Today a person in line with me at Starbucks asked why OpenCdA puts up so many posts about corruption and corrupt public officials.

It was a fair question, and I gave her a two-part answer.

Part One:  Our local and regional news media report nothing that would help educate their readers and viewer/listeners on that topic.

Part Two:  Corruption and the persons who engage in it are often seen as being pillars of the very communities they victimize.   Too often, the victims are unable and unwilling to look past the familiar faces, many of them prominent in the communities, and critically examine their behaviors.  It’s the behavior, not the reputation of the person, that reveals the corruption or incompetence.

Here is an end-of-year column by Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez.  It’s headline says it all:  2013:  A great year for scandal, incompetence, and corruption.  It suggests the variety of costly behaviors that people need to watch out for.