More oversight failure

The people's power and resources are not held by the people. Control over both must be surrendered to government. Because that power and those resources can be expected to corrupt those who spend them, absolutely, oversight is necessary. Without oversight, we have only "trust" in politicians and public servants, to protect our power and resources from being squandered, stolen, or abused.

It is impractical to expect "the people" to provide oversight on a day to day basis. The government has to oversee itself. When government fails to provide adequate oversight, it is no small thing. The failure of oversight, promised and not delivered, is fundamental to the persistence of public corruption and incompetence. It is part and parcel to the cultures of corruption and incompetence in government.

Accountability (read; oversight) is fatal to public corruption and incompetence. 100% accountability is 100% fatal.

Consider the Police Oversight Commission; it is a perfect example of supposed oversight over the wielding of power entrusted to public servants.

In the Journal this morning, link, we read about an investigation that found; though it is supposed to have nine members (nominated by City Councilors and appointed by the Mayor) the POC has only seven, and that even those are not even properly trained and educated."

We trusted "the government" to protect our power and resources from abuse and now we find "it" failed.

It's fair, I think, to blame
Mayor Richard Berry, for
the problems on the POC.

In response to the issues of
under representation and
training, he offers;
“I would always recommend
... more training, especially
for something like this;
it’s critical.”

His recommendation strikes me as too little and too late.

There has already been a failure of oversight, and the buck stops on his desk.

The buck touches down on another desk on the way to Berry's, and that is the desk of POC Chairwoman Bambi Folk, who, surprise, surprise, "... could not be reached for comment."




photo Mark Bralley