Penn State Rules: Stupid PA law kept truth seekers away

((ht: al tompkins/Poynter institute))

By now the Freeh report on what happened at Penn State regarding the cover-up for former football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky has been analyzed, the talking heads have spoken and the experts say. Death to them all.

But they are overlooking something that could have prevented a lot of this.

The lack of Open Records accountability at the school.

Yes, having a "Sunshine Law" or Open Records availability is a tool used by journalists and others. But it is something that is in place to keep places that get public money...like public schools...accountable.

Penn State was not required to make their records public. Nor were 3 other "State Related" institutions. And the 4 schools were and are the only publicly funded things in the state not required to make their records available.

Read more from the knowledgeable Al Tompkins from The Poynter Institute (Journalism Think Tank) RIGHT HERE

So...at this point, you are probably saying "Journalists don't need to know everything". And you are wrong there. But this isn't about Journalists.

This is about the public. Anyone, including you, seeing how a government entity...that you pay for, is conducting their business.

You should have a right to know.

If Penn State had been held to this, most of the records on Sandusky and his accomplices (Yes, Spanier, Curley, Schultz and Paterno could be called that now) or enablers would have been there.
The 1998 investigation, it would have been there. The 2001 McQueary incident, it would have been there. And they would have been found and read.

The article that we linked to quotes Graham Spanier as saying in 2007, that open records only feeds journalists trying to find out how much money Joe Paterno makes and would affect their licensing contracts with Nike and Pepsi.

And the DUMBASS legislators in Pennsylvania bought it. Does Florida hide what they make? No. Does Georgia? No. Ohio State? No.

But it worked.

The moral of the story here is a simple one. And to say THIS would have stopped Sandusky and the cover-up is being a bit too idealistic. But it would have helped. The records would have been available for scrutiny. Someone eventually would have found it.

But we may never know. Shame on Pennsylvania for not being transparent with their use of public money. Shame on Penn State for going "All-Out" to keep things from anyone with an interest. Right or wrong, the public should have a right to know where their money is going, and if you don't buy that, maybe it's time to look at Condo prices in China.