ATWATER — What, precisely, does it mean when a cop gets placed on administrative leave?

Is it really a paid vacation?

Here’s a case that might shed some light.

In August of 2013, Officer Howard was charged with a DUI and a hit-and-run after she crashed her car into somebody’s home, according to reports.

After crashing into the house, Officer Howard then exited her vehicle and fled the scene on foot, reports say.

According to reports, witnesses claim that Officer Howard reeked of the smell of alcohol and that she had bloodshot eyes.

Three months later, Officer Howard was finally charged with two misdemeanors.

According to Merced Sun Star, her case has now lasted 17 months, and is set to be continued all the way to January of 2015.

She has been placed on paid administrative leave the whole time, funded — by force — by American taxpayers.

How much have taxpayers given her?

The Merced Sun Star reports:

“In the meantime, city payroll records show Howard has collected her regular salary while off work, $85,077.16 through November. She earned a total of $111,438.79 during the period with other benefits included.

Howard declined comment when reached by the Merced Sun-Star this week. Her attorney, Kirk McAllister, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.”

Imagine yourself in the following scenario.

Suppose you were charged for drunkenly crashing your car into someone’s house and then fleeing the scene. What would happen to you? You’d be arrested and thrown into a steel cage, and probably beaten at some point or other.

Now repeat the same scenario, but change one detail: you become a member of a group of individuals who call themselves “government” and you put on a blue costume to signify your membership in this group.

Everything else is the same — you were charged for drunkenly crashing your car into someone’s house and fleeing the scene.

In the blue costume scenario, however, what happens to you is not an arrest, and you’re not held inside of a cage. No, instead you are paid over one hundred thousand dollars, plus benefits, plus an entire year off work.

You didn’t change anything about your character in the second case, you didn’t morph into a hero or god, you’re still the same person as you always were.

You only added a special costume and called yourself government. By doing so, you got a whole new privilege.

The highest privilege in society, in fact. Even higher than other privileged groups. You have government privilege, or “blue privilege” as some call it — other people are actually forced to give you their cash while you abuse them.