Deegan to Easton City Council: Grow a Spine

Guess what Easton city council did last night?

No one even tried to float another name. No options, no debate, no grandstanding.

No sense.

We'll give council a break on this one. Maybe each was still starry-eyed with the lights in their faces and the people in the crowd. Maybe the Pantos will be quite effective together. Here's hoping they and other city leaders do a great job.

Panto Makes His Wife an Easton Issue

When he was interviewed by Easton Undressed the day after his election, Mayor-to-be Panto insisted his wife's quest for appointment to city council would never be an issue. But that's precisely what's happening. As Hera plagued Zeus, so Pam has plagued Sal.

J. Spike Rogan withdrew his own application on Monday and urged council members to appoint Roger Ruggles over Pam Panto. A "visibly annoyed" Sal Panto insisted on trashing him, according to a Morning Call account. He would question Rogan, and then interrupt him before he could answer. Why are you "visibly annoyed," Sal? Because she's your wife, and that's the problem.

Obviously, Panto has a conflict. According to the city solicitor, he's unable to vote for her because her position carries a salary and he's her husband. If that's so, then he shouldn't be trying to make the case for her appointment, either. What he instead needs to do, according to the state Ethics Act, is "publicly announce and disclose the nature of his interest as a public record in a written memorandum" to the clerk of city council, and abstain.

Shouldn't the voters decide whether they want to invest that much power in the hands of one family? Does he really want to start his administration of a financially troubled city with ethical questions? Does he really think he will carry as much clout with county and state officials if they start whispering about back room deals to appoint his wife? And they will, Sal. Don't kid yourself. If she wanted the job so badly, why the hell didn't she run?

Today's Express Times says it best. "Pamela Panto serving on the same city council is bad form if not bad government. In fact, it runs counter to the fresh start that voters chose in approving a new charter."

Should Panto's Wife Be Appointed to Easton City Council?

Pam Panto, Easton city council's VP, is one of two members who chose not to seek re-election this year. As she told The Express Times in March, "With my husband running for mayor, the logistics of the operation and maintenance of two separate and independent campaigns from one home will be laborious, tedious and exhaustive." But now her name is among those being considered for appointment to two council vacancies.

In an exclusive interview with Terrance Hand at Easton Undressed, Mayor-elect Sal Panto addresses this issue. "I think she's been the voice of reason and common sense on city council. I think she's been an excellent city council member, and now that she has her four years of experience, she really was starting to make a difference. ... So she would be a very independent thinker. ... Putting someone on with no experience would be inappropriate at this point. ... She shouldn't be appointed because she's my wife or family member or son or daughter or cousin or relative or friend, but she shouldn't be denied that either, because she is an individual."

Here's The Express Times' view. "No offense, but the last thing Easton's hatchling home-rule venture needs is Bill and Hillary comparisons." I agree. A decision to put that much power in the hands of one family should be made by the voters, not four city council members.

Update: The Morning Call's Bill Ford today reports that, in addition to Pam Panto, five other Eastonians are interested in the two open seats on city council. These include failed mayoral candidate Mike Fleck, failed city council candidates Peter Melan, Roger Ruggles and Bill Timmann, and J. Spike Rogan, a frequent commenter here and at Eaton Undressed.