Post by Deleted on May 12, 2015 9:12:42 GMT -6
There is no corruption like small town corruption, IMO. When you get systemic corruption in a big city, there are still too many people who aren't a part of it to require the corrupt officials be subtle and keep up appearances, anwyay. No such concern need be worried about in small town politics.
Here is what corruption can look like in rural Missouri (and they are STILL treating this criminal ex-mayor with deference!)
So, what is the solution when the most powerful guy in town decides to just run things his way and to hell with the law or anything else? Yikes! It looks something like this, I imagine....
Oooookay.... That wasn't a mayor. It was a two bit street punk who won an election and gained the power to stay there by whatever means necessary afterward (kinda like our President...but I digress)
Source
It may truly be hard to believe..but THAT violation, right there, may be one of the more actionable of the bunch. Our Sunshine Laws are absolutely brutal to those who like the shadows....up to and including the State paying my legal tab if I decide to 'see about that' by some power drunk official choosing to operate in secret. Missouri MEANS it when they say meetings WILL be open and the business of Government (State anyway) *WILL* be the people's business.
That sounds like a town from a bad rip-off of Dukes of Hazard.
Here is what corruption can look like in rural Missouri (and they are STILL treating this criminal ex-mayor with deference!)
Pine Lawn, Mo.'s former police chief added to the city's legal woes, claiming he was fired for reporting corruption in the mayor's office.
So, what is the solution when the most powerful guy in town decides to just run things his way and to hell with the law or anything else? Yikes! It looks something like this, I imagine....
- Identification of people, including Mayor Sylvester Caldwell, involved in an extortion scheme;
- That the mayor had political adversaries arrested on municipal charges;
- That the mayor had on-duty police officers stationed overnight in squad cars to watch his D.J. equipment;
- That the mayor had on-duty police officers act as his personal bodyguards outside of Pine Lawn's jurisdiction;
- That the mayor took items out of Pine Lawn stores without paying for them, saying they would be added to his tab;
- That the mayor had political adversaries arrested on municipal charges;
- That the mayor had on-duty police officers stationed overnight in squad cars to watch his D.J. equipment;
- That the mayor had on-duty police officers act as his personal bodyguards outside of Pine Lawn's jurisdiction;
- That the mayor took items out of Pine Lawn stores without paying for them, saying they would be added to his tab;
Oooookay.... That wasn't a mayor. It was a two bit street punk who won an election and gained the power to stay there by whatever means necessary afterward (kinda like our President...but I digress)
He claims that a board meeting to discuss his employment was held despite his objections to violations of Missouri Sunshine Law, and that he never received anything in writing stating what he did wrong.
It may truly be hard to believe..but THAT violation, right there, may be one of the more actionable of the bunch. Our Sunshine Laws are absolutely brutal to those who like the shadows....up to and including the State paying my legal tab if I decide to 'see about that' by some power drunk official choosing to operate in secret. Missouri MEANS it when they say meetings WILL be open and the business of Government (State anyway) *WILL* be the people's business.
That sounds like a town from a bad rip-off of Dukes of Hazard.