Road to Corruption

Hard to know where to begin.

 School board member Mike Guessford is found guilty of ethical violations and then gets

re-elected.

 Jerry DeWolf, chair of the Republican Central Committee, posts on social media

encouraging Hunter Biden to commit suicide. (DeWolf still doesn’t believe that Joe

Biden is the President, despite the law, Congress, and the American people deciding

otherwise.)

 Then there’s the example from the not-too-distant past that ex-County Commissioners

Woody Spong and LeRoy Myers are shamed from office after being accused of sexual

harassment.

 Now, first-term Commissioner Cort Meinelschmidt makes the motion and votes to fund

his very own downtown business – currently under construction – to receive taxpayer

dollars earmarked for struggling county restaurants. Meinelschmidt should return the

money immediately—and apologize to the taxpayers.

Applying for a business that hasn’t even opened defeats the purpose of the relief, which is

intended to keep existing businesses running during the pandemic. Countless small business owners have had to make the difficult decision to permanently close their doors because they can’t afford to continue operating. Voting to pad your own pocket, as Commissioner Meinelschmidt has done, is why ethics laws were written in the first place.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely. And, without accountability and a more balanced

government, Washington County’s Republican Party leaders continue on their road to

corruption.

All county residents are equal, but some feel they are more equal than others.

We can and should change the path forward and choose a more ethical and just direction for our county.

Step one: give back the money.