20 August, 2005

Oh, the shame.

It is official; It is more shameful to be an Ohioan than even a Floridian. It was bad enough that we had the deciding votes that sent GW Bush to the White House the second time. But now, Ohio's Governor Bob Taft has been found guilty of ethics violations. Now, for four misdemeanor violations, he was fined only $400. This was in addition to paying back the $5,200 value of the gifts that were accepted. The fact that he was found guilty, um, convicted, in a court of law is a low point, even for Ohio.
The fact that he has been found guilty and paid a pittance of a fine is really only the tip of the iceburg. The governor was trying to remove himself from the whole Bureau of Workers Compensation/Tom Noe scandal. He wanted to clear his name and show that there was nothing for him to hide. The problem was his calendar. "Oops, You know I forgot to pay for these things! Drats!" Color Bob embarrased, color Bob caught! Oh, we are not supposed to realize that he was caught. We were supposed to think, "well, he found the oversight himself. He told on himself. That was admirable!" Can you believe these people? It would be laughable if it weren't really happening. These are our lawmakers. Be afraid, be very afraid.