As former congressman Bud Shuster enjoys his retirement from Capitol Hill as of Wednesday, the search continues for his replacement in Pennsylvania's ninth district. Constituents in Bedford and Centre counties, among others, are left wondering who will represent them in 2001, possibly until May of this year.

Shuster's surprise retirement due to health reasons in early January of this year occurred hours after he had taken the oath of office for his new term.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman's resignation left ninth district without a congressman and the state of Pennsylvania without a ranking congressional committee member. While shock and frustration did and still does abound, the citizens of ninth district have no one to blame but themselves.

This past election year, Shuster ran unopposed on both party tickets for the eighth time, the only Pennsylvanian congressman to do so in over 50 years.

Though some congressional elections are held with an unopposed incumbent, there were so many reasons why Shuster should have faced an opposing candidate.

Four years ago, a panel of the House Committee on Official Conduct was involved in a full-blown investigation of Shuster's business relationship with former staff member and transportation lobbyist Ann Eppard.

Among the actions questioned were the close relationship between Shuster and Eppard after Eppard left Shuster's office to become a transportation lobbyist, a violation of the House rule mandating a one-year "cooling off period" between a congressman and a staff member that leaves their office, and Shuster's apparent residence at Eppard's townhouse in Washington, D.C.

In October of last year, Shuster was reproved by the ethics panel through a single letter for his "misconduct" with Eppard — actions that Shuster said were "appearances of improprieties to which I acknowledge."

Who could believe that Shuster would resign once he lost his coveted chairmanship position, a position filled with questionable actions? The ninth district should have believed it.

Shuster gained so much from his powerful chairmanship that it is laughable to think the man who could easily build a roadway in front of his son's car dealership (but could not provide a larger roadway leading into State College and Pennsylvania State University than Rt. 322) would agree to step down and take a lower position on another committee.

Shuster's actions explain his motive. Before announcing his resignation, Shuster requested a waiver of his GOP committee leadership term limit in order to extend his chairmanship of the transportation committee, which was not granted.

By allowing Shuster to run unopposed, the ninth district put themselves in this position. Where was the shock and outrage over Shuster's relationship with a lobbyist of the committee he chaired?

Where were the questions when Shuster was running unopposed for re-election for the 15th time? The district's lack of political involvement and refusal to question its elected officials left them without a representative and the possibility of being represented by another Shuster, Bud Shuster's son Bill.

Maybe this time the voters in the ninth district will determine their political fate instead of allowing it to be determined for them.