Nick Miccarelli has found a way to balance the challenging life of being a member of the United States Military and working as a United States Legislator. Miccarelli was elected as Pennsylvania State Representative serving the 162nd Legislative District in 2008. In 2009 he returned to Iraq while still holding that position. Miccarelli has been involved in local and nationwide community projects. In fact, he founded the Hurricane Katrina Sister Project, and with the help of his community, was able to assist the Hurricane Katrina victims. Miccarelli has found a way to loyally serve his country and his community with the passion he holds for the betterment of his district. Miccarelli offers a bit of insight into his busy schedule and the enthusiasm he has for the work he does.

DCM: What made you decide to return to Iraq in 2009?

MICCARELLI: I was ordered to go. So that didn’t give me much option.

DCM: You are still an active member?

MICCARELLI: Yes. I’m in the National Guard. My enlistment’s up in October of next year.

DCM: Do you plan on reenlisting?

MICCARELLI: We’ll have to make that decision at the time.

DCM: What inspired you to enter politics?

MICCARELLI: I had a couple good social studies teachers in high school who really tweaked my interests in events. I had an uncle who was a Vietnam War veteran. I interviewed him my senior year in high school, he kind of opened my eyes to the way things were. I was very intrigued by his experiences in Vietnam. But more upset to hear the way Washington really treated our soldiers very poorly on their return. And it really, really made me interested and motivated to get involved in politics.

DCM: Which career do you prefer, military or political?

MICCARELLI: They both have unique and positive aspects to them. The military has taught me a lot and politics is teaching me a lot as well.

DCM: Any votes you missed while serving in Iraq that you wish you could have made more of?

MICCARELLI: I wish I could have made them all. But you have to make a choice if you are going to serve your country you go when you are called and I’m a soldier as well as a legislator and I have to do both jobs as best I can.

DCM: Did your experience overseas help you in your military career?

MICCARELLI: Learning the army’s values, when you are overseas and in training here in the states, really helps you deal with the day-to-day stress of being a representative. It’s not an easy job and sometimes you have to look within yourself, and the values you learn as a soldier help you do that.

DCM: You are relatively young; do you plan on staying in politics?

MICCARELLI: For the time being I’m running for reelection in November. I don’t foresee any reason I wouldn’t run in the future. I love what I do. It’s not an easy job but it’s fulfilling. Right now I still have a heavy passion for it.

DCM: Would you return to combat if you were asked or needed?

MICCARELLI: Yes if I was ordered to, absolutely. If I was asked I would go back. I think any soldier would do that. It’s your job to defend the Constitution as a soldier. It’s a good balance for me. Sometimes as an elected official you get treated a certain way and as a soldier you are treated just like one of the guys, and that’s a good feeling.

DCM: When you were in Iraq were you treated any differently, being an elected official?

MICCARELLI: They did not. The guys in my unit treated me like any other staff sergeant. It’s the way I wanted it and the only way it would be. The beautiful thing about the military is you put a uniform on and cut your hair really short and everybody’s the same. Doesn’t matter what you do in the civilian world. It doesn’t matter where you come from or how much money you have. You’re just another soldier. It’s a very good way to be, where everybody is on the same level and it’s based on your merit, how far you can advance. It’s kind of a relief to have something like that in my life that I’m a part of where it’s strictly based on what you’re capable of achieving, how good you are for your fellow troops.

DCM: I see you did volunteer work for Hurricane Katrina victims. You founded the Hurricane Katrina Sister Town Project, could you tell me a little about that?

MICCARELLI: Essentially the borough of Ridley Park adopted Waveland, Mississippi, a town of similar size right on the Gulf Coast. Our mission was to collect all supplies, goods, financial contributions everything the town could possibly need. Then myself and Corporal Bascelli, from the Ridley Park Police Department, drove down straight through to the coast after the hurricane in a police car that Ridley Park donated. They were going to sell the police car, this was before I was elected Borough Councilman, I went up to council to see if they would consider donating it. I had to listen to Bascelli’s bad country singing for 18 hours in the car, but aside from that it was a very fulfilling trip.

DCM: Are you currently working on any local community projects that you are excited about or proud of?

MICCARELLI: Yeah we have a lot of projects that I’m involved in now from all over the district. One is Main Streets Ridley Park. We are trying to push small business and get small businesses and the community back together. That’s a big issue we are working on.

Essentially economic development is the number one issue on the table. And that goes for every town I have. We are trying to get small business to hire which is not easy right now with the credit crunch going as it is. We are just trying to get people back to work.

DCM: If you are reelected what are some things you’d like to accomplish?

MICCARELLI: Number one we have to start reducing property taxes on citizens and we also have to make our business tax structure a lot more competitive than it is. You see in Wilmington, Delaware a lot of new buildings, a lot of development going on down there and it’s actually because their business climate is much, much better than ours. Pennsylvania has done a very poor job enticing business to stay here or to develop here. And that equals less jobs for our citizens and that’s unacceptable. When I was growing up everybody talked about a lot of the outsourcing of jobs. My grandfather worked at Westinghouse in Tinicum, which is no longer there. So many factories in Delaware County have left and I think that’s a direct result of the negative business climate that Pennsylvania has fostered. That’s the number one on my list of things to tackle.