Health commissioner rewarded for crime
by M. Stewart
If I ever had faith in county government, I just lost all of it when I read today’s Morning Journal. Former county health commissioner Bob Morehead, who pleaded guilty earlier this week to theft in office during an eight-year period beginning in 1996, has been rewarded handsomely for his crime.
Morehead retired in February but was rehired by the health department to serve as commissioner while under indictment for stealing from that very department. In other words, he was able to get retirement benefits and still draw a paycheck from the county as its health commissioner.
Not only did members of the health board do nothing to prevent the original thefts, they participated in a double-dipping scheme that would allow Morehead to earn even more public funds after he was indicted.
Here’s what the Morning Journal says:
“According to the county Auditor's Office, Morehead received a check of $25,903 for his accrued vacation time and $41,404 for his accrued sick time when he retired. His regular pay check totaled $3,454 every two weeks even after he retired and was collecting from the Public Employees Retirement System. His total pay from the county health department as of the last pay totaled $84,628. With his pay and the accumulated sick time and vacation time combined, his total income from the county so far this year totals $152,627.” [emphasis added]
Add this from the Vindicator: “Morehead has repaid $1,257 of the findings against him from three state audits. He still owes $10,700.”
The guy gets busted for stealing from the county yet continues to get paid for four years. Not only that, he gets a nice parting gift of over $150k in his final year. How much per month will he get from his pension and unemployment? Does he need a pillow for his head?
No wonder everybody wants a government job.
Obviously, there is something very wrong with this picture, but with national headlines focusing on the big-time corruption and fraud of Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich and Wall Street’s Bernard Madoff, I guess Morehead’s theft of a few thousand dollars in some backwater Ohio county is no big deal.
These days everybody helps themselves to public money. It’s the new national pastime. And why not? There’s a good living in it, especially if you get caught.
Health board chair Dr. Jack Amato is quoted in the paper as saying that this whole thing is just "sloppy bookkeeping." Like Mr. Morehead, Dr. Amato is from Wellsville, where sloppy bookkeeping is a way of life.
If I ever had faith in county government, I just lost all of it when I read today’s Morning Journal. Former county health commissioner Bob Morehead, who pleaded guilty earlier this week to theft in office during an eight-year period beginning in 1996, has been rewarded handsomely for his crime.
Morehead retired in February but was rehired by the health department to serve as commissioner while under indictment for stealing from that very department. In other words, he was able to get retirement benefits and still draw a paycheck from the county as its health commissioner.
Not only did members of the health board do nothing to prevent the original thefts, they participated in a double-dipping scheme that would allow Morehead to earn even more public funds after he was indicted.
Here’s what the Morning Journal says:
“According to the county Auditor's Office, Morehead received a check of $25,903 for his accrued vacation time and $41,404 for his accrued sick time when he retired. His regular pay check totaled $3,454 every two weeks even after he retired and was collecting from the Public Employees Retirement System. His total pay from the county health department as of the last pay totaled $84,628. With his pay and the accumulated sick time and vacation time combined, his total income from the county so far this year totals $152,627.” [emphasis added]
Add this from the Vindicator: “Morehead has repaid $1,257 of the findings against him from three state audits. He still owes $10,700.”
The guy gets busted for stealing from the county yet continues to get paid for four years. Not only that, he gets a nice parting gift of over $150k in his final year. How much per month will he get from his pension and unemployment? Does he need a pillow for his head?
No wonder everybody wants a government job.
Obviously, there is something very wrong with this picture, but with national headlines focusing on the big-time corruption and fraud of Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich and Wall Street’s Bernard Madoff, I guess Morehead’s theft of a few thousand dollars in some backwater Ohio county is no big deal.
These days everybody helps themselves to public money. It’s the new national pastime. And why not? There’s a good living in it, especially if you get caught.
Health board chair Dr. Jack Amato is quoted in the paper as saying that this whole thing is just "sloppy bookkeeping." Like Mr. Morehead, Dr. Amato is from Wellsville, where sloppy bookkeeping is a way of life.
posted by M. | 6:45 AM
7 Comments:
People in a position of authority are always --- and will always be ---- held to a different standard than the common man. They are rarely held accountable for their actions the way I would be. Bob Morehead is no different. This whole situation was a farce from the get-go.
That a health commissioner in a county the size of Columbiana County could actually get paid nearly $3,500 every two weeks is nuts. I've covered their meetings in the past; the work they perform for residents in no justifies that kind of salary.
That the whole board agreed to let Bob stay on and get paid and now collect money after an indictment --- it shows the level of good old brotherhood inherent in the county. But why waste your typing, Matt. Nothing changes there and nothing ever will.
Nothing changes anywhere.
This is why I was so disgusted with the last election. I use to respect Hoppel because he at least voted against imposing the tax but after this crap went down I chose to vote for his opponent (as I voted against all the other incumbents also). But the people of this county don't care how much they stick it to us, they just keep putting the same ones back in office. It's no wonder Moorehead waited until right before his trial was to begin before suddenly changing his plea. He wanted to collect enough money to pay his fine. In other words, were paying it. Thank you Columbiana County, this is why I will never vote for another tax again. But I guess it dosen't matter, they'll just impose it anyway.
Speaking of crime:
http://michellemalkin.com/2008/12/12/crooked-carol-browner-obamas-ethically-challenged-energy-czar/
Change???? As Michelle says, not so fresh and not so clean!
Come on Jack Amato get real, for a respected doctor, that has to be one of the stupid ass comments I have ever heard. I don't think Bob's a thief just sloppy bookeeping. Wow, where were you born, fantasy land.
Jim Traficant will be out of prison soon and will need a job in the rackets. Maybe he can be our new health commissioner.
Jim is going to end up in the very prison system he promoted!!!I wonder will Jim get the red carpet treatment when he ends up on CCA's door?Will he get treated the same way as other prisoners?I do doubt it since he is the reason CCA is in Mahonning County
Why wasn't ELHS Choir used for the Thompson Park light up? Beaver Local isn't funding the park E L citizens are!!
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