First he was for it, now he is not

The state convicted former assistant PSU football coach Jerry Sandusky of multiple child molestation charges. Some of these criminal events occurred in Penn State athletic facilities. The NCAA dropped the hammer on the school’s football program including a fine of $60 million payable in five annual equal installments and no bowl games for four years.

The amount of the fine is unprecedented.
The first $12 million was deposited recently in an NCAA escrow account. The powerful organization intends to use 75 percent of the $60 million for child molestation prevention programs outside the state.
Corbett, as both Governor and a PSU trustee by virtue of holding the elective office, supported the NCAA penalties this summer. He did say the financial penalty would not be paid out of state tax money, but did not explain how. This fiscal year PSU gets about $214 million in state support.

Apparently now Corbett is not so certain that non-state funds will be used to pay the penalty. His suit demands the $60 million be spent for child programs within the state. He contends the state Constitution prohibits local taxpayers for being assessed for such services conducted to benefit outside the state.

Normally the administration is required to get permission from the state Attorney General to sue anyone on behalf of the state. Corbett got an okay from his handpicked successor Linda Kelly.
Kelly said she would have initiated a suit herself, but her department was conflicted by prosecution of other PSU officials for the cover-up of Sandusky’s conduct. Corbett did not wait three more weeks until new AG Kathleen Kane was sworn in. Kane is the first Democrat elected to the office in the 32 year history of the position on a ballot.

Some critics contend the suit is Corbett’s first move to win back Penn State stalwarts. Since becoming Governor two years ago Corbett has been stingy with funding to the school. More enemies piled on when it was learned he “slow-walked” the investigation on Sandusky for over two years. Critics contend Corbett did not want the probe to go public while he was running for Governor. Corbett claims the nature of the crimes required additional time and effort to gather evidence.

Corbett’s approval ratings remain low. Despite his party’s control of both legislative chambers, he has failed to get “right to work,” privatization of liquor stores and school vouchers passed. He has yet to address funding to repair PA’s decrepit roads and bridges or give direction to badly-needed pension reform.

The conduct of the NCAA was deemed “suspicious” as far back as when Corbett was publicly supporting its decisions. The NCAA is known for its lengthy and slow-moving probes into violations of its rules by athletic components of its member schools. In this case the NCAA did little investigating and instead accepted the report prepared by a former FBI chief hired by PSU.

Then there is the matter of a comment by NCAA President Mark Emmert opining “the sexual abuse of children on a university campus by a former university official and even the active concealment of that abuse, while despicable,” ordinarily would not be actionable by the NCAA. And still, Gov. Corbett supported the sanctions.

Delaware County Daily Times columnist Gil Spencer supports Corbett’s recent action, essentially claiming “better late than never.” Spencer agrees with the Governor’s claims that the sanctions are over burdening, ignore the NCAA’s own policies and procedures and represent a severe burden to local businesses and state taxpayers.

Emmert claims the “culture” of worshipping football at Penn State had to be changed, according to Spencer. The columnist makes the case that the NCAA encourages this philosophy and, therefore, shares the blame.