Starting now.
Commonalities where guests find
common ground through uncommon
conversations, politics,
religion, finances,
all the topics your grandmother told
you not to discuss with friends.
And now your host, Matthew Dowling,
and today's guests on commonalities. Well.
Thanks for joining us again on
commonalities. I'm Matt Dollinger host,
and my guest today is Robert Jean Grim.
He's currently a township supervisor,
but has recently thrown
his hat in the ring, um,
as a candidate for Fayette
County Commissioner. And, uh,
I thought that it would be good to
not only meet him, but meet, uh,
some other candidates
through the upcoming weeks.
So hopefully you will join us for
those episodes as well. Um, gene,
I want to thank you for
being on the program here.
Today. Yeah, thanks Matt.
Thanks for having me. It's real,
real pleasure being here.
Now, you're a kind of a hometown boy, uh,
from what I understand about your
background, you played, uh, sports and,
and kind of with the,
the environment we're in,
in Fayette County right now with
some amazing student athletes. Um,
you know, I didn't want
to get us off track,
but I wanted to talk a little bit about
kind of your sporting background and
the, the, uh, the coaches
you played for and, uh,
and the schools you attended.
Yeah, no, uh, we, we can start off
playing football. I, uh, I, um,
really enjoyed playing sports
growing up. Um, grew, grew up on a,
on a small dairy farm, uh,
in Southern Faye County at actually
Nicholson Township. Um, but, but I argue,
uh, my farm life and, and, uh, milk
and cows and chasing calves, um,
actually, uh, opened some opportunities
for me playing football and, uh, not,
not toot my own horn, but, uh, I, I, um,
could run like the wind blue, um, went,
uh, attended, uh, some Merle
Hodge football camps. Uh,
Merle Hodge was at, uh,
running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But, um, I, I could, at a young age,
I could run, uh, uh, 40 yards
and, um, about 4.6 seconds.
But, um, had had some opportunities.
I actually played for three
different high schools. I played, uh,
for Albert Island, excuse me, one
year. Played for, uh, um, Gobel.
I was a Gobel Gator, uh, had, you know,
still have a, uh, soft spot spot for,
uh, watching, uh, gobel, uh,
events. Um, but I played under, uh,
Jack Beaner, bill Beaner
through Laurel Highlands, uh,
Tom Sandal and Kirk soho down
at Gebel. Um, and, uh, when,
when at a young age, I played under, um,
Joanne Embar crowd at outta Albert
Allen. And so, um, still, um,
keep in touch with a lot of my
friends that I met along the way, um,
playing sports. So it's, um, again,
you know, um, I tell everybody,
any, any young kid, um,
that's even thinking about going out
for sports e even if you're a junior in
high school, and that's something
that you, that, um, you,
you kind of feel like, well, I'm, you
know, I'm pushing, I'm almost a senior,
you know, go out, go out for sports, you
know, I, uh, encourage, encourage, uh,
people to play sports and, um, lot,
lot of good memories there, especially,
like I said, Don Donette, Gobel, um,
lot of good memories down there
playing sports as, as a Gobel Gator.
So go Gobel.
So, um, you know, before
we get to the big question,
which is what made you decide
to run for county commissioner,
I want to talk a little
bit about your, uh,
your current background and the fact that
you are a township supervisor in what
I think is a unique township in
Fayette County, SpringHill Township.
Uh, and you guys are in the
very far corner of the county.
Um, I had the pleasure of, uh,
when I was in the State House representing
that township. Um, but, you know,
life's a little bit different there.
You are a very agrarian society, uh,
but with ACLU conclusion of
Route 43 or that section of
the southern section of Route 43, um,
I know that some of that
agrarian lifestyle has
kind of been in jeopardy because
of the development of some of
that property.
So why don't we talk a little bit
about the challenges that, uh,
that you see in your township as
you're currently a township supervisor?
Yeah, so, so currently,
as you just said, I'm,
I'm a township supervisor for Spring
Hill Township. SpringHill Township is,
is, uh, uh, the Southernmost
Township in Faye County. Um, we're,
we're roughly right smack d in the middle
between Uniontown and, and Morgantown.
Uh, lot of our residents, uh, do
their shopping, you know, Morgantown,
you can be there in 15 minutes or,
or Uniontown. Um, most people, um,
have not been down in a township.
Uh, um, you mentioned, um,
43 coming through the Mon Monte
Fayette Expressway. Um, I, you know,
prior to the expressway
coming through, um,
there was no need for for people to
come down into the area unless, um,
we have some great historic sites down
there. Uh, friendship Hill Mansion, uh,
is, uh, one of 'em.
So a lot of people attend to
Fall Fest down there in the fall,
which is a really good event. Um,
our our township is made up with,
um, mostly small farms, rural,
rural communities, and
that's why people have,
have chose to live in
SpringHill Township. Um,
current issues going on in the
township right now, right now,
which a lot of you know about or,
or have heard, um, out in Gans, pa,
which is, um, just, just a mile or
so off the, um, expressway there.
Um,
Faye Penn has some property out there
that they're planning on doing an
industrial park. Um, now this,
uh, prior to a few weeks ago,
this land was zoned a,
a one, or there was a,
there was approximately a hundred and
some acres that was still zoned a one.
And I argue it's, uh, some of the most
beautiful land in our township. Um, this,
this land's been in corn and soybeans
for the last 30 or 40 years. So, um,
my, my constituents residents
out in a township are,
are basically just upset that we have, uh,
some of the most beautiful farmland
in a township. And I argue in a,
in a county that, uh, that's
basically gonna be destroyed.
And, and, uh, and factories and
concrete is, is is what's gonna be, um,
currently what we've been looking
at in corn and soybeans. So, uh,
and every time, and I drive through
there on a daily basis and, you know,
through work with a township,
but each day when I drive past,
there's corn fields. I mean,
it just saddens me. And, and,
and I get frustrated that
I just feel that as a
supervisor in our residents,
we didn't have a say in what
was coming to our community.
And as a township supervisor, you know,
my number one job is to represent
the community as a whole. Um,
I can't even go back to our residence
and say, Hey, I, I got this for us.
I never had an opportunity to negotiate
something better for the community. Um,
the, you know, a big
issue with this, though,
not only are they destroying the farmland
out in, out in SpringHill Township,
which, which again, that's why
residents live out there. We, we,
we really enjoy our wide open
spaces and, uh, in our farmland,
we're near and dear to
our, to our land. Um,
but this is gonna create some other
issues in, in a township, uh, water being,
water issues being front and
center. Um, this is actually,
if this project goes through, it's gonna
put us in a, uh, in a water crisis. Um,
there, there's three
water, um, authorities in a
township. We have a Gallatin,
uh, mountain Water Association,
and then state line Authority.
All three of these water, um,
authorities are in dire need of, uh,
waterline upgrades. Um, Albert
Gallon's water plant needs rebuilt.
And, um, basically what
Faye Penn and, and, um,
Slater Engineering is requested up to 3
million gallons of water a day if this
factory goes in. Um, and again, we, our,
our water plant, excuse
me, is at max capacity,
unless we get some large grants or,
or some investment in our
water system, um, we, we,
we can't provide the water.
My biggest fear is the,
the burden is gonna go on the back
of my residence, um, which a lot in,
in Spring Hill Township, we
have a lot of elderly that,
that depend on social security.
And we have, we have, um, a,
a fairly large percentage that,
that are on assistance, um,
for, you know, for whatever
reason. Um, but, um,
if their water rates go up, because Fay
Penn wants this water, I mean, I, I'm,
I'm against that. I, I feel that there
has to be another way and, and we,
we really need to set down,
roll our sleeves up and,
and try to hatch us out and, and, uh,
come up with something. And again, that,
that's basically why I've thrown
my hat in the ring for, uh, county.
Commissioner. Well,
and and it sounds like what you're talking
about is the kind of the preservation
of a way of life. And, uh, I
know you're a conservative, uh,
you're a registered Republican,
correct? Correct. Um, and you, uh,
you, you want the, to preserve not
just traditional family values,
but also to preserve, uh, that,
that way of life on the farm.
And, uh, and trust me, I'm no,
uh, I'm no farmer. Uh,
we, uh, I grew up on,
um, the east end of Union
town on a small city lot. Uh,
in my teen years, we moved
out to Pinnell in township,
had a little bit more property,
um, about 11 to 12 acres.
And, uh, and I once, uh, plowed
down the swing set with, uh,
with the tractor that we had. So,
uh, you know, I'm not a farmer,
but I have a huge appreciation
for the farms that we have.
And I wanna circle the wagons back
around because we were talking about
development and the loss of farmland. Uh,
and, you know, really when
we look at farming, I,
I don't know that everyone, um,
realizes or appreciates the fact that, um,
the lacking number, the
declining number, rather,
of farms throughout the United
States is creating what could become
a real national security issue.
Because as we're forced to
import more and more, uh,
goods of produce, um, you know,
we become dependent on other
countries. And before the show,
I know you and I were talking in the
newsroom for a couple minutes about, uh,
how the war in Ukraine, no matter
where you sit on that issue, uh, and I,
and I know a lot of our conservative
listeners are getting frustrated with the
amount that the Biden in, uh,
administration has spent on that war.
Um, but really that's a, a
bread basket of the world,
and we're seeing a
direct reflection of, uh,
the cost of things like
wheat and flour, uh,
in our grocery stores because of that
war in Ukraine. And, uh, you know, I,
I am gonna turn it over
to you in a second, to, to
talk a little bit about, uh,
preserving those, those farmlands.
But, you know, I pulled up, uh,
just as we came into the studio, uh,
an article on the USDA's, uh,
government website, and it says,
uh, after peaking at 6.8
million farms in 1935,
the number of US farms fell
sharply until the early 1970s,
rapidly following farm numbers
during the earlier period
reflected growing production
in agriculture and
increasing non-farm
employment opportunities.
Now since then, the, uh,
number of US farms has
continued to decline, uh,
kind of at a slower rate, but, uh, the,
the numbers as we're
looking at them went from
2.01 million US farms, uh,
in 2021, back to just 2007
when we had 2.2 million,
uh, US farms. So, you know,
you're seeing in your township a microcosm
of what's happening at a national
level, but it is very concerning,
even for a non-farm like myself,
uh, that we are going to be
forced to rely on importing, uh,
farm goods. So I, I know you were
talking a little bit about subsidies and,
uh, and things like that.
I don't know if you have any comments
to make about how important it is to
preserve, preserve that farmland.
And, and, and you, you touch on so
many, um, points there, and you're,
and you're exactly right, but, um,
basically over 2000 acres a day,
this country's losing.
And if you just think about
that 2000 acres a day,
and we're on track o over the next 20
years, or, or less than 20 years, by,
by by 2040, we w will
have lost over 20 Phil,
24 million acres of farmland. And,
and this is prime farmland. This is,
this is land that, um, it, it again,
is some of the most productive farmland
in the world that were destroyed. And,
and you mentioned in SpringHill Township,
this is a micro of what's going on,
and that's why it's so
upset and frustrating. Um,
you know, you, you want to,
and I say this to the commissioners
in Faye, Penn, you know, you, you,
you want to build a factory and,
and create jobs. I'm all for that,
but I'm against taking some of the most
productive farmland in the county and
put in your factory. Um, and, and again,
that's where I draw the line. But, um,
you, you mentioned, uh,
uh, the war in Ukraine,
look at what a loaf of bread is
in a store that's a direct result.
And how we're affected here
on, on a, on a home homeland.
This war in U Ukraine in the last
two years on a global market,
wheat's doubled. I I, and I
don't have the exact figures,
but I wanna say somewhere around
wheat was 230, 200 $40 a ton.
It's now pushing $600 a ton because
of what's going on in Ukraine. And I,
and I argue that Russia's there,
um, because they want their,
their farmland and, and, and they want
that bread basket of, of, of, of Europe,
so to speak. Um, so again,
um, it, it sands me. And,
and the main reason I'm throwing
my head in again, is due to,
to what's going on with the, with
the farmland. Um, and I think, uh,
going back to Mr. Becker, I mean,
I, I think, um, and, and Mr.
Becker's doing a great
job, um, but I, but he,
he needs more help that, you know,
and I think basically it just boils
down to he needs more funding to,
to go out and preserve these farms. Um,
I've had several Mr or several
conversations with Mr. Becker, uh,
roughly what,
what the county is offering to preserve
farmland is about $1,500 an acre.
And,
and basically what happens is they buy
your development rights to where you can
no longer subdivide that build
houses or, or develop. But if,
but if you think about they're
offering $1,500 an acre,
and from a developer, you
know, on the other hand,
they're willing to pay 10 or $20,000 an
acre to take this same land and develop
it. We, we, we gotta
get that $1,500 an acre.
And I argue these farmers should be
offered a, a minimum of $5,000 an acre.
So if, uh, on day one, if, if, if
the good people put me in office,
I'm gonna sit down with Mr. Becker
and say, Hey, what can we do?
What can I do? And, or, you know, who
can, who do I need to go meet with? Or,
um, to get you what you need to
preserve more forms in Fayette County.
Now, you know, I, I know that we've
touched on this already, uh, about the,
in the importance, but I'm sitting
here listening to you talked, and, uh,
and you know, in, in my service,
uh, as a state representative,
I met very frequently with the Farm Bureau
from Fayette County, as well as the,
uh, the State Farm Bureau.
And I was, uh, constantly, uh,
endorsed by them in my elections.
Um, but that being said,
you're a farmer. You come from a
farming family, a farming background.
So of course you are worried
about, uh, about these issues.
But really it comes down
to the everyday person.
And when I look at the
population of Fayette County, uh,
being an aging population, we have a
lot of senior citizens in this area. Uh,
Pennsylvania as a whole has
a lot of senior citizens.
And those senior citizens
are on fixed incomes.
So when we talk about, uh,
issues that directly involve farming
and the cost of good sold going up,
uh, that means that that dollar,
that those senior citizens on that
fixed income have goes a little bit, uh,
less than it it used to.
Yeah. And, and, um, you know,
what's interesting about,
you just mentioned that,
you know, with, with inflation
and, and, um, the price, uh, uh,
groceries and your basic
goods in a store, uh,
this also creates some
opportunities for small farms. Uh,
we were talking about eggs. Uh,
you, you got the, uh, proggy, uh,
Cookoff coming up, and you were
talking about the, you know,
just the price eggs in a store.
Well, you know, um, um, my job when,
when, uh, growing up, and this
is all through elementary school,
we had about a hundred lane hens.
And my job every evening when,
when I got home, was to water 'em, gather
the eggs. And I'll never forget, uh,
um, on Saturday mornings, my, uh, mother
and father would be cooking breakfast,
you know, you know, frying eggs. Well,
I was the one that gathered those eggs,
and, and I, and, uh, I was
putting bacon or sausage on toast.
I couldn't eat 'em cuz I was the one
up in the chickening coop getting,
getting eggs. But, um, there's,
there's actually opportunities for,
for small farms. Um, and
again, going back to, um,
just recently my wife was, uh, up in
Morgantown running errands, and she, uh,
got a couple gallon of milk. She
got a gallon of whole milk in,
in West Virginia for $3 a gallon.
A a farmer cannot create
that gallon of milk for $3.
And what happens is the government,
through, through subsidies and, and,
and different programs, which
are good programs, they keep the,
the price of milk low. So
your, your average family are,
are getting basically the nutrients
and, and, and things they need. Um,
and we just talked about everything
going up from wheat eggs. Do you know,
something that hasn't went up
is a price of milk. And, uh,
I still get a Lancaster farmer and a
farm and dairy. But what's upsetting, um,
milks, milks still right around
20, $22 a hundred weight. Now,
these forms are getting some subsidies
from, from the government, um,
but there's a negative side on the, with
the subsidies, um, for one. And, um,
let me tell you about
my personal experience.
My wife and I milk counts for about 15
years. Um, at the, at the height of the,
of or dairy operation,
we were milking about 65 head of Holstein
and some Jersey crosses, a couple zis.
Um, but when Covid hit milk,
prices dropped all the way down
to $13 a hundred weight. Um,
my neighbors at Milk Cows
back in the seventies,
that's what they were getting for
milk. And, and in the 1970s, we were,
we were dependent upon
the subsidies each month
to determine whether we were
profitable or not, and just, um, um,
and I mentioned to you about,
um, you know, the, the, the,
the pride of being independent was
taken away from us. And, um, it, it, um,
I went through some hard times,
but I come out, you know,
stronger and more educated on other end.
But my biggest fear with the subsidies,
and let, let me, let
me end with this point.
When our farmers are dependent
on them, the subsidies,
what happens one day in the future
when, when no subsidies aren't there.
And I just think that we're, we're, we're,
we're propping our farmers up for
disaster on the other end. Um, I,
I think we need to, um, get our, get
our farms profitable and sustainable,
however we do that. But I think,
um, you know, I think there's some,
there's some good area
leaders. Um, I know ri uh,
when it's shout out to Richard
Bird that was on a, um,
radio station here a few weeks ago.
Um, and Richard's somebody that,
that understands, uh, I, I
would argue more than anybody,
the bigger picture and, and issues that
are going on. Um, you know, one thing,
uh, rich stated was, um, first
time in American history,
south America's exporting more, more
soybeans than the United States is. And,
and if you think about that, these
other countries are surpassing us, it's,
it's alarming. And, and, um, the,
there's no reason why the United States
shouldn't be number one in ag in, in,
at, at the global market. And I just, um,
but we can't do that if we continue
destroy over 2000 acres of,
of prime farmland each day.
And I'm, and I'm, um, again,
I drew drew a line in the sand and that,
that land in SpringHill Township,
we need to preserve that. Um,
and I even have people that
are, are willing to, to, uh,
purchase that property back from Fay
Penn and to preserve that farm land. And,
and, um, you know, God only
made that land one time so.
Well, and, and we were talking milk.
And that is so important for
our entire population. The, uh,
most recent census data
says that 69% of US adults
drink, uh, milk most frequently, um,
15% of Americans drink
alternative kind of milks.
And, uh, we will save this topic for
another point in time. But, uh, you know,
when I was in the legislature, I always
thought that it was important for, um,
our actual milk that comes
from cows to be called milk.
And I would really like to see a
reclassification of things like, uh,
almond milk or soy milk,
um, because in my book,
those aren't really milk
products. Um, but, uh,
but that's a discussion for another day.
We have to get our first break in to,
uh, today.
But I did wanna make the announcement
that if you are a candidate for any public
office, whether you be a
Democrat or a Republican,
I invite you to email me
at info coordinated three
sixty.com.
You can also find that information by
visiting my
[email protected],
and let me know you'd like to come on
the program because in the next, uh,
month or so, we wanna share
as many of our candidates, uh,
opinions and background with the voters
at large throughout Fayette County. So,
again, shoot me an email or let me know
you'd like to come on the program and,
uh, and we'll get you on.
But we are onto our first break
here today on commonalities.
You are listening to commonalities
where guests find common ground through
uncommon conversations.
We'll be back after this brief
break to recognize our sponsors.
Hey, Fayette County,
ready to give a helping hand and
have a lot of fun in the process.
Then come out to the Uniontown
Senior Center on Saturday,
March 25th from 11:00 AM to 6:00
PM for a Pirogi making party,
hosted by me, Matt Dowling,
and my wife Rebecca.
As we make enough to feed
200 of our local seniors,
get all the details at
www.matthewddowling.com.
I'm Melinda de LaRose. As an
Assistant District attorney,
I've protected Fayette County families
and fought to uphold our constitutional
rights. As a prosecutor
and trusted local attorney,
I've provided victims of crime with a
strong voice and put criminals behind
bars. My pledge to you as
Judge is to follow the law,
always maintain the
highest ethical standards,
and to run a courtroom that's
respectful of your time and tax dollars.
I'm Melinda de LaRose asking
for your vote for Judge paid.
For by Friends of Melinda de LaRose.
Is.
Your business using analog strategies
in a digital marketing world? If so,
then contact Matthew or Rebecca
Dowling at Coordinated 360 for a
professional consultation where we
bring in-depth knowledge and functional
expertise with a holistic perspective.
Coordinated 360 provides
digital marketing, paid ad
and media buying services,
web design, social media management,
video production, and more for businesses,
organizations, and political
campaigns with decades of experience.
Matt and Becky at Coordinated 360 can
help you craft your unique message
and share it with the world.
For a no risk media evaluation
and recommendations,
call 7 2 4 3 2 0 22 12,
or visit us online at
www.coordinatedthreesixty.com.
Find us also on Facebook,
Instagram, and Twitter,
or email info coordinated three sixty.com.
Are you enjoying the program?
You're listening to support commonalities
and help keep us on the air by making
a donation of five 10 or $25, or any
amount you feel comfortable sharing
[email protected] Again,
that is donate.commonalities.online
on the worldwide web.
Buy our host a cup of coffee or help pay
for airtime at donate dot commonalities
online.
When it comes to buying a home,
what you see isn't exactly what you get.
That's why home buyers should
call Dave Dowling at Grandview
Inspections at
7 2 4 2 0 8 4 1 0 8.
You'll see colorful flowers,
freshly painted walls,
granite countertops, gleaming
hardwood floors, and other touches.
What you can't see is the
cracks, ancient plumbing,
dangerous wiring,
or broken appliances that might
be revealed when you hire a
home inspector. And when it
comes to home inspectors,
knowing yours has the qualifications
and experience needed,
should be your number one concern.
Dave Dowling with Grandview Inspections
is an architectural engineer
with over 30 years of commercial
construction experience and hundreds
of inspections under his belt.
A home inspection is an opportunity
for you to hire an expert to walk
through the home and prepare a report
outlining the home's major components.
What needs immediate attention and what
will require maintenance after you move
in your home is one of
your biggest investments.
So make sure your investment is
everything you hoped it to be.
Call Dave Dowling at
Grandview Inspections at
7 2 4 2 0 8 4 1 0 8.
You are listening to commonalities
where guests find common ground through
uncommon conversations.
Well, thanks for sticking with us on
commonalities. I'm your host Matt Dowling,
and my guest today is, uh, Robert
Jean Grimmy goes by Jean, uh,
township supervisor down in the
southernmost corner of Fayette
County currently, but he's recently
thrown his name in the ring, uh,
to run for township
supervisor. And we, uh,
talked a little bit about his background
as well as the background of Spring
Hill Township. Uh, the fact
that that's a, an agrarian, uh,
kind of community down there,
and the fact that he is, uh,
very interested in preserving their
current way of life, their, uh,
conservative values, as well as, uh,
preserving the farmland there. Gene,
I'm gonna ask you a question that, uh,
is based in solution focused therapy. Uh,
and, and it may sound like a
strange question, but you know,
sometimes when we set goals for
ourselves, it can be very challenging to,
uh, envision a world that's
completely without problems. Uh,
so my question to you is, uh, is what
they refer to as the magic wand question,
and that is, uh, if you went
to sleep tonight and, uh,
all of your problems were solved
when you woke up tomorrow,
what would the world look like?
And and I ask that because, uh,
as a county commissioner, you will
have to be that magic wand to, uh,
to a good night, uh, a good number of
people. So what would the world look like,
uh, if all the problems of
Fayette County were solved?
What? Well, I'll tell you what, um,
you know, and that's hard to
envision. I, I've, uh, um,
just over the last few years, and
especially through through farming, I, um,
you know, I, i, uh, faced
many challenges and, uh, and,
and when I talk about challenges,
um, these, these were,
these were challenges just to pay
the bills each month. So, uh, I,
I would start right there and say, you
know, it, it, um, it would be nice for,
for all residents in Fay County, um,
not to have to stretch those paychecks
to be able to go to the grocery store
and, and, and not have to pick a, a
product up and say, well, maybe next time,
or, or, or have your young kids
want a bag of candy and say, uh,
no, uh, we're gonna get a cheeseburger
on the way home. So, um, um,
I would start right there and say,
you know, it'd be nice if, if, uh,
if people had the, the paychecks
to provide for their family, like,
like they should have, um,
you know, and, and jobs. Um,
you know, I know, I know people that
wake up early every day and, and they,
they put in their eight hours, 10 hours,
a lot of folks work a second job. And,
um, and again, at the end
of the month, they, they,
there's still always one bill that
they can't pay, whether it's a,
a water electric. Um, so, uh, I would
start there with just, just jobs,
you know, uh, creating good
decent jobs for folks that,
that they can raise their family
and, and provide their, their family.
Like they should be able
to, um, wanna talk about,
um, our tech schools and opportunities
at our tech schools. When, when,
um, I graduated, um, early 2000, um,
2001 actually. Um, and,
and I, and I wanted to,
to go to a tech school and take diesel
mechanics or welding, and, but back then,
I, I had teachers that kind of said,
well, uh, you know, this is gonna,
this is gonna, um, cut off avenues and
roads if you want to go on a school.
And, and looking back now, that wasn't
true. Um, I, I regret taking, uh,
advantage of the opportunities that
our tech schools provide. So I,
I think that, um, we
need to do more, uh, for,
for tech schools and that there's
great opportunities out there for young
individuals that, that want
to go for autobody and,
and welding or diesel mechanics.
And, and, and I would tell her,
use this just because you go to a
tech school and you attend that,
that you're not, you're not thrown
in your hand and saying, okay,
I'm gonna be a diesel mechanic or a
welder for the rest of my life. But,
but I'll tell you this, you, you're,
you're gonna get taught a
trade that you'll have for
the rest of your life. And,
you know, may maybe, um, maybe down the
road you get laid off from a job or, or,
or you have an opportunity to do some
side work or something. So, um, um,
I didn't attend tech school, but right
after high school, I went to a, um,
three month, three month horseshoeing
school. I'm a certified farrier.
I have used, uh, shoe and
horses throughout my whole
life and many a times, um,
between paychecks or if I got a low milk
check, I, I always kept a, a list of,
of people that had horses. And
I, and I fell back on that, um,
training that I, that I, that I got that,
that I found out later in
life that was so valuable. Um,
and I used that I could,
I could at the spur of a,
the moment I could call a half a dozen
people and I could go make a couple
hundred dollars. So I, um, um, our tech
schools, I think there needs to be,
um, again, through, through tools
and thinking outside the box,
um, we need to give our
tech schools and our,
our leaders that are running
these tech schools, all, all the,
everything they need, whether it's
funding or, um, even bringing in,
you know, you know, some outside
to, to think outside of the box and,
and do that sort of thing.
You know, and I,
and I think a big piece of that is just
de-stigmatizing what a tech school is.
And, and you mentioned
the fact that, you know,
you were kind of steered
away from that. Um, you know,
we say this partially in jest, but my
wife and I talk all the time and say that,
uh, our boys,
I have a nine year old and a 10 year old
can do anything they want to do as long
as it is, uh,
becoming a plumber or an electrician
because we just don't have enough of, uh,
of those people in the skilled trades.
And that tech school is a great
place to start. And, uh, as a,
as a conservative like yourself, uh,
I was never a big fan of the public
sector unions, uh, that exist out there,
but some of those private sector trade
unions are a great way that someone
coming out of the tech school can get a,
a trade job with a union and then get
up trained from that point in time
to learn even more in their
background. So I, you know,
I completely agree with you that, uh,
that our tech schools are a resource
that we should be steering even more of
our, our students, uh, to,
because, uh, really they can,
they can build a life and a
career, uh, directly from there.
And Matt, these are, these are,
these are jobs that are paying 30,
$35 an hour, and I mean, there's,
there's a need and, and, uh, you, um,
and I see it even at a township level
that, um, um, we upgraded our, uh,
electrical system, um, at
the, at the township building.
We couldn't get somebody. Now we
called around and then, and then, um,
finally we had, uh, a local company here,
all, all American Electric, Kurt, um,
they come in, but, um, they, and, and,
and Kurt even told me he can't
get enough guys, and, and,
and he's turning down jobs.
So there's, there's a,
there's a need for these jobs. Um,
and you just said, you know, plumbing,
electrical, um, and again, these are
good paying jobs where, um, and you know,
in nursing, we, we could get
into the nursing programs.
There's a shortage of nurses. My
mother, uh, is a lifelong nurse,
still still a nurse to this day. She runs
a care facility in, uh, West Virginia.
But, um, you know, my mother worked two
jobs. She was a traveling nurse when I,
when I was young growing up. Um,
and then she wor she was a trauma floor
nurse at Ruby Memorial, but she, uh,
basically put my father through law
school. But, uh, we, we never seen my mom.
She was always working,
and then when she was home,
she was resting to get ready to, to, uh,
do her, you know, do her other shift.
But, um, so lot of opportunity's
already here. Um, it's just, um,
again, uh, we have to do more
though. There's a, there's a, and,
and I think that going back to
the transparency and just, um,
communication on all levels between
the, between the, the county and,
and our schools and our townships.
So as a, as a county commissioner,
that's the big thing I would do is just
the communication and the transparency.
Uh, but I tell you in SpringHill
Township, what we experienced, the,
the lack of transparency in the,
in the backroom deals and finding out
about a major project coming into your
township when it, when it, when a
deal was already brokered and made,
and not having an opportunity to negotiate
something better for my residents,
that tho those days need to
end. And I understand, you know,
and a lot of people say, well,
well, gene, this is Faye County.
This has been going on.
This is how it is. Well, it,
it doesn't have to continue that
way. And listen, we got, um,
we got three good commissioners.
I'm, I'm not here, uh, to,
to say any ne anything negative about
Vince Vati or Scott Dunn or Dave Lure. Uh,
do I think I could do better in some
areas? Yes, sir. I wouldn't be running.
Well, uh, we have to get our
second break in here, and, uh,
and so we'll go to that, and then we
will come back for final thoughts.
You are listening to commonalities
where guests find common ground through
uncommon conversations.
We'll be back after this brief
break to recognize our sponsors.
Hey, Fayette County,
ready to give a helping hand and
have a lot of fun in the process.
Then come out to the Uniontown
Senior Center on Saturday,
March 25th from 11:00 AM to
6:00 PM for a Pirogi making
party, hosted by me, Matt
Dowling, and my wife Rebecca,
as we make enough to feed
200 of our local seniors,
get all the details at
www.matthewddowling.com.
I'm Melinda de LaRose. As an
Assistant District attorney,
I've protected Fayette County families
and fought to uphold our constitutional
rights. As a prosecutor
and trusted local attorney,
I've provided victims of crime with a
strong voice and put criminals behind
bars. My pledge to you as
Judge is to follow the law,
always maintain the
highest ethical standards,
and to run a courtroom that's
respectful of your time and tax dollars.
I'm Melinda de LaRose asking
for your vote for Judge.
Paid for by Friends of Melinda Delrose.
Is your business using analog
strategies in a digital marketing world?
If so,
then contact Matthew or Rebecca
Dowling at Coordinated 360 for a
professional consultation where we
bring in-depth knowledge and functional
expertise with a holistic perspective.
Coordinated 360 provides
digital marketing, paid ad
and media buying services,
web design, social media management,
video production, and more for businesses,
organizations, and political
campaigns with decades of experience.
Matt and Becky at Coordinated 360 can
help you craft your unique message
and share it with the world.
For a no risk media evaluation
and recommendations,
call 7 2 4 3 2 0 22 12,
or visit us online at
www.coordinatedthreesixty.com.
Find us also on Facebook,
Instagram, and Twitter,
or email info coordinated three sixty.com.
Are you enjoying the program?
You're listening to support commonalities
and help keep us on the air by making
a donation of five, 10, or $25,
or any amount you feel comfortable sharing
[email protected]
Again, that is donate.commonalities.online
on the worldwide web.
Buy our host a cup of coffee or help pay
for airtime at donate dot commonalities
online.
When it comes to buying a home,
what you see isn't exactly what you get.
That's why home buyers should
call Dave Dowling at Grandview
Inspections at 7 2 4 2 0 8 4 1 0 8.
You'll see colorful flowers, freshly
painted walls, granite countertops,
gleaming hardwood floors,
and other touches.
What you can't see is the
cracks, ancient plumbing,
dangerous wiring,
or broken appliances that might
be revealed when you hire a
home inspector. And when it
comes to home inspectors,
knowing yours has the qualifications
and experience needed,
should be your number one concern.
Dave Dowling with Grand View
Inspections is an architectural engineer
with over 30 years of commercial
construction experience and hundreds
of inspections under his belt.
A home inspection is an opportunity for
you to hire an expert to walk through
the home and prepare a report
outlining the home's major components.
What needs immediate attention and
what will require maintenance after you
move in your home is one of
your biggest investments.
So make sure your investment is
everything you hoped it to be.
Call Dave Dowling at
Grandview Inspections at
7 2 4 2 0 8 4 1 0 8.
You're listening to commonalities
where guests find common ground through
uncommon Conversations.
Hi, I am your host, Matt Dowling. And
I'm aci, uh, beside our guest for today,
Jean Grim. And Jean, uh, back in January,
I wrote a letter to the editor
that was, uh, published, and, uh,
one of the things that touched on was, uh,
a fact from the Pew
Institute that said, uh,
that Americans, uh,
say political leaders expressed
their faith too little by
37% rather than too much by 29%,
which means that, uh,
the average voter out there
wants to know about your, uh,
your faith background. So I wanted
to close out the program and, uh,
and let you talk a little bit about, uh,
your faith and maybe what church you
belong to and things of that nature.
Yeah, that, um, um,
the, the church, my, uh,
family's currently going to is the Point,
Marian Church of Christ, pastor, uh,
Rick Semanski. And, um, I, uh,
I'm, now, I'll be honest, um,
I wasn't always a, a church goer. Um, um,
especially when my wife and I, we
milk cows for about 15 years, uh,
Sunday mornings. Uh, and, and Matt,
you know, when, when you milk cows,
it's 365 days a year, twice a day.
So, um, um, especially when, um,
seem, it just seemed like we were always
trying to catch up or always behind.
Um, it, it wasn't until after we
decided to sell the cows that, uh,
we started going to church. Um, it, but
I can tell you this, it's, it's, um, I,
I wouldn't be who I am today
and where I'm, where I'm at,
if it wasn't for my church family and
Pastor Rich. Um, um, I have, I have,
let me step back for a minute.
Um, my wife's name's Amy. Um,
she's been beside me, you know,
since we were married. And, um, she,
she gave me a little bit of heck when I
decided to throw my hat in the ring for
county commissioner, but she's,
she's behind me now. I wouldn't,
wouldn't have decided to run, but,
uh, three kids, Ethan, Katie, and Eli,
um, my daughter, Katie, every Sunday
morning is up bright and early, uh,
sound, sound an alarm that everybody
get up and go to church. Um,
through the rough times of my life,
and especially when we threw the town
with the, um, with the cows, one of the,
one of the hardest things I've ever
went to, you know, went through a,
as a father and, and, um, even, you know,
closing a business that we
were so near and dear, um,
the church family was there for me,
um, through those hard times. So, uh,
give a shout out to, again, point
Marin Church of Christ, and, um,
very, very well, you know, we look forward
to going to church every Sunday. Um,
and, and with that there, so.
Well, uh, the last thing
I wanna ask you, Jean,
is if someone wants to get involved
with your campaign, how can they do so?
How can they get ahold of you?
Um, things of that nature.
Yep. Um, I, there's a, um,
there's a webpage right now, uh,
Robert Jean Grim for County
Commissioner. Uh, there's,
there's gonna be some more activity
on that page. So aside, uh,
people that are on, uh, social
media, you know, look up my page. Um,
I'm gonna be running a
grassroots campaign, um, and,
and you'll probably see me,
I, I, um, I got a great big, beautiful
buckskin horse, a Tennessee walker.
I'm gonna be out campaigning on my horse,
so if you see a guy with a cowboy
hat on and, and you're town, uh,
gimme a shout out or come up
and introduce you. You know, I,
I'll let you meet my
horse. Um, um, also, um,
you know, through events, if, um, we're
gonna be throwing an event probably, uh,
next month sometime, uh,
probably at a fire hall. Uh,
love to meet as many people as I
can and, and, um, um, you know,
and even call me, you
know, call me on the phone.
I don't wanna give my my personal cell
phone out this early, but, uh, my,
my phone is always open, uh, you
know, for folks that wanna call.
Well, gene, we wanna thank you so much
for being on the program here today.
Again,
if you're running for public office in
Fayette County or within the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania, uh, and you
would like a chance to, uh,
to come on my program where we can share
your thoughts and opinions with the
voters, uh, please reach
out. Visit my website,
matthew d dowling.com,
and shoot me an email at info
coordinated three sixty.com and we'll
get you lined up to be on the program.
1, 1, 1 Last thing, Matt. What, uh,
when, when are, are we making these PGIs?
We're excited about these pierogis.
So March 25th, I know you've heard a
couple pro mos during this episode, but,
uh, come out and, uh, and help
us at the Uniontown Sea Center.
This is all for today's
episode of Common Analysis.
This has been commonalities,
a show where guests find common
ground through uncommon conversations.
Copyright 2022 Coordinated 360.
All public rebroadcast should be done
with prior written approval from Matthew
Dowling. All requests should be sent
to
[email protected]
Thank you for listening to commonalities.