Scams are happening everywhere and maybe even in your own backyard. A man in Washington DC has been caught stealing over $300,000 dollars from the city. This money was supposed to be set aside as a way to pay for children’s sports. FBI agents swarmed his house in hopes of finding him there. The city is trying to polish the tarnished reputation it already has and this was not helping at all.  “To make these types of improvements that we’ve made today shows our commitment to making sure that ethics reform is well and alive,” said Kwame R. Brown, the chairman of the council, who has also been accused of mishandling the city’s money, according to the New York Times.

There is a bill in the works that would help control the city’s money better and those who are in charge of the money.  “I truly believe that this bill does much, but not enough,” Mr. Wells, a councilman, said before casting the lone vote against it. The city of Washington is not new to folks who continuously mishandle money. “It’s a very frustrating time,” said Dorothy Brizzil, executive director of a group called DCWatch. “It’s a situation that I, as a resident of the District of Columbia, thought that I’d never have to deal with again. It’s a source of embarrassment.”

Not too long ago, Mayor Marion Barry Jr. was caught on film smoking cocaine. Last year he was then reelected as a city councilman. Many people are interested in cleaning up the city, but it’s incidents like this that keep holding Washington back.  “We really feel like there’s been a crisis in confidence brewing in the district this year,” said Muriel Bowser, the councilwoman whose committee wrote the ethics overhaul. “There have been a number of scandals that have really shaken the public’s confidence in how we do business.”

There are many stories in which government officials and elected parties have been caught doing something atrocious.  “We’ve been moving the city forward,” Mr. Brown said. “More has gotten done this year than I’ve ever seen in 12 months, despite the distractions that have been going on.” The city has a lot further to go but it is possible to get the city of Washington back on track with the rest of the United States.

Another key factor that people are mishandling is the funds that are intended to help with constituents and job-related expanses, like travelling. Many people have been caught taking thousands of dollars. Council has caught on and now the council members are funded with $40,000 for these types of expenses. A huge issue being debated right now is whether or not. In a world where almost anything is capable of a scam, it’s important to stay focused and only hire those you can trust. You have to weed out the bad apples and keep the good apples on board.