In the Journal this morning, we find that three city workers have been fired for stealing our resources. The day before, another story of a city worker stealing resources.
It is good that they were fired.
It would have been better if they hadn't stolen from us.
With thievery, as with every other vice, there is a battle between temptation and moral courage. If the temptation is irresistible; there isn't moral courage enough in anyone, to resist it. That's what irresistible means.
There are two solutions to public corruption;
- hire and elect people who can stand irresistible temptation, or
- remove the temptation.
If there is nothing that can be stolen (without certain accountability), there is no temptation to steal it.
Every one of these thieves made a calculation. Every one of them concluded that they could steal from the people and get away with it.
People don't come to that conclusion unless there is a substantial likelihood that they will, in fact, get away with it.
Every time a politician or public servant is caught stealing,
the politician or public servant whose job it was
to keep them from stealing in the first place,
should be fired as well.
This is not rocket science.
Casinos do it all the time, and I do mean, all the time.
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