Friday, November 02, 2007
Some rumors about Phil
And just in case you all were wondering what I meant when I made those comments about Phil's potential downfall coming in an airport bathroom, here's some stuff that showed up on a left-wing blog during the Porter campaign last year. I'm not saying any of this stuff is true... but I'm not saying it isn't. Does anyone have further info on this?
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4 comments:
Should it really be s surprise if former Mayor Tullio covered up Phil English's arrest for solicitation of a minor? The Erie police knew that William Garvey was doing the same in the mid-1980s. Tullio and the Erie Police department covered it up and Garvey wasn't charged. Garvey and Tullio were close friends going back to the 1950s.
No, not a surprise. I guess I'm just scratching my head as to why I haven't heard of this before. I have heard some other rumors about Phil, but nothing specifically along these lines...As far as the Garvey thing goes, I think the Times sat on the story for a couple year before they finally had enough corroborating evidence where they felt comfortable going with it. Perhaps they're doing the same thing for Phil, or perhaps it's not true.
"No, not a surprise. I guess I'm just scratching my head as to why I haven't heard of this before."
To answer your question, let's first take a look at Garvey.
One of the biggest misconceptions about the Garvey story is that few people knew about Garvey in the years the incidents were actually happening.
That is totally NOT TRUE. I've talked to former players who were coached by Garvey in the 1960s. These players told me that virtually everyone on the team knew about what Garvey was doing.
But it was a different era, and people didn't come forward like they do today. Garvey was also a master predator who understood how to keep people quiet (by favors, threats, psychological intimidation, influence, etc).
Garvey built a power base of influence and contacts in Erie. He used this base to keep former players quiet by helping their careers, families, etc. In other words, Garvey maintained quite a powerful hold and influence on these former players.
Take Gary Bukowski for instance. He was in the same class as Chuck Rosenthal (the guy who wrote the book about Garvey). I will not comment on whether Bukowski was a victim of Garvey or not. But Bukowski was aware of what Garvey was all about.
Bukowski has kept his mouth shut for over 40 years on what he knows about Garvey. In turn, Garvey helped Bukowski's career substantially. Bukowski worked with Garvey at Mercyhurst for nearly 35 years, rising to a VP position. Garvey also helped Bukowski's campaigns for county council. Bukowski now works in a top job at the Barber Center (where Garvey has huge connections and influence). This is just one example, there are many others.
Lots of influential people around Erie knew about the allegtions against Garvey for years too. But Garvey's power and influence became a deterrant against those who would have spoken out against him. Many of these people figured they had more to lose by coming out against Garvey than they did by keeping quiet.
Garvey's biggest supporter was Lou Tullio, who ruled Erie with an iron fist. Few people challenged Tullio and anyone coming out against Garvey would have incurred the wrath of mighty Lou.
Now, let's look at Phil English. Do you see any similarities? Phil is in a position to exert mighty amounts of influence on anyone who would make an issue of this stuff. The Times would also not want to come out against Phil English. They've supported English each time he's come up for reelection, and the Meads were friends of the English family. Could it be that many who know these things about English figure they have MORE to lose by bringing this stuff up?
But things seem to be changing now.
English was also never that vulnerable before in terms of elections. But then came the last election. Steven Porter (a "joke" of an opponent) got 44 percent of the vote.
That means English is VERY vulnerable now. He can be defeated this time around. That's why you may see these allegations come out for the first time. But it will NOT start in the Erie Times News. These allegations will first surface in other newspapers and then the Times will be forced to cover them.
The Times does not want to draw attention to any of this stuff. This time around, they may be forced to cover it.
First off, I want to say that what English reportedly did was not nearly as heinous as Garvey's crimes. Of course, when you run as a right-winger, it's certainly hypocritical. As for the cover up, I guess these things should be expected. There's a reason power is powerful.
If there is a story to break on the English front, you're right, someone will probalbly have to drop it on the laps of the local media for them to address it. Of course, the Dems may be just the people to do it.
Cheers.
Ralph
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