Capital Public Radio has reported on Sheriff Scott Jones' announcement that he will not enforce COVID-19 public health directives. "We're not staffed for that," was what the Sheriff's Office told the reporter. Except, as we previously noted, the Sheriff got $104 million from the feds precisely to pay for his pandemic staffing expenses. And it seems he has already spent over $26 million of those dollars for his payroll expenses. This is not the first time his track record has been called into question. 

It is obvious from our website's opening splash graphics that we take the virus seriously. We are concerned about the virus and its potential to spread over the holidays. But this post is not going to wade into the political arguments about COVID-is-science vs COVID-is-a-hoax. No, this post is merely pointing out the apparent hypocrisy of Sheriff glomming onto federal dollars designated for a specific purpose and using them for whatever the heck he feels like. Is that proper? Or is it cheating the taxpayers? This matters because he is the guy in charge of our local law enforcement. He's the Chief of Police for the UnCity. Scott Jones is supposed to keep our neighborhoods safe. Is it OK for him to take taxes directed at COVID-19 and decline to use them for the intended purpose?

Remember this the next time your tools are stolen from your truck in your driveway. Or the next time you wonder what those loud noises that sounded like gunfire were. Think of it the next time you hear the Ghetto Bird flying circles over your neighborhood but you don't know why.  Bear in mind that several of our neighborhoods pay extra money to have Sheriff's Deputies patrol their neighborhoods. Do you think Sheriff Jones' use of your tax money is appropriate and provides effective local law enforcement? If he's not using COVID dollars for COVID purposes yet you don't feel your neighborhood is safe from crime, what is he spending those dollars on? His lawsuits, perhaps? Hmmm.....