ADDICTION AT CITY HALL

Mayor John Fabrizi of Bridgeport, with his tearful admission that he
used cocaine while in office, is the latest in a bewildering lineup
of high-profile Connecticut officials who have committed crimes in
the past five years. Mr. Fabrizi's predecessor, Joseph Ganim, is
serving a prison terms for corruption. Former Gov. John G. Rowland
recently completed a 10-month term for the same thing, and a former
mayor of Waterbury, Philip Giordano, is serving 37 years for child
molestation. This trend is not encouraging for the Land of Steady Habits.

The big difference with Mr. Fabrizi is that he has not been charged
with any crime. United States Attorney Kevin O'Connor says that he is
not the target of an investigation, although his office inadvertently
revealed allegations of Mr. Fabrizi's cocaine use contained in F.B.I.
documents. Whether he can hold on to his job may depend upon whether
there are any further revelations about criminal acts.

But the current situation is bad enough. Bridgeport has a policy that
sanctions employees who use illegal drugs, and Mr. Fabrizi's conduct
violated the city's ethics policy, which he signed into law. Further,
the city -- and its economic revival -- depend on having a chief
executive who has the public's confidence and is able to work with
full energy and effectiveness. The jury is still out on whether Mr.
Fabrizi can continue to govern effectively.

Addiction and alcohol abuse afflict the humble and the powerful
alike. There are moving instances of public figures, among them
former Gov. Ann Richards of Texas, whose forthright discussion of
recovery from addiction have helped countless others. Before becoming
mayor, Mr. Fabrizi spent 25 years as an educator, teaching fifth and
sixth grades. If he can do all the things necessary to restore
dignity to the office that he has sullied, he may yet teach his
greatest lesson.