When your back is turned, people do things you don’t expect. New Jersey had that problem this past week when Governor Chris Christie found out that two of his staff members plotted behind his back to pull an unforgivable prank on the mayor of Fort Lee. They conspired to close most of the major traffic lanes and restrict all vehicles to one lane at a major bridge approach. Police and ambulances were stranded with uncountable numbers of travelers, for days. All because the mayor did not endorse Governor Christie’s bid for his second term in office.
There is now a criminal investigation going on, with possible federal charges pending. The governor held a news conference and told it to the press straight: he delegated jobs to his fellow employees, as any boss would, and the people entrusted to act like adults turned into elementary schoolyard bullies with adult privileges, with disastrous results.
People are questioning whether the governor is to blame. I think not. Evidence (so far) says not. When you try to enforce behaviors in others, you cannot possibly prepare for everything that might come up. When you raise a child to understand that “this” is right and “that” is wrong, how can you determine in advance that they will question whether “the other thing” is right or wrong, or whether they will try it out to find out for themselves? The persons involved in this debacle were adults, of course, and should have known better. One does not snarl up traffic at the risk to public safety to prove a point. Why didn’t they do something more adult and constructive, like letting it go?
Who did they think they were? How much did they value the boss they serve, that they would betray him in such a juvenile way? People in positions of power have it rough when hiring help. The people who organized this horrific traffic jam obviously do not possess enough common sense, and might work better in a different profession.
Susan's Scribblings the Blog 
While the Cat is Away
Posted at 7:00 pm by kayewer, on January 11, 2014
When your back is turned, people do things you don’t expect. New Jersey had that problem this past week when Governor Chris Christie found out that two of his staff members plotted behind his back to pull an unforgivable prank on the mayor of Fort Lee. They conspired to close most of the major traffic lanes and restrict all vehicles to one lane at a major bridge approach. Police and ambulances were stranded with uncountable numbers of travelers, for days. All because the mayor did not endorse Governor Christie’s bid for his second term in office.
There is now a criminal investigation going on, with possible federal charges pending. The governor held a news conference and told it to the press straight: he delegated jobs to his fellow employees, as any boss would, and the people entrusted to act like adults turned into elementary schoolyard bullies with adult privileges, with disastrous results.
People are questioning whether the governor is to blame. I think not. Evidence (so far) says not. When you try to enforce behaviors in others, you cannot possibly prepare for everything that might come up. When you raise a child to understand that “this” is right and “that” is wrong, how can you determine in advance that they will question whether “the other thing” is right or wrong, or whether they will try it out to find out for themselves? The persons involved in this debacle were adults, of course, and should have known better. One does not snarl up traffic at the risk to public safety to prove a point. Why didn’t they do something more adult and constructive, like letting it go?
Who did they think they were? How much did they value the boss they serve, that they would betray him in such a juvenile way? People in positions of power have it rough when hiring help. The people who organized this horrific traffic jam obviously do not possess enough common sense, and might work better in a different profession.
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Author: kayewer