My Final Bitch of 2008

No wonder folks in general think government workers are losers.

Today, I was out and about and pulled into a local "shop". Just ahead of me was a local government vehicle driven by a local government official.

Hmmm, interesting I thought. I was sure this person was not at the shop for an official purpose. Filing it away in my mind, I entered, made my purchase and checked out. Just after me I noticed the "official" (in street clothes) making his purchase of shrimp, a couple of boxes of pre-baked potatoes and a couple of other items - most likely for his New Year's Eve celebration.

Off I went...but, it struck me that people in general may have noticed and wondered...why was this person driving an official vehicle while doing obvious personal business? Maybe it is allowed, and maybe not. The thing is this...sometimes things just don't "look" right and it raises questions of why personal business had to be conducted while using an official vehicle (fuel and so on).

It is just wrong. We have most likely lost our confidence in elected, hired and appointed officials because of their lack of good judgment and also what seems to be their indifference to doing the right thing. It's just simply lost. No conscience anymore. I am NOT subscribing to SHAME in any form; however, there is a huge difference between shame and appealing to one's sense of right and wrong and one's conscience.

So, my final bitch is this: If you ever wonder how corruption occurs at the Federal level and on down...it may sometimes begin locally, and in a sense, I do not blame regular folks for feeling helpless and angry at how our representatives, whether it may be the janitor at a township or our highest elected officials behave - or misbehave, if you will.