Two examples in one week of power tripping after they tripped on their own feet, of emotional insecurity, incompetence, and lashing out instead of admitting they screwed up.

First: Missouri’s miserable governor

A reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was looking at a state government website, and decided to hit Control U (or used the menu) to view the page source.  This takes no skill other than knowing the hot key exists, and it’s certainly not “hacking”.

When the reporter did this, she/he found that the site had left hundreds of people’s social security numbers and other information exposed to public view.  So the reporter responsibly told the state about it, and the problem was fixed.  After it was fixed, the reporter published the story.

Instead of showing gratitude and admitting to the screwup and taking the blame for it, Parson now wants the reporter charged and prosecuted.  For.  What?  The only thing exposed was the government’s incompetence, not the data of private individuals.

A Missouri newspaper told the state about a security risk. Now it faces prosecution

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson is vowing to prosecute the staff of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch after the newspaper says it uncovered security vulnerabilities on a state agency website.

The governor is characterizing the paper’s actions as a hacking that the state will investigate. He said it could cost taxpayers $50 million.

“Not only are we going to hold this individual accountable, but we will also be holding accountable all those who aided this individual and the media corporation that employs them,” Parson said at a news conference on Thursday.

“Cost taxpayers $50 million”?  That’s as laughable as the $80 million “estimate” that companies accused Kevin Mitnick of stealing.  (In reality, Mitnick downloaded a $20 manual without paying.)  The report did not “steal” or expose anything, and didn’t publish the story until after the security hole was fixed.  Ludicrous.  Do I need to remind you that Parson is a republiclown?

Second: New York carkeystone cops

New York’s swinest are regularly in the habit of illegally parking their cars on bicycle lanes.  And unlike private cars which are issued citations for parking illegally, nothing happens when it’s a cop’s car.

A cyclist decided to legally report every illegally parked cop car, over three hundred in total.  Instead of moving the cars and obeying the law, New York’s swinest decided to harass, threaten, intimidate the cyclist into silence.

Because of course violence is the cop response to having their criminal behaviour pointed out, proving once again they believe they are above the law.

BAD COP, BAD COP: NYPD Threatens Tipster for Filing 311 Complaints About Illegal Parking

Members of the NYPD harassed and threatened a cyclist after he reported the cops for illegally parking along several notoriously lawless stretches in Downtown Brooklyn, including on Schermerhorn Street right outside a transit police station house, according to the complainant — and now the matter is under investigation by the Civilian Complaint Review Board.

The tipster (who asked to remain anonymous for fear of even more retribution) says he started getting calls from members of New York’s Finest after he made dozens of complaints to 311 about officers from the 84th Precinct and Transit Bureau 30 stashing their private cars in the bike lane and on the sidewalk on Schermerhorn Street, and on nearby Smith, Jay, and Hoyt streets — an illegal practice that for years has gone unchecked, endangering cyclists along the vital corridors.