Earlier this week, former state Sen. Vincent Fumo was convicted of 137 counts of fraud, obstruction of justice, tax violations and conspiracy. Most of the charges related to the misuse of state funds and money from a nonprofit run by a former employee of Fumo's for Fumo's personal use.
While many saw the prospect of jail time in Fumo's future as inevitable because of the ample evidence against him, the verdict is nevertheless an affirmation that things have changed for the better in Philadelphia and, more broadly, in the United States. While Philadelphia is still a one-party city, the fate of Fumo - who was once a central cog in a corrupt political machine - signals a defeat of politics based on tit-for-tat dealmaking in darkened back rooms.
The past two years have brought about immense changes. The election of Mayor Michael Nutter showed that Philadelphians need and want a local government based on openness and transparency. The election of President Barack Obama showed just how deeply our generation wants to repudiate the tired ideas of politics based on cronyism and back scratching. Together these two signal deep changes in the way that young Philadelphians view politics.
Fumo's patronage of Philadelphians for their votes, his use of state employees to spy on ex-wives and his funneling of funds donated to a nonprofit into his personal bank account do not fall into the behavior patterns that we once desired and now require of our politicians. This city and this generation have shown that it is no longer the place or time for politics as practiced by Fumo.
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