Democratic Party leader shows lack of leadership

Whether Columbiana County's Democratic chairman, Dennis C. Johnson, is to be found guilty of driving under the influence, will be decided in a court of law next year. Until then, of course, he is presumed innocent of a DUI charge and a charge of failure to control a vehicle. But the court of public opinion should not wait that long to deliberate over Johnson's behavior last Tuesday after he drove his car into a ditch near the Canfield Fairgrounds.
The deputy sheriff investigating the crash reported that Johnson kept saying while he was being questioned that he was a deputy sheriff and flashed a badge and identification card as if to prove it. But the badge and ID were for a civil commission and Mahoning County Deputy Jeff Saluga confiscated them.
At least some good news: So there's bad and good news in this incident. The bad news is that a Valley political leader still thinks he can use his influence as a get-out-of-jail-free card. And the good news? That Saluga wasn't having any of it and wrote Johnson up as he would any other individual with a .16 blood alcohol level. Good for the deputy.
Apparently, it will be later rather than sooner before some area politicians understand that petty corruptions lead to bigger ones. And this region is certainly well known for the latter. The Valley has been more than embarrassed by judges, lawyers and the politically connected who thought the rules were made for everyone else but them.
For Johnson to be trying the same tactics suggests that he still doesn't get it, that he still thinks waving around a badge should get him out of the predicament he put himself into.
True leaders are expected to set a good example to others, to demonstrate that the well-being of the community comes before their personal wants or desires.
Johnson could probably learn a few things from Deputy Saluga about acting in the best interest of all the people and resisting political gamesmanship.