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Balya Sets the Record Straight
Posted
2-21-2000
One of the main reasons I maintain this web site is to be able to share with
readers a much more detailed perspective of stories they read in the
newspapers. Space often limits the ability of newspapers to really provide
the details of an issue. One issue that appeared in the Tribune-Review is
Tom Ceraso's recent criticism of some of the things he doesn't like about
his first few months in office. Since that criticism was directed at me, I'm
going to tell you how I see things.
If Tom disagrees with policy
decisions, I'll respect his views and work with him to reach understandings.
But if he's just going to complain because the political cronyism of the
past is done away with, too bad. As always, I'm committed to eliminating the
system where the same people and the same families get all the contracts and
all the jobs. In this instance, Tom's flip-flop on the Housing Authority is
astounding. I haven't spoken about the issue of Terry Marolt's hiring since
the week it happened and he used his about face on that issue as a lead-in
to complain about two personnel actions taken in the first week of this
administration.
Tom Ceraso is trying to play
it both ways. He says he wants to "run government like a business" and do
what is best for the citizens of our county. Yet, it seems all he wants to
do is protect the interests of the Paletta faction. Maybe since his only
previous "business" experience was in leak detection at that bastion of
political patronage the Municipal Authority that's what he thinks "business"
is all about. The crew he's defending ran roughshod over our county for many
years and left this government with a bloated payroll, a huge deficit
looming, and did so many debt refinancings that we will have little ability
to refinance debt in the future.
I find it curious the issue
he's criticizing me publicly for is that a couple of his political buddies
were demoted or replaced. The two individuals were promoted or hired in the
waning days of the Vidmer-Marolt lame duck administration. That type of move
is virtually done nowhere else in government because there is an expectation
that new administrations will put their people in place. Those actions were
just one more example of Vidmer and Marolt thumbing their noses at the will
of the electorate who had clearly chosen to move Westmoreland County in a
different direction. If Tom doesn't support my effort to eliminate patronage
that is unfortunate because clearly, it is an issue that makes the public
cynical about government. Maybe, since he got his only previous job through
politics, he doesn't see anything wrong with patronage. The replacements put
into those jobs were considerably more qualified and we did the responsible
thing by creating two solicitors (one for the Tax Claim Bureau and one for
the Tax Assessment Board).
He apparently thinks Vidmer
and Marolt's last grabs as lame ducks should stand. Yet, when there are
changes in administration at any level of government some people are
replaced. Tom really shows his ties to the old regime by complaining about
the few changes we've made. We've done nothing reckless and the initial
changes have been minor. I don't think the voters of this county elected the
new Board with the expectation that we'd leave all of Vidmer and Marolt's
people in place, but it seems apparent Tom expected that. Tom also complains
that my actions are simply an emotional response to people I don't like.
That is plain wrong, but I do have a moral and intellectual contempt for a
system that for decades has perpetrated nepotism, patronage, and poor public
policy for the personal gain of a chosen few. I feel that, if possible I
should attempt to dismantle that system.
Have I compromised with him?
Yes indeed! I've never believed elected officials should have the taxpayers
pay for a vehicle, its gas, insurance, and maintenance and I have never
taken a taxpayer-financed car. A car is a perk that the people we serve do
not enjoy and we should live like those we represent. When Tom came aboard,
both Scott Conner and myself wanted to abolish the practice of Commissioners
taking cars to set an example that things would be different. He absolutely
had to have one, and I compromised because it was very important to him.
Clearly from his statements
last week, Tom wants to stay in the good graces of the Paletta faction and
the way to prove his loyalty to them was by criticizing me. It doesn't help
our working relationship or county government and I wonder whether the
message of change he spoke of during the campaign was sincere. To make our
government work better, every operation will be examined. There will be
changes from the inefficiencies of years of Vidmer-Marolt rule. If Tom
resists change of that status quo, he'll be sadly out of step with a
forward-thinking effort to improve government.
I certainly don't have all
the answers, expect to be right always, or to have everyone agree with my
point of view, but I KNOW things can't be the way they were before. Our new
administration has been in place less than two months. But if Tom's first
public pronouncements are any indication of his priorities, I'll be glad to
stack my agenda along side his, and let you decide which direction county
government should move. |
