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Currie Double Standard

Originally Published in the Frederick News-Post

Government Transparency

by Marta Hummel Mossburg

OP-EDS

"No one would call him smart." His verbal skills and memory are "not good." Plus, he's not organized.

These are not comments about a high school dropout with a drug and alcohol problem, but the former head of the powerful Budget and Taxation Committee, state Sen. Ulysses Currie. And they were made by high-profile witnesses, including U.S. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, called to his defense in a federal bribery trial.

As a reminder, Currie is black, and he used to be in charge of parsing the $30 billion state budget. The fact that he is using this defense speaks to four possible scenarios.

First and least likely, it shows that we live in a color-blind society where everyone can be dumb or smart without that status reflecting on one's race.

Two, it reveals once again the double standard with regard to racism in America. In any other setting the opinions of defense witnesses would have been excoriated loudly and repeatedly by anyone in power to the media, but so far the no-racist-shall-be-left-unturned Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson Sr. have been mum as well as every other powerful minority representative in the state. What's the deal? Are they lost in silent prayer, or does their muteness signal a recognition that harsh words against an African-American are only racist when used to put him in prison?

Remember, it was only last year that former Baltimore City State's Attorney Patricia Jessamy, who is black, said a win by challenger Gregg Bernstein, who is white, would "set us back 60 years."

Three, few smart people choose politics.

Or four, right and wrong don't matter when hard time is on the line.

Personally, I think it's a combination of scenarios two, three and four.

The "stupid" defense also speaks volumes about the character of the man who would pimp himself out for a large fee to a company, Shoppers Food Warehouse, and gleefully catalog his achievements on its behalf without ever noting his affiliation on state ethics forms. When caught, he had so little integrity he approved a defense that tarnishes not only the very essence of his being, but every member of the General Assembly by affiliation.

As an editorial in The [Baltimore] Sun stated recently, "... the public is left now to choose whether to believe Mr. Currie -- and, by extension, the institution that entrusted him with tremendous responsibility -- was bumbling or corrupt. The way things are going, many in the public may well conclude the answer is both."

At the very least, Currie's trial should prompt changes to state transparency laws. No law can prevent legislators from hiding their jobs on financial disclosure forms, but the General Assembly could make it much easier to review the paperwork they do submit. As it stands, financial disclosure forms are not available online and an inquirer must submit a name and address to obtain them. It's time for legislators to fear retribution for false statements and inappropriate behavior instead of those who seek to hold them accountable.