EDITORIAL: When Government Officials Use Public Resources | Opinion

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“The closer we look at this, the more the real question arises as to what the motivation for the charges was. As I’ve said from the beginning, this case involved eight minutes, a jug of Drano, and a clogged sink.”

What’s the big deal, mom?

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“In the spring of 2023, I had a plumbing emergency at a relative’s house. Not knowing the severity of the leak, I asked Ken if he would help me, to which he agreed. The total time away from work was one hour.”

What’s the big deal, mom?

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Essentially, there is no difference between a child stealing a candy bar from a store and a government official using his authority and influence over government employees to get them to respond to minor plumbing emergencies in their home or theirs to help relatives.

Two Saratoga Springs officials, former Public Works Commissioner Jason Golub and DPW Deputy Commissioner Joe O’Neill, were charged last month with misdemeanors for allegedly using city employees to do personal work for them .

They or their lawyers admit that work was done. But they defend themselves or their clients by claiming the work was minor and didn’t take much time, basically it was no big deal.

As part of their defense, they also claim that the charges against them are part of a devious conspiracy orchestrated by their political opponents, and they point the finger at other officials who motivated the criminal charges.

If the allegations against the officials are true, does it matter whether they were ratted out by their political opponents, a disgruntled former employee or an astronaut looking down on them from the International Space Station?

Stealing is stealing, regardless of the value of the item stolen, regardless of who it was stolen from, and regardless of the motivation of those who bring the matter to the attention of authorities and the public.

Ordinary citizens have to pay a professional plumber to come to their home when their drains get clogged. She Don’t call a city employee to come over and do it for free.

Despite what some officials seem to believe, having access to professional public works workers, construction workers, road workers and truck drivers does not make them your personal servants. This is not a side effect of the job.

By the way, this is not a secret for anyone.

All officials know that it is wrong to use public employees for personal tasks. It is part of their ethical responsibility as servants of taxpayers.

It is also part of political history. Many politicians have perished by using their authority and influence as government officials for personal gain for themselves, their family members, friends and business associates.

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And it is common sense and basic decency that many of us were taught as children by our parents and other authority figures.

It doesn’t matter if it’s 5 minutes and a liter of Drano or leftover tar to fill a hole in front of a councilman’s house or a snowplow driver sweeping the mayor’s driveway during a storm. It’s wrong. And illegal. You just don’t do it.

Golub’s attorney Karl Sleight, who is pursuing multiple avenues to find out the backstory behind the revelation of the allegations, said he believes the motivation for the case will become clear.

“When that happens,” he said, “there will be a reckoning.”

There should actually be a reckoning. But it should be left to the officials who allegedly abused their powers to use taxpayer money for their personal gain.

Nobody else is responsible.

And I’m sorry, son, but It is a big deal.

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