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Homistek clarifies remarks at meeting

By Marybeth Homistek 3 min read

After reading the article containing my comments on the agenda at Tuesday’s Fayette County commissioner meeting, I feel I must respond with a correction/addendum to the “top fold” article entitled “Vet’s van deal criticized.”

First of all, I am a Navy veteran and enlisted more than 30 years ago to serve my beloved country. My father and his brothers all served during World War II, and my uncle crashed his bomber into a mountain rather than to hit a village in Switzerland. So, I elected to do my part also.

I enlisted many years after college in order to “learn a viable trade” as a jet engine mechanic. I salute and applaud all vets, and thank them for their service. I expect nothing in return for my service, and am extremely grateful for what I do receive…..a free ride to the Veterans Administration Hospital in Pittsburgh if necessary, and those free meals on Veteran’s Day, which bring me to tears when I thank the restaurants involved.

I am stunned that a comment of mine about an agenda item was of such merit to deserve a prominent placement in the paper! I am well pleased by that….for such headlines are hard to come by, and usually saved for the stories about rampant drug use in this County, possible carjackings and the concerns about civility in meetings by the local judiciary.

However, my concerns are about the apparent excessive cost for a new mini-bus for the Veteran’s Affairs Office. I am well aware of the dire condition of the county budget and wanted to suggest that the commissioners look at lower bids from local dealers for the van/bus. I thought it was good to “buy local.”

I spent quite a lot of time last weekend contacting local Ford dealers to compare prices and specs and found several 14 passenger vans with handicapped accessible ramps for approximately $20,000 less than the $79,100 “bid” garnered by the dDirector of Veteran’s Affairs via the State’s Costars program.

When I learned that Costars is similar to a GSA program, all I could think of were those overpriced “golden” toilets that Congress purchased years ago, and the wasteful spending of taxpayers dollars.

My reason for speaking at the meeting was to suggest that the county “shop around” for a lower price for a mini-bus/van for the use by the Veteran’s fffice. But boy, did that backfire on me. I had no intention to demean or anger any veterans.

I did not “question the purchase of an $80,562 Flatbed Dump Truck”! It was never discussed at the meeting during public comment. And, if the chief clerk had placed the agenda online as is her job, I most certainly would have questioned that purchase also.

For the record, I checked, and a local dealer offered a price of $57,000 for a flatbed dump truck. I am so very glad I spoke up on this topic because now Chairman Vince Zapotosky and Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink will alert all department heads to “take a closer look” at their purchase requests to “ensure that the price tag is comparable with those from local dealers.”

And, once again, a solitary concerned citizen can make a difference in local government. So, for anyone who truly cares about the condition of this county, please, do not be afraid to attend the meetings and speak up and out. You may get lucky sometime and effect a change and even make the paper! And maybe even the front page!

Marybeth Homistek is a resident of Fairchance.

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