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Mayor Justin Taylor, like another popularly-elected Taylor, is wearing more than one hat.
So what? Citizens of televison’s fictional Mayberry seemed to approve of Sheriff Andy Taylor wearing several hats. Depending on the needs of the moment, Sheriff Andy would plop onto his head the hat of Justice of the Peace, Traffic Violation Fine Collector, School Crossing Guard, Judge and Jury, Dogcatcher, and even Grocery Delivery Boy for Old Miss Clara down the road.
Oh, once in a while Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife would object (in his humorously high-pitched falsetto), screamin’ that Andy was violatin’ Section 12, Paragrah 3 of some official code book. But Andy would continue to do what he felt was good for the town, and in the end everything turned out for the best.
And Sheriff Andy did his job without carrying a gun (probably a violation of his oath of office, and his job description).
Now, there are some in the non-fictional City of Carbondale gunnin’ for our own Taylor because he’s tryin’ to do somethin’ good for the town. He has formed his own business development company to save a prominant downtown structure and increase financial activity on Main St.
He’s wearin’ too many hats, they say.
We say that’s not fair.
The facts are that Mayor Taylor has done nothing illegal; he has done nothing morally or ethically wrong; as some will admit, no ‘hanky-panky’ has been detected.
Mayor Taylor, in his development efforts, probably will ‘cross paths’ with officials he appointed or who were elected; some of them may even be his friends or relatives. These officials might agree to the Lapera/Taylor’s plans; they might give zoning and financing approval to Lapera/Taylor’s plans; they might issue the necessary building permits for Lapera/Taylor’s plans.
Then, at that time, if anyone can prove someone did something illegal, that’s the time to file lawsuits. Until then, the intentions and morality of Justin Taylor concerning the activities of Lapera/Taylor should be above reproach, and only subject to the rule of the law, not the rule of the angry mob.
Some will claim that the Lackawanna County commisioners’ rejection of a Lapera/Taylor request for development funding is proof that Mayor Justin Taylor is a bad boy with too many hats. But the commissioner’s rejection proves nothing except their opinion. Mayor Taylor believes their decision was based on politics, not on what might be good for Carbondale. He can’t prove that, either; that’s his opinion.
In the meantime, nobody has done anything illegal.
Some may accuse the mayor of using his public job to conduct private business. Until somebody can actually prove that he does do that, it is totally unfair to make that accusation. Everybody uses parts of their work day for personal business, no matter what their job. So unless the mayor’s accusers are going to sit on his lap all day, that arguement against the plans of Lapera/Taylor should be dropped.
Finally, if they can’t get the mayor on facts, they’ll try to get him by questioning his moral code in terms of profiting from Lapera/Taylor while on the government payroll. They’ll say they’re concerned about his moral integrity, that his private business may ‘come back to haunt him,’ that by trying to help his hometown, ‘he has opened a can of worms.’
Their concern is sweet, but questioning someone’s morals is an iffy business. After all, every televangelist will preach that gambling is a sin, leading to hell and damnation — and yet how many churches conduct bingos and raffles, undeniably forms of gambling...no questions asked.
Was Sheriff Andy Taylor robbing the Mayberry taxpayers or being immoral when he ‘opened a can of worms’ while on duty to spend an hour down at the fishin’ hole with his son Opie? Andy was just wearin’ another hat — that battered topper with the homemade flys hooked into it. Kinda the way our own Taylor’s detractors will say anything to get their hooks into one of his hats.
Mayor Justin Taylor, like another popularly-elected Taylor, is wearing more than one hat.
So what? Citizens of televison’s fictional Mayberry seemed to approve of Sheriff Andy Taylor wearing several hats. Depending on the needs of the moment, Sheriff Andy would plop onto his head the hat of Justice of the Peace, Traffic Violation Fine Collector, School Crossing Guard, Judge and Jury, Dogcatcher, and even Grocery Delivery Boy for Old Miss Clara down the road.
Oh, once in a while Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife would object (in his humorously high-pitched falsetto), screamin’ that Andy was violatin’ Section 12, Paragrah 3 of some official code book. But Andy would continue to do what he felt was good for the town, and in the end everything turned out for the best.
And Sheriff Andy did his job without carrying a gun (probably a violation of his oath of office, and his job description).
Now, there are some in the non-fictional City of Carbondale gunnin’ for our own Taylor because he’s tryin’ to do somethin’ good for the town. He has formed his own business development company to save a prominant downtown structure and increase financial activity on Main St.
He’s wearin’ too many hats, they say.
We say that’s not fair.
The facts are that Mayor Taylor has done nothing illegal; he has done nothing morally or ethically wrong; as some will admit, no ‘hanky-panky’ has been detected.
Mayor Taylor, in his development efforts, probably will ‘cross paths’ with officials he appointed or who were elected; some of them may even be his friends or relatives. These officials might agree to the Lapera/Taylor’s plans; they might give zoning and financing approval to Lapera/Taylor’s plans; they might issue the necessary building permits for Lapera/Taylor’s plans.
Then, at that time, if anyone can prove someone did something illegal, that’s the time to file lawsuits. Until then, the intentions and morality of Justin Taylor concerning the activities of Lapera/Taylor should be above reproach, and only subject to the rule of the law, not the rule of the angry mob.
Some will claim that the Lackawanna County commisioners’ rejection of a Lapera/Taylor request for development funding is proof that Mayor Justin Taylor is a bad boy with too many hats. But the commissioner’s rejection proves nothing except their opinion. Mayor Taylor believes their decision was based on politics, not on what might be good for Carbondale. He can’t prove that, either; that’s his opinion.
In the meantime, nobody has done anything illegal.
Some may accuse the mayor of using his public job to conduct private business. Until somebody can actually prove that he does do that, it is totally unfair to make that accusation. Everybody uses parts of their work day for personal business, no matter what their job. So unless the mayor’s accusers are going to sit on his lap all day, that arguement against the plans of Lapera/Taylor should be dropped.
Finally, if they can’t get the mayor on facts, they’ll try to get him by questioning his moral code in terms of profiting from Lapera/Taylor while on the government payroll. They’ll say they’re concerned about his moral integrity, that his private business may ‘come back to haunt him,’ that by trying to help his hometown, ‘he has opened a can of worms.’
Their concern is sweet, but questioning someone’s morals is an iffy business. After all, every televangelist will preach that gambling is a sin, leading to hell and damnation — and yet how many churches conduct bingos and raffles, undeniably forms of gambling...no questions asked.
Was Sheriff Andy Taylor robbing the Mayberry taxpayers or being immoral when he ‘opened a can of worms’ while on duty to spend an hour down at the fishin’ hole with his son Opie? Andy was just wearin’ another hat — that battered topper with the homemade flys hooked into it. Kinda the way our own Taylor’s detractors will say anything to get their hooks into one of his hats.
