Letter to the editor: Politicians should account for their costs

As a follow-up to my letter “Wasteful spending in Westmoreland” (March 9, TribLive), I would like to bring to light wasteful spending in our 14th District by our representative. I previously asked what our local elected officials are doing to save taxpayer dollars. It is quite apparent wasteful spending is a way of life on the county level. But what about Guy Reschenthaler?

A dive into his current staffing reveals he maintains a staff of 20 people, which includes several directors and two chiefs of staff. I personally am not sure how many chiefs of staff one needs. By comparison, neighboring Rep. John Joyce has 17 staff members, and Rep. Chris Deluzio has 15.

While I’m sure having a large staff makes one’s work life much easier, it does not align with what Reschenthaler reports he supports, which is cutting waste and fraud. If you’re going to “talk the talk,” make sure you are willing to “walk the walk.” Maybe in his periodic mailings to his constituents he can start talking about how he is going to cut his expenditures and save tax dollars instead of berating the opposing party.

I think it is time our local elected officials are held accountable for their expenditures. If the federal workforce is to be cut by 10% as proposed by the president, then it would not be unreasonable to expect Reschenthaler to do the same and show the same fiscal responsibility his peers are displaying.

What other ways can Reschenthaler save taxpayers money?

Joann Cannon

New Alexandria