Time to Clearly Ban Greed in Public Service?

Letter to Thessalonians: Let’s cut to the chase. The early Apostles’ poverty as leaders is STILL the model for public service. Omar’s 3,500% increase in wealth is an abomination. So is the growing familial empires of Pelosi, Sanders & Trump. Enough of “they deserve it for their sacrifice.” It’s ok to cash in but AFTER retiring.

In short, ANY personal business dealings while in office or a position of public trust (including so-called Not for Profits) should be barred as an inherent conflict of interest & abuse of the public trust; salary, benefits, subsidies and the like are enough for the PRIVILEGE of serving and getting shouldn’t be a part of the bargain. That Biblically-based post-public service ideal, anyway, is the way it used to be in the days of Washington & Lincoln as well as the way Paul of Tarsus described his & his colleagues’ life of denial while unstintingly serving (with great danger, btw) the Thessalonians, Corinthians, Ephesians & Romans.

Yet here we are reading the Fox News story about how “A longtime Democratic operative who worked for top party figures before jumping into private ventures with the now-husband of Rep. Ihan Omar … is back in the spotlight as swindling allegations resurface & Congress investigates Omar’s skyrocketing net worth via her husband’s companies, according to her financial disclosures.” Then, of course, there’s the ongoing travesty of massive Medicaid fraud being perpetrated by literally HUNDREDS of politically connected “non-profits” that allegedly are profiting mostly if not only their leaders. Shouldn’t be allowed to have it both ways, folks. Want to serve? Great. But, yes, for the sake of service, not profit.

Davd Soul