There is a systemic change in our local politics with the recent loss of former 83rd District Pennsylvania Assemblyman Garth Everett and former President of the Williamsport/Lycoming County Chamber of Commerce and Lycoming County Republican Party President Dr. Vincent J. Matteo. They were very knowledgeable and dedicated public servants. They were also two men that had a significant impact on the political climate of our area.
But we have some very gifted individuals coming up the political ladder. Joseph Hamm has been serving as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 84th district since 2021. Jamie Flick has recently taken the oath of office as the Representative for the 83rd district. Those who follow this column know that Representative Hamm is becoming a well-known presence in Harrisburg. What might be on the horizon is another public official who is going to make some waves — Jamie Flick.
The emergence of this businessman from South Williamsport with no previous political experience is nothing short of amazing. In the Spring 2022 primary, he faced Ann Kaufman, who had served as district director for two United States Congressional Representatives, Tom Marino, and Fred Keller. Kaufman received all the endorsements from the local Republican Party. Undaunted, Flick ran an independent campaign that relied totally on ‘ground-pounding hard work’ and a commitment to be one hundred percent positive.
The vote could not have been closer. Out of 7,163 ballots, Flick won by just 230 votes. He ran unopposed in the fall election, and one of the first to congratulate him was Joe Hamm. He committed to helping Flick in his indoctrination into Harrisburg politics. Little did either man realize how bizarre that first day in office on January 3, 2023, would turn out.
Right after taking their oath of office, they had a rude surprise. Chaos broke out on the floor after a controversial vote by some Republican State Representatives to nominate a chairman from the Democratic Party.
How and why this happened is a story for another day, but it resulted in the House Chamber being locked until the end of February!
The new Representative, Jamie Flick, decided to use this time to learn the ropes. He attended Republican policy meetings, such as one on voter ID, which was also attended by the Ohio Secretary of State. He also attended meetings with state officials in the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Education. There were a lot of informational sessions going on in Harrisburg as 25 percent of the PA House is made up of freshmen, the most in its history. Among the new fresh faces are lawyers (of course), but also community leaders, nurses, and even a physician. But what is also unique about this PA State Assembly is that they are also the largest number of businessmen ever elected.
But even here, Jamie Flick stands out. He is the only one of 203 state representatives that have not taken any corporate or party funds. He also has declined the pension or even taken advantage of the per diem allotted to him.
Jamie Flick is not used to having things given to him; he believes in working for them. He is the owner and CEO of Susquehanna Software, Inc., a human services software company. They provide software to 62 of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania. When he was told in December that he would receive a $9,000 pay raise, he was indignant. Who gets a pay raise before they do anything? He could not give it back, so he decided to give it away. There are nine volunteer fire companies in his district, and Flick decided to give each of them a $1,000 gift.
The British novelist Arnold Bennett once wrote, “Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by discomforts.” Jamie Flick is certainly going through some discomforts in his new position in Harrisburg, but hopefully, this unique politician will help bring a change for the better in our area and Commonwealth.
