Local weirdness . . .

[amedia]

We've been meaning to call our insurance agent for a while now to get a recommendation for a roofing company. (Our house, which was built in the 1970's, still has its original roof, and it's showing signs of age.) I'm just as glad we didn't . . .

Our State Farm agent just turned himself in to the police for drug possession in connection with an investigation of a drug ring operating locally in residential neighborhoods. (And yes, the "like a good neighbor . . . " jokes are flying thick and fast.) He was in possession of crack and powder cocaine and GHB, and it also turns out he has a DUI history.

Ya know, my inclination WRT recreational drugs tends to be a shrug, although I have seen how devastating cocaine can be, not just to the user, but to those of us who get stuck teaching his classes mopping up the trail of damage an addicted user leaves behind. But GHB? Is a date-rape drug. And DUI means that he's willing to get in his car and kill someone. I'm glad he's off the streets.

Of course, he's also on my pizza. I mean, I live in a fairly small city, and he's a prominent local businessman - his face is all over town on billboards, and his office sponsors the kind of pizza coupons that the pizza company glues to the boxes, so there's a big photo of him on a coupon stuck to the top of the pizza box in my fridge. Freaky.

Comments

[lash-larue.livejournal.com]

It is a weird feeling. A guy around here who ran a big and popular fresh fruit and vegetable place, locally grown stuff mostly, got caught with a gallon of GHB. I'm not really sure what happened with him, but there are a lot of hunters around here who have daughters and I'll bet that it occured to some of them that this shitbird was willing to be complicit and helpul in their being raped.

It does not really take all kinds, but we have them nonetheless.

L

[amedia.livejournal.com]

Holy cow. Be a shame if one of those hunting rifles went off by mistake . . . not a jury in the world, &c.

[chorale.livejournal.com]

Oh. My. God. (This is the 3rd time I've said that in comments to someone today. Interesting.)

GHB!? How horrible for those he was picking up! DUIs are terrible as well. He didn't really respect other humans, did he?

While drug addiction usually is a terrible thing, personally, I believe in the right of all people to mess themselves up as they choose. However, this guy was involving others. I know every addict does that but you can't really bring criminal charges easily for neglecting your family or going through the household income. Fortunately you can for physical abuse. Rigorous treatment of DUI offenders may do some good--I propose permanently removing one's license on the first offense, for example.

Seeing his face on my pizza boxes all the time would give me pause.

[derien.livejournal.com]

Where I live (Maine) they often take a person's license away for DUI but then they keep driving, because they have to get to work. Basically it's very difficult to enforce the driving without a license thing because the cops and judges know the person will lose their job and be on unemployment if they can't drive, because there's no public transit in most parts of the state.

[amedia.livejournal.com]

I'm sure that's the case here as well (East Texas)--we have virtually no public transportation and exactly one taxi in the entire city of 30,000. And in the surrounding rural communities, it's gotta be worse.

[amedia.livejournal.com]

One of the curious things in the newspaper article is that his wife divorced him in February. Gee, wonder why?!

[cirobi.livejournal.com]

Wow... reminds me of when the swim club I started teaching lessons at part time had to close suddenly. I got two calls from a woman who coordinated things saying they were closed due to a water issue. Next thing you know, I see an article on Philly.com about the guy who hired me. Apparently he was stealing income from the club (a non-profit organization) to fund his own personal business. I don't remember how much he took, but it was enough that they had PECO breathing down their necks, had to close down the club and move the swim team elsewhere and a head coach was getting collections harassment from a credit card company because he had a company card in his name that had a large outstanding balance (not being paid properly by the club) from swim team trips. That was, a few years ago and they just re-opened the club end of last year after doing a lot of fundraising and the graciousness of some club members. Not drug related.... but sleazy beyond belief.

[amedia.livejournal.com]

Wow - that really sucks! Glad they were able to re-open, but what a mess in the meantime.

[dimity-blue.livejournal.com]

:o( I wonder how many people have suffered because of him and his actions. It's horrible to think of.

[amedia.livejournal.com]

I wonder how many people have suffered

Not too many, I hope, and I hope they get help and reparation. Certainly fewer than there would have been if it wasn't for the investigation, so yay for the cops!