Peterson reflects on career

TITUSVILLE - After nearly four decades in public service, U.S. Rep. John Peterson, R-Pleasantville, will retire at the beginning of next month... but he vows to keep an active hand in many issues, especially the possible tolling of Interstate 80.

During a conference call yesterday with reporters, Peterson reflected on his last 39 years in public life, as a borough councilman, state representative and senator, and the last 12 years as Congressman in his sprawling 17-county district.

BEGINNINGS

Peterson said he never aspired for a political career, but started his service in Titusville after he first entered the business world.

"I found out I couldn't change much until we started to run the borough like a business," Peterson said.

He was later recruited to run for the state House and Senate before succeeding former Rep. William Clinger to serve what is now the 5th Congressional District.

"As I look back, I wonder how did the 39 years go by so quickly," he said. "The last 12 in Congress was like a blur... I didn't aspire to be in Congress, but when the time came, I made a very tough decision. After a long weekend thinking about it, I decided to run for Congress and I never regretted it for a moment."

He said he particularly enjoyed his time in the state Senate, largely due to the debate style of that chamber.

"If you debate things long enough, you'll end up doing the right thing," Peterson said.

The Congressman has long been known as a fighter for the rural areas of Pennsylvania. He said these areas tend to be more independent of the urban centers and, as such, have to stick together to get things done.

In addition, Peterson battled for better and more economical health care, energy independence and, most recently, the state's attempt to make I-80 a toll road.

I-80

He said he will continue to pursue efforts to keep I-80 toll-free. To that end, he plans to join a state organization like the Commonwealth Foundation and partner with former officials like former Gov. Richard Thornburg to help in that plan.

"I think we need to be very much on guard," Peterson said. "I think it would be devastating to Pennsylvania, and the state has done nothing to change Act 44 (which authorized the tolling of I-80 with funds going to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission). The turnpike commission continues to borrow money, which will be the state's to pay back."

Further, he said he would like to be part of any action to disband the commission entirely and fold it into PennDOT, which, he said, would save a few hundred million dollars.

"I'd like to have them hanging on for their life and then take it away," he said. "I'd rather play offense than defense."

Also, Peterson said, the state should use all of the funding from the gas taxes to fix the state's highways and bridges solely, instead of also funding the state police, tourism centers, the Department of Weights and Measures and other departments.

"We have one of the highest gas taxes and the highest truck tax in the country," he said. "We need to keep that money for highways and bridges. We could be in not too bad of shape if we used it just for transportation."

Peterson noted the commission has 400 to 500 management personnel to govern about 500 miles of road, which is about one management person per mile.

ENERGY

He said energy was still an undervalued issue, but is pleased a majority in Congress joined his fight to allow off-shore drilling for oil and on-shore drilling for shale oil in the South and West portions of the nation.

"Now, we're going to have to watch Congress and the new administration on how they are going to go with that issue," he said. "Renewable energy has to be a part of that, but people have to realize the smallness of renewables, the slow growth they're having. We're not going to stop using oil, coal and natural gas. We're going to have watch this debate closely so the energy issue does not go away in Washington."

He said while many have blamed the current "difficult" economic times on failing loans and mortgages, he believes high energy prices had a lot to do with it because it took so much of the public's disposable income.

FUTURE

As he prepares for retirement, Peterson called on his constituents to look to the future and keep Pennsylvania and this part of the state competitive.

"We have to look at every issue and determine whether it would help us be more competitive or less. If it would leave us less competitive, don't do it," he said. "We have competitors around the world. They have the gameplans to surpass us and some have already done that.

"We have to compete with other states and nations and our region has to compete with the rest of the state."

Peterson said his goal is to have this region return to its "growth mode" and give opportunities for people to prosper here in the future.

"A lot of things have changed, but I still have a lot of hope for our future," he said. "We are rich in resources and rich in people. Rural America has the hardest working, most honest people in the world. I still believe rural America is the heart and soul of this country and our best hope for the future of this country.

"My dream is to live in a Pennsylvania that stops declining and gets into a growth mode again," he said. "We have great colleges and great natural resources. We are a state that should not be losing congressmen every 10 years (due to declining populations). We should at least be holding our own."

THOMPSON

Peterson said he believes Glenn Thompson, the Howard Republican who will succeed him in a few days, will take over right where he left off.

"I've watched him grow as a candidate," Peterson said of the person he endorsed prior to last spring's primary election. "That was a very gradual process. I'm pleasantly surprised at how well he answers questions and how well he talks about the issues."

Further, Peterson said he's pleased with how much Thompson has served his community.

"Glenn has a good education and I think the secret to Glenn is he's given a lot of himself to the community. A good representative needs to be a good servant.

"Glenn will serve the people," Peterson continued. "He has given more time to fire departments and to scouting... he's just always been a giving person."

Peterson said he will be glad to act as a consultant to Thompson, but he won't force the issue.

"I'll be willing to talk to him on any issue," he said. "I won't force them on him, but I will share them. He calls me with regularity. We have a good relationship, a good rapport. He seems to agree with my priorities, like the fight against tolling I-80, helping the rural economy, energy or rural health care.

"I think he's committed to fighting I-80 and a broad-based energy policy and he'll find some issues of his own," Peterson continued.

AN HONOR TO SERVE

Peterson said it has been "an honor and a pleasure to work for the district."

"I will miss it. I enjoyed the discussion of issues, the challenges," he said. "It was something of a childhood dream that I could be a member of Congress and enjoyed it and did it as well as I can," he said.

Peterson said while he leaves Congress with mixed emotions, he's glad he is leaving on his own volition.

"I'm not tired, I'm not sick, I'm not out of gas. I just think it's not a job that you should hold for life or multiple decades. I think a good turnover at a legislative body is healthy," he said.

"As I leave office, I stand ready to help those who want to lead this country in the right direction. I will miss what I was doing very much."