Heading down the same path as Detroit, just a few years later.
From J. Christian Adams writing at PJ Media:
Government Graft, Corruption, and Retaliation in Democrat-Run Virginia
Big wasteful government isn't only a federal phenomenon. And if you're an honest government employee in the city of Alexandria in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., you better watch out. Because if you 'blow the whistle' on inappropriate, unethical, or improper government spending, your bosses will retaliate and fire you for speaking up on behalf of the tax-payers.
All across America, billions of taxpayer dollars are wasted or mismanaged by local governments because of little to no government transparency or accountability. Alexandria, Virginia, provides an example of why.
Ironically, local government, which is arguably the 'closest to the people,' is in many ways shielded and protected from public scrutiny and questioning. Only a select few who either work in local government or watch the actions of their local representatives closely catch these cases of waste, fraud, and abuse. Their stories are often ignored because the media is more drawn to high-profile cases at the state and federal levels.
Take the case of former Alexandria city architect Henry Lewis.
As the project manager on one of the largest construction projects ever undertaken by the city of Alexandria, Lewis was responsible for watching the dollars. Building a high-tech police headquarters, estimated to cost roughly $80 million plus another $20 million for furnishings, required the oversight of a skilled and experienced project manager, and Lewis was handpicked by top city officials to lead the project.
The Howard University-educated architect was a diligent project manager who worked to ensure that this massive project came in on time and on budget and he excelled at this role, receiving several sterling performance reviews and even a pay raise.
However, things began to change after Director of General Services Jeremy McPike got involved.
The rest of the story is an incredible read -- McPike tried to report the graft and was fired for his services. A court awarded him his job back with back pay under the Whistleblower statutes but none of the media are reporting this and the corruption is still ongoing. Democrat Mayor, Democrat City Council.
