our country, but to me, it comes down to one of national security.  With our nation engaged in a fight against terrorists across the globe, ensuring the security of our border, from building a strong border wall, providing necessary surveillance patrols and sending strong messages about our intent to secure our border to those across the globe is critical. 

As for those who are here illegally, we need to begin enforcing our laws here at home, especially regarding those who employ illegal workers.  The jobs that we constantly hear are not able to be done by citizens are being done by folks here in the 5th District, and I am proud to call many gardeners, sanitation workers, busboys and others my neighbors. 

Only after we end the reasons why people keep trying to come here illegally can we begin a dialog on what form our immigration system will have in the future.

Keeping Taxes and Spending Low

The tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 need to be made permanent.  The fact that this is not the key element to every presidential candidate’s platform is appalling to me, especially as our economy faces significant challenges.  Brining certainty to lower tax rates will serve as the best stimulus to our sagging economy, permanently eliminating the death tax will bring fairness to the most unfair part of our tax code, and continuing lower rates for capital gains will be a large shot in the arm to our investment markets. 

For the long-term, Congress must aggressively address the problems of our complex tax code.  We can have a tax system that encourages economic growth without the confusing systems of deductions, multiple rates, and endless instructions.  Proposals such as the flat tax, fair tax, national sales tax, and others all must form a part of the discussion and play a role in shaping the debate ahead.

However, the real problem isn’t the revenue (that’s at record levels) - it’s the spending and massive entitlements that continue to grow out of control.  The out of control method we spend money, passing hundreds of billions of dollars in bills to our grandchildren, is obscene.  Do we have enough chutzpah to step up as citizens to say stop?  Without this control, we will never be able to address our nation’s mounting debt.

Honoring our Veterans

Since 2001, veterans’ funding has increased by some 95 percent, a proud accomplishment as we all work to treat veterans here at home like the heroes they are.  That said, there are still significant challenges facing our nation’s veterans, especially those in rural areas.

Rural veterans often find themselves hundreds of miles away from a VA facility, especially a VA hospital.  We need to change the way we deliver health care to our veterans by allowing them to get the care they need in their community hospital where they can remain close to home and close to their loved ones.  We need to fix our broken veterans disability system that has been ignored far too long by both Democrats and Republicans.

For those veterans who are just coming home, we need to continue to hold the VA and the Defense Department accountable for their needs, especially the transition of their medical records and helping them find jobs after they leave the military.  Finally, we need to work together to modernize the GI Bill to meet the needs of today’s returning soldiers as they get ready for tomorrow’s careers. 

Fixing Transportation: Beyond Tolling I-80

Pennsylvania’s transportation woes go far beyond the current debate over whether or not to toll Interstate 80.  At their heart they are deteriorating bridges, congested highways, and unsafe roads that put the traveling public at risk while increasing the cost of doing business here in Pennsylvania.  By ignoring these problems, the state has cost Pennsylvania consumers and businesses tens of millions – but their only answer to these problems now it to add another tax, this time as a toll, to pay for their negligence.

For far too long Pennsylvania depended upon the federal government to pick up the slack, but we can’t do that any longer.  We need to focus our transportation investments – federal, state, and local dollars, on our real challenges.  Improving highway safety, reducing congesting and fixing roads and bridges that that need maintenance should be our priorities – not wasteful bureaucracies and unnecessary projects.

The transportation challenge facing our nation is clear, and it’s directly connected to our future economic success.  What is also clear is that rural America must remain connected to our transportation system to grow economically.  In Congress, I will focus on improving rail access, ensuring air service, and improving roads to reduce travel times to ensure that rural America stays connected and competitive.

Growing the Allegheny National Forest

I believe that there needs to be an equal balance of forest management policies that will help preserve the health of our national forests while continuing to ensure multiple-use for industry and tourism alike.  I will work against the bureaucrats in Washington and their often ill-conceived actions that directly affect the livelihood of rural Americans. 

Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, I will propose common sense environmental and natural resource policies that will continue improve the quality of life in rural America.  I strongly believe in protecting the rights of private property owners and will fight to continue to ensure public access to federal lands, including the Allegheny National Forest. Federal programs that help communities address the impacts of federal lands need to be modernized to address the needs of these areas. 

Tourism offers a new opportunity for the ANF and the communities it calls home.  We need to be aggressive in marketing the region to potential visitors and work as one voice on these marketing campaigns.  Additionally, the region needs to work with the Forest Service to identify needed recreation improvements that will attract visitors – both local residents and out of area tourists.

Protecting Pennsylvania Farms

Agriculture continues to be the lifeblood of Pennsylvania’s economy, and we must continue to work to keep it that way.  From encouraging agricultural research and advances to ensuring that improvements in the lab find their way out to the farms, Pennsylvania agriculture has a bright future ahead of it.

However, there are many who would like to take well-intentioned environmental laws and use them to attack our farms, especially the small farms that are so important to many communities.  Legislation that would give the federal government jurisdiction over every ditch and pond on your farm is currently under consideration in Congress and we must do everything we can to oppose this legislation and maintain the commitment that our farmers have to a clean environment.  Additionally, with milk and other commodities facing low prices in past years, Congress must work to address the cost of energy, which is so important to farmers as it places a major role in the price of feed, fuel, and fertilizer.

We can’t talk about the future of Pennsylvania farms if we don’t talk about the need to address taxes.  Pennsylvania farmers face the return of the estate tax, an unnecessary burden on their good work, in 2011.  For the good of farmers across the country, Congress must end this unfair tax once and for all. 

Public Education

Currently many schools are failing our students.  Huge sums of money are being spent in the intercity with little results.  Some of the best schools are the ones in the rural communities where funding per students are much lower, but results are still not what we would hope for to take our students into the future.

To often the schools now are teaching to take test to meet government standardized test.  These tests require schools to meet certain standards or risk losing funding.  This is particularly difficult for smaller schools with lower population.  One bad test result can skew results making it even more difficult for the rural schools.

The federal government needs to take unfunded mandates away from burdening these schools further.  Let the education system get back to teaching the basics and then we can start to expand to a more challenging curriculum to take America into the future.

Freedoms

Our freedoms are what define us as Americans, and protecting those freedoms is one of Congress’ most important responsibilities.  However, more and more groups are using the court system to attack our freedoms – and activist judges are more than willing to help by legislating from the bench.

Congress needs to take a strong stance against groups and individuals who are working to scale back our freedoms, especially our 1st and 2nd Amendment rights.  As a gun owner , I have always felt that you cannot have 1st Amendment rights without the 2nd Amendment.  The Supreme Court right now is considering whether or not residents in Washington, DC have the same gun rights that you or I have now – if they decide the wrong way, what is to stop Pennsylvania from saying that we should have different gun rights than someone in Ohio?

Judges who have bought in to this activist campaign should be taken off the bench, and the judges nominated by our next President must follow the mold of Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito.  These are men who understand that their job is to apply the law to protect our freedoms, not interpret the law to restrict them.

Homeland Security for Rural America

The federal government has invested billions in homeland security improvements since 9-11, however, rural America has largely been ignored in all of this investment.  While big cities have wasted millions of dollars on fancy police cars, sending employees around the world to conferences at exotic resorts, and placing flat-screen-tvs in every supervisor’s office, rural communities face significant security holes. 

Congress needs to ensure that all potential threats are considered when homeland security spending decisions are made, and that dollars actually go to security needs and not just buying the newest technology.  Security of water supply systems, equipment for hazardous materials response, and improved communications systems are rural needs that often are ignored.

Copyright2008 | Paid for by Friends of John Stroup

Contribute to John's Campaign -

Unfortunately, running a congressional campaign is a very expensive endeavor -especially across a district that includes 17 counties. I appreciate every donation, whether it is $5 or $6900. Every dollar help me get my message out across our region.

I am now able to accept donations online - please click the botton below to make a contribution by credit card or your bank account.

 

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Contributions to Friends of John Stroup are not deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes. Contributions from corporations and foreign nationals are prohibited. Federal law requires political committees to use their best efforts to obtain and report the name, address, occupation and employer for each individual whose contributions aggregate in excess of $200 in an election cycle.

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Copyright2008 | Paid for by Friends of John Stroup

This campaign will come down to who can energize their base and get out the vote. The key to that is a strong grassroots effort -

Will you help me win the Republican Primary on April 22?

If you are interested in helping me:

- Organizing a party for me to meet your friends and neighbors
- Making phone calls from your home or office
- Putting up a yard signs in your area
- Hosting a fundraiser
- Or any other activity that will help lead us to victory on April 22

Please email my campaign staff or call my Campaign HQ at 814-316-6765

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Copyright2008 | Paid for by Friends of John Stroup

Contact John Stroup:

Email -
info@friendsofjohnstroup.com

Phone -
814-361-6765

Address -
Friends of John Stroup
PO Box 50
Clarion, PA 16214

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Copyright2008 | Paid for by Friends of John Stroup