Who's watching the watchdogs?

When I got my first post-college newspaper job in 1982 I called my brother-in-law, then a Buick “Salesmaster,” and asked him to be on the lookout for a “good used car.” Three months later, I got his call and became the proud owner of what had to be one of the biggest cars ever made – a metallic green Chevrolet Caprice Classic just a few years old and in pristine condition. The price was right: $1,960.

After driving a Mercury Capri that was literally falling apart, no one could have been more proud of a car.

One afternoon on the way home from work I was sideswiped by what was known around Jackson, Miss., as the Police Department “paddy wagon.” This vehicle was driven by jail “trusties,” and the last thing I saw as it sped away was the slogan on its rear door, “To Serve and To Protect.”

Confident that the city of Jackson would compensate me for repairs I contacted the PD and was put through to its legal representative. He first told me, “I would have to pull the trip tickets” to determine who was driving the paddy wagon. He said it as though I had asked him to split the atom. After some discussion it became apparent that he had no intention of helping me.

The lawyer I contacted, after talking with this same man, agreed with my assessment: “You’re right; he is a wily old bastard.” I looked the lawyer in the eye and asked, “Who’s policing the police?”

The matter was settled to my satisfaction.

On a grander scale, bigger than that Chevy, Americans need now to ask themselves, “Who’s watching the watchdogs?”

A recent issue of THE PROGRESS REPORT, Center for American Progress, exposes a number of government watchdogs – aka inspectors general – who are not only failing to do their job, but have been found to be corrupt in their positions.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse. Read the article in my new reading room: LINK