To say that the ongoing flap about Albert Arroyo, the Boston fireman, who managed to overcome his "total and permanent" disability to compete in a bodybuilding competition, is the tip of an ice berg is a gross understatement. Its more like the edge of a glacier.
According to a Jeff Jacoby article in today's Globe, the FBI is reportedly investigating the recent spike in disability pensions in the BFD, but the place to start is much higher up the "public servant" food chain. As Jacoby cites the eye-popping pensions being drawn by those like Billy Bulger and ex Big-Dig Director, Michael Lewis. we start to realize that the grunts in the Fire Department are just following the lead of many top officials as they milk the system. The fact that these jumbo pensions may be technically legal; that is, allowed under the state's murky pension laws, still doesn't mean they pass the smell test.
Meanwhile, over at the Herald, Dave Wedge picks up on some of the more notable members of the Mass. Congressional delegation who are enjoying the largess of the public trough. Specifically, Wedge points out that our own Bill Delahunt, who represents the Massachusetts 10th Congressional District, which, of course, includes America's Home Town, Receives an annual pension of $57,623 from Massachusetts due to some creative legislation that re-categorized his "service" as District Attorney. This, of course, in addition to his $165,000 annual congressional salary
Our adversaries, ever-vigilant to spot the weaknesses in our democratic system, have always been happy to point them out for us. To paraphrase Karl Marx:
A democracy can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public treasury.
Some of our elected officials are leading us down a increasingly slippery slope of loose fiscal policy, as more and more citizens, rather than casting the rascals out, are instead, jockeying for their turn at the trough. It doesn't take much imagination to realize where this is leading us. No place good.
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