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PIAA Cross Country Championships: Dallas’ Mitchell Rome finishes fourth

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Beyond the Byline: Kirby has become center of attention

WILKES-BARRE &#8212; U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta decided to run for the U.S. Senate in 2018, leaving the newly realigned 9th District up for grabs.Republican Dan Meuser won the GOP nomination and Denny Wolff got the nod on the Democratic side. Both served in the cabinets of two former governors &#8212; Meuser as Secretary of Revenue under Gov. Tom Corbett, and Wolff as Secretary of Agriculture under Gov. Ed Rendell.The candidates were asked to offer their comments on several issues ahead of Tuesday&#8217;s election. The 9th District includes the western part of Luzerne County, parts of Berks and Northumberland counties, and all of Carbon, Columbia, Lebanon, Montour and Schuylkill.&#8226; Key issuesMeuser: &#8220;Government does not create jobs but must maintain an environment for the private sector to thrive and disposable income of American families to be enhanced, not squeezed. In Congress, I will support President Donald Trump&#8217;s plan for tax reform, regulatory reform, repealing and replacing Obamacare and enacting a comprehensive domestic energy policy.&#8220;We also must have illegal immigration reform that begins with a plan to secure our borders, including building a wall, and ensure the enforcement of our laws. We must defund sanctuary cities, eliminate chain migration and be opposed to amnesty. We must support our police and I will do everything in my power to ensure they have the support and resources they need.&#8221;Once we get the bureaucracies limited by the law, we can enact term limits: five terms for members of Congress (10 years), two terms for U.S. Senate (12 years).Wolff: &#8220;Protecting Social Security and Medicare, affordable, quality health care, make health care more affordable by eliminating waste, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and push back against insurance companies. Protect coverage for anyone with pre-existing conditions.&#8221;&#8220;Improving wages for working families &#8212; the minimum wage needs to be increased, because while wages have stagnated, cost of living has risen with inflation over the past 50 years. I support the right of organized labor to collectively bargain for better working conditions and wages.&#8221;&#8220;Find solutions and provide the necessary funding to help families, individuals, and communities battling the opioid epidemic. We must raise the general public&#8217;s awareness of opioid abuse and provide a way to seek out the necessary treatment. We must understand that substance abuse and dependence is a health care issue, not a criminal justice issue.&#8221;&#8226; What is your plan to bring good-paying, family-sustainable jobs to the region?Meuser: &#8220;As a businessman for over 25 years, I have worked to help build a small business into a large manufacturer. I know what the private sector needs to thrive. We need to keep tax rates competitive, continue to eliminate unnecessary regulations and invest in our infrastructure. Locally, we need to revitalize our cities by making them safe for residents, minimizing floods and attracting capital investment. We must maximize our tremendous natural resources like natural gas and coal.&#8221;Wolff: &#8220;I stand ready to rebuild our shrinking middle class and provide opportunity for upward economic mobility. That starts with aligning the skills training of the workforce with the needs of employers and providing economic opportunity for those who were raised here, so they&#8217;ll also raise their families here and expand our regional economic impact. Making post-secondary education more affordable is integral to rebuilding our economy, whether that&#8217;s for high school graduates or those who&#8217;ve been out of the classroom for a few years, so they can return to school and work toward improving their wages.We must make sure that small businesses are treated fairly in the way they are taxed and regulated, without sacrificing consumer protections.&#8221;&#8226; What will you do to work across the aisle to produce meaningful legislation that benefits all Pennsylvanians?Meuser: &#8220;I am a conservative, but I believe in results, not rhetoric. I think we must work to make incremental gains through bipartisan negotiations and I believe Congress must work in a bipartisan way to achieve results. It is the role of Congress to work together to ensure America is once again the land of opportunity and work to get results on the major issues.&#8221;Wolff: &#8220;We can start by listening to each other. People from the other political party are not my enemies. Rather than pointing fingers, I like to solve problems. So, I&#8217;ll extend my hand to everyone down there and get to work. Congress also needs new leadership. It&#8217;s time for a fresh start and new ideas.&#8221;&#8226; What is your stance on Social Security and Medicare?Meuser: &#8220;I believe that Social Security and Medicare must be protected. Taxpayers have paid into it and they earned those benefits. The best way to ensure these programs are stable is to keep the economy flourishing. A strong and robust economy will help us sustain these programs. Additionally on health care, I will not support a plan unless it includes coverage for those with pre-existing conditions.&#8221;Wolff: &#8220;I believe seniors have earned Social Security and Medicare over their lifetime of hard work. In Congress, I will fight attempts to turn Medicare into a voucher program and will stand up to politicians who try to privatize Social Security. We should allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug costs like Medicaid and insurance companies do. To ensure Social Security&#8217;s solvency, we should raise the Social Security payroll tax cap to around $350,000.&#8221;Why should voters select you to represent them?Meuser: &#8220;I am running for Congress because I love our country and like many citizens I do not think our government runs effectively. Rather than rally around our country, too many politicians are more interested in scoring political points. Now, more than ever, business leaders and conservatives who know how to get things done need to step up and run for office so we have a government that works, for the people, not against them. I will go to Washington and support the President&#8217;s America First Agenda.&#8221;Wolff: &#8220;As a dairy farmer and former Secretary of Agriculture, I have a business background and legislative experience. I&#8217;m the only candidate running on bipartisanship. I&#8217;m not looking for people to blame, I&#8217;m looking for problems to solve. I understand the issues and share the values of the people in the Pennsylvania 9th because I was born and raised here on the dairy farm I operate today. The life you live makes you the person you are. I know the issues our working families face each day and want to be their voice in Congress.&#8221;<style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Bill O&#8217;Boyleboboyle@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta>9th Congressional DistrictName: Dan MeuserAge: 54Town of Residence: DallasPolitical Party: RepublicanCurrent Job: Businessman Education: Cornell UniversityFamily: Wife Shelley; three children, Caroline, Jacqui and Daniel Jr.&#8226;Name: Denny WolffAge: 67Town of Residence: Greenwood TownshipPolitical Party: DemocraticCurrent Job: Dairy farmer Education: Millville High SchoolFamily: Wife Josey; children Dr. Elizabeth Wolff, 48, Corey Wolff, 46, Ben Wolff, 44, Tim Wolff, Nick Wolff, 34.</factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle</shirttailMeta></div>

Wolff, Meuser seek to represent newly realigned 9th District