Next sacrificial lamb up, maybe Brian Hatfield?

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So, Brian Hatfield might have the itch.

The problem is that Hatfield is best known for having his buddy, Brad Owen, create a job for him that resulted in a 37% increase in Owen's budget back in 05.

Now, Hatfield didn't particularly do anything or have any particular experience for the job that Owen made up for him, but, what they hey. Owen was a buddy, and in a position to shaft the taxpayers for this guy, so, why not?

Here's some details from the time:

The Seattle Times did a report on Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen's massively increased budget request.

Now, I’ve got to tell you… I think Brad does a GREAT job. In fact, we could do worse for governor or senator (Hey, wait a minute… we HAVE done worse! What am I saying?) and I vote for him on a regular basis. In fact, Brad and Brian Sonntag are my two automatic democrat votes.

But I’ve got a problem with this entire situation.

See, Brad hired then newly re-elected State Representative Brian Hatfield (D-19) because… well, because Brian needed a job. Not that there WAS a job, you understand. Brad liked Brian enough to make UP a job, exclusively for him… because, apparently, outside of being a democrat state representative, Brian couldn’t find a job on his own. In the interest of full disclosure, though, I wonder if Brian had let the voters of the 19th know that if he got a better offer, he was going to dump them like a bad habit. No matter… in that regard, what’s done is done.

Now, I freely admit that democrats are geniuses at this sort of thing. The moment they take power in any office, they immediately begin to replace staff with choices of their persuasion, or, as Brad did, make up jobs for their cronies to keep them in the game.

Republicans rarely emulate that effort, which is just one of the many shortsighted reasons why Republicans are not in power in this state.

That said, Brad decides to pay Brian a lot of money for this made-up, previously unneeded job. More money, in fact, than any other employee in the Lieutenant Governor’s Office.

Well, I’ve got to tell you, I can understand that. I mean, how weird is it that Brian was paid more…. A LOT more…. Than the guy he would titularly answer to, Brad’s Chief of Staff?

So, part of this massive increase is a result of the “bow wave” effect caused by Brian’s hiring.

According to the article, Brian, who hasn’t been there long enough, relatively speaking, to figure out where the office men’s room is located, is somehow worthy of a $5200 pay increase, in addition to his $68,500 that he’s already getting.

But, because Brad is paying this guy so much friggen money, he has to bump everyone ELSE in the office up… so Brad’s Chief-of-Staff gets a $20,000 a year raise to $70,000, a “deputy director and international trade specialist” gets a $25,000 bump to $65,000 while others are getting pay raises of $3,500 to $8,600 yearly, while every OTHER state employee has to make do with 3.2% this year and 1.6% next year.

Brad, your excuse that this is a “pay equity” issue doesn’t wash.

1. Everyone in your office, presumably, knew what he or she was getting when they agreed to work for you. “Pay equity” has nothing to do with it.

2. Even if “pay equity” WAS a valid reason to get these outrageous pay raises through, it cannot be justified in the face of government’s failure to address “pay equity” for EVERY state employee. In short, your staff are state employees, no better or worse then any other state employees. Further, you know as well as I do that you’re buying your staff’s silence, to keep them from complaining about this hiring.

3. You pro-offered no REASON for hiring Brian in the first place. His hiring was, in fact, a violation of his commitment to the voters and an abuse of your power and discretion. There was NOTHING noted in the article that spelled out ANY experience, education or training on Brian’s part that would qualify him, even for a made up job like this one… because if he WAS qualified for this job, he would have NO difficulty getting a job somewhere ELSE.

4. I’m sorry his wife has cancer. My left knee hurts… is that a reason you should hire me? Brian’s insurance coverage is no better or worse working for you than as a state representative. Her cancer, as unfortunate as it is, justifies nothing and I’m surprised that anyone would suggest that it does.

5. Here’s a bulletin. We are in the midst of a multi-billion dollar budget deficit. So you decide to pile on with this budgetary excess?

Brad, I believed in you. Not as a democrat or a member of any organization. I believed in YOU.

But when you abuse the budget in this manner, you abuse each of the 6 million people who inhabit this state... and, as I am one of those people, struggling to pay your taxes and keep my home… you abuse me.

The people would be best served by your decision to fire Brian and to give your staff the same level of raises that any other state employee gets. This is an issue greater then your decision to help out a buddy at the expense of those of us you would govern.

Brad Owen never answered my letter. I was not worthy of a response.

I am, after all, just one of his constituents. So, why should he bother to answer me?

No matter. The end result is that Hatfield has to explain this.... and do it in such a way that it makes sense.

Good luck with that, Brian. You're gonna need it.
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