A Massachusetts selectman arrested for painting crosswalks in the town of Billerica did so only to appease his complaining constituents.
But this week, despite “just trying to do right by the people,” George Simolaris was charged with destruction of property for his diligence, in a criminal case where the punishment is obviously dumber than the crime.
Several crosswalks in the suspect selectman’s community had faded beyond recognition and were being deliberately left that way by town officials claiming these would be addressed *someday* as part of a larger “pedestrian safety” project.
In the meantime though, Simolaris “got sick” of hearing about the neglected paint jobs and decided to take care of the matter himself -- over the weekend sprucing up six deteriorated walkways, all at his own expense.
Those artistic efforts naturally impressed the townspeople, but swiftly got him in hot water with local officials and law enforcement, since painting the street for any reason “without authorization” is illegal.
Now, in addition to jail for the grievous offense, George Simolaris also faces a hefty fine for his well intentioned quick-fix, which, once paid, will hopefully go toward the much needed street repairs.
Town manager John Curran stubbornly defended the controversial arrest of a suddenly very popular small-town politician:
"His job is to uphold laws not break them," Curran angrily said. "He has no respect for the governmental process."
@EponymousRox
