One of the major upsets in last November’s general election was the defeat of veteran Pennsylvania House of Representatives minority leader Frank Dermody, 69. Dermody was defeated by Republican Carrie Lewis DelRosso, 45, by 923 votes.

Dermody, who was born in Scranton and grew up in Clarks Summit, was vying for a 16th term in the district that includes Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. Lewis DelRosso also was born in Scranton and raised there before moving to Allegheny County.

Please, do not shed any tears of regret for Dermody. Two months after leaving office and his $130,000-a-year legislative post, he has been appointed by his House leadership successor, Joanna McClinton of Philadelphia, to a two-year term on the Pennsylvania Gaming Commission at $145,000 a year. Oh, yes, let’s not forget that because of his more than 30 years of experience in Harrisburg, Dermody can start drawing on a $110,000 state pension because of 30 years of service, if he chooses to do so.

The Gaming Commission, which regulates 11 casinos, including Wind Creek in Bethlehem, Mount Airy in Paradise Township, Monroe County, and Mohawk Sun-Pocono in Plains Township, Luzerne County, has seven members chaired by David Barasch, a former state official and attorney who was appointed by Gov. Tom Wolf.

Wolf has three appointees on the board - the other two are Obra Kernodle IV, a Wolf campaign strategist, and Denise Smyler, a former general counsel to the commonwealth of Pennsylvania and principal in her own law firm.

Each of the leaders of the state House and Senate gets to appoint one member. Former state Sen. Sean Logan was appointed by Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa; former state Rep. Mark Mustio was appointed by House Speaker Mike Turzai, and Merritt Reitzel, a corporate and business attorney, was appointed by retired Republican Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati.

Dermody replaces former state Rep. Dante Santoni of Berks County, whom Dermody first appointed to the board four years ago.

In 2011, Dermody also appointed former state Rep. Keith McCall of Carbon County when he retired from the House in 2010 after serving for 28 years. McCall served three two-year terms on the Gaming Commission board before retiring in 2016.

A resident of Summit Hill, McCall, now 61, became the state’s youngest legislator at age 22 in 1982. He was the only Carbon County legislator ever to rise to the lofty post of speaker of the House.

If these cushy jobs seem to be just another example of “whom you know politics,” you would not be far off the mark. Their duties are not overly taxing: Board members attend monthly meetings and sit for occasional hearings.

As you can tell by their backgrounds, members tend to be ex-legislators or lawyers. Of course, those who appoint them gush about their qualifications. In announcing Dermody’s appointment for example, McClinton said he “participated in setting the legislative foundation for our gaming industry, which has grown in just over a decade to become a national leader.”

Critics call the board’s composition as a “soft landing” for former lawmakers and claim it has been from its inception under former Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell.

Lewis DelRosso, the Republican newcomer who defeated Dermody, expressed surprise at his new appointment. In a bit of irony, Lewis DelRosso said she was appointed to the House Gaming Oversight Committee. “He was in office for 30 years, and now he’ll continue to receive public money through the Gaming Control Board,” she said.

Although lawmakers are prohibited from lobbying the Legislature for a year after leaving office, there are no restrictions on working for the state, even though there should be.

I don’t know about you, but I find this type of revolving door way too cozy and just another example of why we are skeptical of our political leaders and feel that they are too often out of touch with sound ethical principles.

Are there no other well-qualified candidates without these political entanglements available for these watchdog positions, probably at about one-quarter the salary?

Of course, there are.

We see this type of thing playing out on the local scene, too. When there are vacancies on borough councils, boards of township supervisors or boards of education, despite multiple candidates for the openings, sitting board members too often will pick a former official and try to justify the selection based on previous experience. Why don’t we give some new blood a chance to show what he or she can do?

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com