So, NOW we want welfare fraud investigated? Zarelli killed that bill a decade ago... what's changed?

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It's with some amusement that I see everyone getting giddy over State Senator Joe Zarelli's proposals to amp up welfare fraud investigation here in Washington.

It's not amusement because of any lack of a need for increased investigation. Tripling the number of investigators and their powers to investigate would probably just begin to address the issues.

No, the amusement comes from the fact that Zarelli is the one pushing it.

Ten years or so ago, back when my now brother-in-law, Marc Boldt, used to be both a Republican conservative AND a State Representative; he had just completed working on a bill that would have resulted in major increases in the office of Fraud Investigation. It would have roughly doubled the number of investigators, in an office where, at the time, the amount of money recovered averaged something on the order of $800,000 per year per investigator.

Marc had literally worked for years to get a bill together. He spent hundreds of hours in research, hearings, discussions... all to do something about an out of control welfare fraud situation that had, at the time, resulted in Washington State being ranked dead last in welfare fraud investigation.

Marc shepherded the bill through committee, Appropriations, Rules and the House floor.

Then it got to the Senate.

And State Senator Joe Zarelli spiked the bill.

Let me repeat that:

State Senator Joe Zarelli killed then Rep. Marc Boldt's welfare fraud investigation bill.

Years of work, hundreds of hours and possibly millions of dollars in unrecovered monies... all went to waste, because Zarelli killed the bill.

Shortly after he killed the bill, Zarelli called me to explain why. I really didn't want to hear it, so I didn't pay a lot of attention since his explanation made precisely zero sense and justified nothing, but I do seem to recall that he was concerned about "expanding government."

Well, the wheel has come full circle. And imagine how much we'd have saved had Zarelli supported the bill... instead of killing it some 10 years ago.

Remember, Joe? I'm sure Marc does. Because I know I do.

Cross posted in 18th District View.
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