Thursday, November 10, 2011

HIGHER STANDARDS, MIXED MESSAGES, PHONE CALLS, AND CUFFS

A few quick observations surrounding this week's big news stories.

In the wake of the earth-shattering events unfolding in Happy Valley, the Patriot-News' editorial demanding the resignations of Joe Paterno and Graham Spanier is a great example of statewide editorial opinion regarding "higher standard" to which those in positions of great authority need to be held.


"The attorney general has determined that Paterno and Spanier did everything the law required. But a university president must be held to a higher standard. The most famous coach in college football history must be held to a higher standard." (Patriot 11/8/11)

We couldn't agree more, but we can't help but notice the sad lack of editorializing about the higher standard to which Speaker Sam Smith should also be held, for what occurred under his watch in the "Computergate" scandal.  Sure, Smith says he was duped by others and given incomplete information, but isn't that what Paterno and Spanier have been saying this week, too?

Deputy Attorney General Frank "Anybody who violated the law is going to get it" Fina loves to talk about how the "Bonusgate" and "Computergate" trials should be sending messages to the legislature:

"'I sure hope the message is getting delivered over there -- that they're there for the best interest of the people, and the best interest of the people only, and they should not be using the money of the people for personal efforts,' Fina said." (Associated Press 11/9/11)

Yet, we think the actions of gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett's probe of the legislature has sent a mixed message to the members of the General Assembly.  Especially when you consider that contrary to all the tough talk from Fina about ne'er-do-wells "getting it", former State Representative Matt Wright has yet to be indicted for running a political operation exactly like the belatedly-indicted Representative Bill DeWeese's. It's all here in the Pennsylvania Ethics Commission's 2009 decision fining Wright $10,000. We bet Mike Veon, John Perzel, Brett Feese and Steve Stetler wished they could get the same deal as Wright.

Speaking of Ethics opinions, in a recently published opinion, we couldn't help but notice the prominence the Ethics Commission gave to a series of phone calls a township supervisor made in a illegal scheme for his personal benefit:

"Palmiero and other people involved in the project made multiple calls to Kaltenbaugh -- but not the other two supervisors -- before and after the vote, the ruling says." (Tribune Review 11/9/11)

So, rougly two dozen phone calls are proof of malfeasance concerning a roughly $9,000 scheme, but the hundreds of phone calls made by gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett and his campaign staff made to and from the taxpayer funded offices of the Attorney General using their campaign cell phones have yet to be examined for either ethics or campaign finance violations.

Finally, there is more handcuff hijinks from the Office of Attorney General.  Senior Deputy Attorney General Kenneth Brown was quite adamant after catching flak for how bonusgate and computergate defendants were being paraded around that everyone arrested for a felony is shackled:

"A felony is a felony, and if it is a felony, you get cuffed.  The law makes no distinction for white collar crimes, and neither do we." (Patriot News 11/13/09)

It's the law! Or, is it? Some of those arrested in relation to gubernatorial candidate Corbett's legislative investigation were cuffed and some weren't. Now, check out the picture accompanying this post. That's the now-infamous duo of Curley and Schultz walking into their arraignment on Monday...uncuffed.

Brown is either full of poop or an ignorant jackass. Either way, how did he ever get to become a Senior Deputy Attorney General when he has blatantly allowed the law as he adamantly interprets it to be broken or just makes it up as he goes along?

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

What about Gov. Tom Corbett's role as Attorney General and a member of the Board of Directors at Penn State?
What did he know and when did he know it? When did he know about Jerry Sandusky's alleged behavior?
As a Director should he have not banded Sandusky from access to children?

Anonymous said...

It is hard to follow the article, every time you admit Democrats broke the law like DeWeese, you keep convicting yourselves again and again.

Meanwhile Republicans are free to use power as they whim or demand.

Yet, you let Mike Long and Republicans skate instead of seeing how Russ Diamond is now a Corbett Fan and Defender.

Hiring Private Conservative Detectives to attack Conservative Republicans is a smoking gun but you people are stuck on handcuffs?

The way I see it, DeWeese is the only one questioning Corbett and if he is found Not Guilty, he will be a thorn in Republican side for a long time.

We need the truth about Republicans to inform the public on Corbett, but you cloud the truth with your personal vendetta.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said... What about Gov. Tom Corbett's role as Attorney General and a member of the Board of Directors at Penn State?
What did he know and when did he know it? When did he know about Jerry Sandusky's alleged behavior?
As a Director should he have not banded Sandusky from access to children? November 10, 2011 1:16 PM

This Child For Sex Scandal is growing out of control right smack in the middle of the Republican T.

Joe Paterno has been a big Republican Supporter in Cash and Raising Cash for Decades.

Jerry Sandusky's biggest Donors are Republican to his Second Mile Charity.

So, do you think Tom Corbett that started this investigation is going to let it get out of control to prosecute Republicans? Not on his Re-election Life.

If Tom Ridge takes the job, the Creator or Homeland Security that has access to Technology, Intelligence Organization, People, and Power will take over and cause smooth sailing to avoid Republican mistakes and mud.

After all, they had 18 months to 2 years to plan the shutdown on the blowback and have a planned exit outcome.

They control 4 Power Basis, House, Senate, Govenor, and Judiciary!

Signor Ferrari said...

As Anonymous 3:51 is well aware, DeWeese will never go to trial. He is using the threat of exposing the deal he struck on "Bonusgate" as a bargaining chip to get a plea agreement that will allow him to remain in office at best or keep his pension at worst. DeWeese had nothing but praise for Corbett - even calling the day of Veon's indictment "one of the best fucking days of my life" - right up until the moment he himself was indicted. These are facts, nothing more or less.

Anonymous said...

Signor Ferrari said...November 10, 2011 5:10 PM

When a man points a finger at someone else, he should remember that three of his fingers are pointing at himself.

Louis Nizer

Frank Fina and Tom Corbett are the ones committing crimes nd were highly unfair to all of you.

Anonymous said...

The governor knew of the investigation....that explains all the Deep cuts to Penn state funding.

It is becoming apparent his dislike for Penn state.

Because of his lack of faith in the administration, he hurts the students who are attending and who want to attend by cutting psu funding to ridiculously low numbers.

Wow, this is all making sense now.

Punish them all for the wrongs of the few.

He knew it all because of his prior role as attorney general. He leaned on the board of trustees to fire Joe paterno.

It is clear he is trying to decimate Penn state.

I realize a few men did wrong but wow. Psu educates the masses in Pennsylvania. This situation is about way more than football.

Anonymous said...

Governor Corbett is walking a fine line here. I wonder how agile he is?

Corbett's prosecutions have overwhelmingly been of political enemies.

Maybe the prosecutors are being more than fair to Penn State -- clearly Sandusky's behavior under the nose of PSU officials is a terrible thing.

But it does feel like Corbett has orchestrated this whole thing for maximum impact on PSU.

Let's hope his intention is to protect the great asset that Penn State is, and not to tear Penn State down just because he doesn't think taxpayers should support higher education.

Public funding is critical to higher education...in every state.

Governor Corbett does not get that, now Penn State will payout even more damages, and Corbett has his head up his rear.

mike said...

This is the greatest blog ever, i always get a good laugh when reading it. It's all sour grapes! Everyone had the oppurtunity to tell the truth and some people decided it was better to lie than come forward.

You all can blame Corbett and the AG's Office, truth of the matter is, the individuals involved made the choice to do the things they did.

Move on with your lives before the hate destroys you and everything you love.

Anonymous said...

Maybe this blog is run by some haters, but that doesn't change all the contradictions and hypocrisy it continues to point out.

Anonymous said...

IMO, Corbett showed solid leadership.

Paterno had everyone that mattered under his thumb at PSU.

With him being fired, I think the school will take on a less incestious type feel--where knowing people and having money wont buy you out of trouble.

Or out of a coverup for severe child sex crimes.

If you really knew about the situation, you'd never make such a claim.

Popular perception can frequently be misperception.

Anonymous said...

Agree. Penn State is a business, as is higher education in general. businesses run on public perception.

They get sunk by unfavorable public perception. whether ultimately "right" or "wrong" it was the right strategic decision to control damage to Penn State and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. as in, hey world.

Tom Corbett here, just giving you a shout out to let you know that contrary to the way it may seem, when you are driving through our lovely state and need to stop for gas out in the middle of it.

No worries, there won't be someone strumming the deliverance tune on their banjo (unless of course you make a wrong turn and end up out by the stadium, just kidding, but otherwise you'll be fine....until election time.

Anonymous said...

Corbett was also weighing in as an ex officio member of the board. When the book is written on this scandal, governors of PA are going to be tarnished too.

Hang Corbett in effigy Saturday get him out of office asap.

This man is at the top of the chain, and needs to be investigated along with all the others that have fallen underneath him.

A federal investigation is necessary here, no less than bringing in the true professionals to uncover the corruptness involved in this whole thing.

Anonymous said...

Tom Corbett systematically destroying the Pennsylvania State University...

Allowing Sandusky to remain a child predator while knowing about accusations and evidence as far back as [?] and even allowing him to retain access to a state-funded school while he was governor...

Keeping the ace of this story in his back pocket, not releasing it until AFTER his election to ensure he was elected...

Keeping the ace of this story in his back pocket to demolish funding to public education, and then to promote his cronie Tom Ridge to take over as university president...

"Accidentally" leaking the GJ report early..."forcing" the BOT to fire Joe Paterno at TEN O'CLOCK at night, knowing full well it would incite a riot on campus, making it look bad....

"An unconscious people, an indoctrinated people, a people fed only partisan information and opinion that confirm their own bias, a people made morbidly obese in mind and spirit by the junk food of propaganda, is less inclined to put up a fight, ask questions and be skeptical."-- Bill Moyers, 2005

"Increasingly, we are a people estranged from critical thinking, divorced from logic, alienated from even objective truth." - Leonard Pitts, Jr., Pulitzer Prize winner

Anonymous said...

As I understand it, Sandusky sexually assaulted young boys.

This charge was initially investigated in 1998, but was deemed by the then DA not worthy of prosecution.

There is another incident in 2002.

This is witnessed by McQueary, who first reports it to his dad and then to Joe.

Joe reports it to Curley and Schultz.

Curley later tells the head of The Second Mile that the charge was investigated and found to be without merit. The original DA disappears.

The new DA gets hold of the charge somehow, but bucks it up the the state AG, citing a conflict of interest.

The AG, Corbitt, starts his own investigation. Corbitt gets elected governor.

In so doing, he becomes a member of the Board of Trustees.

As a member of the BoT, with knowledge of an ongoing investigation of a sexual predator on campus, he does nothing to warn authorities of the monster in their midst.

The sealed indictment from the grand jury is "accidentally" leaked.

(How often does this happen?)

The scandal explodes a few days before election day.

Corbutt attends his first BoT meeting.

At the end of the meeting, Spanier and Paterno are fired because they did nothing to report or stop Sandusky.

Which is the same charge that can be made against CorBETt.

Following the logic of the lynch mob thus far, shouldn't Corbitt be impeached?

As a member of the BoT, he was aware of a sexual predator loose on campus and did nothing to prevent his access to university facilities.

Corbett enabled a pedophile just as all he charged.