Corruption isn’t something that happens only in big cities or far-off places. It happens where people aren’t looking. It festers in the cracks of public trust, behind closed doors, in unchecked budgets, and among those who assume no one is paying attention. If history has taught us anything, it’s that no community—no matter how small—is immune.
Take once again the city of Bell, California, for example. A working-class town of just under 40,000 people, Bell became the epicenter of one of the biggest municipal corruption scandals in American history. In 2010, investigative journalists uncovered that city officials had been bleeding the town dry, with the city manager, Robert Rizzo, earning an obscene $1.5 million per year in total compensation—more than the President of the United States. The assistant city manager and police chief weren’t far behind, each raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars while the residents struggled with unemployment and high taxes. These officials had manipulated election rules, held sham meetings, and used public funds as their personal piggy bank—all under the assumption that no one would ever question them.
And then, there’s Dixon, Illinois, where a different kind of betrayal took place. A town of just 16,000, Dixon is best known as the boyhood home of Ronald Reagan. But it’s also home to one of the largest municipal fraud cases in U.S. history. Rita Crundwell, the longtime city comptroller, embezzled a staggering $53 million over two decades, all while Dixon’s roads crumbled, its police force lacked funding, and its services dwindled. Crundwell lived a lavish lifestyle, purchasing over 400 quarter horses, luxury vehicles, and properties across multiple states—all funded by money she siphoned directly from the taxpayers. Her crime wasn’t detected by state auditors or law enforcement, but by an alert city clerk who grew suspicious and started asking questions.
Both of these scandals have common themes: unchecked power, financial mismanagement, a lack of transparency, and an assumption that no one would ever dig deep enough to find the truth.
Now, I ask you: does any of this sound familiar?
We are seeing patterns emerge right before our eyes, right here in our own county. A select group of individuals holds the purse strings and makes the decisions, often without meaningful public oversight. When questions arise, they are quickly dismissed, or ignored, and those asking them are often vilified. Budget increases are approved without adequate justification. Taxpayer money is funneled into projects that benefit a select few while the broader community is left struggling. Meanwhile, the public is expected to foot the bill without questioning the process.
But the issues don’t stop at financial mismanagement. Whispers of scandals, backroom deals, and personal affairs influencing public policy have circulated within the community. Could these be mere rumors, or is there more beneath the surface? In a climate where accountability is scarce and transparency is avoided, it is only natural to wonder whether we are witnessing the first stages of a much larger scandal.
If we don’t start paying closer attention, we may wake up one day to find that we are living through our own version of Bell or Dixon.
Corruption doesn’t start with grand-scale theft. It starts with small, seemingly harmless decisions: a contract awarded without a competitive bid, a budget report that is never made public, a questionable $15,000 dollar check, or a public official living beyond their means with no clear explanation. These are the warning signs, the red flags. And yet, when people raise concerns, they are often brushed aside with vague assurances that “everything is fine.”
But is everything really fine?
If you believe our local government is making decisions in the best interest of the people, I urge you to start digging deeper. Follow the money. Attend city and county meetings. Ask why certain contracts are awarded and why some projects are prioritized over others. Demand transparency. It is not only your right but your responsibility as a citizen.
And most importantly, watch the documentary All the Queen’s Horses. This film details Rita Crundwell’s fraud and how it went undetected for so long. It serves as a chilling reminder of what can happen when no one is watching.
We are already in a crisis. Many in our community are struggling to afford housing, small businesses are being suffocated, and essential services are underfunded. But if corruption is festering within our local government, then we are facing a far bigger crisis than we even realize.
The time to ask questions is now—before it’s too late.
