We are surrounded by instances of Karma every day. And I have seen it in local government. And it is almost always a case of something nasty bouncing back at a person who themselves did something nasty.
It’s not uncommon for an alderman (or aldermen) to stop out at a local watering hole after a council meeting, and of course they talk about everything except city business – because we all know that discussing city business amongst themselves outside the four walls of city hall is illegal. It happens! (despite being discouraged by the city attorney each year during his presentation at the city council orientation meeting). Whenever two or more councilors (especially a quorum of a particular committee) get together, it is assumed that they could be discussing the eventual outcome of a city issue. The mere appearance of impropriety could be the basis for a complaint suggesting something illegal, and the complaint can be based merely on “suspicion and belief”.
You would think they would want to stay away from the appearance, especially at a time when the general public is suspicious and feel that many issues voted on at the council meetings were all decided before they even got to the meeting. A scan of the responses to the 2003 Employee Satisfaction Survey shows numerous remarks of the same – by city employees.
The public deserved the right to be privy to any and all discussions which lead to an eventual vote on an issue. It’s not just an opinion, it’s the law! And there are only two exceptions to that law: 1) negotiations, and 2) personnel actions (and possible litigation involving either). And it’s not restricted to just a meeting. By law, there are particular restrictions in using email and even phone calls between aldermen.
But let me get back to Karma. I have always had concens about a particular instance that took place in the last twenty years where a “meeting” – after a council meeting – resulted in a sad outcome for one alderman. As the story goes – and has been denied – at the end of that gathering, one alderman (#1) who had been encouraging another alderman (#2) to have a good time, and to “have another” – waited until his fellow alderman (#2) left the building to drive home, and called the police to notify them of an apparent intoxicated driver. Alderman #2 was arrested and charged.
Karma?? It came to then former alderman (#2) in the form of federal charges and an ever so tiny (tiny) stint in a federal prison for his own indiscretions as a public employee.
INSTANT KARMA’S GONNA GET YOU……