1. How can Schuylkill County stem the outmigration of its youth?

"We just did a ribbon-cutting at the Highridge business park, and we need to do more of that. I always say it's not one entity's responsibility to keep the youth in Schuylkill County. We need to work collectively. That's the only way it happens. The most valuable resource we have in Schuylkill County is our youth. They need to be our primary focus. Our Youth Summit is a good step. We need to continue to work together to bring business and industry into the county to give the youth a reason to stay. That's one of the primary reasons I want to continue to serve as commissioner. I have a vested interest: both of my children live in Schuylkill County, and I have four grandchildren. It's in my best interests to give them a reason to stay, and we're constantly working toward that."2. Many young people choose not to stay in the county because of its reputation for being unwelcome to diversity racial, sexual orientation, religious or gender. What are you doing, or would you do, to make the county more welcoming and appreciative of differences?"I think we are welcoming. We've gotten a lot better than we were. Can we do a better job of it? Yes. Can we be more receptive? Yes. This is 2015, and we need to act like it's 2015. It's all through education. People need to realize we're all on this Earth for one reason: To live together, work together and play together. We as leaders need to enforce and communicate that."3. The county prison is aging and overcrowded, and court schedules are busier than ever. Would you be in favor of establishing a drug court in the county?"That's something we continually look at. I think it's something that needs to be supported by our president judge. We've talked about that several times, and I'm always of the opinion that before we get into bricks and mortar, we should explore all of our possibilities. I believe we've demonstrated that over the past three years through our strict supervision and electronic monitoring programs. The problem is that faucet never stops running. No matter what we do, I don't know if it will ever get to the point where it will stabilize itself. I think drug court is something we need to explore, and I'm receptive to that. I know it's been successful in some other counties."4. How, specifically, would you help people regain their trust in county government in the wake of recent allegations of financial malfeasance in the clerk of courts office?"I think we've already done some of that to a degree. (Deputy Clerk) Paul Steffanic did an outstanding job, given the cards he was dealt. Then we brought in Tom Campion, who not only has an accounting background, but he's an attorney as well. So I think that was a perfect fit. We now have a controller who truly pays attention, and we have better procedures in place. The primary election is coming up, and it's up to the people to elect someone they are totally confident in to get in there and do the job."5. Why should people vote for you?"I believe in my last 13 years as county commissioner I've represented the people very well, and I've enjoyed it. I'd taken leadership positions well before becoming commissioner. I've been the chairman of the board of SEDCO, the Chamber of Commerce, the Manufacturers' Association and the United Way. They are probably four of the largest organizations in the county, and it was an honor for me to serve in all those capacities. I honestly believe that was a segue, unknown to me at the time, and training for me to become a county commissioner. I believe I have a good understanding of what the people of Schuylkill County are looking for, good working relationships with all of the leaders in the county, and the ability to talk to almost anyone."