Since the beginning of this year, the media has been dominated by stories about corruption by public servants. There have been four headline-grabbing trials to date, and at least three more are coming. No level of government has been immune, from the governor’s office down to key local officials. For the average citizen, these continuing developments further erode respect for all public officials.
Having been a public servant for more than 30 years, I can’t help but ask, What were these people thinking when they deliberately broke the law in dozens of different ways? We live in an era when almost no corrupt act, big or small, goes undetected. Are some of our elected officials so drunk with power or jaded that they accept the smallest favors just because they think they can get away with it? Is a free trip, or tickets to a luxury sports box, worth losing your career?
The saddest part of the constant drip-drip-drip of corruption and prosecutions is the fact that it fails to deter others from doing the same thing. The idea that taking a bribe will go undetected is a form of arrogance that is hard to fathom. There’s no doubt that elected officials in low-paying jobs can be tempted to step over the line. The salary for a state legislator, $79,500, hasn’t changed since 1998, and that creates all types of the wrong temptations.
The awarding of public contracts is one of the most tainted processes I can think of. It’s not hard to find some successful company that has given a major campaign contribution just before winning a coveted contract. Not only is this wrong, but many a qualified owner of a business, big or small, is shut out because he or she isn’t able to pay to play. Why would respected international companies, with smart executives, give a lawyer like Michael Cohen millions of dollars in the foolish hope that he can get them access to President Trump? In 2018, trying to pay off some friend of a friend is an act of corporate suicide. Maybe it works in third-world countries, but not in America anymore.
We’ve arrived at a turning point in American politics. Across the country, hundreds of new and exciting candidates are opting to run for office. Despite the sacrifice and abuse that comes with these jobs, men and women from every walk of life are deciding to challenge the system, in some cases taking on entrenched politicians. The other good news is that a record number of women in male-dominated governments, like the state of Pennsylvania, are seeking public office.