The Sheriff, the Easter Bunny and nepotism. My print column is up.

UPDATE: The more I think about this story the more I think it's been blown way out of proportion. If Kellie McGinn and Photo Express did the work the county asked her to do at the going rate why is this a scandal? And just because she continued to do work for the Sheriff's department after her father got the top job is no evidence of wrongdoing on his part or hers.

It would be one thing if somebody else had the gig and got fired so that she could be hired. But that isn't the case. Thousands of people in this county get jobs or business every day because they know someone or their parents know someone. There is nothing nefarious about that.

The amount of money we're talking about here (about $1,000 a year) is miniscule in the scheme of things. And why she should be asked to pay it back for appearances sake is not very fair to her. She did the work, she deserved to be paid for it.

Furthermore, if being the son, daughter, or a relative of a county official disqualifies them from doing any business with the county, it seems to me a decent number of people could be out of work soon.

BTW, Aston political leader Joe Possenti called me to complain about his name being used at the top of the McGinn column. What, he wanted to know, did he have to do with any of this. The answer is nothing. It was a gratuitous mention, meant to be funny and it wasn't particularly. I called him to apologize, got his mother, and she gave me an earful too. Good for her and fair enough. I left two messages for Joe. One apologizing the other to ask him about something else. I'm hoping he calls me back.

UPDATE: Talked to Joe. He graciously accepted my apology. He invited me to meet him at Hennessy's Tavern sometime. I'm buying.