NEWS
Editorial They Knew
The wave of sex scandals pouring out of Washington and Hollywood doesn’t seem to be ending soon. Every day another powerful figure is exposed for inappropriate behavior. Usually these are actions that went on for months or years. Often those around the figure had a good knowledge of what was happening behind the scenes.
In fact-- one phrase keeps coming up. “It was an open secret,” say industry insiders. “Oh, everyone knew.” Some victims feared their jobs and felt they could not come forward. Other bigwigs had close financial or personal ties with the likes of the aggressors.
How could everyone “know” about these issues and still not have them come to light for years?
This question reminds me a lot about Schoharie County’s situation. One of the most common comments I received on our SALT expose was “we figured” or “I thought so.” Similar feedback on the Birches project.
Think back to the major controversies and scandals of the last several decades. They’re usually dragged out over time or due to someone not giving up (paging Gene Milone). Not once in twenty years before this paper could I think of a major scandal being broken by the Cobleskill paper. The ties of financial dealings and quid pro quo left local readers in the dark. Instead of leading the charge against corruption and toward transparency instead this County often floundered and fell prey to charlatans because the guard dog was asleep. True reformers were attacked on the editorial page while several key companies and families skated with nary a negative word.
The people of this County deserve better. In any way, large or small, we strive to fill that role.
In fact-- one phrase keeps coming up. “It was an open secret,” say industry insiders. “Oh, everyone knew.” Some victims feared their jobs and felt they could not come forward. Other bigwigs had close financial or personal ties with the likes of the aggressors.
How could everyone “know” about these issues and still not have them come to light for years?
This question reminds me a lot about Schoharie County’s situation. One of the most common comments I received on our SALT expose was “we figured” or “I thought so.” Similar feedback on the Birches project.
Think back to the major controversies and scandals of the last several decades. They’re usually dragged out over time or due to someone not giving up (paging Gene Milone). Not once in twenty years before this paper could I think of a major scandal being broken by the Cobleskill paper. The ties of financial dealings and quid pro quo left local readers in the dark. Instead of leading the charge against corruption and toward transparency instead this County often floundered and fell prey to charlatans because the guard dog was asleep. True reformers were attacked on the editorial page while several key companies and families skated with nary a negative word.
The people of this County deserve better. In any way, large or small, we strive to fill that role.