Reply #4: unfortunately, if you have any dealings with local gov't, corruption is

[yurbud]

there too.

You can go to your city hall, county board of commissioners, or even school board, and you will find them mostly filled by those who see elected office as pursuing business by other means. They want to get contracts for their business, or throw contracts to friends in exchange for other business later, or make it difficult for competitors to break into the neighborhood.

Until there is an absolute firewall between profit and public service, we will at best beat back this fire temporarily. Then when the wind is at their backs again, we will get burned.