IN A PIG'S EYE

By Jim Beers

(The following letter was sent to the St. Paul paper and copied to David
Broder. The introductory title was "Heirs less apparent": I must assume that is an attempt at humor.)
David Broder's piece about "Disappearing dynasties" in Washington is misleading. Not only does he ignore the current Senate dynasties like Senator Murkowski, first appointed by her Dad when he stepped down from that position; he similarly ignores all the recent hoopla about how we are all to anticipate Senator, now Vice-President Biden's son to fill that seat.
Then there is the even more insidious aspect of this growing oligarchy in Washington: the growing and unmentioned hiring of the children of these powerful politicoes in the increasingly powerful federal agencies. When Senator Schumer's daughter is placed in a Senior Executive position in the federal agency that does Congressional bidding regarding banks and loans and former Senator Stevens' daughter is placed in a similar high position in the Interior Department (to name just two), two things happen and neither is good for the nation. First, the agency has influence on all Senators and Congressmen by using such relatives of a "powerful" politico and "quid pro quos" grow like weeds under the table from budget increases to audit avoidance. Second, any semblance of a "Merit System" for hiring and
awarding bonuses is turned into sardonic subjects for jokes and Russian-like cynicism about government programs. Have you heard about "gifts that keep on giving" or "Frank en stein banking policies"?
"Disappearring"? Hardly. By Jim Beers 25 January 2009