There she goes AGAIN ! ! !

Hempfield Township Supervisor and Westmoreland County Commissioner candidate Kim Ward on her Blog, has called for Erie Superior Court Judge Michael Thomas Joyce to step down from his position based on an indictment, “…so if the indictment is based on fact then Judge Joyce doesn’t need to wait to step down until the conclusion of the case, he should do it now.”
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This is very interesting considering that right here in Westmoreland County, there has been an indictment against Sen. Regola for months – and now Supervisor Kim Ward see it her duty to publicly call for the Erie Judge to resign but has not done the same and called for the Westmoreland Senator's resignation?
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Gee, Kim, the Senator from Westmoreland County has also been accused and criminally indicted – charged with even lying - but you have never called for the Westmoreland Senator's resignation. This is very hypocritical behavior on the part of Supervisor Kim Ward - or is it just political behavior.
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One has to ask “Why is it that Republicans, like Supervisor Kim Ward, want to appear tough on crime and ethics at election time except when it comes to their personal friends.
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Supervisor Kim Ward quietly and privately, outside of public view, says she called for the Hempfield Authority appointees to resign for alleged credit card abuse, but when Senator Regola was indicted, Supervisor Ward remained quiet. Why is it now that Supervisor Ward has chosen to publicly stand on her bully pulpit as a candidate for office this fall and call for the Erie Superior Court Judge’s resignation and for the Judge to “do it now.”
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It is time for Supervisor Kim Ward to be concerned with the affairs in her back yard, not those in Erie. After all Kim, you are a candidate for Westmoreland County Commissioner – not a candidate for Governor.
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THE SUPREME COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA has already taken the steps necessary to protect Pennsylvania citizens with their court order:
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“AND NOW, this 17th day of August 2007, this Court has received notice of an indictment by the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania against the Honorable Michael Thomas Joyce, a judge of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. In view of the compelling and immediate need to protect and preserve the integrity of the Unified Judicial System and the administration of justice for the citizens of this Commonwealth, the Honorable Michael Thomas Joyce is hereby relieved of any and all judicial and administrative responsibilities as a judge of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania and ordered not to take any further administrative or judicial action whatsoever in any case or proceeding now or hereinafter pending in the Superior Court of Pennsylvania until further Order of this Court."
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"Justice and Equal Treatment for or for all" does not seem to be Supervisor Ward's Campaign Theme!

Sunshine still not shining in Hempfield

Infighting persists on Hempfield board
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And we all thought and hoped that we had heard and seen the last of elected and appointed leaders carrying on the “people’s business” in secret and out of sight from the public, then, Bob Regola, chairman of the authority and an appointee of the Hempfield Township Supervisors hid from the public again.
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It seems to be another example of Hempfield leaders avoiding Sunshine in their decision making. (See previous article “GOP Chair agrees with Supervisor Kim Wards "BAD POLICY" of taking public action in secret!” further down this page).

The Trib reported that, “After the controversy broke, Regola said last month that he intended to introduce a "comprehensive reform package" to make the authority's spending practices more accountable.”
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What could possibly be in a "comprehensive reform package" that these board members don't want the public to know about?
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Taking action in front of the public, one would think, would be moving in the right direction after all the criticism that has been lobbed at the Hempfield Authority member’s who have allegedly misused the Authority’s credit cards. One would think that they would want to show the public they are trying to get things moving in the right direction.
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But NO! – the Authority Board action leaves us with the perception that they definitely have something to hide and really come off even more arrogant by attacking the one member of the Authority Board that stepped forward and blew the whistle on the alleged credit card abuse.
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It is a pitiful attempt to again try and blame the Authority Board Member that is trying to restore integrity to that board.
It is even a lamer attempt to spin the story away from themselves and upon someone else.
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Read the full story here
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Infighting persists on Hempfield board
By Chris Foreman
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Infighting on the Hempfield Township Municipal Authority continued Monday night as board member Kathy Hopkin asked the newest member, township Supervisor Bob Davidson, to resign.Reading from a prepared statement, Hopkin said it is apparent that Davidson has no intention to work with his fellow board members, some of whom Davidson has accused of misusing authority-issued credit cards.All four of Davidson's authority colleagues -- Hopkin, Robert T. Regola Jr., Brian Melenia and Matthew Pecarchik -- have refused supervisors' calls for them to resign because of the credit card controversy.The authority's past practice of granting credit cards to its board members has come under fire as supervisors complained that Regola, Hopkin and Melenia were attending several out-of-state conferences. Melenia also has charged the authority for alcohol purchases, sightseeing and nightclub visits.Pecarchik never activated his card, but he repaid the authority $300.12 for an airline ticket to take his girlfriend to a June 2005 conference in San Francisco.Supervisors voted last month to send details about the controversial spending to the State Ethics Commission's investigatory division for its review.Hopkin, a 10-year member of the authority, defended her appearances at conferences and workshops, saying they enable board members to keep up with state rules and regulations and avoid possible problems with the state Department of Environmental Protection.She refused to give the Tribune-Review a copy of her complete statement. Her term expires at the end of the year.Davidson rejected her resignation request."No, I'll be around, but I know some other people that won't be," he said in response to Hopkin.Also last night, Regola, the authority's chairman, said he presented a list of reforms to authority Manager Rege Ranella during an executive session.After the controversy broke, Regola said last month that he intended to introduce a "comprehensive reform package" to make the authority's spending practices more accountable.No discussion of a reform package occurred during the public portion of the meeting.A copy of the paperwork submitted to Ranella was not available before press time last night.

Perry Christopher says NOT US - IT IS SOMBODY ELSE - WE DON'T MAKE THE DECISIONS!!!!!

Perry - Tell us it ain't so - BUT YOU ALREADY HAVE - WOW!!!
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Perry Christopher, the chairman of the Westmoreland County Republican Committee, on his blog states that he and Kim Ward have no say and no control of what the state GOP does in Westmoreland County campaigns.
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“The PA GOP state senate campaign committee ran/orchestrated the campaign. And, according to PoliticsPA.com, I didn't have much to do with it either.” He continues by saying that Tom Balya was wrong in stating “she [Kim Ward] orchestrated one of the most mean-spirited campaigns in county history when she brought in Bob Jubelier's henchmen to attack Allen Kukovich” because, get this, “Kim was busy in the Bush/Cheney campaign.”

We all remember the Bush/Cheney personal attack campaign, the mean spirited "swift boat" ads. And, now, because Kim Ward was busy in the Bush/Cheney campaign, GOP Chairman Perry now implies that Kim Ward was therefore not responsible for “one of the most mean-spirited campaigns in county history”
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By passing the buck and denying responsibility as the Westmoreland GOP County leaders for “of the most mean-spirited campaigns in county history,” Perry now blames others for doing the nasty personal attack campaign against Kukovich, and not Perry Christopher, the chairman of the Westmoreland County Republican Committee nor former Westmoreland County Chair and now Supervisor Kim Ward.
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Perry, Did you really mean to admit that both you and Kim as the GOP leaders in Westmoreland County DO NOT CONTROL what happens in the GOP party campaigns in the county that you and she head up? Is that how Kim operates as a Supervisor? What are we to expect if she was ever to become a County Commissioner – will the state GOP call the shots then also. Or is this how you divorce yourself and Supervisor Kim Ward from “one of the most mean-spirited campaigns in county history?”
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I think you protest too much and in a very weak manner – as leaders the BUCK STOPS WITH YOU AND SUPERVISOR KIM WARD!

GOP Chair agrees with Supervisor Kim Wards "BAD POLICY" of taking public action in secret!

Thanks Perry for recognizing I was right from the get-go. See GOP Committee Chairman’s blog where he writes, “Over at Tom's blog, he quotes me as saying the Hempfield Municipal Authority members need to resign. If Tom Ceraso and I both agree on something, it must be the right thing to happen."
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The only error on your blog was supporting the action of Supervisor Kim Ward to secretly keep from the public actions of an elected official, “that Kim Ward was trying to allow the members to resign with honor and without embarrassment.” Come now, Perry, you are not also joining our current national leadership of Cheney/Bush in supporting elected and appointed leaders carrying on the “people’s business” in secret and out of sight from the public are you? And we thought that the policy of secrecy in government by elected officials was handed down to Supervisor Ward from her past close associations with the National and State Republican candidates and campaigns she has so enthusiastically endorsed and worked in.
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This “BAD” policy on the part of an elected official must have gone deeper into the local Republican Party than we feared.
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By the way – Whose embarrassment was Supervisor Ward and you really concerned about?

Secretly Supervisor Kim Ward has finally called for the Resignations of the Hempfield Municipal Authority members

The Chairman of the Westmoreland County Republican Committee agrees that the Hempfield Municipal Authority members messed up and should resign!.
Perry Christopher, Chairman of the Westmoreland County Republican Committee, wrote this on his Blog: “I don't know why these guys just don't quit. There are at least three thousand other people in Hempfield Township that could sit on the board just as well. In all honesty, the current members with the "credit card problem" wouldn't even be missed. But, none of my business, I live in Unity Township. The public is already sick of government in general. So, any official caught up in something like this should just step aside and give someone else a chance to serve honorably."
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Supervisor Kim Ward finally gets it: She is quoted saying “It appears some out there want me to stand on the rooftop and yell “resign”, and that would probably be the politically expedient thing to do.”
It certainly would be the RIGHT thing to do as an elected public official!

Supervisor Kim Ward finally got it right by calling for the resignations of the Hempfield Municipal Authority members. Supervisor Ward states “I did indeed call for resignations, just not in a public forum. I mailed my request for resignation to the individual members…”

It appears that Supervisor Kim Ward has a problem with SUNSHINE.

Openness by public officials is what the public should and expect to receive not secret actions behind the closed doors (or envelopes) behavior.

Elected public officials have a responsibility to do public business in public forums - not hidden from the public.

Supervisor Kim Ward has has yet to call for the resignation of her Authority members if they improperly used public money!

Hempfield agency chairman won't resign
By Richard Gazarik
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, July 12, 2007
The chairman of the Hempfield Township Municipal Authority board said he will not resign but he will introduce a "comprehensive reform package" at the August meeting to make the authority's spending practices more accountable.Robert Regola Jr. said he has surrendered his authority-issued credit card but defended his use of it. He said all the expenses he incurred attending conferences or seminars have "always been legal and appropriate."In the future, Regola said, "I will use my personal credit card or pay cash for any authority-related business charges."Regola and other authority board members have been under scrutiny by the township board of supervisors for their spending practices at conferences and seminars. Supervisor Bob Davidson, who serves on the authority board, demanded Monday that Regola, Kathy Hopkin and Brian Melenia resign from the board."I flatly reject his demand to do so," Regola said in a statement. Melenia and Hopkin also do not plan to resign.None of the three attended the meeting Monday, forcing its cancellation."Because my attendance at conferences has helped me to be a better-informed and more effective board member, and because all of my conferences expenses have been properly incurred and reimbursed, there is no reason for Mr. Davidson to call for me to resign ... ," Regola said in the statement."Mr. Davidson's inaccurate allegations, designed to maximize media attention, demonstrate his purely political motivation and continuing desire for publicity," Regola said.Regola said his reform proposal will require board approval for all conferences, put limits on the number of conferences a member may attend each year, and impose a cap on spending."I believe these reforms are necessary to ensure board practices are transparent and not tainted by misperception," he said.He said the expenses he has submitted to the authority "have been documented and reimbursed to the authority whenever appropriate."Regola said his attorney has advised him that it is "perfectly legal" for an authority to issue credit cards to its board members. Davidson said Regola's statement is an admission of the need for reform."He's admitted to the fact to practices that are not acceptable," he said. "The horse is out of the barn, Bob. There sure is a need for reform."He added that, if there were no problems, "Why would we need reform?"Davidson said he has been examining credit card bills and has discovered hundreds of dollars in late fees because the authority did not pay bills on time. He said the late fees were incurred because authority employees are not permitted to open credit card bills until the members see them first and can black out the personal charges.He said he suspects that board members have not reimbursed the authority for personal charges, such as airfare for spouses they take on the trips.Authority board member Matt Pecarchik last Friday reimbursed the authority for the cost of an airline ticket in 2005 for taking his girlfriend to a convention in San Francisco. Kim Ward, who chairs the township board of supervisors, said Regola's action "shows that Bob Davidson's efforts have been successful to this point." She expects a report on the authority's spending will be finished by the end of July."I'm glad they're doing what they're doing, but we still will have to make some changes," Ward added.Supervisor Doug Weimer, who recommended earlier that authority members surrender their credit cards, called Regola's decision "a great step forward.""I'm happy to see that the members of the HTMA are acting on my suggestions to cease use of credit cards," Weimer said.

"Stench From Sewage Authority Still Flows, Twp Chair Should contact Attorney General"

And we have continuing Hempfield News - Twp Supervisor Chair has yet to resolve this issue!

3 Hempfield officials miss meeting
By Richard Gazarik
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
On the night Bob Davidson planned to publicly demand that three colleagues on the Hempfield Township Municipal Authority resign for allegedly misusing credit cards, the members failed to attend, forcing a cancellation of the meeting."My intention was to come and request the resignations of Bob Regola, Brian Melenia and Kathy Hopkin," he said.Their absence forced authority manager Rege Ranella to cancel the session for lack of a quorum. He said Regola had been hospitalized and was just released; Melenia is in Maryland on a job; and Hopkin couldn't attend……

• Melenia has charged the authority for alcohol purchases, sightseeing and nightclub visits.
• Melenia and Regola attended seven conferences in a two-year period costing the authority $8,000.
• Davidson said he has reviewed $20,000 worth of charges and said he can't find receipts for any of the charges.
• Davidson said Hopkin charged nearly $11,000 from 2002 to 2005.
• He discovered that one member went to conferences at Seven Springs and Nemacolin Woodlands Resort within a five-day period.
• Another member went to three conventions within two months.
• Authority member Matt Pecarchik admitted last night that he reimbursed the authority this past Friday for expenses charged to an authority credit card for his girlfriend for a convention in 2005. He would not say where the convention was held, how much he repaid the authority, or why it took so long for him to repay the money……

Hopkin, who surrendered her credit card last week, accused Davidson of using the news media to discredit her, Melenia and Regola."It certainly is political," she said. "Why don't the supervisors speak to us? Why do they speak to us through the media? I believe this is all political. Their communication with us is zero."Davidson noted that his colleagues have traveled to San Francisco, San Antonio and New Orleans for conventions held by the American Water Works Association, which he said, deals with drinking water issues, not sewage. Read the complete article

Read more about the Stench from the Republican Party on Tom Balya's Web Page

Spending still drawing Hempfield board's attention
By Richard Gazarik
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, June 29, 2007
A Hempfield Township supervisor is proposing a plan to make its municipal authority more accountable to the public.Doug Weimer said he will ask authority members to turn in their authority-issued credit cards and will require them to pay travel expenses for national conferences or state seminars with their own credit cards or by check or cash. They will then have to submit itemized receipts for reimbursement. …… Weimer's proposal comes as the board of supervisors is seeking municipal authority credit card and expense records, including:

• Expenses for trips that members have charged for conventions in San Antonio and San Francisco and conferences in Hershey and Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Fayette County.
• Alcohol purchases at national conferences and unknown purchases at several local bars by some members.
• Payment for airline tickets to Atlanta when there was no convention scheduled in that city.

The supervisors are demanding the resignations of authority members Robert Regola Jr. and Brian Melenia after they attended seven conferences in one year, racking up charges of $8,000, according to Davidson. Cards also were issued to general manager Rege Ranella, Kathy Hopkin and Matt Pecarchik. …… Davidson complained that the Hempfield authority has had three key staffers resign over the past three years and three more had been fired, leaving authority members available to make the trips. He said authority employees who work in administration have not received annual raises because the money to pay them has been spent on travel.

CREDIT CARD ABUSE????

Expenses at Hempfield authority under scrutiny
By Richard Gazarik
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, June 27, 2007

• The Hempfield Township supervisors don't have any.
• Neither do members of the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County,
• the Westmoreland County Airport Authority
• or the Unity Township Municipal Authority.
• Directors of the Hempfield Township Municipal Authority have at least four.
• What are they? Personal credit cards.

The authority's policy allows four of its five members to charge for typically nonreimbursed expenses -- liquor, nightclub visits and airfare for spouses -- without requiring them to submit itemized receipts.
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Other authorities restrict use of credit cards or have none.The Hempfield supervisors Monday decided to review all authority expense accounts for at least the past seven years to see if there has been any abuse.Supervisor Bob Davidson, who serves on the authority, has demanded the resignations of authority Chairman Robert Regola Jr. and member Brian Melenia for allegedly misusing the cards after they attend seven conferences in one year and racked up $8,000 in expenses. Neither man has resigned.The authority's policy allows four of its five members to charge for typically nonreimbursed expenses -- liquor, nightclub visits and airfare for spouses -- without requiring them to submit itemized receipts. Other authorities restrict use of credit cards or have none.The Hempfield supervisors Monday decided to review all authority expense accounts for at least the past seven years to see if there has been any abuse. Supervisor Bob Davidson, who serves on the authority, has demanded the resignations of authority Chairman Robert Regola Jr. and member Brian Melenia for allegedly misusing the cards after they attend seven conferences in one year and racked up $8,000 in expenses. Neither man has resigned. …… The authority has no policy on travel expenses, though the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association in Harrisburg recommends its members have a written policy."This is a policy they set for themselves," said Supervisor Kim Ward, chairman of the Hempfield board.

Doing What's Right??? A Nonbinding Resolution - What no Investigation?

2 on Hempfield board don't resign
By Richard Gazarik
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Two members of the Hempfield Township Municipal Authority board apparently are not resigning, despite one director's contention that they should quit because they misused credit cards issued by the authority. Board chairman Robert Regola Jr. and director Brian Melenia ignored a Monday deadline issued by township Supervisor Bob Davidson, who also serves on the board.

• In response, the township supervisors last night voted to formally request that the authority turn over its financial records for the past seven years for review by township officials. The supervisors have concerns about authority spending practices and its decisions about sewerage projects.
• Chairwoman Kim Ward introduced a "nonbinding" resolution supporting Davidson's efforts to obtain the records. … ...
• The supervisors also have no authority to audit authority records.
• They could request an audit by the office of state Attorney General Tom Corbett, but they decided last night to request copies of the public records and review the documents themselves. ...…

When he traveled to San Antonio in 2005 for a convention, Melenia charged $26.59 on an authority credit card to buy liquor at Payless Discount Liquors and $35.33 to the River Center Comedy Club, according to authority records. He also used his card for five charges at the Great Escape in Hempfield and at Fontana's Bar in North Huntingdon.

Regola has used his card to pay for meals at the Parkwood in Southwest Greensburg and Mr. P's on Route 30 in Hempfield, according to the bills. He also charged more than $2,700 on Dec. 21, 2005, at Mountain View Inn in Unity for "expenses for board meeting." His charges also included $121 at the tavern at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort near Farmington while attending a conference there.