U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., toured Morgan Advanced Materials
and Technology in St. Marys on Wednesday before meeting with
employees to answer questions and talk about his concerns with
border security.

The St. Marys stop was one of three Santorum made across the
region during the course of the day; he also held a town hall
meeting at the Cameron County Health Care Center in Emporium and
discussed issues related to the Allegheny National Forest at
Marienville in Forest County.

Meeting with the employees in St. Marys, Santorum said his main
concern is securing the nation’s borders now, not about amnesty. He
added that building a fence would help stem the flow of illegal
immigrants because in many places there is no barrier or
checkpoint, so people can just walk across the border.

The senator also feels that a national ID card is part of the
solution. If everyone who wants to work must show the card,
illegals will be unable to get work and will have to go back to
their countries and come here legally. Santorum said he supports a
temporary worker program where people can come here to work for six
months to a year, then go back to their own nation.

During his trip to Emporium, the same issue was brought up.
There, Santorum said he didn’t see the need for retirees or
students to have a card

“I think it will be a long process,” Santorum added, noting he
doesn’t expect to see anything come of the issue for at least a
year or two.

Santorum also heard concerns about the impact China is having on
manufacturing jobs in the U.S.

He said working with China regarding its inflated currency rate
is a double-edge sword. While it will help America’s manufacturing
and exporting base, it will increase the price of products at
retailers such as Wal-Mart.

“You create an advantage in one area of the economy and at the
same time, it’s also a disadvantage to the consumers,” Santorum
said, noting when items become common and easy to make, America
loses jobs to places like China and Malaysia where labor is cheap.
“When you have value added. When you have to use a little bit of
brain power, then we are keeping those jobs here.”

When questioned about North Korea firing seven missiles in a
failed test, Santorum said that he didn’t feel North Korea was a
big concern, for now.

“It’s run by a very strange guy,” Santorum said. “He’s
(President Kim Jong Il) very weird. There’s a case to be made that
he’s not mentally stable as well.”

Santorum said although he may be a threat, it’s nothing compared
to the threat that Iran is, adding that country’s president,
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has openly stated that his goal is to “drop a
weapon on Israel and wipe them off the face of the earth.”

“That’s very scary. It’s all based on his religious viewpoint.
He believes his job is to bring about the end of the world for the
Messiah to return. According to his faith, they believe the only
way that the Messiah will come back is if he destroys us
(America).”

Santorum said that he was told by a student who escaped from
Iran that all students must sign a pledge that they will become
suicide bombers if they want to go to the university. They are
taught how to operate suicide bomb belts.

“This is their mindset,” Santorum said. “Kim doesn’t want to
die, he wants to watch NBA basketball.”

Morgan AM&T has grown over the past two years with 70 new
employees in both the plant and in sales and administration. The
total employment in St. Marys is about 280.ðThe company is a leader
in manufacturing engineering components for the aerospace,
industrial and defense sectors.

Elsewhere, Santorum met with residents in Emporium, hearing
their concerns over local issues and the war in Iraq, among other
issues.

When asked when the troops will be brought home from Iraq,
Santorum said he was against any arbitrary date being set. He feels
it’s vital for the troops to remain there until the country is
stable and not have it driven by political pressure.

Santorum said he didn’t care if any troops were brought home
before the election because the last time the U.S. was in Iraq,
they left and that allowed “Saddam to come back to power with a
vengeance.”

The insurgents are using that now by telling the Iraqi citizens
the U.S. will just leave again, Santorum said.

On the local front, Cameron County watershed specialist Jim
Zoschg Jr. talked about a devastating train derailment that
happened in Gardeau in southern McKean County on June 30. The
train, operated by Norfolk Southern, derailed, sending caustic
chemicals into the nearby Portage Branch of the Sinnemahoning
River.

Within 24 hours, there was almost a complete fish kill as well
as other aquatic life for 35 miles away. This is a major concern
for the area, which is largely dependent on tourism.

Zoschg was concerned that “Norfolk Southern can’t weasel out of
the damage they have caused.” He asked for any assistance that
Santorum could give in making sure they are held responsible for
what they have done.

The railroad is claiming the accident could not have caused the
fish deaths below Emporium, according to Zoschg. Santorum said he
will have the issue checked into.

Following the Emporium meeting, Santorum was in Forest County to
discuss the Allegheny National Forest with Allegheny National
Forest Supervisor Kathleen Morse to discuss the Allegheny National
Forest plan revision.