facebook
rss
twitter
  • About
    • Contact
    • Elementary & Secondary Education Department
    • Social Concerns Department
  • Legislative Review
  • Issues
    • Catholic Education
    • Faith and Politics
    • Health Care
    • Life and Dignity
    • Marriage and Family
    • Religious Liberty
    • Social Justice
  • Bishops’ Statements
    • En Español
  • Resources
    • Bulletin Inserts
    • Church Documents
    • PA Catholic Statistics
    • Related Sites
    • Send A Letter to The Editor
  • Subscribe
    • RSS Feeds
    • Via E-mail
  • Contact
  • Podcast

PA Rep. Tom Caltagirone Looks Back on Long Career of Service in Harrisburg

August 19, 2020
by Al Gnoza
Comments are off

Pa Rep Tom Caltagirone (D-Berks) will be stepping down from the state legislature at the end of his current term. He has decided to not seek re-election.

Caltagirone has served 22 terms in the state House. He took office in 1977 and ranks as the longest-serving legislator in the PA General Assembly. He has served under nine governors, taking office during the second term of Milton Shapp.

Caltagirone has seen a lot of folks come and go and has observed a lot of changes at the Capitol—starting with all the new technology.

“We didn’t have any computers back then,” he told me on a visit to his Capitol office. “No cellphones. None of that existed. Everything was by telephone and personal communication.”

But that doesn’t seem to be the change that has had the biggest impact on Caltagirone.

“It’s changed—the whole composition of the membership. You have the left, you have the right and it seems like more moderates—both Democrats and Republicans—very few of them exist anymore. It’s just as bad in Washington. You begin to wonder: what’s their purpose? They’re there for the people, to do the people’s business and to try to make things better. But that doesn’t always happen. There’s too much warfare going on between the two parties and it’s not good for the people.”

The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference worked with Caltagirone on two bills that he has sponsored and worked on, both having to do with taking rundown properties and converting them into shelter for the homeless. They’re known as the “Land Bank bills.”

“I’ve worked on that for years, trying to give the communities extra tools to work with in their home areas so they can get these derelict properties, fix them up with the proper tax credits and additional funding and help people that are without homes right now—the homeless, veterans—put them into housing, quality housing that meets code standards, of course.”

I asked Rep. Caltagirone what he would do with his time when he leaves the Capitol. He hasn’t established a firm plan, but he’s been thinking about it.

“I’m thinking of different things. I’m thinking of writing my memoirs because I go back all the way to Gov. Shapp and it’s been quite a ride. There are a lot of memories, a lot of funny things that have happened. And some very interesting situations in how we how evolved to get certain things done over the years.”

About the Author
Social Share
  • google-share

News From Around PA

  • Pope hospitalized for respiratory infection, Vatican says
  • Archbishop Pérez: Join in prayer for the intention of the Holy Father’s good health
  • Photo Feature: Archdiocesan Mass for Persons with Disabilities
  • The Historical and the Mystical
  • Stop the Government from turning VA hospitals into illegal Abortion Clinics
  • Golden Apple Educators Announced for Diocese of Harrisburg
Click To Read More

Post Archives

Unable to load Tweets

Follow

Recent Posts

PA Budget Hearings for Wednesday, 3-29-23
Mar 29, 2023
PA Budget Hearings for Tuesday, 3-28-23
Mar 29, 2023
Budget hearings at the PA Capitol
Mar 21, 2023

All Issues

  • Catholic Education
  • Faith and Politics
  • Health Care
  • Life and Dignity
  • Marriage and Family
  • Religious Liberty
  • Social Justice

banner

Sign up to join the Catholic Advocacy Network today!

CClogo© 2021 Pennsylvania Catholic Conference. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.
Bookmark and Share Site by Halibut Blue® | Login