Back in October KMOV exposed how Charlie Dooley was using police detectives as personal drivers, and now the story is back under public scrutiny. This sense of entitlement and willing abuse of public authority isn't just been an isolated instance - it's part of a persistent aroma of scandal and corruption that surrounds St. Louis County government.
Not long ago, Jake Wagman of the Post-Dispatch revealed some details on Dooley patronage: the County purchased and pays for the personal use of 34 cars, mostly for top County employees. The laundry list of cars includes hybrid sedans and SUVs with prices of up to $31,542. Taxpayers can add the cost of insurance, maintenance and fuel to their bills. Next time you see a top county official driving to a Baskin-Robbins to pick up an ice cream cone, you can have the warm and fuzzy satisfaction of knowing that your tax dollars are subsidizing his personal activities.One county employee called getting a free car for personal use a "fringe benefit." If that's a fringe benefit, what are the normal benefits?
Wagman's story makes it clear that this practice is in no way normal - one official from another county remarked that "It does seem like an awful lot of cars." It is an awful lot of cars. It's one thing to let county mechanics or maintenance staff use a car for official purposes, it's entirely another to give county administrators with six figure salaries free cars. That’s called patronage.
Every month it seems like there's some new scandal. How long is this going to go on?
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