I get dizzy a lot these days.......
Hubert Humphry. There is a name you dont hear often anymore. Hubert Humphry was a politician. He was a Senator, and he ran for President once. Humphry was once a giant of the old Democratic Party, a champion of the working person and Civil Rights. Humphry ended his days an almost instantly forgotten goat. His fall was so fast and so far it almost makes one dizzy to contemplate.
Senator Humphry got caught up in what was called the "Milk Scandal". It seems a Milk industry group gave "donations" to politicians in exchange for favorable legislation that kept the price of milk high for the consumer. Humphry when asked about his "campaign donation" said something like "I'm only sorry I didnt get more." Then he just disappeared more or less forever.
One would think that after Senator Humphry's instant fall from grace and fame that the lesson learned by all would be to not take the graft. This seems to not be the case. At every level governmental officials seem to have learned the lesson: "get more".
In Altadena California, where I live, I serve on a little body that advises County ,State and Federal agencies on the needs and desires of Altadena residents. At our last meeting, a member attempted to pass out free gym memberships "for members only". As he tried to pass one to me , I said "I cant take that, it's a bribe, its something worth more than five dollars that can not be consumed within twenty four hours, given due to my position, I'm sorry, it's a bribe and I cant take it." One would think after that no one would take it, but members did. Kind of makes a guy dizzy.
A couple days later, another member emailed the whole group notifying us that a free trip was available from a local power company to go look at their dams and "better understand issues"....Yep all transportation, food and lodging FREE..... I wrote back complaining that it was a bribe, an improper gift and we should only go if we paid our own way. I got a note back from a friend saying I had to look at it differently...I got dizzy. To me, if you put a pig in a dress, apply lipstick to its rear end, and kiss it, you've still kissed a pigs rear end...How you look at it doesnt change it.
A few days later I went to another meeting held by another agency. There a member who I once respected, insisted on the group voting on a endorsement of a State ballot proposition that directly favored his Industry and employer. He took part in debate and voted on the issue. I was dizzy. Then later in the meeting, a member of the public cautioned a member of that Board to recuse himself from an issue that was the awarding of a contract to his employer. He gleefully took part in debate and made a spectacle of his vote on the issue. I felt like I just took a ride on that rotating rising and falling drum at a carnival. I was so dizzy I almost Puked.
Whenever I go to hearings or governmental board meetings I see gross violations of even the concept that Ceasers wife should not only be beyond reproach, but should appear to be so. It seems ethics are missing from several generations of our "leaders" and nothing can be done about it, because everyone seems to think its the way it is, or its just cute somehow, like the pig in the dress.
I get dizzy a lot these days.
Senator Humphry got caught up in what was called the "Milk Scandal". It seems a Milk industry group gave "donations" to politicians in exchange for favorable legislation that kept the price of milk high for the consumer. Humphry when asked about his "campaign donation" said something like "I'm only sorry I didnt get more." Then he just disappeared more or less forever.
One would think that after Senator Humphry's instant fall from grace and fame that the lesson learned by all would be to not take the graft. This seems to not be the case. At every level governmental officials seem to have learned the lesson: "get more".
In Altadena California, where I live, I serve on a little body that advises County ,State and Federal agencies on the needs and desires of Altadena residents. At our last meeting, a member attempted to pass out free gym memberships "for members only". As he tried to pass one to me , I said "I cant take that, it's a bribe, its something worth more than five dollars that can not be consumed within twenty four hours, given due to my position, I'm sorry, it's a bribe and I cant take it." One would think after that no one would take it, but members did. Kind of makes a guy dizzy.
A couple days later, another member emailed the whole group notifying us that a free trip was available from a local power company to go look at their dams and "better understand issues"....Yep all transportation, food and lodging FREE..... I wrote back complaining that it was a bribe, an improper gift and we should only go if we paid our own way. I got a note back from a friend saying I had to look at it differently...I got dizzy. To me, if you put a pig in a dress, apply lipstick to its rear end, and kiss it, you've still kissed a pigs rear end...How you look at it doesnt change it.
A few days later I went to another meeting held by another agency. There a member who I once respected, insisted on the group voting on a endorsement of a State ballot proposition that directly favored his Industry and employer. He took part in debate and voted on the issue. I was dizzy. Then later in the meeting, a member of the public cautioned a member of that Board to recuse himself from an issue that was the awarding of a contract to his employer. He gleefully took part in debate and made a spectacle of his vote on the issue. I felt like I just took a ride on that rotating rising and falling drum at a carnival. I was so dizzy I almost Puked.
Whenever I go to hearings or governmental board meetings I see gross violations of even the concept that Ceasers wife should not only be beyond reproach, but should appear to be so. It seems ethics are missing from several generations of our "leaders" and nothing can be done about it, because everyone seems to think its the way it is, or its just cute somehow, like the pig in the dress.
I get dizzy a lot these days.
posted by Red Taliesin at 10:43 AM
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