May 13, 2015 2 min read

Most of us would agree that for our elected officials, there is some level of personal misconduct that renders a politician unfit to continue serving. We all might have differing opinions on what misdeeds should disqualify someone from remaining in office, but it’s clear to us that state Sen. Pat Browne has crossed that threshold.

If you missed it, Browne, R-Lehigh, was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident earlier this month and subsequently was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. Would you be willing to forgive him this transgression? We might, if it were his first such offense. But if he is, in fact, guilty of imbibing and driving in this case, it will mark the third such incident for him over the past 20 years.

Enough is enough.

Many people overconsume alcohol. If they tie one on in the privacy of their own homes, or have someone else provide the transportation when they’re drinking, that’s their business. But when they drink to excess, make the decision to operate a motor vehicle and take to the state’s roads and highways, they are putting the safety and perhaps even the lives of other people at risk. That’s not acceptable once, let alone three times.

Browne, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued a statement the other day apologizing for his choices and said he’s committed to getting help to “regain a solid grasp of my illness.”

That’s all well and good, and we wish him the best in this personal struggle, but we also believe he has proven himself unworthy of his lofty public post and should step aside so that his constituents can get more responsible representation and he can more effectively deal with his problems.