Wrist Slap

The case of the "missing money" from the county Tax Collector's office ended recently with an agreement that common sense informs as unusual.

The agreement is a deferred prosecution; essentially the case will be expunged from the records as long the defendant stays out of trouble for a specified period of time and meets requirements for restitution, court costs and community service.

What it amounts to is a slap on the wrist and a slap at taxpayers.

The "missing money," about $10,000, has been returned and the other "penalties" are to be addressed over time but the message sent by the State Attorney's Office, whether in the county or Willie Meggs in Tallahassee is not a favorable one.

Consider the consequences if many regular folks were to, for example, abscond $10,000 from the convenience store or bank or shop or restaurant they work at.

What percentage of those folks would be permitted to effectively walk with little in the way of penalty or record to follow them around as they search for jobs in the years ahead?

Now make it the public's money, taxpayer dollars scooped from the public by a county that has yet to learn retreat when it comes to spending and collecting taxes.

Tax bills are high enough, burdensome enough, on small businesses and property owners during tough economic times for the theft of public money not to carry what is known as an aggravating factor.

Aggravating factors are involved in most criminal cases and are most well-known from cases involving serious crimes that could carry capital punishment.

They are factors that balance the scales of justice toward stiffer penalties.

The charge involved in the case of the Tax Collector's office is grand theft, not a capital crime by any stretch, but when it comes to the public's money, there should be - are you listening Florida lawmakers - an aggravating factor.

Family connection, favored status or past statements about the fitness of "outsiders" to live in Franklin County and have a say in government are beside the point.

The decision in this case sends the wrong message.

And feeds into the mindset of too many elected officials that the public money is there for the taking, regardless of rationale or state statutes, that the service to the public means helping yourself instead of taking hands out of pockets, lessening tax burdens.

The defendant in this case made a mistake, a horrible lapse in judgment.

A mistake compounded by the prosecution of the case.