In case you missed it
Mayoral candidate Nevin Mindlin talks to the Patriot-News about his concerns about the ties between mayoral candidate Linda Thompson, the Harrisburg Authority, and authority chairman James Ellison, her campaign manager:
P-N: The City Council, with much fanfare, took control and reappointed the members of the Harrisburg Authority. James Ellison, head of the authority board, is now adviser to Ms. Thompson’s campaign. But has the new authority board really solved any of the incinerator’s problems? It is certainly spending more money on consultants, engineers and its own director, Michele Torres. So is the city getting what we are paying for when it comes to the authority’s leadership? Or has the agency remained a drain on the city, with the spoils simply going to a new set of members/officials/consultants? Explain your view with details, please.
Mindlin: Let’s put the issue into complete perspective. Mr. Ellison’s law firm represents, or certainly has represented, the Harrisburg Authority. Mr. Ellison is Ms. Thompson’s campaign manager. Ms. Thompson was President of Council when Mr. Ellison was appointed. And, finally, Mr. Ellison’s law firm was a significant contributor ($15,000) to Ms. Thompson’s primary campaign effort. I have been around politics long enough to understand well that votes are not the only means to achieving a results. In politics other “chits” are often used, in many instances to relieve a politician from voting on some issue. While Mr. Ellison may abstain from the vote to retain his law firm, which has been generously compensated for legal work done for the authority, as a partner in his law firm, he still profits from his firm’s representation. This relationship is not in the public interest and fosters distrust in city government.
Now, let’s look at the results. Since Ms. Thompson has been President of Council, and her campaign chair has chaired the authority, there has been no major advance in the resolution of this issue. There has not even been a notable suggestion of how to resolve this issue. All that has been accomplished is that political control has shifted and other people, who have not seemingly contributed to a better result, have been hired. The result has been that new vested interests, associated with new political powers, are benefiting financially while the people keep losing. The new authority board has not solved any of the incinerator’s problems. The simple facts answer the question.