Apparently the Democratic Party of Franklin County and the Whitehall Democratic Club don’t endorse Democrats, rather, they endorse who the Democratic Mayor Kim Maggard likes. What they don’t take into account (or care to) is that Kim Maggard only likes to surround herself with people who will join ‘Team Maggard’ (Democrat or not) who’ll sit at her knee and nod yes. While that is good for the Democratic Party and the canonization of Kimberly J Maggard, it is not good at all for the democratic processes (that which includes our system of checks and balances through the separation of powers), nor any sort of care and rightful attention towards conflicts and unethical underhanded dealings*.

The problem with this is two-fold: Firstly, no one should have absolute power. Lincoln, who actually had true intelligence and leadership skills, brought in enemies and people from opposing viewpoints because he was not underhanded in his thinking and dealings and was wise enough and mature enough to know that he may cull great things from this meeting of different minds. Kim Maggard is neither wise nor mature. She knows what she’s doing and that’s why she doesn’t want anyone but yes-people at her knee because they’re compliant enough, are power-seekers and either don’t understand the depth of what she’s doing (which is good for her) or are willing to look away as she does as she pleases, which is good for her ultimate goal: the glorification of Kim Maggard.
I remind everyone that there is a separation of powers for a reason. It’s so that no one branch of our government has more sway or power than another so as to maintain a balance of power (remember Kings and tyranny?). It is the mayor’s job to administer the business of the city. The council, who she has to report to, decides, using their own critical thinking, independent judgement and free will, whether what she presents has merit and/or is right for the people and/or is free of conflicts and/or unethical dealings, done so to maintain balance. They must remain independent so they can make these decisions unfettered for the best outcome for the people they represent, that which is not the mayor. When you’ve joined her ‘team’ not only have you set aside your independent free will which is so critical when representing the citizens (the abandonment of which is a slap in the face to them), but, when making decisions, are you going to feel pressure to vote with the ‘team’ and will you be able to buck that if it were the right thing for the people but the wrong thing for ‘the team’? It is a HUGE conflict of interest which helps to undermine and destroy our democratic processes, that which her ‘team mates’ can’t/don’t want to see. It is incredibly harmful, and therefore disrespectful of the democratic processes and wrong from the get-go, and wrong now. Do our city and country a great favor and please read this blogpost. (You too Mayor Maggard!)https://votedixon.com/2015/07/04/why-ethics-in-public-office-matter/
The other problem I have with it is that the Franklin County Democratic Party and Whitehall Democratic Club isn’t aware/doesn’t seem to care about Kim Maggard’s lacks ethics and scurrilous dealings. I feel they don’t care about that aspect and they’re more focused on simply having a Democrat in office regardless of whether it was a good and decent Democrat. The problem with this is that we the citizens then suffer from the power they so blindly endorse (disregarding her ethics) which then gets carried over to who she endorses and whom then jump on the Maggard bandwagon which then increases the wrongdoing and carelessness towards the citizens and our processes which they both then have to suffer. It is the citizens lack of awareness to the truth of Kim Maggard that enables this grotesque back scratching and power pushing to exist and flourish. It is also the utter fault of any citizen representative on council who favors being a part of ‘Team Maggard’ over being ‘Team Citizens’. Shame on them.
It is wrong. It is wrong. It is wrong.

The announcement on the city’s Facebook page touting Lori Elmore who just happens to be running for Ward 4 council against Kim Maggard’s mayoral opponent in 2015, Leslie LaCorte. The underline was produced by me, Gerald Dixon.

*Just today, an event was hosted which highlighted the city’s ‘My Home’ down payment assistance program which Huntington Bank cosponsors with the city. All good and fine but, true to Kim Maggard’s lack of regard for conflicts of interest or the public trust, the event was held in the front yard of Ward 4 council candidate Lori Elmore, who is running against Leslie LaCorte, she who ran against Mayor Maggard in ’15 and whom the mayor is well known to dislike. Coincidence? Knowing Kim Maggard’s past divorce from ethics, I say, not.

Kim Maggard made an event to publicize a city program political by having it in the front yard of the candidate she supports. She abused the power of her office by using city services (the city’s Facebook page which is run by a paid city employee, the employees who set up the event) to promote a city-sponsored event which alternated as a promotional event to publicize a political candidate she backs, the Franklin County Democratic Party endorses (which she is an executive board member) and the Whitehall Democratic Club endorses, which she is a member of too. It is shameless act of moral corruption by a public official with no care or regard to conflict of interest. Lori Elmore and Joanna Heck both have the endorsement of the Franklin County Democratic Party and the Whitehall Democratic Club because Kim Maggard likes them, and if you are paying attention, you’d know then, that is a bad thing, particularly for our democratic processes and thus, the people. Kim Maggard is shady and calculating. She has a corrupt morality she brings to the administration of her public office. C-O-R-R-U-P-T. Corrupt. Why that doesn’t bother more people is beyond me. Its either because they’re not paying attention or they’re willing to look away for what gains the city makes because it behooves them not to, for whatever myriad reasons or, by the influence her bully pulpit wields against the likes of me. Regardless, for whatever reason, its awful.

I have to take a second to call out Lori Elmore. She is an intelligent woman by all accounts and observances. What would possess her to allow this clear conflict (other than it gave her an advantage in the election against Leslie LaCorte) would be beyond me. I am only left to surmise that it is due to some lack of ethics in herself, that which is not good for the public’s benefit. Conflict of interest is not something which is pliable, moveable or is heeded or ignored based on how the person related to it feels. It is singular and definite and always remains solid. Unless one has been one of those types of people who wriggle around and run from conflicts of interest in life (usually underhanded people who want to accomplish their self-serving, unscrupulous doings regardless of their desire’s moral center) one must then be the opposite, living an exemplary character (particularly when seeking or occupying public office) and being eagle-eyed when those conflicts of interest arise. They’re not that hard to recognize when you’ve spent your time identifying them and heeding them. They’re also easy to ignore when you haven’t.

It does not bode well for Ward 4 citizens or Whitehall itself to have someone who is intelligent who didn’t heed the conflict of interest apparent in this event as it signals  troublesome inner workings of a person that wants to represent them. But, when you sidle up with the likes of Kim Maggard, some of that offal is bound to get on others. I say, this is all unacceptable.

Mayor Maggard, Executive board member of the Franklin County Democratic Party and member of the Whitehall Democratic Club using tax dollars and city employee services to essentially shill for Ward 4 council candidate Lori Elmore.