Lots of news today. Let’s get right to it…
:: The New York Times reports that “Grandpa Joe” Paterno “transferred full ownership of his house to his wife, Sue, for $1 in July, less than four months before a sexual abuse scandal engulfed his Penn State football program and the university.”
Hmmm. Now, why would Pa-Pa want to put into his wife’s name the house that they had jointly owned since 1969?
The Times quoted Wick Sollers, a lawyer for Pa-Pa, as saying that the Paternos had been engaged in a “multi-year estate planning program” and that the transfer was “simply one element of that plan.”
The Times also interviewed Lawrence A. Frolik, a law professor at the University of Pittsburgh who specializes in elder law.
“I can’t see any tax advantages,” The Times quoted Frolik as saying. “…It sounds like an attempt to avoid personal liability in having assets in his wife’s name.”
Looks like Grandpa Joe did what any guy would do if he’s expecting a run on his bank account — disperse the assets.
:: Closer to home, The Star reports that Bishop Robert Finn slipped the criminal noose in Clay County and has agreed to enter into a diversion program with the Clay County prosecutor for covering up the Shawn Ratigan child-porn case for at least five months.
The agreement calls for Finn “to meet face to face” with Clay County Prosecutor Daniel L. White or his successor every month for the next five years “to discuss any allegations of child sex abuse levied against clergy or diocesan staff within the diocese’s Clay county facilities.”
That would include churches, schools, gyms, among other buildings.
Don’t you just love it that the mighty bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph is going to have to report to the prosecutor like a wayward kid would report to the principal? The bishop, who has dozens of many minions at his disposal at diocesan headquarters, 20 W. Ninth St., trucking up to Liberty once a month, with his big hat in his hand? SWEEEET!
I fully expect Jackson County prosecutor Jean Peters Baker to follow suit and put Finn in a separate diversion program. That means he’d have to grab his mitre and staff and head to the Jackson County Courthouse once a month, too.
Finn couldn’t have screwed things up any more than he did with the Ratigan case, but I bet he’s going to be a model enforcer from now on…Of course, he’s still a disgrace and would leave office if he really cared about the institution and people he’s supposed to be serving.
:: The Star also reports that Local 42 of the International Association of Fire Fighters lost its battle to get full, retroactive, city pension benefits for about 300 ambulance workers who formerly worked for MAST. (MAST received city funds but was not directly under its jurisdiction.)
An arbitrator ruled that the city would not have to provide pensions that had been estimated to cost $30 million over 10 years. In June, the City Council voted to give the employees supplemental pensions estimated to cost $6 million to $10 million over 20 years. So, if the ruling holds, taxpayers should be off the hook for at least $20 million.
Wright
It’s not often that Local 42 and its president, Louie Wright, don’t get what they want. But just about any time they don’t, it means Kansas Citians should celebrate because tax money is being saved.
For his part, Louie told The Star’s Lynn Horsley that he was “extremely disappointed.” Naturally, a lawsuit in Jackson County Circuit Court is a possibility.
With Louie and Local 42, it’s never over until all remedies have been exhausted.
:: Now here’s something unusual. Louisville football Coach Charlie Strong said that the Cardinals lost to Pittsburgh last Saturday because the players were “more focused on a video game than they were on Pittsburgh.”
A new video game — “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” — was released recently, and Strong said the players got preoccupied with the game, instead of the game.
The things coaches have to deal with these days….
JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC 
Mr. White, the Clay County Prosecutor, believes he has solved Finn’s problems on reporting child abuse by eliminating the middle man (read police officers and child protective services). So, what’s new about that? Finn wasn’t reporting anyway and did not live up to any of the policies he had previously set in motion. I checked last evening, and on the diocesan website there is no longer information as to how to reach local law enforcement in order to report suspected abuse, all that’s left is a photo and telephone number for the diocesan ombundsman. Hopefully, the Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney will set a better example of how to handle the problems Finn has created for himself and set a precedent that will send a strong message to the authority of the church that overing up will no longer be tolerated. Carry on!
Kay4justice,
If you are a mother, daughter, sister, whatever you are, I hope your kids, siblings, parents, nieces/nephews do not come after you for mistakes (yes mistakes as most decent folks do not want to cause harm) you made 10, 20 or 30 years ago. Better yet, how about an organization that does nothing but calling on your children, siblings, parents, nieces/nephews to find your mistakes and have you pay for it. Granted, nobody killed, and yes we all have emotional scars from our past, and nobody, I mean nobody should hurt our precious children, but to go after an organization or church for mistakes it made 20-30 years ago when legal system was not even sophisticated or aware of such wicked situations. Now you stand back and join in the chorus of judging everyone. Well, let’s see how your kids, parents, siblings will judge you, and let outsiders judge how you implement the changes for yourself, miss perfect pants. Hopefully, your Creator doesn’t use the same measurement that you use to judge you when you come to Jesus moment. Good luck and God Bless.
As for the writer of this article, how about shutting down as “journalism,” and put up a gossip column website? Aren’t you supporting the SNAP that supposed to be for the victims, but these bottom feeding lawyers are out to get rich for themselves? Oh these lawyers are sympathetic? Spare me. These poor adults should see therapists and be working together with the Church and the Bishop to cure them, not to cause further damage with the legal battles. Money doesn’t and won’t make them feel better or to forgive and seek peace within. Now that’s where these victims need help, not the greedy self-serving lawyers. I understand many claim to be victims, but are pretending with the help from these blood sucking lawyers.
Not to worry about JoPa’s transfer of assets, for whatever reason. The law is pretty clear on this matter. If or when he has to pay up in the event of a civil suit any transactions that are out of the ordinary or not part of a previously established pattern or written investment or estate plan from a date established by the court will be subject to review. It’s no different than charities that had to pay back money given to them by Bernie Madoff.
As for THE BISH having to show up for HIS confession once and perhaps twice a month it’s nice to know that the good folks at HEBREW NATIONAL still only answer to a HIGHER POWER.
All due respect but Bishop Finn is a DISGRACE to the Church, the Collar and Humanity.
As far as I’m concerned there is no greater crime than to do harm to an innocent child, whether it was 10-20-30 or 50 years ago. When we as Christians or humans fail to protect the most vulnerable among us and PUNISH those that do we become no better than animals that eat their young.
For Coach Strong to blame a video game release on his teams loss is to abdicate all responsibility for his team. What’s next, the dog ate my playbook? The mirror still offers the best answer to the question, who is to blame for most of our problems.
My Dear jimmyc,
It was announced today that Old Joe has cancer so you better leave well enough alone on that score. Maybe you could threaten to beat the crap out of Ali to make up for your loss of a whipping boy. You might be able to take Muhammed if the fight doesn’t last more than thirty seconds. Then again, he just might have been playing the old rope-a-dope trick all these years.
As for your erstwhile bishop, men who wear dresses and supposedly don’t have sex…………….. Well, there you go.
I Remain,
Hubartos vanDrehl
Unfortunately, Hubartos, the bishop is not erstwhile; he’s still very much with us and plans to be for a long time, I’m sure. Most of the erstwhile bishops qualify for that status only because they are in their graves.
At least its “Call of Duty” and not “Grand Theft Auto.”
The diocese had a child abuse awareness program in place since 2002. All employees and many parents were required to take it. Finn didn’t follow the plan. He should go directly to jail. I hope the Jackson County prosecuter doesn’t make a deal.