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Post Info TOPIC: Senator Mellow and the Blue Cross/Blue Shield of NEPA Board
Agamemnon


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Senator Mellow and the Blue Cross/Blue Shield of NEPA Board
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This story has been all over the place, but here's a link to an article in the Scranton Times

Senator Mellow Board Appointment

As a member of the Board of Directors (BoD), Senator Mellow will have an obligation to act and vote in accordance with the best interests of BCBSNEPA.

As a State Senator, Senator Mellow has a responsibility to vote in accordance with the best interests of his constitutents.

He has already said that he will NOT obstain from BCBSNEPA-related votes in the State Senate.

The resulting questions are as follows:
1. Do you think that this creates a conflict of interest?
2. Why would Senator Mellow choose to take this kind of position, knowing that there is at least the appearance of inpropriety?
3. Why would BCBSNEPA want him on the BoD anyway?



Here are my thoughts:
1. It creates a GLARING conflict of interest. You can not direct an organization that you in turn are supposed to oversee as part of a law-making body.
2. Does $20,000 ring a bell? He will most likely also be reimbursed for other board related expenses, which is very typical. There is also the potential for generating even more campaign contributions via board connections.
3. To be blunt, it's my opinion that the leadership of BCBSNEPA is getting nervous with pending Blue mergers in the state, the prospect of increased scrutiny of their enormous surplus and the chance that meaningful healthcare reform might eventually come. Given that, they want a politician close by...very close by in this case.

This whole think stinks to HIGH HELL. Senator Mellow has no business having policy and enconomic interests in an organization that he may be able to impact through his voting in the Senate. This is "old school" Pennsylvania at it's very worst.

I would say that Senator Mellow should be ashamed to even consider this...but I think we are too late for that to happen.

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Thursday's Child


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RE: Senator Mellow and the Blue Cross/Blue Shield of NEPA Board
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I think the reasoning behind us finding out when we did, was so that it would be too late to do anything about it.

Fine post, Ag.

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LusOnlyVoice


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RE: Senator Mellow and the Blue Cross/Blue Shield of NEPA Board
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Is it too late or can he be made to resign from the BC NEPA board ... or at least made to abstain from votes that concern BC NEPA. As it has been pointed out that this is a huge conflict of interest.

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Agamemnon


Scranton Guy

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RE: Senator Mellow and the Blue Cross/Blue Shield of NEPA Board
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Corporate board members change all the time, so Senator Mellow could certainly resign. The fact of the matter is that he won't. I get the impression is that this is all about the cash...be it to his campaign war chest or to this pocket directly as payment for his "services".

As for abstaining from votes related to BCBS, I don't view that as being an answer. Why? Because so many votes could have an impact on BCBS...directly or indirectly...that it makes more sense for him to simply not take the Board seat in the first place. We are talking about any votes that have to deal with...

...non-profit tax status
...insurance regulations
...healthcare policy
...plus countless other more detailed issues

To take a look at this from another angle, at my employer (because I have a Securities Regisgration), I need to have any secondary employment approved in advance. Why? To make sure that any such employment doesn't create a conflict with the terms of my primary job and the terms of my registration. If that's applicable to me...someone with far less power and responsibility than a state senator...then it certainly should be applicable to Bob Mellow.

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Glenn Cashuric


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RE: Senator Mellow and the Blue Cross/Blue Shield of NEPA Board
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I commend Senator Mellow for grabbing all the brass rings that his constituents have allowed to materialize after his forty years in the state senate. This is a man with no fear, and the voters have no one to blame but themselves. This is just Kenny on a bigger scale.

Good for him.

GC

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Agamemnon


Scranton Guy

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RE: Senator Mellow and the Blue Cross/Blue Shield of NEPA Board
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"This is just Kenny on a bigger scale."

...and Senator Mellow is just Dan Flood or Joe McDade on a smaller scale.

Therein lies the problem with many "professional" legislators...they reach a point where they genuinely believe that they can do anything. There are examples all over the place in NEPA...Dan Flood, Joe McDade...the names are legendary in this area...all believed that they reached points where the normal rules of propriety and common sense no longer applied to them.

It seems to me that the only thing that ends up curtailing activities by these individuals is the weight of their own arrogance. Put another way, eventually people like this eventually push things too far one too many times in their quest for ever-upward power and eventually gravity takes over.


-- Edited by Agamemnon at 07:08, 2008-08-09

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Glenn Cashuric


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RE: Senator Mellow and the Blue Cross/Blue Shield of NEPA Board
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Unfortunately, in this area too much damage is allowed to be done before the voters decide enough is enough. Replacing Bob Mellow with Jim Wansacz, Corey O'Brien, or Frank Shimkus will do nothing to further progressive and even quasi-honest government.

GC

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Agamemnon


Scranton Guy

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RE: Senator Mellow and the Blue Cross/Blue Shield of NEPA Board
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I agree Glenn.

I think the system breeds the attitude of entitlement and arrogance among representatives. Speaking of arrgance, I was at a Penn State Alumni Awards event about 8 years ago, and a prominent individual from the state legislature (who I will not name) was the keynote speaker. I'll never forget one of his lines: "Politiics is the only sport for real men" (or something with that same intent). After hearing that, I nearly walked out, but after compising myself, I told my wife "That arrogant SoB...he thinks the public sector is where the real men are? I know senior executives in the private sector that have chunks of guys like him in their ________". After that I never attended another Alumni Awards dinner.

Now I look back at that and see that it typifies the insular, self-made biosphere they create for themselves in Harrisburg. I don't care who goes down there, as I know that over time virtually anyone would end up being corrupted by this system.

The solution? I don't see anything else other than term limits that could possible improve the situation.

-- Edited by Agamemnon at 08:01, 2008-08-11

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