I've searched the history books, and it doesn't appear that P.T. Barnum ever actually lived in Quakertown. But he knew the place well. After all, he gave the town its official motto, "There's a Sucker Born Every Minute". That would be every one of us.
We've been hoodwinked again by the seven P.T. Barnums of borough council. If ever we had a thought that they might be trying to win back our trust, it is now gone. The latest chapter of the disgraceful way they have treated Joe Murgia makes it appear, once more, that council's number one priority is to protect themselves. At all costs. No matter who it hurts. No matter what ethics might be shattered, what laws might be broken.
Murgia, the superintendent of public works, borough manager Dave Woglom's number two man, resigned from his $66,000 a year job over the treatment of town employees. But council talked him into returning just four days later, after making a big deal out of their need to "restore trust". Murgia had no official comment at the time, but did promise to show a columnist "where to dig" to find "big" wrongdoing by Woglom and council when he returned from a family vacation in Hawaii.
Somehow, council president P.T. Hallman found out about Joe's promise, and actually called him in Hawaii, ordering him to see Hallman as soon as he returned. And this was after Joe had specifically asked that he not be called during his vacation. As you can imagine, his stay in paradise was not pleasant. And you can also imagine what Hallman has in mind. And that isn't pleasant either. Intimidation. Coercion. Or worse. The borough has done it before, even though it is illegal.
The Pennsylvania Whistleblower Law clearly states, "No employer may discharge, threaten, or otherwise discriminate or retaliate against an employee...because the employee or a person acting on behalf of the employee, makes a good faith report, or is about to report, verbally or in writing, to the employer or appropriate authority an instance of wrongdoing or waste". And there are other federal and state protections.
Over $105,000 of your tax dollars were paid to settle Whistleblower suits in 1998 and 2000 with employees who charged that Woglom wrongly fired them. And council has paid over $300,000 to others who claimed wrongdoing, on the condition of their silence. So it is no surprise that they would not want you to know what Joe knows. Despite their grand charade in announcing a so-called investigation into Woglom's shenanigans (three months ago and counting, with nothing yet begun), they have repeatedly made it clear that the public will learn only what council wants the public to learn.
If they attempt to forcefully muzzle the one man who could tell all, who would be the star witness against Woglom - and them - council will show us that nothing really has changed. You can forget about any open and impartial evaluation. You can forget about council regaining our trust. Government in secret. Sweep the problems under the rug. Do everything possible to hide the truth from the people, even if it means bending - or breaking - the law.
But why would we have expected anything else? Any real investigation would have highlighted the sad fact that no matter how poorly Woglom has served the citizens, he has been outstanding for seven particular citizens, the Seven P.T's. It would be political suicide for those particular citizens to give an independent expert full access to everything they have hidden, misrepresented, and ignored. Things that Joe Murgia knows.
You only have to recall a bit of council's history to see where this was headed. Councilman P.T. Wilsey anointed Woglom "probably the best manager we've ever had in this town". That's quite a pronouncement from a man who has been on council two whole years. But that was time enough for Woglom to have ordered $336 worth of food (at your expense) from the Karlton Café, while buddy Wilsey owned it.
Councilman P.T. Williams voted to keep the investigation secret. What a shock! Woglom arranged for Williams to receive a free delivery of stone for his alley, using a borough truck and borough labor, at taxpayer expense. And Woglom illegally purchased almost $5500 worth of products for the borough from Williams' employer, Rosenberger's Dairy, in blatant violation of state law. You scratch my cow, I'll scratch yours.
In fact, little has changed - except the number of shenanigans we've seen Woglom pull off, and the names of his defenders on council. A year ago it was P.T. Fulmer, saying "We have great faith in Dave", and calling the problems "unintentional". And Williams proclaimed, "I think it's a sad day when the local newspaper allows someone to unfairly and inaccurately criticize the local authorities and honest residents".
We've had plenty of time to decide who is, and is not, an "honest resident". Council publicly acknowledged that $60,000 worth of contracts with Lynn Kraft were illegal. Ditto for their secret votes. Eleven improper no-bid contracts have been uncovered. Williams got his stone. Workers have unionized to protect themselves from Woglom's arrogance. Electric rates have skyrocketed because no one understood the contract.
Woglom was caught making illegal borough purchases from councilmen, and secretly settled lawsuits with taxpayer money. We found that he bought his borough car without the required bidding. And after supposedly instituting "updated purchasing procedures", he bought $8000 worth of heat tape for the speed humps without competitive prices.
Council must have very sore necks from constantly looking the other way. No disciplinary action, no accountability, no apologies. And, fearfully, no Joe Murgia. Four council members are up for re-election in November, 2007. Voters will certainly not look the other way.