Where are all the good people?

To the editor:

It puzzles me after reading all the articles written in the Marion County Record concerning the raid on the newspaper’s office and homes of Joan Meyer and Ruth Herbel why Mayor Mayfield and Zach Collett haven’t been removed from office.

I find it amazing in the Record’s Aug. 23 article “City was warned before hiring chief” that Collett wasn’t concerned with Police Chief Gideon Cody’s record and told colleagues on the council there were no concerns.

The article also stated Collect informed Cody about a reporter interviewing several police officers. Is Collett working for the City of Marion’s citizens or for Cody?

The red flag should have been going up. And why wasn’t Cody interviewed in front of the city council?

Cody said he was angry April 21 but felt better on April 23 when he found out no one in human resources had talked about him. That should have been another red flag, when he apparently had something to hide.

It’s also amazing it took 3½ months to get his background exposed to the public, and yet he has not been fired.

Now what about the friendship between Cody and Sheriff Jeff Soyez? How long have they known each other? How did they get to know each other? Did Soyez know about Cody’s background in Kansas City?

The Record’s Sept. 6 article, “Poor vetting can mean poor hires,” states that Soyez’s comments in April swayed Vice Mayor Ruth Herbel to vote to hire Cody.

It goes on to say he comes highly recommended by Jeff. I guess being on the verge of being demoted and driving over a dead body are qualifications for coming highly recommended.

It appears to me there was a lot more known about Cody, but for some reason certain individuals on the city council and maybe even in the sheriff’s office were doing a cover-up.

Otherwise, how could such unprofessional handling of hiring a police chief happen when there were at least two other police officers interested in the position?

Let’s hope the citizens of Marion do a much better job of selecting their council members in November.

Qualifications that include honesty and integrity are important. Poor requirements can be a reflection on the character of the voter.

Although I did not personally know Joan Meyer, I knew of her. She cannot be brought back to life, but there is something we all can do to bring justice in her memory. She asked, where are all the good people? Where are they?

Perhaps it’s time for inner reflection on what we believe and what principles are we willing to stand on.

Arlene Stika
Lincolnville