Three full-time candidates vie for District 21 House seat
The three Democrats vying to represent the 21st District in the state House have staked their political livelihoods on winning the April 22 primary because none has a paying job, and there's no Republican to battle in the November general election.
Len Bodack, Dom Costa and Brenda Frazier, all of Stanton Heights, are running for the seat that state Rep. Lisa Bennington, D-Morningside, will relinquish in January after a single, two-year term in office.
"One of my goals is to bring back resources to help some of these communities where flooding has been on a lot of people's minds, like Etna and Millvale," said Bodack, who served four years on Pittsburgh City Council before losing a re-election campaign by 91 votes.
With thoughts of paying for his children to attend college, Bodack, 51, who won the Democratic Party's endorsement, said he wants to fix problems with the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.
A 2004 state audit showed the agency awarded millions of dollars in employee bonuses and spent $108,000 to send employees to an amusement park last April.
In February, PHEAA officials announced they would stop issuing new college loans because of the national credit crunch.
Frazier, 66, said she will try to bring accountability, transparency and reductions to the 203-member state House, which she called "bloated."
Pennsylvania has the nation's second-largest state Legislature with 253 members, including 50 senators. New Hampshire leads the nation with 424 members.
"It is too large to really get things accomplished," Frazier said of the legislative body she hopes to join.
Frazier plans to rely on her nearly six years of experience as an Allegheny County Council member and past careers in teaching, real estate and insurance to help her recognize wasteful, duplicate government services.
She said she believes legislation might be needed to encourage municipalities in Pennsylvania to share the costs of infrastructure improvements and police, fire and education, which she singled out as being deserving of more funding.
Costa, 56, said his extensive public safety experience -- particularly as Pittsburgh's former police chief -- makes him the ideal candidate because he is not a career politician.
Proving that, he said, is his staunch advocacy of eight-year term limits for members of the Legislature.
Persistent weakness and numbness in his hands caused by a criminal's bullet still lodged in his neck robbed him of his ability to be a police officer, a profession he enjoyed for 29 years, Costa said.
"But just because my life as a police officer is over doesn't mean I can't continue to be a lifetime public servant," Costa said.
He favors property tax reductions, but isn't certain how to accomplish that yet. He plans to make it a priority to attract new business and jobs to Pennsylvania.
State House members are paid $76,163 a year and may receive a maximum $152 per diem when they are in Harrisburg. That's up from the $73,613 a year and $129 per diem they were paid in 2007.
State House District 21 meanders through the east city neighborhoods of Bloomfield, Stanton Heights, Morningside and parts of Highland Park, Lawrenceville, Shadyside, Friendship and Garfield. It extends to the northern suburbs of Reserve, Ross, Shaler, O'Hara, Sharpsburg, Aspinwall, Etna, Millvale and Sharpsburg.
Pennsylvania House of Representatives - District 21
LEN BODACK
Age: 51
Residence: Stanton Heights
Family: Wife, Sharon; children, Gregory, 22, Stephanie, 18, Jessica, 12, and Melissa, 8 1/2 months.
Education : Graduated from Central Catholic High School; took some college mathematics courses at Point Park University.
Occupation: Full-time candidate
Previous elected office: Pittsburgh City Council member, 2003-07; lost his Council District 7 seat to Patrick Dowd
Public service/activities/organizations : Member of Loyal Order of Moose Lodge No. 581; Corinthian Lodge No. 573 Free & Accepted Masons; Islam Grotto of the Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm; Syria Shrine; Veterans of Foreign Wars Morningside Post No. 3495; and Allegheny Country Rifle Club.
Web site: www.bodack.com
BRENDA FRAZIER
Age: 66
Residence: Stanton Heights
Family: Husband, Andrew; adult children, Andrew Jr., Evan and Janine.
Education: Bachelor's degree in education, Indiana University of Pennsylvania; performed graduate work in education at the University of Pittsburgh and Carlow University; real estate certification from Community College of Allegheny County.
Occupation: Full-time candidate
Previous elected office: Served on Allegheny County Council, 2002-08. She resigned in February to run for the state House.
Public service/activities/organizations: Past president of Stanton Heights Civic Association; member of Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development; a founder of the Allegheny County Black Elected Officials group; past member of YWCA Women's Advisory Commission; started Parent Teacher Students Association at Peabody High School in East Liberty.
Web site: www.friendsforfrazier.com
DOM COSTA
Age: 56
Residence: Stanton Heights
Family: Wife, Darlene; grown children, Tina, Julie and Scott.
Education: Penn Hills High School graduate; five years of plumbing trade school in Mon Valley; police training at Allegheny County Police Training Academy.
Occupation: Full-time candidate
Previous elected office: None. Pittsburgh police chief from January 2006 to September 2006; previously worked as city police commander, detective and officer for 29 years; briefly served as Penn Hills public safety director.
Public service/activities/organizations: President of Morningside Area Community Council; Zone 5 Citizens Council; council member of St. Raphael's Church in Morningside.
Web site: www.electdomcosta.com
