Are we divided?  Are we really about the (R) and (D) beside our names?  Come on!  I think we are more than the partisan politics that the media such as Fox News, MSNBC, NBC, CNN, ABC, CBS – plus many more report and suggest we are.

Talking heads on television, some of which I agree and disagree with, such as Rachel Maddox on MSNBC, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and commentators on Air America Radio suggest we are a deeply divided nation, and Democrats and Republicans exclusively, without each other, independently hold the cure-all to our countries problems.

With this, I ask each reader to remember how united America was in the days after September 11, 2009?  Do you remember?  I do!

I remember my fellow countrymen and women watching television in disbelief, others were talking about the undocumented reports that the State department had been bombed and the Sears tower was on fire; moreover, I remember how angry we were but, we helped each other as Americans first.

What happened? While I have differing opinions on how as citizens the division occurred – I can’t help but wonder why, especially now, we remain divided in our political views.

History teaches us, if anything, when national events do occur Americans resiliently act resourcefully by banding together and cooperating on both the social and political level to work toward the healing of prosperity that is America.

You might have assumed, by now, that I am referring to the current national economic issues such as unemployment, health care, bailouts and the national debt as the “event” that should be uniting us versus dividing us.

Both parties are engaging in partisan politics and the suffering is not those in Washington, D.C. who enjoy six figure salaries, world-renowned health care benefits and pensions that amount in one year what John Smith will amass for retirement in fifty consecutive years of working.

No, the real suffering is the American spirit as we divide and conquer each other; not only politically, but socially as well.

Pick up the local newspaper and you see headlines such as domestic crimes, investigative reports citing corruption on the local, state and federal levels of government, kidnappings, sexual predators released due to jail over-crowding and the list goes on and on…

America, I ask you why are we not waking up to both parties partisan bickering that are causing stalemates and ultimately resulting in un-debated bills in both houses of Congress that could help us as a country move forward.

Legislation such as the $787,000,000,000.00 stimulus bill that Democrats passed with some Republican support, health care bickering that is important to all of us are examples that Republicans and Democrats are not working together to craft legislation that boosts the American spirit to help us return to more prosperous times.

So, America let’s unite as we have in the past on the social level to bring much needed change to the political level for not only our lives, but our children’s children too.

This change will either be by voicing our opinions to legislatures on the local, state and federal level to cooperate with one another or by a political revolution that will be talked about for generations.

Thanks for reading, I have much love and hope for our great country; however, I believe we are at an impasse where the decisions we make in the coming decade will have far reaching impacts for generations.

Josh Bunton is a contributing member of society and may be reached at josh@joshbunton.com and visited on the web at JoshBunton.com.

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“Eighty nine years ago the commitment of women like Susan B. Anthony was realized in the 19th Amendment,” Sestak said. “On that day they achieved, in the right to vote, equality that was theirs by right. But there is more work to do. We need to ensure that women are not only provided fair wages, but also benefits that are based on their performance; equal rights to challenge unfair labor practices, secure health and safety, skill training in fields that are underrepresented by women; and secure retirements and pensions that guarantee their independence and economic security in the coming years.”

Joe advocated passionately for the landmark health reform legislation he helped shape and pass through the Education and Labor Committee. He specifically noted key features of the bill that benefit women who often face higher health costs than men, are less likely to be eligible for employer‐based coverage, and are too often under‐ or uninsured. More than half of women – compared with 39 percent of men – report delaying needed medical care due to cost.

As a member of the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee, Joe worked for key preventive care provisions in the bill to help women, eliminating costs for services such as breast cancer screening and child care. In addition, the bill prohibits new plans from charging women more than men, includes coverage of maternity services as a benefit category in the essential benefits package, and bans the insurance industry practice of rejecting applicants with pre‐existing conditions, which has kept women with histories of health problems – even survivors of domestic violence – from accessing individual coverage.

“Even with these measures, effective reform must have a component that creates competition in the health insurance industry to drive down costs, and offering the choice of a public health care option has that result,” said Sestak. “The choice of a public plan – and it is only a choice – will have a major impact as, even though it is subsidized by premiums and co-pays like any other plan, it will not be paying a multi-million dollar contract to a CEO or incurring advertising expenses. A public option is good for the pocketbooks of working families and I was proud to vote for it in the bill I helped pass in the Education and Labor Committee.”

Sestak, who has six sisters, is committed to fighting for the rights of working women. An original co-sponsor of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act, he has also introduced legislation to broaden business opportunities for women. His Small Business Entrepreneurial Development Programs Act and the SBA Trade Programs Act both provide critical resources to Women Business Development Centers.

“Business women in this country are not given a level playing field,” said Sestak. “Between 1997 and 2006, majority women-owned businesses experienced a growth rate nearly twice that of the national average. Yet the more than ten million women-owned firms that make up more than 40 percent of all private businesses in this country receive 3.3 percent of Federal contracts.”

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Joe Sestak was elected to Congress in 2006 after a distinguished 31-year career in the United States Navy, and he is honored to represent the Southeastern Pennsylvania district where he was born and raised. He is a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate seat from Pennsylvania.  During his Navy career, Joe attained the rank of 3-star Admiral, served in the White House as Director for Defense Policy on President Clinton’s National Security Council, served in the Pentagon as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, and led a series of operational commands at sea, culminating in command of the USS George Washington Aircraft Carrier Battle Group (30 ships, 100 aircraft, and 15,000 sailors/marines/ aviators/SEALs) during combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. In our nation’s time of crisis in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, the Navy turned to Joe Sestak to serve as the first Director of “Deep Blue,” the Navy anti-terrorism unit formed in response to the attacks. Joe is the highest-ranking former military officer ever elected to either branch of Congress. He graduated second in his class from the U.S. Naval Academy and holds a Master’s in Public Administration and a PhD in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University. Joe lives in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Susan, and daughter, Alex, and proudly represents the 7th District, where his parents and six of his siblings still reside.

“Broadband Internet access is as crucial to competitiveness as are skilled workers, transportation, water and energy,” Governor Rendell said. “You can’t overstate its impact on public services, local economies and quality of life. These federal dollars offer an unprecedented opportunity for Pennsylvania to extend the strides we’ve already made in making broadband available to everyone.”

Expanding reliable, affordable high-speed connectivity will preserve and create jobs, help those impacted by the recession, spur advances in science and health, and provide long-term benefits in rural and urban communities, the Governor added.

Pennsylvania’s seven applications are competing for some of the $7.2 billion available nationwide for broadband development under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or ARRA. The funds would advance the state’s existing broadband development efforts, as outlined in an aggressive strategy released in July. Applications include efforts to:

• Aggregate broadband purchases by educational facilities.
The Department of Education applied for $49.7 million toward a $113.2 million plan to connect 514 schools, libraries, colleges and universities in a seamless network to close the digital divide, in part by aggregating demand to diminish disparities in price and availability between urban and rural areas. Aggregated demand makes capital investment decisions easier for telecommunication providers.

• Extend communications infrastructure to reach un-served and underserved areas.
The state Office of Administration applied for $28.7 million toward a $35.9 million venture to extend services to a large area of northern Pennsylvania that currently is not served, or underserved, by commercial providers. It would help increase network capacity and enhance existing networks – cables, wires, towers, antennae and other microwave and land-based infrastructure – to make it more economically feasible for providers of so-called “last mile” services to reach homes, businesses and other rural customers. The proposal includes an east-west corridor between I-80 and Pennsylvania’s northern border, which includes 988,000 households in 32 counties, 202,000 businesses, 1,222 public safety agencies, 1,180 educational entities, and 255 health care facilities.

• Train educators to enhance instruction by using broadband Internet effectively.
The Department of Education applied for $12.5 million toward a $25 million project to train approximately 1,500 teachers and other education professionals on the effective use of broadband for learning, as well as to educate students, parents, school board members and community members about the value of broadband in cost-effective education.

• Help communities, businesses, first-responders and institutions effectively use broadband.
The Department of Community and Economic Development applied for $7.9 million toward a $10 million initiative that will help communities, businesses, first-responders and anchor institutions. The initiative will be carried out by 13 economic development organizations: DCED, the Center for eBusiness and Advanced IT, PennTAP at Penn State, and the state’s 10 economic development districts, which are comprised of the seven Appalachian Regional Commission-designated local development districts, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, the Regional Economic Development District Initiative of South-Central Pennsylvania, and the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp.

• Create broadband centers at libraries, community colleges and other educational facilities.
The Department of Education applied for $5 million toward a $10 million effort to expand broadband access beyond classroom walls into libraries and community colleges. It provides equipment, software and other technology, training, technical support, management and oversight for 100 centers across the state.

• Map broadband availability and adoption throughout Pennsylvania.
Together, the Office of Administration and DCED applied for $4.5 million to build upon current efforts to map the statewide availability and adoption of broadband service. Non-proprietary information will be made public and searchable at street-address level. Pennsylvania’s legislatively mandated broadband mapping inventory, begun in 2004, was one of the first such enactments in the country. If fully funded, $4 million of this grant would be used over the next five years to gather more comprehensive and accurate state-level broadband mapping data, to develop state-level broadband maps, and to aid in the development of a national broadband map.  As part of the application, the state also requested $500,000 to perform statewide broadband planning activities and to fund statewide and regional collaboration opportunities.

• Provide broadband Internet service to veterans’ homes.
The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs applied for $381,360 toward a $476,700 effort to provide access, education and training to 1,500 residents at the six state veterans’ homes. This initiative will provide eight computers and ancillary devices for each of the six veterans’ homes; offer training to residents; and provide on-site technical support and troubleshooting to make sure the broadband service and computers are maintained.

Complete applications for each of these initiatives, as well as the state’s comprehensive broadband strategy, are available at www.recovery.pa.gov. The information can also be found at www.newpa.com, keyword: Broadband initiatives.

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“This is the same kind of sensationalized rhetoric and misleading accusations behind the misinformation on ‘death panels’ in the health care reform debate, and I am disappointed that Arlen Specter would lend credence to this insincere rhetoric by calling for a Senate hearing without, by his own admission, even reading the pamphlet.

“In the active service and as a Veteran, I’ve seen many attempts to use our nation’s fighting men and women as a political tool, rather than truly helping assist them. What we should really be focused on — especially those who supported the policies of the previous administration — is restoring coverage to the nearly one million ‘Priority 8′ Veterans who make as little as $29,000 a year and have been blocked out of VA care since 2003; clearing the backlog of nearly 600,000 VA disability claims so they can get proper support; and passing the Caregiver Assistance and Resource Enhancement Act (H.R.3155) into law to meet the needs of those who make great sacrifices at home to provide daily care for our Nation’s heroes.

“We need to give Veterans real respect, attention, and care — not political rhetoric that fuels accusations and misinformation.”

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Joe Sestak was elected to Congress in 2006 after a distinguished 31-year career in the United States Navy, and he is honored to represent the Southeastern Pennsylvania district where he was born and raised. He is a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate seat from Pennsylvania.  During his Navy career, Joe attained the rank of 3-star Admiral, served in the White House as Director for Defense Policy on President Clinton’s National Security Council, served in the Pentagon as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, and led a series of operational commands at sea, culminating in command of the USS George Washington Aircraft Carrier Battle Group (30 ships, 100 aircraft, and 15,000 sailors/marines/ aviators/SEALs) during combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. In our nation’s time of crisis in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, the Navy turned to Joe Sestak to serve as the first Director of “Deep Blue,” the Navy anti-terrorism unit formed in response to the attacks. Joe is the highest-ranking former military officer ever elected to either branch of Congress. He graduated second in his class from the U.S. Naval Academy and holds a Master’s in Public Administration and a PhD in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University. Joe lives in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Susan, and daughter, Alex, and proudly represents the 7th District, where his parents and six of his siblings still reside.

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The Greater Valley Forge (GVF) Transportation Management Association has presented Sestak with its 2009 Legislative Award to honor his commitments to many initiatives, particularly the development of the Route 422 Corridor. Sestak will be recognized by Hoeffel for, among other efforts, securing more than $1 million for Route 422 during his first term, and now $700,000 in this year’s House appropriations bill. The press conference will follow a meeting that includes Sestak, Hoeffel, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission Deputy Executive Director Donald Shanis, and Royersford Borough Manager Michael Leonard.

Congressman Sestak will also address the importance of the Economic Stimulus Bill, which has directly benefited Route 422, in funding construction and creating jobs. However, as Sestak will address, although the stimulus benefited many state and local government projects, more could have been achieved if the initial House bill was signed into law. The Senate cut billions in funding for mass transit, highway and bridge projects, and state fiscal stabilization at a time when many states face huge deficits.

WHO: U.S. Senate candidate Joe Sestak, Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Hoeffel

WHAT: Press Conference on Transportation. Commissioner Hoeffel will recognize Joe Sestak’s Achievements

WHEN: Monday, August 24, 11:15AM

WHERE:
Royersford Borough Hall
300 Main Street
Royersford, PA  19468

For more information, contact:
Jonathon.Dworkin@joesestak.com or Gary.Ritterstein@joesestak.com
(610) 891-8956

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“The 5-percent cut to the Gaming Control Board’s appropriation concerns me. This budget requires the board to regulate potentially four new casinos – Sands Bethworks, Rivers Casino, SugarHouse Casino, and Valley Forge Convention Center – with less money than last year. That means they will be regulating nearly 40 percent more slot machines and roughly 2,600 more casino employees with 5 percent less funding.

“With such a significant cut to its budget, the board may find it difficult to fill existing vacancies, make targeted new hires, and generally regulate the new facilities effectively. In addition, the board may develop a backlog of pending background investigations and potential enforcement actions, which would reduce the overall effectiveness of regulatory oversight.

“As the possibility of table game implementation continues to be a topic of discussion surrounding our budget crisis, let me be clear that the General Assembly should couple any table game bill with an adequate supplemental appropriation for the Gaming Control Board to ensure the integrity of any expansion.”

The Governor signed the measure on Aug. 19.

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The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses.  To find out more about Governor Rendell’s initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit www.governor.state.pa.us.

MEDIA, PA – Immediately following an endorsement by Council for a Livable World, a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the danger of nuclear weapons, Democratic Senate candidate Congressman Joe Sestak appeared at at the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia on Thursday to deliver a major foreign policy speech. The speech, which corresponded with the Afghan presidential election, focused on calling for a national strategy of re-engagement in the world, taking a comprehensive approach that utilizes robust diplomacy, strategic foreign aid, and military force only as a last resort. He also spoke about our approach to dealing with Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as the future transformation of our military. (His prepared remarks follow this release.)

“To have a viable preventive diplomacy requires: First, a comprehensive acceptance of our real national security challenges – not just military, but economic or political,” Sestak said.  “Second, we need a comprehensive response to these challenges that incorporates not just a transformed and multi-functional military, but also the power of our economy, our rule of law, and non-governmental organizations, while utilizing our military forces as a constructive tool, rather than just military force as a destructive weapon.  And, third, we need changes in our internal decision-making apparatus that allow us to respond in a multi-faceted way to complex threats.”

At a separate event prior to the speech, Congressman Sestak was recognized by Brigadier General Dr. John Johns as the endorsed candidate of the Council for a Livable World in the 2010 Pennsylvania Senate race. General Johns served 26 years as a combat arms officer, retiring in 1978 as a brigadier general. He held command positions up to Assistant Division Commander of the 1st Infantry Division and numerous staff positions, including 8 years on the Army General Staff. Before attending the World Affairs Council event, he praised Sestak for knowing not only how to use military force, but also understanding the limits of that element of power and how to use it appropriately.

“We need a military that is unmatched, with a demonstrated capability to prevail under any circumstance, to act as an effective deterrent to conventional threats that still persist,” said Sestak.  “But we also need a military that can respond quickly and effectively to the exigencies of the global war against terrorism and is prepared from the outset to wage and win a battle that is as much ideological, political, and economic as it is military.”

“My experience in the military was bounded by two controversial wars — Vietnam and Iraq. My thought process was formed by the ravages of war, and the challenges of peace. I have learned that the military can stop problems; it can’t fix them.”

“We must recognize the limits of what our military can do using force in the global war on terror, but our forces used in support of security for the trust needed for the economic development efforts in Afghanistan are what will eventually permit us to exit an area where we cannot remain forever, and allow us to achieve our goal of a legitimate, if limited, central government in Kabul that governs in conjunction with local and regional authorities.  But, importantly, the administration must provide a clear exit strategy, and there must be measures along that path to assess success or failure and measure the reward of continuing to invest troops and money in the effort.”

“Today the Afghan people go to the polls, and our support will be necessary for a legitimate and secure election,” Sestak said. “A stable Afghanistan will contribute to the security of its nuclear-armed neighbor, Pakistan.”

“The Afghanistan-Pakistan border is the fulcrum of the entire war on terrorism.  U.S. force can play a role in stabilizing Afghanistan, providing some support to Pakistan, and occasionally striking at Al Qaeda and the Taliban in that country, but we cannot solve the challenge of Pakistan militarily. We must use every tool in our arsenal in a coordinated effort to encourage — and pressure — Pakistan to turn its focus away from India to the real, internal threat it faces from insurgency and terrorism.”

Sestak, a former 3-star Admiral, served in the White House as Director for Defense Policy on President Clinton’s National Security Council and was the Navy’s first Director of “Deep Blue,” the Navy anti-terrorism unit formed in response to the attacks of 9/11. He was on the ground in Afghanistan in the early stages of the war and then returned, commanding the USS George Washington Aircraft Carrier Battle Group of 30 ships and 15,000 servicemen and women in combat operations.

“In sum, what the United States has lacked is an overall template of how to engage the world. We had one during the Cold War — it was successful. It was against a fixed and known threat in a fairly stable world where national boundaries were respected.”

“Without that strategic template, we will be at the mercy of unintended consequences, as decisions at home will be made in a reactive, ad hoc, and uncoordinated manner.”

“Though threats may emerge from anywhere, we cannot and should not seek to police the globe,” Sestak said. “We maintain the right to defend ourselves and strike at our enemies — unilaterally, if necessary — but we must unequivocally deny the Bush Doctrine of preemptive war and reject the cynical belief that the moral principles of this nation are luxuries for quieter times that do not have tangible strategic value in a dangerous world.

“Our principled leadership in the world has long inspired allies to join us, and more than ever we must depend on shared vigilance to guard against threats that are defined by no nation or border.”

The Congressman also pointed to the importance of working toward economic stability in dangerous regions to prevent terrorist groups from gaining a foothold in these areas. As Admiral Dennis Blair, President Obama’s Director of National Intelligence, has recognized, economic instability around the world is a primary danger to our national security.

“A strong and strategic foreign aid program can project a positive image of America throughout the world while also addressing one of the prime causes of insurgency, extremism, and terrorism,” Sestak said. “In Afghanistan, up to 70 percent of Taliban fighters are not hard-line extremists, but have no other way to earn a living. Efforts like the National Solidarity Program, which provides micro-financing, are having success in providing economic incentives for fighters to return to productive lives with their families.”

Council for a Livable World is a Washington, D.C.-based 501 (c)(4) non-profit, non-partisan advocacy organization dedicated to reducing the danger of nuclear weapons and increasing national security.  The Council was founded in 1962 by nuclear physicist Leo Szilard and other scientists who pioneered the development of atomic weapons and immediately became concerned about their use and spread.

The World Affairs Council of Philadelphia is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization dedicated to informing and engaging people of all ages on matters of national and international significance. Established in 1949 as a forum for discussing differing points of view, the Council does not endorse candidates for public office or lobby for policies.  The Council currently serves more than 75 corporate members and their executives, and nearly 2,000 individual members.

Joe Sestak was elected to Congress in 2006 after a distinguished 31-year career in the United States Navy, and he is honored to represent the Southeastern Pennsylvania district where he was born and raised. He is a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate seat from Pennsylvania.  During his Navy career, Joe attained the rank of 3-star Admiral, served in the White House as Director for Defense Policy on President Clinton’s National Security Council, served in the Pentagon as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, and led a series of operational commands at sea, culminating in command of the USS George Washington Aircraft Carrier Battle Group (30 ships, 100 aircraft, and 15,000 sailors/marines/ aviators/SEALs) during combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. In our nation’s time of crisis in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, the Navy turned to Joe Sestak to serve as the first Director of “Deep Blue,” the Navy anti-terrorism unit formed in response to the attacks. Joe is the highest-ranking former military officer ever elected to either branch of Congress. He graduated second in his class from the U.S. Naval Academy and holds a Master’s in Public Administration and a PhD in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University. Joe lives in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Susan, and daughter, Alex, and proudly represents the 7th District, where his parents and six of his siblings still reside.

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(Prepared Remarks)

A National Security Strategy of Re-engagement

Congressman Joe Sestak

In my time in the military, I witnessed two major paradigm shifts. The end of the Cold War left us the sole superpower, and 9/11 showed us how vulnerable that position can be.

9/11 confirmed what we’d long feared — that in the modern world, having the most capable and powerful military force in the history of the planet cannot always protect us from a determined few.

The response of the Bush administration to this realization might best be described as crisis-driven. The response was to lash out at threats — real or contrived — and rush into conflict without clear missions, benchmarks, or exit strategies.

We pursued a “with us or against” attitude that cost us valuable allies and lowered our standing in the eyes of those allies we kept.

We dismissed our core principles, such as a commitment to human rights, as “quaint,” even nostalgic.

We let our investment in foreign aid and development dwindle, and viewed adept diplomacy as weakness, and reliance on force as strength.

As a new administration sets a new course, we must fundamentally reconsider the function of our military in the nation’s foreign policy.

We are now in a world where the unconventional threat has become conventional, and the conventional threat is steadily being subtracted form the calculus of our national security.

We must recognize that, increasingly, there will be no military solution to the problems of the 21st century.

The growing power of conventional weapons and the mutually assured destruction of nuclear arms means the near end of full-scale war between major powers. And traditional military structure, strategy, and role in foreign policy will be increasingly unable to cope with insurgency, extremism, and terrorism, as well as environmental and humanitarian crises.

There are conflicts around the globe, but none of these involve pitched battles of infantry and tanks, dogfighting planes, or ships at sea trading salvos. The combat of the 21st century will generally be small-scale, and the wars will be technological, ideological, and economic.

If we do not begin now to plan for the obsolescence of the traditional concept of warfare that has persisted since the beginning of civilization and better address transnational threats like the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, it will mean — at best — the loss of an opportunity for the United States to lead the world into a new era, or — at worst — a military catastrophe the likes of which we were blessed enough to avoid during the Cold War.

During my time in the Clinton administration, I helped develop a National Security Strategy of Engagement that foresaw many of our recent strategic errors and recognized that the challenges of the future call for a comprehensive approach to foreign and domestic policy. It called for use of force when vital or important American interests were threatened; demanded clear benchmarks, timetables, and strategies for withdrawal; and promoted strong diplomacy and robust foreign aid programs that were to take precedence over force whenever and wherever possible. We must return to these priorities, and to the understanding that America is peaceful and prosperous when the world is peaceful and prosperous.

Increasingly, technology is making this world a very small and very crowded place. Effects ripple farther and faster than ever before, threats are never far away, and everywhere interests are intertwined: military, diplomatic, economic, environmental, humanitarian. We cannot partition our view of national security into discrete artificial spheres that no longer exist.

We have recently seen, for instance, how international overfishing off the Horn of Africa resulting from the collapse of the Somali state and allowed it to become a haven for pirates who have threatened American citizens and commerce.

We must take a comprehensive approach to our engagement in the world that utilizes robust diplomacy, strategic foreign aid, and military force only as a last resort.

Though threats may emerge from anywhere, we cannot and should not seek to police the globe. We maintain the right to defend ourselves and strike at our enemies — unilaterally, if necessary — but we must unequivocally deny the Bush Doctrine of preemptive war and reject the cynical belief that the moral principles of this nation are luxuries for quieter times that do not have tangible strategic value in a dangerous world.

Our principled leadership in the world has long inspired allies to join us, and more than ever we must depend on shared vigilance to guard against threats that are defined by no nation or border.

We must have a strategy of engagement that is creative and constructive.

As a nation, we have already learned the power of this philosophy. World War I was supposed to be the “war to end all wars.” Instead, we failed to support the League of Nations, arms control, and institutions of international economic stability. The result was the Great Depression, the rise of fascism, and World War II.

After World War II, we recognized the need to construct institutions to provide international stability and began to develop a comprehensive view of our national security. We recognized economic threats are as potent as military ones, and instituted the Marshall Plan and founded the IMF and World Bank. We entered into arms control and defense agreements with dozens of nations around the globe. And we built firm alliances that continue to strengthen our country today.

It was the strength of these institutions, under U.S. leadership, and a commitment to a proactive foreign policy — not just technological and military prowess — that allowed us to prevail in the Cold War.

Recently, however, we have turned away from these international tools and institutions that for so long have been reliable forces of stability — like the ABM treaty and Kyoto Protocols — and have favored going ahead unilaterally instead of promoting multilateral engagement and coordination, even in conflict, if one compares the first and second gulf wars. Simultaneously, neglect of domestic institutions that help us engage abroad has also hindered our ability to project our foreign policy. For example, during Vietnam, U.S. Agency of International Development (USAID) had 15,000 Foreign Service officers, with 5,000 in Vietnam. Now we have only 4,000 Foreign Service officers total, and just a handful in Afghanistan.

The question today is not whether to recommit ourselves to these institutions and approaches, but how to adapt them to modern contingencies.

My experience in the military was bounded by two controversial wars — Vietnam and Iraq. My thought process was formed by the ravages of war, and the challenges of peace. I have learned that the military can stop problems; it can’t fix them. Similarly, effective foreign policy doesn’t just solve problems, it prevents them. What I believe in is preventive diplomacy — not a preemptive military. It is a foreign policy approach that, rather than leading with force, uses all elements of our power to help shape the world and create conditions for peace and prosperity.

To have a viable preventive diplomacy requires:

- First, a comprehensive acceptance of our real national security challenges — not just military, but economic or political. The Director of National Intelligence rightly called economic instability around the world the primary danger to our nation’s security. For example, hundreds of thousands of young Muslim men from Tajikistan, having lost their employment in Russia’s oil fields during this global recession, have returned home, without a means of livelihood, next to Afghanistan, where a living wage — more than ideology – might attract them to the Taliban. Studies suggest that up to 70% of the Taliban may be fighting for economic rather than ideological reasons.

- Second, we need a comprehensive response to these challenges that incorporates not just a transformed and multi-functional military, but also the power of our economy, our rule of law, and non-governmental organizations, while utilizing our military forces as a constructive tool, rather than just military force as a destructive weapon.

- And, third, we need changes in our internal decision-making apparatus that allow us to respond in a multi-faceted way to complex threats. We presently have an interagency governmental system of questionable coordination, one still based upon traditional foreign policy domination by the military and intelligence organizations.

We need a military that is unmatched, with a demonstrated capability to prevail under any circumstance, to act as an effective deterrent to conventional threats that still persist. But we also need a military that can respond quickly and effectively to the exigencies of the global war against terrorism and is prepared from the outset to wage and win a battle that is as much ideological, political, and economic as it is military.

We must discard permanently our compartmentalized view of the threats and challenges we face. The real world does not align with our bureaucracies, and our adversities do not neatly categorize themselves into domestic or foreign, economic or political, military or diplomatic.

For example, how should we approach the problem of narcotics? It’s a domestic health issue, a border control issue, a criminal issue of both national and international law, a problem for ourselves and our allies, an economic issue for the impoverished farmers with no alternative, and — when the money goes directly to support terrorists — it’s an intelligence and military issue. If we view or try to tackle the problem piecemeal we will fail.

That’s why we need to revamp our internal, decision-making entities to allow for the collective decision making needed to tackle complex problems. 9/11 brought to light a failure to communicate between the CIA and FBI. But what we need is productive communication between even our most seemingly disparate institutions and agencies. We cannot respond to modern threats with the same old institutions, archaic bureaucracies, and petty turf wars. We need clear and decisive leadership at the highest levels and we have to send the message throughout the ranks — it’s time to put aside institutional politics because America’s security is at stake.

I’d like to offer three key illustrations of how we can put preventive diplomacy into action.

The first is by taking the lead once more on proactive international institutions and treaties, from counter-proliferation to the IMF and World Bank. Take, specifically, the Kyoto Protocols. This is far from simply an environmental issue. Internationally, it is an opportunity to restore America’s leadership, and domestically it is a chance to reduce pollution and improve the health of our people. It can strengthen our strategic position economically by reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and it can begin to curb climate change which threatens to create all over the world the economic adversity, cultural upheaval, and political instability that breeds insurgency, extremism and terrorism.

The second is how we evolve our more conventional strategic systems to focus on contemporary and more unconventional threats, such as a potential nuclear-armed missile threat from nations such as Iran. Currently, we are planning to put fixed missile defense systems in the Czech Republic and Poland to counter Iran, which — in Russia’s eyes — threatens the strategic balance of power. Instead, at minimal expense, we can upgrade our AEGIS Navy Cruisers to provide theater and even national defense that can protect all — not just some — of Europe, and even Israel; can adapt to shifting threats worldwide; and can do so in a manner that won’t be seen as a direct provocation of Russia and China. In fact, we can bargain our plans for fixed sites in exchange for Russia withholding its support of Iran’s nuclear program. We lose nothing in terms of capability, and take a potential for instability and turn it into a opportunity to increase global stability.

Finally, we must examine our role in the global war on terror, specifically beginning with Afghanistan and Pakistan. Our experience has shown that we need a military that can not only overwhelm an enemy, but can earn the trust of the populace. Our military cannot achieve success alone. It cannot operate side-by-side with diplomatic and aid efforts, it must be intertwined with them. And we have to be as tough and cunning diplomatically as we are militarily. We must have the national, ideological, and diplomatic confidence to engage and convert, at least blunt,  elements of the Taliban, many of whom are economically displaced and simply looking for a way to make a living.

We must recognize the limits of what our military can do using force in the global war on terror, but our forces used in support of security for the trust needed for economic development efforts in Afghanistan are what will eventually permit us to exit an area where we cannot remain forever, and allow us to achieve our goal of a legitimate, if limited, central government in Kabul that governs in conjunction with local and regional authorities. But, importantly, the administration must provide a clear exit strategy, and there must be measures along that path to assess success or failure and measure the reward of continuing to invest troops and money in the effort.

It is crucial that we develop these tools, because we cannot fight and nation-build everywhere. The Afghanistan-Pakistan border is the fulcrum of the entire war on terrorism. U.S. force can play a role in stabilizing Afghanistan, providing some support to Pakistan, and occasionally striking at Al Qaeda and the Taliban in that country, but we cannot solve the challenge of Pakistan militarily. We must use every tool in our arsenal in a coordinated effort to encourage — and pressure — Pakistan to turn its focus away from India to the real, internal threat it faces from insurgency and terrorism.

In sum, what the United States has lacked is an overall template of how to engage the world. We had one during the Cold War — it was successful. It was against a fixed and known threat in a fairly stable world where national boundaries were respected.

Constructing an analogous template today is more challenging. Lines are blurred between domestic and international problems, and threats to our ideals and interests are constantly shifting. But if we want to create conditions for U.S. interests to thrive — as they did during the Cold War — and ensure constructive and creative U.S. decision-making will best shape the world, we cannot have a crisis-driven foreign policy.

There was a best effort to confront this challenge of constructive engagement during the Clinton administration, as international institutions were not abandoned after the Cold War, but were realigned to a new world, as with the expansion of NATO. It is crucial that we return to developing the strategic template of preventive diplomacy today.

Without that strategic template, we will be at the mercy of unintended consequences, as decisions at home will be made in a reactive, ad hoc, and uncoordinated manner. Every commander knows how quickly short-sighted tactical gain can lead to long-term strategic failure. For one example, the abandonment of a coherent U.S.-led international template for proper interagency analysis for nuclear arms control meant that the potentially unintended repercussions of a recent proposal to replace certain nuclear warheads with conventional ones on look-alike missiles went overlooked.

Modern threats are too widespread, too rapidly developing, and too potentially devastating to allow this to happen. We cannot lack a template abroad that focuses proper resource allocation and decision-making for it at home. We must have a clear template for engaging the world that shifts focus and resources to diplomacy and foreign aid, reasserts the importance of international treaties and organizations and our leadership of them, and views our military forces as a constructive tool that supports our foreign policy efforts. This view represents a fundamental shift from the dominant policies of recent years, and it will no doubt face significant institutional opposition on many fronts. But it will be necessary if America wants to again lead and shape the world, rather than be at odds — and at the mercy — of it once again.

The projects will produce or save 2.2 billion kilowatt hours of electricity over their lifetimes, or 110 million kilowatt hours per year. These projects will create 430 permanent green jobs, 1,068 construction jobs and help to retain 4,110 manufacturing jobs by stabilizing energy costs with on-site renewable energy systems.

Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority (PEDA) awarded $20.7 million in grants, including $10 million from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The public funding leverages another $120 million in private matching funds for a total investment of $140.7 million.

“Past investments have positioned Pennsylvania as a leader in the clean energy industry. The awarding of these grants will help continue that trend,” Governor Rendell said. “When I first revived PEDA in 2005, the goal was to provide the funding and the incentives necessary to move these types of projects forward. Now five years later, the projects we are funding will make significant impacts in the renewable energy market and the daily lives of Pennsylvanians. For example, the three biomass manufacturing projects approved today are expected to supply enough solid fuel to heat approximately 16,500 Pennsylvania homes annually.”

In addition, the projects include 9.3 megawatts of solar projects, geothermal, wind, carbon capture for coal, biodigesters for farms, combined heat and power and efficient lighting systems.

The 12 projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will:
• Generate or save more than 1.1 billion kilowatt hours over their lifetimes or 52 million kilowatt hours each year for the next 25 years, enough to power more than 5,000 homes;
• Create 185 permanent jobs;
• Create 381 temporary/construction jobs;
• Retain 3,776 jobs; and
• Reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 100 million pounds, an amount generated by 8,561 passenger cars.

In addition, state funding from the Growing Greener II initiative will support 12 projects that will:
• Generate or save more than 1.1 billion kilowatt hours over their lifetime or 53 million kilowatt hours per year, enough to power more than 5,100 homes;
• Create 245 permanent jobs;
• Create 612 temporary/construction jobs;
• Retain 334 jobs, and
• Reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 100 million pounds, an amount generated by 8,720 passenger cars.

An additional $800,000 is being used to fund a project in Duquesne Light Company’s electric service territory and immediately adjacent areas. This project will receive funds allocated to the Department of Environmental Protection through the settlement of a Duquesne Light electric rate case. These funds will help ratepayers located within the Duquesne Light territory cope with high energy costs and ensure they have a secure energy supply that is needed for critical operations.

“We received a record 389 PEDA applications this year, seeking more than $400 million,” said Governor Rendell. “There is greater competition for a limited amount of funding for projects that will generate new, clean renewable sources of energy. Businesses and organizations know that by undertaking these types of projects, they are making sound investments in their own futures and the future of Pennsylvania.”

Since its revival in 2005, PEDA has supplied $68.5 million in funding to 143 projects, which has generated more than $1 billion in matching funds. PEDA is just one example of funding available for energy related projects. Governor Rendell also pointed to programs like PA Sunshine Solar, Small Business Energy Efficiency, PA Conservation Works, PA Green Energy Works, Act 1 Solar Energy, Act 1 Renewable Energy Act, Act 1 High Performance Buildings, and Act 1 Alternative and Clean Energy, as possible funding sources.

“In the past, we became too dependent upon foreign oil,” said Governor Rendell. “We have changed the way we think about meeting our energy needs. But we need to keep moving forward. Our actions are making a difference. We are breaking our dependency upon foreign energy sources one gallon of oil, and one kilowatt, at a time.

For more information, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword: “PEDA.”

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The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses.  To find out more about Governor Rendell’s initiatives and to sign up for his newsletter, visit his Web site at: www.governor.state.pa.us.

EDITORS NOTE: The following is a list, by county, of the 25 alternative and renewable energy projects approved today by Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority:

Projects funded by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act:

Centre County
Penns Valley Area School District  — $788,956 for the installation and operation of a district biomass heating system at the Penns Valley Elementary and High School. The project will use a Pennsylvania-manufactured boiler to provide low-cost, renewable-fuel heat for the school to reduce emissions, decrease operating costs, and provide a market for local Pennsylvania suppliers of biomass fuel. The system will save 7,960,000 kWh of electricity and 1,680,000 gallons of fuel oil over its lifetime. The project is expected to create 10 temporary, full-time jobs and 10 temporary part-time jobs. Matching funds — $788,956.

Chester County
Aqua PA Inc.’s Ingram’s Mill Solar Farm — $1 million to install a minimum of 1.040 megawatts of net metered photovoltaic solar modules on 4.5 acres of open field. It will generate 32,053,500 kWh of solar photovoltaic electricity over this project’s lifetime. This project will create 20 permanent, full-time jobs and 120 temporary, full-time jobs. Matching funds — $4,895,600.

Southeastern Chester County Refuse Authority (SECCRA) — $1,093,427 to install a third 1.6 megawatt internal combustion engine/generator set which will produce electricity by burning landfill gas and then transmit the “green electricity” through the PJM Interconnection grid.  This project will generate 262,000,000 kWh of electricity over its lifetime. The SECCRA landfill is solely owned and operated by a municipal authority serving the waste and recycling needs of 24 municipalities with a population of 90,000 residents. It will create one permanent, full-time position and 75 temporary full-time jobs. Matching funds — $400,000.

Cumberland County
The Carlisle Area School District — $1 million to install a 1 MW photovoltaic array system. This represents about 15 percent of the annual power used by the school district. This will save the school district approximately $105,000 per year. This project is expected to generate more than 25,500,000 kWh of electricity over its lifetime. This project will create 20 temporary, full-time jobs.  Matching funds — $4,782,385.

Lackawanna County
Marywood University — $205,000 to construct a geothermal system using mine water located beneath its campus. The system will be connected to the newly-renovated $4 million “green” facility that will house the university’s new School of Architecture, the first in Northeastern Pennsylvania. It will offset 4,700,000 kWh of energy during its lifetime. It will create 10 temporary, full-time jobs.  Matching funds — $324,600.

Lancaster County
Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority — $1.5 million to develop a 3MW wind turbine to supply green power to the Turkey Hill Diary. The facility will produce electricity amounting to 180,450,000 kWh over its lifetime. There will be two 1,500 kW GE wind turbines deployed. Two new permanent, full-time positions will be filled and 35 new temporary, full-time and 10 new temporary, part-time jobs will be created. Matching funds — $6.75 million.

Montgomery County
Buckman’s Inc. — $520,000 to execute a three-phase plan to cut costs, reduce energy usage and environmental impact, and ensure the long-term success of the organization. This grant will fund the first phase, which will consist of a 620 kW solar energy system and targeted energy efficiency. The second phase will include the installation of a solar hot water system, with the final phase adding a wind energy system. The solar energy system is expected to generate 17,384,125 kWh of electricity over its lifetime.  This project is expected to create 14 temporary, full-time jobs. Matching funds — $3,867,340.

Northampton County
Crayola, LLC — $1.5 million to develop a 1.9 MW solar powered facility at its headquarters and manufacturing site, in partnership with UGI Development Company and PPL Renewable Energy.  The project represents 10 percent of the power consumed by the entire plant and one-third of the energy consumed for crayon manufacturing. The project will consist of 26,200 photovoltaic panels and produce more than 61,988,500 kWh of electricity over its lifetime helping to offset electricity costs and preserve 1,187 jobs at its manufacturing and research facilities. A solar power exhibit will be constructed educating over 350,000 visitors per year.  The project is scheduled to begin producing power in December 2009.  Matching funds — $10,520,000.

Chrin Brothers Inc. — $1 million to develop a landfill-gas-energy project that will provide 3.2 MW or a lifetime total of 500,000,000 kWh of electricity to four new manufacturing companies located in the Green Energy Park. This park will supply green energy to new clients which are expected to attract 160 jobs into the Lehigh Valley. An education center will also be established to host up to 2,000 visitors a year. The park is scheduled to begin producing green power and thermal energy from the landfill gas by Dec. 31, 2010. Matching funds — $7,832,000.

Philadelphia County
The Wagner Free Institute of Science — $250,000 to replace its single steam boiler with four high-efficiency, high-performance boilers. The project will conserve 3,615,320 kWh of conventional energy during its lifetime. Annual operational cost savings will range from $17,000 to $22,000. The project will retain 10 permanent, full-time jobs, create one permanent, part-time job and creates 23 additional temporary positions. Matching funds — $348,218.

Schuylkill County
Food Markets Inc. (Wegmans) — $1,009,176 to construct a new 350,000-square-foot multi-temperature warehouse in its Pottsville retail service center. The project will install an alternative fuel distribution technology for fueling 150 new energy efficient hydrogen fuel cell powered material handling equipment vehicles, provided by Lift Inc. of Lancaster. This project will offset 4,064,445 kWh of energy over its lifetime. It will retain eight full-time positions and create 23 temporary, full-time jobs. Matching funds — $6,213,691.
Multiple Counties
Lehigh Valley Hospital — $502,000 to install 248 kW of photovoltaic panels at its Allentown and Bethlehem facilities. This project is expected to generate more than 6,809,575 kWh of electricity over its lifetime. Matching funds — $850,000.
Projects funded by Growing Greener II:

Allegheny County
Plextronics Inc. — $947,000 to further expand its D-Line by adding solar cell fabrication process development and testing tools. The tools purchased would lead to cost reductions and/or efficiency improvements in the solar modules that will eventually be produced by upcoming large-scale manufacturing lines. The end goal is to establish a manufacturing base in Pennsylvania that can lead to hundreds of new jobs. The project is expected to create 50 permanent, full-time jobs and 200 temporary, full-time jobs. When completed, this project will be capable of producing 10 MW of printed solar modules annually. Matching funds — $1,243,831.

PFBC Environmental Energy Technology Inc. — $1 million to demonstrate a carbon dioxide separation technology which turns impounded waste coal into a usable energy resource. When fully deployed, this project is expected to generate 2,978,400,000 kWh per year of electricity and save 651,437 tons of coal per year. At full implementation, it is expected to create 150 permanent, full-time jobs, 50 permanent, part-time jobs, 1,000 temporary, full-time jobs, and 90 temporary, part-time jobs. Matching funds — $2,685,322.

Blair County
Card I Limited Partnership — $1,150,000 to construct a biogas energy production facility in Martinsburg. The facility will generate 823,440,000 kWh of electricity during its lifetime. It will also generate solid fuel at a rate of 12,950 tons per year. The new facility will create 33 full-time jobs and 200 temporary, full-time jobs for construction services. Matching funds — $38,795,000.

Crawford County
Ernst Biomass, LLC — $896,400 to construct a biomass processing and densification facility. The products will be used for combustion fuels in a large range of applications from industrial furnaces to small pellet stoves. The facility will manufacture a renewable fuel supply for the solid fuels market and provide biomass fuels to meet varied specifications for energy companies’ testing programs. It is expected to generate 24,000 tons of solid fuel per year.  The project will create 10 permanent, full-time jobs, 80 permanent, part-time jobs, and 12 temporary, full-time jobs. Matching funds — $1,336,929.

Cumberland County
Knouse Foods Cooperative Inc. — $1,500,000 to construct and operate a 3.155 MW solar photovoltaic generating facility to provide energy for its Peach Glen processing plant. The facility is a sustainable means to reduce reliance on electricity from the grid during fresh cherry and peach season and is expected to generate 103,346,750 kWh of solar electricity over its lifetime. It is expected to create 80 temporary, full-time jobs and retain 50 permanent, full-time jobs. Matching funds — $17,903,250.

Elk County
OSRAM Sylvania Inc. — $116,865 to launch its new candle-shaped Light Emitting Diode Lamp. The funding will be used to procure mold tooling, construct an air tight assembly room and necessary electrostatic workstations to assemble this product in Pennsylvania. The LED lamps are expected to save 358,060,979 kWh per year of electricity and 3,465.40 MMBTU per year of natural gas.  It is expected to create 60 permanent, full-time jobs and retain seven permanent, full-time jobs. Matching funds — $496,970.

Lycoming County
East Lycoming School District — $800,000 to convert the Hughesville Junior/Senior High School and Lycoming Career & Technology Center primary heating source from oil/natural gas to biomass. With this conversion, the district is evaluating the potential to grow on-site hybrid willow, black locust, or American chestnut trees which will serve as a primary fuel source for the biomass boiler. The district has approximately 60 acres of available farmland for the on-site growth of these crops.  This project will conserve 44,200,960 kWh of conventional energy over its lifetime.  Matching funds — $915,476.

David R. Webb — $866,500 to install a single-stage steam turbine generator set to significantly reduce its carbon footprint and generate reliable onsite power. The system will convert a maximum steam flow of 29,900 lbs per hour of 140 pounds per square inch steam to 630 kW of power. This project is expected to generate 76,008,100 kWh for energy over its lifetime. It will retain 270 permanent, full-time jobs. Matching Funds — $500,000.

Philadelphia County
Conergy Projects, Inc — $900,000 to develop a 1.5 MW solar photovoltaic generation facility, the largest in an urban setting in the U.S. The Exelon-Conergy Solar Center II will be located on a 6.5-acre parcel of land in Philadelphia owned by the Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development. The facility will generate an estimated 42,435,075 kWh of electricity over its lifetime.  The project is expected to create one permanent, full-time job, 40 temporary, full-time jobs, and 40 temporary, part-time jobs. Matching funds — $7,027,343.

Snyder County
Barefoot Pellet Company — $469,200 to improve its raw material in-feed systems and install additional manufacturing equipment. This expansion will allow the Selinsgrove facility to return to two full shifts of production, accept additional feed stock and diversify its local offering to include wood pellets as well as Envi-Blocks. The system is expected to generate 36,000 tons of densified wood and save 4,114,000 gallon of oil annually. It will create five permanent, full-time jobs. Matching funds — $411,700.

Somerset County
Pennwood Farms Dairy — $475,274 to install an anaerobic digester system at its Somerset County dairy farm. The project will generate 13,135,360 kWh of energy over its lifetime. One permanent, full-time job and 20 temporary, full-time jobs will be created. Matching funds — $475,274.

Union County
Biomass Fuel Stocks of PA Inc. — $150,000 to establish a central Pennsylvania facility which will densify readily available, cellulose-based fuel stock. The company will convert untreated, unpainted waste wood, energy crops such as switch grass, agricultural waste such as corn cobs and stover, plus other biomass into convenient-to-use, densified briquettes. The project will result in the savings of 6,000 tons of biomass briquettes per year. The project is expected to create four permanent, full-time jobs and 1 permanent, part-time job. The project will re-use a former auto scrap yard. Matching funds — $152,000.
The following alternative and renewable energy project approved today by PEDA and funded through Duquesne Light:

Allegheny County
The Allegheny County Airport Authority — $800,000 to replace 1,471 existing High Intensity Discharge lighting with high efficiency Liquid Emitting Diode (LED). These fixtures are located in the long-term and extended parking lots and the three-level parking garage of Pittsburgh International Airport. The LED lighting system will consume an estimated 83 percent less energy. This project will generate $158,754 in annual energy savings, with 2,118,438 kWh saved over the project’s lifetime. The project will create and preserve 75 well-paying green jobs for Appalachian Lighting Systems. Matching funds — $800,000.