497 The People Rest

497  The People Rest

The local district attorney, a Republican with a minimalist eduction and still smaller skills,  but with a heart of gold, decided to take his staff out to a holiday lunch on the taxpayers' dime, and on company time, so he rounded up the staff, locked up the office at midday, put a "closed" sign on the wall and for two hours, on went the party.  Justice?  Let it wait.  

This did not sit especially well with judges, police, bailiffs, defendants, witnesses, court clerks, corrections officers and defesne lawyers.  But, as the DA righteously pointed out, it's his office and he gets to decide when it's open.  It did not sit well with the local newspaper which printed a front page story about the whole thing.  Spoilsports!  Next thing you know, the people, as we are called in court cases, will vote this guy out of office and he'll have to get a real job.

This guy brings new meaning to the courtroom one liner, "the People rest."

What's worrisome is that this could spread to other government agencies, religious denominations and private companies.

"Hello, you have reached the Moote Pointe Fire Department.  Our gallant fire fighters are out for the next two hours.  Please leave you name, address and the address of your fire at the sound of the tone..."   That would never happen.  Would it?

"Hello, you have reached the rectory at St. Barnabas Church.  All of our priests are attending a holiday party right now and we will re-open at 3PM.  If this is an urgent call for last rites, please leave your name and phone number at the tone..."  Not gonna happen.

"Hello, you have reached the headquarters of the General Electric Company.  We are out of the office for the next two hours, enjoying our annual holiday luncheon.  To report a light bulb problem, please press 1.  For jet engine service please press 2.  For NBC, please press 4.  As soon as we're back in the office, someone will return your call."

"Hello, this is the superintendent of schools.  We are not available for teaching or any other schoolesque function right now because we're out having a holiday party.  Please call back later."

In radio, we've all had moments where we've wanted to shut down the transmitter and head out to the "Do Drop Inn" for a couple of hours of peanuts and beers.  But we don't do it.  Neither does your doctor.  Nor your hairdresser.  Chances are, neither does your lawyer, unless he gets elected District Attorney.

Your priest, minister, rabbi or imam won't do it.  Your doctor or dentist will have an on-call substitute if he does it.  Your elected officials won't allow you to know when they do it.

But here in Stonewall, PA, justice stops for two hours each December so the district attorney can party with his staff, pay them for a full day and let the justice system hang there.

Shrapnel:

--The government's figures are all fudged.  The Consumer Price Index, the inflation rate and most other statistics are complete fakes.  So when they tell you the unemployment rate is 7-point-something percent, you know it's really higher.

--Nine days, Barrack, until you replace that putz in the White House.  We expect great things from you.  Don't let us down.

--Hawkers of gold and gold stocks and gold investment and mutual funds are fond of pointing out, gold has never been worth zero.  But as the late Chet Currier pointed out regularly, you can't eat gold.  So if you're buying, go ahead, but don't forget in really really hard times, a Big Mac is worth more than a mine full of metal. 

I'm Wes Richards.  My opinions are my own, but you're welcome to them.®

©WJR 2009