About the David Cohn Controversy

The people in a community have a right to expect upright behavior from their elected officials. Hermosa Beach City Treasurer David Cohn’s questionable liaison with an unlicensed masseuse has rubbed city leaders and residents the wrong way, and for good reason.

Why a Beach Cities official would connect with an unknown through Craigslist in South Eastern Los Angeles County can only elicit a sentiment of illicit conduct. Every elected official must bear out his private life with impeccable integrity, serving above reproach. When fulfilling a political office, a man does not give up his private life, but the life he leads behind closed doors must not reflect poorly on his capacities to lead, govern, or represent those who have charged him with serious considerations for the city. For some offenses, a man can make amends and remain in office. In Cohn’s case, it would be best for him to step down, just as General and CIA Director David Petraus resigned amicably from office for the good of the country.

On another note, we should not damn individuals who run for office who have had a troubled past, but by their present attitude and record of achievement demonstrate more than redeeming qualities. By all means, let us hold our public officials accountable for their present actions, since their character and their conduct convey an improper image about their communities . However, let us not continue to condemn individuals who have repented, repaired, and seek to represent community interests in the future.