It's scary: Waiting for the other shoe to fall in North Carolina ...

Hearing the news that a North Carolina official is facing corruption charges is becoming commonplace -- just another day in Raleigh politics.

But what should scare anyone who casts a vote in this state -- and, really, anyone who contributes a tax dollar -- is that this sort of chicanery and corruption seems to have gone from top to bottom.

From legislative leaders to the governor's chief aide, it seems that few people anywhere in Raleigh understood that they were there to serve the people or that it was unethical to pursue one's own interests while serving on the public dime.

And the breadth of this corruption is nothing short of shocking -- making many of us wonder why in the world no one saw all the bad stuff that was going on or why no one thought it was worth reporting?

So as we prepare for what could be another summer of trials and indictments, we can only wait for the next announcement, the next disappointment.

Former Gov. Mike Easley seems to have done nothing except foster the sort of government where undercover deals were the name of the game and ethics was a moving target.

How's that for a legacy.

Published in Editorials on January 22, 2010 10:56 AM