Why things don't work here

I've eluded to the fact that things don't run smoothly here. Nothing here works like you think it should. Some of that is cultural difference, but that's just a small part. By far a bigger reason is rampant corruption.
The lieutenant governor was arrested on federal fraud, bribery, and obstruction charges: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003878505_websamoa10.html
Everyone on the island has known that his arrest had been coming for months.
But, he's still at work. There's no real pressure for him to resign. Until there is some sort of pressure (which there probably won't be) he'll just stay in office collecting a check until he pleads guilty. Then he'll be thanked by the governor for his years of service, he'll go to federal prison for a couple years, then he'll reappear as the director of a government agency here. Seriously, that is probably what will happen.
Here he is with the Secretary of the Interior a couple months ago:


Yup, no problems here.

The legislature here went way over their own operating budget that they set for themselves this year already. The president of the Senate didn't think that was fair because they "needed to spend the money" on repairs of the legislature building and thought that shouldn't/wouldn't count against their budget. So he requested that the treasurer just find them some more money. The treasuerer said he could not legally just find them more money and that they, being the legislature, needed to pass a supplimental funding bill and have the governor sign it. The president of the senate did not understand why they should have to do this and complained. Then they finally figured it out that they need actual legal funding acts to get funding so they passed one and then asked other departments to donate extra money to them. Of course, one of the departments that had plenty of money was mine because we are at less than half staff and give no raises- sure, we have plenty of money...why don't you guys take it and spend it on personal travel expenses...because that is what they will do.

Weave, Aunt June wants to know if you are going to start a new blog. Are you?