Dee Deakos- The Taxpayers' Demagogue Part 1

The roll of honor consists of the names who have squared their conduct by ideals of duty- Woodrow Wilson

Men walk among their peers who judge them by their actions, not their words. Sometimes the actions are so loud the public can't hear what one is saying.

In the case of Dee Deakos it is time that the public examines her record to see if she justly deserves the title "taxpayer advocate".

Recently Ms. Deakos attacked Hazleton City Authority Board Member John Keegan over his abstention from voting on Resolution 26 of May 24, 2011 where money was being transferred from PNC Bank to Landmark Bank. She tried to insuate with her questioning that the reason Mr. Keegan was abstaining was because he was hiding some financial gain. Anyone with common sense would know that if there was a possible financial gain Mr. Keegan would have to abstain and that would be a legal action. How does one abstain to "hide" financial gain? An abstention is the duty of the board member in that case.

Mr. Keegan refused to answer her question because his potential conflict of interest has been published in the Standard Speaker no less than three times. December 24, 2010, December 26, 2010, and July 26, 2010 The last article is the one that caused the confusion with Deakos since it incorrectly mentions that Mr. Keegan was a member of the Board of Directors of the Bank. However, as one can see the subsequent articles adequately cleared up that mistake.

Properly, Mr. Keegan and the board's solicitor, Attorney Peter O'Donnell told Ms. Deakos that she could avail herself of the Open Records provisions and make a Right to Know request to see the documents that would answer her question.

However, Ms. Deakos was not satisfied with trying to follow the law. She approached the board with the matter again at the next meeting. Her false allegations made the press in this article that appeared in the Hazleton Standard Speaker.

Ms. Deakos is summarized asking making this statement by reporter Sam Galski.

Deakos, however, asked why Keegan couldn't provide a reason publicly if he wasn't realizing any financial gain. It is published in the newspaper no less than three times yet she said he didn't state his reason publically? Even if Mr. Keegan would have realized a financial gain due to the transaction he abstained which is the proper thing to do.

What the public should ask Ms. Deakos is why she didn't question the other board members who DID vote to secure the loans from the bank. She was told that no less than three banks were approached for the first loan by the HCA manager and CPA. Not one board member was involved in the process. In the case of the second loan even more were given the opportunity to submit a proposal.

The State Ethics Commission concerns itself when a board member uses his or her position for financial gain, NOT when he/she abstains from voting to prevent the conflict from influencing the outcome.

Mr. Keegan told Ms. Deakos his abstention was not for conflict of interest on Resolution 36, therefore, needed no explanation. He also reiterated that every time he felt he had a conflict of interest he followed the law and submitted in writing that he had a conflict.

What Ms. Deakos didn't tell the public was her involvement on prior occassions with the board trying to secure financial gain for herself by soliciting the board for no-bid work. The following observation by reporter Sam Galski was made in This article that appeared on December 9, 2010 in the Standard Speaker.

Audience member Dee Deakos, who offered to merge the city and authority data bases through her firm, Pharmahouse, estimates that the process could take about a month.

That action wouldn't be her last approach to the board. After a board meeting she approached four of the five members of the board to discuss her proposal. By doing so she may have inadvertently caused the board members to face the accusation of an illegal board meeting in violation of the Sunshine Act. Ms. Deakos's actions went unnoticed until now.

The public trust falls prey when the end game is the "booty" to be had.

It is a shame that the Hazleton Taxpayers Association doesn't have a code of ethics that forbids any member from seeking financial gain from boards, commissions, and councils for which it claims to be a "watchdog" over. Of course it remains to be seen if that organization is still meeting on a regular basis.

Part 2 HUD Loans....next installment

BREAKING NEWS EACHUS ADMITS TO FLYING ON ROBERT POWELL'S JET

The Times Leader is reporting that House Majority Leader Todd Eachus is finally admitting to taking a flight on Robert Powell's jet on January 31, 2007, the day of the cargo airport announcement in Hazleton. SOP has been saying for months that Eachus took this flight and never reported it on his Ethics Commission filing dated 02-07-2008.

The approximate value for that trip in that type of jet could run as high as $750.00 one way. Since there were four trips involved (down and back twice) the value could hit as high as $3,000.00.

The round trip from Harrisburg to Hazleton and back was job-related, Eachus said, and he made the trip because it was the only way to make it back to Harrisburg in time to cast votes in the House.


Guess the Wilkes Barre Airport was closed that day. To be clear Harrisburg is a one hour and twenty minute drive from Hazleton.

From the Pennsylvania Ethics Commission Restricted Activities Page:

(b) No person shall offer or give to a public official, public employee, or nominee or candidate for public office or a member of his immediate family or a business with which he is associated, anything of monetary value, including a gift, loan, political contribution, reward or promise of future employment based on the offeror's or donor's understanding that the vote, official action, or judgment of the public official or public employee or nominee or candidate for public office would be influenced thereby.


(c) No public official, public employee or nominee or candidate for public office shall solicit or accept anything of monetary value, including a gift, loan, political contribution, reward, or promise of future employment based on any understanding of that public official, public employee or nominee that the vote, official action, or judgment of the public official or public employee or nominee or candidate for public office would be influenced thereby.

On June 18, 2007 House Bill 1589 was introduced in the House that was amended June 28, 2007. Printer Number 2107 shows that language was inserted into the bill to provide $250,000,000.00 funding for Powell's proposed cargo airport outside of Hazleton less than six months after Eachus accepted the ride on the jet to participate in the announcement.

Eachus received a donation from Robert Powell through his PAC, Conservatives For Good Government in the amount of $5,000.00 on February 6, 2007, just six days after accepting a flight on his jet to and from Harrisburg. Robert Powell donated over $18,000.00 to Todd Eachus from the year 2000 through 2007 according to state records.

Here is a link to the House Actions on January 31, 2007. Since there appears to be no votes that day Eachus should explain to the media which bills he actually voted on.

Eachus should also explain if he took more than one flight on Powell's jet. According to flight records obtained by SOP the following flight to Harrisburg occured on February 2, 2007.

History Search for N69WU
02-Feb-2007
SBR1/L Hazleton Municipal (KHZL)
Capital City (KCXY)
08:35AM EST 08:56AM EST 0:21


02-Feb-2007
SBR1/L Capital City (KCXY)
Hazleton Municipal (KHZL)
10:34AM EST 10:48AM EST 0:14

It should be noted that Powell's jet left Harrisburg on January 31, 2007 at 4:15 in the afternoon. How many votes occcurred on January 31, 2007 after that time?

31-Jan-2007
SBR1/L Capital City (KCXY)
Allegheny Co (KAGC)
04:15PM EST 05:10PM EST 0:55

The jet flew onto Allegheny County presumably to drop of Greg Zappala.

Kanjorski Staffers Ensnared In Ethics Controversy

The Pocono Record is publishing a report by David Pierce.

Rep. Paul Kanjorski's staffers may have violated House ethics rules by using a list of congressional interns to recruit election workers for his 2008 re-election campaign.

House rules prohibit using official government documents for electioneering.

Kanjorski Legislative Director Kate McMahon used her House e-mail account to send an attachment listing interns who had worked in the Democratic congressman's office from 2004-08. "Volunteer potential" was the message sent along with the list.

A copy of the e-mail was mailed anonymously to several publications including the Pocono Record. According to Politico, in a story published early this week, a Democratic source obtained a copy of the correspondence in an e-mail chain.

Kanjorski campaign spokesman Ed Mitchell said he couldn't verify the authenticity of this or other photocopied e-mails sent to the media. He noted some were sent on campaign-funded BlackBerry devices, which is allowed by campaign rules.

None of the interns performed campaign work on government time, he said.

"They were asked if they wanted to work in future campaigns and volunteered to do so after they left government employ," Mitchell said in a written statement to the Pocono Record. "We have implemented a new, compliant policy.".

Just a thought. Usually one issues new rules after discovering actions that need correction.

Kanjorski Spokesman’s Statement Raises Concerns About Eachus’ Ties to Bonusgate

Tara Toohil - Eachus Opponent 116th

Press Release From Tara Toohil

Party officials calling into question lawmakers ties to state scandal

Hazleton, PA – Yesterday, Ed Mitchell a well-respected and highly influential person in the Democrat Party raised the issue of a local lawmakers ties to the Bonusgate scandal which used tax dollars to pay for campaigns.

Mayor Tom Leighton of Wilkes-Barre is also raising this issue. It is important to note that the individual they have attacked is not the only one tied up in this scandal.

Tarah Toohil had this to say, “Representative Todd Eachus is neck deep in this mess. Mr. Eachus has been called before the Grand Jury to testify on Bonusgate and he has refused. Some of the staffers that have been implicated in the scandal were on his payroll and as Majority Leader he has oversight of how Democratic Caucus funds are spent. Congressman Kanjorski’s spokesman Ed Mitchell and Mayor Leighton have done a public service by raising the issue and I challenge Mr. Eachus to come clean on his connections to the Bonusgate scandal. High ranking members within Eachus’s own Party are asking for answers and he should do the right thing and appear before the Grand Jury and tell the truth.”

Toohil Among First To Sign Ethics Pledge

Mark Guydish of the Times Leader wrote this article about the county-wide ethics initiative. Below is Tara Toohil's press release.

TARAH TOOHIL

STATE REPRESENTATIVE

116th Legislative District

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION

May 4, 2010
Contact: 570-788-2479

or toohil@gmail.com



Toohil Among First To Sign Ethics Pledge. Urges Representative Eachus To Do The Same.


Luzerne County, PA – Today, Candidate for State Representative in the 116th District, Tarah Toohil, signed an Ethics Pledge with the Ethics Awareness Initiative. Toohil said, “It is extremely important to discuss ethics and teach ethics to our children. We need to promise ourselves and our community that we will conduct ourselves in an honest manner so that we can begin to restore the public trust and make sure that history does not repeat itself.”

 Over 100 members of the community and government officials joined together today vowing to refuse to tolerate dishonesty and abuse of power in public life.


Representative Todd Eachus was not present at the signing.




Toohil stated that, “The Ethics Initiative is aimed at tackling the culture of corruption that we have been faced with here in Luzerne County. I was disappointed to see that Representative Eachus was not present to sign the pledge. This is an important issue that should not have been ignored. Today, I stood up and publicly affirmed that I will strive to conduct myself ethically and not blur the lines between right and wrong. I urge Representative Eachus to do the same.”

 Members of the community can sign the Ethics Pledge by logging onto www.ethicsawarenessluzerne.com. Materials for teaching students and family discussions can also be found on the website.

Charlie Rangel's Problems For Paul Kanjorski

Last election season Paul Kanjorki couldn't help himself but attend a fundraiser for Charlie Rangel(tell me he doesn't look a little like Al Sharpton). In the shadow of ethics charges against Rangel Kanjorski felt the need to pay homage to his friend.

One day until Kanjorski-Rangel fundraiser
Tuesday, September 23, 2008



Ohh what a difference a new election season makes...Diana Ross couldn't script this better..."Stop in the name of Paul before you break my heart think it oooover .....think it ooooover..."

Ethics Panel Finds Rangel Broke Rules

Rep. Charles Rangel, the most powerful tax-writing lawmaker in Congress and a 40-year veteran of Capitol Hill, acknowledged Thursday that an ethics panel has accused him of accepting corporate money for Caribbean trips in violation of House rules.

The panel exonerated five other members of the Congressional Black Caucus who also were on the 2007 and 2008 trips to Antigua and St. Martin but told them they will have to pay for the trips.

The findings are certain to raise questions of whether Rangel, a New York Democrat, can continue as Ways and Means Committee chairman in an election year. Democrats took over the House in 2006 on a campaign promise to "end a culture of corruption" in Congress that they blamed on 12 years of Republican rule.

The panel, formally the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, is still investigating Rangel's use of official stationery to raise money for a college center to be named after him and incomplete financial disclosures that omitted some income and assets, including rent he received from a vacation home in the Dominican Republic.

Somehow Paul Kanjorski cannot divorce himself from unethical behavior whether it be Cornerstone where the government is still looking for those $100,000.00 pumps or associations with Rangel.