JOHN RITTER is asking for your vote to WIN the PA-25 Legislative District seat.
MY GOAL is to represent our district at the State Capitol and to serve the residents and businesses in our neighborhoods.
WHAT IS PA-25?
Pennsylvania's 25th Legislative District includes about 60,000 fellow citizens within the neighborhoods of Plum, Monroeville, Pitcairn, Wall, East McKeesport, East Pittsburgh, McKeesport, North Versailles, Wall, Wilmerding; and parts of Murrysville, Turtle Creek, and Trafford.
For me.... home!
Our district has been served by a single approach for a good while. I am running as a candidate with the vision to move our district forward.
John Ritter's Three Areas of Focus:
IMPROVING the ECONOMY
I am focused on THE ECONOMY.
What is our current Representative's plan to get everyone back to work safely and quickly?
The current plan is Not Working; And the "extended unemployment" approach equates to "borrowing from ourselves". How does that work, exactly?
Silence is NOT golden. Coddling constituents in challenging times is NOT leadership. I HAVE imagination and want to get our region back to the work-and-reward model.
I've served as a Board Member of the Gateway School District for over eight years, helping to oversee critical business functions. Other area businesses will benefit from my application of a consistent, prudent, and reasonable approach.
Recall that our region boasted strong economic, residential, and industrial growth until the model of individual challenge was replaced with increasing government dependence beginning a few decades ago.
IMPROVING the QUALITY of EDUCATION
I am focused on the subject of EDUCATION
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My immediate family of democrats, republicans, and independents has earned more than 25 college degrees and/or trade school certificates and have been solidly based in our region.
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A large, diverse family offers the advantage of a wide, natural circle of voices - each respected, each appreciated. This also happens to be the proper model for a healthy educational environment.
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I have personally paid off all of my college loans (a long time ago!).
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John Ritter is a thought leader with vision:
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John has served on the School Board for over eight years.
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Named liaison to Pennsylvania School Board Association (PSBA) by the Gateway School Board.
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John knows the Harrisburg education maze and understands that narrowly-focused groups may not always have our students and parents/guardians broader interests in view.
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John serves on Health Level Seven (HL7), International's "Education Advisory Council" -- helping to provide education worldwide regarding health care information technology standards. John also co-created and taught certain HL7 Educational Tutorials and provided Ambassador Briefings around the world.
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John is the principal author of the HL7 SHIFT (School Health Innovation Framework leveraging Technology) document -- educating all school health stakeholders on techniques for improving students' health, safety, and security.
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John’s extensive knowledge of giving, receiving, and creating education via a professional and imaginative process is a bonus for our region.
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John has balanced the abstract demands of community and educational requirements and the nuts and bolts of opportunities, budgets, contracts, and personnel.
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John has the vision and practical experience that can benefit our local schools.
IMPROVING COMPETENCY through the pursuit of EXCELLENCE
I am focused on the issue of basic COMPETENCY and CHARACTER
My list of community service (outside of professional employment) includes:
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Gateway School District Board member and Vice President. Volunteer High School Head Diving coach. Volunteer High School Track & Field coach.
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John illustrates his vision of service by tackling the tough issues of International health standards.
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HL7 International (Health Care Standards Development organization) Fellow, Volunteer of the Year, and Ambassador.
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Health Care Standards evangelist for Central and South America.
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Founder, HL7 International Mentoring Committee (targeting outreaches to the continent of Africa).
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Masters in Computer Science Applications; Bachelors in Computer Science; Bachelors in Health Education.
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Keystone HIMSS Board of Director member and Advocacy Chair.
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HIMSS Chapter Advocacy Roundtable Vice-Chair North-Eastern U.S. (past).
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ISO Technical Committee 215 (Healthcare Informatics) U.S. Technical Advisory Group member (past).
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National Day of Prayer, local committee member.
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National Motto Group, local founder.
COMPETENCY: I was granted high-level security clearance early in my career. I have co-authored natiointernational health information technology standards. I am a joint holder of two health information technology patents. I am a former quality Athlete: a high school and college record holder. I am also a musician and produced a record album.
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Government
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Government makes a poor master, father, husband, friend, or god.
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Government can be a good servant, if vigilantly managed.
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Natural Resources
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Minerals, energy, soil, water, plants, animals, sunlight, and time are natural resources that are good, but that can be misused.
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One of government’s roles is to establish ways for people to manage natural resources well.
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Human Resources
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Civility, chivalry, heroism, valor, gentleness, excellence, forgiveness, deference, benefit-of-the-doubt, hard work, nobility, commitment, honesty, persistence, accountability, fairness, kindness, etc., are positive human attributes and resources.
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One of government’s roles is to promote, encourage, and protect positive human resources and to resist negative ones.
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“Families” are one of our greatest human resources.
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Marriage
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Marriage is good, as are many such institutions; but they can be misused.
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Why redefine that which is good?
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Debt
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Debt crushes people, businesses, and nations.
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Bequeathing our debt to the next generation is a strange inheritance indeed.
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Passing our debt to our children does not eliminate the debt.
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We’ve unwisely dug a deep pit for ourselves, and then fallen into it.
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It is unfair to expect the next generation to pay the consequences of our misuse of money.
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Alcohol / Marijuana / Gambling / Smoking
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Self-indulgent pleasures can become self-destructive traps (that can hurt others, as well).
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Why take the bait?
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A gentleman should avoid such traps and, if possible, offer to help those who are trapped.
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Abortion
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Aborting a baby hurts the baby.
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It is wrong to hurt a person.
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There can be no “right” to do wrong.
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Roe-v-Wade and Doe-v-Bolton are currently the prevailing opinions of certain courts and of many citizens. Why?
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Our Kids: Alive, Safe, Educated,… then employed. (Being disqualified before the contest begins, how can one run the race?)
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(See John’s short story “Three Dreams” for insight into his rationale and strategy regarding those whom God created in His Image and Likeness).
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Firearms
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The right of the citizens to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves and the State shall not be questioned.
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One who hurts an innocent person should be held accountable.
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Education
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It is a parent’s responsibility to feed and clothe a child’s body, educate a child’s mind, and train a child’s heart.
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Certified, professional teachers help parents fulfill their duty to educate their children’s minds. Thus, teaching is a noble profession.
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Education is also a business. A business must be financially sound.
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Liberty
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Liberty, when unaccompanied by other virtues, degenerates into the emptiness and tyranny of “me, myself, and I”.
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Liberty, under constraint and accompanied by contentment, is great gain.
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One who is bound, cannot free others.
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“True liberty” does not come from other people and cannot be taken away by other people.
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ISSUES
Contact
Thank you for your interest. If you have a question, concern, or would simply like to get in touch, please see the information below.