Paul Violette pleaded guilty to theft of an obscene amount of money, taken over the course of his being in charge of our turnpike authority. He is to make “restitution” of about one-third of that illicit total; bond companies are to spring for one-third each of the remainder. A bit of jail time and then Violette will be good to go, case closed, happily ever, a crescendo of Bach, fade out …. right?
Now just hold on there, not quite so quick. Violette is going to be allowed to collect his pension of how much? We the tax- and toll-payers are going to pay him a pension of more than $63,000 a year for having stolen from us for 20-some-odd years?
Plus, the bonding companies have the honor of picking up two-thirds of what he stole, which will cause an up-tick in their rates-to-bond, which could cause a toll price increase. All this so that Violette will be warm and well-fed for a few years and then come out to live on a princely retirement income that we, the stolen from, pay.
What has happened to justice? She’s meant to be just blind, not stupid.
Rick Fayen
Starks
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