And law enforcement officers know how foolish that would be:

This week, we've learned that the Chief of the Apex police department John Letteney and the Mecklenburg County Sheriff, Daniel E. Bailey, Jr., have partnered with NAMI North Carolina and its affiliates to stand up for all mental health patients in the state. They penned letters expressing concern that 69% of patients who face barriers to access to medications end up facing adverse events such as emergency room visits, hospitalization, or imprisonment.

Another empathy-lacking and counter-productive move by the man who is rewriting the record book daily on stupid moves. Not only will it increase costs substantially via hospital and correctional involvement, it also (unnecessarily) puts patients and other citizens at risk. Once again, it ain't rocket science, but it still eludes our intrepid leaders.

Click the picture above for a BlueNC post from almost two years ago, back when the real Thom Tillis began to emerge in the General Assembly. Then fast forward to today and witness the Speaker's spectacular display of arrogance and corruption. If there were such a thing as a culture of ethics in our legislature, Thom Tillis would already be under investigation for conflicts of interest involving both Time Warner Cable and Justin Burr's bail bonds racket. If there were such a thing as a culture of ethics in our legislature, Thom Tillis would already be in jail.

The scourge of austerity is nothing less than class warfare with one proven effect: the ultra-rich amass more wealth and privilege while regular families fall farther behind.

With complete control in Raleigh since January of this year, the Radical Republicans are marching forward. What is the end game?

Then we have all been very, very bad.

Most of the debate this week about the Senate budget understandably focused on the more than 5,000 jobs it eliminates, the cuts it makes to education, and the $770 million it sets aside for tax cuts for millionaires. But there are dozens of other questionable funding decisions and troubling policy changes included in the massive 413-page budget bill that only a handful of Senate leaders had seen before it was released late Sunday night.

Not enough conflicts of interest to go around:

Brawley also implies that Tillis is aware of unethical behavior by another lawmaker: "A Republican-led General Assembly passing a bill giving a monopoly to the family of a Republican legislator. I am sure you know what I am referring to since all conversations I have had with anyone seem to lead back to you."

Brawley was referring to House Bill 738, a law passed in 2012 that requires all bail bondsmen in the state to be certified by the NC Bail Agents Association. The non-profit NC Bail Agents Association is run by Phil Burr, the father of Rep. Justin Burr, R-Stanly, himself a bail bondsman. While Rep. Burr recused himself from voting on the measure, critics say other members of state House and Senate leadership made sure it would pass, including Sen. Tom Apodaca, R-Henderson, also a bail bondsman and one of the founders of the NCBBA.

This is just one of many problems that arise when political leaders discard ethical considerations in favor of self-serving behavior. Those who feel they haven't been able to line their pockets as deeply as others turn bitter, and start singing like a canary. Probably 90% of those serving time for white-collar crimes have found this out, and it looks like the NC GOP is on the verge of finding it out, too.