If you can’t count on someone to tell the truth when it doesn’t really matter, how can you trust him to tell the truth when it does?

Candidates will sometimes look at one anther’s disclosure statements as part of their opposition research. I looked at Commissioner Bell‘s. It was all rather straight forward, but one item stood out. The vast majority of his budget was paid to a company called Bresser’s Information Services for the printing of Miscellaneous items specified as being buttons, bumper stickers and T-Shirts. I was familiar with this business and didn’t recall them having any of these products. I don’t recall seeing my opponent distributing these items either.

I called Bresser’s Information Services to inquire about these items and they informed me that they did not sell such items and only provided demographic research and direct mail services. Interestingly enough, Bell has failed to disclose the source of funding for his campaign mailers, and biographical brochures. A complaint about his failure to disclose the source of funds for the direct mail piece is being investigated.

So perhaps he paid Bressers for this from his own funds, but then claimed he spent the money on something else. Why? I checked to see if the form only offered that option, but it didn’t. The option of “Mailing Service” was available.

So why not just tell the truth. It looks like he is trying to conceal something that need not be concealed. Now there are much more serious matters for Police Commissioners to be concerned with. People are being killed in high-speed chases. Innocent people are having property stolen by civil forfeiture, response time is still a concern, and shootings are under investigation.

So what if a politician puts down false information on a form? Well, if you can’t count on someone to tell the truth when it doesn’t really matter, how can you trust him to tell the truth when it does?