28—The Daily Collegian Friday, Oct. :tl, 1980
First attorney general election
By JOHN SCHLANDEK
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
A 1978 amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution
enables voters>to elect an state attorney general for the
first time in the Pennsylvania’s history.
Before the amendment, the governor appointed the
attorney general. A 1978 statewide referendum paved
the way for the constitutional amendment, which is
designed to make the attorney general more indepen
dent of the governor.
The referendum was sparked by corruption in the ad
mininstration of former Gov. Milton J. Shapp and the
lack of independence of the appointed attorney general
from the governor’s office.
Government experts hope the new method for selec
tion of the attorney general will give the official greater
Winner to shape office powers
By JOHN SCHLANDEK
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
The man that the voters will select for
the first attorney general in the state’s
history will have the opportunity to
shape and define the powers of the
office.
Vying for the distinction of being the
first elected attorney general are
Republican Leßoy S. Zimmerman,
Democrat Michael A. O'Pake and Liber
tarian Richard D. Fuerle.
Although Gov. Dick Thornburgh sign
ed legislation defining duties and povter
sof the elected office, the law is subject
to interpretation. Whoever wins the elec
tion will have a large role in defining the
office.
Pennsylvania voters will see the office
of attorney general on the ballot for the
first time Tuesday. The governor
previously appointed this officer, but he
lost that right under a a 1978 amendment
to the state constitution.
Zimmerman, 45, of Harrisburg was
Opponent charges corruption
Auditor general meets attacks
By JOHN SCHLANDEK
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
The race for the post of state auditor
general features a all-out attack on the
incumbent by one of his opponents.
State Rep. James W. Knepper Jr, R-
Allegheny County, challenges the in
tegrity of Democratic incumbent A 1
Benedict.
Benedict meets the attack with ap
parent indignation and denial.
Libertarian candidate Brian Sayago, a
banking manager from Nazareth, is also
running.
Knepper claims Benedict has received
campaign funds from persons named in'
a recqjfjt state Crime Commission report...
Patronage abuse has been rampant,
also, Knepper claims. He says he has a
list of 100 patronage employees.
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power as a watchdog over the administration, with the
independence needed to battle corruption.
The attorney general is the chief law enforcement of
ficer for the state and the head of the Department of
Justice. He appoints most attorneys for the state, in
cluding local district attorneys.
He works with and supervises district attorneys in en
forcing criminal law, and he supervises the Office of
Civil Law, which handles all civil cases.He also acts as
legal advisor for some state offices.
Attorney generals are now elected in more than 40
states.
Gov. Dick Thornburgh recently signed a bill that
gives criminal and civil powers to the attorney general.
The attorney general was previously the governor’s
legal counsel, but the Office of General Counsel will pro-
' N \ rf.' V'V
district attorney of Dauphin County from
1965 to last January.
. O’Pake, 40, of Reading who is a state
senator has served in the Legislature for
12 years.
of Monroeville is an
Fuerle,
attorney.
O’Pake says the attorney general
should be an administrator responsible
for running the state Justice Depart
ment smoothly.
Knepper charges Benedict with
“disgraceful and blatant macing” for
collecting $170,000 in campaign contribu
tions from his office employees.
Benedict denies some charges and ap
pears indignant at others, refusing to
answer th^m.
He claims he and his staff have
discovered more than $153 million of
misused or lost state funds, and he has
saved taxpayers $33.5 million in un
covered fraud and abuse, including
Medicaid and welfare fraud.
Benedict received publicity for expos
ing out-of-state students at state colleges
and universities paying iri-state' tuition
rates.,. .
He also established the TIP program
for taxpayers to report instances of
misused state money.
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He adds that he will appoint an in
dependentprosecutor to head the
criminallaw office and a non-politician
to head the organized crime and political
corruption unit.
•Zimmerman, however, says the at
torney general should lead the battle
against street crime, organized crime
and public corruption. Handling state
deeds, leases and contracts is also im
portant, he says.
Knepper has been a state represen
tative for 10 years. He authored the
state’s Sunshine Law, legislation design
ed to keep political meetings open to the
public.
He is, chairman of the Urban Affairs
Committee and state representative of
the National Task Force on Urban Af
fairs.He is also owner-president of Knep
per Press Corp.
The auditor general’s job is to review
how taxpayers’ money is spent.
He is responsible for ensuring that all
money owed to the state is deposited in
the Treasury and that money due
public is disbursed legally and properly.
The Department of the Auditor
General, which he heads, postaudits the
financial affairs of state government.
Classic
Unique
bably take over this duty.
In a written statement Thornburgh said,“This bill
grants to the attorney general’s office strong law en
forcement powers and keeps it independent and accoun
table to the people.
“It also recognizes the right of the governor and the
executive branch of government to have their own legal
representative through the creation of the Office of
General Counsel.”
The constitutional powers are subject to interpreta
tion, however, and whoever is elected to the office could
have an important role in further defining the powers
and responsibilities.
The powers and responsibilities of the office will
change as experiences with the elected office dictate,
legislative officials say. ]
Illustration by Scott Smith
Zimmerman accuses O’Pake of
nothaving the experience for the job. He
has said O’Pake, a state senator, has ex
perience writing laws but no experience
enforcing them.
O’Pake has responded by saying
thathe has more experience in making
state government respond to people’s
needs.
O’Pake, very popular in his native
Berks County, has drawn publicity as a
hardworking legislator for his work as
head of the Senate Judiciary Committee
and for his role in the Senate’s probe of
Medicaid fraud.
Zimmerman, backed strongly by
Thornburgh and former Gov. William F.
Scranton, has been criticized by O’Pake
as not being able to maintain the in
dependence the office is supposed to
have.
O’Pake has drawn fire for running in
the attorney general race while seeking
re-election to the Senate.
Treasurer - question of Caseys
By JOHN SCHLANDER
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
Will the real Robert Casey please
stand up?
Republican candidate for state
treasurer Sen. R. Budd Dwyer,
Crawford County, contends the 1976
election of the treasurer was a fluke.
Robert E. Casey of Johnstown was
elected because he was confused with
Robert P. Casey, a Scranton resident
who had been a popular state auditor
general from 1968 to 1976, Dwyer
says.
With a campaign fund of $866,
Casey defeated former state Rep.
Patricia Crawford in the 1976
election;?;; |k>
the confusion over
names may have helped him, but it
does not make any difference now, he
R. Budd Dwyer
Bob Casey,
Tory A, Dunn
Thelma Hambright
Frank Bubb
Leßoy S. Zimmerman
Michael A. O’Pake
Richard D. Fuerle
James W. Knepper, Jr.
A 1 Benedict
Darcy Richardson
Brian Sayago
claims.
He says he has been a good
treasurer. Casey said the Treasury
achieved record interest earnings of
more than $709 million in the 1979-80
fiscal year.
Dwyer, 40, has been state Senator
since 1970. Before 1970 he. served in
the state House, where he was elected
in 1964 as its youngest member on
ly 24 years old.
Dwyer holds three college degrees: Casey said he has no political ambi
a bachelor’s in accounting and tion beyond re-election as state
economics and a law degree, com- treasurer.
pared to Casey’s two years of college. ' •
However, Casey, 70, has 10 yeai;s of e other candidates are Socialist
experience in the state Treasury:'. i Worker
Crities:say Dwyer has not done that | Thelma and
much in His-16"years in* the'stated l^ ran ’ t :
Legislature. ‘ The state treasurer is the head of '
vHe is Senate Republican policy the Treasury Department.
STATE TREASURER
(VOTE FOR NOT MORE THAN ONE)
ATTORNEY GENERAL
(VOTE FOR NOT MORE THAN ONE)
AUDITOR GENERAL
(VOTE FOR NOT MORE THAN ONE)
chairman and a member oi the state
Republican Party executive
committee.
Casey has been accused by critics
of junketeering. In the last two years
he has attended 11 conventions,
visiting Hawaii and Arizona while at
tending conventions.
These conventions have kept him
away from his office for about 40
days.
Republican
Democratic
Socialist
Workers
Consumer
Libertarian
Republican
Democratic
Libertarian
Republican
Democratic
Consumer
Libertarian
Group issues Cunningham rating
By TOM BOYER
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
The League of Woman Voters has
Rep. Gregg L. Cunningham, R-
Centre County, a “political accountabili-
ty rating” of 40 percent, meaning that as
! a Representative Cunningham voted
with the League’s position on two out of
five issues the League surveyed.
State Sen. J. Doyle Corman, R-Centre
•County, was also given a rating of 40
percent.
While the League does not endorse
candidates for political office, it does
take positions on issues. The five bills us
ed by the League in compiling the rating
are:
< ;*}
• Senate Bill 1834, now law, which in-
.'■-■O3-
."u'fil'
[ creased maximum truck' weights to
J 80,000 pounds. The League opposed the
j measure, Cunningham and Corman
| voted for it.
| • House Bill 3456, now law, which gave
| the state primary responsibility for en
forcing safety regulations in the disposal
"of solid and hazardous wastes. Both the
League and Cunningham supported the
measure, Corman opposed it.
n.-vo'l:
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J'
Candidates support reform bills
By TOM BOYER
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
Candidates for state House of Representatives from the 77th
district have indicated support for reform legislation sup
ported by Pennsylvania Common Cause.
According to the results of a questionaire distributed by
[Common Cause to all candidates for state General Assembly,
incumbent Rep. Gregg L. Cunningham, R-Centre County, sup
ports the organization’s position on five of seven issues.
Cunningham’s two opponents in Tuesday’s general election,
Democratic nominee Robert C. Brazill (Bth-political science),
and independent candidate Michael G. Day, indicated they
support Common Cause’s position on all seven questions.
survey questioned candidates on the following
legislative issues (candidates supported the legislation unless
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• House Bill 640, now law, which
reformed the state’s divorce laws to
allow unilateral divorce after three
years of separation and review in court
and alimony for economically dependent
spouse, among other provisions. The
League, Cunningham and Corman all
supported the measure.
• House Bill 382, now law, which
allows local referendums to decide
whether voters use electronic voting
devices or paper ballots. The League
and Corman supported the measure,
Cunningham opposed it.
• House Bill 2044. Passed by the
Senate, it would remove from General
Assistance rolls all those who refuse a
bona fide job offer, and provide a tax
credit to businesses employing general
assistance recipients. The Leaue and
Cormhn both supported it.
• Senate Bill 579, passed by the House,
which included provisions restricting
medicaid funding for abortions, remov
ing able-bodied persons from state
welfare rolls, and capping funding for
child welfare services. Opposed by the
League, Cunningham voted for the bill.
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• “Sunset” legislation, which would require periodic review
of state agencies and abolishment of those agencies that are no
longer needed.
• Partial public financing of statewide election campaigns
in which public funds could be used to supplement private con
tributions. Cunningham said he opposes such legislaion.
• Tightening the state’s .Sunshine Law to require govern
ment agencies to open .their policymaking discussions to the
public.
° Disclosure of lobbyist expenses
• State ratification of the U.S. constitutional amendment
granting the District of Columbia representation in the U.S.
Congress. Cunnigham opposes the amendment.
Cunningham, calling the rating
“myopic,” said the rating only
represents a small part of the important
legislation voted on by the General
Assembly in his term, and is not a good
measurement of his whole performance.
“I think the League makes a very
serious mistake when it becomes involv
ed in partisan political legislative
issues,” he said.
“I would gently admonish them to go
back to doing what they do best, and that
is the very superb job they do of inform
ing voters on the qualifications and
views of candidates for public office, and
that they stay out of the lobbying
business,” Cunningham said.
Cunningham said the League’s rating
was unfair because legislators cannot
respond to explain every vote that was
part of the rating.
“They’re making a blanket
categorical statement to which they
know no candidate will ever be able to
respond,” Cunningham said. “They
themselves are creating a very
misleading appearance.”
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The Daily Collegian Friday, Oct. 31, 1980—29
Two October rallies in Harrisburg
presented opposing positions on the
pro-choice, pro-life controversy. Rep.
Gregg L. Cunningham, R-Centre
County, spoke at the pro-life rally
with the young boy pictured here
standing behind him on the stage. The
woman on the left seems to be un
decided about the issue, but the
banger in the foreground presents a
very strong statement in favor of pro
choice.
Photos by Renee Jacobs