East Boogie rehires vote fraud convicts
The longer I live in (and write about) East St. Louis, the more I begin to believe in the existence of the Twilight Zone. You know, that mystical place that Rod Serling used to talk about on TV, where virtually anything is possible.
How else could one explain the rehiring of two convicted ESL city workers; especially with about a month to go before they face sentencing?
I know, you’re saying that this couldn’t be. What are they thinking? Aren’t they embarrassed? Don’t ESL officials realize what this does to their already tarnished reputation?
As Rod Serling might say, “You are about to enter another dimension; a dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land devoid of ethics and replete with political corruption. Next stop, the Twilight Zone (aka East Boogie)!”
That’s the only conclusion I could draw after learning that Sheila Thomas and Jesse Lewis (both convicted of vote fraud) were back on the job last week, after their high-profile trials this past June.
Their reinstatement likely resulted from questions surrounding the employment of ESL workers with felony records, specifically a $35,000 per year housing inspector who happens to be the nephew of Councilwoman Karen Cason.
Ironically, Terrance and Sandra Stith, who pleaded guilty to vote fraud (and testified on behalf of the prosecution), were not rehired.
This has prompted Councilman Eddie Jackson to call for a citywide policy regarding applicants with felony records.
The dilemma is that several longtime ESL employees possess felony records, thus complicating the development of any such policy and underscoring the reality that this has been an historical problem in ESL government.
Jackson has further exacerbated that process by engaging in rhetorical and ethical flip-flopping, initially saying that all felons should either be fired or retain their jobs but, recently, reversing himself by stating that the city should “consider the crime.”
I’m sorry, but Mr. Jackson’s “some crooks are less crooked than others” philosophy is the wrong approach in the development of policy. One must consider the message that this sends to the ESL and extended community at large. One must also consider the signal that this sends to potential investors and developers.
Who wants to do business with politicians who, seemingly, are attempting to rationalize degrees of corruption in their hiring practices? Mayor Carl Officer was clearly frustrated with the city manager’s decision to reinstate Thomas and Lewis and vowed to work toward a resolution.
In the meantime, ESL City Hall might as well change its name to “Crooks R Us.” Got a felony? No problem! Recently convicted? No problem! Just leave your resume at home and bring us your rap sheet. At “Crooks R Us,” we don’t give a damn!
It’s funny, but true. How many upstanding, educated, well-qualified would-be applicants have been denied employment in ESL city government, while felons benefit from patronage hook-ups?
I know it’s convenient for Councilman Jackson to split hairs and play semantic games with felony hiring standards (especially with buddies Charlie Powell and others headed to prison), but the solution is obvious. Don’t knowingly hire ANY crooks in ANY positions in city government at ANY time!
In short, no more business as usual. That’s how ESL can send a message of accountability and responsibility to the world.
Email: jtingram_1960@yahoo.com.