|
 You may recall the recent brouhaha over the decision by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to ban consumption of alcohol while on State forest land without a special permit. This ruling was enacted without any public input, and there was a subsequent uproar from those who claimed it would adversely affect tourism and small businesses in western Maryland (see related article in these pages: “Don’t Like The Rules? Just Don’t Follow Them”).
Our Allegany County Commissioners have weighed in on this matter, and it was reported in the Cumberland Times-News that a letter was requested by Commissioner Lewis to be drafted and sent to the DNR, Gov. Martin O’Malley, as well as local legislators, in order to protest the decision.
I think it is quite instructive to listen to the comments that were made by the commissioners in regard to the process that went into the decision by the DNR. Bob Hutcheson was quoted as saying that he was “concerned about timing and the lack of notice. I think it was the wrong approach.” Jim Stakem waxed indignant when he exclaimed, “Talk about transparent government. That’s an abuse right there. I don’t care who hears it.” How the matter was handled and enacted was referred to as being “under the table.”
My question to the citizens of Allegany County: Is there really any difference whatsoever in how the commissioners handled the transfer of the road patrol from the Sheriff’s Department to the Bureau of Police? Were they not just as abusive of the principle of transparent government when they formed the Bureau of Police and at the same time spoke out the other side of their mouths, denying-lying about any plans to take over the road patrol? If that doesn’t qualify as a subterfuge planned and enacted under the table, then nothing does.
It seems to me that it takes quite a bit of chutzpah to complain about back-room deliberations that are kept from the scrutiny of the public when the commissioners are guilty of the same behavior. But perhaps this is what we have come to expect from our hypocritical commissioners: getting what they want by duplicity rather than by democratic governance.
Until the commissioners can practice what they preach, my advice to them is to keep their mouths shut when it comes to pontificating about open government. They have been guilty of exactly the same abuse of power on more than one occasion, and while their comments of dismay leave you scratching your head as to how dense they really are, it may, in fact, be more accurate to characterize them as simply scheming and unscrupulous. Woe to the citizens of Allegany County, but what can really be said other than we got what we voted for? |
AMERICA’S SECRET POLICE NETWORK
J. Edgar Hoover knew that power lies between the manila covers of a personal dossier and he used that knowledge to build and maintain his empire for almost half a century. The FBI, the CIA and virtually every other agency given the authority to spy to defend us from foreign or domestic enemies, have sooner or later used their power to threaten our liberties. In contrast to the CIA and FBI, the Law Enforcement Intelligence Unit (LEIU) is a little known organization; in fact, almost no one has ever heard of it. But its power is considerable and its potential threat to our freedom is enormous.
The LEIU links the intelligence squads of almost every major police force in the United States and Canada. Although its members are sworn police officers who work for state and city governments, it is a private club, not answerable to voters, taxpayers, or elected officials. It cuts across the vertical lines of authority of local government, for its members hold certain allegiances to the LEIU that cannot be countermanded by a mayor, county manager, or even a state governor.
Ex-members of the LEIU admit to illegal wiretapping, breaking and entering, and spying on people to gather information for their files.
Sources for this story included the San Francisco Chronicle, 11/25/78, and Penthouse Magazine, December 1976. It was the #6 censored story of 1978.