Degenerates 'Liked' the Lockportians Facebook Page

Ex Lockport Mayor Mike Tucker: We were curious why he resigned.

LOCKPORT: Some readers complained that The Niagara Falls Reporter wrote about the alleged affairs and promiscuous dalliances of former Lockport Mayor Michael Tucker.

What business is it of anyone's, they asked, to learn about an ex- mayor and an eight year old claim of sexual harassment?

Someone wrote us thinking we would be amused that on a popular Facebook page called the Lockportians, Jim Sacco of the Democratic party referred to our publication as a "degenerate weekly tabloid."

We were amused.

Degeneracy is, after all, in the eye of the beholder.

Nevertheless, it inspired us to browse through postings on the informative Lockportians page.

There we saw hints that made us suspect that former Lockport Mayor Mike Tucker may not have resigned for reasons he gave the public: which was that he had a superb job offer.

If this were the private sector, we most likely would not have reported it.

Had Tucker finished his term and retired, we probably would not have reported it.

If Tucker had fulfilled his promise to the people when he ran for reelection in 2011, he would still be mayor. But suddenly, midterm, Tucker stepped down. He claimed it was to make more money in the private sector in a job where he would get paid three times his $43,000 mayoral salary.

It is in the public interest to know why an elected mayor quits midterm.

The Reporter learned that allegations surfaced that suggested the real reason he quit was he had liaisons with many women - some of them city employees - and one had proof he sexually harassed her and was ready to go public.

The people of Lockport now have an unelected mayor.

The people of Lockport have a right to know why there was an election and they cast their votes in vain.

In America they call a mayor "your honor."

We wanted to show how much honor Tucker brought to the position.

So thanks, Jim Sacco. Sometimes it takes degenerate weekly tabloids, who aren't afraid to publish anything and everything, to get the truth out.

That's what makes us degenerate.