Wyoming corruption disturbingly reflective of Washington

By Chris Adamo

The moment the flimsy veneer of Wyoming's "Republican" political machine is stripped away, its inner workings increasingly reflect the abhorrent abuses that characterize the administration of Barack Obama. And though back in Washington the subversive tactics of "community organizers" are largely centralized within the Democrat Party, in Wyoming government such activities are often perpetrated by politicians claiming to be on the "right." Liberal statists masquerading as "Republicans" are at the center of the scandalous manipulations which have been undertaken for the expressed purpose of negating the official capacity of Cindy Hill as Wyoming's duly elected Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Despite an orchestrated back-room effort from the Republican "inner circle" and abetted by the liberal media to validate Hill's critics and thereby put her on the defensive, the facts prove quite the opposite. Cindy Hill was elected by a resounding majority back in 2010, and since that time has fulfilled her campaign promises to restore the Wyoming education establishment to its original purpose of advancing and improving the teaching of students in the state's school system. In truth, it is her singular attention to this objective that has angered and frustrated so many entrenched bureaucrats within the bloated halls of state government. Hill's plight is a direct consequence of their vindictive wrath which, if they are successful, will eventually negatively influence every child enrolled in Wyoming public schools.

Unable to maintain their despicable pork-barrel pipeline by which enormous public funds have been squandered under the auspices of "education," and resentful of her opposition to increasing federal intrusion into education, Hill's enemies reacted by instituting "Senate File 104." This scheme involved the State Legislature in a collaborative effort to supplant Hill's decision making authority by diverting it to a newly established education Czar who is appointed by the Governor.

Despite enormous public disapproval, SF 104 was ramrodded through the legislature in the early days of the 2013 session amid abbreviated public hearings and a highly suspicious "fast track" to the desk of Governor Matt Mead, who quickly signed it into law. Amazingly, this flagrant power grab is only the tip of the iceberg. The duplicity that surrounds the SF 104 disaster actually preceded it and continues to this day.

In one of the earlier attempts to undermine Hill, an audit was conducted on her office. To the dismay of those hoping to uncover dirt, the results of that audit were stunning, reflecting better than 99% approval of accounting practices within her agency. It would be thoroughly illuminating to see how many state legislators, senators, and other public office holders would willingly subject themselves to such an audit with any expectation of matching Hill's standard of performance.

Meanwhile, test scores among students around the state have improved as a direct result of diligent efforts by Hill and her staff. In the minds of the citizenry, this should have been the sole assessment of her competence in her position. However, the wheels of cronyism turn at a different rate within the shadows of the entrenched bureaucracy. And its members cannot be annoyed or distracted by the inconsequential concerns of "peasants" across the state whose children will be most adversely affected when the system lapses back into its former ways.

Once SF 104 became law, and Jim Rose was appointed by Governor Mead to usurp the responsibilities and authority of Cindy Hill, it might seem reasonable to expect the perpetrators of this scam to quietly settle back into their sordid "business as usual" operating mode. However, anger among the citizenry persisted and eventually reached a crescendo, forcing Mead and his minions into damage control mode. Eventually, in a desperate maneuver designed to salvage his reputation, Mead empanelled an "investigative" committee, headed by Cathy Mac Pherson, whose purpose is to find some fault with the conduct of Hill and thereafter trumpet it as justification for the flagrant assault on the rights of voters represented by SF 104.

Consequently, the squandering of tax dollars can now continue and even expand, both within the education department and among the loyalists of the political machine, beneath the flimsy banner of approval from the state's "Republicans." Yet despite the best efforts of the key players to put a facade of legitimacy on their mischief, this ruse remains as transparent as cellophane.

Does anyone see a problem with the timeline of these events? In a situation that actually entails corrupt actions by a public office holder, the sequence is easily defined. First, evidence of such corruption must be uncovered, followed by a thorough investigation to determine its extent and to identify all guilty parties. Next, those parties would be removed from office per current statute and according to due process of the law, followed by criminal prosecution if warranted.

Yet no charges were ever filed against Hill. And the current inquiry, which has ensued as far more of a blind "fishing expedition," was only undertaken in the aftermath of the SF 104 debacle, as an obvious ruse by those in charge who are frantically seeking to deflect and dissipate public anger. In stark contrast to a scenario involving real malfeasance, the present situation is far more reflective of a political system which is itself thoroughly corrupted. In its midst, any untainted individual who makes waves by refusing to participate in the chicanery inevitably becomes the target of smear campaigns and slanderous attacks.

The course that this situation will follow is entirely predictable. No doubt, something unsavory will be asserted by Governor Mead's inquisition, to then be sufficiently blown out of proportion so as to constitute vindication for all of the underhanded excesses committed by his office and his cronies in the state legislature. When this plan fails, the wholly predictable follow-up will be a "whispering campaign" to subtly and gradually erode Hill's reputation among the people of Wyoming who elected her with such enthusiasm in 2010. And by its insidious nature, this mode of attack is the most difficult to identify and confront.

Nevertheless, it cannot prevail against an informed public that remains involved and is ultimately concerned with the truth. Among those who have held the well-being of Wyoming's school children as their highest priority, the track record and methods of Cindy Hill are unassailable. And if such qualities are not valued by the political establishment, but instead pose a threat to its members, it is their own motives and conduct which need to be thoroughly scrutinized.

Americans have been outraged in recent weeks over the flagrant abuses committed by Barack Obama's Internal Revenue Service underlings as they deliberately suppressed Tea Party and pro-constitution organizations who were seeking tax exempt status. It needs to be understood that such offenses are clearly not limited to Washington, but can take place throughout all levels of government. And it is imperative that "We the People" identify them wherever they occur, and take the proper corrective action. The people of Wyoming now have just such an opportunity to begin this process.

© Chris Adamo