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This idea to hire an outside consultant to “help” our election system is bad from every perspective. Wasting $70,000 of taxpayer money is only the start, and who knows how much more this will cost once the consultant gets going. The consultant in order to justify their $70,000 payout, will advise further expenditures. The wrong-headed decision by the Election Board on the DA election is costing the taxpayers even more money. This creates, the lawyer full employment program, mostly for Philadelphia lawyers.
If there is a DA election this fall, it will be a travesty. District Attorney is one of the most important elections that a citizen can cast a vote in. Who to prosecute, and who not to prosecute, is critical to a democracy. There is no way DA candidates can raise money, campaign and inform the voters, as to who they are in such a short period of time. Also, and most importantly, the voters will not be able to choose the nominees of their own party.
Luzerne County has more election talent than this Rocky Mountain consultant. We have a director and deputy, Bob Morgan and Eryn Harvey, with backgrounds in both federal and state governmental service, who are both successfully growing into their positions with dedication and fidelity. Dave Parsnik, the director of administrative services, which oversees the Election Office is a very competent supervising manager.
Parsnik has also served as acting directer of elections at a previous troubled time. Our legendary election solicitor, Michael Butera, has demonstrated his ability for decades, in and out of the court room, in both Luzerne County and in state court for multiple election boards and the public. Members of staff in our Election Office, Andrea Hill and Joann Kelley are treasured houses of irreplaceable experience. At crunch time, Moro DeMoro, our information technology Director, and members of his team from IT, Mapping, and seconded employees from other county departments have been excellent in assisting to secure and count your votes.
We should charge the consultant $70,000 for the education that we give the consultant.
I first counted votes in Luzerne County in 1968, over 50 years ago. I have worked in elections in other counties in Pennsylvania, and in other states, mostly as a partisan, but also as a non-partisan, in vote process. I have seen a lot. In addition to many services that I have done for previous Election Boards and the Election Office, I have served on two committees, appointed by the County Commissioners, serving as the Election Board. I was chair of the Committee in 1995 and a member in 2001, dealing with many similar issues that we face today. The members of those committees never received any financial compensation.
But better than that, we have an Election Board that has taken an oath of office to do the job that these committees did, and the compensated consultant has promised. Our Election Board, with the support of their excellent Election Office, could and should, do the job. If our Election Board doesn’t have the knowledge, experience, skill and guts to fulfill their obligation, they should do the obvious.
What our democracy does not need is, Government of the Vendors, By the Vendors, And For the Vendors.
Bob Caruso
Wilkes-Barre