State Rep. Cook, Bud | Pennsylvania 50th Legislative District
State Rep. Cook, Bud | Pennsylvania 50th Legislative District
Rep. Bud Cook of Greene and Washington counties addressed the Washington County commissioners during their regular meeting, continuing his pursuit for transparency concerning the Local Share Account (LSA) program. Cook is questioning the handling of $10 million in unaccounted-for funds.
"For six years, I have been seeking answers about LSA on behalf of the people I represent, and the people the commissioners were elected to serve," Cook stated. He expressed frustration over being ignored and facing legal pushback at taxpayer expense due to not being "politically connected."
Cook has called for openness from the commissioners regarding financial discrepancies. "Why not just open the books and show us the $10 million in funds that are unaccounted for. Show us the process the board goes through to make selections about who gets funding and who doesn’t," he said. "If there’s truly ‘nothing to see here,’ why are the commissioners refusing to answer our questions?"
Since taking office in 2017, Cook has voiced concerns about possible conflicts of interest in awarding LSA funds, as well as a lack of fairness and accountability in their distribution process. His efforts include right-to-know requests and communication with state officials seeking an audit of the program.
The LSA was created under Act 71 of 2004, also known as the PA Race Horse Development and Gaming Act, intended to distribute gaming revenues via the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) for projects serving public interests within Pennsylvania. Counties with gaming facilities manage local LSAs to fund economic development projects, job training, community improvements, and other public interest initiatives.
Further details on Cook's attempts to gather information can be found at RepBudCook.com.
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