Saturday, May 28, 2005
Rep. Earl Blumenauer aides have conflicts of interest
Representative Earl Blumenauer, the pro-smart-growth congressman from Portland, Oregon, has at least two staff members who also earn money from government agencies that receive federal funding. One has received more than $100,000 in no-bid contracts from Tri-Met, Portland's transit agency. Another is also on the payroll of Metro, Portland's regional planning agency. Both Tri-Met and Metro depend heavily on the federal government for funds.
The Oregonian says that House ethics rules do not specifically forbid congressional staff members from receiving money from agencies that get federal funding, but it interviewed numerous people who call this a conflict of interest. "There's no rocket science here," says the Portland director of Ralph Nader's Congressional Accountability Project. "This is a conflict of interest, and it is not complicated."
Blumenauer himself sees no conflict of interest because he considers it his job to get as much federal pork for Oregon as possible. "I lobby for money for Oregon," Blumenauer told The Oregonian.
Yet this represents a potential conflict in several ways. To what degree are the government agencies buying the support of staff members who recommend to Blumenauer whether to give money to, say, Portland's transit agency vs. Eugene or Salem transit agencies? To what degree are the agencies simply rewarding well-connected staff members for their past support? And ultimately, is it really Blumenauer's job to rip off taxpayers of as much of their money as possible and give it to the agencies that give extra favors to his staff?
The Oregonian says that House ethics rules do not specifically forbid congressional staff members from receiving money from agencies that get federal funding, but it interviewed numerous people who call this a conflict of interest. "There's no rocket science here," says the Portland director of Ralph Nader's Congressional Accountability Project. "This is a conflict of interest, and it is not complicated."
Blumenauer himself sees no conflict of interest because he considers it his job to get as much federal pork for Oregon as possible. "I lobby for money for Oregon," Blumenauer told The Oregonian.
Yet this represents a potential conflict in several ways. To what degree are the government agencies buying the support of staff members who recommend to Blumenauer whether to give money to, say, Portland's transit agency vs. Eugene or Salem transit agencies? To what degree are the agencies simply rewarding well-connected staff members for their past support? And ultimately, is it really Blumenauer's job to rip off taxpayers of as much of their money as possible and give it to the agencies that give extra favors to his staff?
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