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Thursday, July 11, 1996     Page: 3A

Getting a straight answer
   
State lawmaker Stanley Jarolin craves good governmentAccusing county prison
deputy warden Rollie Roberts of “misuse of county property and taxpayer’s
money,” the Nanticoke Democrat claims that on “election day, April 23, 1996,”
Roberts “was operating a county-owned vehicle transporting voters to and from
polling places in Edwardsville and Larksville Borough.”
    “It was also reported to me that Mr. Roberts has stated he was given
permission to use county property in this manner,” Jarolin complained. “I
would like to know who gave him this permission. This issue should be
investigated and all violators should be dismissed for misuse of public funds
and property.”
   
Jarolin says he wrote the letter May 17 but didn’t mail it until about two
weeks ago. Copies went to Tom Makowski, chairman of the Luzerne County Board
of Commissioners; Commissioner Frank Crossin; and District Attorney Peter Paul
Olszewski Jr.
   
“Do you believe that Roberts broke the law?” I asked Jarolin on Tuesday.
   
“I’ll leave that up to the commissioners to decide,” Jarolin said.
   
“You want the DA to investigate it because it’s not illegal?” I asked.
   
“That’s all you’re getting from me,” Jarolin said.
   
Stanley’s been surly towards me ever since I wrote about how he told me
that he played video poker machines and even accepted cash payoffs when he
won. Still, despite publicity about this dull Democrat’s tacit approval of
illegal gambling, Jarolin won his party’s nomination in a squeaker.
   
Rollie Roberts didn’t vote for Jarolin in the primary. Roberts supported
Jarolin’s opponent.
   
Now Roberts says Jarolin supporters are trying to torpedo his chances at
filling a vacancy on the Wyoming Valley West School Board. That’s why
Jarolin’s letter has surfaced, he speculated.
   
So, Rollie, were you “operating a county owned vehicle transporting voters
to and from polling places in Edwardsville and Larksville Borough?”
   
Well, sort of.
   
“First of all, I’ve never made the comment that I was given permission,”
Roberts said. “I have made the comment that I am responsible here 24 hours a
day.”
   
By “here,” Roberts means the county prison.
   
To be available around-the-clock, Roberts says, he uses his official,
county-issued vehicle all the time.
   
“If I’m going anywhere, I’m going in that vehicle,” Roberts said.
   
Gotcha.
   
But what about transporting voters? Doing personal business on your day
off? Using gas paid for by county taxpayers?
   
“I never, to the best of my knowledge, was in the borough of Larksville on
Election Day,” Roberts said.
   
What about Edwardsville?
   
“I am active politically, which is no secret,” said the former Edwardsville
police chief. “I’m sure I went around to the polling places on Election Day in
that vehicle. OK?”
   
OK.
   
“I have a 92-year-old aunt who I gave a ride. And I have one personal
friend of mine who is elderly who I gave a ride as well. But as far as being
out hustling votes, that’s not accurate,” Roberts said. “To the best of my
knowledge, that’s the only two people who had been in the vehicle with me.”
You sure?
   
“I have some friends and we may have gone to lunch together that day,”
Roberts said.
   
In the county car? Riding at taxpayers’ expense?
   
“I take that car with me wherever I go,” Roberts said. “For example, if I’m
down Wyoming Valley Country Club playing golf or something and I get the call,
I have to be here.”
   
Anything else, Rollie?
   
“If I would say to you, Steve, I never used that county vehicle to do
something like that, I’d be totally damn lying,” Roberts said. “I’m not
lying.”
   
Who says Luzerne County lacks honest public officials?
   
Steve Corbett’s column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.