Chickenshit

Do we have a new trend? Are the corrupt officials actually afraid of jail? Or maybe they are afraid of the best TV investigative reporter in our market who is famous for his ambush attacks on the guilty.

The sheriff resigned. Just like the county recorder's brother. Neither one of them put in a fair day's work. There was more digging into the sheriff's background and a closet full of skeletons was coming to light. This time it wasn't so much the print media as our best TV investigative reporter. He's the one who got the county recorder's brother too.

The sheriff claims he had a stroke in 2006 and all of a sudden after appearing in the local news for several evenings in a row, decided to retire on doctor's advice for health reasons that didn't seen to bother him the last 3 years. More likely a lawyer's advice than a doctor's. He's been in office over three decades.

So how will he be replaced? By the county political party machine. As they said on the news, "politics as usual". When is his resignation effective? April 1st, guess we're the fools, the joke is on us.

On the one hand its good to get the corrupt person out, but what's next? Can they just resign and it all goes away, "no harm, no foul"? Is voluntary resignation sufficient punishment? Not in my mind. Don't get me wrong, its a good first step, but only a small one. But its a small step that many don't even take.

Too bad my famous judge and his famous auditor brother didn't resign. They are both employed, drawing money and only an occasional headline. They aren't chickenshit, they have big brass balls. They don't care about headlines, because after a while they fade away, but their power doesn't.

Maybe it's not fair to call the sheriff and other guy chickenshits. Maybe they were doing the honorable thing? Nah! I doubt it. I think they know the media too. And resigning takes the wind out of the media sails. And it just may be the key for them to skate free of their just punishment. I guess I'm bothered that this will allow them to get out of jail free. It shouldn't be that easy.

But then my judge has escaped his just punishment and he's still drawing over $121,000 in taxpayer salary. I wonder if he's working more than three hours a day? I doubt it, old habits die hard.

Especially when you not only think you are above the law, but you know it.

Well here's hoping that we have a new trend of resignations as the rats abandon the corrupt government ship.