Our elected officials have been in the news these past few days. Now I know they are innocent until proven guilty, but there has to be some reason that charges are filed. In my opinion, again even though he is innocent until proven guilty, Doug McKown made the right decision in stepping down from office. A lot of the success that is exampled in public office is based on a trust with the public and the assumption that our elected officials are not going to put themselves or the municipality in jeopardy. McKown stepped up to the plate and proved he believed that was important also when he said “The bottom line is, I probably should have never been in that car to start with. I acknowledge that I made a mistake. And I acknowledge that it was a mistake that would probably make the public think I have betrayed their trust. So that within itself warrants my resignation.” Good for McKown!!!!!

Now the York County GOP leadership has called for District 1 York County Councilman Paul Lindemann to resign his seat on the council, following a DUI charge last week in Columbia. It isn’t the first time Lindemann has had a run in with the law with alcohol as the cause. A SLED background check shows a DUI charge in both 1998 and 2000. Should Lindemann resign…I think so!! Even though he was not in a county vehicle at the time, like McKown, it is once again a matter of trust. Had this been a first incident, maybe I would feel differently, but it isn’t. In my opinion the decision that shows a sense of responsibility to District 1 and the County would be for Lindemann to step down and deal with any issues he has in his personal life.

Now some may say that is harsh, but why. Holding public office is an awesome responsibility, whether at the local, county, state or national level. If an elected official’s personal issues distract from the task at hand – serving the public – than that elected official should not be in office. Tell me what you think at marc@wrhi.com.