FranklinCountyRepublicanCommitteeResignationLetter

Monday,September12,2016

DearVotersinFranklinCountyandacrossPennsylvanias9thCongressionalDistrict,
The Franklin County Republican Committee (FCRC) has explicit bylaws established to
maintain a certain order among county party officials, which is a standard practice among
political organizations. One of the duties of the FCRC members is, To promote the interest of
the Republican Party and to reasonably support all nominated Republican candidates and their
campaignsatalltimesintheNovemberGeneralElection.
We are members of the FCRC and respect their mission as well as their bylaws but we
cannot ingoodconscienceendorseBillShusteroverArtHalvorsoninthiscongressionalrace.So
the four of us are resigning our committee positions and publicly declaring our full support for
Art Halvorson in his race for the United States House ofRepresentatives.Wewillalsocontinue
tosupportotherRepublicancandidatesontheballot.
When the founding fathers established the United States of America,theywere breaking
away from a monarchy where positions of power were passed down from generation to
generation over an extended number of years. They never envisioned a permanent class of
professional politicians. However, the Shuster Dynasty has been sitting comfortably in the
federal government for 42 years. In1973whenBudShustertookofficetheworldwasstruckby
an oil crisis, the Watergate scandal was revealed, President Richard Nixon established peace
with Vietnam, and Pink Floyd released Dark Side of the Moon. The only thing that hasnt
changedisthatwestillhaveaShusterinoffice.
Its time for a change in the right direction and Art Halvorson is the right personforthe
job. At the root of it all, he is an honestmanwholivesouthismoralconvictions.Youcanseeit
in hismarriageof38yearsto Paula,thelovetheyveshowtotheirsixchildren,andadorationfor
their nine grandchildren. Two of Arts children followed in his footsteps in dutifully pursuing
militaryservice.
During his 29 years of honorable Coast Guard service, he rose to the rank of Captain
(O6). Throughout his military career Art served with increasing responsibilities as a rescue
helicopter pilot, flight instructor, test pilot, and Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard Air
Station in Houston, Texas. Recognized for his sharp operational skills and proven leadership
abilities, Art was assigned to a senior position atCoastGuardHeadquartersinWashington,DC.
There he provided strategic oversight of organizational performance and efficiency. After his
success in that position, and having again demonstrated exceptional ability as a leader and
steward of taxpayer resources, Art was selected to implement the largest transformation of the
CoastGuardinmorethan100years.
Art Halvorson is a true conservative with genuine leadership experience. After 9/11 he
was chosen by the President of the United States to lead the team that orchestrated the Coast
Guards transfer from the Department of Transportation to the newly formed Department of
Homeland Security. As part of the CoastGuardtransformation,Artdirectedtheconsolidationof


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US port operations around the nation, again making the service more efficient and saving
taxpayerdollars.
Whileonthistopicofthemilitary,itisimportant toaddressthe primaryargumentagainst
Art Halvorson in Franklin County, which is Letterkenny Army Depot.Thereisafearthatitwill
go through another Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) like it did in 1995 when operations
were reduced by more than half,exceptthistimethefearisthatitwillbeshutdown all together.
Added to this is the belief that Bill Shuster is powerful enough inCongresstopreventthisfrom
happening.Howeverthereareanumberofreasonswhythisisnotthecase.
1. His father, Bud Shuster, had more political sway in government but even he could
not prevent the first BRAC. Compared to his father, Bill Shuster is simply Bud light.
This is apparent in the way the he is currently fumbling in his oversight of the National
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) as it goesbackandforthbetween theHouseandthe
Senate.
2. The 1995 partial BRAC was actually needed, whereas to do so today would be
damaging to military operations. Every adult who grew up in Franklin County knows
that there was a lot of waste prior to Letterkennys partial closure. The reduction did
what it was supposed to do by enabling the rest of the depotto becomemoreefficientto
the point now where it services crucial life saving Mine ResistantAmbush Protected
Vehicles(MRAPs)forourtroopsservingoverseas.
3. The numerous large buildings at Letterkenny Army Depot that used to be strictly
utilized for military purposes are still being used but are now employing civilian
workers in privately owned businesses. The people of Franklin County are
hardworking selfreliant individuals who are willing to work the toughest jobs before
taking handouts. So it only makes sense that they want to ensure that there is full
employment here. However the strictly militarycomponentofLetterkenny doesnothave
as big of an impact on this areas economy as it used to. The fact is that while
Letterkenny Army Depots military component has decreased, Franklin Countys
economicimpacthasactuallyincreased.
4. The BRAC Commission is not even hinting at a hearing in the near future. This
ninemember committee first acts as an independent body initiating this entire process.
They are to then submit their recommendations to the President of the United States to
either be accepted or rejected in its entirety. Finally Congress has 45 legislative days to
either rejectallofitor simplyallowthecommissionsrecommendationstogointoeffect.
At no point in this process is there an opportunity for a single powerful congressman to
makedrasticchanges.
5. If someonestillinsiststhatacongressmanofmilitaryinfluenceisnecessarythenArt
Halvorson dominates Bill Shuster hands down. While Bill Shuster may sit on the
House Armed Services Committee, he is not a veteran and has no direct experience in
military matters. A number of military accomplishments have already been noted above
for Art Halvorson. However there is one more worth mentioning, which is that Art
actually ran a Coast Guard depot for three years. It was the USCG Aviation Logistics


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Center in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. While stationed there Art dutifully fulfilled
three roles as FacilityDirector,ChiefofUSCoastGuardAviationProcurement,andTest
Pilot. So we ask, what has Bill Shuster done to deserve a seat on the House Armed
Services Committee? It is Art Halvorson who has the experience to serve effectively on
thatcommittee.
Sadly we know how Bill Shuster will respond when his record is challenged. First he
will refuse to debate. He does not actually know the issues very well and is lost without his
lobbyist handlers telling him what to say. Next, he will flood our mailboxes with slick
advertisements developed by expensive PR consultants who are paid by the very same special
interest groups that Mr. Shuster is supposed to regulate. Then he will make orchestrated
appearances at the sites of a few friendly companies who paradetheirworkersintotheaudience
to subserviently sit in silence while the media takes photographs of the Congressman
hobnobbing with the folks. It all amounts to a phony campaign by a phony politician who
needs your votes only to keep thegravytrainfillinghisbankaccount.DonaldTrumpsaiditbest
last week while speaking to The Union League of Philadelphia when he stated, Nothing
threatens the integrity of our Democracy more than when government officials put their public
office up for sale. Even thoughMr.TrumpwastalkingaboutHillaryClinton,hiswordsarejust
asapplicabletoBillShuster.
When you elect Art Halvorson, you will be getting someone very different from the
Shuster Dynasty that you have been living under for the past 42 years. You will be choosing a
genuine man of conviction who is not looking outforhisownselfinteresttryingtolinehisown
pocket and get a highway named after himself. Art Halvorson has a track record of being a
faithful husband who worked lovingly with his wife & partner Paula to raise their six children.
Together as a family, sticking together the whole way through, endured through trying times of
military service. Art Halvorson is a faithful man living by his deeplyheldconvictions.Notonly
does he demonstrate his continuing resilience to support and defend the Constitution of the
United States but he also puts into practice his Christian faith as a member of Gideons
International, an active member of Crossroads Community Church in Bedford, and a past
presidentoftheOfficersChristianFellowship.
Finally it is important to note that Art Halvorson is still a Republicanjustaswewhoare
resigning from our committee positions are stillRepublicans.Wewereelected tothesepositions
by Republican voters and we believe we are continuing to represent their views in refusing to
endorse a manwhohasbroughtshameonourcommunities. WejointogetherinthisDeclaration
of Independence from committee bylaws in order to openly support the true conservative, Art
Halvorson, because the power is not in the party but rather it is in the people. We ask you to
follow your conscience and vote for the candidate who supports your values. We invite you to
joinusinvotingforandpubliclysupportingArtHalvorsonforCongress.
DarrenBrown
MayorofChambersburg
ResigningasViceChairmanoftheFranklinCountyRepublicanCommittee
ResigningastheSecretaryoftheFranklinCountyYoungRepublicans


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ErichHawbaker
TuscaroraSchoolBoardMember
ResigningastheViceChairmanoftheFranklinCountyYoungRepublicans
ResigningfromtheFranklinCountyRepublicanCommittee

MikeBrown
FormerCandidateforChambersburgBoroughCouncil
FormerSecretaryoftheFranklinCountyYoungRepublicans
ResigningfromtheFranklinCountyRepublicanCommittee
ResigningfromtheFranklinCountyYoungRepublicans

GregScandlen
ResigningfromtheFranklinCountyRepublicanCommittee