Wows & Scowls
Wow: Belated congratulations to Masontown Mayor Thomas Loutoka, who got invited to attend Gov. Ed Rendell’s inauguration ceremony in Harrisburg Jan. 16. He and his wife also attended the concert and ball that followed. From what we read, Loutoka wasn’t touting his personal connections to the governor in order to solve his borough’s woes. It’s a bit refreshing to see someone leave politics out of the equation for a change. Wow or Scowl?: Some people have called asking why we haven’t “scowled” newly seated state Reps. Timothy S. Mahoney and Deberah Kula for taking state vehicles. That’s a hard one, particularly since neither of them pledged to forego that benefit when running for office last year. Also, neither one of them took top-of-the-line cars from the state fleet, with Mahoney opting for a 2004 Dodge Durango at $389 per month and Kula signing up for a 2005 Jeep Cherokee for $290 per month. Those seem reasonable, considering House rules permit them to obtain a private dealer lease for up to $650 per month, or drive their personal vehicles and submit for mileage reimbursement or 48.5 cents per mile. But then again, by using a fleet vehicle they are still eligible to seek reimbursement for gasoline purchases only. Purists may think that, as reformers, they should have steered clear of a state vehicle completely. What do you think?
Wow: You gotta’ love citizen activist Gene Stilp, a perpetual thorn in the side of Harrisburg lawmakers. Stilp still plans to bring his 25-foot-high inflatable pink pig, symbolizing the greed that exists in the state capital, to Waynesburg to protest House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese’s granting of secret bonuses to nearly everyone on his staff (his scheduled Wednesday appearance was delayed). And Stilp’s filed a lawsuit in hopes of getting to the bottom of the question of the day, which is were these “special meritorious bonus payments” in any way related to campaign work. DeWeese’s spokesman has flatly denied that. But he’s the same guy who initially refused to provide details on what turned out to be $2.4 million worth of bonuses over two years, proclaiming them an “internal personnel matter.” Right.
Wow: The life and times of William Balsley, known as “Mr. Connellsville,” should be remembered with his recent passing. Balsley was a premiere historian and was in the news right up to the end, speaking out against the proposal to rename Connellsville Airport in honor of Fayette County Commissioner Joseph A. Hardy III.
Scowl: Two days before it had to submit a tentative budget to the state, Brownsville Area School Board members found out that the district had pretty much spent its $1 million balance, due to rising special education and health care benefits. Much hand-wringing ensued about how, in order to be in a solvent position, the district needed to maintain a cushion of between 5 and 10 percent of its budget. Auditor Carmen Porter said: “If you were a corporate business, your stock holders would be very upset with you right now.” Guess what? If any school district were a corporate business, it wouldn’t sign contracts calling for salaries and benefits that it couldn’t cover, and it wouldn’t offer lucrative employee buyout deals that make no fiscal sense.
Wow: State Rep. Timothy S. Mahoney has gotten a spot on the House Appropriations Committee, a pretty plum assignment for a freshman representative. Remember that the next time some crusty old incumbent tries to tell you that you can’t ascend the all-important Harrisburg ladder without the requisite years of “seniority.”
Scowl: What business does any Fayette County commissioner have dispatching county solicitor Joseph E. Ferens Sr. to talk to Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink about disbanding the Fayette County Airport Authority, as Zimmerlink says happened in 2004? If one of her peers thought that was a good idea, he should have brought it up at a public meeting and laid his proverbial cards on the table. Whenever any major decision is reached behind closed doors and away from the light of knowledge, it’s a bad move.
Wow: Kudos to Uniontown native Gene Huey, running backs coach for the Indianapolis Colts, who footed the bill for a Super Bowl party at Uniontown Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3514. It was an even bigger event when the Colts, Huey’s employer for 15 years, defeated the Chicago Bears 29-17 to become Super Bowl champions.
Wow: Work continues to flourish at the Fayette County Business Park in South Union Township, where the county redevelopment authority recently awarded a $7 million contract for building a four-lane extension of Matthew Drive through the park. The park, formerly part of the old county home property, is one of local government’s great success stories. The effort should be expanded elsewhere.