The Costs of Corruption

Posted Tuesday, September 22, 2009

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The latest allegations from the federal corruption investigation--that the county auditor accepted $1.2 million in kickbacks and and his aide another $150,000--have alarmed many in the community, mostly for the apparent brazenness of the dealings. If this turns out to have been the standard operating procedure in some local elected offices, what is the ultimate credibility cost for local government? And what, exactly, should be the role of private sector organizations in restoring credibility in public institutions? Tuesday morning at 9, join host Dan Moulthrop for a conversation about the far-reaching effects of corruption.

Guests

Chris Quinn, Metro Editor, The Plain Dealer
Catherine Turcer, Director, Money in Politics Project, Ohio Citizen Action
Timothy McCormack, Attorney at Law and former Cuyahoga County Auditor and County Commissioner
Patrick A. Sweeney, Former State House Minority Leader, Vice President of Government Relations and an adjunct faculty at the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University

Additional Information

CUYAHOGA COUNTY IN CRISIS, Continuing Coverage of the FBI's Public Corruption Investigation, The Plain Dealer
Charging document involving Santina Klimkowski

Please follow our community discussion rules when composing your comments.

David Seed 8:47 AM 9/22/09

As County Auditor and Commissioner, did you receive campaign contributions from Tim Armstrong, Lou Damiani, and/or Sandy Klimkowski?

aaron 9:29 AM 9/22/09

The important question is not what the listeners have to say but what do WCPN and the PD have to say. This is just as much a failure of the local media in its role as watchdog. There continues to be a buddy-buddy relationship with the media regarding the med mart, anything called a “corridor”, the flats, the clinic and on and on. The journalists need to mention the elephant on the coffee table and root these issues out.

mark 9:33 AM 9/22/09

THIS IS WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN THE SAME PEOPLE FROM THE SAME PARTY HAVE CONTROL FOR TOO LONG...Politicians are PEOPLE and people of EVERY stripe will cross lines and do things they shouldn’t do when THEY BELIEVE they virtually entitled, when they ARE NOT afraid of the voting public, AND they are virtually ASSURED of continual re-election by an ELECTORATE on automatice pilot OR asleep at the ballot box… And in this case...shame on the local/regional GOP for not giving the people what they think are viable options.

Laura McShane 3:33 PM 9/22/09

Thanks to Tim McCormick for thinking that I am younger than I am, but to echo the email comment from Aaron...the media is not doing their job and to have to live constantly on the defensive and to undo the mess is too much for any civic-minded individual. Dan Mouthrop flippantly says, “run for political office.” I am lucky to keep my sanity as it is now. Dan/WCPN/PD… We need higher standards of accountability as the other caller mentioned under his discussion of benign complicity. The abuse of our pension system etc. We need a real media that does investigative reporting and does not cheerlead for the crooks...and stop feigning complete astonishment at the game. By now, you know everyone has been sucked in, so please, stop making pronouncements that some politicians can be declared “taint-free,” and stop promoting play-to-pay projects like the Opportunity Corridor that are just taking us all for hell-ride.

Laura McShane 3:34 PM 9/22/09

Start by asking why Metro crook John Carroll got a golden parachute to Tri-C and John Sideras gets one to CWRU…

Tim Whidden 10:26 PM 9/22/09

Dear Dan

I usually enjoy your show but your today you lost me. Blaming citizens for the problems of the county government is sad. This county has been an arm of the Democratic Party for too long.

I don’t know if we can fix it but the politicians do not listen to us because its not required.Having the unions and government workers in their pockets makes it easy.

Keep shedding the light of day on this mess.I do think it is good but its way past its time. The word on the street has been known for many years.

Thanks