Reinforce
anti-corruption efforts
EDITORIAL, Home News
Tribune Online June 26, 2006
It was not a great week for South
Amboy. On the same day the city's former tax collector was sentenced to
six years for stealing more than $267,000 from the city treasury, the former
director of operations for the city's housing authority was indicted on charges
that she stole money from Old Bridge while managing its housing programs.
An Old Bridge employee who coordinated the municipality's Section 8 program also
was indicted.
Public corruption is a cancer; it has a way of making you feel like all of
government is lousy and all public servants are in search of their own
enrichment. There is something especially lousy when the employees are
taking money from programs intended for the poorest. One of the funds the
housing authority officials helped themselves to was intended to provide rental
assistance to people in danger of being evicted from their homes.
On the other hand, the only thing worse than a public official indicted for
corruption is a corrupt official who has not been indicted. "We are
stepping up our efforts to investigate and prosecute public corruption in
whatever form it takes," state Attorney General Zulima Farber said in announcing
the indictments. That is good news for the state. If we're going to
be known for our public corruption, we might as well be known for catching those
who do it.
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