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WELCOME
It has been a
pleasure and a privilege to serve the residents of Westmoreland County since 1996. Through this web site, I have promoted my vision for
our county and tried to better understand your concerns. Working together, we have promoted a
proactive, fiscally responsible agenda of growth, service, and safety. The challenge of
building on our success continues.
Please visit the
news section to learn more about
Westmoreland County government and my perspective about the many challenges we face. In the
politics section, I discuss current
issues from the local level up to the national political scene. The
views
section contains the monthly articles I write for the weekly papers.
I welcome your opinion on the important
issues facing Westmoreland County, as well as our state, nation, and world. To facilitate
the discussion, please visit my polls page. Please
e-mail
me with your questions, concerns, and ideas. I hope you enjoy the site, and find it both
informative and entertaining.
COUNTY NEWS -- December 17,
2008
Commissioner
Balya Donates $3,500 to County Charities and Vocational
Schools -- Continuing a holiday tradition he began
in 1996, Westmoreland County Commissioner Tom Balya
today announced $250 donations to 14 nonprofit
charitable organizations and vocational technical
schools in Westmoreland County.
THE PEOPLE WE MEET
New on the photographs page,
April 14, 2009, you'll find a picture of Tom
with Stephanie Kokoska after presenting her with a $250
scholarship funded through the Commission charity. Go there by clicking on the picture in this section.
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THOUGHTS
ON A COOL SUMMER DAY
Finally, after months
and months of delays, Senator Al Franken from the great
state of Minnesota will finally be seated in the U.S.
Senate. Then...With all the important issues facing, the
Senate Judiciary Committee is still finding the time to
conduct hearings on the college football Bowl
Championship Series. So is it my imagination or
are the Republicans getting more and more shrill
everyday? The biggest lie being perpetrated on the
American public is the healthcare debate. Think about
it. Click on the icon in
this section to read more.
FEELING
THE SQUEEZE
The relationship between county governments, the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the federal government
is a complex one where counties primarily implement the
services mandated by state and federal law. For the most
part the public is well-served, as counties, over time,
have developed the ability to manage their mandated
responsibilities. However, there are occasions when the
higher levels of government put counties in the
difficult position of assuming costs they shouldn't have
to bear. Click
on the icon in this section to read more.
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TRIVIA: Who
said the following, "The trouble
with capitalism is...capitalists.
They're too damn greedy."
(answer will be revealed in the
coming weeks) |
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