When the Rich Feel the Itch to Be Bad

Last week brought bad news to a few of Southern California’s chosen people.

That will make some of you very happy, especially those who don’t live in Southern California or don’t feel particularly chosen.

Go ahead and gloat, but that’s not my style. I come not to celebrate their misfortune but to puzzle over why people in their situations did the things they did or are accused of doing.

In so doing, it’s my hope that we can all learn something.

First up is Randy “Duke” Cunningham, the eight-term congressman from Rancho Santa Fe, one of California’s wealthier enclaves. He resigned last week after pleading guilty to receiving $2.4 million in bribes from military contractors. Cunningham admitted to a pattern of bribery going back to 2000 that netted him a cache of exquisite items.

The man was not exactly destitute as his judgment slackened. He and his wife lived in posh Del Mar Heights before moving to ultra-posh Rancho Santa Fe. To give you some idea how heavenly Del Mar is, its mayor is St. Peter.

Yet Cunningham found it wanting. On Monday, after decrying his critics for two years, the decorated Vietnam War-era Navy pilot, said, “I broke the law, concealed my conduct and disgraced my high office.”

This much is certain: Whatever federal prison Cunningham lands in, it won’t be nearly as nice as the Del Mar home he thought wasn’t good enough.

We can all understand, can’t we, a desperate man who can’t feed his family committing a crime for money? Even, in our generosity of spirit, someone famous committing any of a number of so-called victimless crimes? What confounds us is someone famous and with money -- let’s call him former Congressman Duke Cunningham -- committing crimes simply to become even more well off than he was before.

Joining Cunningham in the bad-news derby -- but in a decidedly less egregious way -- are five families who live “on the sand,” as we say, in Newport Beach. That stroke of good fortune alone should be enough to prevent any of them from ever doing anything wrong, but, as with Cunningham, having quite a bit was not quite enough.

Last week, the California Coastal Commission said it would require the families to replace a wall of sand dunes that disappeared last spring. Disappeared, as in bulldozed. Alas, the dunes are protected by state law.

The families were suspects because the dunes, some of which were several feet high, had been increasingly blocking their ocean views over the years.

Cops call it motive and opportunity.

Any Southern Californian can appreciate the residents’ frustration, but I think our lesson today is that when you’ve otherwise got the world by the tail, it’s considered especially bad form to break the law to improve your lot.

But isn’t that just a bit too cutesy? Just a little too easy to say? What if our lesson should be that being rich and well-connected is tougher than it seems?

You say you understand why a poor man robs, but do you really understand the kind of internal pressures Rep. Cunningham was under to abandon Del Mar Heights for Rancho Santa Fe and to acquire Persian rugs, candelabras and a Rolls-Royce?

Who among us is in a position to judge people who live at the ocean’s doorstep in million-dollar homes but who have to look at natural sand formations from their beach-level patios instead of the glistening Pacific Ocean? Until you’ve walked a mile on the beach in their flip-flops, perhaps you should reserve your snide judgments.

Here’s my bottom line for anyone feeling morally superior while trying to upgrade to a 1,000-square foot, three-bedroom house by the interstate in Fresno, or shoveling snow in Buffalo: Take a moment to sympathize with Mr. Cunningham’s aspirations or the plight of our seaside residents.

There but for the grace of God go you.

Dana Parsons’ column appears Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. He can be reached at (714) 966-7821 or at dana. parsons@latimes.com. An archive of his recent columns is at www.latimes.com/parsons.