Bill 的父母是住在離我家兩條街的地方。
他常對人說他高中時體育很在行。但是不懂得愛唸書，所以成績也很普通。
等到上大學成績"有b 有d”家長並不知道，也還不覺讀書的重要。
大學時才知自己體育”人上有人”不怎出色。
是去加入海軍才漸漸開始”自求上進”。
規定自己至少每年要讀12本書。
他見多識廣又飽覽群書。
唸完不少宗教, 政治 ,文學的書……
總算明白他那教英文的姑姑為何老叫他唸書？
他家中目前收集至少近兩千本書。
他是"自修”沒有文憑”的”社會大學”的學位。
(其實像我以前乖乖唸書。我的大學文憑,卻一直都比衛生紙還沒實用哦!!
現在我也是仍然每天在"自修"許多我以前沒修過的知識。我是越老越知道自己非常無知淺薄所以求知慾越旺!
真是朝聞道夕死可也!)
Mrs. Greenleed告訴我:Bill高中時,常常來她家玩。因他曾喜歡過她女兒(turner)。
他曾離婚就未再婚。
聽他自己說:他居家嚴謹是海軍訓練出來的。
他家中很乾淨整齊。連衣襪都按顏色尺寸排列整齊。
要當他老婆還真不容易哩!
幾次碰到他在高等社交場合都帶不同女伴。
可惜都沒緣成為他的妻子。
他至今57歲既無妻也無子，是"單身貴族"專心從政。
我小孩在小學上"社會課",必須上到"賓州的州政府體系"。
那時她發現我們小鎮有此號政治大人物，
Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
她做報告研究時,就用鉛筆寫信向他求教並要求簽名照片。
他還真有耐性的叫秘書好好打字回信到學校哩!
下回他碰到我,就告訴我這件事。
我才明白他那張8 x 10 的照片是這樣來的。
其實他住在賓州首都的時間較長。
只偶爾回鄉探視曾經也從過軍的雙親。
每次本地一些仕紳舉辦高級聚會或民主黨的政治活動，
他被邀請了，就會開車四小時趕回來參加。
他最愛說他最崇拜”林肯”。
因林肯是美國學歷最低的總統，但他是一位最好的政治家。
也愛說他和”班哲明.富蘭克林”一樣最能接受社會各方無情的打擊，越戰越勇。
他說有一天對他高齡老爸說:"爸爸!我很喜歡我的工作。"
他爸開玩笑回他:"你要不要看神經醫師啊?"
因為他的工作性質常會遭敵對黨無情的批評攻擊!
Bill更愛在演講時賣弄幾個高深難懂的字眼，
省的別人不對他肅然起敬。
因為他是唯一的沒唸法律係而去從政，還爬上那麼高位的人!
他很會演講。
但都唯恐大家有所不知，不忘歌頌自己替本地爭取預算的貢獻。
或他在政治舞台上的豐功偉業。
其實他真的為本地爭取很多改善經費，功不可沒!
對本地醫院 或大學 或老人院 或圖書館等等都很照顧。
是一個很難得的不忘本的人!
本地人都以他為榮。
我告訴他去爭取多些預算給本地圖書館。
讓小孩多看書，就少變成壞孩子。
以後監獄預算才不必增多。
有錢應該放到教育上，才會減輕監獄爆滿的社會成本!
我和他年齡相近，算"時常聚餐"比較熟的老朋友了。
所以拍照時就勾肩搭背站的很近也不以為意啦 !
Bill DeWeese is the only rural Democrat since World War II to serve as Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, the oldest elected body in America. He was the first non-lawyer to be chairman of the House Judiciary Committee in the modern era. As the House Minority Leader, Rep. H. William “Bill” DeWeese helped to reshape the agenda in the General Assembly to reflect the needs of working families. His work directing the House Floor debate on expanded gaming earned him accolades throughout the state. From basic and special education funding equity to property tax reform, from access to quality health care to the expansion of prescription drug benefits for senior citizens, Bill DeWeese continues to shape the debate from his post at the helm of the most dynamic caucus in the Pennsylvania legislature – the House Democratic Caucus.
DeWeese was born April 18, 1950, in Pittsburgh and raised in rural Greene County by his parents Vic and Dotty. After receiving a History degree from Wake Forest University, he joined the United States Marine Corps on graduation day, attended Officer Candidate School and served as an active duty Marine officer, 1972-1975. Upon returning to Greene County, DeWeese was elected to the state House in a special election in 1976 and has served the 50th district (all of Greene and parts of Fayette and Washington Counties) ever since. He is a lifelong resident of Waynesburg, the largest municipality in his district (pop. approx 4,500).
He has traveled to 64 countries, scaled the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as mountains in Morocco, Ecuador, Peru, Switzerland and the Himalayas of Northern India. He has bicycled across Italy, France, Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic. On four occasions he has presented lectures to the Berlin Historical Association in the Federal Republic of Germany. He spent three months in Israel, once for a month working on a kibbutz, tending to avocado fields within sight of the West Bank. He is a life member of the NAACP and the NRA, and a member of the board of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Waynesburg College and the George C. Marshall Foundation.
DeWeese’s ascent through the upper echelons of House Democratic Leadership began when he was elected by his colleagues as Majority Whip in 1988. Upon the death of Speaker of the House James J. Manderino, DeWeese was elected House Majority Leader in January 1990, serving in that position until he was elected Speaker of the House for the 1993-94 term. He became House Minority Leader in 1995.
Many of DeWeese’s legislative priorities are directly tied to his strong rural roots.
He has helped to bring over $40 million in grants and loans to the 50th District to address sewer and water infrastructure needs.
His work with both Governor Robert Casey and Governor Tom Ridge resulted in two state correctional facilities being built in his district, eventually providing over 1,500 family-sustaining jobs, not to mention millions of dollars in economic development spin-off revenue.
His strong leadership on behalf of sportsmen and his lifetime membership in the National Rifle Association have earned him an “A+” voting record on Second Amendment issues.
Prior to the election of Governor Ed Rendell, DeWeese was the highest ranking Democrat in the state committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose.
As an elected leader, DeWeese has worked with the business community to promote a legislative agenda that supports the creation and retention of family-sustaining jobs in Pennsylvania. He has opened dialogues with the leaders of the banking industry, certified public accountants, real estate brokers, the biotechnology industry and the emerging technology industry, all of which led to tax cut proposals designed to spur economic growth and create family-sustaining jobs.
DeWeese accompanied former Governor Ridge and other Pennsylvania government and business leaders on trade missions to Mexico and Eastern Europe, and has also traveled to China with representatives of the World Trade Center Pittsburgh to pursue business opportunities on behalf of Pennsylvania companies.
Bill brings a unique historical perspective to the House Floor, a result of his intense study of one topic per year. He is currently examining Islamic studies, having already finished 19th century American writers, the history of World War II, French Impressionism, World War I, the American Revolution, Jewish history, Shakespeare, the American labor movement, the American Civil War, African-American history and the history of Christianity. A lifelong fitness buff, his hobbies include weight training, bicycling and swimming.
