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The people we elect to public office, and often-re-elect, include a cadre of sleazeballs. And those who are not sleazeballs when they enter office often succumb to the trappings of aristocracy that are bestowed upon them by the gilded halls of the city hall, the statehouse and national capitol and evolve, often quickly, into believing they are something special and exempt from the rules.
Today’s newspaper reports three examples. First, Congressman Chris Lee of New York, a Republican who claims a degree from Orange County’s bastion of private sector excess known as Chapman University, was discovered to have posted a shirtless photo of himself along with a message in an apparent attempt to seduce a woman he met on Criagslist. The press reports that this married fellow’s solicitous act was outed by someone who posted it on another website, called Gawker. Caught with his pants down (er, shirt off), yesterday he submitted his resignation from Congress and issued a statement promising to work hard to obtain the forgiveness of his family and friends (No mention of anyone at Chapman being asked to forgive). It is hard to believe this guy never heard the warning of “don’t put anything into an e-mail you would not want to read on the front page of the newspaper.” Arrogance and the mentality of “I am special and exempt from the rules” again leads to the exposure of one more elected sleazeball.
But wait; there is more in the paper today. California State Senator Tony Strickland, a Republican from Moorpark, has jumped on the anti-public sector train by introducing a bill that would, according to an OC Register Watchdog story, “strip pension benefits from felons who broke the law performing public duties”. On first read this sound like something the public wants – if you work for government and commit a work related crime, you lose your pension benefits. But wait – at the end of the segment reporting this bill is this statement “the new law would apply only to crimes committed after January 1, 2012, and only to non-elected officials.” Good grief – elected crooks could keep their pension benefits, while the lower class non-elected crooks lose out! My, my, aren’t we special? So much for Mr. Strickland’s conservative Republican values.
[Correction: Strickland’s communications director writes in to inform us that “current law already applies to elected officials. With the City of Bell pay scandal last summer, Sen. Strickland saw that this loophole in the law needed to be closed to include ALL public-sector employees, not just elected officials.”] – ED
One more example to assure you that this kind of stuff is a bi-partisan epidemic. The Dan Walters column in today’s Register reports that Assembly Bill 266 by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano of San Francisco, a Democrat, would establish a “Statewide Sports Authority” to eliminate conflicts within California over the procurement of sports teams.” This means no other city in California had better try to recruit the Giants to move to their city. It also means that if enacted this law would establish yet another structure for political shake-downs and another cash cow for lobbyists and ex-legislators to milk. And if this one flies, how about a similar authority for big box retailers, auto malls and palaces of adult entertainment? The opportunities for a state control structure enabling greased palms are endless!
Folks, we have elected these people and this is what we get, even with the periodic wave of cries to throw the incumbents out. Often the new ones, if they are honorable when first elected, quickly become no better. We need to collectively and continuously hold our electeds feet to the fire of public scrutiny and accountability and at the same time question the true motivation of anyone seeking public office. No more sleazeballs, please! Tell me it’s possible, please.
Good post “Over.” There does seem to be this illusory magic power that electeds think is sprinkled over them following an election that somehow makes them better people than they were before. I have known plenty of business folk with margninal intellects and even more marginal business ethics that somehow view themselves as geniuses that can do no wrong. The problem is that there are lots and lots of sycophants wanting freebies and favors that the elected starts to believe the myth.
Yes, you’re right, they live in a bubble of yes men. I would have possibly chosen different examples than these three but it’s endemic.
Based upon the call from Strickland’s office to our Editor as noted above, I interpreted the newspaper story incorrectly. Apologies to Assemblyman Stickland.
The Arrogance of Those Elected or Appointed often times goes hand in hand with the Apathy or Complacency of the citizens.
And unfortunately, many become apathetic or complacent because they feel they are not vested in the proper functioning of the system, or because they feel their vote doesn’t count, or because they feel they don’t have a voice in the process, or are time constrained to get involved.
But we must always shine the light whenever we perceive a misdeed, AND change from a Status Quo whenever it doesn’t serve the citizens.
Whether or not an official has a bit on the side seems to be of minimal interest. What is more important is to realize that our government is stunningly corrupt — big money interests are running the show, and elected officials need their money to pump into campaigns. As long as the electorate is so easily swayed by expensive campaigns, then this will just continue. Citizens United didn’t help matters at all.
OBNO.
Your first comments are, sadly for those of us who help them get elected, very accurate.
As to protection of raiding I recall reading shortly after testifying on AB 1677 redevelopment before Tom Torlakson’s committee that he got a wake up call when a big box store wanted to move across the 680 freeway in the Martinez area above Oakland. His reaction follows:
“AB 78 was sponsored by Assemblyman Tom Torlakson (D- Martinez), and signed into law in 1999 by Governor Davis. It requires any city or agency that used public money to lure a business away from a neighboring city to reimburse that city for half the sales taxes lost, over a 5-year period.”