We've written plenty on this site about the massive and expansive corruption among Adams County Democrats. Nearly every single county elected Democrat has been tied to some scandal or corruption. Not a single Republican mind you — corruption issues have only been present on one side of the aisle in ADCO.
Now Adams County state legislators Sen. Mary Hodge and Rep. Cheryl Peniston are running a bill to make it look like Adams County Democrats are leading the way on ethics reform.
Reports The Colorado Observer's Leslie Jorgensen:
DENVER, CO – Democrats Sen. Mary Hodge of Brighton and Rep. Cherylin Peniston of Westminster are co-sponsoring a bill to strengthen and expand ethics provisions of Amendment 41 to local government officials and employees, including school district boards. If passed, it will also place restrictions on the employment of their family members.
…“In my travels around the district, my hours in the grocery store, people come up to me and they say, ‘Adams County is corrupt. Elected officials are corrupt. What are you going to do about it?’” said Hodge.
In response to those allegations, Hodge said Senate Bill 146 “will clarify and strengthen our ethics laws.”
…Hodge said the bill emanated from the ethics scandal that rocked Democrat Adams County elected officials, including violations by County Tax Assessor Gil Reyes and County Commissioner Alice Nichol, who allegedly had secured a high paying position for a relative and had a government contractor repave her residential driveway.
As Jorgensen goes on to note, critics have said the bill could actually end up hurting small communities in the name of helping clean up ADCO Dems brand with voters.
If Sen. Hodge and Rep. Peniston had truly wanted to clean up corruption in their county party they would have done something a long time ago. The problem has persisted for years. But 2012 is an election year and they both face potentially competitive races, making it pretty obvious why they ran this bill, this year.
It is also unclear how this bill would stop much of the corruption that has occurred in Adams.
How would it stop Democrat Commissioner Alice Nichol from allegedly receiving an under the table $10,000 cash bribe? (Nichol is running for a third term in 2012)
How would it stop Democrat Assessor Gil Reyes from helping his campaign donors save $800,00 in taxes through undervaluing their property?
How would it stop Democrat Sheriff Doug Darr from violating the first amendment rights of his subordinates and from doling out taxpayer funded gigs almost exclusively to family members of his staff?
It wouldn't. But it will, in Hodge and Peniston's minds, hopefully save their electoral careers.
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