Tompkins County’s elitist clique doesn’t need the public as a source of legitimacy; just a source of funds and goods. Like the bandits in Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai” – they see the surrounding communities as a means of comfortable living; just due for just force. An air of intimidation hangs over every County policy making decision.
What sort of people are these gang members? In a county where the people overwhelmingly believe that the government is corrupt and self-serving — County leaders publicly declare their unbroken service to the people and their commitment to public participation. It’s a measure of their power – and their hypocrisy.