Bar none

I think the first time I saw it on TV was the old Mary Tyler Moore Show, where hardbitten news boss Lou Grant kept a bottle of whiskey in his bottom desk drawer to help himself deal with good news and bad news in the newsroom.

Now it's a standard scene in lawyer shows to have the brilliant barrister have a bottle of hooch on hand. Sometimes it's in his desk, sometimes he has a whole bar set up in his office.

But the tv station and the law firms are private businesses. It crosses the line when things like that happen in government offices, but that's what was going on in Montgomery County, Maryland, right outside Washington D.C.

The head of their planning board has acknowledged keeping a "well-stocked liquor cabinet" in his office, and for that, he has been reprimanded by the County Council and docked four weeks pay.

Casey Anderson is the name of the man in charge of the board. Two other members will find their paychecks lighter by one day as a result of their involvement.

There was an anonymous complaint filed with the county's inspector general, and as the investigation unfolded (what investigation? They walked into his office and it looked like the set of "Cheers") Anderson admitted having dozens of bottles of the devil's brew in his office.

Two things to remember: as with all government structures, the people who work there are being paid by taxpayers, who might not look favorably on their tax-supported workplaces having the ambiance of the Club Pussycat. Montgomery County has a strict stated policy against alcohol in the workplace.

Anderson, as the head of the agency, would oversee the disciplinary process if any of his employees were spotted nipping from the sauce while on the job. 

And he didn't just ride in on a head of cabbage. He's been on the board for eleven years, serving as chairman for the last eight

The nine-member County Council, 100% Democrats, said they were  “extremely disappointed” in the way Anderson, Vice Chair Partap Verma and Commissioner Carol Rubin acted on the job, saying, “Montgomery County Planning Board leadership must model the behavior that we want all employees to display.”

Anderson, Verma, and Rubin will soon be warming seats at Employee Assistance Program counseling, as per the Commission’s protocol.

Anderson made the following statement:  “I remain committed to the important work of our agency and the county government in moving our community forward.” 

He should have added, "Work is a place for work to get done, and alcohol is not a part of that."