Schuylkill Commissioners Renew Former Politicians as Public Money Hunters

Schuylkill County Commissioners approved a renewed contract with two former local politicians to have them serve as money hunters, essentially.

The contract is with Allen-Goodman & Associates, of Pottsville, for $30,000. Commissioners approved the contract to run from Feb. 1 until July 31. And the goal here is to have two former State Representatives, Bob Allen and Neal Goodman, act in the County’s interest and find funding to bring home, presumably at the state level.

This is an extension of a contract the Commissioners OK’d in 2021, for $60,000.

The problem here is, the Commissioners never once proved that Allen and Goodman actually did anything last year. We, essentially, just gave the two $60,000 in 2021 and another $30,000, so far, in 2022.

Allen and Goodman Getting More Money from Schuylkill Commissioners

You can bet that if Allen and Goodman had found Schuylkill County any money to help fund projects the Commissioners deem necessary, we’d have heard about it. The way the Courthouse celebrates things it considers an accomplishment, they’d have had a parade or something along those lines.

Instead, the year passed, the former well-paid State Reps got their money, and here we are in 2022, giving them more money to find money.

Allen is a former Rep. of the 125th district, serving from 1989-2006. He was eventually ousted from office when he lost a Primary election bid to then-Schuylkill County Controller Gary Hornberger, who played off the public’s anger with the infamous 2005 Capitol pay raise scandal.

Goodman just retired from the State House in the 123rd District. During the pandemic, Goodman voted in lockstep with his Democrat cohorts to keep businesses closed across Pennsylvania.

In reality, the only money they’re good at finding is yours.

Is this necessary?

None of the Schuylkill County Commissioners voted against retaining Allen and Goodman’s services. And it seems odd that the County would need a service like that right now.

Between 2020 and 2022, Schuylkill County will have received a COVID relief largess in the neighborhood of $40 million through the CARES and American Rescue Plan legislation.

And let’s not ignore the fact that Schuylkill County is already represented by 4 people in Harrisburg, including a high-ranking State Senator in Dave Argall.

Between Argall and State Reps. Jerry Knowles, Tim Twardzik, and Joe Kerwin, what are Allen and Goodman going to do that those guys can’t?

Last year, the Commissioners vaguely detailed some of the projects they needed money for when they initially decided to retain the former politicians as consultants. They were the Schuylkill County Airport and improvements there, as well as money for dredging Sweet Arrow Lake Park, outside Pine Grove.

READ MORE: 

• Schuylkill Commissioners Hire Former State Reps As Consultants To Find Money For “Projects”