What began as a simple $173,000 expenditure by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to improve employee manners is turning into a major political scandal.
Gov. Ed Rendell is calling for an investigation of the awarding of the PLCB contract to a board official's husband, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The Post-Gazette says the company the liquor control board picked, Solutions 21, is owned by Buddy Hobart, whose wife Susanne Hobart is the PLCB's Western Pennsylvania manager.
Small world, isn't it?
The questions about the contract are not going away, prompting Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Chairman Patrick J. "P.J." Stapleton III to issue a statement defending the action.
"This contract is appropriate - both in its content and in the way it was awarded," Stapelton said in the release.
Responding to questions about the contract from lawmakers, Stapleton writes: "I am eager to share with you those facts. And we would welcome the opportunity to sit down with you or any of your colleagues in the General Assembly to discuss this issue in further detail."
Let's hope the Legislature takes him up on his offer. There's entirely too much cronyism and nepotism in state government. And it always involves taxpayer money.
To read the full text of Stapleton's letter, follow the link below:
PA Liquor Control Board Chairman Stapleton Responds to Inquiries on Customer-Service Training Contract
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