There is nothing in Governmental Ethics Rules about hiring your spouse or family members and paying them with your campaign cash. The only stipulation is that it must be fair payment for services rendered.
72 members of our House of Representatives paid their relatives and companies owned by their relatives a total of $5.1 million dollars from 2001-2006. This is a rather nice way to pad the family paycheck. I will give you the biggest offenders:
Zoe Lofgren (D-Ca) paid her husband's company $263,168.00 and a second company owned by her husband $62,705.00.
Bob Filner (D-Ca) paid his wife's company $249,004.00
Buck Mckeon (R-Ca) put his wife on payroll and paid her $263,168.00
Ralph Hall (R-Tx) put his daughter-in-law to work and paid her $181,470.00
Now, this money was probably paid for services performed ... and though some may say that if they had to hire someone, why not keep it in the family? It just looks bad and the American people deserve better than this.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Just Because It's Not Illegal ... Doesn't Make It Right
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17 comments:
It's called nepotism where I come from and mostly stinks!
Wow... Nepotism at it's finest! Where do I get a politician for a family member??? sign me UP!
The same thing happens here in Canada...and if I remember correctly there is currently a bit of a dust up and 'inquiry' into just this. Somebody was found guilty of paying money for servies not rendered,to a company owned by a relative.
It's really called Halliburtonism and it's allowed if you are a public official.
At least that is what our public officials keep saying....on the D side of the house
akelamalu ... it's called nepotism over here too, and pisses people off on both sides of the pond.
shibari ... I've been looking for a political family member for years ... the line forms behind me :)
ms.l ... this same thing happens all over the world ... it doesn't make it right though. I'm glad that it looks like the one you guys have is getting caught.
mike ... it's not only the Dems that have a problem with this ... there is a lack of common sense on both sides of the aisle.
Yes, just like at World Bank. It is the American way
blanco ... yeah, Paul Wolfowitz got caught with his pants down, giving his girlfriend a job.
and, not only in government, it happens to be prevalent in the field of education, on local levels. Not as much money involved, but enough to make a hugh difference in take home pay!
as blancodeviosa said...
"The American Way"
damn right we deserve better! and this while they vote themsleves nice fat raises too.....gads, it makes me sick.
While I agree that nepotism sucks, families with businesses do this all the time... what person wouldn't provide for their family if they had the means? Now, granted, if *I* had my own company and my children worked for me, they would WORK. Their consequences would be the same as everyone else's (probably worse, actually, because I would expect them to know better!) I just think this looks so awful because the government has just taken it to an obscene level and it's obviously an abused policy. Again, that's our government...the intent is good...outcome for Americans, not as beneficial as it could be.
--snow
And they wonder why we dont pour out our support on voting days?!?!?!?!
inspired ... It's prevalent in all walks of life. It is understandable in business ... the owner is grooming his son/daughter to take over the business, so that kid is working at different jobs in the company ... it's when it happens in places that are supported by taxpayer dollars or in the case of our Congressmen, the money of special interests that we start getting angry.
lime ... whatever happened to the vows that they once made not to vote themselves a raise without first balancing the budget?
snow ... I work at a car dealership and the owner has 3 grown children that he won't let near the place ... his reasoning is that he wants the place to be profitable ... and it won't be with his kids involved.
sarah ... roughly 50% of voters show up at the polls during a presidential election. On off years, that percentage is even more abysmal. If the 50% of voters that usually don't show up, got themselves educated on the issues and the candidates and voted for a person that actually cared about the citizenry ... what a difference that would make.
ATABOBSI!
terry ... thanks for stopping by, but as far as ATABOBSI ... ???huh???
I had it all wrong ... :-/
I just called my dad ...
he's been saying this for years and years...
it's really supposed to be:
ATTBBOBSE!! (pronounced like attabobsi)
"Ain't that the biggest bunch of bullscwhitt ever!"
So we are always saying ...
"attabobsi" when appropriate.
I really don't like nepotism! At my work the assistant superintendent's son and his friends all have paid internships. I ask to do a free one during my planning hour for free in order to get my Master's Degree and what do I get? A big fat "NO, we aren't doing internships right now." Liars.
david ... We have people doing free internships all the time at my dealership. The service and body shops constantly have 2 to 3 interns working there. It is a win-win situation ... the interns get experience (and credits) and we get free labor. It is never a good idea to turn down free labor.
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