Taxpayer funded LOANS for city officials?

That is right, not just outrageous salaries they also received LOANS.

Only in the City of Bell.

Here’s to the Porterville, CA City Council!

The Porterville Recorder Online reports …

After quarreling, City Councilmen decided Tuesday night not to restrict when, and what topics the public may speak about during meetings.

When Pete McCracken requested they limit the first round of scheduled oral communications to matters which are only on the agenda, Greg Shelton and Brian Ward vehemently protested, saying it would silence citizens who attend meetings to air concerns about gang problems, announce community events and present other miscellaneous information which the Council was not slated to discuss.

“It’s small potatoes to let someone be able to get up there and talk about anything they want, especially when you’re already limiting them to three minutes,” Ward said…

They were walking a tightrope of making a bad decision but did the right thing.

Tomorrow the county I live in is having a meeting about reducing the number of Supervisors that are elected. This talk is going on many places. Even in Canada.

According to the Ottawa Citizen …

OTTAWA — Seeking to tap into growing dissatisfaction with city government, mayoral candidate Jim Watson Sunday unveiled a plan to shrink council by up to a third, to improve governance and save taxpayers $2 million a year.

In a dramatic move, Watson said he wants the number of councillors reduced from 23 to between 14 and 17, and if elected, vows to fight to win council’s approval within his first six months in office.

“When you look at our council, compared with any other major city in Canada, we are top heavy in politicians. On a per capita basis, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Winnipeg all have fewer councillors,” Watson said.

“I just think you are going to have a more efficient council with fewer people and you are going to save money.”

The savings will come from councillors’ salaries and office budgets.

I don’t know if 23 Councillors is too many for Ottawa, but I have claimed for years that 29 Supervisors is too many for Barron County, Wisconsin.

What happens to over 1/2 billion recalled eggs?

Google doesn’t know either.

Any guesses?

Here is a fascinating story from northern Wisconsin.

How long does a state representative have to keep emails?

The Lakeland Times reports that State Senator Jim Holperin says not very long…

If you don’t keep them you can’t turn them over.

Nothing in the trash?

Right or wrong?

Huh?

Is this maybe going just a bit too far in what isn’t allowed at a city council meeting?

The Chicago Tribune reports from Elmhurst, IL …

Elmhurst officials are considering creating a “disturbance and disorderly conduct” violation after a resident accused of rolling her eyes and sighing was ejected from a public meeting.

City Attorney Don Storino has been directed by the city’s finance and council affairs committee to look at various sources including “Robert’s Rules of Order,” Illinois state statutes and policies adopted by other municipalities for a legal definition of disorderly conduct and disruptive behavior.

He is expected to report his findings to the committee on July 26.

Ald. Stephen Hipskind said Darlene Heslop rolled her eyes and sighed while attending a June 14 committee meeting.

Charlie Brown … isn’t allowed?

Come’on.

I have often described local politics like a reality TV show. I use descriptions like Survivor and Big Brother.

Don Martelli says Jerry Springer.

Springer, as you know, typically features people from trailer parks or the ghetto who are arguing over a boyfriend, girlfriend or both. There is hair pulling, spitting, fighting, punching, etc. It’s basically a full-blown battle.

Local politics are the same no matter what city you’re in. There’s a ton of grandstanding, political inbreeding, lovers’ quarrels, corruption and drama — boat loads of drama. What the political morons seem to forget is that they are in office to work for us, the taxpayers. Their Springer actions aren’t what we want. We want them to improve our roads, lower our taxes, keep our schools top notch and God forbid, just work for us.

Ouch.

But the truth does hurt sometimes.

All this mosque talk in New York reminds me …

A few years ago when I was Mayor,  members of a non-denominational Christian church met with me because they were interested in purchasing an old Wal-Mart building for use as a new church. I opposed this because a tax exempt entity would then own a major building in a TIF District. (Tax Incremental Finance District)

Does this make me anti-Christian?

A new tax is coming your way.

At least if you live in Mission, KS there is a new tax coming your way. And we all know how local government works, if one city has a tax everyone will want it.

Mission homeowners and businesses are going to pay for roads in a new way that officials believe breaks ground in the Midwest.

Instead of relying on sales and property taxes for roads, the city will start charging fees based on how much traffic properties produce.

The City Council on Wednesday night approved a new fee charging every homeowner $72 a year and small businesses $3,558 a year beginning in December.

Larger businesses that generate lots of traffic, such as Mission Bank, could pay $5,659 a year. A drive-thru fast food restaurant could pay $12,200 a year. Target could pay as much as $64,750 annually.

City officials and some local experts believe the fee, sometimes called a “driveway tax,” would be the first in Kansas and possibly in the entire Midwest.

Evidently this started in Oregon and is moving eastward.

It reminds me of the old movie The Blob, devouring everything in its path.

I was directed to a website  where this question was asked …

I was wondering how a 17 year old highschool student can get involved volunteering in local politics? I would love to volunteer, but i have no idea where to start.
thanks.

This was my response …

I would suggest reading the free ebook “Why Your City Council Makes Dumb Decisions and What You Can Do About It.” It can be found at http://www.AcademyOfLocalPolitics.Com. Totally free. Really.

Then start attending city council, and committee meetings. Let the Mayor know of your interest in being appointed as a citizen to a committee. Learn by going and doing. Volunteer opportunities will appear the more meetings you attend.

Good Luck!

It’s true. Anyone interested in learning about “local politics” just has to start going to meetings. That’s it. It’s that easy.  That’s how new Council members (or whatever office) learn. They start going to meetings.

What advice would you give to this student?

The Los Angeles Times reports once again on the happenings in Bell.

Confronting a hostile crowd, the Bell City Council met Monday night on whether to roll back property taxes, turn over administration of city elections to Los Angeles County and cut the cost of obtaining public records — the latest potential concessions by leaders of the small, working-class town in the wake of a salary scandal.

The proposed reforms come as local and state authorities open investigations into City Hall finances, the high salaries of top administrators and possible election fraud.

Several hundred people descended on City Hall for the meeting, which continued late Monday night, inside the small chambers that seats only 96. Angered by repeated disclosures of fiscal irresponsibility, residents were demanding a wholesale change in city leadership, with the exception of Councilman Lorenzo Velez, an early proponent of reforms who was not drawing the high salaries of his council colleagues.

One man, decked out in a colorful clown costume, referred to the group as the “City Clowncil.”

When you say City Clowncil … you’ve said it all!

I have previously written about the pay of city officials in the city of Bell, CA.

This whole story seems to be resonating throughout the country. It is easy to understand and a complete outrage. Now other cities are under the microscope.

The LA Times reports …

Of 25 charter cities in Los Angeles County, fewer than half paid their council members more than $20,000 a year. Meanwhile Inglewood was paying $61,884; Vernon, $68,052; and Bell,nearly $100,000.

City council members in Vernon, Compton and Inglewoodreceive significantly higher compensation than most of their counterparts in Los Angeles County, according to a Los Angeles Times review of salary figures.

Council members in the industrial city of Vernon, which has fewer than 100 residents, earn $68,052 a year. By contrast, council members in Arcadia, a suburb of about 56,000, earn a maximum of $6,720.

Vernon kinds of sticks out doesn’t it? Less than 100 residents and pays its council members $68,052/year. What’s with that?

Vernon council members work part-time and receive a monthly salary of $5,671, plus reimbursements for business expenses and healthcare benefits. The city also makes an annual contribution to council members’ accounts in the California Public Employees’ Retirement system.

“They are the core leadership that oversees the city’s important work,” said Mark Whitworth, interim city administrator. “Are they worth their money? Absolutely.”

I wonder how much Mr. Whitworth makes as the interim city administrator and if this brown nosing of the council members may be a ploy to take the “interim” out of his job title?

Just a thought.

I don’t know who said this (maybe it was me?) but I like this quote on leadership…

The great leader is one who never permits his followers to discover that he is as dumb as they are.

Who do you know that resembles that remark?

The following is one of the saddest stories I have read in a long time.

It comes from the Wheeling News-Register.

“I can no longer feel safe …”

That is the sort of comment one might expect from a frightened public official in, say, Iraq. In some parts of the world it can be dangerous to hold a government position, even at the local level.

But Wellsburg? Say it isn’t so.

Apparently, it is. Five of the eight members of Wellsburg City Council resigned this week. Their departure appears to have resulted from a bitter controversy over whether to raise sewer rates.

All five of them submitted letters of resignation. One explained his decision with the comment quoted above. Another referred to “threats,” as well as verbal and written abuse. A third commented the situation had become “so threatening that the police had to escort some of us to our cars for our own safety” after a council meeting.

When five people on an eight-member council resign for any reason, constituents ought to be concerned. But when the circumstances involve council members feeling intimidated, the proper reaction is worry.

This story is bad enough, but what makes it even worse are the comments that are made after the editorial.

Read them for yourself  HERE if you dare.

Back in the good old days storm sirens were used to warn us when a tornado was approaching. When we heard the sirens we went to the basement.

Then they started to be activated when a “severe” storm was approaching. And we sometimes went to the basement.

Now they are activated when a “severe” storm is approaching any city within the county. And we never go to the basement.

Excuse me while I yearn  for the good old days and hope a tornado doesn’t come our way because I won’t be in the basement.

How about you?

Does any other city have this situation?

Does anyone but me care?

Please comment.

Some people never leave their comfort zone. Those people don’t make good politicians. Good politicians are always leaving their comfort zone to do and learn things they never thought they would do or learn. It is essential to being a good politician.

This diagram shows it very well. A person needs to aim outside their current knowledge and skills to gain new knowledge and skills.

Nothing bugs me more than a politician who knows it all already. But I read about and meet them all the time.

Welcome back students to the Academy of Local Politics.

My summer vacation where I left my comfort zone is over, and I feel great about it!

The Academy of Local Politics is closed for summer vacation.

The Pontificator has a date the last week of July to ride RAGBRAI, a 500 mile bicycle ride across Iowa. Much preparation is needed prior to the ride and decompression time will be needed after…

You can follow my RAGBRAI progress by reading TRIKEMAN.

If you are new to the Academy of Local Politics make sure you download the FREE ebook “Why Your City Council Makes Dumb Decisions and What You Can Do About It.”

If you are really serious about local politics Moving Mountains and Molehills Local Politics 101 is a must read!

See you for the Fall Semester!

Local Victory has done it again. Joe Garecht has written an excellent article “How to Find Cheap Political Campaign Supplies.”

If you plan on running for election this is an excellent common sense primer on purchasing supplies. It doesn’t give you all the answers … it points you to ask the right questions.

Moral outrage is the most powerful motivating force in politics.

Morton Blackwell

If you want a job done poorly turn it over to a committee. Performance the rule goes will be inversely proportionate to the committee size.

The University of Wisconsin Extension Local Government Center has started a new blog.

The very first post of this blog is a must read for anyone interested in local government. It is a glossary of local government financial terms.

There is no way I can make his glossary of local government financial terms exciting. It is just plain and simple must read material if you want to understand local government budgeting and finance.

Get it here.

Read it. Print it. Study it. Refer to it whenever you hear a financial term you don’t understand.

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

— John Hancock

New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

Red light cameras. Some hate them … others praise.

This report comes from Cedar Rapids, IA.

Cedar Rapids Police Chief Greg Graham reports that the enforcement cameras had snapped photos of 26 Cedar Rapids police cars speeding or running red lights as of last week.

No, these photos don’t immediately end up being tossed aside, the chief says.

Upon review, Graham reports:

Five of the potential violations were deemed not to be violations; officers were operating in “legitimate” fashion. For instance, they were tailing a speeder at the speeder’s speed.

However, in six other instances, officers were issued letters of discipline because they did not have their patrol car’s lights and sirens operating as they should have when they were speeding to a call. Fifteen potential violations are still under review.

Cedar Rapids officers, Graham said, will get tickets in instances in which they should not have been speeding or running red lights. “Every one of the officers has been told that by me,” the chief said.

Other law enforcement agencies aren’t getting off the hook either.

In Marion, Police Chief Harry Daugherty reports that the Cedar Rapids Police Department has forwarded seven possible camera violations by Marion police officers to him for review.

In four of the seven, officers had a reason to be hustling. In three, the Marion officers have been issued citations, which they must pay, Daugherty says.

Typically, he says, Marion officers are in Cedar Rapids delivering arrested suspects to the Linn County Jail in downtown Cedar Rapids. Often the officers need to hurry back to Marion for calls. In the three instances in which officers are getting tickets, “nothing big was going on,” Daugherty said.

A number of years ago I witnessed a police car run a red light. I followed it back to the station and asked the officer if he was going to write himself a ticket. He denied running the light. I wish I would have had a picture of it.

Smile!

Huh?

A city councilor in Massachusetts thinks he’s come up with a way to stop people looking at pornography on public library computers _ name them and shame them.

Quincy Councilor Daniel Raymondi has asked Mayor Thomas Koch to make public a list of people who have viewed pornography on library computers within the past year. The council unanimously approved a resolution on the idea last week.

Library director Ann McLaughlin tells The Patriot Ledger that using library computers to access porn is against policy, and violators are given two warnings before they are banned. She says she’s not sure publicly naming violators would work.

A spokesman for the mayor says the city’s legal department is reviewing Raymondi’s request.

I don’t think someone who looks at porn in a library can be shamed.

But … but …

Why aren’t there filters on the library computers that block porn sites?

and…

Why do they get  TWO  warnings?

Geez.

Dollarish.Com asked the poll question … Do you care about your local neighborhood politics? This was not a scientific poll so the results would have a very large + or -. The results were not a surprise to me. Disappointing but not a surprise.

Only 23% said they cared a lot.

A little was 62%.

Not at all came in at 15%.

A nation of Sheeple?

Looks like it at times.

Last week I wrote about the City of Maywood, CA turning over the operation of its city to the neighboring city of Bell, CA.

Now this is in from Bell.

BELL, Calif. (KABC) – They make almost a $100,000 per year for their part-time jobs. They are members of the Bell City Council. The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office wants to know how they justify those large salaries.

An investigation is now under way into the amount of money paid to city council members in the small community of Bell. It’s far above the amount allowed by state law.

L.A. County District Attorney Steve Cooley is investigating how five council members can be paid $8,000 a month for meeting just two days a month. The D.A.’s investigation is looking at the $100,000 each of the council members, including the mayor, are paid when the state law says it should only be a maximum of $400 a month.

I wonder how the residents of Maywood feel now?

Pick battles big enough to mater, small enough to win.

Jonathon Kozel

Maywood, CA has problems.

No, I mean they really have problems…

Maywood, a small working-class community south of downtown Los Angeles, plans to lay off all its employees, disband its Police Department and turn over its entire municipal operations to a neighbor — an action that appears to be without precedent among California cities.

Maywood’s $10.1-million general fund budget has a deficit of at least $450,000, officials said. Beyond that, the city has been unable to obtain insurance because of a history of lawsuits, many involving its Police Department, which also patrols Cudahy. Operating without insurance would make even routine government services highly risky.

Under the city’s plan, the Sheriff’s Department will take over patrols. The neighboring city of Bell will take over other municipal services, including staffing Maywood’s City Hall, saving the city an estimated $164,375 a year, officials said. The changes would take effect July 1.

Contracting with Bell is the most cost-effective way to ensure that residents still get basic public services, Councilman Felipe Aguirre said. “Our streets will be cleaned, our potholes will be filled, this is not affecting any of that,” he said.

“We’re limited on our choices and limited on what we can do,” Councilman Felipe Aguirre said. “We don’t want to file for bankruptcy. We don’t want to disappear as a city.”

I hate to be the one to tell you Mr. Aguirre, but you just did disappear as a city.

There are many problems for which I have no solution.

Patrick O’Donnell with Cleveland.Com writes about one of them…

Sarah Zatik retired two years ago, at the age of 53, but she never stopped working.

The Parma schools superintendent immediately was rehired into the same job. It was all pre-arranged, just a matter of paperwork.

The bookkeeping move brought Zatik a big financial benefit, despite a $15,000 cut in salary after being rehired. By retiring, she could start collecting well over $100,000 a year in retirement payments from the state in addition to her $158,000 superintendent’s pay. Thanks to a state retirement system that allows retirement at a young age, Zatik can collect both a paycheck and her retirement payments for 12 years before she hits the standard retirement age of 65.

She is a member in an exclusive club of double-dipping superintendents, who retire and return to their same jobs or rotate to other school districts.

An analysis by Ohio’s eight largest newspapers found:

One in four public school leaders in Ohio’s 614 districts bring home the bacon twice.

Part of the problem of not having a solution to this situation is I have no idea how this practice evolved into what it is now.

But this practice has never passed my smell test and never will.

Adam Pagnucco is retiring from writing a blog. He wrote a local political blog in Maryland.

I had never read Adam until he made this announcement. I like his parting assessment of local politicians.

Elected officials are not the cardboard, All-American baby-kissing characters they try to become at election time. Nor are they all evil, money-grubbing con artists as they are frequently portrayed by the media. Yes, many of them are insecure, needy, egotistical and overly sensitive, though there are plenty of exceptions. A few of them are even paranoid, arrogant and self-obsessed. But the vast majority of them enter politics with some spark of good intent in their hearts. Many of them really do have beliefs, and even principles, and are not faking them. Most of them want to perform well.

What the public never sees are the sacrifices they make. I can’t count the number of times elected officials have despaired in private conversations with me – often very emotionally – about the impact of their office-holding on their families, their careers, their finances, their social relationships outside of politics, their enjoyment of the fun things in life, and even on their emotional condition. Some sacrifice these things for the wrong reasons. Maybe it’s ego or the need to be recognized. These people become little more than the badges they wear on their chests. But some sacrifice these things for the right reasons, like a true dedication to helping others. The really good ones often can’t serve without giving 100%. I sympathize. I wish there was a reliable way for the voters to tell apart the good ones from the mediocre ones and the really bad ones.

Amen.