- Last Updated on Saturday, 01 October 2016 18:58
Dr. Rick Saccone has always been a government reformer. He recalled an instance as a young Airman working on the flightline, “I suggested a change to the way we repaired F-4 fighter aircraft that was adopted Air Force wide saving the taxpayer significant money and prompted a letter of thanks from President Carter for my effort.” That letter hangs in his district office in Jefferson Hills.
His fight for the taxpayer continued as he advanced his military career. “As a federal agent,” he continued, “I investigated high-dollar fraud in the Department of Defense, saving the taxpayer millions of dollars.”
Later, while on the Elizabeth-Forward School Board, Saccone once again reformed the way things had always been done, noting, “We were able to renegotiate some contracts and cut taxes while successfully eliminating another small nuisance tax, that taxpayers complained about.”
When Rick Saccone went to Harrisburg, he continued fighting for the taxpayer. “We have reformed welfare enacting drug testing for welfare recipients and eliminated using welfare benefit cards for alcohol and tobacco purchases. We enacted liquor reform so wine can be sold in grocery stores and imported from out of state, all of which are favorites among my constituents.”
Even with these successes, he is still pursuing several other important reforms including executive session abuse and restricting gifts to public officials. “People always complain that too many agencies and municipalities conduct their business behind closed doors and exclude the public from their deliberations. That’s wrong!” He said.
His bill clarifies what may be discussed in executive session. He passionately stated, “This is widely popular among citizens who feel left out of deliberations they have a right to be privy to. People have lost their faith in government so we must force reforms to restore their confidence.”
Rick Saccone has decades of experience and successes reforming government, at the local state and federal levels, to make it responsive and responsible to the people.
