Conspiracy theorists always speculate that government officials sworn to protect them would gladly trade the health and welfare of any and everyone for a dollar and a donut. Stories like this next one involving public health officials willfully withholding information about potentially dangerous levels of bacteria in the water at popular beaches until after a lucrative holiday has passed don’t really do much to prove them wrong.

CARTHAGE, Mo. — The reaction was dramatic after state officials learned that bacteria levels at Lake of the Ozarks made beaches there unsafe for swimming over the Memorial Day weekend.

True, much of the response stemmed from the fact that the information was withheld until July by state officials, some of whom may have believed that the revelation would hurt business at the lake during the first holiday of the summer. ( source )

Yep. Conspiracy officials would have a field day with that one. Good thing for them, and the rest of us, that quick bacteria test kits for water exist.