The recent news that disgraced former Luzerne County Judges Michael Conahan and Mark Ciavarella now face a 48 count indictment on a laundry list of serious accusations may prove too late to undo the vast damage they and their Democrat cronies have done to our region during their multi-generational reign of error.
Their unbridled greed, arrogance and disdain for the positions they held is knitted into the fabric of northeastern Pennsylvania at this point. They and their ilk are responsible for the destruction of this region and the capitulation of our streets to gangsters and thugs much like themselves.
Here’s my theory: The monolithic rule of Luzerne County is now a multi-generational phenomenon. Grandfathers greased the skids and paid the party bosses in order to get work in government, a huge provider of local jobs. These government jobs were not the only occupations the power brokers controlled: They also had a lock on a large allotment of teaching and administrative positions within the local school system. So, anyone that didn’t play ball, vote their way, buy their picnic tickets or line their bulging pockets was driven away from the area they loved, many never to return. Many of those left behind were of a diluted and compromised bloodline. While chasing out those with vision and potential in exchange for the tattered family crest of a handful of well-known family names, we were left with a shallow pool of cronies who felt a sense of entitlement and displayed a limited work ethic. Meanwhile, the monotony of no-show jobs and flat out greed led to a slew of unethical opportunities, including gambling, racketeering, skimming and daylighting. That’s the practice of holding two day jobs at once because no one’s keeping track of you.
Disgraced former judges Conahan and Ciavarella set a new gold standard for insidious conduct. They grand jury presentment from Harrisburg details an orgy of greed that would make Caligula envious. The indictment claims various deposits were made in sham accounts to hide the fact that the former judges were receiving copious kickbacks from a local builder. The pair stands accused in the indictment of receiving nearly three million dollars in ill-gotten gains, which is real wealth in these parts.
The Legal Intelligencer of Philadelphia painted a picture yesterday of a courthouse modeled after “Lord of the Flies,” with a cousin of Judge Conahan steering certain attorneys to appear in front of certain judges to dictate certain outcomes. The paper also reported the Judicial Conduct Board of the state of Pennsylvania had been tipped to the chaotic state of justice in the county in 2006. Where have they been?
This widely accepted behavior has exasperated barristers who couldn’t understand how their solid cases went up in smoke in front of certain judges. Some question the very foundation of this beautiful building.
So, here’s where we stand today. Luzerne County players have thought largely of themselves and their benefactors. Solid citizens who could have been innovative grew discouraged and left town. Their parents are passing away, leaving ramshackle homesteads behind. Those homesteads are being snapped up by out of town landlords, interested mainly in cramming detached tenants into boxes in which they have no attachment except financial. Some of this transient population isn’t here to work in e-commerce, but in street commerce. Homicide and drug investigations are on the uptick while honest, decent paying work continues to slide.
How did we get here? If you think the old boy network is responsible like I do, don’t just seethe as you study our history. Remember who took us down this disgraceful path when you go to the polls. To recap: No show jobs, pay to play, runaway greed, cash for kids, missing money, deteriorating quality of life and arrogance. Can another party do much worse?
Corbett
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