Many deficit commission staffers paid by outside groups

[kpete]

Many deficit commission staffers paid by outside groups

By Dan Eggen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 10, 2010; 8:12 PM

The leaders of President Obama's deficit commission sparked criticism from both sides of the political aisle Wednesday for proposing broad cuts to federal programs.

....................

But the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform has also come under attack for its unusual approach to staffing: Many of its employees aren't employed by the panel at all.

Instead, about one in four commission staffers is paid by outside entities, many of which have strong ideological points of view about how to tackle the deficit.

....................

The outsourcing has come under sharp criticism from seniors' organizations and liberal activists, who say the strategy is part of a broader conservative bias favoring painful entitlement cuts over other solutions. The fears of some liberal groups appeared to come true on Wednesday, when the commission's two leaders recommended significant reductions for Social Security and other social-welfare programs.

more:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/10/AR2010111006850.html

[Raven]

1. Why did the President allow this to happen? I used to think

Obama was a chess player. Now I beginning to believe he's a gambler and he's stacked the deck against himself...and us.

[texshelters]

2. Surprise, a deficit commision run by outsiders

What's the big surprise? That our corporate run government has a corporate leaning deficit commission that want to put the pain on the lower classes? Really, that's a surprise?

Money is pamphagous and running our our politics, and will be for years to come. Hopefully, that influence will end some day.

Peace,
Tex Shelters
http://texshelters.wordpress.com/

[howaboutme]

3. We should know everything

The manipulation of our government policies has become a science and most of the time the public is kept in the dark. We don't know the interests and groups who are behind our public policies.

I'm for full disclosure and major details on every staffer involved in Congress and those on policy making committees and investigatory commissions.

We should know:
-who currently pays them.
-their political and employment history.
-their upbringing and social status (working class, middle class, upper class, mega rich).
-their geographic origins.
-universities and degrees.
-religious heritage- Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, etc.
-family - married, children, etc.

Americans have a right to know everything about those involved in making public policy because background will always have major impact on beliefs and culture.

[chill_wind]

4. Pete Peterson pals, for example

"For example, the salaries of two senior staffers, Marc Goldwein and Ed Lorenzen, are paid by private groups that have previously advocated cuts to entitlement programs. Lorenzen is paid by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, while Goldwein is paid by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, which is also partly funded by the Peterson group. "


They just keep popping up everywhere, don't they?

[xchrom]

5. One of the constants in modern American government.

Outside money paying those who create, advise, lobby for American
Government policy and legislation.