Well, well, well—President Joe Biden, “Scranton Joe,” the hometown hero who built his political persona around blue-collar roots and small-town values, is now facing calls to have his name scrubbed off one of the city’s most prominent landmarks: the President Biden Expressway. And honestly? It’s hard to argue with them.
This firestorm erupted after Biden’s baffling decision to pardon former Luzerne County Judge Michael Conahan—a man whose name should be synonymous with corruption, exploitation, and the absolute betrayal of public trust. This wasn’t some run-of-the-mill white-collar crime. Conahan was part of the infamous “Kids for Cash” scandal, where thousands of Pennsylvania children were sentenced to for-profit juvenile detention centers for offenses as petty as jaywalking.
Let’s call this what it is: evil.
Conahan and his co-conspirator, Judge Mark Ciavarella, didn’t just ruin lives—they destroyed childhoods. They traumatized kids and ripped families apart, all to line their pockets with dirty money. Some of those kids—children—took their own lives because of the hopelessness and despair brought on by unjust imprisonment. And now Biden, in his infinite wisdom, has decided that Conahan deserves a clean slate.
Newly elected Republican State Rep. Brenda Pugh didn’t mince words when she called the pardon a “disgrace” and a “slap in the face.” She’s right. Her words aren’t political theater—they’re the raw truth.
“Crimes against children are everlasting, and there is no escape from the irreparable damage these predators caused by their actions,” she wrote. And she’s right again. You don’t just “pardon” away damage like that.
But here’s where this gets even more damning: it’s not just Republicans like Pugh calling foul. Pennsylvania’s Democrat Governor Josh Shapiro—a man from Biden’s own party—called the pardon a “travesty” and said, in no uncertain terms, that Biden “got it absolutely wrong.”
When members of your own party, including the governor of your home state, are publicly rebuking your decision, you know you’ve crossed a line.
Now, let’s talk about this expressway. In 2021, the mayor and city council of Scranton renamed the Central Scranton Expressway and a section of downtown Biden Avenue. It was meant to honor Biden’s roots, his connection to the city, and his supposed dedication to working-class Americans. But now that shiny sign reading “President Biden Expressway” doesn’t feel like an honor—it feels like an embarrassment.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t about partisanship. It’s not about Republicans scoring cheap points or Democrats defending the indefensible. It’s about justice. It’s about accountability. It’s about recognizing that certain actions—certain betrayals—should never be swept under the rug with the stroke of a presidential pen.
Pugh is absolutely right when she says that the victims of Conahan’s actions are still serving their sentences. Some are trapped in mental prisons, battling trauma and depression. Others have had their lives irreversibly altered by the experience of being treated like criminals before they were even old enough to drive.
Meanwhile, Conahan gets to walk free, his record wiped clean, as if his actions were nothing more than a clerical error.
What message does this send? That white-collar criminals who prey on children can be absolved if they have the right connections? That the scales of justice are just another political tool?
The people of Scranton have every right to demand that Biden’s name be stripped from that expressway. A public honor like that isn’t just about acknowledging someone’s accomplishments—it’s about reflecting the values of the community. Right now, Biden’s decision doesn’t reflect the values of justice, fairness, or integrity.
And let’s not pretend this is going to blow over. Biden has made his bed with this decision, and the fallout is only beginning.
