Saturday, May 4, 2013

Relatives on the Payroll

German politics....often comes out looking like some reality TV show, and you suspect that most of them are just a bunch of goofballs.  Just my humble opinion as an American observer.

This week, one of the CSU folks from the state of Bavaria....in their local state legislature....got all frustrated and finally released the name of 79 local politicians (a couple of them are actually state cabinet-level members), who have hired family members on as personal assistants.  In essence, cousin Johan, Aunt Alfilda, Uncle Boris, or your wife Huberta....were hired on and paid out of a party or state bucket of money.

Some rules were written up a decade ago....to kinda fix this because everyone was acutely aware back in the 1990s that there was a problem.  It's best to say that rules in most cases now....were overlooked.

This is an age old problem....that most all countries have had for hundreds of years.  It's nothing really new.  Most Germans thought they'd fixed the problem with their rule established back in 2000, but apparently, that rule was not enough.

My humble guess is that another rule will be written, and this time....real change will occur.  But if this works like it does in Alabama....you will hire your friend's wife to be your personal assistant  and your friend will hire your niece to be his personal assistant.  Then all this legal issue will be forgotten about.

The fear of all of this?  Family dynasties that just continue on and on for decades.  I would suspect the vast majority of Germans just don't want a dynasty situation occurring.

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