Who is in Charge?

Most people would not want to be a politician. First and foremost, for me, it would be boring and disheartening. Boring because that's what politicians are, and disheartening because there is so much corruption among those boring politicians.

I saw on the news yesterday that the most expensive and luxurious highschool has been built in California. Since everyone knows that California is suffering overwhelming debts and laying off teachers, why would a board of education do something as stupid as to allow a luxury public school to be built in their district? This is a board that the public allots taxpayer money to be used to the best advantage of the children.

In my own city, we have a mayor who has doggedly gone against public opinion (the public which he serves) and held fast to his decision to build a multi-million dollar stadium in the worst possible location. Because of his rigidity, we may lose a football team that has been associated with our city and we also may lose the PanAm games that spurred the building of the new stadium in the first place.

Aren't these politicians supposed to be serving the public which pays their wages? Aren't the best interests of the public supposed to always be considered whenever a politician spends a cent of taxpayer money? How do these politicians get away with doing so much damage to their constituents?

I think the average citizen doesn't pay enough attention to what their elected officials are up to until they do something absolutely intolerable. By then, it's usually too late and public funds have been wasted once again.

Personally, I don't think there is any such animal as an honest politician. If they weren't corrupt before they were elected, then the rot set in soon afterward. There are just too many ways that tax dollars can be spirited away without a trace. When crooked politicians are caught red handed and finally have to face criminal charges, it's not because some tax payers got fed up but because our free press has done their job by compiling evidence that can't be ignored.

The story about the luxury highschool in California is so brazen, though. California is close to being bankrupt and some idiot school board head thought it was a good idea to spend 578 million dollars to build one school. Where is even the common sense in a decision like this?

I guess we can always have a voice at election time and get rid of losers like this but I don't vote. Is it possible I'm part of the problem? But I just can't in good conscience give my vote to the best of a bad lot. Someone is voting these jerks in, though, so who is ultimately to blame?

Maybe we're all doomed.