Where's the rest of the story?
Del. Phil Hamilton has joined that ever-expanding fraternity whose membership includes such luminaries as Rod Blagojevich, Mark Sanford and James Holley. Politicians who, when their dishonesty, impropriety and utter lack of integrity become public knowledge, simply issue cheesy non-apologies and then resist the inevitable pressure for their resignations. Like them, Hamilton has tarnished his office and defrauded his constituents. Like them, he has compounded his misdeeds by refusing to do the decent thing and bow out voluntarily. Like them, he has no sense of shame.
Bravo to The Pilot for uncovering Part 1 of the story: Hamilton wangling a job and salary from Old Dominion University. But the heart of the matter might really reside in Part 2: What Virginia's taxpayers got for the $40,000 annual salary paid to the double-dipping delegate?
What if anything did Hamilton do at ODU to earn the money?
Any actual work? Did he have an office there? Scheduled hours?
Or was it just another one of those under-the-table deals?
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This letter asks..
good, necessary questions..
Ultimately the voters are responsible
For one thing you have assumed that the politicians in question think that what they did was wrong. I think that many of our elected officials after they have been in office a while start to believe that they are entitled to special treatment. In their minds they have served the public well and now they are owed. Hopefully, their treatment by the public will keep others from doing the same. However, there have been incidents where even after such behavior, the voters may still reelect the individual back into office. Washington DC's Mayor Barry and Portsmouth's Mayor Holley are two good examples. So, if we the voters don't hold these individuals accountable, then no one will.