Letter: Thumbs down on mocking corrupt county officials

Graphic by Lori Deaton

While it is true that the recent Wanda Greene et al. scandal was a gross example of greed and entitlement gone wild, I was very disappointed that your editors thought it is funny to mock people who have been tried, justly convicted and are paying their debt to society [“Prison Pen Pals: Letters From Corrupt Buncombe County Officials,” Jan. 1, Xpress].

I have heard similar hardhearted attitudes about this from others in our community, and frankly, it surprised me. Is it a laudable act to steal from the public coffers with which you have been entrusted? No. Is it a worthy American value to mock the incarcerated who have succumbed to temptation in a society where wealth is seen as the measure of success? I think not.

— Sherrill Knight
Asheville

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6 thoughts on “Letter: Thumbs down on mocking corrupt county officials

  1. Scout

    Lol. Grow up. Wanda was a conniving Queen of manipulation and embezzlement, her son earned a huge salary and basically had no responsibilities other than using the county credit card, Mandy Stone was Wanda’s ass kissing enabler and Jon Creighton was a spineless wonder that sold his soul for a sporting event and a case of wine. They deserve to be the butt of jokes for forever.

    • Phillip C Wiliams

      I did not know Ms. Greene personally, but from all accounts she was a shrewd, calculating dragon-lady who knew exactly what she was about – and she should never be entrusted with public money or operations again.

      Funny how, when the “right sort” of folks even misspeak or make certain political mistakes, it is OK for them to be the butt of ugly jokes forever – yet they think someone like Ms. Greene deserves to be left alone because she’s “paying her debt”…..It will be interesting to see how much of her “debt” she actually pays back – and I guarantee that she will not repay any of it willingly or graciously.

  2. Joseph

    That motley crew should be mocked and shamed forever.

    I’ll do you one better– more pressure needs to be applied so that their accomplices, Buncombe County Attorney Michael Frue, Commissioners Brownie Newman, Al Whiteside, Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, and quite a few others whose job it was to notice what was going on around them, are also prosecuted and “serving their time”.

  3. Bright

    They all voluntarily used the people of Asheville…wonder if that’s how they treat their families too?

  4. Lisa Frattaroli Baldwin,BSW

    If you really believe in these poor souls going to jail and facing their crimes as some form of a commendable act in a society where it appears you think they should steal as they, are tempted “in a society where wealth is seen as the measure of success?” These people have committed far worse crimes than what they are currently facing.My family and I are victims of their horrendous crimes. Please take your pity party elsewhere-there is no pity here-they are monsters and they tortured a medically disabled person for ALMOST ONE YEAR! If I have my way they will be facing LIFE in prison for kidnapping and torture. See my Facebook page for further details -it is public.I HOPE THEY ARE PROSECUTED TO THE Fullest EXTENT OF THE LAW. Their real crimes have not even begun to be disclosed. As victims, we are working hard to inform BUNCOMBE what these monsters have been doing for decades! I guarantee you they are not people who made one mistake-they made a life out of their crimes Lisa Frattaroli Baldwin,BSW

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