In light of all the news about what actually happens with taxpayer money, here’s one that ought to make law-abiding, tax-paying Iowa residents feel good:

Former chief of operations at the Central Iowa Employment and Training Consortium John Bargman will be asking for probation in lieu of prison time at his sentencing Friday morning for his role in the CIETC scandal from a few years ago.

A refresher: CIETC — now Iowa Employment Solutions — is a nonprofit agency that administers Iowa Workforce Development programs in central Iowa, primarily providing job training for those who need assistance. In late 2005, a state budget analyst discovered that the agency’s executives were being vastly overpaid — former chief executive Ramona Cunningham took home $368,000 in 2005-06 — which triggered a state audit. Ultimately, auditors found that more than $2 million of taxpayer money was directed toward four of the organization’s top employees, including Bargman and Cunningham.

Four of the players involved in the scam were indicted by the U.S. Attorney’s office, and each has been convicted. Three are serving prison time and paying restitution, while a fourth is only on probation. The fifth, Bargman, instead pleaded guilty in exchange for his testimony against the other four. According to the original plea agreement, he would spend between three and four years in prison and pay restitution of no more than $400,000.

But what was good in 2007 wasn’t good Tuesday, when Bargman’s attorney Alfredo Parrish filed a motion asking that the court consider giving Bargman probation instead. The motion provided more than 20 reasons for not imprisoning Bargman, which included Bargman’s remorse, his cooperation with prosecutors, his involvement in the community, and his mother’s breast cancer diagnosis.

Parrish also noted that it’d be cheaper for the state if Bargman were on probation and not in prison.

It would be cheaper if we abolished all police departments and prisons and let all wrongdoers run free, right? Parrish might as well have thrown on the list, “White collar criminal. Doesn’t deserve punishment. Harmless.”

We suppose if you have the gall to swindle $2 million from taxpayers, you also have the gall to ask not to be punished. Remorse might be appropriate had he committed the crime for a week and had blown the whistle on himself, not when he screwed taxpayers for over three years and had to have state auditors come down on him. And he wants bonus points for cooperating with prosecutors? Isn’t that exactly what you agree to do when you sign a plea bargain?

We’re not heartless. We sympathize that his mother has cancer, and this only complicates this situation. But this isn’t Monopoly, and there are no Get Out of Prison Free cards. Go to jail, Mr. Bargman, and do your time.