The Powerlessness of the Powerful
It's amazing how powerless powerful politicians can be. Take New Jersey
state senate president Stephen M. Sweeney. According to <a href="http://www.eagleton.rutgers.edu/news/newsstories/10-01-24_CourierPost.p…; target="”_blank”">an
article in the <i>Courier-Post</i></a>, 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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_M._Sweeney" target="”_blank”">his
Wikipedia page</a>, he says he would like to take only one pension, but
he can't.<br>
<br>
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 <a href="http://www.cityethics.org/node/243" target="”_blank”">my blog post on double-dipping</a>). 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.<br>
<br>
It also seems beyond Sweeney's power to steer clear of acting in a conflicted manner. For example, this year he <a href="http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/BillsBySponsor.asp" target="”_blank”">sponsored
a senate bill</a> (S763) that authorizes directors of board of
freeholders (that is, people like him) to exercise veto power over
proposed actions of county authorities.<br>
<br>
I learned about Sweeney from <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/28/business/28union.html" target="”_blank”">an
article in yesterday's New York <i>Times</i></a> 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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
Robert Wechsler<br>
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics<br>
<br>
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