GLARING WEAKNESSES EXPOSED IN WARD-DUNBAR CAMPAIGN

(September 11, 2007) – Recent efforts by the political team of Kim Ward and George Dunbar to jumpstart their campaigns for county commissioner have exposed glaring weaknesses in their knowledge of county government, their qualifications to govern and temperament to hold public office.Commissioners Tom Balya and Tom Ceraso today cautioned county residents to be wary of Ward-Dunbar campaign promises and look beyond the Republicans’ political pronouncements.“The more that comes from the mouths of Kim Ward and George Dunbar, the more they reveal their lack of knowledge of county government,” Tom Balya said. “George Dunbar’s recent efforts to talk about the county’s finances were a fiasco. His proposals, if they can even be called that, were nothing more than fluff, with no substance. Some of his so-called proposals were ideas that we implemented in Westmoreland County some time ago. From a financial standpoint, he was flat wrong on a number of counts. These types of uninformed attacks are not suitable for the good people of this county.“The fact that Kim Ward, while not standing with her running mate at the time he misrepresented the county’s finances, defended Mr. Dunbar even after the facts were revealed clearly demonstrates her lack of leadership skills. She had the opportunity to correct him, but instead took the easy way out and resorted to political posturing. But her reaction should come as no surprise. She has made a career of being a political operative and opportunist,” Balya said.“Kim Ward and George Dunbar’s recent actions call into serious question their knowledge and their ability to lead,” Tom Ceraso said. “Managing county government effectively is not about politics and not about distorting numbers to fit your personal objectives. And it is not a part-time job, as Kim Ward and George Dunbar are trying to fool people into believing.“Westmoreland County residents have been questioning Ms. Ward’s and Mr. Dunbar’s qualifications to be commissioners, and their latest actions validate those beliefs. They are distorting facts – and amazingly, refusing to back down from their statements – then turning to political gamesmanship when confronted with the truth,” Ceraso said.“Kim Ward has never led. George Dunbar has never led. Kim Ward has spent her life in politics, campaigning for a living, most recently for Bush-Cheney, and only working part-time as a supervisor. George Dunbar was in charge of finances at a company that filed for bankruptcy shortly after he left. These are not qualifications suitable for the serious business of county commissioner,” Ceraso said.“The next two months will be a trying time for voters trying to sort through the half-truths and spin of the Ward-Dunbar machine,” Balya concluded. “But ultimately the truth comes out, and voters see Ms. Ward and Mr. Dunbar for what they truly are.”