PPOD 8/11/09: Two Pedros Are NOT Better than One

I promised I'd take a break from talking about health insurance reform for a couple days, and I'm going to keep my promise. Instead, let's have a Pet Peeve of the Day, it's way more fun!

Not long ago, I had the opportunity to post a PPOD on Pedro Espada Jr, the 'leader' of the New York State Senate. Regular readers will remember that the NYS legislature is the country's most dysfunctional, not in my humble opinion but in the opinion of really smart people who know about these things and have spent lots of time researching this stuff. Me, I just live here.

But now, as a New Yorker, I'm hardly proud to announce that not only do we have Pedro Jr in Albany, but we have managed to find a way to create a job for his son, the highly qualified Pedro G Espada, and pay him $120K per year. During a hiring freeze. When the State is offering some employees a buy-out to reduce the size of the workforce.

I know, folks are going to tell me that nepotism is a way of life in politics, and that I shouldn't be shocked by this. And I agree -- I'm not shocked. I'm peeved at the audacity of this man, and at the lack of basketballs on the part of the rest of the Dems in the Senate who sit idly by and watch this nonsense go on, all in the name of being in the majority.

So, two big thumbs down for the two Pedros. I say it again: we deserve better.