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The Powerlessness of the Powerful
Monday, June 28th, 2010
Robert Wechsler
It's amazing how powerless powerful politicians can be. Take New Jersey
state senate president Stephen M. Sweeney. According to an
article in the Courier-Post, Sweeney is not only senate president,
but also director of his county's council (called the board of
freeholders), as well as regional director of a union.
Why is he both senate president and freeholders director? It was his colleagues' choice. He had nothing to do with it, and apparently couldn't turn the director position down.
According to his Wikipedia page, he says he would like to take only one pension, but he can't.
He also doesn't seem able to refuse a salary from his county government, so he gives it to charity (he's allowed to hold two government positions under the grandfather clause of a statute that prohibits this; see my blog post on double-dipping). He could refuse the salary or give it to his county government, which is what his constituents would likely prefer, but he prefers to send the county money elsewhere (I haven't discovered where), and presumably to take the charitable deduction.
It also seems beyond Sweeney's power to steer clear of acting in a conflicted manner. For example, this year he sponsored a senate bill (S763) that authorizes directors of board of freeholders (that is, people like him) to exercise veto power over proposed actions of county authorities.
I learned about Sweeney from an article in yesterday's New York Times about politicians in the labor world who have been speaking out against public employee unions. But he is also sponsoring bills unions have long supported, such as a higher minimum wage and increased taxes on the wealthy.
The good thing about his high position in a labor union is that union lobbyists don't need to try to win him over or buy him out. The bad news is that he is trying to do three important jobs all at once. Maybe that's why such a powerful man says he's powerless. He just doesn't have the time to take care of business. But that's a problem, too.
Robert Wechsler
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics
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Why is he both senate president and freeholders director? It was his colleagues' choice. He had nothing to do with it, and apparently couldn't turn the director position down.
According to his Wikipedia page, he says he would like to take only one pension, but he can't.
He also doesn't seem able to refuse a salary from his county government, so he gives it to charity (he's allowed to hold two government positions under the grandfather clause of a statute that prohibits this; see my blog post on double-dipping). He could refuse the salary or give it to his county government, which is what his constituents would likely prefer, but he prefers to send the county money elsewhere (I haven't discovered where), and presumably to take the charitable deduction.
It also seems beyond Sweeney's power to steer clear of acting in a conflicted manner. For example, this year he sponsored a senate bill (S763) that authorizes directors of board of freeholders (that is, people like him) to exercise veto power over proposed actions of county authorities.
I learned about Sweeney from an article in yesterday's New York Times about politicians in the labor world who have been speaking out against public employee unions. But he is also sponsoring bills unions have long supported, such as a higher minimum wage and increased taxes on the wealthy.
The good thing about his high position in a labor union is that union lobbyists don't need to try to win him over or buy him out. The bad news is that he is trying to do three important jobs all at once. Maybe that's why such a powerful man says he's powerless. He just doesn't have the time to take care of business. But that's a problem, too.
Robert Wechsler
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics
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