The rumors have finally been confirmed. Marion Mayor Wayne Seybold, evidently not satisfied with ruining only Marion's finances, will be running for Indiana treasurer in 2014. Surely, I thought, no one else will think this is a good idea. But then I read the reports by the Chronicle-Tribune and the Associated Press and found that Republicans Brad Luzadder, Dan Dumezich, Bob Grand, Dan Burton, Murray Clark, Rex Early, and Mike McDaniel all think he would make a swell treasurer. We would be fortunate if that list represents Seybold's supporters in their entirety.
Wayne doesn't really seem to have a knack for staying within a budget, to put it mildly, so why is he so interested in running the state's finances? There has been speculation that he is merely using this as a stepping stone to higher office. Many felt that is also why the current treasurer, Richard Murdock, ran for this office. Of course, his effort to obtain a U.S. Senate seat was derailed by his choice of words concerning the "legitimacy" of some rape cases. Seybold himself has already ran for higher office but was defeated in the Republican primary for the Fifth Congressional District seat. The winner of that primary, as well as the winner of the general election, was Susan Brooks.
I am not a resident of Marion. But I am a resident of Indiana. I have enjoyed laughing at Marion for keeping Seybold around and letting him use taxpayer money to fund crony-capitalist boondoggles and hiring his buddies for city jobs. But if he becomes treasurer, he will get an opportunity to waste my money. Things just became personal. I'll have you know that my city, county, state, and federal governments already do an outstanding job burning through the money I make every year, Wayne. I know you think you could waste more and, by God, you're probably right. But I would prefer you keep your grubby little hands in your own (empty) pockets.
What kind of person aspires to high government office anyway? And what kind of person actually succeeds in our corrupt political system? To answer the first question, St. Augustine warned of the Libido Dominandi, or "lust to dominate". Some people just have an insatiable lust to rule over their fellow man. They seek power for its own sake or perhaps as a means to reshape the world so as to be more inline with their personal vision. But there is at least another type of person who dreams of holding office. Some people see the opportunity for graft and can hardly resist the idea of enriching themselves via the public trough. They see the seemingly limitless opportunities to use influence and political power in order to pursue personal wealth. If I had to guess which of these personality types best describes Seybold, I would choose the latter.
I ask again: What kind of person actually succeeds in our corrupt political system? F.A. Hayek argued in his legendary political book, The Road to Serfdom, that socialism necessarily gives rise to brutal leaders. Since violence must be used in order to stop people from making unsanctioned exchanges, he who has the least qualms about using violence against his fellow man quickly accrues power. But why should this be any different in a quasi-democracy like ours where those without vote for candidates based on what they will loot from those who have and "redistribute" it more "equitably"? Those more willing to take from the majority for the benefit of some minority group, be it a favored ethnic group or some business interest, find themselves reelected time and again.
Wayne Seybold has done a poor job managing the city of Marion's money. There is reason to suspect that he has his heart set on gaining a more powerful position than mere treasurer. Whether he is elected to the position or not, it is certain that we will have a total creep running the finances in Indiana.
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