Another Episode of Men Behaving Badly?

We've lived in Brentwood for about four years. When we moved here, we didn't check out the schools (our kids were in private school), the local politics or the community politics. We moved here because we liked the small town feel of Brentwood and its proximity to everything important to us. Now that we've been here, though, I've become familiar with all of these things to some degree.   

For starters, our children now attend a Brentwood public school. We have been pleasantly surprised at the Brentwood public schools and, for the most part, are happy with our elementary school. We've come to accept (or our expectations have adjusted) that no school, teacher or administration is perfect. Our kids, however, love their school with their whole heart and that has shaded our glasses as well.

As far as community politics, when we moved here, we had no idea that there was a concept of "old" Brentwood or even "upper" and "lower" Brentwood. I'm still not sure I've figured this out yet, but for us "new" Brentwooders, it's comical, to say the least, because isn't it all Brentwood?

Now, for local politics? All, I can say, is that these issues that have recently made headlines appear like another case of "Men Behaving Badly." To be sure, this scandal is still unraveling and I'm sure more unpleasantries are in store (I'm just waiting for the illicit texting or sexual scandal to be featured next). 

I've almost come to expect these illicit behaviors out of our politicians/public employees in Washington, but here, in little, old Brentwood, the City of Warmth? 

Is it so wrong to expect a little bit of accountability or moral conscious exhibited out of our local politicians/high ranking officials that come to the blue ribbon cuttings of our "mom and pop" grand openings, hand out awards to our boy scouts and visit our schools? Certainly, I've not kept my local politicians accountable, I don't know if, at this point, I could even name my alderperson. 

However, I do know the mayor's name, and I know in the recent election no one opposed him. Mr. Kelly, where have you been? Where are you now? In the way I've read the articles, Mr. Kelly has seemed "surprised" or even "matter of fact" about the recent events, not "outraged", "alarmed" or even "apologetic." Perhaps the position of mayor of Brentwood is actually an honorary position and holds no real authority so I shouldn't expect a whole lot out of the mayor. However, the way Mr. Kelly has held himself out, this really doesn't seem to be the case. 

Mr. Kelly recently hired a for the position of City Administrator. She sounds like a very fine and qualified candidate, and as some pundits have speculated, women in power are less likely to have their decisions be affected by such power. Maybe this hiring is a turning point for our city. Unfortunately for her, however, I feel her post and hiring is tainted, not only by the recent headlines, but also the fact that it is Mr. Kelly who led the search for the administrator vacancy and ultimately made her hiring decision and recommendation to the Board of Alderpersons—and, at a minimum, he seems to have fallen asleep at the wheel.