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Monday, December 13, 2010

Luzerne County Corruption Scandal: Insert wrist, receive slap

So I’m reading this update from the Citizens’ Voice in which it is reported that Former Luzerne County Human Resources Director Doug Richards was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for being a thieving, no-good sumbitch.

And this here excerpt got my fertile mind to racing:

He is one of more than 30 people charged in an ongoing federal corruption probe.

Yeah, okay, so 30-some have been charged. And, what, 25 or so have been sentenced?

And what, pray tell, did those sentences amount to other than a gigantic slap on the collective wrists?

Think about it. Adding in the two years in prison former commissioner Greg Skrepenak is currently serving, how many years did all of those sentences add up to for the lot of the corrupt public figures? 4 years? 5 years total? What bunk.

I read the front page story the Times Leader ran a few weeks back on the federal sentencing guidelines and the like, but it still seems as if the folks involved are getting off very lightly.

Hell, you’ll get a longer prison sentence for selling a couple of ounces of marijuana. Especially if you happen to have a permanent tan.

Anyway, it seems to me that if you’re going to lead a life of crime, doing so from a public office insulates you from real punishment.

Sez me.

Buh-bye

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It would be interesting to see what the total compensation to society is, compared to the cost of prosecution, thievery, and negligent mismanagement

These miscreants (those who were caught, those who weren't and those who said nothing) drove us deep into the red both as a county and as individuals. I say put them in the stocks on public square. Don't squander more tax money on their incarceration.