This comment was left on an earlier post from Anonymous:
Steve-- what did you think of the story on Musser? Is he as pathetic as he seems? What a painful article to have written about oneself. I would shoot myself if I was like he is portrayed! Kyle Hopkins ADN Blog
He sounds like my ex husband of 16 years ago, "Ever since you left me my life has become an eddiface to what I am not! boo-hoo."
Well I was nearby in the cafeteria when Musser started talking to Kyle and Lisa. This is a picture of them while Kyle was live blogging the post you linked to.
Read the very end of my earlier my earlier post on what the jury needs to know. We all have to take responsibility. It's really easy to make snap judgments about people. The Government subpoenaed Musser and flew him up, he said, but in the end he didn't get called to testify. Because they weren't sure what kind of witness he'd be? Because they figured they didn't need him? Who knows? But whistle blowers tend to get creamed if they haven't planned it out carefully. He violated the rule about hanging dirty laundry in public. He outed a Republican legislator who committed numerous campaign finance violations. He said he tried to work out some other way to end what was going on. She was having serious domestic problems and she needed help, he said. Finally he went to the APOC. He also violated the norms against outing your boss. While, he never said Kohring 'fired' him, he said he was put on leave without pay until the Masek matter was settled. But he could never get in contact with Kohring again. He said his calls weren't answered, etc. He's living in Houston (Texas, not Alaska). He said someone at an oil company told him the word was he couldn't be trusted (he'd ratted on his boss, on a fellow Republican is how I understood that.) So, when your whole network blackballs you, it's hard. Not only can't you get a job through your network, he probably has trouble getting letters of recommendation. They want people to remember what happens when you break the code. This is hardball. This is like an inside guy having the tape going when everyone is relaxed and letting their hair down. Can't have that guy working here, we can never trust him.
Look at who is still chair of the Republican party in Alaska:
He's got to give up his old life and start over where no one knows who he is. That's not easy.
If you read articles and books on whistleblowing, this is not unusual. People are blackballed and even actively sabotaged when they apply for jobs.
Were his motives pure when he filed his complaint? I don't know. I asked him, why with so many people aware of what was going on, only he blew the whistle. He said he had a reason, but he wouldn't talk about it until after the verdict.
Just because there might be a characteristic or two similar to your ex-husband's, doesn't mean the rest is the same. It could be, but I prefer to fill in the missing pieces before I come to a conclusion. After all, Musser did report a sitting legislator to the APOC and she was found to have violated the rules. And for that he lost his job and was blackballed.
Maybe we should be thinking, not of Anderson, Kott, Kohring, but of Masek, Anderson, Kott, and Kohring. Then Musser would have been the first to stand up against corruption. But he always has to live with the behind the back innuendo and suspicion - was he just taken revenge for some slight?
I would say that when he did this he was either incredibly brave or incredibly naive - or maybe both.
One must now live thier life as if it is being videotaped and can be placed on YouTube at any given moment. Trust no one. Suspect all. Don't say anything you don't want sneaking up on you later. Revenge can be a funny thing. It can be passive or active but has the same result either way.
ReplyDeleteAs a society, we seem to ostracize "rats" (what was the famous old John Ford movie?), even though we use them, and then discard them. It's a tough spot to be in. We have to do the "right thing", but then we are punished for doing it. Mr. Musser did the right thing. He reported Bev Masek to APOC. But he broke the "code" - what is this, the Cosa Nostra? Gimme a break. It must be a guy thing. I think women are used to dealing with nuances, as in this matter. I respect Mr. Musser for what he did. I understand what has happened to him. Sometimes, knowing you did the right thing is all you have to keep you warm at night. Get over it and move on.
ReplyDeleteElaine: Your spot on in your comment, I agree with you. When you do the right thing it is a lot easier to sleep at night. My only question is, did Mr. Musser do this for all the right reasons?
ReplyDeleteI think we should judge Mr. Musser by his actions, which speak volumes. He may have had misgivings about what to do, but he did it. He may have had additional motives. And he may regret it now, but he still did the right thing.
ReplyDeleteGood point on all this-- I didn't realize how it would affect him. I do have friends who have worked in Juneau who would just stop working for someone involved in corruption and stay as far away from them as possible. Vic may have hired him because he had been a whistle blower-- Vic was a good guy from what I could tell.
ReplyDeleteI know that Sarah wanted Randy to step down as head of the Republican party and he refused.