Photo by lovedc.

We all know that our fair city is facing some financial difficulties, but it would appear that so too are some of its elected representatives.

Yesterday, the City Paper reported that Councilmember Harry Thomas (D-Ward 5) owes the feds over $16,000 in student loan-related debt. By itself, the story might not mean much, but it comes on the heels of both last week’s revelation that Councilmember Kwame Brown (D-At Large) has over $50,000 in credit card debt, and this week’s scoop that Council member Michael Brown (I-At Large) is dealing with a federal lien on over more than $50,000 in unpaid taxes. And then there’s always Council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8), whose failure to pay taxes was so longstanding that the government is now taking part of his paycheck to cover what he owes.

Both Thomas and Michael Brown claim that their financial problems are simply misunderstandings, while Kwame Brown, who is running for council chair, admitted that he and his family were living beyond their means. Barry, for his part, has always seemed oblivious to the fact that he even has to pay taxes.

The question has been raised: is this even our business? In theory, yes, it is. Elected officials are subjected to more scrutiny than the general public, and knowing what our representatives are worth and what they owe might inform the way they’ll vote on certain issues. For example, that Kwame Brown is swimming in debt might make certain voters think he’d be more easily corruptible — after all, Ted Loza, Council member Jim Graham’s (D-Ward 1) chief of staff now facing charges for taking bribes, was also dealing with significant personal financial pressures.