Public officials caught on the take seem to be as common as potholes in the Northeast Ohio roadways these days. And the damage from their deceit may take a long time to repair A realignment is in the works, but what the region may need is a complete overhaul given all the broken parts.Virtually ever level of public service has been shaken by scandal. Courts, schools, transportation, sewer and water service, road maintenance, building construction, property appraisals.From Cleveland to the suburbs, the wrong kind of fix has been in for years.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Frank Russo and Jimmy Dimora may be the twin faces of corruption in Cuyahoga County, but the longtime Democratic pals have plenty of company.

Public officials caught on the take seem to be as common as potholes in the Northeast Ohio roadways these days. And the damage from their deceit may take a long time to repair.

A realignment is in the works, but what the region may need is a complete overhaul given all the broken parts.

Virtually evey level of public service has been shaken by scandal. Courts, schools, transportation, sewer and water service, road maintenance, building construction, property appraisals. From Cleveland to the suburbs, the wrong kind of fix has been in for years.

Many of those charged with crimes controlled purse strings or the ability to hire. They gave cronies contracts or jobs while the more qualified or dedicated got passed over. Former Cuyahoga County Sheriff Gerald McFaul is now legendary for the greedy demands he placed on his employees who paid him tribute on the taxpayers' tab.

The bottom line in wasted time and money across the region would easily total tens of millions of dollars.

In some cases the public's faith has been rattled in ways almost unimaginable. No more so than at the Boards of Revision, where property values are set for tax purposes. On some valuation forms, so many numbers have been crossed out and changed in defiance of department policy that the paperwork looks more like a price tag at a department store clearance sale than an official document.

The multiple investigations and their unseemly revelations leave the region needing plenty of body work, as if it weren't beaten up enough already, and it could take some time to pound out all the dents.

Not only are public officials hoping to regain the trust of the taxpayers, but they are having to set new standards for handing out contracts that hopefully will ensure honest competition among bidders.

Peter Krouse, The Plain Dealer
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