Risha's record: The taxpayers deserve answers on his school deals
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When it comes to costly cronyism and political patronage in the Mon Valley, a Risha runs through it. Patrick A. Risha, that is.
The man who most recently was superintendent of the West Mifflin Area School District held a variety of high positions during his career, including head of the South Allegheny and McKeesport Area school districts. In too many instances, though, when he has taken a job somewhere, questionable business practices have followed. No one is suggesting that Mr. Risha, of Rostraver, invented the use of "know-who" politics, but he has demonstrated proficiency as a practitioner.
Recently, many of his associates were involved in a fundraiser for Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett, an event held at a golf club in which Mr. Risha's son has an interest.
Mr. Risha retired in November when it became clear that a new West Mifflin school board majority would not support him. Activities in the district during his tenure -- the subject of a damning report by a private investigator hired by the board -- are under the scrutiny of the state Ethics Commission, according to a board member. The investigator's report detailed, among other abuses, allegations that district employees were told to perform work at the homes of Mr. Risha, his son and a school board member.
In Sunday's Post-Gazette, staff writers Rich Lord and Mary Niederberger reported on additional business and political connections of Mr. Risha. Among other things, the article detailed lucrative contracts awarded to Canova Electrical Contracting of East McKeesport, including suspect change orders that boosted a deal competitively bid for $36,126 in electrical work to a whopping $190,663 without further bidding.
An abrupt change in bus contractors, from Laidlaw Transit to McKeesport-based Pennsylvania Coach Lines, triggered a lawsuit that is still pending. Pennsylvania Coach had contracts with South Allegheny when Mr. Risha worked there. He left in 2004 after that school board paid more than $325,000 to buy him out of his contract.
Complaints about favoritism and patronage involving Mr. Risha go back decades, and what his supporters still don't understand is that his way of doing business costs taxpayers too much money, deprives scrupulous businesses of a fair shot at government contracts, and hides from the public the way things really operate when nobody is looking.
An Ethics Commission investigation is a step in the right direction.
First Published September 10, 2010 12:00 am
