After his address to an audience of at least 90 supporters in Wyalusing on Tuesday, Sen. Bob Casey Jr. moved among the crowd and made personal moments for many local residents, including (from left) Janet Lewis, Lynda Warner and Gene Anne Woodruff.
Photos and Story by Rick Hiduk
Exclusive to Endless Mountains Lifestyles
More than 80 supporters of U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. and state house district 110 candidate Donna Iannone turned out in Wyalusing on Tuesday to hear what Casey had to say about healthcare, infrastructure, and tax cuts. They were joined by approximately 20 advance placement US history students from Wyalusing Valley High School.
The Oct. 23 event was held in the Wyalusing Community Corporation building on Main Street in Wyalusing, in which Iannone has a campaign office.
Bradford County Commissioner Ed Bustin provided welcoming remarks and set the stage for what would be an enthusiastic rally, the size of which seemed to surprise everyone in attendance. Bustin said that the great turnout was indicative of a change in rural democrats and where they want to see their party on the local, state and federal level.
Bustin referenced “lessons learned” from the last election and suggested that Tuesday’s event could prove to be a “pivotal time” for the county. He admonished the theatrics that have become the face of politics in the media, stating, “We don’t need to be crazy about our message. We just need to stay true to our message and what the Democratic Party stands for.”
Iannone entered with Casey a short time later, starting her presentation with a moment of silence for veterans who gave their lives for freedom and saluting the students at the back of the room. “I think this whole election is about these kids’ future,” she remarked. “I am so honored that they came today.”
Iannone (above) recalled her days as a Wyalusing high school graduate and said, “I never thought that I’d have an opportunity to introduce a senator.”
It was actually about the fifth time she had met Casey, she noted. On at least two previous occasions, Iannone brought to him the case of her aunt who was enduring a second bout of breast cancer, the treatment for which the ailing woman’s insurance company did not want to cover. She encouraged votes for Casey on his reputation for fighting for fair health coverage for all citizens, which set up the senator to speak at length on his primary concern for this election cycle.
After acknowledging that Iannone’s campaign as indicative of a national trend for first-time candidates and women entering the political arena, Casey (above) pressed forward with his healthcare and medicare agendas while challenging Republican rhetoric on the same topic. He vowed to fight any further repeal of the current affordable healthcare program, to expand options, and to keep costs down.
Most important to Casey is keeping preexisting condition protections in place that were established in 2010. “We’re not going back to those dark days,” he insisted. Casey also called the Republican’s “premium support” program a “lie,” maintaining that it will result in nothing less than the loss of the guarantee of medicare that citizens have been promised.
Also high on Casey’s to-do list is the passage of an infrastructure bill that will address not only the nation’s poor highways and bridges, but the lack of broadband internet service to rural areas, the latter receiving resounding applause. Rural schools, in particular, need broadband service, he remarked, so the students can keep up with technology and learning opportunities.
Lastly, Casey spoke of his frustration concerning tax cuts granted by the Republican administration to the wealthiest one percent of Americans, amounting to $58 billion. “Giving them tax cuts doesn’t help the economy nearly as much as giving a tax break to the middle class,” he stated.
Ultimately, Casey expressed repeatedly, the electorate has much more in common than the national rhetoric of “divide and conquer” suggests, especially when it comes to infrastructure and healthcare.
Prior to his address to the public, Casey spoke with the media about balancing the activities of the natural gas industry with the responsibility of the state to provide citizens with clean air and water. “I’ve always supported natural gas extraction,” he said to the reporters, but admitted that he also supports rigorous regulations and wants more disclosure about what chemicals are being used underground. “We’ve learned that we can support industry and still keep our people secure,” he stated.
Casey’s stop in Wyalusing was his third of four campaign plugs that day. He’d previously stumped in new Milford, Susquehanna County with wife, Terese in tow. For the school students (below), Casey’s visit was a field trip with no endorsement intended, said WVHS principal Gary Otis.
“It’s not every day that you get to see a U.S. senator,” district superintendent Jason Bottiglieri remarked.
