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99 comments on DrumBeat: December 17, 2006

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Bitteroldcoot on December 17, 2006 - 4:51pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Have you every been involved with the local government?  I actually think the level of corruption is worse than at the state and federal level.

My Dad spent 10 years as a member of the town council and my uncle was a county commissioner.

Shit constantly happened that NEVER made it into the papers.  Town secretary caught embezzling from the treasury three times in a row (embezzled the 2nd and 3rd times to pay back what he stole the first time).   Politically connected people didn't have to pay taxes or sewage bills.   The police chief was a drunk who was kicked off the state police, and ended up breaking into his mistresses house then held her and her mother at gun point.  All this from a town so small it didn't have a stop light.

Zoning changes were very blatantly  for sale.   At one point a couple of county commissioners emptied the treasury into there own pockets by manipulating contracts and padding the payrolls.  In the end they bankrupted the country then got jobs with the state government.

Do not expect any help from your local government.  

(This occurred Pennsylvania if anyone is interested)

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Dragonfly41 on December 18, 2006 - 12:51am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
I think it depends...I have been involved in some local government activities and come away pleased.  I have heard of stories like yours as well.  All I was really trying to relay to folks is that we have a better chance of making a difference at the local level in getting them to respond to something than the federal these days.  Sometimes successful, sometimes not.
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Nagorak on December 18, 2006 - 7:27pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
I think local government is corrupt as hell too.  It's just as bad if not worse in a larger city.  People are given jobs through blatant cronyism, whatever their qualifications.  If anything it is worse than on a State or Federal level because there is little or no scrutiny on that level.  
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99 comments on DrumBeat: December 17, 2006

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