There is a reason we're following this story at PublicCEO.

No, we're not trying to be local government TMZ or follow in the footsteps of the National Enquirer (both of which have been pointed out).

Rather, this story has "legs" due to the fact that it's the loudest realization I've seen in recent years of citizens waking up. Not just citizens, but the media too. Also, it's a wake-up call for other local government officials.

This is the news, and the issue continues to grow. The citizens of Bell were first upset because their city's administrators were making some of the largest salaries in the nation. Now, it's being shown exactly what the price of those salaries was.

Simply enter your email address for news updates from PublicCEO.com here.

San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed is steering the Oakland A's to his city.

Frustrated after waiting 16 months for MLB Commissioner Bud Selig's committee to explore potential destinations for the Oakland ballclub, Reed decided to make a dramatic move. He issued a proposal to put the privately financed ballpark measure on the November ballot, with or without approval from MLB.

Reed's hopes were that it might nudge MLB if they saw that a ballpark was already approved, and Reed thought it would save the city money putting the issue to voters in November. The nudge worked - at least providing movement from MLB.

To understand what went wrong in the city of Bell, it is important to recall the three principal groups that animate our political system: elected officials, the press and citizens.

Democracy requires that each group perform specific responsibilities. Public officials must respond to queries from citizens and the press in a timely and forthright manner. The press must provide citizens information they can use to make informed assessments of public officials and their policies.  Finally, it is the job of the public to pay attention to public affairs and to turn out and vote. 

A stop sign exists between the three highly paid administrators in Bell and the ability to draw their state pensions.

According to a report from Marc Lifsher in the Los Angeles Times, the former Bell administrators will not be permitted to draw their pensions until the attorney general determines whether or not they broke the law.

The heat is coming.

The fallout from the reports of the disgracefully high-paid Bell city employees is mounting.

Reporters are digging. They want to know every detail of every dollar and any crooked numbers will be exposed. They’re looking for corruption.

Exactly what does the City Manager make and how many positions does he or she hold? How much does a council member expense per year? The police chief just retired, what will he or she take home as a pension?