Casey visits Greene County
WAYNESBURG – State Auditor General Bob Casey Jr. stopped in Greene County on Wednesday to stump for local Democratic candidates for county commissioner and to look at some of the economic developments in the area. Casey said he is visiting a lot of campaigns across the state, as the Nov. 4 election is less than two weeks away. While he still has one year remaining in his second term as auditor general, he will run next year for state treasurer, and he said touring the state now helps to get his campaign under way. He said there was no better place to start than Greene County.
“This county has been so good to me and it was so good to my father,” Casey said. “I want to spend some real quality time seeing the great aspects of the county.”
Casey said the county’s economic progress “is symbolic of what can happen” throughout the state.
As auditor general, he said, he is examining the role of government and the futures of each county across the state, including Greene. He said his office is working on some major cases across the state, including a review of the state police and an audit of mammography systems.
“We are a tough watchdog on spending,” Casey said.
Casey and his entourage toured three area development sites in the county, including the Mather gob pile, the bike trail at Rices Landing and cleanup efforts at the Crucible mine site.
The auditor general is responsible for conducting financial and compliance audits of state agencies as well as school districts, to guard against frivolous spending of taxpayer money. The auditor general also works to help promote healthy growth through performance audits that take into account what government entities actually accomplish with the funds.
Casey, who lost his bid for state governor to Ed Rendell in the 2002 primary election, was elected as auditor general in 1996 and re-elected in 2000.
The two Democratic nominees for commissioner – incumbent Dave Coder and Pam Snyder – joined Casey on the tour of the county. Coder and Snyder will square off Nov. 4 against Republican nominees Scott Blair, an incumbent, and John Gardner, a former commissioner. Representatives from state Sen. Barry Stout (D-Bentleyville) and state Rep. H. William DeWeese (D-Waynesburg) also toured the areas.