George Washington’s name is everywhere, but it hits different when the story lives on a real front porch you can still stand on. We sit down with Mark Cook to trace the living history of Cook Farm in Washington Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and why one family is opening their home place to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.

We talk about what people miss when they talk about food like it just “shows up” in stores: watching the forecast, racing frost nights with covers, timing the pick before tomatoes split, and the constant labor puzzle that makes or breaks a season. It’s a grounded look at modern vegetable farming and why the farmer’s work still feeds both bodies and communities.

Then we zoom out into local Revolutionary-era history, including the Cook Farm’s multi-century land story, a farmhouse finished in 1776, and the documented thread of George Washington’s 1784 travels recorded in his diary. We also touch the early tensions of the new nation, including the Whiskey Rebellion’s local impact and what it revealed about taxation, government, and rural life.

Finally, Mark lays out plans for the Cook Farm 250 Celebration on Saturday, August 8, 2026: historian reenactors, blacksmith demonstrations, period music on historical instruments, food vendors, family activities, and the real logistics of parking, shuttles, and costs like insurance and tents. If you care about American history, heritage tourism, and family farms, this one connects it all. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves local history, and leave us a review with the one place in your hometown that deserves more attention.

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They tried to keep our guest off the ballot, and the fight ended up in court. That alone tells you something about how high the stakes are in Pennsylvania politics right now. I sit down with Al Buckton, a Pennsylvania State Senate candidate, to talk about the legal battle over ballot access, why courts matter to everyday voters, and what it means when people feel like the system is designed to narrow choices instead of expand them.

Then we get into the part that hits your wallet. We talk fiscal responsibility, budget discipline, and why “government is a business” is more than a slogan when the numbers don’t add up. We break down the basics of budgeting in plain English, from school spending math to the hard reality of a state that can’t keep spending more than it brings in. We also argue about the true cost of social services, the strain local towns feel, and why blaming “federal issues” doesn’t make state expenses disappear.

We also dig into cost of living in Pennsylvania, including gas prices, the gas tax, and how fuel costs crush people who drive for work. From there we jump to energy policy, coal, local jobs, power plants, and why electric bills keep climbing. We close with accountability: legislative track records, Act 77, term limits, and how campaign money and “go along to get along” politics shape what gets done in Harrisburg.

If this conversation helps you see Pennsylvania government, taxes, and elections more clearly, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find us.

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“Be on your guard, stand firm, be courageous, and be strong” sets the tone, and then we get practical fast. I’m John Marietta, joined by Bud Cook, and we talk about what service looks like when the calls are real, the paperwork is endless, and people just want someone to help them cut through Harrisburg bureaucracy. That “We the People” mindset is not a slogan to us; it’s the standard we use to measure everything from local trust to statewide decisions.

We also lean into Pennsylvania agriculture and rural life, because you truly do need farmers every day. Bud shares how growing up on a farm trains you to solve problems under pressure, and we tell the story behind the Blessing Of The Bailers, a Greene County tradition that’s grown into a Harrisburg gathering that honors farmers, faith, and gratitude (with May 5 on the calendar). If you care about farming in Pennsylvania, rural communities, and the culture that holds them together, this part will hit home.

Then we turn to the hard stuff: Pennsylvania taxes, gas tax frustration, and why people still feel burned by promises about gambling revenue and property tax relief. From there, we zoom out to southwestern Pennsylvania energy, coal, natural gas, and responsible development, plus the fight brewing over proposed high voltage power lines that could cut wide swaths through private land while leaving property owners stuck with the tax bill.

If you want more honesty, more local detail, and fewer talking points, listen now. Subscribe, share this with a neighbor, and leave a review with the one issue you want “We the People” to tackle next.

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We dig into why big money donors have become the real constituents in American politics and why voters feel shut out of decisions that shape their lives. We lay out a specific fix called voter dollars that aims to make voters the donors and pull power back from corporations, special interests, and mega-check politics.

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Voters keep getting told to “pick a side,” but the ballot belongs to you, not party insiders. We open with a simple challenge: reason together, stop shouting, and let candidates speak in their own words. That’s why we sit down with John Thomas, the Libertarian candidate for lieutenant governor in Pennsylvania, to hear a full-strength argument for free markets, personal choice, and cutting government control where it doesn’t belong.

We start with Austrian economics and the core idea of subjective value, then move into one of the biggest fights in Pennsylvania politics: education funding. John lays out a bold school choice plan built around sending roughly $11,000 per student in state funds directly to families, expanding competition, and reducing the grip of government-run systems. From there, we get into property tax reform and why school taxes and property taxes hit working families and retirees so hard.

Then we turn to the economy you can’t build without: energy. We talk Pennsylvania natural gas, power-plant shutdowns, overregulation, and why energy production could decide where the next generation of jobs lands, especially with AI and data centers demanding more electricity. We also vent about fuel taxes, tolls, and why the roads still feel like a mess.

If you care about Pennsylvania elections, school choice, lower property taxes, and energy policy, listen through to the end, then subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a wider view, and leave a review with what you agreed or disagreed with most.

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They’re talking about “resiliency” and “economic development,” but what we’re hearing on the ground in Southern Fayette County sounds like something else entirely: a massive high voltage transmission line pushed forward while the people who live on the land scramble for basic facts. I’m joined by Susan, who walks us through how neighbors got blindsided, how routes reportedly shifted from several options down to two, and why blurred maps and missing property owner lists turn a legal deadline into a trap for ordinary families.

We dig into the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission process, what it means when a private company like Nextera is discussed as seeking public utility status, and why eminent domain is the phrase that stops landowners cold. Susan explains what she has found in public documents, what she still cannot get answered directly, and why West Virginia’s organizing effort highlights how far behind Pennsylvania residents feel. We also talk about what these towers could mean for everyday life: right-of-way limits that affect building and farming, disruption to the Laurel Highlands’ scenic value and tourism economy, and personal fears around electromagnetic fields, wildlife impacts, and even interference with medical devices.

Then we connect the local fight to the bigger picture: AI data centers, regional power demand, and the claim that Pennsylvania utility users could be on the hook, including an $812 million figure discussed on-air, while electricity is routed toward other states. If you care about property rights, rural communities, transparent government, and energy infrastructure that treats locals as stakeholders instead of obstacles, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with a neighbor, and leave a review with your take: should landowners have the power to say no?

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Patriotism isn’t something you buy at a store or slap on a bumper sticker. We start with a faith-forward challenge: if freedom is real, it should show up as truth, courage, humility, justice, and repentance, not pride and performance. That message sets up a straight talk conversation about how regular citizens can stop outsourcing politics to insiders and start earning influence again.

Then we get practical with grassroots politics in Pennsylvania, joined by Kristen Vandermeer and Denise Bridey. We unpack what a Pennsylvania GOP state committee member actually does, how state committee elections work across the 67 counties, and why these seats matter for deciding party leadership, priorities, and the direction of the Pennsylvania Republican Party. If you’ve ever wondered who “steers the ship” behind the scenes, this is the explainer you’ve been missing.

We also dig into the controversy around endorsements before a closed primary, and why that can shrink voter choice and discourage strong candidates from even running. From there, we zoom out to southwestern Pennsylvania’s bigger stakes: the loss of steel, rail manufacturing, and industrial investment, despite rich coal and natural gas resources and a history of powering the country. We close with voter education and election participation tips, including how to handle mail-in ballots and early in-person voting when trust is low but turnout still decides everything.

If this conversation hits home, share it with someone who cares about local power, grassroots organizing, and Pennsylvania elections, then subscribe and leave a review so more voters can find it.

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We draw a hard line against secrecy in Fayette County and lay out why NDAs and closed-door deals break public trust. We connect the FAYPEN scandal to insider patterns, political influence, and a concrete plan to publish documents and push investigators to act.
• NDAs as a tool for an “invisible government”
• Why an elected official refuses to sign silence agreements
• Concerns about disclosed money versus what stays undisclosed
• Publishing documentation for public review
• Questions about political meetings held at the FAYPEN building
• The county’s decline contrasted with FAYPEN’s growth
• Why only investigators can truly open the books
• How change happens through the ballot and public pressure
you have to call your state representative, charity grimm, let her know you're on her side.
The if you got it, if you know anything and you want to put anything out there, yeah, call the FBI.

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