Already had one "flashback" this morning...a New York Times Editorial...commenting on the passing of Alex Anderson, creator of "Rocky and His Friends"...aka "Moose and Squirrel".

Maybe that's what set the stage for my second flashback when I read the aforementioned headline...

"The Honeymooners"...Ralph and Alice Kramden, Ed and Trixie Norton.

If you were alive and watching television in the 1950's, you remember...

Ed Norton...in Ralph's Brooklyn apartment (with the actual "ice" box instead of refrigerator), discussing...whatever. Norton, in his inimitable way, taking FOREVER to do something simple, driving Ralph to distraction...until the predictable outburst of..."NORTON!".

One of my favorite memories was the show/scene where Ed was teaching Ralph to play golf.

Ed keeps raising and lowering the club...like he's going to finally take a swing. When Ralph finally snaps, Ed turns to him and explains...you have to "address" the ball. After a few more practices, Ed stops, solemnly looks down at the golf ball and intones...

"Hello, ball!"

Flash forward to the Alexander County Courthouse...

...the office of Frances Lee, County Clerk.

Picture it...clutching a stack of papers in her hands, as federal, state, and local officials look on...waiting for the purge of voting rolls to begin.

Frances Lee...

...takes a deep breath, lets it out, and solemnly intones:

"Hello, corruption!"

From the WSIL TV Channel 3...

Link to Original Story

Clerk Says Corruption Is Being Addressed

By: Jeff Stensland
jstensland@wsiltv.com

CAIRO -- The Alexander County Clerk says she is trying to clear the cloud of corruption around her office. Last month, a state investigation discovered the county had 750 more registered voters than eligible voters.

The clerk says it is all because the county is virtually broke. That is making it tough to track registrations and pay for the election.

Early voting in Alexander County is on par with what the state is expecting overall: about 30-percent, according to Alexander County Clerk Frances Lee. She says it is going to be a very expensive election to have her put on, but it is something she has to do.

"You have to have the election," Lee said. "That is a federal mandate."

However, Lee says it is not always easy. Elections cost thousands of dollars, from printing ballots to buying ballot machines and computers.

Last year, the county was so broke it could not used a state-of the art computer because it owed the software company, Election Systems and Software, $35,000. The equipment helps keep track of voter registration. Lee says the unavailable software would have helped take 750 deceased voters, recently discovered by a state investigation, off the books.

"That is on my agenda to have that taken care of before the Presidential Election in 2012," Lee said. "We definitely do have to purge our records. Again, funds for that will have to be made available."

County leaders have pulled money together in order to put on the election, even though every department is broke.

"Even with the deficit that we are facing and all the problems that we are having in our county, the election itself is running quite smoothly," Lee said.

Ballot machines for every precinct have been tested and certified. They are ready to go out with the election judges next Tuesday.