I met a couple of young people today at the South Hills School of Business and Technology.  They are scholarship winners in their field of study, one in business, one in medical technology.  The enthusiasm of the people at the school was telling.  As bad as the economy is these days, many, many people are pursuing the American dream and believe that they will succeed.  We all need to see that and I could see that through these students this morning.  I spent most of the afternoon with, Steeler Great, Dasahe Townsend.  He was in Altoona to learn more about the free health clinic started by Dr. Zane Gates.  He was exceptionally nice and very giving of his time with everyone around him.  I was glad to see him lend his fame and credibility to the efforts of Dr. Gates and others who are making a real difference in the lives of working people who do not have health insurance.  The clinic concept should be our model to capture a significant portion of the uninsured.  We are still pushing legislation on this issue and hope to see progress in the next couple of weeks.  This is one issue that rises above all others, in that people’s lives literally depend on it.

- John