Tuesday, October 23, 2012

In Wake of Schiliro Ethics Complaint, Starr Associates’ Employees Disappear from Website

In the wake of Marcus Hook Mayor Jay Schiliro filing a formal complaint with the  Pennsylvania Ethics Commission regarding Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland (D-159) and state funding directed to organizations controlled by Kirkland’s family and associates, the website of Starr and Associates -- a public affairs firm founded by Kirkland’s son-in-law, Ronald Starr, and employing many of Kirkland’s family and friends -- has removed its staff list from the company website.


The Schiliro campaign had anticipated that something might happen to the Starr Associates website and captured a screen shot of the website.

“It strikes me as odd that that Starr and Associates picked this week as a time to take down its listing of staff personnel,” said Jay Shiliro.  “If it was a matter of being outdated, you would think they would have just updated the website rather than deleted every staff member. If you have nothing to hide, why hide it?”

Schiliro had raised concerns about $130,000 in state money directed by House Democrats – at the request of Rep. Kirkland – to the Chester Fine Arts Center East between 2008 and 2010.  According to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s Investment Tracker, the Center has received more than $298,000 in state funding.  In addition to Kirkland’s daughter being paid to sing by the center, the center’s website lists Kirkland’s wife as a dance instructor.

In addition, Starr Associates, the public affairs company run by Kirkland’s son-in-law and employing many Kirkland family members, lists the Chester Fine Arts Center East as a current or former client of the firm.

In 2008, $65,000 in state funding to the Center was used to pay the salary of John Wooten as executive director.  However, the website of Starr Associates lists Wooten as Senior Vice President. Schiliro questioned whether Wooten may have directed money from the non-profit to a for-profit company that employed Wooten’s friends and family and perhaps even himself.

The connections between Starr and Associates and the Chester Fine Arts Center East are numerous.  Kirkland’s wife, Susie Kirkland has served as both acting president and board president of the arts center, as well as a dance instructor. Kirkland’s daughter, Tyra Starr – whose music manager is her husband, Ronald Starr – has also sung at the Center.  Based on comments made by Rep. Kirkland to the Daily Times, it sounds as though Rep. Kirkland himself picked his daughter himself to perform and be paid. Performers were paid using taxpayer dollars.

In addition to its founder Ronald Starr and John Wooten, Starr and Associates also employs a number of other individuals believed to be family or close associates of Representative Kirkland, including  Lashonda Kirkland, Charles Dixon (Rep. Kirkland’s nephew), Leola Williams, and Shareeta Joe.

A copy of Schiliro's ethics complaint is posted on his campaign website at www.jayschiliro.com.

16 comments:

  1. thad will win on nov6 2012 all you slaves watch out thats you to roots

    ReplyDelete
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    1. You're late. Slavery is over.

      Read http://ccityblogger.blogspot.com/2012/10/does-chester-care-about-st-rep-thaddeus.html. Of course Thad will win.

      Give us some input we can use. I'm sure St. Rep. Kirkland would appreciate it.

      Delete
  2. Chester's response: "I think he [Rep. Kirkland] is a Good man, who means well."

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  3. they still got you roots thats slave name

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    1. An independent voice is rare and confusing. I understand.

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  4. This is sad. The city of Chester can't even see wrong because they are blind loyalist. Thad is a CROOK.

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  5. your voice is not independent mr roots and you anonymous 10/23/12 928pm
    there is no blind loyalist if you are free thad has help people
    the best that he can ask people ask sport team like chester high football team he rasied 19,000.00 dollers for them

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    1. Oh. If the republicans didn't want my help and the democrats ignored my request to contribute, who exactly am I dependent on? The readers deserve to know. Please respond with some facts to back it all up. I cant wait to read this one. I hope you have a response you can justify and not more conjecture. To save you some time and embarrassment, i dont answer to no one with my community journalism. If you send it, I post it. It's quite obvious who's doing all the sending, huh?

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  6. Well Mr Roots, where are your stories on Jays Schiliro's lack of experince. what type of credentials does he have.. All he is running on is negative campaigning. Why not have a story with a comparison of the two candidates and what they have accomplished. I gurantee you that you cannot find enough from Schiliro to even write that story. Cause he has done nothing. Did he graduate college? Does he have a masters? I think the people should know more about his accomplishments. I havent seen one positive Kirkland story on your blog in a long time. So it is safe to say that people can look at your blog in a bias way. I am interested in hearing your response

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  7. Well Anonymous, no one sent me a story on Jay Schiliro's lack of experience or credentials. And, no one has sent a positive St. Rep Kirkland story.

    I don't write this stuff, people sent it to me to be posted. I don't discriminate. I post it all.

    Needless to say, Schiliro is more interested in getting his story out to the Chester Blog audience than Kirkland is.

    The blog is a space with unlimited capacity for content, most of which goes up within 24 hours of receipt. Those who use it get posted. Those who ignore it never give you readers an opportunity to hear from them.

    Kirkland writes his stuff to the Daily Times and The Chester Spirit. That's where you'll find his platforms. In the 6 years I've been doing the Chester Spotlight and blog, I have never received a release from Kirkland. If he sent something to be posted, I'd post it.

    I ain't mad at him. It makes me no difference. It's one less 'cut & paste' I have to post.

    He's obviously not interested in this audience. If you think he should be, go tell him.

    That's my response.

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  8. stop back up be a man you are pro republican oall you post
    are pro republican

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    Replies
    1. The Butler team didn't like what I posted on them. Now the Kirkland Liinder team don't like what I post on them.

      I'll just keep posting whatever comes in the inbox. For all you Democrats, tell your leaders to send some stuff this way so you won't feel so jaded.

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  9. Great response. It's not a negative campaign it's a true campaign. Kirkland is a liar, crook and cheat. I just hope he wins then gets stripped of St Rep job because of all of his wrong doings.

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    1. I don't know what Kirkland is. He just don't send no press releases this way. That's all I'm saying.

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  10. Why do people always try to shoot the messenger? Stefan has explained very clearly how his information is recieved and posted. I'm not even taking up for Stefan, it just is what it is. This is politics in the public arena. If you are a constituent of Rep. Kirkland you need to urge him to address this issue in every newspaper, website or blog including this one. That's his duty, Stefan shouldn't have to write a pro-Kirkland article for him. In lieu of jumpin on Stefan's back, write of call Mr Kirkland and let him know how you feel. As a matter of fact, tell him via this blog because I'm sure he's reading all of this.

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  11. iceberg your a big time slave

    ReplyDelete