Blog: A Lot of Oohing and Aahing Lately

Normally, I don’t do more than sigh or raise an eyebrow in hearing of disturbing political hijinks or stupid utterance by public officials, no matter how revolting or crass they may be, and how high they register on my disgust meter.

And on those rare occasions when I do ooh and aah out loud, I quickly catch myself before causing my dog to do more than prick his ears and seek cover.

In no order of ranking, there’s been three recent instances locally that have jangled my nerves and had me venting my emotional reaction. They are:

• The ongoing investigation of who did what, when and how that led to the dismissal of murder charges against two defendants, with both the sheriff’s department and state attorney’s office engaged in a mano a mano over who bears major responsibility for the foul-ups following the commission of the crime, and for their failure to work in tandem from the get-go, and which was further compounded by the firing of the Chief Deputy States prosecutor for giving false testimony during a motions hearing on the aforementioned murder case.    

Comment: No matter the outcome of the external investigation being conducted, both will be faced with the formidable task of restoring public’s confidence in their ability to perform their duties effectively and free of any rivalry between them, as well as dispelling the concerns expressed by some: Quis custodiet ipsos custodes–Who shall guard the guardians themselves?

• The second incident I and others took umbrage at was the high-handed, condescending manner in which Commissioner Howard responded to Sen. Getty’s well-intentioned, albeit critical, comments on the proposed petition (namely, “Our county attorney will get back to you”), that three board members and an equal number of Carroll’s delegates were in the process of submitting to Maryland’s highest court, wherein requesting a reversal of the redistricting plan as it pertains to Carroll County approved by this year’s General Assembly and signed into law by the governor.

Comment: That’s only illustrative of the delegation’s strained relationship that has existed with this board since taking office, which was accentuated by its hiring two lobbyists to push for its proposed bills and to keep it informed of other pending legislation that would impact on Carroll. A more obvious slap-in-the-face and display of what it felt were the shortcomings of the delegation there couldn’t be.

• And last but not least, Commissioner Frazier, who is still living the same double life in this term as in her previous one-a public official representing her constituents on one hand and as a self-appointed God’s messenger on the other.

That she often fails to separate those two missions is evidenced, for example, by her unwillingness to abide by man’s law prohibiting naming a specific deity in prayers offered in public buildings at the start of open sessions-a protest gesture mimicked by her alter ego, the enigmatic, world-beater, Commish Rothschild. who has never-at least in his mind-encountered an issue he couldn’t fault. 

But that pales by comparison to her recently proposing to revive holding weekly prayer sessions in the cafeteria of the COB, where she will dispense, not soft drinks or goodies from the machines to other true believers, only God’s words. 

And if the board is gullible enough to give her the go ahead (or just to shut her up), they’d be inviting a law suit for violating the Establishment Clause of the Constitution, not that that would deter her from fulfilling what she perceives as her God-given role in the county, as well as during her annual missionary visits to the Philippines to save those few souls that haven’t already been saved by the Caholic Church, the country’s dominent religion. 

Heaven knows, there’s more that a few law suits in the offing, for its having throwing caution to the wind and going down a path where angels fear to tread on other ill-conceived  misadventures.

Quote of the week: “Power doesn’t corrupt; fools, however, who gain power, corrupt power.” George Bernard Shaw