The Mercury News editorial board joins the chorus urging troubled Alameda County supervisor Nadia Lockyer to resign, concluding that she needs “further help for mental health issues and probably addiction.” And the newspaper also calls into question the judgment of her husband, state Treasurer Bill Lockyer. An excerpt:
The treasurer, a pillar of California politics for decades, essentially bought the supervisor's race for his wife in 2010 when he transferred $1.5 million from his campaign account to hers. He had to have known about her problems at the time, given that she entered rehab not long after her election.
If Bill Lockyer has any remaining influence over his wife, he should use it to persuade her to leave office. It seems best for her sake and for the couple's young son -- but this is more than a personal choice. It's something the Lockyers owe to voters, who elected Nadia Lockyer believing she was an entirely different person from the one she has turned out to be.