By Chris Geidner
Tribune Chronicle
Opinion; Page A10
Sunday, May 13, 2001

In the month my mother was preparing me to go off to kindergarten, then-Sheriff James A. Traficant Jr. pleaded innocent to a two-count federal indictment involving bribery and tax evasion.

On Friday, U.S. Rep. Traficant pleaded innocent to a 10-count federal indictment that includes bribery, RICO, fraud and tax evasion charges -- as I was preparing for my graduation next week from Youngstown State University.

In the Mahoning Valley, the more things change it is almost eerie how much more they stay the same.

Even last year's rumors of another FBI investigation into Traficant and news reports throughout 2000 detailing many of the allegations contained in Friday's indictment couldn't even stop the "son of a truck driver" from winning the hotly contested 2000 primary and his ninth trip to Congress.

Election Night, Traficant thanked Valley voters for his re-election, saying, "I want to thank people for giving me the chance to ... fight the FBI as a sitting member of Congress."

Now, he's going to get his chance.

The indictment alleges, among other things, that Traficant's one-time administrative counsel was forced -- as a condition of receiving the job -- to pay the congressman $2,500 a month in cash slipped in an envelope under his district office's door.

Shocking?

Apparently not to most area politicians. Worried about upsetting Traficant's sizable base of supporters, most would rather talk about the judicial process than the allegations against our congressman.

The charges that Traficant regularly used his position to lie to or intimidate local, state and federal officials and advocated to those officials on behalf of people who paid Traficant or worked on his farm for free -- while the antithesis of public service -- haven't brought much commentary or criticism from area politicians either.

Now is a time that calls for leadership from Valley politicians, a chance for the Valley to emerge from the long shadow painted by decades of corruption and mob influence.

Instead, we get more of the same.

Young and old politicians -- including state Sen. Tim Ryan, a former Traficant staffer -- want to see the system through and caution all that "it's important to remember he's innocent until proven guilty." This is true, and when it comes to his guilt, jail time and fines, Traficant has the same rights as anyone else.

But he is a member of Congress, and it is time we remember his duty to us.

When it comes to questions about his ability to represent us in Congress and across the nation, the answer is a no-brainer: Traficant should resign.

But -- unsurprisingly -- Traficant has vowed to fight the "undefeated U.S. attorneys in Cleveland" while remaining our representative in Congress.

It is the duty of our other elected officials to remind Traficant of his duty by urging him to step down. As long as Jim Traficant misrepresents us in Congress, Warren, Niles, Youngstown and every city, town and village in between will get the short end of the stick.

We will continue to be tainted by rumors of political pollution, and businesses will continue to choose to locate elsewhere. And that means Valley jobs will be lost. As steel and auto industry jobs decrease, new businesses are all the more important to the Valley's future.

Unfortunately, weak-willed area politicians are too afraid of losing the Traficant-supporter vote to be willing to defend the Valley.

Change is difficult. From the smallest townships to our seat in Congress, our leaders must be willing to push the Valley forward and out of corruption. Changing the perception of the Valley to the outside world is a monumental task requiring tough political figures willing to work.

Changing our own perception of the Valley might be even more difficult.

There is little in the 41-page indictment by which we could claim to be surprised. And yet Traficant continually is re-elected.

It takes more than politicians -- we all must be willing to work for change if the Valley ever is to see it.

While the rest of the nation focuses on Traficant's Star Trek tag lines and denim suits, the question is:

Will we let the chance to change the Valley pass us by?