Pa- SNAP Blasts Pa Governor over Penn State Suit

By David Clohessy
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
January 2, 2013

http://www.snapnetwork.org/pa_snap_blasts_pa_governor_over_penn_state_suit

Pennsylvania politicians who want the entire Penn State fine to be spent in Pennsylvania are being greedy. And anyone who wants to overturn the fine entirely is being short-sighted.

We suspect that Gov. Corbett is posturing to curry favor with Penn State staff and alums. At best, his lawsuit is frivolous. At worst, it threatens to delay or derail millions of dollars that would otherwise be devoted to protecting children.

At one level, Corbett sounds like a parochial member of Congress who just wants to “bring home the bacon” to his constituents. At another level, Corbett sounds like a misguided Penn State booster who can’t recognized that Jerry Sandusky essentially had the help of university staff in keeping his heinous child sex crimes secret.

Penn State officials have already promised that none of the fines will come from tax or tuition dollars. So Corbett’s claim that the fines may "have a devastating, long-lasting and irreparable effect on the state” seem disingenuous.

Besides, what’s the rationale for insisting that all the money be spent in Pennsylvania? At least some of the current and former Penn State staff, students and neighbors who saw, suspected, ignored, minimized or suffered child sex crimes and cover ups there aren’t now and won’t necessarily always live or work in the state.

To put it another way, Penn State attracts and recruits students and staff from everywhere. Penn State students and staff move everywhere. Penn State’s sports teams play everywhere. Kids who participated in Sandusky’s Second Mile likely live everywhere. (And we still don’t know how far reaching Sandusky’ crimes were.)

Finally, kids are vulnerable and victims are hurting everywhere.

There’s just no compelling reason for anyone to insist that Pennsylvania organizations get every nickel of this fine.

Finally, let’s be clear. Any central Pennsylvania businesses that have seen lower profits have been hurt by corrupt or self-serving Penn State officials - who ignored, minimized, concealed and enabled jerry Sandusky’s crimes - not by the NCAA.

"In the wake of this terrible scandal, Penn State was left to heal and clean up this tragedy that was created by the few," Corbett said. He neglects to mention, however, that “this terrible scandal” was, in fact, created by Penn State officials.  That tragic fact should never be overlooked, and no one else should be scapegoated for it, least of all the NCAA.