I was so disappointed to read Gov. George Ryan’s apologia for the bribery corruption in his secretary of state’s administration as reported in the March 8 Tribune: “It was there when I was there, probably going to be there in the future. It’s a part of the culture there, I guess.”
This appears to be the response of a weak leader.
When we elect the chief executive of a government office, we look to him to instill a spirit of integrity in the employees of that office and to select high-level subordinates who will execute that policy and exercise effective supervision over all staff members and employees.
We do not expect the defeatist response that “it’s part of the culture there, I guess.” Rather, we expect a strong chief executive to root corruption out and see to it that it stops.
Sadly, Gov. Ryan simply does not measure up.
