On Wednesday, State Senator Vincent Fumo announced he would not seek reelection after holding office for more than 30 years. He faces a 139-count indictment for fraud (and other charges) and recently suffered a heart attack.
Fumo’s political clout is legendary. His ability to bring state dollars to Philadelphia is unquestioned, even by his opponents. Through that ability he became a political powerhouse. From the Inquirer:
He used that power with a vengeance. For projects large and small, Fumo helped bring the money home. Neighborhood improvements in the Italian Market, new helicopters for city police, a hospice for AIDS patients, a court for women seeking protection from abuse: All won with help from Fumo.
There’s just one little question: how the heck did he do that?
How did Vince Fumo get all of that money from Harrisburg? Who else was involved and what did they do? How exactly does a legislator bring home the bacon and why was Fumo so much better at it than anyone else?
There is a process, supposedly public, that governs how tax dollars are collected and dived up. The money isn't stored in a giant safe in Harrisburg and then divided up in some hotel ballroom. Some argue the current way of doing things is pretty close. It is complicated and often shielded from the public view. We should take this as an opportunity to shed some light on the subject.
There are three Democrats running to replace Vincent Fumo. Should we wonder which one of them will be able to bring the most dollars from Harrisburg? Is that even a fair metric to judge a candidate on? Fumo's way of doing things may be way he would up indicted.
Comments (3)
The key is for legislators to stay in Harrisburg for 30 years and get seniority. That's one reason to vote for the youngest candidate in the 1st district race.
Posted by Anonymous | March 14, 2008 9:42 AM
I wonder if the seniority rules in government were set up to favor incumbents at election time?
Hmmmm...
Posted by Goofy | March 14, 2008 11:54 AM
This election will be a great circus...it is comforting to know that Mr. Dougherty and his lawyers have key people in the US Attorney's Office - he will need them soon to assist him with his plea agreement.
Posted by Naked Truth | March 16, 2008 6:56 PM