Donora leaders outraged by Rep. Cook’s comments

By KRISTIE LINDEN

klinden@yourmvi.com

Donora Borough officials aren’t pleased after a local state representative expressed negative opinions about council last month.

During a January meeting with state Rep. Bud Cook, R-West Pike Run Township, Donora resident Roderick Wilson sought support for attracting new businesses to town — especially a bank.

Cook told Wilson that was up to borough council members. 

“I worked so hard for Donora during my first term,” Cook said in January. “I’ve never stopped fighting for Donora, but that’s a pipe dream.

“Donora council doesn’t have their crap together. It’s been over two years since I met with your current mayor. I don’t see it on the leadership side. You may not want to hear it, but I’m about honesty. Your local people have to get it together. I will fight for my communities, but I’m all about a hand up, not a hand out.”

The meeting was reported in the Mon Valley Independent, and Wilson sent the article to Donora Council for discussion at Thursday night’s workshop meeting because he was upset by the representative’s derogatory remarks about council and lack of support for bringing a bank to town.

Council members and Mayor Jim McDonough were extremely unhappy with Cook’s characterization of them.

“We need to get our solicitor to write Bud Cook a very stern letter telling him, that you know what? A person who lives in one hell of a big glass home should not throw the rocks that he throws. Because he is full of crap,” Councilman Joe Greco said. 

McDonough said he was eager to add his two cents to the conversation because if Cook wanted to come to town and talk to a Donora resident about the leadership in town he should have actually talked directly to the leaders instead. 

“My door is always open to him,” McDonough said. “I will gladly debate with him about how he came into our town handing out brochures for fish from a different community and never came back to see us.

“I have openly and honestly always been forthright with Bud Cook, saying Donora needs the support from him. If he does not want to give it, but comes here and badgers and says things derogative about our council or the mayor, I will gladly debate him in the open about it.”

To read the rest of the story, please see a copy of Friday’s Mon Valley Independent, call 724-314-0035 to subscribe or subscribe to our online edition at http://monvalleyindependent.com.