#359: He Tried To Save A Broke City. Then He Disappeared.




Planet Money show

Summary: <p style="font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px;">David Unkovic is a thoughtful, mild-mannered guy who was appointed to save Harrisburg, Pa. The city had gone broke, and it was Unkovic's job to figure out how to fix things.</p><p style="font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px;">We visited Harrisburg a few weeks back. We talked to Unkovic. We talked to some of the people in Harrisburg who were suing him. And we visited the incinerator, a boondoggle that drove the city to bankruptcy.</p><p style="font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px;">Then, last week, Unkovic quit. "I find myself in an untenable position in the political and ethical crosswinds," his <a href="http://media.pennlive.com/midstate_impact/other/unkovic-letter.PDF" target="_blank">handwritten resignation letter</a> says. "I wish the citizens of Harrisburg well in their ongoing quest for fiscal stability and good government, both of which they truly deserve."</p><p style="font-size: 14px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px;">Since resigning, Unkovic has gone missing. And he hasn't returned our calls or emails.</p>