Commissioner Candidates Answer Hard Questions

by David Croyle

Four of the five candidates for Armstrong County commissioner were in the Family-Life TV studio last night to answer questions about their views of political life.

Republicans David Battaglia and Robert Bower sat at the table with Democrats David Wolfe and Rich Fink for individualized questions that were submitted in advance through the Kittanning Paper website.

Notably Jack Dunmire, who has not participated in any debates by other organizations, declined an invitation to participate in this event that was broadcast on cable television, radio, and over the Internet.

David Battaglia

David Battaglia (pronounced “Bat-tag-lee-a) answered questions about his relationship with many Republican leaders in the state and federal government. Battaglia said he felt these relationships would be important to bring Armstrong County to the forefront for state funding and federal mandates.

“I am going to call upon the friendships and relationships I have to help with the jobs we need. You have to create an environment that businesses need to succeed. You start with the infrastructure, communications, transportation… Quite frankly, we need to make sure our technology is moving forward. We have too many drop zones in the county. If you are going to Boggs Township, you are going to lose your cell phone signal, which means you are going to lose your iPad. We need to move forward in communications. As we make it easier for businesses to be successful and more progressive here, then I will call upon those relationships to get the technology here we need.”

Battaglia also had a response when criticized for promoting a pro-gun and pro-life agenda that had little to do with local political decisions.

“My campaign is not solely pro-life or pro-gun. It is for lowering taxes, bringing jobs here and creating a good, strong business environment for businesses to succeed. I am unapologetically pro-life and I believe that because I respect life at every level shows that I respect people. Quite frankly, the number of people in this county that belong to the NRA that are gun owners or sportsmen are substantial and they want to know that you are one of them. Those are not statements as to what I am going to do in the county. I am not going to change any laws there because you can’t (as a county commissioner). But it lets people know who I am as a person, and what I believe and where I come from.”

Robert Bower is the current Armstrong County Coroner. His personal integrity was the focal point of an attack by the current county commissioners nearly two years ago. Bower has dismissed the allegations, stating that they were a result of a political agenda.

“I think my integrity is intact as it has always been. Certainly the situation that was set off by the county commissioners two years ago was the encouragement from the public to have me run. They saw it for what it was. I was taught years ago by my parents to keep a smile on your face, let your enamel shine through. If people want to be vindictive of you, they only have one thing in mind and that is their own self. They are just trying to sustain their own position in life. I took that very serious. It bothered me a lot. It bothered my family. It certainly hurt my family including my father who campaigned very hard for those commissioners at the time. Regardless of all that, my integrity, my chin, my chest, has been high ever since. I look every day as a new day in life, so therefore, every day is a new adventure for me. My integrity is there – my integrity hasn’t changed.”

David Wolfe, a former international representative for the United Steelworkers of America union, was criticized for his role in the closure of Eljer Pottery in Ford City. Wolfe denied that his involvement led to the collapse of jobs for 400 workers.

“Sun Capital came here. They were a group of financial investors. They came here with the sole purpose of closing Eljer down and moving it to China. All along we knew where this was going. I resent when people say I closed Eljer because one person cannot close Eljer. That would be like saying “Rich closed the mines where he worked at.’ It didn’t happen that way. While Jacuzzi (a former Eljer owner) was here, I brought the Secretary of Economic Development here right before Sun Capital purchased them. We got them to give a grant to Eljer for one million dollars. Jacuzzi and then Sun Capital refused the grant. That would have lowered our unit costs significantly. What that told me, and the workers, and the company officials that they had no intentions of staying here.”

Rich Fink is the current county commissioner, being elected in 2004 and has served two terms. A former local union president, Fink defended a raise of $12,824 that he has received since taking office.

“That system was in place before I became a commissioner. When it comes to elected officials, the county commissioners – not in an election year, but the year prior – set for the next four years to establish salaries.”

Fink pointed out that all the elected officials get the same cost of living increase that is given to the average county employee.

“Whatever the county commissioners do for the at-will employees, that is what elected officials receive as a raise. If it is one percent, or two percent that the at-will employees get, that is what the county commissioners receive.”

In a question concerning illegal immigration in the county, Battaglia, Wolfe, and Bower all felt that it was an issue that has affected local jobs. Fink took exception to the position of the other three candidates.

“I don’t want to be painted with a brush just because somebody’s talking in a foreign language that they are an illegal immigrant because that is not true. Every candidate sitting here, their family was an immigrant. Where I come from, my union – United Mine Workers – was formed because of discrimination on immigrants. It was Italians, the Polish, the Irish, that they joined together.”

Finally, the question was asked if the candidates felt the new Armstrong School District school board would benefit our area and why.

“If the Armstrong School District is keeping employment out of Armstrong County, then the other school districts in the county should have employment in those other school districts and we don’t,” Wolfe responded.

“I actually think there is a direct working relationship between the school board and the commissioners. I think that this is actually a pinnacle time in Armstrong County where we have a school board that we can work with. I have known for years that people coming into Armstrong County do question the school district. They are very much interested in what the school district can do for their child. We have so many of our doctors who come into our area that actually live out of county so their children don’t have to come into Armstrong County schools because of all the ongoing problems. We are missing out on the opportunity for them to come into Armstrong County and spend money here in the county and pay their taxes here.” Bower said.

Battaglia agreed. “It is very important that the commissioners have a dialogue with the school board. I attended the Rose Stitt/Stan Berdell debate and was surprised that more candidates as a whole weren’t out there. That was a very important debate. It’s not just Armstrong School District – that’s the one that got the play in the media this time around. It’s a very big county with a lot of different school districts. We need to be attentive to the county as a whole.”

Fink concluded. “It is very important when we are talking about communication that I will advocate next year to continue what we have done in the last four years. We have been able to get summits with the school districts. We have eight school districts in Armstrong County. They all need to come to the table. They need to meet with our commissioners. They need to understand the issues in their communities. Some people don’t like what they see, what they get, and don’t choose to locate here. If you get a CEO that is looking to come to Armstrong County, one of the first things he looks at is the education. He wants to bring his family here. Northpointe is in the Freeport district and I can tell you, great things have already come from those meetings – and one was the LERTA.”