Even in better days, there were never enough reporters to keep bureaucrats on the honest side, Los Angeles Times columnist James Rainey writes, following the story of huge Bell city council and staff salaries.
"Back in the days of more robust staffing at local newspapers, Bell officials might have gotten away with a few years of unchecked pay raises," he writes. "But I'm guessing The Times or a smaller competitor would have sniffed out [city manager Robert] Rizzo's ill-gotten gains years ago, perhaps when his salary was a mere $400,000."
7/23/10: Bell officials resign, Times reports
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