Candidate for
Auditor General

By Daughter Amber Summers

Betsy Summers was born in Schenectady, New York in 1957 to Benjamin and Margaret Coe. She is the 2nd oldest of four siblings. She received her degree in Equine Science in 1976 from Centenary College in Hackettstown, New Jersey. She has 30 years business experience, first as a licensed mutual fund and insurance salesperson, then as a sales representative for both a physical rehabilitation supply distributor and veterinary pharmaceutical distributors. Betsy moved to Shickshinny, Pennsylvania with her daughter Amber in 1980 and then moved to several other towns within the area before settling down in 1984 in her adopted hometown of Wilkes-Barre. Currently, she is a sales representative for Midwest Veterinary Supply and self-employed as an Independent Broker for Market America, an internet-based brokerage company that builds home-based business networks. Her favorite hobby is home renovation, with her current project being a home in her neighborhood that was scheduled for demolition.

Betsy has been building credibility in her community for years through her grass roots campaigning and efforts to re-vitalize the city of Wilkes-Barre. In her community, she has been active as a member of the Wyoming Valley Chapter of the American Business Women's Association, serving in the past as President, Chairman of the Fund-raising Committee and Education Committee. She is currently a member of AAUW. Since 2005 she has been working with the Veterinarians in her territory collecting donations for Native American Veterinary Services and local Non Profit Animal Welfare Organizations.

Every April 15th, Betsy coordinates a tax day protest to help raise awareness of the rising cost of government spending. She has been known to devote 17 hour days standing in front of the Wilkes-Barre post office greeting ordinary people and speaking with them about the effect that government over-regulation has on their lives.

Often in the news, Betsy is always getting her voice heard. She has recently been covered in the news for such issues as home rule and taxes, and also a running story on her progress of the restoration of the condemned neighborhood property. Betsy has also made the news for her protest of the county tax hike in 2001, where she paid the difference of the tax increase with pennies (85 lbs worth!). In 1997 she received the Champion of Liberty Award for encouraging voter awareness and participation.

In 1997 Betsy was elected as Judge of Elections and has continued to serve in her district. She believes in grass roots activism and that the community is where the strength of a nation is built. In 1998 she ran for Wilkes-Barre City Council. She influenced several of the city council members to forego their benefits programs which saved the taxpayers of Wilkes-Barre money. Her most influential position she has held was in 2001 as one of the eleven home rule study commissioners that were elected to evaluate and re-write the Luzerne County government. In the election, Betsy received over 9,100 votes, the 2nd highest number cast. As a civic duty, these commissioners worked for 2 years meeting 1 to 2 times a week to build a better government for all of Luzerne County. In her words, "Working on the government study commission was very educational. By studying our county government, and then designing and proposing a form of government with checks and balances, I learned many things, including how out-of-control government can get." Now she says, "I am ready for a greater challenge, to bring working families and business back to Pennsylvania, and to provide open, honest, and transparent government to the people of the state." She also knows what it means to live in the real world. She has struggled through many of life's challenges that many hard-working Americans are facing today such as: downsizing, divorce, single parenthood, handling debt, and trying to finance a college education.

Devoted, honest, hardworking, compassionate and determined are the best words to describe what Betsy embodies. She loves Pennsylvania because of the international and cultural diversity and because of its hard-working down-to-earth people.

As her daughter and as her dear friend (as well as tough critic), I can tell you she will listen, she will learn, and she cannot be corrupted.