Throughout the last eight years we have had the highest elected office in these United States debased, debauched, degraded, depraved, corrupted and perverted to become a laughing stock amongst world leaders and even around the office water cooler. Monica-gate, Whitewater-gate, Furniture-gate, Pardon-gate and too many other ?–gates to imagine. Even impeachment for heaven?’s sake. We all asked ourselves ?“When will it end??” Fortunately, it all ended this past January when one of the biggest embarrassments to hold public office packed up his Pickup and U-Haul and left Washington.
Following that fine example, and for that matter, following the U-Haul leads us to the sleepy burgh of Pickerington. I guess what is good enough for the leader of the free world should be good enough for the leaders of this fine city. Here we have Campaign Contributer/Developer-gate (Berry-gate, Rini-gate, Six-gate, Yoakum-gate, Monebrake-gate, Perry-gate), zoning-gate, annexation-gate, emergency legislation-gate and who knows what other ?–gates? Without getting too specific, as it should be a matter of public record, we?’re talking about $1300 or so in reference to some of these particular -gates. Certainly not the $500,000 minimum ante to sit at the Presidential table, but nonetheless proportional.
Since I am in a synonym mood today, let me give you some more: perception, cognition, discernment, understanding, insight, observation. Let those sit in your head for a minute and then try these: ethical, moral, conscientious, honest, scrupulous, decent, proper, respectable, noble, virtuous, worthy.
OK, I?’ve worn out my thesaurus so down to the matters at hand. If one is not going to be 100% honest and ethical as the elected leader of the free world (well, OK, a mid-sized Midwestern city), at least do everything in one?’s power to give the PERCEPTION that you are! I typed in ?“ethics?” into the search area of my browser and got over 1,000 results back. That means that there are probably over 800 of those that one can use to learn something relevant to one?’s job. If people want to assist a public official to offset the tremendous financial hardships incurred during exhaustive campaigns to attain or maintain public office, that?’s fine. It is, after all, the American way. However, please do the proper (decent, fitting, appropriate, seemly, equitable, ETHICAL) thing and abstain from voting when these ardent supporters have annexation and zoning issues pending in one?’s jurisdiction. For that matter, divorce one?’s self of them completely. Oh, wait, one might never get more assistance from them in the future, right. Now that?’s a dilemma.
The question we should be asking ourselves is this: ?“What could it be that is so lucrative and enticing that one would sell one?’s soul to the devil (read devil-opers) to hold a part-time, low paying, open one?’s entire private life up to public scrutiny and ridicule job that is as thankless and unrewarding as the duly elected leader of Pickerington when the one really calling the shots is the City Manager anyway??” (Pauses to catch breath)
Sense of duty?…. Public calling?…. I won?’t venture to guess because I would never do it. Hopefully one of them will reply with the answer. In the mean time, hook up that U-Haul to your pickup, back it up to City Hall, grab a couple of chairs and a couch and head on down the road. We don?’t need you. Take your $1300 and grab a six-pack and a couple of Big Macs for the road. We don?’t want you. We?’ll stay here and watch the schools and roadways anguish through the $13,000,000 in residential development and $0 light industrial (taxpaying) development that the $1300 bought. We?’ll stay here and try to piece back together our dream of Pickerington, which was shattered when you opened your wallet and closed your eyes.
By Soap Box Hero
Following that fine example, and for that matter, following the U-Haul leads us to the sleepy burgh of Pickerington. I guess what is good enough for the leader of the free world should be good enough for the leaders of this fine city. Here we have Campaign Contributer/Developer-gate (Berry-gate, Rini-gate, Six-gate, Yoakum-gate, Monebrake-gate, Perry-gate), zoning-gate, annexation-gate, emergency legislation-gate and who knows what other ?–gates? Without getting too specific, as it should be a matter of public record, we?’re talking about $1300 or so in reference to some of these particular -gates. Certainly not the $500,000 minimum ante to sit at the Presidential table, but nonetheless proportional.
Since I am in a synonym mood today, let me give you some more: perception, cognition, discernment, understanding, insight, observation. Let those sit in your head for a minute and then try these: ethical, moral, conscientious, honest, scrupulous, decent, proper, respectable, noble, virtuous, worthy.
OK, I?’ve worn out my thesaurus so down to the matters at hand. If one is not going to be 100% honest and ethical as the elected leader of the free world (well, OK, a mid-sized Midwestern city), at least do everything in one?’s power to give the PERCEPTION that you are! I typed in ?“ethics?” into the search area of my browser and got over 1,000 results back. That means that there are probably over 800 of those that one can use to learn something relevant to one?’s job. If people want to assist a public official to offset the tremendous financial hardships incurred during exhaustive campaigns to attain or maintain public office, that?’s fine. It is, after all, the American way. However, please do the proper (decent, fitting, appropriate, seemly, equitable, ETHICAL) thing and abstain from voting when these ardent supporters have annexation and zoning issues pending in one?’s jurisdiction. For that matter, divorce one?’s self of them completely. Oh, wait, one might never get more assistance from them in the future, right. Now that?’s a dilemma.
The question we should be asking ourselves is this: ?“What could it be that is so lucrative and enticing that one would sell one?’s soul to the devil (read devil-opers) to hold a part-time, low paying, open one?’s entire private life up to public scrutiny and ridicule job that is as thankless and unrewarding as the duly elected leader of Pickerington when the one really calling the shots is the City Manager anyway??” (Pauses to catch breath)
Sense of duty?…. Public calling?…. I won?’t venture to guess because I would never do it. Hopefully one of them will reply with the answer. In the mean time, hook up that U-Haul to your pickup, back it up to City Hall, grab a couple of chairs and a couch and head on down the road. We don?’t need you. Take your $1300 and grab a six-pack and a couple of Big Macs for the road. We don?’t want you. We?’ll stay here and watch the schools and roadways anguish through the $13,000,000 in residential development and $0 light industrial (taxpaying) development that the $1300 bought. We?’ll stay here and try to piece back together our dream of Pickerington, which was shattered when you opened your wallet and closed your eyes.
By Soap Box Hero
