As more and more info comes out about the prescription drug problems of Michael Jackson…our minds turn to the days of Elvis, Janis Joplin, Chris Farley, John Candy, John Belushi and an endless list of performers, actors, politicians and musicians like River Phoenix and Jim Morrison of the Doors! Have drugs and alcohol always had this great an impact on our culture? Maybe this behavior was going on all the time. Maybe thousands of people are intraveniously using Diprovan on a daily basis.
Or, has it occurred to anyone that the seemingly endless list of politicians having affairs, coming out, multiple partnering and generally freaking out -appears to be growing rapidly. Has this always gone on? The apologists are quick to point out that JFK and FDR had lovers…or more. The apologists are also quick to point out that what a person does in his own bedroom or any bedroom anywhere should have no bearing on his ability to govern. We are pretty sure, these guys started this rumor during the days of Nero or before. Fiddling while Rome burned…as it were!
When it comes to getting elected to almost any position of government from the local Sanitation District to the Presidency, there are several important considerations. You need an almost flawless history of activism, public service and desire to serve your constituents. You need to attend an seemingly endless number of mind numbing public meetings, social clubs and Commissions.
You need strong political allies and even stronger friends and associates with the ability to raise unbelieveable sums of campaign money. You need to make friends with a variety of Public Employee Unions, Police and Fire Organizations. You need to “be willing to compromise” your dearest held beliefs “if necessary” when the time comes to assure your election. You need to find access to the big political “back room power brokers”. You need to be able to lie with a straight face! You need to obfuscate the truth when it might do undue harm to your reputation or highly alarm “your” voting public.
After running for City Council four or five times, Water Board twice and Central Committee twice…..we can say without trepidation…..there are a variety of ways to under perform and not win an election. We know how some votes are counted late, sometimes weeks later. How some votes even arrive weeks late to be counted. But hey, we are not talking about Iran…we are talking about Orange County. What do they say: “Sour grapes never gets you anywhere!” However, we believe that we have found a tried and true method to be sure that you will never get elected ever!
Advocate: That ever elected official, every Public employee, every Police and Fire member be drug tested…..randomly of course – every year. This should be a ZERO tolerance issue and each and every person…drug tested positive should immediately be fired, epaulets removed and never allowed to regain their job ever! Secondly, Advocate: “A volunteer Fire Agency should be established by each State and Community for availability during each fire season or local, regional or national emergency! Advocate: That all Public Employees and Elected be required to make payments and enroll in the Social Security System!
The next time Manny Ramirez is drug tested positive should be the last day he ever plays Professional Baseball again. But why are we so strident? If you look at Michael Jackson…..he was displaying “self destructive behavior”. The public let it go because of his immense talent and social impact. As we look today at the Lindsay Lohans or others that have put themselves into serious “harms way” and so far have escaped…..there needs to be some “basic consequences” for illegal or more importantly – self destructive behavior which greatly influences the society at large. How many teenage girls consider drugs and alcohol “recreational pursuits” because of these personalities? Does it matter if 10% of a generation is affected in harmful way? Does it matter that those in the “Public Eye” are allowed to walk away clean….when those without the money and power behind them languish in prison cells for a ten dollar bag of “crack cocaine”?
Steve McNair was a pillar of the Nashville and Memphis society. His behavior had a bunch to do with alcohol and a bunch to do with improper behavior. His own actions created the deadly cocktail that killed him. What message does his death send to underprivileged kids wanting to excel in a professional sport? Across our society, from the top to the bottom – we need new professional standards of conduct. The Broadcom boyz here locally attest to a very old axiom of conduct for the rich: “Big rewards – require Big Responsibility!” When those with political power, economic power or even criminal power….are caught……that axiom must apply!
In a free society…we can fault no others for poor choices, poor behavior or poor decision making. We can do so however – when they are caught! The Mark Sanfords of the world need to know that even stupidity doesn’t meet muster for Public Service! By the way, has Governor Mark Sanford been drug tested recently?
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