Brown makes Democrat Leadership Blue

Dissatisfaction with Government Priorities not specific to Massachusetts

Boardman, Ohio (1/20/10) – Donald Allen, a conservative Republican candidate for Ohio’s Sixth District, would like to extend his congratulations to the newly elected Senator from Massachusetts, Scott Brown.  Watching the results from his Boardman home, Dr. Allen realizes that the election yesterday has serious ramifications in Ohio and across the nation.


Allen, who has been meeting with voters throughout Ohio’s Sixth District since June of last year, has heard the same dissatisfaction expressed in Ohio that propelled Senator elect Scott Brown to victory in Massachusetts. With regards to Senator Brown’s victory, Allen declared, “This writing has been on the wall for awhile now. People are fed up with business as usual at their expense. That was my reason for running for President in 2008, not some grand illusion of getting into the White House, but to make the issues of today front and center on the national stage as best I could. That is also my reason for running for Congress this year, real leadership that tackles real issues that concern the people of this district.”


With job loss at an all-time high, attacks still being perpetrated against us and out of control spending that we can no longer afford, Don Allen believes that the growing resentment toward our government priorities is going to continue to rise.  “Our representatives need to take stock of the difference between party priorities and national priorities. Congressman Wilson has been sitting on the sidelines and not speaking up for the people of his district. It is time for the people of the Sixth District to have a voice in Congress that they can count on.” Allen said.


“We are on the cusp of a complete change in our government.” Allen declared. “It amazes me that the Democrats have lost touch so much, that they considered the Senate seat in Massachusetts theirs and not the peoples.  How hard is it to realize that the current policies coming out of Congress is not the will of the American people? People want to feel safe, they want a good job and they do not want their government dictating their every move. The people of the Sixth District are hardworking and motivated. They believe in an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work. They want to make their contribution, not have it handed to them by a government bureaucrat. Between Cap and Trade and the current proposed ‘healthcare’ reform, people are not being given the chance to succeed, they are being penalized for it.”


To learn more about Don Allen and his views regarding economic development, national security and healthcare, please visit www.drallenforcongress.com .

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January 13th was quite a big day. I had arranged a tour of one of Bob Murray’s underground coal mines, and we set aside the whole day for the event. Ryan Murray, who is in charge of their Powhatan #6 Mine, met Donovan, Alex, and myself at Bob Evans (our official campaign restaurant) in St. Clairsville and led us to the mine complex. There we met with Kevin Hughes, mine superintendent, who took us to their meeting room where we received basic safety instructions for the tour, familiarizing us with rescue gear and procedures. We then donned coveralls, waterproof steel-toed boots, and a miner’s belt that held our rescue breather and headlamp battery pack.

Miners Dave and Jeff escorted our group, which included Ohio State Representative candidate Bill Behrendt, to the elevator that would take us 30 stories down to the mine.

To say the experience was awesome is an understatement. We caught the longwall shearer at the left end of the 950-foot wall of the coal face and witnessed the way it ate away at the coal deposit like a 32-inch meat slicer that moved back and forth along the wall, depositing the loosened coal on a conveyer that carried it down the tunnel and out of the mine. Huge, powerful ceiling jacks held up the area above the shearer as it worked, and then advanced behind it when the shearer moved further into the coal face. As the jacks advanced, the ceiling behind them would collapse, filling the void created.

Next stop was to the continuous miner, a machine that ate into the coal face head-on, creating the tunnels that we traveled in. Shuttle loaders would take on that machine’s coal and run it to a conveyer head to move it out of the mine. We also saw the machine that drilled holes in the tunnel roof to insert steel rods or cables that compressed the layers of rock above to create a stressed, multi-layer (like plywood), strong ceiling that is very resistant to collapse.

Nearly everything moves on rails in the mine, and as tunnels are abandoned, the rails are taken up to be reused elsewhere. The conveyer system throughout the mine is another marvel of industrial revolution that replaced the coal car and mule system long ago. Even that is being improved with a new type of fire-resistant belting.

We finished our mine tour about 4 p.m., then we were met by Jonathan Murray, who took us to the transloading facility on the Ohio River. There we met Rob Visnik, harbor manager, who explained how the coal was moved from the mine to the end users. Much of the coal is carried on three 67-car trains from the mine head to a dumping pit, where another conveyer takes the coal out to a loader that fills barges on the river. Like the mine, the train’s work 24/7, loading and emptying four trainloads a day.


Each miner’s job is a valuable asset to the community. Murray Energy Corporation is the biggest employer in the county, with nearly 500 people in the mine alone. For every miner, there are eleven (11) ancillary jobs in the community that depend on him. Lose a miner, and you soon lose eleven other jobs in the area.

After this experience I have a greater appreciation for the mining industry and am prepared to be a champion for coal energy in the 6th district. This trip helped me understand that safety is priority number one for both the miners and the management.

The workers in the mine were all in very high spirits and seemed to not only enjoy their jobs but took great pride in them. This was something that Ryan and Kevin told me they try to do, instill a sense of responsibility and ownership in their employees. By doing this they help create an environment for successful working relationships between union workers and non-union management.

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Tuesday afternoon Alex Mangie and I took a trip south again, this time to Athens Ohio for the Athens County Republican Executive Committee meeting.  There were over 28 people present, including members of the Ohio University College Republican Club.  I was invited to speak and then answer questions, and was very pleased with our reception. Chairman Couladis and the rest of his executive committee sound like they have allot of great work ahead of them.

If you live in Athens County and would like to get involved in your county party check out their website: http://www.athenscountyrepublicans.org/

If you would like to read more about my common sense approach to representation check out my website: www.drallenforcongress.com

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On Monday Jan 11th Jim Shaw and I spent some time with the Marietta 9-12 group. Pulling into the parking lot, I was excited to see that it was filled with cars.  Tonight the vet was going to be “vetted” by the 9-12 members with a rapid firing line of questions.  Glenn Newman and Becky Khun greeted us and the proceedings began promptly at 7.  I was impressed by the timeliness and organization of the group.  There were 84 members present; all with serious questions about what kind of representation I will provide.

Questions ranged from the Second Amendment to the definition of “conservative Republican,” and I was able to field them all swiftly and completely.  They seemed satisfied, and I thought I was preaching to the choir. Glenn called me the next day and said there would usually be derogatory comments aimed at “professional politicians” when they grilled campaigners, and there was none of that Monday night.  Good thing I’m not a “professional politician”! We should hear more from this 400-member group in a couple weeks.

If you would like to organize something like this question and answer session in your community, so that you can get to know me better, email me at info@drallenforcongress.com or clink on the information above to find out more about the Marietta 9-12 Project.

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Please visit the American Red Cross website if you are able to donate to a worthy organization that provides humanitarian efforts throughout the world. Recently, a devastating earthquake hit Haiti and I ask that you include those who have been affected by this natural disaster in your prayers and if you are able please donate to the American Red Cross to help in their efforts to provide emergency relief during this time of need.

The reason that I ask that you consider the American Red Cross is because they do so much not only for international disasters, but also work nationally in such cases as house fires and natural disasters in the United States.

Please Donate by clicking on the link below:

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