| 10/08/2008 |
| Story and video: Murtha challenged |
| By Patty Yauger , Herald-Standard |
A retired U.S. Army war veteran is challenging the current 12th Congressional District legislative incumbent for his seat in the U.S. Congress.
Republican candidate Bill Russell, who served 28 years in the military, will square-off in the Nov. 4 general election against Democratic U.S. Rep. John Murtha, who has served 34 years in the House, after his active military career. Both men reside in the Johnstown area. In Fayette County, the 12th District includes the City of Uniontown, Wards 1,2,3 and 6 of the City of Connellsville; Brownsville and Bullskin, Franklin, German, Jefferson, Lower Tyrone, Luzerne, Menallen, Perry, Redstone, Saltlick, Upper Tyrone and Washington townships; Districts 2,3 and 4 of Dunbar Township; Districts 3 and 4 of Georges Township; Districts 1,2,4 and 5 of North Union Township; Districts 1 and 2 of South Union Township; District 2 of Springhill Township and Belle Vernon, Brownsville, Dawson, Dunbar, Everson, Fayette City, Masontown, Newell, Perryopolis, Point Marion and Vanderbilt boroughs. The son of a career military officer, Russell attended West Point and then earned his undergraduate degree and officer commission at Louisiana State University. Before retiring from the military as a lieutenant colonel, Russell served a total of six tours of duty in Operation Desert Storm, Kosovo and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Russell has lived in 11 states and seven foreign countries throughout his childhood and adult life. He chose Johnstown to retire to because of its opportunities and beauty, he said. "It is a lot like the area that I grew up in; where kids could jump on their bikes and ride over to each other's houses," he said, adding that a sister lives within close proximity, in Indiana. Russell stated that he is aware of comments that he moved to Johnstown with the specific purpose of challenging Murtha. The carpetbagger term is not appropriate, he said. Two incidents, he said, prompted him to challenge Murtha, including his encounters with several wounded soldiers that visited the Pentagon where he was assigned and the congressman's statements in the U.S. Marine Haditha incident. Seeing the men that had lost the use of their arms, legs and eyes, and believing that Murtha's comments had "undermined" the troops, Russell said that he sought another Iraqi war veteran to oppose Murtha. When none was found, he decided to challenge Murtha himself. "This fight was too important; it couldn't wait," he said. His move to Johnstown and the initiation of his campaign were coincidental. "I was planning to live in this area first. There is no question that the political decision adjusted the timeline," he said. Russell said that Murtha's 17 terms in the U.S. Congress has caused him to be "out of touch" with his southwestern Pennsylvania constituents on several levels. Energy independence As the chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, Murtha has not seized the opportunity to develop the area's coal and natural gas reserves that could lead to energy independence and national and economic security, said Russell. "We have technology to produce coal to liquid fuel which has been around since the 1940s; as well as the technology to produce clean coal for electrical power and energy consumption," he said. "We have enough coal in the U.S. to produce a million barrels of liquid fuel that could be used in cars, airplanes and trucks every single day for the next 20,000 years; we are the Saudi Arabia of coal and we have key coal deposits in this area." To invest in the development of the natural resources, said Russell, would free the U.S. from Middle East politics and OPEC and spur the local and national economy. When questioned about the cost, Russell said that the role of the federal government to provide for national security would allow for the development. Pointing to the need for premium jet fuel by the U.S. Air Force, Russell said that the coal to ethanol to kerosene technology would produce the needed energy source that could also be used throughout the airline industry. The development by private industry has been blocked by federal regulations, he added. "That is why we have not built a new nuclear plant in 30 years," he said. "That's why we need to develop the coal to energy (industry)." Financial industry bailout Intervention of government into business, has caused the financial crisis, said Russell, and the two entities should be held accountable, not the taxpayers. "When you have government/business intervention in the private sector it seems to develop the worst behaviors on both parts - politicians and CEOs (chief executive officers)," he said. "I'd like to see Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae go away and move all the functions into the private sector where they belong; where good business practices and principles will take over and drive sound business decisions both on the part of individuals and corporations." The recent bailout, said Russell, is "business as usual by the Washington establishment," and does nothing to correct the problem that led to the crisis. "Mortgage brokers, who collect fees for writing new mortgages, are already re-advertising and renegotiating mortgages using the same unsound practices that created this crisis in the first place," he said. "So the taxpayer is being asked to fill in one $700 billion hole while government mandates are already digging another." Common sense would call for a change in regulations to allow and encourage private capital into the market; the determination of the cause of the crisis; a halt to the practice of government-mandated unsound mortgage brokering; the accountability and prosecution of those that betrayed the public trust; the requirement that those who created the crisis pay for their own insurance and the immediate audit of the failed banks, added Russell. "Unfortunately, the bailout bill does none of those things and the American taxpayer will once again foot the bill," he said. Health care Personal responsibility for health care, not nationalized health care is the answer in the ongoing issue, said Russell, who advocates health savings accounts and tax benefits for those that pay for their health insurance. He also supports the separation of employment from health-care benefits so that workers leaving one employer can maintain the same insurance at the next job site in order to keep the same physician. Russell said that the taxpayer or the small business owner or individual that pays for their insurance should not bear the cost for those that do not have the same benefit. "Unfortunately, oftentimes the kindest and most equitable solution is the harshest one and says, 'bud, you got to take responsibility for yourself; it's your life and you have to figure it out,'" he said. "When you get more people doing that, everybody benefits. "The best thing we can do is to get the responsibility back where it belongs between the patient and the doctor (and) promoting a tax deduction for paying for your own health insurance policy." When questioned about the purported 37 million that do not have access to health care insurance, Russell said the hospital emergency rooms must treat patients and that a nationalized system would only add to the problem. "It would be the worst possible solution," he said. "I've seen it in Germany where people are now seeing that the system is broken." Iraq Russell acknowledged that the war in Iraq is costly, but said it is a small price to pay for keeping America safe. "When you look at fighting the war here on our own streets, it would be far, far higher," he said. "I think 9/11 proved that." As to a timetable for withdrawal, Russell said that an exit strategy must be "event driven." "(If a date is set) the enemy will just wait you out," he said. Russell said that it is difficult to rebuild a country that has lived under a totalitarian regime for more than 30 years that failed to provide adequate water and sewerage systems, highways, electrical service, or an economy that would allow residents to maintain homes. "Once you topple a regime like this you have a complete dearth," he said. "We are starting to grow a parliament; civil and administrative functions are beginning to provide the care for the people and allow them to grow an economy," he said. "It is going to take some time. "We're probably going to have some form of representation there to provide stability and particularly given the threats from Iran and other insurgent movements that crop up in the area, we're going to be there long-term," he said. "But, the level of violence and soldiers' deaths will come down." Lawsuit filed against Murtha Recently, U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt of Canonsburg filed a federal lawsuit against Murtha, alleging that the congressman had denied him of his constitutional rights of the presumption of innocence and of due process. The complaint's allegations stem from Murtha's public statements, prior to the trial in the 2006, incident that members of Sharratt's unit had killed "innocent civilians in cold blood." Sharratt and six others have since been exonerated by a military court. An eighth Marine is awaiting trial. Russell said that he supports Sharratt and believes that the lawsuit is "viable and understandable." Closing In closing, Russell said that as a conservative he believes that the family is paramount to supporting a free society and that the rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, as well as the right to self-defense, are endowed by the creator. "Our nation has an obligation to secure and enforce its borders and we are a people who are identified by a single language - the English language and I support making that our official language," he said. "In terms of education, I believe parents have the right to select the correct education for their children without financial regulatory penalties and I believe children should be schooled in the knowledge that we are an exceptional nation."
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©The Herald Standard 2008
