The View From Prospect Hill for the week of April 26

    The tales are the type elected officials hate and the scandal sheets love. They concern corruption, an honest man‚Äôs possible lies and 10 grand in missing cash. They are two of the biggest ongoing stories in Somerville. And we are starting to tire of them.
    The traffic and parking theft of $10,000 and Joseph Voutour‚Äôs allegations of improper fundraising by the administration have disappeared from the headlines but remain in the collective consciousness of Somerville. They each contain details that will produce juicy rumors for both blog and barroom conversation. But neither is very important.

     Voutour must come back to Somerville and explain himself. Voutour‚Äôs reputation for honesty and integrity is impeccable and questioned by no one ‚Äì but he threw a bomb and left town. When questioned by investigators, he backtracked on (some of) his words and could not produce a single piece of information to corroborate his story. Not a single date or detail to back up his explosive allegations that could ruin an entire city‚Äôs reputation. How many people read the initial Herald story and thought to themselves, ‚ÄúWell they‚Äôre at it again in Somerville?‚Äù There was a time in Somerville‚Äôs history when the city traveled with a moving thunderstorm of corruption overhead. But times have changed.
    This administration should not have to defend itself against unsubstantiated allegations. It should clean streets, generate more revenue and correct Water Bill-gate.
    The theft at Traffic and Parking is even more scandalous, but less important. $10,000 in public money was stolen, questions have been asked by investigators and by aldermen in executive session. Lie detector tests have been administered. And nothing has happened. If the case is never solved it will be unfortunate but also irrelevant to the day to day life of the city.
   Somervillians should be grateful they live in a city with such colorful little tales, and the city‚Äôs leaders should concentrate more on the needs of the people and less on defending themselves from the rumor mill.