San Bernardino County is corrupt

An Overview of Politicians Behaving Badly in San Bernardino County
by Jessica Levinson
on April 4, 2011 11:00 AM

San Bernardino County has a distressingly checkered past when it comes to politicians behaving badly and abusing the public trust. Last week brought the latest chapter in the tale of the scandal-plagued county as former Assessor and Board of Supervisor Bill Postmus, reached a plea deal with prosecutors. Postmus pleaded guilty to 15 felonies in two criminal cases, based on charges ranging from misuse of public funds, to accepting a bribe, to conflict of interest. He could face up to five years in prison.
The misdeeds of Postmus and his gang are detailed below, but perhaps the most troubling part of the Postmus tale is that it is not a complete aberration in the county. In 1999, James Hlawek, the county's former chief administrative officer, admitted to receiving bribes from a billboard company owner, William McCook. A year later, Harry Mays, former county administrative officer, was convicted of bribing Hlawek to get Norcal Solid Waste Systems landfill contracts. In 2004, Jerry Eaves, former county supervisor, pleaded guilty to failing to disclose gifts, including hotel stays in Las Vegas, from the same billboard company owner, McCook.
It is not only important to determine why this is happening, but also how it can be prevented in the future. Too many members of the electorate have negative views of their elected officials and public servants, and too many politicians in San Bernardino are giving the public more fodder for those views.
The problem isn't just that the misdeeds in San Bernardino include illegal acts, it is that the officials' actions go to the heart of their role as public servants. In fact, the officials make a mockery of that title. I would argue that when it comes to government officials, there is a difference between a DUI and a charge of bribery. The first demonstrates, at the very least, bad judgment. The second shows a fundamental misuse of an official's responsibility to serve the public. Such behavior spreads beyond any one-time incident and can color the public's view of their government and officials. If such public distrust leads to renewed civic activism, then there is a light at the end of the dark tunnel. If instead it leads to increased feelings of dissatisfaction and apathy culminating in decreased participation in our representative democracy, then some buy me a flashlight, its going to be a long and dark road.